Abstract: What is disclosed is an apparatus and method for inhibiting the formation of sediment in an ink sub-tank of a MICR inkjet printer. In one embodiment, the present apparatus comprises an ink sub-tank containing MICR ink substantially comprising a ferrofluid of particles, and an electromagnet. When the MICR inkjet printer is turned OFF, the electromagnet is lowered into a chamber inside the ink sub-tank and an electric current is applied to activate the electromagnet. Activation of the electromagnet causes the particles of the ferrofluid to be attracted to the electromagnet's magnetic field such that the particles are lifted off a bottom of the sub-tank to inhibit sediment formation thereon. The electromagnet is de-activated when the MICR inkjet printer is turned OFF. A sensor is employed to activate the electromagnet when sediment in the ink sub-tank has reached a pre-determined level.

Abstract: A method of printing a half tone image on an image forming apparatus using toner that is fused to a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a dot design that represents the half tone image, the dot design being made up of a plurality of dots; analyzing the dot design using an algorithm; matching the dot design to an equivalent alternate design that represents the half tone image, the matching being based on results of the analyzing, the equivalent alternate design being made up substantially entirely of a plurality of non-dot shapes; forming the half tone image on the substrate using the equivalent alternate design; and fusing the half tone image on the substrate with a fuser device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a conveyor that has a planar surface supporting sheets of media. A movable element is positioned adjacent the planar surface at an initial position. The initial position is a first distance from the surface approximately equal to the thickness of a sheet of media. The movable element moves in a first direction away from the surface and in a second direction toward the surface. An actuator is connected to the movable element. The actuator detects when the movable element moves in the first direction from the initial position. In response to the movable element moving in the first direction, the actuator moves the movable element in the second direction to a pushing position. The pushing position is between the initial position and the surface. After moving the movable element to the pushing position, the actuator allows the movable element to return to the initial position.

Abstract: A three dimensional printer is configured to move at least one printhead from an area where the printhead is forming an object to a position opposite a shaft. The at least one printhead is operated to eject material onto the shaft and the shaft is rotated to enable a light sensor to generate signals indicative of a height of material at a plurality of positions on the shaft. The signals are compared to an expected height of material at each position to identify inoperative inkjets in the at least one printhead.

Abstract: A system for cleaning precision rails of a three-dimensional object printer has been developed. The printer includes a track having a pair of precision rails positioned beneath a printing station having an ejector head configured to eject drops of material onto a substrate of a cart that moves along the rails. An air source with a duct is configured with a slot to direct an air flow onto one of the precision rails to prevent dust or other airborne particles from collecting on the precision rail.

Abstract: A printing system includes a maintenance device that is configured to correspond to different configurations of a scalable printhead array. The printing system includes a first printhead array having a plurality of printheads and a pair of frames disposed in parallel and on opposite ends of the first printhead array. A first maintenance platform is mounted between the pair of frames and configured move from a first position at a first side of the first printhead array to a second position opposite faces of the printheads in the first printhead array. The first maintenance platform is configured to perform a maintenance operation on the plurality of printheads of the first printhead array when the platform is at the second position, and a first actuator is configured to move the first maintenance platform between the first position at the first side of the printhead array and the second position.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for cooling and de-curling output image receiving media substrates prior to stacking them in output trays of office-sized image forming devices. Customer requirements are met by providing a cooling capacity with a simple module that is particularly adaptable to a standard office-sized image forming device without increasing a vertical footprint of the device. The substrate de-curling and cooling capacity is able to be retrofit on typical office-sized image forming devices as, for example, an upgraded output catch tray to provide an all stocks at rated speed capacity in the image forming device. A substrate and de-curling unit cools sheets of image receiving media substrate via conduction by pressing the sheets individually and in order to a pair of rotating cooling drums with a pair of cooperating belts supported by appropriate idler rollers in a paper path having a horizontal “S” shape.

Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing of three-dimensional objects. The apparatus includes a supply of substrate that is pulled to a position opposite a printhead to enable a test pattern of material to be formed on a portion of the substrate. That portion is then pulled past a laser sensor, which generates measurement data of the material on the portion of the substrate bearing the test pattern. These measurement data are analyzed to detect inoperative inkjets.

Abstract: A printing device, including a fuser section for printing operations and first and second fuser rollers for the fuser section arranged to: displace a plurality of sheets of print material in a process direction; and substantially simultaneously disengage from a trailing edge of a first sheet from the plurality of sheets; and engage a leading edge of a second sheet from the plurality of sheets. A printing device, including: a fuser section for printing operations and including first and second fuser rollers; a motor arranged to rotate the first and second fuser rollers to displace a plurality of sheets of material in a process direction; and a control system configured to measure a torque produced by the motor and according to a value of the measured torque, control a speed at which the first and second fuser rollers displace the plurality of sheets of print material in the process direction.

Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing of three-dimensional objects. The apparatus includes a supply of substrate that is pulled to a position opposite a printhead to enable a test pattern of material to be formed on a portion of the substrate. That portion is then pulled past a laser sensor, which generates measurement data of the material on the portion of the substrate bearing the test pattern. These measurement data are analyzed to detect inoperative inkjets.

Abstract: An image forming device is provided that includes a fuser section having a carbon nanotube fuser roll; a pressure roll that interacts with the fuser roll to create a nip; an external heat roll that contacts the fuser roll and transfers heat to the fuser roll; and a cleaning system for cleaning contamination deposits from the external heat roll. The cleaning system has a scraper blade configured to contact a surface of the external heat roll such that the deposits are scraped from the surface of the external heat roll; a catch tray positioned relative to the scraper blade such that the deposits scraped from the surface of the external heat roll by the scraper blade are collected by the catch tray; and a deposit transportation auger located in the catch tray, the auger being configured to transport the deposits from the catch tray to a collection box.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for cooling and de-curling output image receiving media substrates prior to stacking them in output trays of office-sized image forming devices. Customer requirements are met by providing a cooling capacity with a simple module that is particularly adaptable to a standard office-sized image forming device without increasing a vertical footprint of the device. The substrate de-curling and cooling capacity is able to be retrofit on typical office-sized image forming devices as, for example, an upgraded output catch tray to provide an all stocks at rated speed capacity in the image forming device. A substrate and de-curling unit cools sheets of image receiving media substrate via conduction by pressing the sheets individually and in order to a pair of rotating cooling drums with a pair of cooperating belts supported by appropriate idler rollers in a paper path having a horizontal “S” shape.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for methods for reducing the adverse effects attributable to excess toner contamination in image forming devices through providing and implementing low surface energy surfaces on individual rolls, including external heat rolls in the image forming devices. The disclosed external heat rolls are configured of materials that introduce a more robust low surface energy component into the materials that compose at least a rough external heat roll material for the external heat rolls.

Abstract: The present teachings provide a fuser system for use in a xerographic apparatus. The fuser system includes a fuser roller and a pressure roller. The fuser roller and the pressure roller create a nip. The fuser roller has an outer layer of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a fluoropolymer wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the outer layer. The pressure roller comprises a static dissipative outer surface having a surface resistivity of less than about 1010 ?/cm.

Abstract: A printing device, including a fuser section for printing operations and first and second fuser rollers for the fuser section arranged to: displace a plurality of sheets of print material in a process direction; and substantially simultaneously disengage from a trailing edge of a first sheet from the plurality of sheets; and engage a leading edge of a second sheet from the plurality of sheets. A printing device, including: a fuser section for printing operations and including first and second fuser rollers; a motor arranged to rotate the first and second fuser rollers to displace a plurality of sheets of material in a process direction; and a control system configured to measure a torque produced by the motor and according to a value of the measured torque, control a speed at which the first and second fuser rollers displace the plurality of sheets of print material in the process direction.

Abstract: Devices and methods to collect and align print media sheets. According to a device herein, a tray has a base and receives print media sheets. Registration guides are connected to the tray. The registration guides define a corner in the tray. A tamper mechanism comprises a rotating helical brush extending perpendicularly from the base adjacent to a side of the tray opposite the corner. The tamper mechanism is positioned to tamp the print media sheets against the registration guides causing a stack of the print media sheets to be squared against the corner.

Abstract: A method and structure of automatically selecting replacement components for a printing machine automatically maintains media type statistics on media types used for printing in the printing machine for a period of time, and automatically recommends a replacement for a worn component with one of a plurality of interchangeable different-type replacement components based on the media type statistics. The interchangeable different-type replacement components have different performance characteristics for each of the media types, and the interchangeable different-type replacement components perform the same function as said worn component within the printing machine.

Abstract: Methods and systems feed sheets of media on a media path within a printer device and place marking material on the sheets of media to produce printed sheets using a marking station. The methods and systems press the sheets of media using a pressure roller to join the marking material to the sheets of media and control heating elements to heat different portions of the pressure roller differently based upon the gloss level of the printed sheets using the processor.

Abstract: The present teachings provide a fuser system for use in a xerographic apparatus. The fuser system includes a fuser roller and a pressure roller. The fuser roller and the pressure roller create a nip. The fuser roller has an outer layer of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a fluoropolymer wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the outer layer. The pressure roller comprises a static dissipative outer surface having a surface resistivity of less than about 1010 ?/cm.

Abstract: A sheet transportation apparatus includes at least one beltless vacuum transport (BVT) that has a plurality of adjacent rollers. Each of the rollers comprises a rounded external surface and an axis about which the external surface rotates. The external surfaces of the rollers are spaced from each other by gaps referred to as “inter-roller spaces.” A fan is positioned on a first side of the rollers. The fan draws air through the inter-roller spaces to create a vacuum force on a second side of the rollers. The vacuum force maintains the sheets of media in contact with the second side of the rollers. The external surface of each of the rollers comprises a plurality of first regions having a first diameter and a plurality of second regions having a second diameter different than the first diameter. The first regions and the second regions of the external surface are adjacent one another and alternate along the length of the external surface of each of the rollers.