Abstract: Embodiments described herein include an upstream measurement module, a curler downstream of the upstream measurement module, and a print station downstream of the curler. The upstream measurement module includes a transport on which media is tacked to flatten the media and a curl sensor to generate a curl signal corresponding to a media curl of the media on the transport. The curler curls the media in response to the curl signal to reduce a magnitude of the media curl. The print station includes a marking unit to dispose a marking material on the media and a transport to transport the media past the marking unit, wherein the first and second transports apply a substantially equivalent hold down force to the media.

Abstract: A finishing unit includes a first compiling module and a second compiling module operatively connected in parallel with the first compiling module. Each compiling module includes a finishing head adapted to perform a finishing operation upon a plurality of sheets of media. A printing system includes a sheet media source, a finishing unit operatively spaced from the sheet media source and a marking unit operatively disposed therebetween. A method of performing a print job using such first and second compiling modules is also included.

Abstract: Described herein is an exemplary method wherein the photoreceptor surface velocity is nominally set at a speed fractionally different than the intermediate belt (ITB) nominal surface speed. The photoreceptor speed can be preemptively altered through a velocity ramp profile whenever an event is scheduled to occur that will result in ITB transient vibration. As a result, the photoreceptor speed is not allowed to cross over or equal the belt speed at any instant during the transient event. This allows the photoreceptor to remain dynamically decoupled from the ITB, since the apparent disturbance torque imposed by the belt remains constant and does not reverse sign.

Abstract: A system for support, operation, installation, and removal of an endless belt in a scalable modular printing system includes an input module, at least one marking module, and an output module. The endless belt is an intermediate transfer belt, a photoconductive belt, or a sheet transport belt used in the marking system. Rollers support an interior surface of the belt, and are supported by their respective module frame structures, thus defining a vacant interior cavity of the belt. A method of belt installation includes drawing all interior rollers out of their frame structures, placing the pre-scrolled belt at one end module of the system, uncoiling the belt along its process direction within the internal cavity of the system, then reinstalling the interior rollers to capture the belt into its operating position.

Abstract: A drive roll/idler roll nip release mechanism utilizes the motor used for the drive nip, coupled with one-way clutches, to power the nip release as a sheet is handed off to a downstream nip. A drive shaft is coupled to a first one-way clutch in one direction and an idler cam shaft is coupled to a second one-way clutch in the opposite direction. This allows the idler cam shaft to be driven only when the motor is reversed, and the drive shaft to be driven only when the motor is moving forward. The one-way clutch on the drive shaft allows the drive wheels to freewheel when the motor is reversed in order to engage the nip release. Thus, the nip release is activated while the drive nip continues to rotate in the direction of sheet motion.

Abstract: A media sheet inverter apparatus and method is disclosed. The media sheet inverter, according to one embodiment of the disclosure, comprises an input nip configured to receive a media sheet and a reversing roll nip configured to receive a media sheet from the input nip. The media sheet is subsequently held within the inverter for a predetermined time before being ejected to an output nip configured to receive the media sheet from the reversing roll nip. The inverter apparatus and method is especially suited to inverting alternating media sheets.

Abstract: A toner image transfer assembly has a tacking assembly, an image transfer assembly, and a media transport assembly. The tacking assembly senses critical properties of media while electrostatically tacking media to a transport device. The tacking assembly forwards data corresponding to the sensed electrical properties to the image transfer assembly so that the image transfer assembly anticipates the electrical properties of an approaching media type.

Abstract: Disclosed is a print media interposer system and method. The print media interposer system comprises two or more interposer modules, one or more interface modules, and a controller. The interposer modules are adapted to receive one or more print media input stacks from one or more printing systems. Subsequently, the print media interposer system merges the received print media input stacks in a predetermined sequence.

Abstract: A drive roll/idler roll nip release mechanism utilizes the motor used for the drive nip, coupled with one-way clutches, to power the nip release as a sheet is handed off to a downstream nip. A drive shaft is coupled to a first one-way clutch in one direction and an idler cam shaft is coupled to a second one-way clutch in the opposite direction. This allows the idler cam shaft to be driven only when the motor is reversed, and the drive shaft to be driven only when the motor is moving forward. The one-way clutch on the drive shaft allows the drive wheels to freewheel when the motor is reversed in order to engage the nip release. Thus, the nip release is activated while the drive nip continues to rotate in the direction of sheet motion.

Abstract: A compiling unit includes a collection tray and a variable-speed compiling system adapted to operate at at least two speeds to thereby receive a sheet of media at a higher speed and register the sheet of media within the collection tray at a lower speed. A control system is adapted to selectively operate the variable-speed compiling system at the at least two speeds. A printing system having a sheet media source, at least one marking engine, such a compiling unit and such a control system is included. A method of compiling sheet media is also included.

Abstract: A printing system for creating multi-color images on print media. The printing system includes a plurality of marking modules, wherein each marking module creates a single color separation of a multi-color image. The printing system also includes a first image collection member that collects superimposed color separations produced by a first set of marking modules and a second image collection member that collects superimposed color separations produced by a second set of marking modules. The printing system further includes a media transport that conveys print media along a defined direction. A first set of color separations is simultaneously transferred from the first image collection member to a print media at a first location on the transport and a second set of color separations is simultaneously transferred from the second image collection member to the media at a second location on the transport. Further, at least one of the sets of color separations consists of at least two color separations.

Abstract: A continuous feed (CF) printing module, printing system, and method is provided. The CF printing module comprising an image transfer system configured to selectively mark a media web, and a media web transport system configured to selectively advance a media web without image marking by the image transfer system at a first speed and selectively route a media web for image marking by the image transfer system at a second speed. The first speed greater than the second speed.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a shaft driving apparatus and method of operation. The shaft driving apparatus comprises a shaft and a slip joint configuration to extend the wear zone associated with bearings operatively connected to an apparatus which rotates a shaft less than 360 degrees in an oscillatory manner or other cyclical manner.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a print media rotary transport apparatus and method of operation. The print media transport apparatus comprises a print media rotary path and a print media rotary bypass path, wherein the print media rotary path rotates a print media sheet about an axis orthogonal to the print media sheet.

Abstract: According to one aspect of this disclosure, a printing apparatus and method is provided. The printing apparatus comprising a media sheet first inverter and a media sheet second inverter, the first inverter and second inverter operatively connected to provide a media sheet pass-through route, wherein the media sheet pass-through route transports a media sheet through the first inverter and the second inverter. According to another aspect of this disclosure, a printing system is disclosed. The printing system comprising an inverter module. The inverter module comprising a first media sheet input/output zone, and a second media sheet input/output zone, the first and second media sheet input/output zones operatively connected to provide a media sheet pass-through route. The inverter module is configured to selectably route a media sheet to a printing device for image transfer and the inverter module is configured to invert a media sheet from the printing device media sheet output.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for support, operation, installation, and removal of an endless belt in a scalable modular printing system. The printing system comprises an input module, at least one marking module, and an output module. The endless belt can be an intermediate transfer belt, a photoconductive belt, or a sheet transport belt used in the marking system. All rollers supporting the interior surface of the belt are supported by their respective module frame structures, thus the interior cavity of the belt is largely vacant. A method of belt installation is described, comprising drawing all interior rollers out of their frame structures, placing the pre-scrolled belt at one end module of the system, uncoiling the belt along its process direction within the internal cavity of the system, then reinstalling the interior rollers to capture the belt into its operating position. From 1 to 8 marking modules can be used, each having a space through which the belt travels during installation; i.e.

Abstract: This is a probe that can be used to measure any curl on a stack of sheets in a sheet stacking tray. In printing systems including electrophotographic systems, sheets tend to curl on edge portions. This curl can adversely affect the final copy and copies fed to finishing stations. This probe lightly contacts the upper stack surface and detects sheet curl especially on the edge portions of the stack. The probe measures deviations of the surface as compared to a starting point defined on the terminal edge of the stack. The information provided by the probe is then fed to a user or controlled for transmission to a correcting apparatus.

Abstract: A finishing unit includes a first compiling module and a second compiling module operatively connected in parallel with the first compiling module. Each compiling module includes a finishing head adapted to perform a finishing operation upon a plurality of sheets of media. A printing system includes a sheet media source, a finishing unit operatively spaced from the sheet media source and a marking unit operatively disposed therebetween. A method of performing a print job using such first and second compiling modules is also included.

Abstract: A printing system and method is provided. The printing system includes one or more printing system modules, at least one media sheet path interfacing the printing system modules, and a job scheduler for executing one or more printing system print jobs. The job scheduler routes a media sheet to one or more printing system modules for preshrinking or preenlarging without marking and subsequently routes the preshrunk or preenlarged media sheet to one or more printing system modules for marking. The method of printing includes generating a print job to be printed using one or more printing system modules. Print jobs requiring two or more printing system modules for marking are executed by routing a media sheet to one or more printing system modules for preshrinking or preenlarging without marking, and subsequently routing the preshrunk or preenlarged media sheet to the one or more printing modules for marking.

Abstract: A high speed sheet stacker includes a plurality of vacuum transport sub-assemblies interdigitated with an adjacent sub-assembly and provided with a spatial pitch that is less than or equal to a predetermined shingle distance. The collective vacuum transport assembly can thus acquire shingled sheets and transport the shingled sheets as a set, with each sheet being offset by at least one shingle distance. As a result, speed and acceleration requirements for the vacuum transport and the sheets being transported are greatly reduced compared to conventional vacuum transports that essentially transport sheets singularly. A shingled transport zone may be provided upstream of the vacuum transport system to accommodate sheets of varying size. In various embodiments, three to five vacuum transport sub-assemblies are provided to transport three to five sheets as a set.