Abstract: A sheet handler for successively transporting sheet-like material units to and from processing stations in image processing devices such as printers, copiers, and scanners. The sheet handler includes an idler and driven cross-roller set. The rollers are preloaded so that a normal force exists between the rollers at the nip. The nip is positioned in a path for receiving the sheet like material units and to urge such units along the path and into alignment along a registration edge. Apparatus for adjusting the preloaded force are provided to thereby adjust the normal force on sheet-like material passing through the nip.

Abstract: In a stacking system for sequentially feeding flimsy sheets to be stacked in a generally horizontal stack thereof in a stacking tray by ejecting the sheets sequentially out over the stack with a preset sheet ejection trajectory angle to fall by gravity and settle onto the top of the stack, first estimating the height of the stack in the stacking tray to provide a stack height control signal proportional to the height of the stack, and then changing the sheet ejection trajectory angle at which the sheets are to be ejected in response to this stack height control signal before the sheets are ejected such that the sheet ejection trajectory angle, and the height of the release point of the sheet at ejection relative to the tray, is automatically lowered for smaller stack heights and automatically raised for an increased stack height, to thereby minimize the settling time of ejected sheets onto the stack for improved restacking for a wide range of stack heights.

Abstract: A compact machine architecture is realized by combining the functions of copy sheet feeding and stacking into one integral apparatus. The apparatus is initially completely filled with copy sheets to be moved into the transfer/fusing area of a copier/duplicator machine. A vertically translatable stacker tray is positioned above the copy sheet input and is moved downward in vertical synchronism with copy sheets being fed from the input stack. A paper feed roller, attached to the bottom of the tray, continually feeds the top sheet from the input supply. As the input sheet stack is consumed, the output (feed) copies are deposited onto the stacker tray. As operation continues the supply stack is depleted while the finished stack increases, but the overall volume occupied by the copy sheets remains the same. Since there is no "empty" volume in the apparatus, the size and cost of the unit is greatly reduced.

Abstract: A system for automatically detecting the presence of staples within a set of original document sheets loaded into a document handling tray and automatically inhibiting the operation of the document feeder to prevent damage to the document feeder or the original sheets in response to detecting a staple, particularly a staple in a preselected area of the document tray in which it is most likely that a staple would be present as documents are normally loaded into the document tray by the operator, including preventing inadvertent actuation or output of the staple detector by metal objects other than a staple, such as an operator's ring temporarily present in the document tray during initial loading the documents, preferably by coordinated confirmation of the completion of document loading into the document tray.

Abstract: An air knife pressure calibration system and method for a bottom vacuum corrugation recirculating document feeder includes measuring the air pressure and adjusting an air pressure control valve of the air knife to a predetermined value. This valve position is stored in a non-volatile memory and can be used to create a table of values for various document stack heights by adding constant values that represent additional documents to the one document value. Thus, customized valve positions are accomplished that are machine as well as altitude sensitive.

Abstract: A vacuum corrugation feeder stack height detection calibration system and method includes placing a single document in the document tray. Coupled to the stack height arm at the pivot point is a high resolution rotary encoder and dual beam sensor. The stack height arm is flipped up and then back down onto the document and pulses are counted. This difference in up and down pulses represents the "one sheet case." Software then stores this number in non-volatile memory and uses it to create a table of values for various document stack heights by adding constant values to the originally obtained "one sheet case" value.

Abstract: A system and method of automatic signature printing for a copier, in which a job set of plural conventional non-signature document sheets in a normal collated page order are reordered into a signature printing page order, placed into the document loading tray of a recirculating document handler (RDH), and presented to the imaging station of the copier by the RDH, for producing plural image signature copy sheets from the copier suitable for folding and assembling into signature set booklets of proper page order; wherein the job set is initially as one stack in an automatic job loading system but with a specified approximately one-half of the document sheets being loaded in a face up orientation, and the others being loaded in a face down orientation.

Abstract: A plural mode automatic document handling system for a copier adapted to feed either conventional document sheets or continuous computer form web documents over the imaging station platen of the copier without using sprocket feeding, which includes a platen cover unit pivotably openable relative to said platen, with frictional drive roller sets upstream and downstream of the platen for feeding continuous computer form web over the platen having a first set of feed wheels mounted to the platen cover unit and pivotable therewith and a mating, opposing, second set of feed wheels stationarily mounted to the copier, which opposing sets of feed wheels form non-slip nips when the platen cover unit is closed over the platen, but which nips are opened when the platen cover unit is opened to allow intermediate web position loading of a computer form web. A system is also provided for doing so without interference by the platen transport.

Abstract: An automatic document job batching system for a copier with a recirculating document handler (RDH), with a document stacking tray into which a set of document sheets is loaded for recirculative precollation copying, and a separate (SADH) document loading entrance provided for semiautomatic non-precollation copying, utilizing a document gate for selectably directing documents to this tray or to be ejected from the RDH. All document jobs to be copied may be preloaded, and left unattended, for automatic sequential loading and copying, in a common stack, face down, as a batched plurality of intermixed documents and document set jobs interleaved with job slip sheets, in a job loading input adjacent the RDH which sequentially top feeds the documents into the SADH document entrance.

Abstract: A copier of a type where an undeveloped electrostatic intermediate latent image from a document sheet may be temporarily retained on an electrostatic latent image retention member before being developed and transferred to a copy sheet, with document handling apparatus for sequentially feeding document sheets for individual copying, preferably automatically reordered in signature page order, with a system for sequentially forming at least two closely circumferentially adjacent plural latent images from at least two sequentially copied documents, and for directly sequentially developing and transferring these plural images in one pass onto one side of a single copy sheet. Apparatus is also shown for inverting and representing the copy sheet for similarly receiving plural images on the other side thereof, and for repeating the above steps to form sets of signature copy sheets.

Abstract: In an automatic document handling system for a copier, with a system for feeding and registering document sheets, including a platen transport system, wherein the platen transport system includes a document belt system and a vacuum system for retaining documents against the document belt, there is provided common document input and path systems for feeding either conventional document sheets or computer form or other web (CF) documents, the document belt system relatively low friction belt material, the vacuum system automatically maintaining a first vacuum level high enough to retain the conventional document sheets against the document belt system with sufficient force to resist slippage and function as their primary platen transport system, and a vacuum reduction system for automatically reducing the vacuum to a substantially lower level for CF documents which provides for slippage of CF documents relative to the document belt system, and a separate deskewing and driving system for the CF documents in coop

Abstract: In a copying system utilizing a recirculating document handler (RDH) presenting documents to the platen of a copier for copying, with an RDH document stacking tray and an additional document input directly to the platen, and a three zone distributed drives feeding system for first feeding the documents from the stacking tray to the platen, secondly feeding the documents over the platen for copying, and thirdly feeding the documents from the platen back to the stacking tray after they have been copied, to normally form a complete document recirculation path, and sensors for sensing document jams and the position of jammed documents in the document paths connecting with a control system controlling the RDH, including stopping the RDH in response to sensing a jam and determining which documents have been copied before a jam and providing instructional displays to the operator for operator jam clearance (document removal) and job recovery; an improved jam clearance and job recovery system determining whether a do

Abstract: Providing plural precollated sets of copies by plurally recirculating a set of documents and normally making two consecutive identical copies per document per circulation, at one-half the copying rate of the copier, feeding these pairs of identical copy sheets separately into two of only 3 (or 4) movable compiler bins, sequentially accumulating and stacking these copy sheets into completed, compiled, collated copy sheet sets in each of the two compiler bins, and then removing the sets one at a time for finishing, from the opposite side of the bins, and sequentially changing, for subsequent circulations of the sets of documents, which 2 of the 3 compiler bins are being fed pairs of copy sheets, and which compiler bin is not, so that a compiled set of copy sheets may be removed from its bin or left in awaiting finishing of a prior set without having any copy sheets fed into that bin, in coordination with and without interfering with said feeding and directing of other copy sheets into other compiler bins.

Abstract: A fade-out system for a copier with a document feeder, for preventing the undesired development of areas of the photosensitive imaging surface relative to the desired latent images of the document with a variable magnification optical imaging system, preventing "show around" copy defects from the document feeder, where the document feeder transports the document sheets in a document path onto and over the copying platen of the copier. An array of plural document sensors is positioned in the document feeder for measuring both the length and width of the document sheets being transported onto the copying platen, and the fade-out system connects with and is controlled by both the array of plural document sensors and the magnification setting of the optical imaging system for preventing development of any areas of the photosensitive imaging surface outside of the latent images of the documents irrespective of the size of the document sheets or the magnification setting.

Abstract: In a document handling system for a copier, for sequentially feeding and registering document sheets to the imaging station, including a registration gate retractably insertable into the document feeding path to engage and register an edge of the document fed thereagainst; the registration gate has first and second registration sides spaced apart by a preset defined distance, the first edges of the documents are registered against one side of the registration gate while it is inserted into the document feeding path, and the document feeding and registering system then lifts the gate and feeds the document past the gate, and then reverses the direction of motion of selected documents to back their opposite edges into registration with the opposite (second) side of the gate in coordination with reinserting the gate into the document path and in coordination with also registering a first edge of the next-fed document against the first side of the gate, and then the gate is re-retracted and those two (or more) do

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which two original documents are supported on the platen of an exposure station. Both original documents are flash illuminated to record an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive surface. One-half of the electrostatic latent image is erased. In this way, one of the original documents is reproduced on a copy sheet. During the next successive machine cycle, a second electrostatic latent image corresponding to both original documents is recorded on the photoconductive member. The other half of the electrostatic latent image is erased and a copy formed corresponding to the other original document.

Abstract: A method of more efficiently copying with a copier with a recirculating document handler for making plural precollated plural sheet copy sets from a set of plural document sheets being plurally recirculated; wherein the set of document sheets being recirculated has at least two document page images per document sheet side, producing copy sheets with at least two images per side from these document sheets, and the copier control is selectably modified to separate the copy sheets into at least two separate sub-sets of output copy sets having a number of sheets corresponding to the number of document page images per document sheet side, with the number of copy sub-sets being at least twice the number of the document sheets being recirculated in the document handler, and separately binding the output copy sets into the separated collated sub-sets in response to the modification of the control means with automatic on-line binding; including known, conventional, on-line paper slitting or cutting of the copy sheets

Abstract: A method and apparatus of more efficiently copying sets of document sheets having a small number of document sheets per set on a copier with a recirculating document handler, onto plural collated copy sheet sets, with plural copying recirculations of all the document sheets in the recirculating document handler by automatically commonly recirculating for copying in the same recirculating document handler a plurality of different small document sets, and automatically separating the plural copy sheets made therefrom into separate collated sub-sets, each copy sub-set corresponding to one of the different small document sets, and wherein the number of the subsets is greater than the plural number of document copying recirculations, the separation being controlled automatically in response to the number of document sheets in the commonly recirculated small document sets.

Abstract: In a sheet handling apparatus in which flimsy sheets are stacked on top of a stack thereof, particularly in a recirculating automatic document handler for a copier, there is disclosed an improved mis-stacking detection system comprising an optical sensing system defining a sheet interruptable optical sensing path extending transversely above the sheet stack in a position to be interrupted by variously mis-stacked non-planar sheets extending above the stack, which the optical sensing system is connected to a time delay system and a sheet mis-stacking indicator such that activation of the mis-stacking indicator is prevented for brief interruptions of the optical sensing path corresponding to normal sheet stacking, but is activated by an interruption of the optical sensing path which continues for a preset time period indicative of the presence of a mis-stacked sheet.

Abstract: An improved document handler for transporting and registering document sheets over the platen of a copier, having first and second plural sets of document transport belts extending in the direction of document transport over the platen, with the first set of belts being transversely interdigitated with the second set of belts, with the first set of belts having a substantially higher frictional driving force on document sheets than the second set of belts other than in said registration area to predominantly control the transporting of a document sheet over the platen except in the registration area, and with the second set of belts being more closely positioned to the registration area of the platen than the first set of belts and driven at a slightly higher speed so as to predominantly control the transport of a document sheet in the registration area during its registration.