Abstract: A recirculating document handler for simplex or duplex copying that is adapted to a fixed platen copier includes an oval shaped document path that is folded over the platen for duplex copying. For simplex copying, a second document path disects the duplex path diagonally. A reversing cavity extends from one end of the platen and is adapted to receive a document during simplex copying and return the document with the use of reversible rollers along the diagonal path to the original feed position. A deflector directs documents to either the duplex or simplex paths depending on operator console selections.

Abstract: A compact and low profile document handling unit with short and simple document recirculation paths for recirculating a set of original document sheets to and from one side of the platen of a copier with or without inversion for selective repeated copying of one or both sides of the documents, in which the selectable document inverter in the document recirculation path includes a generally planar document sheet reversing chute which is generally parallel to and closely overlying the platen and a sheet reversing feeder adjacent the same side of the platen for feeding the document sheets into the reversing chute directly from the platen, but inverted, and for feeding them out of the reversing chute to a restacking tray at that same side of the platen without inversion.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively stacking, or inverting and stacking, sheets moving seriatim along a travel path with a given facial orientation. The apparatus comprises a sheet supporting surface for supporting and stacking sheets in a facial orientation effectively reversed from that of such sheets in the travel path, and a guide selectively movable to a first position along the travel path or a second position in the travel path. In the first position, the guide directs sheets onto the supporting surface; while in the second position the guide itself receives and stacks the sheets, remote from the supporting surface, in a facial orientation the same as that of such sheets in the travel path.

Abstract: Document sheets are fed to a platen of a copier from two feeding apparatus, one of which is a recirculating feeder adapted to sequentially feed a plurality of document sheets of one document to the platen for copying information on one or both sides of each sheet. The sheets are circulated in a manner that results in the production of collated sets of copies. The platen also can receive one or more sheets of another document fed from a document positioner. The positioner can be used to feed a document that is too large to be accommodated by the recirculating feeder, or it can feed a document that may not be reliably handled by the recirculating feeder (such as a document made by assembling pieces of copy onto a backing sheet), or the positioner can feed documents comprising a single sheet. Also, the positioner can be used for making document masters that are then copied using the recirculating feeder.

Abstract: A sheet stacking and feeding system for a copier with an integral normal force/jogger unit allowing continuous and simultaneous top loading and bottom feeding from opposite or common directions from a stack of documents or copy sheets. Disclosed are continuously rotating foraminous spaced counterbalanced jogging rollers engaging the top of the stack to provide lead edge or trail edge sheet pull-down and stacking registration against the front stack stop, and to provide a controlled uninterrupted normal force to edges of the feed belt of a bottom sheet retard feeder. This system is disclosed in a copying system for copying either duplex or simplex original document sets as pre-collated copy sets. A document handling system provides automatic recirculative pre-collation copying of duplex or simplex document sheets with selective different sheet inversion and different sheet restacking directions.

Abstract: A convenience copier is provided with the capability for producing duplex, collated copies in page-sequential order, or an approximation thereof. The copier includes a processing section for establishing visible representations of the original, feeding sections for presenting the original sheets and copy sheets to the processing section on a one-original-sheet one-copy-sheet basis, and inverting means for presenting both faces of the original sheets to the processing section for copying and both faces of the copy sheets to the processing section for receiving the visible representations. The original sheets are circulated to the processing section in a manner suitable for producing collated copies and inverted with each circulation in a manner suitable for producing the copies in page sequential order.

Abstract: Sorting apparatus in which tray assemblies in a vertical array are opened to facilitate feeding in sheets carried on a transport past the tray assemblies. The tray assemblies are hinged at one end to pivot when engaged by gear mechanism carried on a reciprocating apparatus. A deflector operatively associated with reciprocating apparatus deflects the sheets from the transport as each tray assembly is pivoted open in succession.

Abstract: Shingles or the like are usually rectangular in shape and of non-uniform thickness being of a greater thickness at one long edge and of lessor thickness at the other. Such shingles are arranged by automatic equipment for stacking in squared bundles by delivering the shingles one at a time successively and individually onto a pair of laterally-spaced movable shelves formed by a pair of starwheels. By intermittent simultaneous angular movement of both starwheels, or by intermittent angular movement of only the front starwheel while maintaining the rear starwheel motionless, a group (such as five) of accumulated shingles is dropped without flipping onto a transversely moving conveyor belt. By intermittent angular movement of only the rear starwheel while maintaining the front starwheel motionless, a group of shingles is flipped, i.e. turned over on to its other side. If the spacing between the starwheels and the moving conveyor belt is sufficient, the group of shingles will flip through 180.degree.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling facing sheets for application to pressed board and other laminate stacks adapted to be bonded together comprises a feed device for causing engagement of the uppermost sheet of a pile of facing sheets with a pick-up device of a drum which destacks the sheets individually and advances them to an assembling table at which the laminate stack is formed. The drum is associated with a reversible drive for enabling the trailing end of the sheet to pass a discharge point, whereupon reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum feeds the sheet with its trailing end foremost to the laminate stack thereby enabling the facing sheets to be applied alternately with their top faces turned upwardly or downwardly.

Abstract: In a copying apparatus, a sheet original exposure unit is provided which has an exposure window for exposing a sheet original therethrough, and a transport device for transporting the sheet original through the exposure window. The exposure window and the transport device are rotatable together. Optical elements are provided including a lens and mirrors for projecting the image of the sheet original upon a photosensitive medium, and a driving mechanism is provided which utilizes the rotation of the sheet original exposure unit to drive the transport device in the opposite direction so as to enable the back side of the sheet original to be exposed.

Abstract: A system wherein documents are presented to an exposure station of reproduction apparatus includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. Fluid streams are used to either move a document in an aligned pocket through the opening and to the exposure station or from the exposure station into the pocket. Copies of documents presented to the exposure station are made by the reproduction apparatus. Adjacent the housing there is located an inverter into which documents from the rack are fluidically fed as desired. Inverted documents are returned to the rack with the assistance of a fluid stream. Inverted documents may be fed to the exposure station to provide duplex copies.

Abstract: Packing spacer sheets are automatically fed one at a time to a pick-up station from a stack, with selected sheets arranged to arrive in inverted condition so that all packing sheets are properly oriented into packing position. Sheets can be pulled from stack by a transfer carrier having gripping jaws with teeth that dig into rib structures on sheet and jaws can open to engage other portions of sheet and thus hold the sheet to assure all teeth are pulled out of sheet. Stack can be a horizontal nesting of generally vertically disposed sheets carried by narrow spaced belts stepped along on a low friction surface with fixed retainer to stop forward face of stack and permit front sheet to be pulled off.

Abstract: A system for presenting documents to a slit-scan xerographic exposure station includes a fluidic storage station having a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. A fluid stream is used to move a document in a pocket aligned with the opening out of the storage apparatus and into engagement with transport apparatus. The transport apparatus includes a vacuum document drum which moves a document past the exposure station and, in one mode of operation, inverts the document prior to its return to a pocket at the station. In another mode of operation, the direction of travel of the drum is reversed after the document has been exposed and the document is returned without inversion.

Abstract: A document inverter is disclosed which may be utilized in conjunction with a belt conveyor wherein the document is conveyed along a continuous path before and after being inverted. Means is provided for selectively determining whether the document should be inverted or allowed to continue along the path uninterrupted.

Abstract: Two endless paths are provided, one for an original sheet and one for a copy sheet. The paths have respective parallel portions which extend past a copy station at which an image from an original sheet in the one path is reproduced onto a copy sheet in the other path. At will, one or both sides of the original sheet can be copied and one or both sides of the copy sheet can receive copy. To expose both sides of the respective sheet to the copy station, the sheet passes once through its path to the outlet thereof and is then moved in reverse, from the outlet to a set of switching points which reintroduce it into the path while turning it side-for-side in preparation for another pass past the copying station.

Abstract: A recorder, as for photographing original documents on microfiche, the documents selectively having information on one or both sides, which information is to be successively recorded at high speed. After initial transport by a feed belt, a first vacuum-retaining belt having document-present actuated controls moves the document to a photographing position. Thereafter this belt is reversed in direction and the document is taken from the first belt to a second vacuum-retaining belt by pneumatic force. Adhering to the second belt, the document is rotated 180.degree., side for side, and discharged again to the first belt. A second forward motion of the first belt returns the document to the photographing station, second side up. Further forward motion discharges the document. The images upon the fiche have the same orientation for both sides of the document for easy reading. Typically, one-sided documents are turned over, but are not photographed on the second (blank) side.

Abstract: Copy from a processor is transported in a direction of travel on a conveyor toward a three position deflector, the first position of the deflector guides copy around one end of the conveyor to a sorter, in the second position the deflector intercepts the copy, deflects the leading edge of the copy in the opposite direction of travel and permits the trailing edge of the copy to become the leading edge and continue transportation as an inverted copy, in the third position the deflector is translated out of the path of copy flow completely.

Abstract: A document moving apparatus having belt and pneumatic elements under electronic logic control to translate a document to a desired position, reverse translate it to a second position, turn it over, end-for-end, by motion at right angles to the direction of the prior translation while the document is adjacent to the second position, and thereafter to again translate the document to the desired position, inverted.

Abstract: An improved paper handling system includes a pair of work units which sequentially work on opposite sides of a sheet with the same edge of the sheet leading. An inverter between the two work units is effective to invert the sheet in such a manner that the edge of the sheet which leads during passage of the sheet through the first work unit will also lead as the sheet passes through the second work unit. A sheet which has been worked on, first side up, by the first work unit will also lead as the sheet passes through the second work unit. A sheet which has been worked on, first side up, by the first work unit with a head edge of the sheet leading is moved by a first conveyor along a first path into engagement with a stop member which engages the head edge of the sheet to arrest it at a first readiness position. A pusher then engages a side edge of the sheet and pushes it sidewardly.

Abstract: A recorder, as for photographing original documents on microfiche, the documents selectively having information on one or both sides, which information is to be successively recorded at high speed. After initial transport by a feed belt, a first vacuum-retaining belt having document-present actuated controls moves the document to a photographing position. Thereafter this belt is reversed in direction and the document is taken from the first belt to a second vacuum-retaining belt by pneumatic force. Adhering to the second belt, the document is rotated 180.degree., side for side, and discharged again to the first belt. A second forward motion of the first belt returns the document to the photographing station, second side up. Further forward motion discharges the document. The images upon the fiche have the same orientation for both sides of the document for easy reading. Typically, one-sided documents are turned over, but are not photographed on the second (blank) side.

Abstract: A Graphic Arts camera/processor system includes a darkroom enclosure, accessible to an operator for the performance of various tasks therein, having a camera mounted in one wall thereof for cooperation with a copyboard and light sources external to the enclosure. An automatic film processor is mounted in an opposite wall of the enclosure with its input rollers being disposed within the enclosure, and a conveyor system extends upwardly from the film plane of the camera within the enclosure, across the top of the enclosure, and thereafter downwardly to the input rollers of the processor, to feed a sheet of image-bearing film, cut from a length of roll-supplied film by a knife arrangement associated with the conveyor, from the camera to the film processor automatically.

Abstract: A turnover apparatus for inverting a first sheet and placing it horizontally upon a second sheet as said sheets are carried along a horizontal path. The apparatus includes lifting arms for raising the leading edge of the first sheet about its trailing edge and lowering arms for receiving the leading edge of the lifted sheet from the lifting arms and lowering the sheet when the same reaches a substantially vertical position. The transfer of the sheet from the lifting arms to the lowering arms is responsive to the position of either of the arms when handling relatively wide sheets or to the vertical disposition of said sheet when handling relatively narrow sheets.

Abstract: A document turn-around sorter/stacker comprised of a transport pinch drive roller for driving a sheet up an upwardly sloped ramp until it is released, whereafter it slides back until it re-engages the original roller at a different location and is driven over a pivotable curved sort gate onto a preselected stack.

Abstract: A reproduction machine adapted for producing copies of an original on either or both sides of a copy sheet and forwarding the finished copy to a collator. To collate the produced copy in the proper orientation, an inverter-reverser is employed to allow single-sided copy to pass directly to the collator, route single-sided copy to a secondary feed tray for subsequent processing to allow copying on the reverse side of the sheet to produce duplex copies, and for inverting duplex copies prior to delivery to the collator to provide the required sheet orientation in the collator.

Abstract: A reproduction machine adapted for producing copies of an original on either or both sides of a copy sheet and forwarding the finished copy to a collator. To collate the produced copy in the proper orientation, an inverter-reverser is employed to allow single-sided copy to pass directly to the collator, route single-sided copy to a secondary feed tray for subsequent processing to allow copying on the reverse side of the sheet to produce duplex copies, and for inverting duplex copies prior to delivery to the collator to provide the required sheet orientation in the collator.