Xerox Corporation

August Hoyer

Thomas E Bitter

Edward T Bloomer

John R Masley

In a copier or printer a magnetic switch system is often used to indicate or signal the separation, mating, alignment or docking of components movable relative to one another, by the actuation or non-actuation of a magnetic switch on a first such component, such as a fixed frame member, by a magnet or a second such component, such as a manually movable tray, which magnet and magnetic switch are positioned such that as the components are moved together and docked the magnet actuates the magnetic switch. Here, the magnet is resiliently cantilever mounted to the second component to extend out towards the first component in the movement direction by a substantial preset distance (when undocked) sufficient to accommodate and compenaste for a substantial variation in the first and second components docking positions by actuation of the magnetic switch by the magnet anywhere within the range of the preset distance by flexing of the spring with further movement of the components towards one another after the magnet initially actuates the magnetic switch. The spring has a sufficiently low resiliency to not interfere with the normal relative movement of the components. The spring is also sufficiently elongated in the direction transverse the movement direction to maintain actuation of the magnetic switch by the magnet within the range of the preset distance irrespective of the flexing of the spring.

Copier or printer component position floating magnetic actuator

A copier or printer providing regular automatic on-line stapling of the output sets of copies, yet also providing a separate, easily manually accessible, convenience stapler, driven by the same power supply but on a controlled power sharing basis, saving the cost of a separate, or higher power, stapler drive power supply. This is accomplished without any interference with, or delay in, the operation of the on-line output stapling, without overloading of the shared power supply, and without operator-perceptible interference with the operation of the separate convenience stapler. The operation of the internal copy set stapler is prioritized to avoid throughput loss and only briefly, e.g., for one second or less, is coincident driver power for the convenience stapler inhibited, i.e., only for a time period sufficient for the power pulse to the finisher stapler to be generated and provided, and only if overlap in power usage would otherwise occur.

Copier with on-line and convenience staplers with shared power supply

In a document imaging apparatus in which documents are fed to an imaging station and then fed to a documents catch tray system for automatic document restacking, there is provided a common, shared, restacking catch tray receiving either cut sheet documents or computer form (CF) web documents at the upper surface of the imaging apparatus, rather than dropping the CF web down to a tray below the end of the apparatus. This dual mode restacking catch tray is pivotable from a first position at a generally horizontal tray angle for restacking cut sheet documents into a second position at a preferred angle for fan-folding a computer form web. There is also an upper baffle unit partially overlying the output path to the restacking area, which is pivotable between a first position for planarly guiding cut sheet documents, and a second, raised, position for guiding a computer form web arcuately and then downwardly into the restacking area with an integral CF guide baffle. This upper baffle unit desirably includes an integral gate which automatically selectively gates documents onto two different paths segments, below or over the guide baffle, which gate may be provided by one end of the guide baffle.

Cut sheet and computer form document output tray unit

A decorrugating sheet transport system includes a drive shaft with three drive rollers mounted for rotation in relation to three idler rollers. The three drive rollers have relieved areas on portions of their circumferences and are positioned on the drive shaft so that upon receiving the lead edge of a corrugated sheet only the two outer rollers drive the sheet initially. This allows the corrugations in the sheet to expand toward the outer rollers. Next, all three rollers drive the sheet for about a 30.degree. arc and then the sheet is driven only by the center roller with the outer two rollers separated to allow the corrugations to dissipate to the edges of the sheet through a small gap between the outer rollers.

Decorrugating paper transport

A multifeed detection system is disclosed that includes a drag roll which is in contact with and loaded against a driven feed belt. A slip clutch applies a torque to the drag roll. The drag roll is in synchronism with a constant speed motor that drives the feed belt. A double sheet entering the nip between the drag roll and the feed belt will cause the drag roll to hesitate with the hesitation being detected by a sensor that activates shut-down of the feeding system.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

August Hoyer