Xerox Corporation

Brian J Dunham

Carlos Manuel Terrero

Richard J Milillo

James J Spence

Michael T Leckinger

Douglas K Herrmann

Paul Michael Fromm

Augusto E Barton

Roberto A Irizarry

Michael J Linder

Stephen Bradley Williams

William Alexander Burton

Timothy M Davis

Steven M Sippel

James Markovitz

Matthew J Ross

Randy R Sprague

Alicia K Schwenk

A valve assembly for controlling airflow along sheet edges on a vacuum transport assembly, the valve assembly including a flexible plate, including a first end, a second end, a first top surface, and a first bottom surface, and a first actuator connected to the second end and operatively arranged to displace the flexible plate. Added is at least one magnet member designed to assist in controlling the valve assembly.

Active sheet-edge airflow control for vacuum conveyors with magnet assist

A valve assembly for controlling airflow along sheet edges on a vacuum transport assembly including a platen including one or more holes arranged in rows in a cross process direction, and a belt displaceable with respect to the platen in a process direction, the valve assembly including a flexible plate, including a first end, a second end, a first top surface, and a first bottom surface, and a first actuator connected to the second end and operatively arranged to displace the flexible plate.

Active sheet-edge airflow control for vacuum conveyors

An implementation of an assembly of the present teachings includes a transport roll having a shaft with a tapered surface and an encoder having a coupler that defines a recess and has a tapered surface. During use of the assembly, the tapered surface of the shaft physically contacts the tapered surface of the coupler, and the encoder can be urged toward the transport roll using a spring such as a leaf spring.

Tapered encoder shaft coupling for improved serviceability and motor control

Disclosed is a media transport system utilizing a honeycomb core platen for transporting and maintaining the flatness of a sheet of media in an associated printing system. According to one exemplary embodiment, the honeycomb platen includes a plurality of laminated layers that include features configured to communicate vacuum throughout the entire thickness of the platen.

Honeycomb core platen for media transport

Disclosed is a media transport system utilizing a chambered honeycomb core platen for transporting and maintaining the flatness of a sheet of media in an associated printing system. According to one exemplary embodiment, the chambered honeycomb platen includes a plurality of rows of cross-drilled hollow columnar cells configured to independently communicate vacuum through the platen.

Chambered vacuum transport platen enabled by honeycomb core

A sheet registration system is for use in connection with a finisher for a digital printing system. A scuffer carriage has omnidirectional scuffer wheels with a plurality of overlapping rollers to provide uninterrupted traction to move media sheets against a registration wall for process direction registration. A pair of opposed tamper plates will move toward one another pushing the media sheets together in the cross process direction. The freely rotating scuffer rollers will allow free movement of the media sheets in the cross process direction. Thus, cross process registration is achieved simultaneously with process direction registration, and registration time is minimized. Process direction registration is maintained by not lifting the scuffer from the media sheets during cross process registration.

Finisher registration system using omnidirectional scuffer wheels

A media height detection system is used in connection with an inkjet printer. A filament is disposed above the process path and transverse to the process direction. A displacement sensor mounted adjacent the process path has a connecting member extending outward. The filament is attached to the connecting member and anchored to the printer. A transducer in the displacement sensor generates an electrical signal in response to a force on the filament. The filament contacts the lead edge of the sheet in the event of sheet curl in excess of a predetermined curl range. This will cause the force in the filament, which is conveyed to the displacement sensor to generate the signal. The print head can be elevated in response to the signal, so that the sheet does not impact the print heads, causing damage. Alternately, the sheet can be discarded.

Media height detection system for a printing apparatus

An approach is provided to cause an operation comprising one or more of a substrate tamping process, a substrate offset process, and a mechanism actuation process. The approach involves determining an instruction to cause the operation. The approach also involves causing a movement of one or more of a slide element and a shaft based on the instruction. The slide element and the shaft are configured to move in a first direction and a second direction along a length of the shaft. The movement in the first direction and the second direction of one or more of the slide element and the shaft corresponds to the operation.

Method and apparatus for combining one or more of tamping a stack of substrates, laterally offsetting a substrate, and actuating other mechanisms useful in printing in an image forming device

A system and method are provided for improving stack integrity for a set of image receiving media substrates at an output of a compiler in an image forming device by positioning a particularly configured substrate handling device downstream of the output of the compiler in a process direction. The substrate handling device is configured of a plurality of omni-directional wheeled devices that provide drive (traction) normal to a motor axis under control of one of a respective plurality of independent motors while allowing sliding in the motor axis direction. The omni-directional wheeled devices, in one embodiment, are configured with small roller wheels along the periphery of the wheel. When using three or more omni-directional wheeled devices, translational movement can be combined with rotation to deliver sheets of image receiving media exiting the compiler at a correct angle and lateral position for further processing.

Systems and methods for implementing unique offsetting stacker registration using omni-directional wheels for set compiling in image forming devices

During stapling operations: connectors disconnect a compiler platform from an elevator platform; an ejector structure is maintained in a fully retracted position to allow a stack of sheets to be within a stapling area; a stapling device staples the stack of sheets in the stapling area; the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform; and the elevator platform moves in a downward direction after the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform. During non-stapling stacking operations: the connectors connect the compiler platform to the elevator platform; the ejector structure is maintained in a middle position between a fully retracted position and a fully ejected position to prevent the sheets from entering the stapling area; and the elevator platform and the compiler platform move together in the downward direction as additional sheets are added to the stack of sheets.

Stapler producing high precision alignment stacking of unstapled sheets

A belt-roll fuser system includes a belt-roll fuser module that is movable to engage and disengage to a main frame of the belt-roll fuser system. The belt-roll fuser has an internal pressure member that defines a fusing nip with an external pressure member of the main frame when the belt-roll fuser module is engaged. The belt-roll fuser module is movable by a latch, and when engaged, a nip load path crosses through a point at which the latch attaches to the belt-roll fuser module.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for belt-roll fuser latching

A substrate finishing system includes a sheet input that feeds sheets to a compiler for compiling. The sheets may be stapled at the compiler. A trail edge support of the compiler is movable from a first position to a second position. The compiler is configured to drop a sheet or set of sheets to build compiled set stacks at the first and second positions on a stacking tray positioned beneath the compiler.

Sheet finishing system including dual sheet stacking

A retractable scuffer includes an arm with foldaway drive wheels connected thereto that are independently pivotable to ensure even drive force on a sheet. The drive wheels flips down in a counter clockwise direction as the scuffer arm is driven to an extended position by a lead screw mechanism. This provides a shallow angle of contact with the sheet and allows the sheet to be pulled against a registration gate by the drive wheels versus being pushed, thereby eliminating unwanted reaction forces inherent in existing systems that push a sheet against a registration gate.

Scuffer apparatus and method

A substrate compiling system includes an actuator, cable and tamper device. The tamper device includes a clamp assembly. The clamp assembly is retracted and extended. The clamp assembly can be used to clamp an edge of each compiled set of substrates and transfer the compiled set to a stacking tray, platform or the like. The clamp assembly may remain in an extended position until all other substrate supporting structures no longer support the substrates and an opposing unclamped edge of the compiled set engages the stacking tray below.

Clamp actuator system and method of use

A registration system including both a primary tamping device and a secondary scuffing device. The scuffing device includes a scuffer arm, an extending/retracting device, a drive subsystem, and an engagement control device. In various exemplary embodiments, the secondary scuffing device is retracted. The scuffing device can thus be used, when required, to register a substrate in the process direction and then retracted enabling the side tampers to cross process register the substrates. In various exemplary embodiments, substrates of varying sizes and types can be registered into common sets using the systems and methods of this invention.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Brian J Dunham