Xerox Corporation

Donald Richard Fess

Gerald Roy Curry

Carlos Manuel Terrero

Aaron Michael Moore

Todd Maurice Uthman

Billy T Stojanovski

Thomas Crofton Hatch

Adam Douglas Ledgerwood

Timothy Gordon Shelhart

Roberto A Irizarry

Michael J Linder

James Lawton Giacobbi

Matthew Ryan McLaughlin

Victoria Lynn Warner

Samuel P Sadtler

Brian Andrew Hanna

Lynn C Saxton

Brent Rodney Jones

Roger Gaylord Leighton

Frederick T Mattern

Kenneth Paul Moore

Richard F Scarlata

Dale T Platteter

Ronald A Ippolito

Joseph Marasco

Arthur Harold Kahn

Karai P Premnath

Piotr Sokolowski

Douglas F Sundquist

Brian Clarence Cyr

Stephen D Cipolla

Thomas C Keyes

Gordon Byron Reid

Jacob Eyngorn

Thomas E Bitter

H William Gray

Diego A Pereda

Joseph Michael Ferrara

Mary A Roux

Richard C Dray, Jr

Joe Marasco

Gary L Dent, Sr

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for automatically adjusting a feeder tray of a printing device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signal to initiate a feeder tray adjustment routine, wherein the feeder tray adjustment routine determines an amount of lateral adjustment of the feeder tray to eliminate a lateral input error of a print media that is fed to a registration subsystem of the printing device, activates a mechanism to adjust a lateral position of the feeder tray by the amount that is determined, and feeds subsequent print media through the registration subsystem for printing an image on the subsequent print media.

Adjustment of feeder trays to correct alignment error of print media in a registration subsystem

3-D printing system include development stations positioned to electrostatically transfer build and support materials to an intermediate transfer surface, a transfer station adjacent the intermediate transfer surface, guides adjacent the transfer station, and platens moving on the guides. The guides are shaped to direct the platens to repeatedly pass the transfer station and come in contact with the intermediate transfer surface at the transfer station. The intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of the build and support materials to the platens each time the platens contact the intermediate transfer surface at the transfer station to successively form layers of the build and support materials on the platens. The platens and the intermediate transfer surface include rack and pinion structures that temporarily join at the transfer station, as the platens pass the transfer station, to align the platens with the intermediate transfer surface as the platens contact the intermediate transfer surface.

3-D electrostatic printer using rack and pinion registration system

An apparatus, method and non-transitory computer readable medium for printing on a spherical object are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a print head, at least two wheels, wherein each one of the at least two wheels rotates around a single axis, at least one ball support coupled to a mechanical arm, wherein the at least one ball support rotates 360 degrees around and is positioned to secure the spherical object against the at least two wheels and a controller in communication with the print head and the at least two wheels to rotate the spherical object via the at least two wheels into a position to print via the print head.

Method and apparatus for printing on a spherical object

A mobile cart for a three-dimensional object printing system includes a mechanism that enables vertical movement of the platen with reference to ejector heads in the system. The mobile cart includes a pair of links at each end of a cart that pivotally connect a member positioned between the cart and the platen to the cart and the platen. An actuator is configured to laterally move the member bi-directionally and along an axis that is orthogonal to the member. This movement of the member pivots the links to raise and lower the platen depending on the direction in which the member is urged by the actuator.

Indexing cart for three-dimensional object printing

A print head protection system is used in connection with an inkjet printer having a print head adapted for elevating, and a belt moving over a platen. A plurality of acoustic sensors is arrayed transversely to the process direction. The acoustic sensors measure a combined thickness of the belt, the platen, and the media sheet. An analyzer will detect if the media sheet is in contact with the media transport. An error signal is created when the thickness is below a predetermined value, indicating the media sheet is not in contact with the media transport. A mitigation control is operative to mitigate print head damage in response to the signal. Printing is halted in response to the signal to preclude damage to the print head. The sheet is discarded.

Inkjet print head protection by acoustic sensing of media

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 positioning a plurality of pairs of rotating shelf structures in a vicinity of an exit/ejection port of an image receiving media processing or post-processing unit. The plurality of pairs of rotating shelf structures cycle between a first (support) position and a substantially orthogonal second (drop) position with respect to a rotating axis for the rotating shelf structures. Each of the rotating shelf structures has a uniquely-portioned top surface that includes a substantially-parallel top (supporting) portion and a ramped lead-in portion facing the exit/ejection port from the image receiving media processing or post-processing unit in an effort to reduce any image receiving media substrate 'stubbing' against a first of the plurality of pairs of rotating shelf structures in a process direction.

Systems and methods for implementing unique stack registration using rotating shelf structures for set compiling in image forming devices

A system and method are provided for improving stack integrity for image receiving media substrates in a compiler tray in an image forming device by supplementing the structure of the compiler tray with a pair of auger components configured with a bottom surface that, in conjunction with a stepped support structure in the compiler tray, applies a mechanical leveling force to reduce or otherwise eliminate detrimental effects associated with substrate curl or uneven set build-up in the compiler tray. The vertical compiler components provide an accommodation for localized thickness build-up in compiled image receiving media substrates by one or more processing or post-processing steps. The auger components provide a mechanical pressing force that is intended to level a top surface of the compiled substrates with the configuration of the compiler tray providing the relief area necessary for the accommodation.

Systems and methods for implementing a unique variable stacking surface for set compiling in image forming devices

A print head protection system is used in connection with an inkjet printer having a print head adapted for elevating. A projector upstream of the print head projects a reference pattern onto the media sheet. An imaging camera captures a digital image of the projected pattern. An analyzer compares the digital image of the projected pattern with the reference pattern. If moir&#xe9; fringes are detected, the moir&#xe9; fringes are analyzed for media sheet curl. An error signal is created when the sheet curl exceeds a predetermined distance above the process path. A mitigation control raises the print head to preclude damage in response to the signal. Alternately, the sheet can be discarded.

Inkjet print head protection by scanning and moire analysis

A method for assisting the threading of a media web in a continuous feed printer has been developed. The method includes generating an electrical signal that corresponds to a level of tension applied by a media web to a roller positioned along a media path in a printer as the media web travels over the roller. A controller activates at least one actuator to rotate a roller positioned along the media path in response to identifying that the level of tension exceeds a predetermined threshold to facilitate threading of the media web through the printing device.

System and method for threading a web through a printing device

A system and method are provided improving stack integrity for a set of image receiving media substrates at an output of a compiler in an image forming device by supplementing a compiler shelf with a pair of augers having a unique planar lead-in for a top surface of the augers. The vertical compiler components reduce a 'stepped' configuration of conventional compiler systems to keep a bottom sheet substantially 'flat' thereby reducing a tendency for the bottom sheet to disadvantageously shift during in-set alignment processing. The large flat surface at the top of the augers effectively extends the plane of the lead edge shelf. A larger contact area with the sheets/sets of image receiving media substrates, along with the flatter shape of the sets, results in a more stable stack with a lesser tendency of individual sheets to migrate away from a registration edge.

Systems and methods for implementing a unique planar stacking surface for set compiling in image forming devices

A printer extracts a media sheet from a plurality of media sheets in a media supply and moves the media sheet along a media path. A plurality of sensors on the media path generate signals as the media sheet moves past the sensors, and the printer identifies a cross-process direction dimension of the media sheet with references to signals generated by the sensors. The printer identifies the dimension of the print medium without requiring media size sensors in the media supply.

System and method for identification of media sheet size

A multi-position letterbox media diverter that maximizes productivity includes a gate configured like a tomahawk to allow sufficient space for the diverter to operate immediately after the trail edge of a sheet passes the front edge of the gate and thereby increase gate actuation time. Reversible drives of an inverter are used to direct the sheet to a duplex path while another sheet is simultaneously directed by a lower integrated baffle portion of the gate to an output tray as needed. Thus, reducing the time required for the sheet to be in the inverter path before reversing sheet direction, thereby facilitating a reduction in required transport speed.

Media diverter apparatus

Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Interposer having decurler

Disclosed is a system for cleaning a print media sheet and, more particularly, for cleaning a specific portion of sheet that is less than the entire length of the sheet. A device moves a cleaning roller between standby, cleaning fluid receiving and cleaning positions. Timing of cleaning roller movement into the cleaning position is controlled to ensure proper positioning of the cleaning roller with respect to the sheet during cleaning. In the cleaning position, the cleaning roller rotates so as to clean only the specific portion. In the cleaning fluid receiving position, the cleaning roller rotates to receive, from a cleaning fluid dispenser, a predetermined amount of cleaning fluid. Optionally, a retractable shutter can be selectively retracted to expose an opening in a sheet transport path guard and, thereby allow the cleaning roller to move into the cleaning position.

Print media cleaning system and method

A tri-roll inverter for use in machines requiring copy sheet inversion for collated copy set output includes input and output nips. All sheets entering the input nip of the inverter are corrugated by a corrugation system as they enter a spring loaded inversion channel. The corrugation system includes an idler roll, a steel driver roll, and two plastic driver rolls on opposite sides of the steel driver roll. The spring and corrugation system urge the sheets back out of the inversion channel into engagement with the output nip for feeding back into a machine for further processing. The plastic rolls enable each sheet to reach zero velocity quickly and invert at a fast rate without stalling or jamming.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Donald Richard Fess