Xerox Corporation

Frederick A Green

Barry Paul Mandel

Richard A Van Dongen

Charles Donahue Rizzolo

Frederick A Seedhouse

Stephen T Avery

John A Durbin

Joseph J Ferrara

Richard P Ficarra

Charles F Prevost

George R Simpson

Don S Walker

Suzzette S Resto

Phillip A Billings

In a multi-bin printed sheets distribution system, a simple safety system solution is provided for protection from accidental dropping of the vertically moving sheet distribution carriage by failure of its movement system. A safety stop member connects with both the tension member providing the carriage movement and the carriage. The safety stop member automatically repositions into stopping engagement with an adjacent vertical guide member in response to breakage or other release of tension in the tension member, to prevent the sheet distribution carriage from accidentally dropping. Preferably the repositioning is by a spring normally overcome by the tension in the tension member. The safety stop member may be a pivotally mounted plate with an aperture though which the guide member normally passes unobstructedly, which plate is both pivoted and laterally moved by the spring to lock to the guide member.

Printer mailbox compiler-finisher carriage safety stop system

In a sheet handling system with an array of multiple individual sheet stacking bins and a sheet feeding system for feeding sheets from a sheet feeding output nip thereof into selected bins, for stacking of the sheets into the selected the bins, with relative movement between the sheet feeding system and the multiple individual sheet stacking bins; an automatic nip extending system is provided for automatically moving the sheet feeding output nip out into an individual bin for improved sheet control for the feeding of sheets into the bin, and an automatic nip retracting system for automatically moving the sheet feeding output nip out of the bins for unobstructed relative movement between the sheet feeding system and the sheet stacking bins, in coordination with the relative movement between the sheet feeding system and the multiple individual sheet stacking bins. The nip extending system preferably includes a repositionable extended loop sheet feeding belt.

Automatically retractable extending nip sheet ejection system for a

In a sheet compiling and fastening system, in which a plurality of printed sheets may be stacked in a compiler with their opposing lateral edges being tamped with opposing edge tampers repositionable to different sheet dimensions, dual U shaped binding edge registration members are respectively connected to these dual edge tampers, laterally offset, so as to automatically reposition therewith for optimized registering of a binding edge of the sheets which is orthogonal to the tamped sheet edges. A single stapler is movable parallel to this binding registration edge for selectably plurally stapling the stacked sheets, and the edge registration members are dimensioned to be movable by the edge tamper movement system directly through the open jaw of the stapler to avoid interference and provide a more compact system.

Automatic sheet stacking edge registration members repositioning system

In an output system for handling the printed sheets sequentially outputted by a reproduction apparatus, including at least one output stacking tray, and at least one exit rollers sheet ejection system for ejecting the printed sheets into said output stacking tray, and further including an intermediate compiler tray with an edge tamping system including a tamper drive, a selectable mechanical interconnection system between the tamper drive and the exit roller sheet ejection system selectably laterally offsets the exit rollers sheet ejection system with the tamper drive upon lateral movement beyond a preset lateral position, into a non-stacking position, for selected printed sheets, so that these selected printed sheets may be stacked partially laterally offset from other sheets in a stack in the output stacking tray. The edge tamping system and the exit roller sheet ejection system may both be mounted on a movable compiling and finishing module to move in linear parallel paths.

Dual mode set stacking tamper and sheet feeder offset system

In an output sheet handling system for a reproduction apparatus, for selective stacking of the output sheets into at least one stacking tray, with a sheet ejection system for gripping and ejection of the output of the printed sheets into a stacking tray sequentially as individual output sheets or as a compiled stack of sheets, the sheet ejection system includes an automatic variable normal force system automatically providing a substantially higher gripping normal force for ejection of a compiled stack of sheets than for ejection of individual output sheets. The ejection system preferably increases the gripping normal force for the set ejection in proportion to the thickness of the compiled stack being ejected, and feeds individual delicate sheets through a nip with an automatically substantially lower normal force.

Variable force sheets or set ejector

In a sheet output module for the collection and stacking of printed media sheets from the output of a reproduction apparatus, with multiple separate sheet collection bins in a vertical array, a sheet input for receiving the sheets, and a sheet transport path for transporting the sheets to a selected bin; the sheet input is at a central vertical level intermediately of the module and the vertical bin array, the vertical bin array is divided into first and second portions with a central vertical space therebetween, the sheet transport path has a common shared central path from the input to a branching position where it arcuately branches in opposite directions, with a first branch path extending upwardly to feed sheets to the first portion of the bins and a second branch path extending downwardly to feed sheets to the second portion of the bins. A sheet deflector gate is located at this branching position for selectively deflecting sheets from a the common shared path portion into one of these first and second branch paths. A high capacity stacking tray is located within this vertical space between the first and second portions of the vertical array of bins.

Multiple section sheet sorter with stacking tray positioned there between

An apparatus which positions a stapling device relative to a set of sheets. The stapling device is moved between a non-operative position spaced from an edge of a set of sheets to an operative position adjacent the edge of a set of sheets. Once in the operative position, the stapling device is transported in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the set of sheets to a selected stapling position.

Stapler indexing apparatus

A flash exposure optical imaging system is provided which includes a light housing having a movable top and bottom surface. The top surface contains a document platen, the bottom surface a fixed, wide-angle projection lens. These surfaces are vertically translated past a fixed, central housing wall to vary the system conjugate in response to changes in magnification. In a preferred embodiment, a pair of football shaped cams are rotated in response to position signals from a controller initiated by a magnification change. A pair of T-bars and linkage mechanisms are associated with these cams and their motion provides simultaneous vertical motions to the top and bottom housing surfaces, respectively. During the vertical excursion of the floor assembly, an additional horizontal motion is imparted to the lens so as to maintain correct corner registration of the document at the image plane.

Registration mechanism for a multimagnification reproduction apparatus

The document registration system disclosed is incorporated in a full-frame illumination and imaging system for a photocopier capable of copying at magnification ranging from 1.0.times. through 0.647.times.. The registration system combines a non-linear movement of the projection lens in conjunction with the vertical translation of a document platen to maintain proper lens position and document corner registration throughout the magnification range.

Registration system for a photocopier

An illumination system for a document copying machine including an optical cavity having interior walls coated with a white, diffusely reflecting material. One end of the cavity contains a platen for positioning a document to be copied while the opposing end contains a lens for forming an image of the document on a light sensitive image plane. Illumination from a single flash illumination source located within the cavity, undergoes multiple reflections from the walls resulting in a uniform diffuse illumination of the document. An optical element is positioned above the lamp to prevent direct light from striking the platen and, in a preferred embodiment, has an aperture therein for increasing illumination of the platen area overlying the lamp-blocker mounting.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

Frederick A Green