Xerox Corporation

Henry Thomas Kremers

Kevin R Mathers

Donald R Ryan

Wayne R Smith

John D Zoltner

Khalid M Rabb

Charles Raymond Brewer, Iii

Richard A Schieck

Douglas W Gates

Gerard R Sturnick

Gary A Kelpin

A production and finishing system, particularly a printing and finishing system, for electronic management and control of a wide range of finishing processes characterized by input from multiple production operations and equipment that, depending upon the job, may be variably applied to work pieces that themselves are highly variable between different jobs. Particular emphasis is demonstrated in relation to printing and finishing operations for printed documents. The principles of the present invention, however, apply to such production and finishing systems as, without limitation, textile production (which may include printing, cutting, sewing, and finishing), packaging operations for various consumer and industrial products, and printed wiring board production, etc. The present invention is particularly applicable to many operations where processes for production of work pieces are managed separately from processes for finishing and packaging of such work pieces.

Apparatus and method for describing, planning and automatically programming complex finishing tasks

A method for a finishing module coordinator controller used in a finishing system comprised of finishing devices controlled separately from production equipment. The method comprises receiving finishing job description information, including identification of job segments of the job; and using such information for programming at least one finishing device. The method further comprises tracking performance of the job and adjusting the job model and device performance in response to conditions during performance of the finishing job.

Finishing module coordinator apparatus and method for assembler/finisher systems

A method and structure for a virtual finishing job ticket database used in a finishing system wherein the database stores capability and constraint information relating to finishing devices available for a finishing job, receives information describing the finishing operations to be performed, and stores the information in a manner accessible for management of the finishing job.

Database method and structure for a finishing system

A method for a production monitor controller used in a finishing system wherein the controller uses information concerning the constraints of devices within the system to break the job into job segments wherein each job segment conforms to the constraints of the devices operating on the job segment. A method for creating a job model comprised of a hierarchy of nodes that together describe the job and each of its components. Elements of the of the production monitor controller.

Production monitor controller apparatus and method for assembler/finisher systems

A digital input scanner suitable for copying bound documents. The scanner comprises a scanner base portion, and a bound document support assembly attached to a top of the scanner base portion. The support assembly includes a generally horizontal top platen support surface and a plurality of exterior side surfaces. A digital scanning assembly is supported within at least a portion of the scanner base portion for acquiring an image of a portion of the bound document, and for generating an output digital signal representative of the acquired document face. The scanner components are arranged such that one of the exterior side surfaces of the support assembly has a canted surface, and the canted side surface and the top platen support surface form an oblique angle therebetween. The side surface and top surface are positioned to support opposing faces of the bound document during use.

Digital document scanner with a document support assembly

An end of media detection system is provided for a system which unrolls a media supply such as paper from a cylindrical core substrate. One (trailing) edge of the media is attached to the core substrate. As part of the media detection system, a shaft which is positioned within a pair of cradles supports the cylindrical core. One of the cradles houses a plastic slide, which in turn acts vertically on the actuator of a microswitch when the shaft is in place. The weight of the shaft and media roll acting on the microswitch keeps the microswitch in an inactive state, however, as the media on the roll is played out, at some point just before the media is exhausted the shaft is moved upward due to the adhesive attachment of the trail edge of the media to the core substrate. Movement of the shaft relieves the pressure on the actuator of the microswitch thereby actuating the microswitch to send a signal to a controller to stop rotation of the shaft. This prevents a situation where the sheet still attached to the core stalls at the end of media feed.

Out of media detection system for a roll media feed apparatus

An electrophotographic printing machine in which successive copy sheets are supplied from a supply source thereof. A modular tray which is insertable into the printing machine is arranged to have a stack of copy sheets disposed thereon. When one marginal region of the stack of copy sheets has a greater thickness than the other marginal region the sheets are supported such that at least the opposed marginal regions of the uppermost sheet of the stack of copy sheets are at substantially about the same level while that portion of a majority of the copy sheets with the thicker margin regions is downwardly supported at an acute angle with respect to the surface of the uppermost copy sheet in the stack.

Tilting tray for feeding and stacking specialized forms

An apparatus which regulates offsetting stacks of sheets reproduced from at least one original document. In one mode, successive stacks of uncollated sheets are offset from one another, and, in another mode, offsetting of stacks of collated copy sheets is inhibited.

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Fairport, NY, United States of America

Henry Thomas Kremers