Xerox Corporation

John D Hower, Jr

Barry Paul Mandel

John W Daughton

Charles Donahue Rizzolo

LeRoy A Baldwin

Ned J Seachman

Alain E Perregaux

Kevin Michael Carolan

Joseph P Taillie

Don S Walker

Robert Brutovski

David L Salgado

Richard A Van Dongen

John D Gramlich

Kathleen M Martin

Susan B Layer

Michael L Campanella

L James Rolph

William A Novak

James C Campbell

Marilyn S Grzenda

A system and method electronically determines an edge of a copy substrate to be printed on. A copy substrate is inserted between a linear light source array and a linear sensor array and a light segment of the linear light source array is illuminated. An edge location of a shadow created by the copy substrate intersecting a light path between the illuminated light segment and the linear sensor array is measured, and a location of the edge of the copy substrate is calculated based on the measured shadow location. A second light segment of the linear light source on an opposite side of an expected copy substrate edge position of the light segment can also be illuminated, and a second edge location of a shadow created by the copy substrate intersecting a light path between the illuminated second light segment and the linear sensor array can be measured wherein this second measurement can be used with the first to calculate a location of the edge of the copy substrate. Alternatively, the calculated location can be used to determine a light segment of the linear light source which corresponds to the calculated location. This determined light source is illuminated and the shadow measured. The new measurement is used to calculate the edge of the copy substrate.

Copy substrate edge electronic registration system for a reprographic system

Copy substrate edge electronic registration system for a reprographic

A method for a sheet handling system where a controller communicates with a mailbox bin subsystem having a plurality of print receiving bins is provided. The plurality of bins are grouped into a first print receiving bin set, a second print receiving bin set and a third print receiving bin set with the first print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins, the second print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins and the third print receiving bin set including one or more print receiving bins. A first bin access designator is assigned to each print receiving bin of the first print receiving bin set, a second bin access designator is assigned to each print receiving bin in the second print receiving bin set and a third bin access designator is assigned to each print receiving bin in the third print receiving bin set--the first, second and third bin access designators correspond respectively with a first user class type, a second user class type and a third user class type. A request is communicated to and read by the controller. In response to such reading, the one or more produced prints are delivered to one or more print receiving bins in one or more of the first, second and third print receiving bin sets.

Sheet delivery control system

In a sheet stacking system with an array of plural sheet stacking bins with sheet entrances for stacking plural flimsy print substrate sheets from a printed sheets output path into selected bins, with a sheet feeding input path system for feeding selected sheets into a selected bin to be stacked therein, with a bin fullness indicator system for indicating that the estimated height of the stack has reached a preset allowable maximum, and a stacking control system controlled by the bin fullness indicator system to control the sheet feeding input path; there is a single stack height sensing system including a stack height sensor for respective measurements of the actual stack height of the stack of sheets in respective bins for the bin fullness indicator system, a movable carriage system for moving this single stack height sensing system from adjacent to one bin to adjacent another bin for respective measurements, the stack height sensor including a movable sensing element extendable by an intermittent actuator into the bin then adjacent to the movable carriage system to detect the stack height therein. A signal generator is responsive to the sensing element position to provide control signals to the stacking control system.

Single stack height sensor for plural sheet stacking bins system

A plural function sheet interconnect module for serially connecting plural multiple bins printed sheets job separating units, such as mailbox modules, with the output of a printer for feeding printed sheets jobs into selected bins. The printer also has a alternate variably occurring output of purge sheets designated for purging, which purge sheets are variably intermixed with the printed sheets jobs. The interconnect module has a sheet bypass transport for feeding the sheets on from one mailbox unit on to another. The interconnect module also has an integral purge tray for collecting the purge sheets and providing for their removal. The interconnect module further has a selectable shared sheet gating system for gating the printed sheets jobs into the sheet bypass transport and gating the purge sheets into the integral purge tray. The integral purge tray underlies the sheet bypass transport and is pivotably openable for the removal of purge sheets therefrom.

Integrated inter-mailbox modules bypass transport and purge tray system

In a sheet stacking system for stacking plural sheets from a printed sheets output path into at least one sheet stacking tray, including a stack height sensor for detecting the height of the stack of sheets in the tray and controlling a stacking control system; the stack height sensor has an elongated maximum stack height sensing bar, and a sensing bar movement system for intermittently moving the maximum stack height sensing bar into the tray in an operative measurement position on top of the stack of sheets in the tray at a position transversely of the sheet entrance path, with a normal force pressing downwardly against the top of the stack. The stack height sensing bar in this position extends across the top of the stack at the height of the highest level of any portion of the stack, in particular, overlying the sets stapling area. A sensing system is actuated by the height of the stack height sensing bar in this measurement position to provide signals to the stacking control system, which provides a control signal when the maximum stack height in the sheet entrance path to said sheet stacking tray reaches a height which is preset below the height which would obstruct the sheet entrance path. This sensor system can move, to measure several bins, and can also provide a sheet knockdown function.

Sheet stack height control system

In a shared users mailboxing system adapted to receive and stack plural print jobs of plural sheets for plural different recipients in plural mailbox bins, having a preset maximum desired sheet stacking level, with a sheet distribution system controlled by a control system for automatically variably stacking print jobs into different mailbox bins electronically assignable to different recipients, a dual mode bin stacking level indicator system for indicating to the control system when the height of the stack in a bin has reached a preset level. The control system provides a selection between the exclusive assignment of only one recipient to mailbox bins and the shared assignment of plural recipients to mailbox bins. There are two different bin stacking level estimation systems, selectable by the control system, a first sheet thickness and stapling weighted point count stack height estimation system from the sheet input count, used for the exclusive assignment of only one recipient to a mailbox bin, and a second stacking level estimation system utilizing a special physical stack height measurement system where the partial removal of print jobs by shared bin users is allowed.

Sheet stacking bin fullness control system

In a mailboxing system receiving and stacking plural print jobs of plural sheets, of differing sheet thicknesses, for plural different recipients in plural print job storage mailbox bins having a preset maximum sheet stacking capacity, with a stapler system for selectively stapling together the print jobs, the mailboxing system having a sheet distribution system controlled by a control system for automatically variably directing and stacking into selected mailbox bins the respective print jobs of different recipients, with a bin stacking level estimation system for indicating to the control system that the height of the stack in the mailbox bin will reach a preset stacking level, the bin stacking level estimation system is a point count stack height estimation correction system including a counting system for accumulating a point count of the number of sheets being directed by the sheet distribution system to the selected mailbox bin, a sheet thickness factor input system for inputting sheet thicknesses point count correction factors to the point count to correct for the differing sheet thicknesses of the job sheets being so directed, and a staple buildup factor input system for inputting staple buildup point count correction factors to the point count to correct for the number of stapled sets of job sheets being so directed. The point count stack height estimation correction system automatically corrects the point count with the sheet thicknesses and the staple buildup correction factors to more accurately estimate the stack height of the total stack of sheets to be stacked in the selected mailbox bin.

Stacking height estimation correction system

A printing arrangement of the type having a printer bank with a plurality of printers which are respectively associated with printer profiles and each of the printer profiles has a list of printer properties available at the printer with which the printer profile is associated. The printing arrangement includes: an input section, located remotely from the printer bank, with a user interface for programming a combination of print job selections and a memory section for storing a selected one of the printer profiles; and a combination examiner for comparing the programmed combination of print job selections from the user interface with a combination of printer properties available in the selected one of the printer profiles from the memory section. The combination of print job selections is transmitted to one of the plurality of printers associated with the selected one of the printer profiles when the combination of print job selections corresponds with the combination of printer properties available at the selected printer.

Apparatus and method for determining printer option availability and

A duplex path loop having a acceleration nip cooperating with a belt transport and retime nip to allow duplexing of sheets while minimizing skipped pitches on the photoreceptor. As each sheet to be duplex printed is removed from the process path after first side imaging it is accelerated to create a gap between it and subsequent sheets. The sheet is then stalled or slowed in a retime nip, while subsequent sheets to be duplexed are simultaneously driven by the same transport, the first mentioned sheet being reinserted into the process path at the proper time for receiving the second side image before the arrival of the second sheet at the retime nip. Subsequent duplex sheets are handled in the same manner so that duplex copies are interleaved or otherwise reinserted into the process path with first side copies so that skipped pitches on the photoreceptor are minimized.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

John D Hower, Jr