Pitney Bowes Inc.

Keith M Smith

Gary S Jacobson

Brad L Davies

Elaine B Cristiani

Wesley A Kirschner

Edward F Hampton

Elaine B Christiani

A method of controlling a feed rate of a printer, and a printer employing same, wherein the printer includes a feeder motor driving a feeder mechanism and a transport motor driving a transport mechanism. The method includes receiving image data for a first item of print media in a print job, processing the image data to create printable image data, and determining an image preparation time that is a time difference between the time when the printable image data is completed and the time when the start of the image data is first received. The method then further includes determining a current feeder speed based on at least the image preparation time. Following that that determination, the method includes: (i) turning the transport motor on, and (ii) setting a speed of the feeder motor equal to the current feeder speed and thereafter turning the feeder motor on.

Method for controlling a feed rate of a printer, and printer employing same

A method of synchronizing the feeding and printing of sheets of media, i.e., paper, envelopes, post cards, etc. even though shingled feeds have occurred in the system. The foregoing is accomplished by utilizing two sensors and counters to monitor two sheets of paper to allow two software tasks to stay in synchronization and release the appropriate print data to the printer even when a sheet of paper was not detected in the feeder appears at the print head. The feeder sensor has a counter for its Lead Edge as does the Start of Print Sensor that is in the system's transport paper path. The feeder sensor counter and the start of print counter are incremented and decremented as the paper approaches the sensor and leaves the sensor. If the lead edge counter of the feeder sensor goes negative, then the feeder has shingled and the data for that sheet of paper must be printed.

Method for detecting paper feed shingling errors and synchronizing a printer and a feeder

A system and method for providing a self-diagnostic process for determining a print shaft contamination condition such as debris build up on the guide shaft in a shuttle head printer is described. The process can be carried out at several points in time including automatically when the printer is powered-up, at a periodic schedule, and/or at the initiation of a user. The process includes a measurement of the print head speed over a travel distance along the guide shaft. If the speed is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the user is notified that a print shaft contamination condition exists.

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Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Keith M Smith