Eastman-kodak Company

Matthew J Russel

James D Allen

Gary P Lawniczak

James A McGlen

Ronald C Holzhauser

John E Cockayne

Debora M Litwiller

Rose M Borruso

Calviin E Harris

Electrostatographic reproduction method and apparatus for producing a raised multiple color image of an original. The apparatus has a plurality of toner image producing electrostatographic sub-assemblies including, a first, an intermediate, and final assembly. The first and intermediate assemblies include devices for producing color separation toner images, and the final assembly produces a full colorless toner image of the original.

Apparatus for producing raised multiple color images

An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack individually to a station of the reproduction apparatus for reproducing of information contained on such sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a support for a document sheet stack. A feed path extends away from and then back to the document stack support, for directing sheets from the support into association with the reproducing station and then back to the stack. Document sheets are fed from the stack seriatim about the feed path. An array of sensors is provided with individual sensors of the array respectively positioned at predetermined locations about the feed path for detecting a document sheet at the predetermined locations as said document sheet is fed. The individual sensors respectively produce signals when detecting a document sheet. In responsive to the signals from the array of sensors, operation of a subsequent portion of the document sheet feeding mechanism is sequentially effected based on a signal from the sensor at a preceding detected document sheet location.

Recirculating document feeder with sequential control of the document

An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack individually to a station of the reproduction apparatus for reproducing of information contained on such sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a housing containing a support for a document sheet stack. A feed path extends away from and then back to the document stack support, for directing sheets from the support into association with the reproducing station and then back to the stack. Document sheets are selectively fed from the stack seriatim about the feed path. The feed for the document sheets includes a transport assembly overlying at least a portion of the reproduction apparatus station. The transport assembly is mounted for movement relative to the housing, and engageable by a spacer associated with the reproduction apparatus station for self-adjustment of the transport assembly in the mount to locate the transport assembly a predetermined distance from the reproduction apparatus station irrespective of the position of the housing relative to said reproduction apparatus station.

Recirculating document feeder having a self-adjusting base plate

Pressurized air and vacuum levels are controlled to facilitate sheet separation and feeding reliability based on the weight of a document sheet stack on the document sheet stack support. The weight of the stack is determined by counting the total number of individual document sheets in such document sheet stack, determining the height of the original topmost document sheet of such stack at a particular point in time, counting the number of individual document sheets fed from such stack from such particular point in time, computing the weight of each individual document sheet based on the counted number of document sheets from such particular point in time, and calculating the total weight of such stack based on the weight of each individual document sheet and the total number of document sheets in the such stack.

Recirculating document feeder with stack weight determined pressurized

An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack seriatim to a station of a reproduction apparatus for reproducing information contained on such document sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a support for a document sheet stack, with a selected side of each document sheet facing up and with the selected side of the topmost document sheet in said stack for ready viewing by an operator. Document sheets are selectively fed from the stack seriatim in a first mode of operation along a first feed path from and back to the support in a closed-loop that inverts a sheet and directs the sheet into association with the reproducing station selected side down and then inverts the sheet again and directs the sheet to the top of the stack selected side up, or in a second mode of operation along the first feed path from the support through the reproduction apparatus station and back to the support through a second feed path prior to association with the reproducing station for inversion thereof and through a third feed path subsequent to association with the reproducing station for inversion thereof, whereby in each of the feed modes the selected side of each sheet always faces up when in the stack.

Recirculating document feeder and method

A highly productive copier for use in a secure area or building is described. The copier includes a transparent electrical coil mounted either upon or within the copier's exposure platen and accompanying circuitry coupled thereto for detecting the proximity of metal such as those having magnetic or ferromagnetic properties. A document sheet fed to the platen for copying is sensed for the presence of the metal. Metal is present in confidential documents that have been made with metal containing toners and which are to be copied only by those authorized for copying same. A user identification system is provided for allowing users to identify themselves to the machine for allowing copying of confidential documents. Nonconfidential documents may be copied without requirement of identification. The copier is highly productive because it may be used with known high speed document feeders such as recirculating feeders without requiring a waiting period for the coil to be moved relative to the document. Copies made from the copier are reproduced either with metal containing toners for confidential documents or non-metal containing toners for non-confidential documents. A reproduction mode is also provided for allowing reproduction of documents not containing metal into copies which contain metal to create a detectable confidential document.

Secure copier and method of reproduction

Apparatus and method for producing color-accented or otherwise edited reproductions of original documents with high productivity. Information of originals to be reproduced with, for example, color-accenting are highlighted on the originals with a marker pen or encircled with the highlight. The highlighted originals are serially passed during a copy run over an image scanner than is sensitive to the highlighted portions. The locations of the highlighted portions for each original are detected and stored in a bit map. In one embodiment an original is imaged onto two image frames of an electrostatically charged photoconductor. The photoconductor not being capable of distinguishing highlighted areas from background reproduces the electrostatic images through an optical exposure as if no highlighting is present. A selective erase element is provided to erase from one frame, areas on the original that were highlighted and to erase from the other frame, areas on the original that were not highlighted. The image frames are developed, each with a differently colored toner, and the developed areas transferred in register to a copy sheet to provide a reproduction with color accenting. In another embodiment the information is electronically scanned onto the photoconductor using an LED or laser light source and the appropriate image frames exposed in accordance with the highlighting on the documents. Highlighting of an original may also be used to indicate areas to be selectively screened, filled with a screen tint, areas to be deleted, or areas to be repositioned.

Copying apparatus and method with editing and production control

Apparatus and method for producing color-accented or otherwise edited reproductions of original documents with high productivity. Information of originals to be reproduced with, for example, color-accenting are highlighted on the originals with a marker pen or encircled with the highlight. The highlighted originals are serially passed during a copy run over an image scanner that is sensitive to the highlighted portions. The locations of the highlighted portions for each original are detected and stored in a bit map. In one embodiment an original is imaged onto two image frames of an electrostatically charged photoconductor. The photoconductor not being capable of distinguishing highlighted areas from background reproduces the electrostatic images through an optical exposure as if no highlighting is present. A selective erase element is provided to erase from one frame, areas on the original that were highlighted and to erase from the other frame, areas on the original that were not highlighted. The image frames are developed, each with a differently colored toner, and the developed areas transferred in register to a copy sheet to provide a reproduction with color accenting. In another embodiment the information is electronically scanned onto the photoconductor using an LED or laser light source and the appropriate image frames exposed in accordance with the highlighting on the documents. Highlighting of an original may also be used to indicate areas to be selectively screened, filled with a screen tint, areas to be deleted, or areas to be repositioned.

A mechanism for use with a sheet transport apparatus for turning over a sheet transported along a travel path, such mechanism reliably functioning irrespective of sheet weight or size. With the mechanism, a sheet is selectively moved in one direction from a travel path or in an opposite direction into such travel path. The surface of the moving sheet is engaged so that energy derived by the sheet being transported in the direction from the travel path is stored. When the sheet is no longer being transported in such direction, the stored energy is utilized to move the sheet in the opposite direction to a point where it can be transported in such opposite direction back into the travel path with its trail edge becoming the lead edge and its surface orientation reversed.

Sheet turnover mechanism

Drive mechanism for an electrographic transfer roller apparatus wherein potential degradation of a transferred image is substantially prevented by eliminating relative movement between a receiver member supported by such apparatus and a transferable image carrying dielectric member in contact in a transfer zone. In the drive mechanism, a dielectric member is supported and moved through a transfer zone. A selective drive for the transfer roller is coupled to the transfer roller when a receiver member, supported by the transfer roller, is out of the transfer zone and decoupled from the transfer roller when the attached receiver member is in contact with the dielectric member in the transfer zone. Therefore, when the receiver member and the moving dielectric member are in contact in the transfer zone, drive is imparted only through such contact and the receiver member and dielectric member move at the same peripheral surface speed.

Electrographic transfer roller drive mechanism

Copy sheet positioning apparatus is provided in electrographic apparatus which produces copies of at least first and second dimensions and which includes a movable image transfer member upon which transferable unfixed images are formed. The copy sheet positioning apparatus includes a first sheet handling assembly located adjacent to the image transfer member which defines a first path for a copy sheet of a first dimension. The first sheet handling assembly is operative to remove and reposition such a copy sheet with respect to the image transfer member. The copy sheet positioning apparatus also includes a second sheet handling assembly which defines with the first sheet handling assembly a second path for a copy sheet of a second dimension. The second sheet handling assembly cooperates with the first sheet handling assembly to remove and reposition such a copy sheet with respect to the image transfer member.

Copy sheet positioning apparatus

Reproduction apparatus for producing multiple image simplex copies and/or duplex copies in a single pass of a copy sheet through the apparatus. The reproduction apparatus includes a movable imaging member upon which at least first and second transferable images are carried. Transfer apparatus is provided for transferring the transferable images from the imaging member to a copy sheet. A copy sheet positioning assembly is operable in synchronism with the movable imaging member and the transfer apparatus in first and second modes. In the first mode, the positioning assembly positions one side of a copy sheet in transferable relationship with the movable imaging member at the transfer apparatus to successively transfer the first and second transferable images to one side of the copy sheet. In the second mode, the positioning assembly positions a copy sheet in transferable relationship with the movable imaging member at the transfer apparatus to successively transfer the first and second transferrable images to respective opposite sides of the copy sheet.

Apparatus for producing multiple image simplex and duplex copies in a

Document feeding apparatus feeds document sheets to an exposure position along a recirculating sheet path or along a non-recirculating sheet path. The feeding means has a vacuum belt for moving a sheet traveling along either sheet path past the exposure position. A document sheet can be fed to the belt for advancement to the exposure position through a slot located in a generally vertically disposed orientation and having an opening at the lower end thereof adjacent to the belt. Preferably, registration means are provided adjacent the belt at the lower end of the slot for preregistering the lower edge of a document sheet being fed through the slot to the belt. Rollers are provided for urging the document sheet against the belt, both when sheets are fed to the belt in a non-recirculating (document positioner) mode and when sheets are fed in the recirculating feeder mode of operation. One set of rollers, which is used for holding a sheet against the belt when in the non-recirculating mode of operation, is held in a retracted or disengaged position when the apparatus is operating in the document positioner mode of operation.

Sheet feeding apparatus

An electrophotographic apparatus for producing colored copies on a receiver sheet. A movable image transfer member, adapted to receive related transferable color separation images in nonoverlapping image areas, is moved along a transport path. A transfer mechanism is mounted adjacent to the transport path for transferring at spaced locations along the path the color separation images to a receiver sheet. The transfer mechanism successively positions the receiver sheet at the spaced locations in register with and in image transfer relation to the color separation images on the moving transfer member to superimpose the color separation images in register on the receiver sheet.

Electrophotographic color copier

A recirculating feeder for use with a document copier to produce collated copies of multi-page documents and the like. The feeder operates with the document pages or sheets stacked right-side-up in their normal sequential order. The sheets are removed one-at-a-time from the bottom of the stack, presented face-down for copying, and returned again right-side-up to the top of the stack. The right-side-up orientation and bottom feed permits visual inspection of the copying cycle for assurance that it is proceeding properly, facilitates collation of the final copies in the right-side-up orientation, and permits visual comparison of the document stack with the copy stack.

Growing community of inventors

Mendon, NY, United States of America

Matthew J Russel