Xerox Corporation

Michael D Rumsey

Keith Johnson

Paul D Hansen

Sheldon F Raizes

William D Barton

William D Bartron

The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting sheet misfeed from a multi-tray sheet feeder. The thickness of the first sheet fed from each tray is detected by a common sensor and a thickness value is placed in memory for that tray. Each sheet subsequently fed from the same tray is detected by the common sensor and the thickness value sensed is compared with the thickness value in memory for that tray. If the values match, then only one sheet has been fed from the tray. If the thickness value is more that the thickness value in memory for that tray, then that indicates that more than one sheet has left the tray and the system is shut down to enable an operator to correct the situation. When a tray is reloaded, the thickness value in memory for the sheets previously loaded in the tray is erased and the first sheet fed from the reloaded tray is sensed and a thickness value for that sheet is placed in memory for the reloaded tray.

Misfeed detector for multi tray sheet feeders

The thickness of a first sheet fed from each tray of the multi-tray sheet feeder is detected by a first sensor and a thickness value is placed in memory for that tray. Each sheet subsequently fed from the same tray is detected by the same sensor and the thickness value sensed is placed in memory and compared with the thickness value in memory for that tray. When a tray is reloaded, the thickness value in memory for the sheets previously loaded in the tray is erased and the first sheet fed from the reloaded tray is sensed and a thickness value for that sheet is placed in memory for the reloaded tray. After the thickness value of a sheet is sensed by the first sensor, the sheets enter into the intermediate tray. The thickness value of a sheet is detected by an outlet sensor as it leaves the intermediate sheet tray and that value is compared to the thickness value in memory which was detected for the same sheet by the first sensor. During the comparison steps, if the values match, then only one sheet has passed through a sensor. If the thickness value sensed is more that the thickness value in memory, then that indicates that more than one sheet has passed through the sensor and the system is shut down to enable an operator to correct the situation or the offending sheets can be sent to a purge tray at the printer without shutting down the system.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Michael D Rumsey