Xerox Corporation

Peter R Watson

Robert P Loce

Michael John Wilsher

Robert P Siegel

William L Lama

Nicholas Frank

Antje B Parker

Brian D Cromar

Martin Pepe, Jr

Paul Swallow

Azhar Malik

Eleanor Whitte

Systems and methods are described that facilitate removing punch hole artifacts in electronic document images. When a document with punch holes is scanned, the punch holes appear as unwanted dark spots in the margin. To remove these artifacts, a blanking regions having background color pixels are placed over the punch hole artifacts and the electronic document image is stored with the blanking regions in place. A user interface is provided to permit a user to enter blanking region parameters, including x,y coordinates, diameter, reference edge from which the coordinates are measured, etc. Default settings can be stored and recalled for common punch hole patterns, which may vary between offices and the like.

Semi automatic punch hole removal

A reprographic apparatus, such as, a copier or printer is controlled by a controller including a microprocessor and a memory, the apparatus including one or more sheet trays for supplying sheets which will receive images in use of the apparatus. One or more operating parameters of the apparatus, such as the timing of sheet feeding devices, or fuser temperature, are selectively variable in accordance with differing characteristics of sheets to be used. A set of values of the operating parameters are held in the memory for each kind of sheet, and the appropriate operating parameters are set to the values derived from the memory for a given sheet type. The sheet type, and hence the operating parameters, may be set by a local or remote user of the apparatus. Alternatively, the apparatus may include means associated with at least one of the trays for recognizing sheet characteristics and setting the operating parameters accordingly.

Reprographic apparatus with operating parameters variable according to

A cut sheet registration device comprises at least two idler rolls biassed into contact with an intermittently-driven feed roll, the idler rolls being pivoted on a bar which is itself pivotable with respect to the axis of the feed roll, so as to adjust the angle which the contact joints of the idler rolls make with the feed roll. The angle of the bar is adjustable at the factory to allow for any misalignment etc. in the downstream sheet-using devices.

Sheet registration device

The invention relates to a sheet feed apparatus which is particularly, although not exclusively, useful in a xerographic copying machine. The apparatus includes a roller assembly including first and second rollers, the first roller being arranged to engage the top sheet in a stack of sheets and advance the sheet to a nip defined between the second roller and a retard member. The roller assembly is attachable to a support such as a feedhead cover, by means of a snap-in connection whereby, when assembled to the support way, the second roller is operably coupled to a drive gear. In order to facilitate connections between a drive shaft through the second roller and the drive gear, the drive shaft is biassed towards the drive means by a compression spring, and is mounted for movement along the axis of the second roller against the bias of the compression spring.

Sheet feed apparatus

An automatic or semi-automatic document feeder (12) for conveying documents sheets (17) into and away from an imaging position (18) on a platen (14) of a copier, incorporating a plurality of spaced-apart belts (30) moving between a white backing surface (26) and the platen. A vacuum source applies a partial vacuum to the inter-belt gaps (32) to hold a document sheet against the belts so that the document is conveyed with the movement of the belts. A major portion of the backing surface (26) lies in a datum plane. Discrete protrusions (56) which extend above the datum plane are formed integrally on the backing surface in pairs or rows, against which the belts ride to hold the belts in spaced relation to the datum plane. The spaces (57) between the protrusions provide openings so that a partial vacuum applied beneath the belts may extend into the inter-belt gaps. 'Show-through' and 'show-around' printing defects are thus substantially reduced because the backing surface can be entirely flat between the belts and the belts themselves require no apertures. Channels may be provided beneath the belts in the longitudinal direction thereof to ensure the application of uniform partial vacuum over the whole platen area.

Plural belt document feeder

A document feeder is provided for presenting documents to the platen of a copier for copying with a vacuum belt platen transport system having document transporting belts movable under a substantially planar vaccum plenum backing. Also included is a vacuum system for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported by the movable belts over the platen. Show-through and show-around problems are reduced by optically mtching the belts and the plenum backing. In the preferred embodiment, the background surface is slightly roughend and made to be approximately 92% reflective to light during image exposure. The belts are composed of a urethane material which is approximately 16% transmissive but provides a 91% reflectance when moving along the plenum surface.

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Stevenage, United Kingdom

Peter R Watson