Xerox Corporation

Richard J Milillo

Brian J Dunham

James Markovitz

Jesse J Brumberger

William D Milillo

Jeffrey Michael Gramowski

Steven D Olson

Charles F Prevost

Alicia K Schwenk

Joseph P Cavalieri

Douglas K Herrmann

Steven Robert Moore

Carlos Manuel Terrero

Richard P Ficarra

Joseph Salvatore Vetromile

Arthur Harold Kahn

Piotr Sokolowski

Gordon Byron Reid

Bruce D Caryl

Timothy M Davis

Barbara A Sampath

Wayne D Everdyke

Salvatore A Abbata

Harry A Davidson

Matthew J Ross

Edward W Mallow

Terrance W Flint

Nicholas W Czebiniak

A substrate finishing system includes a sheet input that feeds sheets to a compiler for compiling. The sheets may be stapled at the compiler. A trail edge support of the compiler is movable from a first position to a second position. The compiler is configured to drop a sheet or set of sheets to build compiled set stacks at the first and second positions on a stacking tray positioned beneath the compiler.

Sheet finishing system including dual sheet stacking

As set forth herein, a finisher module within an automated print system is described. A compiler delivery system receives and organizes one or more sheets in a predetermined configuration for delivery. A compiling belt system receives the one or more sheets from the compiler deliver system, locates the one or more sheets and transports the sheets concurrent to one or more finishing processes. A side tamper system moves alongside the compiling belt system to side tamp and register sheets in the cross process direction. A stapler/stitcher assembly moves alongside the compiling belt system to perform at least one of a stapling and a stitching operation as the one or more sheets are transported.

Compiling belt system with moving stapler

Systems and methods are described that facilitate permitting a high-speed marking system or printer to run at maximum speed without being impeded by a relatively slow, low-speed finisher. A plurality of low-speed finishers are coupled to the high-speed marking system in a tandem, and optionally parallel-tandem, arrangement, where the number of finishers is equal to or greater than the ration of the maximum operating speed of the marking system to individual finisher maximum operating speed. In this manner, a low-cost solution is provided to overcome bottleneck problems associated with low-speed finishers.

Tandem finishing

An apparatus () and method () that disk stacks and compiles media sheets. The apparatus can include a media sheet transport () configured to transport media sheets and a stacker () configured to stack the media sheets (). The apparatus can include a rotatable disk () coupled to the media transport, the rotatable disk configured to receive a leading edge () of a media sheet and configured to transport the media sheet to the stacker. The apparatus can include a compiler () configured to compile a set of a plurality of the media sheets and an ejector () configured to eject the set of a plurality of the media sheets from the compiler onto the stacker. One of the rotatable disk and at least a portion of the compiler can be movable () relative to each other to switch between the rotatable disk providing media sheets to the stacker and the rotatable disk providing media sheets to the compiler.

Apparatus and method for disk stacking and compiling media sheets

A method and apparatus for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include determining if an image production document is to be stitched, wherein if it is determined that the image production document is to be stitched, sending the image production document along a first paper path to a first stacking tray to be stitched and stacked, and if it is determined that the image production document is not to be stitched, determining if the image production document requires a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, wherein if it is determined that the image production document requires a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, sending the image production document along a second paper path to a second stacking tray to be stacked in a high quality registration manner, and if the image production document is determined not to require a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, sending the image production document along one of the first paper path to the first stacking tray to be stacked and the second paper path to the second stacking tray to be stacked.

Method and apparatus for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device

A rotational cable shortening system for shortening the effective length of a cable by bending a section of the cable. The shortening system comprises a rotatable bridged channel through which the cable is threaded. Upon rotation of the bridged channel, the cable is deflected and effectively shortened.

Rotational cable shortening device

Substrates are received by a compiling mechanism and compiled into sets. Incoming sheets are tamped by a tamping system into position on the compiling platform to register the sheets. The compiler platform mechanism includes two narrow, low-friction panels that are driven in opposite directions. The compiled and registered sheets sets can be manipulated by a manipulation device, to be stapled, punched, stitched, etc. The compiled, manipulated and registered sheet sets can be dropped onto an output catch platform located below the compilation platform. The compiling platform includes two retractable panels that slide open to allow the compiled set to drop to the output catch platform below. Once the set is dropped, the compiling platform panels are driven back to their original position in order to receive another set. Alternatively, the compiled and registered sets can be ejected from the compiling platform to a subsequent, downstream device.

Compiling platform to enable sheet and set compiling and method of use

A registration system including both a primary tamping device and a secondary scuffing device. The scuffing device includes a scuffer arm, an extending/retracting device, a drive subsystem, and an engagement control device. In various exemplary embodiments, the secondary scuffing device is retracted. The scuffing device can thus be used, when required, to register a substrate in the process direction and then retracted enabling the side tampers to cross process register the substrates. In various exemplary embodiments, substrates of varying sizes and types can be registered into common sets using the systems and methods of this invention.

Retractable registration system and method of use

A sheets sets compiling and stacking system for the output of a printer, in which the seriatim output of printed sheets may be accumulated and neatly stacked on a temporary sheets supporting system until the desired number of sheets for that set (e.g. all the pages of a collated document) is accumulated (compiled). The temporary sheets supporting system may then automatically open to drop each completed or compiled set of sheets, but with positive alternate side set clamping control against sheet scattering or skewing, dropping only one side of one set at a time, by a short distance, down onto a multiple sets stacking system, such as a self-lowering elevator stacking tray, so as to provide reduced set scattering or skewing of the sheets within the sets, and/or between sets.

Printer output sets compiler to stacker system

A finishing device having a sheet guiding and buffering mechanism located in the space between a sheet transporting assembly and a finishing platform. The mechanism has two parallel retractable arms having a slight curvature along their length. Sheets dispensed seriatim from the transport assembly onto the arms conform to the curvature of the arms. In a normal mode, the arms are retracted for each sheet delivered thereto and the individual sheets drop onto platform to form a set of stacked sheets. When the last sheet of a set is dropped, the mechanism changes to a buffering mode and the arms collect and hold the first few sheets of the next set. Once the previous set has been finished and ejected from the platform, the arms are retracted and the sheets collected are dropped, and the mechanism is changed to the normal cycle for the remainder of the subsequent set.

Finishing device having a sheet guiding and buffering mechanism

A sheet-copy documents producing machine is provided and includes (a) sheet supply and feeding means for supplying and feeding image receiving sheets along a path and through image forming stations; (b) image forming devices mounted at the image forming stations for forming desired images on the image receiving sheets resulting in sheet-copy documents of the desired images; and (c) plural sheet-copy documents finishing devices including (i) moving parts, and (ii) at least a first sheet-copy documents finishing device and a last sheet-copy documents finishing device for each receiving, finishing and stacking the sheet-copy documents into stacks for subsequent removal by an operator. Each the sheet-copy documents finishing devices, except the last sheet-copy documents finishing device, including a movable unload-while-running safety shield assembly for protecting hands of the operator from the moving parts during an unload-while-running operation of the copy sheet documents producing machine.

Sheet copy documents production machine having an unload-while-run safety shield

A paper sheet gate actuation and guide system for a paper finishing device includes a guide rail, a drive system, a paper gate unit and a sliding cam unit. The guide rail is disposed along a side of the paper finishing device. The drive system includes a torque supplier to controllably supply torque, a timing belt connected to the torque supplier, and a plurality of pulleys to move laterally along the guide rail when the torque supplier supplies torque. The paper gate unit includes a gate arm to enable a paper sheet to pass through when the gate arm is opened, and a lift foot to open the gate arm when the lift foot is raised. The sliding cam unit includes a shoe to slide along the guide rail, a gate cam to raise the lift foot when engaged against the lift foot, a paddle to push a trailing edge of the paper sheet forward as the paper gate unit moves forward along the guide rail, and a fastener to attach the sliding cam unit to the timing belt.

Multifunction paper-path gate selector and sheet restraint

A paper sheet finishing system includes a sheet guiding mechanism having nip rollers to transport a sheet forward, at least one diverter gate through which the sheet passes when the at least one diverter gate is open, and a temporary compiler to support the sheet after the sheet passes the at least one diverter gate, a diverter member to travel in conjunction with the at least one diverter gate, and at least one rear suppressor member connected to the diverter member to push a trailing edge of the sheet forward and pitch a leading edge of the sheet downward after the sheet controllably descends past the temporary compiler with reduced flutter and improved positioning during compilation of the sheets.

Systems and methods for trail edge paper suppression for high-speed finishing applications

A blade for use in an apparatus for urging sheets against registration edges in a sheet compiler is provided. The blade includes a body having a contact surface for contact with the sheets and a locating feature. The locating feature is connected to the body for locating the blade to the apparatus. The locating feature includes a prevention feature for preventing the blade from being inserted into the apparatus in a first orientation and to permit the blade to be inserted into the apparatus in a second orientation, opposed to the first orientation, so that the blade is properly installed into the apparatus.

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Fairport, NY, United States of America

Richard J Milillo