The Mead Corporation

Eastman-kodak Company

Robert J Scranton

Suresh C Paranjpe

James W Davis

Roger D Wells

James R Meckstroth

Charles W Spehrley

David A Huliba

George W Denlinger

Clifford S Fernalld, Jr

Dennis E Bok

Charlie H Hill, Jr

Robert W Coulter

Patrick E Bridge

A document printer includes sheet-feeding apparatus for sequentially presenting both faces of a print-receiving sheet to a print station. According to a preferred embodiment, such apparatus features, as part of the duplex sheet path, reversible sheet-feeding means operable in first or second active modes for selectively feeding sheets into and out of a chute, located upstream from the feeding means, to reverse the sheet's lead edge/trail edge orientation. Such sheet-feeding means is also operable in a passive mode in which it allows sheets to advance, without substantial interference, downstream therepast to a registration position. Control means are provided for switching the feeding means from one of its active modes to its passive mode after a sheet has been advanced into the reversing chute to the extent that the sheet buckles, whereupon the restoring force in the sheet propels the leading edge of the sheet past the feed means and into engagement with a registration gate located at the registration position.

Sheet-registration and feeding apparatus

A paper transport simulates movement of a plurality of documents past the print station of a ink jet printer. The transport includes an arrangement for transporting a continuous paper web past the print station and a tachometer drive roller for contacting the tachometer wheel of the printer system. The transport further includes a document simulator wheel aligned with the photo-optical document detector of the printer system such that the movement of a succession of documents past the print station may be simulated while the printer system prints upon the continuous paper web.

Paper transport for a printer test unit

An ink jet printer includes a print head means which generates two parallel rows of jet drop streams. Charge electrodes are mounted on a pair of charge electrode plates which are movable into and out of drop charging positions. A pair of catchers each define a drop catching surface and a drop ingesting slot along the lower edge of the drop catching surface. Each of the catchers is generally pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the rows of jet drop streams. The catchers may be pivoted from a drop catching position, in which the drop catching surfaces are substantially parallel, to a full catch position in which drop catching surfaces are inclined to face upward and intercept the jet drop streams. In the full catch position, the drop ingesting slots are positioned closely together. A linkage arrangement is provided for pivoting the catchers from the full catch position to the drop catch position after start up of the print head means. The linkage arrangement also moves the charge electrode plates into the drop charging positions after the catchers are pivoted sufficiently to apply a drop deflecting potential to thereto, but while the drop catching surfaces intercept the jet drop streams.

Ink jet printer

An ink jet printing apparatus for printing addresses on documents being transported along an independently operated conveyor. The printing apparatus includes a control console, a printing arm telescopically received within the console, and an ink jet printing head mounted on a carriage which is vertically movable within the printing arm. A tachometer wheel is mounted on the printing carriage for contacting a document being transported past the printing head and generating a tachometer signal in response thereto. A programmed microprocessor generates printing control signals in synchronism with the tachometer signal.

Ink jet printing apparatus

Ink jet printer startup and shutdown procedure

An ink jet printer includes a rotatable support for supporting a sheet of paper. The support defines an interior vacuum chamber and a plurality of vacuum openings in the surface thereof which communicate with the vacuum chamber. A rotary drive rotates the support and a vacuum source is provided for partially evacuating the vacuum chamber. A paper supply adjacent the rotatable support, loads a sheet of paper onto the rotatable support. An ink jet print head is mounted adjacent the rotatable support for printing on a sheet of paper supported thereon. A sheet diverter is positioned adjacent the rotatable support between the ink jet print head and the paper supply for stripping sheets of paper from the rotatable support when the sheets are not firmly supported thereon. A paper sensor is mounted adjacent the rotatable support, intermediate the sheet diverter and the ink jet print head, for inhibiting operation of the ink jet print head when a sheet of paper is diverted by the paper diverter. The rotatable support comprises a cylindrical paper supporting drum which defines the vacuum openings, which openings are positioned about the periphery of the drum. A leading edge engaging area on the drum periphery is defined by a number of the vacuum openings, with the openings in the leading edge engaging area providing a sheet attracting suction to each sheet adjacent the leading edge of the sheet as the sheet is loaded onto the drum.

Paper transport system for an ink jet printer

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Robert J Scranton