Xerox Corporation

Kirtas Technologies, Inc.

Thomas E Sollitt

Barry Paul Mandel

William R Burger

Scott Miller

Thomas N Taylor

Lotfi Belkhir

Eduard Kaminker

Mark L Leveto

Emil M Marincic

DeWayne L McCulley

Glenn A Laurent

Dennis W Berman

Carroll N Bright

Fredrick J Morton

As the individual pages of a book having a gutter and outside edge margins and being held at least partially open are being automatically sequentially turned over, in coordination therewith a flattening force is applied to the unimaged gutter margin areas of the book for flattening the pages after they have been at least substantially turned over, and unimaged outside edge margins of the book are clamped by automatic clamping members in coordination therewith, for appropriate page viewing and/or imaging. The flattening force may be applied with a V shaped reciprocally movable member, which may also be partially self-centering in the book gutter, and may also open to push outwardly on the then-open pages, as applied.

Automatic book page turner for imaging

The pages of a book being held at least partially open may be sequentially automatically turned over from one side of the book to the other by pivoting an elongated arm from one side of the book toward the other and turning over individual pages with a vacuum head pivoting relative to the elongated pivoted arm about a different pivot axis as the elongated arm moves to reduce undesirable forces on the individual book pages being turned over. The vacuum head may initially pivot to bend the edge of an individual page up away from the book, to aid in page separation, and then subsequently differently pivot to help peel the same page gently away from the vacuum head and flip it over onto the opposite side of the book. This may be assisted by moving frictional belts on the vacuum head.

A universal interface for operatively connecting and feeding the sequential copy sheet output of various reproduction machines of widely varying ranges of sheet output level heights to various independent copy sheet processing units having widely varying sheet input level heights with a free-standing movable interface module of a fixed narrow width. A sheet feeding path extends from one side of the module to the other for transporting the copy sheets. This sheet feeding path is preferably bi-directional and reversible for feeding copy sheets therethrough from either side. It is repositionable by vertically repositioning over a large vertical height range integral sheet path ends opening at opposite sides of the interface module, a retention system retains the sheet path ends at a selected height position mating with a selected reproduction apparatus sheet output level and a selected copy sheet processing unit sheet input level. The disclosed sheet feeding path varies in length automatically with this path end repositioning, yet remains substantially linear, and may utilize baffles telescoping automatically.

Universal interface module interconnecting various copiers and printers

A printer for printing copy sheets includes a copy sheet path. The printer has an upper surface with at least one access panel vertically opening on the upper surface of the printer for sheet path access. The printer also has an operator control panel for controlling its functions. The operator control panel extends out over a portion of the upper surface of the printer overlying a copy sheet path access panel and extending towards the front of the printer for improved operator access to the operator control panel, with the operator control panel being laterally slidably mounted to the printer to be movable by the operator to a position not overlying the sheet path access panel for which opening is desired by the operator or indicated by the operator control panel.

Plural mode printer user interface terminal

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

Thomas E Sollitt