International Business Machines Corporation

Thomas Travis Underhill

James H Hubbard

Ralph Joseph Leclere

Wallace L Hubert

Arthur Holt Knight

Copy production machine, such as a xerographic copier, includes an original document feed mechanism which is responsive to insertion of the document to place the document automatically in an imaging position. The copy production machine is actuated by the document feed mechanism to produce one or more copies of the placed original document. An original document being entered into imaging position may be removed by an operator or by the automatic original document feed mechanism, whereby the copy production machine is inhibited from producing copies until the original document is either reinserted or another original document is inserted. Thereupon, copy production resumes in the normal manner.

Document feed controls for copy production machines

A multi-mode document reproduction machine (copier) includes automatic reselection, activated when a time-out timer times out, which reselects machine parameters to a dominant copy mode. A dominant mode is that machine mode used in the most number of copy jobs, irrespective of the number of copies made in any of the modes. An intermediate machine state inhibits the time-out timer. Copies in an interim storage unit and a copy jam are two examples that generate an intermediate machine state. Removal of copies or the jam allows the timer to time out.

Automatic copier mode controls

A document reproduction machine operates either in a simplex mode (each copy has an image only on one side) or in a duplex mode (copies have images on both sides). In the duplex mode, an interim storage unit stores partially completed copies (only one side of the duplex copies have an image). A second copy run completes the duplexed copy production. For an odd number of originals, at the end of a duplex copy run, the last-produced copy set resides in the interim storage unit. In one aspect of the disclosure, in response to an indication of the end of a duplex run, the machine automatically transfers the last-produced copy set from the interim storage unit to a copy output unit. In another aspect of the disclosure, any change between simplex and duplex modes actuates the machine to empty the interim storage unit.

Method and apparatus for controlling the duplex copy mode in an

Newly inserted image transfer portions are subjected to a preset number of document reproduction machine operations. Such preconditioning modifies the image area such that physical properties of the image area are adjusted to ensure high-quality document reproduction.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Thomas Travis Underhill