Document registration system

Abstract

In a document handling apparatus for registered feeding of document sheets to the imaging station of a copier with a document imaging station transport, and a document sheet acquisition and initial registration system for feeding document sheets to the document imaging station transport, the improvement wherein said document sheet acquisition and initial registration system includes a sheet inversion path with a sheet inverting roller and spaced plural sheet retaining belts partially wrapped around the inverting roller to provide separate document sheet lead edge capturing nips therewith, and to provide a non-slip document feeding path when a document is held between the plural belts and the roller, and with apparatus for mounting a central one of the plural belts differently from the other belts for centrally engaging a document sheet in a registration nip with the central belt prior to engagement of a document sheet in the capture nips of the other belts. Preferably the document imaging station transport includes a document imaging transport belt extending around the inverting roller to form the operative outer surface thereof against which document sheets are held by the plural belts, and the registration nip of the central belt registers the lead edge of the document sheet to this document imaging transport belt by providing a moving capture nip into which document sheets are driven by the document sheet acquisition and initial registration system at a slightly faster, coordinated, speed than the document imaging transport belt, and buckled thereagainst.