Recirculating document feeder

Abstract

A document feeder for recirculating simplex or duplex document sheets in a sheet stack to and from a scanning station of a reproduction apparatus of the type including a donor/transfer member for producing simplex or duplex copies of simplex or duplex document sheets. The recirculating feeder includes a hopper for holding the document sheets and a first cylinder located in spaced relation to the hopper and in juxtaposition with the scanning station. The first cylinder is capable of having a document sheet tacked to its peripheral surface. Second and third cylinders, capable of having a document sheet tacked to their respective peripheral surfaces, are located between the hopper and the first cylinder in nip relation with the first cylinder and one another. The cylinders are bidirectionally rotatable about their respective longitudinal axes. A document sheet is transportable from the hopper into the nip relation between the second and third cylinders. Rotation of the cylinders, transport of a document sheet and tacking of a sheet to a particular cylinder are controlled for effecting transport of simplex or duplex document sheets seriatem from the hopper past the scanning station and back to the hopper in proper orientation and direction of transport to enable the desired production of simplex or duplex copies.