Exit roller reversal gate for duplex printing

Abstract

In a reproduction apparatus outputting copy sheets via exit rollers and stacking the outputted copy sheets adjacent the exit rollers in a stacking tray, and which exit rollers are reversible in their direction of rotation to feed selected copy sheets imaged on one side back into the reproduction apparatus in a return path to be reimaged, an actuatable gate system prevents the previously outputted and stacking copy sheets from being recaptured by the reversed rotation exit rollers, by interposing a guide or baffle between the stacking copy sheets and the exit rollers to prevent accidental re-acquisition of copy sheets by the reversed rollers automatically in response to the reversal in direction of rotation of the exit rollers. The guide or baffle preferably comprises commonly rotatably mounted arcuate fingers closely adjacent the exit rollers, which fingers are automatically rotated to extend outside of the periphery of the exit rollers towards the stacking tray in response to the reversal in direction of rotation of the exit rollers. That may be accomplished by camming this finger rotation from an axial shifting of the exit rollers also providing lateral deregistration.