Claims
- 1. A reproduction machine having a plurality of processing stations to produce a developed latent image on a moving photoreceptor member for transferral to a sheet of copy paper, and a programming system for controlling operation of the processing stations in timed sequence relative to the movement of the photoreceptor member including:
- a plurality of copy paper supply sources, each having a stack of paper sheets and a sheet separating device;
- a sheet conveying mechanism associated with each of said paper sources whereby sheets separated from the stacks are transported therefrom by their respective conveying mechanisms;
- registration means associated with said sheet conveying mechanisms for registering and aligning each sheet presented to said registration means by said conveying mechanisms,
- drive means for moving said registration means at a speed such that registration and alignment of the sheet occurs at a linear sheet speed substantially equal to the linear speed of the photoreceptor member; and,
- control means operatively connected to the machine programming system and said sheet separating devices to actuate said sheet separating devices at a predetermined point in the process of producing a developed image irrespective of the paper supply source being utilized, said sheet conveying mechanisms and said paper supply sources being arranged such that the sheets separated from said sources arrive at the registration means at the same predetermined time after actuation of the sheet separating devices associated therewith, thereby allowing the same timed relationship between actuation of any of the sheet separating devices and the registration of said sheets to allow sequential operation of the separating devices without requiring a change in machine timing.
- 2. A reproduction machine having a plurality of processing stations to produce a developed latent image on a moving photoreceptor member for transferral to a sheet of copy paper, and a programming system for controlling operation of the processing stations in timed sequence relative to the movement of the photoreceptor member including:
- a plurality of copy paper supply sources, each having a stack of paper sheets and a sheet separating device, one of said paper sources having a primary sheet conveying mechanism associated therewith whereby sheets separated from said one paper source are transported therefrom, the remainder of said paper supply sources each having a secondary conveying mechanism associated therewith whereby sheets separated from the stacks are transported therefrom by their respective secondary conveying mechanism, said secondary conveying mechanisms being arranged for conveying sheets to said primary conveying mechanism for permitting conveyance thereby of all sheets during a portion of their path of movement;
- registration means positioned in the machine for registering and aligning each sheet received from said primary conveying mechanism,
- means for driving said registration means at a speed such that registration and alignment of the sheets occurs at a linear speed substantially equal to the linear speed of the photoreceptor member for delivery of sheets from the registration means to the photoreceptor at the linear speed of the photoreceptor, and
- control means operatively connected to the machine programming system and said sheet separating devices to actuate said sheet separating devices at a predetermined point in the process of producing the developed image irrespective of the paper supply source being utilized, said sheet conveying mechanism and said paper supply sources being located such that the sheets separated from said supply sources arrive at the registration means at the same predetermined time after actuation of the sheet separating device associated therewith, thereby allowing the same timed relationship between actuation of any of the sheet separating devices and the registration of said sheets to allow sequential operation of the separating devices without requiring a change in machine timing.
- 3. A reproduction machine having a plurality of processing stations to produce a developed latent image on a moving photoreceptor member for transferral to suitable image support material, and a programming system for controlling operation of the processing stations in timed sequence relative to the movement of the photoreceptor member including:
- a plurality of support material sources;
- continuously rotating registration fingers positioned in the machine for registering and aligning individual sheets of support material;
- means for rotating said registration fingers at a variable speed, the lowest circumferential speed attained by said registration fingers being substantially equal to the linear speed of the photoreceptor member to provide for registration and alignment of the support material at a linear speed substantially equal to the linear speed of the photoreceptor member prior to delivery of the support material to the photoreceptor member;
- support material supplying means associated with each of said support material sources whereby support material from said sources is fed therefrom to said registration means; and
- control means operatively connected to the machine programming and said support material supplying means to move said support material from its source at a predetermined point in the process of producing the developed image irrespective of the source being utilized, said supplying means and said sources being arranged such that the material separated therefrom arrives at the registration means at the same predetermined time after leaving its source irrespective of its source, thereby allowing the same timed relationship between movement of the material from any of said sources and the registration of said material to allow utilization of any of said sources without requiring a change in machine timing.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 284,830, filed Agu. 30, 1972 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
284830 |
Aug 1972 |
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