Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090206153 | MULTI-JOB FEEDER APPARATUS AND METHOD - A method and apparatus for improved productivity and reducing operator induced shut-downs when feeding multiple jobs from a single sheet tray includes providing bar-coded job divider sheets; loading the divider sheets into the sheet supply tray on top of their corresponding sheet stack; providing a bar-code sensor above the sheet supply that reads each divider sheet bar-code information; confirming that the bar-code information matches what is in the job cue; and setting subsystem operating parameters for that paper. Once the first divider sheet is sensed, it is then fed to a purge tray before the job starts. When the job is complete, remaining sheets for that job can be fed (optionally at high speed) to the purge tray on top of the corresponding divider sheet for reuse later. If too few sheets were loaded for the job, the feeder will cause a soft cycle down and flag the problem. | 08-20-2009 |
20090302519 | DOUBLE ENVELOPE FOR STANDARD PRODUCTION PRINTING - A method and apparatus includes/uses a media supply that maintains the media sheets and a printing engine that places markings on the sheets. The media sheets have multiple opposing partially formed envelopes. The markings placed have opposite orientations on the opposing envelopes. The apparatus also optionally includes a separator that separates the opposing partially formed envelopes after the printing engine places the marking, to leave partially formed individual envelopes. A folder device optionally folds the partially formed individual envelopes to produce completed individual envelopes. | 12-10-2009 |
20090304430 | MULTI-JOB FEEDER SYSTEM - A low cost, low complexity method and apparatus for improved productivity and reducing operator induced shut-downs when feeding multiple jobs of different media type, but the same size, from a single sheet tray includes providing media identification divider sheets that contain patterns of either simple bars or punched holes with the divider sheets loaded into the sheet supply tray on top of their corresponding sheet stack except the first one; providing a digital sensor that reads each media identification divider sheet pattern; and feeding media for the first job. When the first job is complete, remaining sheets for that job can be fed (optionally at high speed) to a purge tray. Media divider sheets for each successive job after the first job are sent to the purge tray for reuse later. | 12-10-2009 |
20100187755 | ANGLED PRESSURE ROLL USED WITH VACUUM BELTS - An apparatus comprises a belt and a pressure roll contacting the belt. The pressure roll comprises at least two roll segments connected to a common axle and contacting the belt. The roll segments are offset from one another along the belt. | 07-29-2010 |
20100320677 | SEGMENTED RIGID PLATE BELT TRANSPORT WITH A HIGH MOTION QUALITY DRIVE MECHANISM - A vacuum transport includes a segmented, rigid or solid articulated belt combined with a vacuum plenum in each segment of the belt. Using a rigid segmented belt with a vacuum plenum connected to each segmented belt section eliminates ordinarily encountered drag friction in conventional vacuum transports by reducing the force necessary to move the belt with media thereon while simultaneously improving the motion quality of the move by driving the articulated rigid belt from the top side of the belt in a flat section. | 12-23-2010 |
20120308286 | SIMPLIFIED BELT SEAM SKIP IN CONTINUOUS WEB FEED MACHINES - A system that avoids any stopping or reversing of the web direction in a continuous feed printer, instead maintaining consistent process speed, only requiring a slowing and speeding up of the web to cycle through the PR belt seam. This is done by forming a web loop and then immediately flattening the loop after passage of the seam through the transfer zone that includes two transfer BTR rolls with alternating transfer operations, but simultaneous transfer for short periods. Two vacuum assist rolls, one located between the two bias transfer rolls controls the formation of the web loop. A pair of nip forming rolls upstream of the first transfer station and a second vacuum assist roll downstream of the second transfer station control the size of the loop. | 12-06-2012 |
20130036887 | FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION COLLATING SYSTEM - In a system, at least two picker support elements are positioned adjacent a transport surface that is moving workpieces, and at least two picking elements are connected to each of the picker support elements. The picking elements have physical picking features that remove the workpieces from the transport surface and move the workpieces to another location. A controller is operatively connected to the picker support elements and the picking elements, and the controller independently controls the picker support elements and the picking elements to dynamically position the picking elements in coordination with a dynamic size, spacing, and transport speed of the workpieces being moved by the transport surface. | 02-14-2013 |
20130041495 | FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION COLLATING SYSTEM - In a system, one or more robotic arms are positioned adjacent a transport surface that is moving workpieces, and one or more picking elements are connected to each of the robotic arms. The picking elements have physical picking features that remove the workpieces from the transport surface and move the workpieces to another location. A controller is operatively connected to the robotic arms and the picking elements, and the controller independently controls the robotic arms and the picking elements to dynamically position the picking elements in coordination with a dynamic size, spacing, and transport speed of the workpieces being moved by the transport surface. | 02-14-2013 |
20130139847 | CLEANING STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FRICTION ROLL FEEDERS - With a cleaning system/method, a user places a printing device in a cleaning mode, inserts a cleaning apparatus that includes a cleaning sheet into a paper supply tray of the printing device, and executes a cleaning operation on the printing device. With the system, a set of instructions is stored on a machine-readable medium. The set of instructions causes the printing device to execute a cleaning operation on a feed nip of the printing device. The cleaning sheet cleans the feed roller and the retard roller when it is positioned within the feed nip during the cleaning operation. The set of instructions cause the printing device to move the cleaning sheet into the feed nip and to rotate the feed roller and the retard roller for a predetermined time period, when the printing device is placed into a cleaning mode. | 06-06-2013 |