Document scanner

A method of scanning a document, comprising:

• receiving a document to be scanned on a first driven belt;
• transporting the document along the first driven belt past a first image sensor which scans a first side of the document;
• transporting the document across a gap between the first driven belt and the second driven belt, a transparent scan platen positioned in the gap, an upper surface of the scan platen and an upper surface of the first belt being substantially horizontally aligned, the second image sensor being positioned below the transparent scan platen;
• receiving the document on a second driven belt after it has passed a second image sensor which scans a second side of the document the second driven belt and a third driven belt defining a portion of the document path between them, the third belt extending across a gap between the first and second belts, the third belt being driven by contact with the second driven belt;
• and
• outputting the document on to an output receptacle.

A document scanning device, comprising:

• first and second image sensors spaced along a horizontal document path and positioned to scan first and second sides of an input document;
• a first driven belt which receives the input document directly onto a first surface of the first driven belt and transports the document past the first image sensor;
• a second driven belt which transports the document to an output;
• a third belt which extends across a gap between the first and second belts, receives the document after it has been scanned by the second image sensor;
• the third belt being driven by contact with the second driven belt;
• and
• first and second backing members, in contact with the first and third belts, respectively, for positioning the document to be scanned by the first and second image sensors.