US 4,054,380 A · Control system for high speed copier/duplicators

Abstract

A processing system having central control including an automated condition responsive system for automatically sequencing and integrating the operation of selected external features utilizable in conjunction with an electrostatographic reproducing process. The processing operation is monitored by means of a central timing control initiated in accordance with a preprogrammed sequence for each of the peripheral operations to be performed in conjunction with the central processing sequence. Sequence control is provided for controlling the sequencing of the peripheral operation in accordance with the timing cycles controlling the central reproducing process. More specifically, control means are set up for automatic document handling, sorting, billing, and jam and recovery control. By utilization of central command logic and separate processing logic, integration of all these operations in accordance with externally controlled program operation is achieved.

Claims30

Dependent claims

In an automatic document processing system for reproducing one or more copies of an original document comprising in combination

central process control means;
means for supplying said original document to be reproduced;
an output device for accumulating said copies;
and
a feed path for said copies, said feed path including a plurality of copy processing components for processing said copies, said process control means including electronic sequencing means progressable through a plurality of states, means for generating plural timed control signals within said states for actuating said copy processing components to produce said copies, means for monitoring the movement of copies along said feed path, said monitoring means including means effective on an unscheduled interruption in the movement of copies along said feed path to intervene and interrupt operation of said sequencing means whereby to stop processing of said copies, said sequencing means including a multi-stage shift register, gating means coupled to said multi-stage shift register for shifting signals there through in synchronism with the movement of copies along said feed path at a rate of one shift signal per copy, and means responsive to completion of processing of the last of said copies to terminate operation of said system.

2 more elements

An automatic document processing system for reproducing one or more copies of original documents on copy material comprising:

process control means;
an original document handling means;
an output device for accumulating said copies, and
a feed path for said copy material, said feed path including a plurality of stations operating upon said copy material for reproducing images of said original document thereon, said process control means including electronic sequencing means, said sequencing means having a plurality of states, means for subdividing said states into a plurality of defined timing signals for controlling operation of the processing components that comprise said stations to produce copies and means responsive to a malfunction in said feed path to intervene and stop processing of said copy material, said malfunction monitoring means including a plurality of switching means disposed for actuation along said feed path, means effective during preset ones of said states on predetermined timing signals for sampling said switching means individually for the improper presence or absence of a copy material along said feed path, said malfunction monitoring means being responsive to actuation of one of said switching means to interrupt said sequencing means and stop processing of said copy material.

1 more element

An automatic document processing system for reproducing one or more copies of original documents on copy material, comprising:

process control means;
an original document handling means;
an output device for accumulating said copies, and
a feed path for said copy material to be processed, said feed path including a plurality of stations operating upon said copy material for reproducing images thereon, said process control means further including electronic sequencing means, said sequencing means including a plurality of stages, each of said stages controlling operations of at least one of said stations, means for generating a plurality of defined substage intervals during sequencing of said stages, said process control means including means for utilizing said intervals to produce timing signals to control precise operation of said at least one station, and wherein said processor control means includes means for monitoring a flow of copy material along said feed path, said monitoring means including means for interrupting the sequencing of said plurality of stages in response to a feed path malfunction, said document processing system including an imaging station, said sequencing means generating an image trigger signal activating said imaging station, said document processing system further including a programmer, said programmer including first means for counting said image trigger signals, second means for counting copies delivered to said output device, and means responsive to an interruption of said sequencing of said plurality of stages for transferring a count from said second counting means to said first counting means, said programmer further including a third counting means, and means for entering into said third counting means a number corresponding to a desired number of copies, said programmer including means for comparing a state of said first and said third counting means and means responsive to a coincidence between said states of said first and said third counting means for initiating a process shut down signal.

1 more element

An automatic document processing system for reproducing one or more copies of original documents on copy material comprising:

process control means;
means for supplying an original document for copying;
an output device for accumulating said copies, a feed path for said copy material to be processed, and a plurality of stations operating upon said copies for reproducing images of said original documents thereon, said process control means including an electronic sequencing means having a plurality of stages, each of said stages controlling processing operations at said stations, means for generating a plurality of defined substage intervals associated with each of said stages, means utilizing said intervals to provide timing signals to control operations at said stations precisely, means for monitoring a flow of copy material along said feed path, said monitoring means interrupting said sequencing means in accordance with a feed path malfunction, billing means including counter means, latch means responsive to each copy processed for incrementing said counter means, and inhibit means responsive to a feed path malfunction for inhibiting operation of said latch means to prevent incrementing of said counter means, said inhibit means permitting operation of said latch means in response to removal of said feed path malfunction.

An automatic document processing system for reproducing an original representation on copy material comprising:

an image photoreceptor element;
a processing station;
means for driving said photoreceptor in a direction traversing said processing station, optical means for placing an image of said original representation on a surface area of said photoreceptor element;
developing means for developing said image;
feed means for feeding a copy surface of said copy material to said image area;
transfer means for transferring said image to said copy surface;
output means for receiving said imaged copy surface;
sequencing control means, said sequencing control means including a plurality of stages;
means for sequentially energizing said stages in accordance with each reproduction;
means responsive to a condition of respective ones of said stages for enabling said optical means, said feed means and said transfer means;
timing control means, said timing control means providing a series of subsequence timing signals for each of said stages;
and switching means coupled to said sequencing control means and said timing control means, said switching means responsive to said respective enabling stages and to a predetermined timing control subsequence for energizing said optical means, feed means, development means and transfer means.

9 more elements

An automatic document processing system for reproducing an original representation on copy material, comprising;

a continuous elongated photoreceptor element;
means for driving said photoreceptor in a direction along an elongated length, optical means for placing an image of said original on a surface area of said photoreceptor element;
developing means for developing said image;
feed means for feeding a copy material surface to said photoreceptor image area;
tranfer means for transferring said image to said copy material surface;
output means for receiving said image copy material surfae;
sequencing control means, said sequencing control means including a plurality of stages;
means for sequentially energizing said stages in accordance with each reproduction;
means responsive to a condition of associated ones of said stages for enabling said optical means, said feed means and said transfer means;
timing control means, said timing control means providing a series of timing signals for each of said energized stages;
and switching means coupled to said sequencing control means and said timing control means and responsive to said associated enabling stages and to a predetermined timing control subsequence for energizing said respective optical means, feed means, development means and transfer means, wherein said optical means including flash means for flashing said image onto said copy material surface, trigger means for triggering said flash means, said trigger means responsive to an enabling signal from a one of said stages corresponding to arrival of said copy material surface at a position of said optical means on said photorecptor element, wherein, on a subsequent activation signal from said subsequent timing control means during energization of said one stage associated with said optical means, a timing of said subsequent timing control activation signal relative to said stage timing signals determining a margin location of said image relative to said copy material surface.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Control system for high speed copier/duplicators

Life of this patent

Control system for high speed copier/duplicators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30