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US 4,204,472 AGranted
Duplexing copying system
AssigneeA. B. Dick Company
InventorLawrence A. Borneman
Life of this patent
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AssigneeA. B. Dick Company
InventorLawrence A. Borneman
Estimating the term…
A system for duplicating images wherein a copy sheet is delivered to a first gripper of an impression cylinder. A first image is transferred to one side of each sheet, and each sheet is then released by the first gripper and delivered to a reversing means. A second gripper includes means for engaging the trailing edge of each sheet and the sheets are thus re-fed to the impression cylinder by this second gripper, trailing edge first. The re-feeding is in synchronism with the second image whereby this second image is transferred to the opposite side of each sheet. The second gripper is provided with inverting means to accommodate the re-feeding. In addition, separate gripper means are provided on the second gripper for engaging the trailing edge of a succeeding sheet whereby the second gripper simultaneously engages the trailing edge of one sheet and the formerly trailing edge of a previously introduced sheet.
In a duplicating system wherein images are transferred from image carrying surfaces to copy sheets supported on a carrier, drive means for the carrier, means for feeding the copy sheets to the carrier, gripper means associated with the carrier for gripping the sheets to hold the sheets on the carrier, said gripper means comprising first and second grippers located in spaced relationship on the carrier for holding sheets on the carrier, said first gripper including means for holding the leading edge of each sheet fed to the carrier, and said second gripper including means for holding the trailing edge of each sheet fed to the carrier, the improvement wherein said second gripper comprises two separate sheet holding means independently operable relative to each other, a support mounting the respective holding means of the second gripper in oppositely directed positions, means operating one holding means of the second gripper for gripping the trailing edge of a sheet held by said first gripper, means connected to said support for inverting said second gripper after gripping of the trailing edge by said one holding means of the second gripper, and means operating the other holding means of the second gripper for gripping the trailing edge of the next sheet fed to the carrier.
In a duplicating system wherein a carrier is provided for supporting copy sheets, the carrier including gripper means for holding the copy sheets on the carrier and the carrier defining surfaces extending adjacent the gripper means for supporting copy sheets held by the gripper means, the improvement wherein said gripper means include one gripper having two separate sheet holding means independently operable relative to each other, a common support, means mounting each holding means of said one gripper on the common support and locating each holding means of said one gripper in oppositely directed positions, and means for inverting the support to reverse the positions of each said holding means of said one gripper, each of said holding means of said one gripper being adapted to grip an edge of a copy sheet, one holding means of said one gripper being adapted to hold an edge of one copy sheet extending over a carrier surface defined on one side of the common support while the other holding means of said one gripper holds the edge of a separate copy sheet extending over a carrier surface defined on the opposite side of the common support.
In a method for duplicating images on both sides of copy sheets wherein copy sheets are fed in succession between surfaces carrying the images and a carrier for the copy sheets, each sheet being fed to a first gripper on the carrier whereby the leading edge of the sheet is engaged by the first gripper and whereby the sheet is moved between an image carrying surface and the carrier for transfer of a first image to one side of the sheet, the sheet being released by said first gripper, and the trailing edge of said sheet being engaged by a second gripper for movement of the sheet between an image carrying surface and the carrier for duplication of a second image on the opposite side of the sheet, the improvement comprising the steps of providing two separate, individually operating sheet holding means for said second gripper, each said holding means of said second gripper being located in oppositely directed positions, gripping said trailing edge of said sheet with one holding means of said second gripper, releasing the engagement of said first gripper, and inverting said second gripper after transfer of said first image to one side of said sheet whereby the one holding means of said second gripper holds the sheet during transfer of said second image to the other side of said sheet, feeding the next sheet to the first gripper whereby the leading edge of the next sheet is engaged by the first gripper, gripping the trailing edge of said next sheet with the other holding means of said second gripper, and again inverting said second gripper after transfer of said first image to one side of said next sheet whereby the other holding means of said second gripper holds the next sheet during transfer of said second image to the other side of said next sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.