Shared document feed station
OwnerTheodore H. Anderson, Wallace E. Beuch +1inventors
InventorsTheodore H. Anderson, Wallace E. Beuch, Richard E. Lagergren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shared document feed station includes a common drive mechanism for normally advancing a receipt tape through a receipt tape zone and for selective operation to advance an alternative document through an alternative document zone. Document detectors sense the presence of a document in the alternative document zone and function to inhibit the drive mechanism from advancing the receipt tape while enabling the advance of the alternative document.
Claims16
A printing system comprising:
- means for effecting printing along a predetermined printing path;
- means for advancing a first document through a first printing zone extending across the printing path;
- means for advancing a second document through a second printing zone overlying the first printing zone and extending across the printing path;
- means for normally activating the first document advancing means and responsive to the presence of a document in the second printing zone for actuating the second document advancing means;
- the second printing zone extending laterally beyond the first printing zone;
- and
- first and second document detecting means located in the portion of the second printing zone extending beyond the first printing zone and on opposite sides of the printing path.
A printing system comprising:
- means for effecting printing along a predetermined printing path;
- means for advancing a first document through a first printing zone extending across the printing path;
- means for advancing a second document through a second printing zone overlying the first printing zone and extending across the printing path;
- and
- means for normally activating the first document advancing means and responsive to the presence of a document in the second printing zone for actuating the second document advancing means,
- the document advancing means comprising:
- a drive shaft;
- a first set of rollers including at least one roller mounted on the drive shaft for receiving a first document therebetween and responsive to rotation of the drive shaft in one direction to advance the first document through the first printing zone;
- and
- a second set of rollers including at least one roller mounted on the drive shaft for receiving a second document therebetween and responsive to rotation of the drive shaft in the opposite direction for advancing the second document through the second printing zone.
A printing system comprising:
- a printing mechanism for effecting printing along a printing path extending in a predetermined direction;
- means for positioning a first document in a first printing zone extending transversely across the printing path;
- means for positioning a second document in a second printing zone overlying the first printing zone and extending beyond the first printing zone in the predetermined direction;
- document sensing means positioned within the second printing zone adjacent to the first printing zone and on opposite sides of the printing path for detecting the presence of a document in the second printing zone;
- and
- means responsive to the document sensing means for selectively advancing either a first document through the first printing zone or a second document through the second printing zone.
In a printing system of the type including means for advancing a receipt tape through a receipt tape zone and a printing mechanism for effecting printing along a printing path extending across the receipt tape zone and thereby printing on the receipt tape, the improvement comprising:
- means for positioning an alternative document in a zone overlying the receipt tape zone and including the printing path so that the printing mechanism prints on the alternative document instead of the receipt tape;
- means responsive to the positioning of an alternative document to receive printing for advancing the alternative document with respect to the printing path;
- means for normally advancing the receipt tape in a predetermined direction extending transversely to the printing path;
- and
- means for selectively advancing the alternative document in the same predetermined direction, depending on the presence of an alternative document to receive printing.
In a printing system of the type including means for advancing a receipt tape through a receipt tape zone and a printing mechanism for effecting printing along a printing path extending across the receipt tape zone and thereby printing on the receipt tape, the improvement comprising:
- means for positioning an alternative document in a zone overlying the receipt tape zone and including the printing path so that the printing mechanism prints on the alternative document instead of the receipt tape;
- and
- means responsive to the positioning of an alternative document to receive printing for advancing the alternative document with respect to the printing path;
- the means responsive to the positioning of an alternative document to receive printing comprising first and second document detecting means positioned on opposite sides of the printing path.
The printing system comprising:
- a print head;
- means for moving the print head along a printing path extending in a predetermined direction to effect printing along the printing path;
- means for positioning a receipt tape in a receipt tape zone extending transversely across the printing path so that the print head effects printing on the receipt tape;
- means for positioning an alternative document in an alternative document zone overlying the receipt tape zone and extending transversely across the printing path and laterally beyond at least one end of the receipt tape zone in the predetermined direction so that the print head effects printing on an alternative document instead of the receipt tape;
- first and second document detection means positioned on opposite sides of the printing path adjacent the receipt tape zone for detecting the presence of a document in the alternative document zone and for producing a predetermined output;
- and
- document advancing means for selectively advancing either the receipt tape through the the receipt tape zone or the alternative document through the alternative document zone depending on the output of the detection means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.