Duplex printer and method of printing
AssigneeThe Mead Corporation
InventorsRodger L. Gamblin, Roger D. Wells
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A duplex printing arrangement is provided for printing on both sides of a plurality of rectangular sheets of paper, each of the sheets having a pair of parallel opposite edges which are shorter than the pair of edges perpendicular thereto. Each of the sheets is transported past a printer in a direction parallel to the longer pair of the edges of the sheet. The sheets are printed on a first side as they are moved past the printer with a first edge of the pair of shorter edges being the leading edge. The sheets are thereafter turned end-for-end and moved past the printer for printing a second side of each of the sheets, with the second printing pass being such that the first edge of each of the sheets is again the leading edge.
Claims12
A duplex printing arrangement for printing on both sides of a plurality of rectangular sheets of paper, each of said sheets having a pair of parallel opposite edges, comprising
- a printer for printing a print image on a sheet as the sheet is transported past the printer in a direction perpendicular to said pair of parallel opposite edges,
- paper transport means for transporting a sheet of paper past said printer in a direction perpendicular to said pair of parallel opposite edges,
- first paper supply means for supplying each of said plurality of sheets in succession to said paper transport means such that a first side of each of said sheets is facing said printer for printing thereon, and a first edge of said pair of parallel opposite edges of each sheet precedes the other of said pair of parallel opposite edges as each sheet is transported past said printer by said paper transport means,
- second paper supply means for receiving each of said sheets of paper from said paper transport means after a print image is printed on said first sides of said plurality of sheets, and, thereafter, supplying each of said plurality of sheets in succession to said paper transport means such that a second side of each of said sheets is facing said printer and said first edge of each sheet precedes the other of said pair of parallel opposite edges as each sheet is transported past said printer by said paper transport means, whereby the top of the print images on both sides of each sheet of paper are adjacent the same edge of each sheet.
A method of duplex printing in which print images are printed on both sides of a plurality of rectangular sheets of paper, each of said sheets having a pair of parallel opposite edges, such that the top of the print images on both sides of each sheet of paper are adjacent the same edge of the sheet, comprising:
- transporting each of said plurality of sheets of paper in succession past a printer in a direction perpendicular to said pair of parallel opposite edges of the sheet with a first side of each of said sheets facing the printer and a first edge of each of said sheets being the leading edge,
- printing a print image on said first side of each of said sheets as each of said sheets is transported past said printer,
- accumulating said sheets of paper at a paper duplex station as the first side of each of said sheets is printed,
- transporting each of said sheets of paper collected at said duplex station past said printer in succession with the first edge of each of said sheets being the leading edge and the second side of each of said sheets facing said printer,
- printing a print image on said second side of each of said sheets as each of said sheets is transported past said printer, and
- accumulating said plurality of sheets after printing on both sides thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.