Continuous copying apparatus

Abstract

A continuous copying apparatus provides a copier chassis having a copy paper inlet and a copy paper outlet which are on a common side of the copier chassis. A web of supply paper is positioned adjacent the copier inlet and is compactly stored so that a continuous, elongated web can be fed into the chassis at the inlet. A first roller drive positioned on the chassis and adjacent the paper path pulls the copy paper from the supply web into the inlet. A photocopying component system includes at least a photoconductor, and an optics system for imaging an original to be copied onto the photoconductor, for continuously imprinting an image to be copied on the web of copy paper as it traverses the copier chassis through a defined, generally semicircular paper path. A drive means is positioned on the chassis sequentially behind the photocopying component system on the flowpath for pulling the copy paper web from the photocopying component system to the copier outlet. A guide means supports the web of copy paper as it traverses the copier chassis between the inlet and outlet and along the generally semicircular curved paper path. A braking system associated with the supply web maintains constant speed of the paper web between the copier inlet and the copier outlet and thus prevent interruption of the continuous copying process which normally occurs when a slackness of the web triggers "jam" switches that cut off the photocopy process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.