Apparatus for controlling interpage gaps in printers and method of interpage gap control

An interpage gap width control for a utilization device having a page feeding apparatus comprising a page feed path for feeding pages to said utilization device, in a non-staged manner, and means for picking said pages, said control comprising:

• means for monitoring passage of said pages along said feed path, including a sensor means, positioned at least partially in said feed path, for detecting the passage of a leading edge and a trailing edge of said page, relative to said sensor means;
• means responsive to said means for monitoring passage for controlling said means for picking for further controlling the width of said gap between said pages, including timing means for timing at least a first period of time from picking of said page until said page actuates said sensor means and a second time period from said actuation until said page deactivates said sensor means;
• and
• further comprising determining means for determining, in response to said first and second time periods, a delay time measured from said page actuating said sensor means, said delay time defining the earliest possible time for picking a succeeding page.

An interpage gap width control for a utilization device having a page feeding apparatus comprising a page feed path for feeding pages to said utilization device, in a non-staged manner, and means for picking said pages, said control comprising:

• means for monitoring passage of said pages along said feed path, including a sensor means, positioned at least partially in said feed path, for detecting the passage of a leading edge and a trailing edge of said page, relative to said sensor means;
• means responsive to said means for monitoring passage for controlling said means for picking for further controlling the width of said gap between said pages, including timing means for timing at least a first period of time from picking of said page until said page actuates said sensor means and a second time period from said actuation until said page deactivates said sensor means, and;
• further comprising determining means for determining, in response to said first and second time periods, a delay time measured from said page actuating said sensor means, said delay time defining the earliest possible time for picking a succeeding page;
• said means for monitoring passage further comprises means for determining a reference time value for each of said first and second time periods, means for comparing said first and second time periods with said respective reference time values and means for modifying said reference time values as pages are fed, in response to deviation of said time periods from said reference time values, said means for modifying further operative to modify said reference time values incrementally with a fixed, predetermined increment when said modification will tend to narrow said gap width preceding the next page fed.