Method and apparatus for maintaining confidential printed-sheet output

An apparatus for providing privacy for the message content in copy produced by electrographic devices, comprising:

• copy sheets further comprising confidential message and copy sheets further comprising non-confidential messages, wherein said confidential message includes a last copy sheet having a confidentiality code and no confidential message;
• means for detecting the presence of said last sheet of said copy sheets comprising confidential messages;
• an assembly tray for accumulating and assembling said confidential message into a set, or for assembling said non-confidential message into a set;
• a storage tray for receiving said set of confidential message from said assembly tray or for receiving said set of non-confidential message from said assembly tray:
• means for delivering said set of confidential message or said set of non-confidential message from said assembly tray to said storage tray;
• and
• a means for binding said set of confidential message together along the sides of said set of confidential message as said set is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray.

An apparatus for maintaining the confidentiality of printed material emanating from an electrographic device, and for binding a set of sheets having confidential information together to provide privacy for the information contained therein, comprising:

• means for receiving sheets delivered seriatim comprising one or more sheets having non-confidential information, and sets of sheets having confidential information;
• means for detecting first and last sheet of said set of sheets having confidential information;
• an exit tray for stacking said sheets having non-confidential information;
• means for delivering sheets having non-confidential information along a first sheet path to said exit tray;
• an assembly tray for accumulating and assembling said sets of sheets having confidential information;
• means for delivering sheets having confidential information along a second sheet path to said assembly tray, thereby collating into a set sheets having confidential information;
• a storage tray for receiving said set of sheets having confidential information from said assembly tray;
• means for delivering said set of sheets having confidential information from said assembly tray to said storage tray;
• and
• means for binding said set of sheets having confidential information along opposite sides as said set is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray.

A method for providing confidentiality for information produced by electrographic devices comprising the steps of:

• producing a stream of copy sheets seriatim from said electrographic devices, including sheets having non-confidential information and sets of sheets having confidential information, wherein said confidential set comprises a first sheet having a confidential code, and a last sheet having a confidential code and no confidential data;
• receiving said stream of copy sheets seriatim;
• detecting said confidentiality code if present, as said sheets are received seriatim;
• directing and advancing said sheets along a first sheet path comprising an exit tray, until said confidentiality code is detected;
• directing and advancing sheets along a second sheet path comprising an assembly tray and a storage tray, once said confidential code on said first sheet of said confidential set is detected, until said confidential code on said last sheet of said confidential set is detected;
• holding and accumulating said sheets delivered to said assembly tray;
• delivering said confidential set in said assembly tray to said storage tray, after said last sheet of said confidential set is delivered;
• and
• binding said set of confidential sheets on opposite sides as said set is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray.

An apparatus for providing privacy for the message content in copy comprising:

• an electrographic apparatus for producing a stream of copy sheets forming sets consisting of confidential message and sheets consisting of non-confidential messages, said set of confidential message comprising first and last copy sheets having a confidentiality code wherein said last copy sheet includes no
• confidential data, said sheets of non-confidential message comprising copy sheets which contain no confidentiality code;
• a receiving tray for receiving said stream of copy sheets from said electrographic apparatus;
• means for detecting the presence of said confidentiality code on said copy sheet;
• an exit tray for stacking said copy sheets of non-confidential message;
• means for directing and transporting said copy sheets of non-confidential message along a first path from said receiving tray to said exit tray for stacking;
• an assembly tray for accumulating and assembling said set of confidential message;
• means for directing and transporting copy sheets of said set of confidential message along a second path from said receiving tray to said assembly tray;
• a storage tray for receiving said set of confidential message from said assembly tray;
• means for delivering said set of confidential message from said assembly tray to said storage tray;
• and
• a plurality of staplers having means for stapling said set of confidential message together along the sides of said set of confidential message as said set is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray.

An apparatus for maintaining the confidentiality of said printed material by binding together a set of sheets to provide privacy for the information contained therein, comprising:

• means for receiving sheets delivered seriatim including a plurality of sheets having non-confidential information, or a plurality of sheets having confidential information;
• scanning means for detecting the presence of a code on said sheets having confidential information, or for detecting the presence of a code on said sheets having non-confidential information;
• assembling means for accumulating and assembling a set of sheets having confidential information or for assembling a set of sheets having non-confidential information;
• means for delivering said sheets having confidential information or said sheets having non-confidential information to said assembling means from said receiving means;
• storage means for receiving from said assembly means said set of sheets having non-confidential information, or said set of sheets having confidential information;
• means for delivering said sets of sheets from said assembly means to said storage means;
• means for binding said set of sheets having confidential information along opposite sides and along leading and trailing edges as said set of sheets having confidential information is delivered from said assembling means to said storage means;
• and
• means for binding said set of sheets having non-confidential information as said set of non-confidential sheets is delivered from said assembling means to said storage means.

A method for providing confidentiality for information produced by electrographic devices comprising the steps of:

• producing a stream of copy sheets seriatim from said electrographic devices, including sheets having non-confidential information or sheets having confidential information, whereby said sheets having confidential information comprise a last sheet having a code mark and no confidential data, and said sheets having non-confidential information comprising a last sheet having a code mark;
• receiving said stream of copy sheets seriatim;
• detecting said code mark when present, as said sheets are received seriatim;
• delivering said sheets to an assembling tray for holding and collating into sets of sheets having confidential information or sets of sheets having non-confidential information;
• delivering said sets of sheets in said assembly tray to a storage tray, after said last sheet of said sets of sheets is delivered to said assembly tray;
• binding said set of sheets having confidential information on all four sides as said set of sheets having confidential information is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray;
• and
• binding said set of sheets having non-confidential information as said set of sheets having non-confidential information is delivered from said assembly tray to said storage tray.