Three-roll fuser with center pressure roll for black and color application

A three roll fuser system for a xerographic machine, comprising:

• a reversibly drivable central pressure roll;
• a first heatable fuser roll located adjacent said central pressure roll;
• a first fuser nip formed between said pressure roll and said first fuser roll capable of receiving a copy substrate and fusing an unfused image located on a first side of the copy substrate;
• a second heatable fuser roll located adjacent said central pressure;
• a second fuser nip formed between said central pressure roll and said second fuser roll capable of receiving a copy substrate and fusing an unfused image located on a second side of the copy substrate;
• a sheet inlet for transporting copy substrates having an unfused image on one of a first side and a second side directly to a selected one of said first and second fuser nips of the fuser system based on which side of the copy substrates the unfused image is located;
• and
• a sheet outlet for receiving fused copy substrates from one of said first and second fuser nips of the fuser system.

A method of fusing unfused toner onto a copy substrate using a three roll fuser system having a reversibly drivable central pressure roll and first and second fuser rolls, said first and second fuser rolls being positionable immediately adjacent to the central pressure roll and on substantially opposite sides of said central pressure roll to form first and second fuser nips, comprising the steps of:

• transporting a copy substrate having an unfused image on a side thereof to a common fuser inlet;
• diverting the copy substrate to said first fuser nip when the unfused image is on a top side of the copy substrate;
• diverting the copy substrate to said second fuser nip when the unfused image is on a bottom side of the copy substrate;
• driving said central pressure roll in a direction which positively feeds the copy substrate through said fuser system to fuse the image on the copy substrate.