Inverter apparatus capable of inverting A3 or 11.times.17" sheets

A substrate inverter, comprising:

• (a) an inversion chute having a curved portion;
• (b) input drive means for driving a substrate into said chute in an initial direction and subsequently into said curved portion of said inversion chute;
• (c) flexible, passive deflector gate means serving as the sole gate means for directing sheets into and out of said inversion chute for opening and closing access to said inversion chute by a substrate fed from said input drive means, and wherein said passive deflector gate means is opened only by movement of a sheet therepast and closes automatically after the sheet passes said passive gate means due to its flexibility;
• and
• (d) output drive means positioned directly adjacent said input drive means for driving a substrate out of said chute in an output direction generally opposite but in substantially the same plane as said initial incoming substrate direction and past said passive deflector gate means.

A method of inverting a substrate, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an inversion channel having a curved portion thereof to facilitate the inversion of substrates therein;
• (b) providing input drive means for driving an incoming substrate into said inversion channel and into said curved portion of said inversion channel;
• (c) providing a flexible, passive deflector gate serving as the sole gate means for directing sheets into and out of said inversion channel downstream from said input drive means that is positioned to close off entrance of the incoming substrate to said inversion channel;
• (d) opening said flexible, passive deflector gate only by driving the incoming substrate therepast;
• (e) providing a reversing drive roller nip;
• (f) sensing the trail edge of the incoming substrate and actuating said reversing drive roller nip to reverse direction of the incoming substrate and drive the now outgoing substrate past said passive deflector gate which is in a closed position after the incoming substrate had past it due to its flexibility;
• and
• (g) providing output drive means positioned directly adjacent said input drive means and within substantially the same plane extending through said reversing drive roller nip for driving the outgoing substrate out of the inverter, thereby inverting the substrate.

A copier/printer includes a substrate inverter, comprising:

• (a) an inversion chute including a curved portion thereof;
• (b) input drive means for driving a substrate into said chute in an initial direction, and then into said curved portion of said inversion chute;
• (c) flexible, passive deflector gate means serving as the sole gate means for directing sheets into and out of said inversion chute for opening and closing access to said chute by a substrate fed from said input drive means, and wherein said flexible, passive deflector gate means is opened only by movement of a sheet therepast and closes automatically after the sheet passes said passive deflector gate means due to its flexibility;
• and
• (d) output drive means positioned directly adjacent said input drive means for driving a substrate out of said chute in an output direction generally opposite but in substantially the same plane as said initial incoming substrate direction and past said passive deflector gate means.

A method of inverting substrates within an inversion channel, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an inversion channel that is in curved, J-shaped configuration in order to increase a size of substrates that can be inverted;
• (b) providing input drive means for driving an incoming substrate into said curved, J-shaped configuration of said inversion channel;
• (c) providing a flexible, passive deflector gate serving as the sole gate means for directing sheets into and out of said inversion channel downstream from said input drive means that is positioned to close off entrance of the incoming substrate to said inversion channel;
• (d) opening said flexible, passive deflector gate only by driving the incoming substrate therepast;
• (e) providing a reversing drive roller nip;
• (f) sensing the trail edge of the incoming substrate and actuating said reversing drive roller nip to reverse direction of the incoming substrate and drive the now outgoing substrate past said passive deflector gate which is in a closed position after the incoming substrate had past it due to its flexibility;
• (g) providing output drive means positioned directly adjacent said input drive means and substantially within a plane extending through said reversing drive roller nip for driving the outgoing substrate out of the inverter after it has passed said passive deflector gate, thereby inverting the substrate;
• and
• (h) driving a second substrate into said inversion channel once said outgoing substrate passes said passive deflector gate, but before said outgoing substrate exits said inversion channel in order to accomplish simultaneous inversion of two substrates.