Double-sided printing system for continuous forms

A double-sided printing apparatus for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms, comprising:

• a first printing portion for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms;
• a second printing portion for printing on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms which are printed by said first printing portion;
• a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on said first and second surfaces to said first and second printing portions, respectively;
• and
• an intermediate buffer device provided between said first and second printing portions so as to absorb a difference in paper feeding speeds between said first and second printing portions.

A double-sided printing apparatus for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms, comprising:

• a first printing portion for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms;
• a second printing portion for printing on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms which are printed by said first printing portion;
• a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on said first and second surfaces to said first and second printing portions, respectively;
• an intermediate buffer device provided between said first and second printing portions so as to absorb a difference in paper feeding speeds between said first and second printing portions;
• a detecting portion provided in said intermediate buffer device so as to detect the amount of retention in said intermediate buffer device;
• and
• a controller for stopping printing and paper feeding by said second printing portion when said amount of retention falls below a first set value, and stopping paper feeding and printing by said first printing portion when said amount of retention exceeds a second set value.

A double-sided printing apparatus for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms, comprising:

• a first printing portion for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms;
• a second printing portion for printing on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms which are printed by said first printing portion;
• a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on said first and second surfaces to said first and second printing portions, respectively;
• an intermediate buffer device provided between said first and second printing portions so as to absorb a difference in paper feeding speeds between said first and second printing portions;
• a detecting portion provided in said intermediate buffer device so as to detect the amount of retention in said intermediate buffer device;
• and
• a controller for stopping printing and paper feeding by said second printing portion when said amount of retention falls below a first set value, and stopping paper feeding and printing by said first printing portion when said amount of retention exceeds a second set value,
• wherein said controller includes a first control means for stopping printing and paper feeding by said second printing portion when said amount of retention falls below said first set value, and a second control means for stopping paper feeding and printing by said first printing portion when said amount of retention exceeds said second set value.

A double-sided printing system for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms by sequentially operating a first printer for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms, and a second printer provided at a subsequent stage to said first printer in the direction of paper feeding so as to print on the other side which is a second surface of said continuous forms, said double-sided printing system comprising:

• a first counter for counting the amount of feed of said continuous forms on the first printer side after said continuous forms are loaded on said first printer;
• a second counter for counting the amount of feed of said continuous forms on the second printer side after said continuous forms are loaded on said second printer;
• and
• printing controllers which are provided in said first and second printers so as to be communicable to each other,
• wherein said printing controller of said first printer supplies the count value N of said first counter at the start of printing on the first surface to said printing controller of said second printer, and said printing controller of said second printer starts printing on the second surface when the count value of said second counter becomes equal to the supplied count value N.

A double-sided printing system for continuous forms having a first printer for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms, a second printer provided at a subsequent stage to said first printer in the direction of paper feeding so as to print on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms, and a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on said first and second surfaces to said first and second printers, respectively, thereby printing on both sides of said continuous forms by sequentially operating said first and second printers, said double-sided printing system comprising:

• a first counter for counting the amount of feed of said continuous forms on the first printer side on the basis of the position of said continuous forms at which said continuous forms are loaded on said first printer;
• a second counter for counting the amount of feed of said continuous forms on the second printer side on the basis of the position of said continuous forms at which said continuous forms are loaded on said second printers;
• and
• printing controllers which are provided in said first and second printers so as to be communicable to each other;
• wherein said host apparatus supplies to the first and second printer a double-sided print indication command which indicates that the data supplied thereafter are data for double-sided print or a double-sided print cancellation command which cancels the double-sided print and indicates that the data supplied thereafter are data for single-side printing and,
• at the time of double-sided printing, said printing controller of said first printer supplies, to said printing controller of said second printer, the count value N of said first counter when said double-sided print indication command is executed, and
• said printing controller of said second printer feeds said continuous forms by the amount corresponding to the increment n of said first counter and increases the count value of said second counter every time the count value of said first counter increases by n until the count value of said second counter becomes equal to said supplied count value N, and starts printing on the second surface when the count value of said second counter becomes equal to N, while at the time of single-side printing, said printing controller of said second printer feeds said continuous forms by the amount corresponding to the increment n of said first counter and increases the count value of said second counter every time the count value of said first counter increases by n.

A double-sided printing system for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms by sequentially operating a first printer for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms, and a second printer provided at a subsequent stage to said first printer in the direction of paper feeding so as to print on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms, said double-sided printing system comprising:

• an intermediate buffer device provided between said first and second printers so as to absorb a difference in paper feeding speeds between said first and second printers;
• a first counter for counting the amount of feed of sad continuous forms on the first printer side after said continuous forms are loaded on said first printer;
• a second counter for counting the amount of feed of said continuous forms on the second printer side after said continuous forms are loaded on said second printer;
• and
• printing controllers which are provided in said first and second printers so as to be communicable to each other, and which stop printing and paper feeding by said second printer when the difference, PC.sub.A -PC.sub.B between the count value, PC.sub.A of said first counter and the count value, PC.sub.B of said second counter falls below a first set value, and stop printing and paper feeding by said first printer when said difference exceeds a second set value.

A double-sided printing system for continuous forms having a first printer for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms, a second printer provided at a subsequent stage to said first printer in the direction of paper feeding so as to print on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms, and a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on said first and second surfaces to said first and second printers, respectively, thereby printing on both sides of said continuous forms by sequentially operating aid first and second printers, said double-sided printing system comprising:

• first and second printing controllers which are provided in said first and second printers so as to be communicable to each other;
• a mark printing means provided in said first printer;
• a mark detecting means provided in said second printer;
• wherein said mark printing means of said first printer prints a mark on the first surface of said continuous forms;
• and
• said printing controller of said second printer begins printing control for the second surface of said continuous forms when said mark detecting means detects said mark.

A double-sided printing apparatus for continuous forms for printing on both sides of continuous forms, comprising:

• a first printing portion for printing on one side, which is a first surface of said continuous forms;
• a second printing portion for printing on the other side, which is a second surface of said continuous forms;
• a host apparatus for transferring printing data which are to be printed on the first surface and on the second surface to said first and second printing portions;
• and
• a printing controller for distributing said printing data to be printed on the first and second surfaces which are received from said host apparatus to said first and second printing portions, respectively;
• wherein said second printing portion includes a bit map memory for storing dot printing image data for N pages which are the number of pages of said continuous forms between the printing positions of said first and second printing portions, and
• said printing controller instructs said second printing portion to start printing on the second surface after said first printer prints N pages on the first surface of said continuous forms.