Reproduction machine having a tandem automatic document handler

A Tandem Automatic Document Handling (TADH) method of automatically feeding and recirculating multiple document sheets of a first job and of a second job, in tandem, for reproduction in an electrostatographic machine including a controller, the TADH method comprising:

• (a) loading multiple document sheets of the first job into a first Recirculating Automatic Document Feeder (RADF) tray of a first RADF assembly;
• (b) programming the first job in a first channel of the controller and recirculatingly moving the documents sheets of the first job seriatim from said first RADF tray along a first document path through a point for location over a platen of the machine and back into said first RADF tray;
• (c) loading multiple document sheets of the second job into a second Recirculating Automatic Document Feeder (RADF) tray of a second RADF assembly even while still recirculatingly moving the document sheets of the first job;
• (d) programming the second job in a second channel of the controller even while still recirculatingly moving the document sheets of the first job;
• and recirculatingly feeding sheets of documents of the second job seriatim, after recirculatingly moving the documents sheets of the first job, from said second RADF tray along a first portion of a second document path through a point for location over a platen of the machine, and then along a second portion of the second document path located below the first RADF tray, back into said second RADF tray.

A tandem method of automatically handling multiple document sheets of a first job and multiple document sheets of a second job through a document sheet position over a platen of an electrostatographic reproduction machine including a programmable controller, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) programming the first job in a first channel of the controller and loading document sheets of the first job in a first recirculating automatic document feeding (RADF) tray of a tandem automatic document handler (TADH) mounted over the platen;
• (b) programming the second job in a second channel of the controller and loading document sheets of the second job, contemporaneously with the first job, in a second recirculating automatic document feeding (RADF) tray of the TADH;
• (c) automatically feeding the document sheets of the first job from the first RADF tray along a first document path through the document sheet position over the platen and into a catch tray to complete the first job;
• and
• (d) automatically feeding, after completion of the first job, the document sheets of the second job from the second RADF tray along a second document path through the document sheet position over the platen and back into the second RADF tray to complete the second job.

Reproduction machine comprising:

• (a) a platen for positioning a document sheet to be reproduced;
• (b) a movable image bearing member mounted to a frame of the reproduction machine below said platen, said image bearing member having a photoconductive surface;
• (c) means for placing a layer of charge on said photoconductive surface;
• (d) means for exposing a document positioned on said platen onto a portion of said photoconductive surface;
• (e) a tandem automatic document handler (TADH) mounted over said platen, said TADH including:
• (i) a housing;
• (ii) a first recirculating automatic document feeder (RADF) assembly mounted within said housing, said first RADF assembly including a first RADF tray for holding document sheets of a first job, and means for automatically feeding document sheets of the first job from said first RADF tray through a position over said platen;
• and
• (iii) a second recirculating automatic document feeder (RADF) assembly mounted within said housing in alignment with said first RADF assembly, said second RADF assembly including a second RADF tray for holding document sheets of a second job while said first RADF assembly is still feeding document sheets of the first job;
• and
• (f) an electronic control subsystem having a control panel, a first programming channel, a second programming channel, and means for programming a second job while a first job is still being run.