Lateral sheet pre-registration device

An apparatus for registering a sheet along a paper path, comprising:

• a first sensor located along the paper path;
• a second sensor, located along an edge of the paper path;
• a steerable drive mechanism for transporting said sheet along the paper path while imparting a lateral motion to the sheet as it is transported along the paper path, wherein said steerable drive mechanism comprises a drive nip, said drive nip being rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the paper path and an actuator, responsive to a signal from said second sensor, for rotating said drive nip so that the sheet is moved, both in a direction along the paper path and a lateral direction to the path;
• second drive nip parallel to said first mentioned nip and commonly connected thereto, so that said actuator causes said second drive nip to rotate coincidentally with said first mentioned nip;
• a pair of independently driven, nips located subsequent to said steerable drive mechanism along the paper path;
• and
• a third sensor located along the edge of the paper path in substantially the same lateral position as said second sensor, said pair of independently driven nips responsive to a signal from said third sensor for registering a sheet in the paper path.

An electrophotographic printing machine having a device for laterally registering a sheet along a paper path comprising:

• a first sensor located along the paper path;
• a second sensor, located along an edge of the paper path;
• a steerable drive mechanism for transporting said sheet along the paper path while imparting a lateral motion to the sheet as it is transported along the paper path;
• a pair of independently driven nips located subsequent to said steerable drive mechanism along the paper path;
• and
• a third sensor located along the edge of the paper path in substantially the same lateral position as said second sensor, said pair of independently driven nips responsive to a signal from said third sensor for registering a sheet in the paper path.

An electrophotographic printing machine having a device for laterally registering a sheet along a paper path comprising:

• a first sensor located along the paper path;
• a second sensor, located along an edge of the paper path;
• a steerable drive mechanism for transporting said sheet along the paper path while imparting a lateral motion to the sheet as it is transported along the paper path, wherein said steerable drive mechanism comprises a drive nip, said drive nip being rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the paper path and an actuator, responsive to a signal from said second sensor, for rotating said drive nip so that the sheet is moved both in a direction along the paper path and a lateral direction to the path;
• a second drive nip parallel to said first mentioned nip and commonly connected thereto, so that said actuator causes said second drive nip to rotate coincidentally with said first mentioned nip;
• a pair of independently driven nips located subsequent to said steerable drive mechanism along the paper path;
• and
• a third sensor located along the edge of the paper path in substantially the same lateral position as said second sensor, said pair of independently driven nips responsive to a signal from said third sensor for registering a sheet in the paper path.