Method and apparatus for collecting and transporting copy or print jobs
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsRolf Munz, Jurgen Ries
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a plurality of delivery trays arranged in the manner of a circulating bucket lift, which on the basis of user inputs can be freely selected and transported to a loading plane in which an inlet opening for the copy or print jobs also is located. An outlet opening is provided opposite the inlet opening, the individual delivery trays can be moved around a passthrough region which joins the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and each of the delivery trays can, in order to receive copy or print jobs, be slid into a loading position in the passthrough region and receives the copy or print job intended for that selected delivery tray.
Claims8
A method for collecting copy or print jobs into delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) arranged in the manner of a circulating bucket lift, and for transporting said copy or print jobs to finish unit (6), comprising following steps:
- upon selection of a function for collecting the copy or print job currently being processed:
- moving a delivery tray into a loading plane (24) that coincides with an inlet opening (10) for said copy or print jobs, said delivery tray moved into said loading plane (24) being the one matching an identification number of said copy or print job;
- sliding said delivery tray a loading position in a passthrough region (22) around which said delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) are arranged so as to circulate in the manner of a bucket lift, and collecting said copy or print job on said delivery tray, and
- moving said delivery tray with said collected copy or print job back such that said delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) are arranged again in the manner of a bucket lift;
- and
- upon selection of a function for transporting said copy or print job to a finishing unit (6):
- moving a delivery tray which comprises a bypass transport system (14) into said loading plane (24), which coincides with said inlet opening (10) for the copy or print jobs;
- sliding said bypass transport system (14) into said loading position in said passthrough region (22);
- conveying said copy or print job entering through said inlet opening (10) to an outlet opening (12) that communicates with said finishing unit (6);
- and
- moving said bypass transport system (14) back into the delivery tray provided for it such that the delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) are arranged again in the manner of a bucket lift.
Apparatus (2) for collecting and transporting copy or print jobs, said apparatus having a plurality of delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N), arranged in the manner of a circulating bucket lift, which on the basis of user inputs can be freely selected and transported to a loading plane (24) in which an inlet opening (10) for said copy or print jobs is also located, characterized in that an outlet opening (12) is provided opposite an inlet opening (10);
- said individual delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) can be moved around a passthrough region (22) which joins said inlet opening (10) to said outlet opening (12);
- and each of said delivery trays (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, . . . , 20.sub.N) can, in order to receive said copy or print jobs, be slid into a loading position in said passthrough region (22).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.