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US 6,297,886 B1Granted
Tandem printer printing apparatus
OwnerJohn S. Cornellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing assembly comprises a first printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated signals and a second printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated signals, the documents including alphanumeric characters, charts and graphics. The printers are disposed one above the other and are connected in tandem to one another via a multiple-page continuous web of paper extending along a U- or C-shaped path from a paper output port of the first printer to a paper feed port of the second printer. A computer for generating a signal encoding a multiple page document is coupled via connection componentry to the printers for transmitting odd pages in encoded form to one of the printers and even pages to the other printer.
Claims18
A printing assembly comprising:
- a desktop-type first laser printer;
- a desktop-type second laser printer, at least a portion of said second laser printer being disposed vertically below a portion of said first laser printer;
- a computer for generating a digital signal encoding a multiple page document;
- connection means connecting said computer to said first laser printer and said second laser printer for transmitting odd pages of said document to said first laser printer and even pages of said document to said second laser printer;
- and
- guide means for guiding separate sheets of paper in a single U- or C-shaped arc from a paper output port of one of said first laser printer and said second laser printer to a paper feed port of the other of said first laser printer and said second laser printer so that the separate sheets of paper are simply inverted during passage from said output port to said feed port.
3 more elements
A printing assembly comprising:
- a first printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated digital signals;
- a second printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated digital signals;
- a computer for generating a digital signal encoding a multiple page document;
- and
- connection means connecting said computer to said first printer and said second printer for transmitting odd pages of said multiple page document in encoded form to one of said first printer and said second printer and even pages of said multiple page document to the other of said first printer and said second printer,
- said first printer and said second printer being disposed one above the other, said first printer being connected in tandem to said second printer via a multiple-page continuous web of paper extending from a paper output port of said first printer to a paper feed port of said second printer, said web of paper being simply inverted in a U or C shape between said output port and said paper feed port.
3 more elements
A printing method comprising:
- providing:
- a first printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated digital signals;
- a second printer for printing documents encoded in computer generated digital signals;
- and
- a computer for generating a digital signal encoding a multiple page document;
- disposing said first and second printer essentially one above the other;
- operatively connecting said computer to data inputs of said first printer and said second printer;
- transmitting odd pages of said multiple page document in encoded form from said computer to one of said first printer and said second printer and even pages of said multiple page document from said computer to the other of said first printer and said second printer;
- guiding paper sheet portions from a paper output port of said first printer in a single U- or C-shaped arc to a paper feed port of said second printer;
- and
- operating said first printer and said second printer to print on opposite sides of a plurality of said paper sheet portions so that opposite sides of essentially every printed sheet portion bear consecutive pages.
8 more elements
A printing system comprising:
- a desktop-type first laser printer assembly;
- a desktop-type second laser printer assembly, said first laser printer and said second laser printer being disposed one above the other;
- a digital processor operatively connected to said first laser printer assembly and said second laser printer assembly, said processor being programmed to detect odd pages and even pages in an electronically encoded document, to separate odd pages from even pages, and to transmit odd pages of said document to said first laser printer assembly and even pages of said document to said second laser printer assembly;
- and
- paper guide means disposed between said first laser printer assembly and said second laser printer assembly for guiding separate sheets of paper in a single U- or C-shaped arc from said first laser printer assembly to said second laser printer assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.