Method for printing individual sheets according to the duplex method
AssigneeOce Printing Systems GmbH
InventorGerhard Oberhoffner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer or copier and method for its operation includes two printing units in the paper path. The paper path is formed into two adjoining loops or rings and shunts are provided at intersections to selectively redirect the paper to permit single sided or double sided printing, printing in different colors or re-supplying the paper to a printing unit for a second pass. Papers can be turned over by selective control of the shunts and the conveying directions in the paper paths. Spacing of the sheets if controlled and pre-printed sheets may be selectively brought in to the paper flow.
Claims21
A method for printing individual sheets in a printer or copier, comprising the steps of:
- successively supplying individual sheets to a first printing unit for printing on a first side with a first color;
- successively supplying the individual sheets to a second printing unit for printing with a second color on the first side;
- turning over the individual sheets;
- successively re-supplying the individual sheets after said turning over step to the first printing unit for printing with the first color on a second side;
- providing the individual sheets at a predetermined nominal spacing from one another at a transfer printing speed that is greater than a length of an individual sheet as viewed in a transport direction;
- and
- successively filling gaps between the individual sheets arising as a result of the distance between the individual sheets by pulling in sheets from a paper input in a continuous operating mode so that every second sheet is a sheet pulled in from the paper input and is preceded by an already printed individual sheet.
A printer or copier having a continuous operating mode, comprising:
- a first printing unit to which individual sheets are successively supplied for printing on a first side with a first color,
- a second printing unit to which the individual sheets then are successively supplied for printing with a second color on the first side,
- a sheet turnover apparatus operating to turnover the individual sheets and successively re-supply the individual sheets to the first printing unit for printing with the first color on the second side,
- a sheet moving control operating to move the individual sheets with a predetermined nominal spacing from one another at a transfer printing speed that is less than a length of an individual sheet as viewed in a transport direction, said sheet moving control operating to pull only every second individual sheet in from a paper input in a continuous operating mode, and
- an apparatus for successively filling gaps between the individual sheets arising as a result of the spacing of pulled-in individual sheets with preceding already printed individual sheets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.