High speed continuous feed printing system

A continuous feed printing system, comprises:

• at least three CF printing devices;
• a plurality of print-related devices for providing pre-processing and post-processing operations to effect duplex printing;
• the printing devices and print-related devices being selectably operable in accordance with a defined print line segment;
• and
• a print line manager for defining and managing the defined print line segments comprising a first duplex print line segment and a second duplex print line segment;
• wherein the first duplex print line segment defines a first duplex print path in which first and second CF printing devices have been configured for duplex operation and the second duplex print line segment defines a second duplex print path in which one of the first and second CF printing devices and a third CF printing device have been configured for duplex operation, such that in the event of a failure of the first duplex print line segment, duplex operation may be continued by selecting the second duplex print line segment and re-threading paper according to the second duplex print path;
• and
• paper path equipment configured in two superimposed paper paths for use by all CF printing devices.

A continuous feed printing system, comprises:

• at least three CF printing devices;
• a plurality of print-related devices for providing pre-processing and post-processing operations to effect duplex printing;
• the printing devices and print-related devices being selectably operable in accordance with a defined print line segment;
• and
• a print line manager for defining and managing the defined print line segments comprising a first duplex print line segment and a second duplex print line segment;
• wherein the first duplex print line segment defines a first duplex print path in which first and second CF printing devices have been configured for duplex operation and the second duplex print line segment defines a second duplex print path in which one of the first and second CF printing devices and a third CF printing device have been configured for duplex operation, such that in the event of a failure of the first duplex print line segment, duplex operation may be continued by selecting the second duplex print line segment and re-threading paper according to the second duplex print path;
• and
• paper path equipment configured in two parallel, side by side paper paths for use by all CF printing devices.

A continuous feed printing system, comprises:

• at least three CF printing devices;
• a plurality of print-related devices for providing pre-processing and post-processing operations to effect duplex printing;
• the printing devices and print-related devices being selectably operable in accordance with a defined print line segment;
• and
• a print line manager for defining and managing the defined print line segments comprising a first duplex print line segment and a second duplex print line segment;
• wherein the first duplex print line segment defines a first duplex print path in which first and second CF printing devices have been configured for duplex operation and the second duplex print line segment defines a second duplex print path in which one of the first and second CF printing devices and a third CF printing device have been configured for duplex operation, such that in the event of a failure of the first duplex print line segment, duplex operation may be continued by selecting the second duplex print line segment and re-threading paper according to the second duplex print path;
• wherein the CF printing devices comprise a first CF printer, a second CF printer and a third CF printer, and further comprising a plurality of print line segments defining a plurality of print paths, wherein each print line path comprises two of the first, second and third CF printers configured for duplex operation and one of the first, second and third CF printers configured for simplex operation.