Retractable registration system and method of use
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsAlicia K. Schwenk, Richard J. Milillo, Brian J. Dunham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A registration system including both a primary tamping device and a secondary scuffing device. The scuffing device includes a scuffer arm, an extending/retracting device, a drive subsystem, and an engagement control device. In various exemplary embodiments, the secondary scuffing device is retracted. The scuffing device can thus be used, when required, to register a substrate in the process direction and then retracted enabling the side tampers to cross process register the substrates. In various exemplary embodiments, substrates of varying sizes and types can be registered into common sets using the systems and methods of this invention.
Claims20
A scuffing device, comprising:
- a scuffer arm;
- an extending/retracting device connected to the scuffer arm;
- a drive subsystem connected to the extending/retracting device;
- and
- an engagement control device, wherein:
- the drive subsystem drives the extending/retracting device between a first engaging position that allows the scuffer arm, when extended, to engage a surface to be scuffed and a second disengaging position that, when the scuffer arm is extended, disengages the scuffer arm from the surface to be scuffed;
- when the drive subsystem drives the extending/retracting device in a first direction, the engagement control device controls a position of the scuffer arm relative to the surface to be scuffed as the extending/retracting device extends the scuffer arm from a first, retracted position to a second, extended position where the scuffer arm is able to engage the surface to be scuffed, and
- when the drive subsystem drives the extending/retracting device in a second direction, the engagement control device controls a position of the scuffer arm relative to the surface to be scuffed as the extending/retracting device retracts the scuffer arm from the second, extended position to the first, retracted position.
A method for scuffing a surface to be scuffed, comprising:
- operating a drive subsystem, that is connected to an extending/retracting device, in a first direction;
- moving the extending/retracting device from a retracted position to an extended position in response to operating the drive subsystem in the first direction, wherein a scuffer arm is connected to the extending/retracting device;
- driving the scuffer arm from a retracted position to an extended position in response to moving the extending/retracting device from the retracted position to the extended position, while supporting an engagement portion of the scuffer arm using a stationary engagement portion to control an orientation of the scuffer arm relative to the surface to be scuffed;
- wherein, as the scuffer arm moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the scuffer arm engages the surface to be scuffed to scuff the surface to be scuffed in a scuffing direction;
- driving at least one friction wheel to scuff the surface to be scuffed;
- operating the drive subsystem in a second direction;
- moving the extending/retracting device from the extended position to the retracted position in response to operating the drive subsystem in the second direction;
- and
- driving the scuffer arm from the extended position to the retracted position in response to moving the extending/retracting device from the extended position to the retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.