Escort belt for improved printing of a media web in an ink printing machine

A system for removing debris in the vicinity of media edges comprising:

• a first escort belt that is driven in a first direction to transport media through a first print zone in front of at least one ink jet print head, the first escort belt having:
• a width between a first and a second edge of the escort belt that is greater than a media sheet carried by the first escort belt;
• a first plurality of apertures arranged in a longitudinal line proximate one of the first and the second belt edges of the first escort belt;
• and
• a second plurality of apertures distributed between the longitudinal line formed by the first plurality of apertures and the other edge of the first escort belt, the apertures of the first plurality of apertures having a shape with a length that is greater than a width of the aperture shape, the apertures of the first plurality of apertures being positioned on the first escort belt to enable the apertures of the first plurality of apertures to be only partially covered by media being held to the first escort belt by a vacuum source applied to the first plurality of apertures and to the second plurality of apertures, the second plurality of apertures having a shape that is different than the shape of the apertures in the first plurality of apertures;
• a second escort belt that is driven in a direction opposite the first direction to transport media through a second print zone in front of at least one other ink jet print head, the second escort belt having:
• a width between a first and a second edge of the second escort belt that is greater than a media sheet carried by the second escort belt;
• a first plurality of apertures arranged in a longitudinal line proximate one of the first and the second belt edges of the second escort belt;
• and
• a second plurality of apertures distributed between the longitudinal line formed by the first plurality of apertures and the other edge of the second escort belt, the apertures of the first plurality of apertures having a shape with a length that is greater than a width of the aperture shape, the apertures of the first plurality of apertures being positioned on the second escort belt to enable the apertures of the first plurality of apertures to be only partially covered by media being held to the second escort belt by a vacuum source applied to the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures, the second plurality of apertures having a shape that is different than the shape of the apertures in the first plurality of apertures;
• and
• at least one vacuum generator coupled to the apertures of the first plurality of apertures and the apertures of the second plurality of apertures of the first escort belt as media are receiving ink ejected by the at least one ink jet print head in the first print zone and coupled to the apertures of the first plurality of apertures and the apertures of the second plurality of apertures of the second escort belt as media are receiving ink ejected by the at least one other ink jet print head in the second print zone, the apertures of the second plurality of apertures of the first escort belt and the apertures of the second plurality of apertures of the second escort belt enabling the at least one vacuum generator to hold media rigidly to the first escort belt and the second escort belt as the media passes through the first print zone and the second print zone, respectively, and the apertures of the first plurality of apertures of the first escort belt and the apertures of the first plurality of apertures of the second escort belt enabling the at least one vacuum generator to remove particulates through the partially covered apertures of the first plurality of apertures of the first escort belt and through the partially covered apertures of the first plurality of apertures of the second escort belt as the media pass through the first print zone and the second print zone, respectively.