Stalled roll registration system and method employing a ball-on-belt input transport

• US 6,650,865 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Quesnel, Lisbeth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L
• Application Number:
  US10/042,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 399/388, 399/394, 399/395
• US Class Current: 399/388
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/263 Arrangements of belts facing balls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/7231 by nip rollers in standby
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/006 the stop being formed by forwarding means in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/235 the image receiving member being preconditioned before transferring the second image, e.g. decurled, or the second image being formed with different operating parameters, e.g. a different fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6567 for deskewing or aligning
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00561 Aligning or deskewing

Abstract

A stalled roll registration system and method includes a mechanism that allows for pivoting deskew action in a pre-registration nip. A ball-on-roll pre-registration transport is used in combination with a stalled roll registration nip. Any initial buckle is depleted rapidly as the body of a sheet straightens out at the registration nip under the influence of the ball-on-belt transport. The method includes the steps of providing a registration nip in a sheet path; providing a ball-on-belt sheet transport for directing a sheet towards the registration nip; feeding the sheet into the registration nip with the ball-on-belt transport; and then pivoting the sheet within the ball-on-belt transport in order to register the sheet against the registration nip.

Claims

1. An apparatus for registering a sheet in a path, comprising:

a stalled roll registration nip located in the path, said stalled roll registration nip being adapted to feed a registered sheet downstream for further processing; and

a rotationally compliant input pre-registration transport, and wherein said rotationally compliant input pre-registration transport drives the shoot in a forward direction directly into said stalled roll registration nip and includes at least one ball-on-belt nip that facilitates sheet pivoting therein and is adapted to register a sheet against said stalled roll registration nip without causing a buckle at said stalled roll registration nip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ball-on-belt nip includes at least one belt and at least one idler roll.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said stalled roll registration nip is formed by at least one drive roll and at least one idler roll positioned in contacting relation thereto.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said rotationally compliant input pre-registration transport includes a plurality of ball-on-belt nips.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rotationally compliant input pre-registration transport includes at least one belt.

6. A printing machine in which a sheet is driven along a path and fed in a timed relationship and registration position to a process station, comprising:

a stalled roll registration nip located in the path; and

a ball-on-belt input transport that simultaneously drives a lead edge of a sheet in a forward direction while allowing the trailing body of the sheet to move and deskew in accordance with what is happening at the lead edge of the sheet without causing a buckle at said stalled roll registration nip.

7. The printing machine of claim 6, wherein said ball-on-belt input transport includes at least one nip comprising a belt and a ball.

8. The printing machine of claim 7, wherein said stalled roll registration nip is formed by at least one drive roll and at least one idler roll positioned in contacting relation thereto.

9. The printing machine of claim 8, wherein said ball-on-belt input transport includes multiple ball on belt nips.

10. The printing machine of claim 9, wherein said ball-on-belt transport includes at least one belt.

11. A method for registering a sheet transported in a path to a downstream registration location, comprising:

providing a stalled roll registration nip located in the path;

providing a ball-on-belt input transport;

feeding a sheet in a forward direction into said stalled roll registration nip with said ball-on-belt transport without causing a buckle at said stalled roll registration nip; and

pivoting the sheet within said ball-on-belt transport in order to register the sheet against said stalled roll registration nip.