Sheet reversing apparatus and a duplex reproducing apparatus employing same

Claim 2

A sheet reversing apparatus for reorienting sheets so that a first side and an opposing side of the sheets may be operated upon comprising: means for storing said sheets comprising a web wherein the sheets are supported between adjacent layers thereof; and means acting on said web to deliver therefrom the sheets stored thereon in a reversed orientation, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through a path to reposition said web so that the sheets may be ejected from the storage means with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 3

An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through an arcuate path.

Claim 4

An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the deflection of said web is provided by a recycling member which is adapted to rotate from about 180* to about 360*.

Claim 5

An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said web having said sheets supported between adjacent layers thereof is in the form of a storage roll.

Claim 6

An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said web is supported between a supply roll and the storage roll, said storage means further including means for driving said storage roll for winding said web upon said storage roll and storing said sheets between the adjacent layers thereof and means for driving said supply roll for winding said web upon said supply roll and unwinding said web from said storage roll for ejecting said sheets from said storage roll.

Claim 7

An apparatus as in claim 5, further including conductive means for supporting said web positioned between said supply roll and said storage roll.

Claim 8

An apparatus as in claim 6, further including means for affixing said sheets to said web.

Claim 9

An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said affixing means comprises a corona generating device.

Claim 10

An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said recycling member is adapted to form a sharp bend in said web to aid in stripping said sheets from said web during sheet delivery.

Claim 11

An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said recycling member comprises a substantially cylindrical shell having a longitudinally extending opening therein to provide access to said storage means, a lip extending out tangentially from said shell coextensive with said longitudinal opening and a bulbous rounded portion at the free end of said lip coextensive with said lip, said bulbous rounded portion being adapted to engage said web to deflect it about said arcuate path.

Claim 12

A reproducing apparatus for providing an image on a first side and an opposing side of a copy sheet or sheets comprising: means for forming an image on said sides of said sheets; means communicating with said imaging means for storing said sheet following imaging on a first side thereof, said storing means comprising a web wherein the sheet is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and means acting on said web to deliver therefrom the sheet stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said imaging means so that an image may be formed on the opposing side thereof.

Claim 13

A reproducing apparatus for providing an image on a first side and an opposing side of a copy sheet or sheets comprising: means for forming an image on said sides of said sheets; means communicating with said imaging means for storing said sheet following imaging on a first side thereof, said storing means comprising a web wherein the sheet is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and means acting on said web to deliver therefrom the sheet stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said imaging means so that an image may be formed on the opposing side thereof.

Claim 14

An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through an arcuate path to reposition the web so that the sheets may be ejected from the storage means with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 15

An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the deflection of said web is provided by a recycling member which is adapted to rotate from about 180* to about 360*.

Claim 16

An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said web having said sheets supported between adjacent layers thereof is in the form of a storage roll.

Claim 17

An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said web is supported between a supply roll and the storage roll, said storage means further including means for driving said storage roll for winding said web upon said storage roll and storing said sheets between the adjacent layers thereof and means for driving said supply roll for winding said web upon said supply roll and unwinding said web from said storage roll for ejecting said sheets from said storage roll.

Claim 18

An apparatus as in claim 15, further including conductive means for supporting said web positioned between said supply roll and said storage roll.

Claim 19

An apparatus as in claim 16, further including means for affixing said sheets to said web.

Claim 20

An apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said affixing means comprises a corona generating device.

Claim 21

An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said recycling member is adapted to form a sharp bend in said web to aid in stripping said sheets from said web during sheet delivery.

Claim 22

An apparatus as in claim 19, wherein said recycling member comprises a substantially cylindrical shell having a longitudinally extending opening therein to provide access to said storage means, a lip extending out tangentially from said shell coextensive with said longitudinal opening and a bulbous rounded portion at the free end of said lip coextensive with said lip, said bulbous rounded portion being adapted to engage said web to deflect it about said arcuate path.

Claim 23

In a reproducing apparatus including means for supporting an original document, means for feeding said document to said support means and means for forming an image of said document, the improvement wherein said apparatus includes: means communicating with said support means for receiving and storing said document after a first side thereof has been imaged, said receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the document is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and means acting on said web to deliver therefrom the document stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said support surface for imaging the opposing side thereof.

Claim 24

In a reproducing apparatus including means for supporting an original document, means for feeding said document to said support means and means for forming an image of said document, the improvement wherein said apparatus includes: means communicating with said support means for receiving and storing said document after a first side thereof has been imaged, said receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the document is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and means acting on said web to deliver therefrom the document stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said support surface for imaging the opposing side thereof.

Claim 25

An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through an arcuate path to reposition the web so that the sheets may be ejected from the storage means with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 26

An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the deflection of said web is provided by a recycling member which is adapted to rotate from about 180* to about 360*.

Claim 27

An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said web having said sheets supported between adjacent layers thereof is in the form of a storage roll.

Claim 28

An apparatus as in claim 24, wherein said web is supported between a supply roll and the storage roll, said storage means further including means for driving said storage roll for winding said web upon said storage roll and storing said sheets between the adjacent layers thereof and means for driving said supply roll for winding said web upon said supply roll and unwinding said web from said storage roll for ejecting said sheets from said storage roll.

Claim 29

An apparatus as in claim 25, further including conductive means for supporting said web positioned between said supply roll and said storage roll.

Claim 30

An apparatus as in claim 26, further including means for affixing said sheets to said web.

Claim 31

An apparatus as in claim 27, wherein said affixing means comprises a corona generating device.

Claim 32

An apparatus as in claim 24, wherein said recycling member is adapted to form a sharp bend in said web to aid in stripping said sheets from said web during sheet delivery.

Claim 33

An apparatus as in claim 29, wherein said recycling member comprises a substantially cylindrical shell having a longitudinally extending opening therein to provide access to said storagE means, a lip extending out tangentially from said shell coextensive with said longitudinal opening and a bulbous rounded portion at the free end of said lip coextensive with said lip, said bulbous rounded portion being adapted to engage said web to deflect it about said arcuate path.

Claim 34

In a reproducing apparatus for forming images on a first and an opposing side of a copy sheet or sheets comprising: means for supporting an original document having a first and an opposing side; means for reproducing the original input scene information on said first and opposing sides of said document on the respective first and opposing sides of said copy sheet, the improvement wherein: a first means communicating with said supporting means are provided for receiving and storing said document after a first side thereof has been reproduced, said first receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the document is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and a first means acting on said first web to deliver therefrom the document stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said support surface for reproducing said opposing side thereof; and wherein said apparatus further includes a second means for receiving and storing said copy sheet after said first side has been provided with said reproduction of said first side of said document, said second receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the sheet is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and a second means acting on said second web to deliver therefrom the sheet stored thereon in a reversed orientation so that the opposing side thereof may be provided with a reproduction of said opposing side of said document.

Claim 35

In a reproducing apparatus for forming images on a first and an opposing side of a copy sheet or sheets comprising: means for supporting an original document having a first and an opposing side; means for reproducing the original input scene information on said first and opposing sides of said document on the respective first and opposing sides of said copy sheet, the improvement wherein: a first means communicating with said supporting means are provided for receiving and storing said document after a first side thereof has been reproduced, said first receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the document is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and a first means acting on said first web to deliver therefrom the document stored thereon in a reversed orientation to said support surface for reproducing said opposing side thereof; and wherein said apparatus further includes a second means for receiving and storing said copy sheet after said first side has been provided with said reproduction of said first side of said document, said second receiving and storing means comprising a web wherein the sheet is supported between adjacent layers thereof; and a second means acting on said second web to deliver therefrom the sheet stored thereon in a reversed orientation so that the opposing side thereof may be provided with a reproduction of said opposing side of said document.

Claim 36

An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein each of said first and second delivering means deflects said first and second webs through an arcuate path to reposition said webs so that the document or sheet respectively may be ejected from the each of the first and second storage means with the opposing sides oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 37

An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein the deflection of said first and second webs are provided by respective recycling members which are adapted to rotate from about 180* to about 360*.

Claim 38

An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein said first and second webs having said document or sheet supported between adjacent layers thereof are in the form of respective storage rolls.

Claim 39

An apparatus as in claim 34, wherein said first and second webs are each supported between a supply roll and the respective storage roll, each of said first and second storage means further including means for driving each of said storage rolls for winding said first and second webs upon said storage rolls and storing said document or sheet between the adjacent layers thereof and means for driving each of said supply rolls for winding said first and second webs upon said supply rolls and unwinding said webs from said storage rolls for ejecting said document or sheet from said storage rolls.

Claim 40

An apparatus as in claim 35, further including a conductive means for supporting each of said first and second webs, said support means being positioned between each of said supply rolls and each of said respective storage rolls.

Claim 41

An apparatus as in claim 36, further including a means for affixing said document or sheet to each of said webs.

Claim 42

An apparatus as in claim 37, wherein said affixing means comprises corona generating devices.

Claim 43

An apparatus as in claim 34, wherein each of said recycling members is adapted to form a sharp bend in each of said webs to aid in stripping said documents or sheets from their respective said webs during sheet delivery.

Claim 44

An apparatus as in claim 39, wherein each of said recycling members comprises a substantially cylindrical shell having a longitudinally extending opening therein to provide access to said storage means, a lip extending out tangentially from said shell coextensive with said longitudinAl opening and a bulbous rounded portion at the free end of said lip coextensive with said lip, said bulbous rounded portion being adapted to engage said web to deflect it about said arcuate path.

Claim 45

A process of reversing the orientation of a sheet so that a first and an opposing side of the sheet may be operated upon comprising: storing said sheets on a web wherein the sheets are supported between adjacent layers thereof; deflecting said web to reposition it so that sheets may be ejected therefrom with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon; and delivering said sheets from said web.

Claim 46

A process of reversing the orientation of a sheet so that a first and an opposing side of the sheet may be operated upon comprising: storing said sheets on a web wherein the sheets are supported between adjacent layers thereof; deflecting said web to reposition it so that sheets may be ejected therefrom with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon; and delivering said sheets from said web.

Claim 47

A process as in claim 41, wherein said web is deflected through an arcuate path.

Claim 48

A process as in claim 42, wherein said arcuate path traverses from about 180* to about 360*.

Claim 49

A process as in claim 42, wherein said storing step comprises winding up said web on a roll with said sheets sandwiched between adjacent layers thereof.

Claim 50

A process as in claim 44, wherein said delivery step comprises unwinding said web from said roll to eject the sheets therefrom.

Claim 51

A process as in claim 45, wherein said delivery step further includes winding up said web upon a supply roll.

Claim 52

A process as in claim 46, further including the step of electrostatically tacking said sheets to said web.

Claim 53

A process as in claim 47, wherein said step of deflecting said web further includes forming a sharp bend therein which operates to strip said tacked sheets from said web during said delivery step.

Claim 54

A process as in claim 48, wherein prior to said storing step said sheets are imaged on said first side and wherein subsequent to said delivery step said sheets are imaged on said opposing side.

Claim 55

A process as in claim 48, wherein prior to said storing step a light image of the original input scene information on said first side of said sheet is formed and wherein subsequent to said delivery step a light image of the original input scene information on the opposing side of said sheet is formed.

Claim 56

An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through a path to reposition the web so that the sheets may be ejected from the storage means with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 57

An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said delivering means deflects said web through a path to reposition the web so that the sheets may be ejected from the storage means with the opposing side oriented to be operated upon.

Claim 58

An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein each of said first and second delivering means deflects said first and second webs through a path to reposition said webs so that the document or sheet respectively may be ejected from each of the first and second storage means with the opposing sides oriented to be operated upon.