Duplex reproduction machine

Claim 2

In a photocopying apparatus having a platen comprising a pair of transparent plates positioned face-to-face for receiving therebetween a document to be copied and means for reproducing the document from an optical image of the document; optical means for projecting an image of the document from the platen to the reproducing means including first illuminating means for illuminating one side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by said first illuminating means to the reproducing means, a second illuminating means for illuminating the other side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by the second illuminating means to the reproducing means, and means for sequentially actuating the first and second illuminating means for sequentially projecting the opposite sides of the document to the reproducing means, means to provide relative reciprocal movement between the platen and said projecting means for projecting a moving image to said reproducing means, and means for selectively actuating one or the other of said two illuminating means.

Claim 3

In a photocopying apparatus having a platen comprising a pair of transparent plates positioned face-to-face for receiving therebetween a document to be copied and means for reproducing the document from an optical image of the document; optical means for projecting an image of the document from the platen to the reproducing means including first illuminating means for illuminating one side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by said first illuminating means to the reproducing means, a second illuminating means for illuminating the other side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by the second illuminating means to the reproducing means, and means for sequentially actuating the first and second illuminating means for sequentially projecting the opposite sides of the document to the reproducing means, means to provide relative reciprocal movement between the platen and said projecting means for projecting a moving image to said reproducing means, and means for selectively actuating one or the other of said two illuminating means and means for driving said platen through a cycle of traverse first in one direction of travel and then in the reverse direction of travel.

Claim 4

In a photocopying apparatus having a platen comprising a pair of transparent plates positioned face-to-face for receiving therebetween a document to be copied and means for reproducing the document from an optical image of the document; optical means for projecting an image of the document from the platen to the reproducing means including first illuminating means for illuminating one side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by said first illuminating means to the reproducing means, a second illuminating means for illuminating the other side of the document, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by the second illuminating means to the reproducing means, and means for sequentially actuating the first and second illuminating means for sequentially projecting the opposite sides of the document to the reproducing means, means to provide relative reciprocal movement between the platen and said projecting means for projecting a moving image to said reproducing means, and means for selectively actuating one or the other of said two illuminating means and means for driving said platen through a cycle of traverse first in one direction of travel and then in the reverse direction of travel.

Claim 5

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the further improvement of means for actuating only said first illuminating means during said traverse of said platen in said one direction of travel, and means for actuating only said second illuminating means during said traverse of said platen in said reverse direction of travel.

Claim 6

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said reproducing means including photoreceptor means, and means for moving said photoreceptor means in synchronism with the traverse of said platen, whereby one side of a document positioned in said platen is scanned and imaged on said photoreceptor means during traverse of said platen in said one direction of travel and the opposite side of said document is scanned and imaged on said photoreceptor means during traverse of said platen in said reverse direction of travel.

Claim 7

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 4, said reproducing means including means for delivering copy sheets to said photoreceptor means to receive images carried by said photoreceptor means.

Claim 8

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said copy sheet delivery means including means for delivering each copy sheet to said photoreceptor means twice and for turning each said copy sheet over between its said two deliveries, to provide a duplex copy of the two sides of a document positioned in said platen.

Claim 9

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 6, said photoreceptor means comprising a single photoreceptor, said copy sheet delivery means comprising an endless path cycling means for conveying copy sheets to said photoreceptor, and means associated with said endless path cycling means for turning copy sheets over during their travel thereon.

Claim 10

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 6, said photoreceptor means comprising two photoreceptors receiving the images projected by said optical means, said copy sheet delivery means delivering each copy sheet first to one photoreceptor and then to the other photoreceptor with one surface of the copy sheet applied to said one photoreceptor and the opposite surface of the copy sheet applied to said other photoreceptor.

Claim 11

In a photocopying apparatus as set forth in claim 8, said copy sheet delivery means including means for turning each copy sheet over after delivery to said one photoreceptor and before delivery to said other photoreceptor.

Claim 12

An optical system for projecting images from both surfaces of an object plane, in an image wavefront propagating along an axis of propagation, to an image plane, including: means to support an object in said object plane with a first surface and a second opposite surface thereof exposed, a first optical path extending from said first surface, and including a first reflector to fold said first optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a first rotational sense about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, a second optical path extending from said second surface and including a second reflector to fold said second optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a second rotational sense, opposite to the first, about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, the image rotations being about parallel axes and effecting a resultant 180° difference in the orientation of the image wavefronts propagating from said first and second surfaces of said object plane, said first and second optical paths extending together through a projection lens, whereby images of said first and second surfaces respectively are projected to said image plane, illumination means to selectively illuminate said first and second surfaces of said object plane to thereby selectively expose said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane.

Claim 13

An optical system for projecting images from both surfaces of an object plane, in an image wavefront propagating along an axis of propagation, to an image plane, including: means to support an object in said object plane with a first surface and a second opposite surface thereof exposed, a first optical path extending from said first surface, and including a first reflector to fold said first optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a first rotational sense about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, a second optical path extending from said second surface and including a second reflector to fold said second optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a second rotational sense, opposite to the first, about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, the image rotations being about parallel axes and effecting a resultant 180° difference in the orientation of the image wavefronts propagating from said first and second surfaces of said object plane, said first and second optical paths extending together through a projection lens, whereby images of said first and second surfaces respectively are projected to said image plane, illumination means to selectively illuminate said first and second surfaces of said object plane to thereby selectively expose said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane.

Claim 14

An optical system for projecting images from both surfaces of an object plane, in an image wavefront propagating along an axis of propagation, to an image plane, including: support means to support an object in said object plane with a first surface and a second opposite surface thereof exposed, a first optical path extending from said first surface, and including a first reflector to fold said first optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a first rotational sense about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, a second optical path extending from said second surface and including a second reflector to fold said second optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a second rotational sense, opposite to the first, about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, the image rotations being about parallel axes and effecting a resultant 180° difference in the orientation of the image wavefronts propagating from said first and second surfaces of said object plane, said first and second optical paths extending together through a projection lens, whereby images of said first and second surfaces respectively are projected to said image plane, first and second illumination means to selectively illuminate respectively said first and second surfaces of said object plane to thereby selectively expose said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane, means to provide relative reciprocatory scanning movement between said support means and said optical paths for projecting a flowing image to said image plane, and means for sequentially operating said first and second illumination means in successive directions of reciprocatory scanning movement for sequentially exposing said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane.

Claim 15

An optical system for projecting images from both surfaces of an object plane, in an image wavefront propagating along an axis of propagation, to an image plane, including: support means to support an object in said object plane with a first surface and a second opposite surface thereof exposed, a first optical path extending from said first surface, and including a first reflector to fold said first optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a first rotational sense about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, a second optical path extending from said second surface and including a second reflector to fold said second optical path and to rotate the image wavefront propagating therealong by 90° in a second rotational sense, opposite to the first, about an axis lying in the plane of said wavefront, the image rotations being about parallel axes and effecting a resultant 180° difference in the orientation of the image wavefronts propagating from said first and second surfaces of said object plane, said first and second optical paths extending together through a projection lens, whereby images of said first and second surfaces respectively are projected to said image plane, first and second illumination means to selectively illuminate respectively said first and second surfaces of said object plane to thereby selectively expose said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane, means to provide relative reciprocatory scanning movement between said support means and said optical paths for projecting a flowing image to said image plane, and means for sequentially operating said first and second illumination means in successive directions of reciprocatory scanning movement for sequentially exposing said first and second surfaces of said object plane to said image plane.

Claim 16

A photocopying apparatus having a support means for receiving at an object plane a two-sided object to be copied and means for reproducing the object from an optical image of the object at an image plane, including: an optical system providing simultaneous optical communication from both sides of the object to the image plan, said optical system including first illuminating means for illuminating one side of the object, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by said first illuminating means to the image plane, second illuminating means for illuminating the other side of the object, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by the second illuminating means to the image plane, means to provide relative reciprocal scanning movement between the support means and the optical system for projecting a flowing image onto said reproducing means at said image plane, means to sequentially actuate said first illuminating means during scanning movement in a first direction and said second illuminating means during scanning movement in the opposite direction so as to sequentially expose the opposite sides of the object to the reproducing means, whereby upright ordered images of the opposite sides of the object are successively composed at said image plane.

Claim 17

A photocopying apparatus having a support means for receiving at an object plane a two-sided object to be copied and means for reproducing the object from an optical image of the object at an image plane, including: an optical system providing simultaneous optical communication from both sides of the object to the image plan, said optical system including first illuminating means for illuminating one side of the object, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by said first illuminating means to the image plane, second illuminating means for illuminating the other side of the object, means for projecting an image of the side illuminated by the second illuminating means to the image plane, means to provide relative reciprocal scanning movement between the support means and the optical system for projecting a flowing image onto said reproducing means at said image plane, means to sequentially actuate said first illuminating means during scanning movement in a first direction and said second illuminating means during scanning movement in the opposite direction so as to sequentially expose the opposite sides of the object to the reproducing means, whereby upright ordered images of the opposite sides of the object are successively composed at said image plane.