Apparatus for producing sets of collated copies

Claim 2

Apparatus for producing sets of collated copies from a set of document sheets having a particular page sequence order, the apparatus comprising: means for producing copies of one or more of the document sheets in a non-collating mode of operation; means for storing temporarily copies produced in the non-collating mode of operation; means for producing copies of document sheets in a collating mode of operation; means for receiving copies made by both of said producing means; and means for delivering copies to said receiving means directly from said means for producing copies in a collating mode of operation and from said storing means intermixed in an order that results in the copies in said receiving means having a page sequence order corresponding to the particular page sequence order of the set of document sheets.

Claim 3

Apparatus for producing one or more sets of collated copies from a set of document sheets arranged in a particular page sequence order, the set of document sheets comprising a first group of one or more sheets and a second group of one or more sheets, the apparatus comprising: an exposure station at which document sheets are positioned for copying; means for producing copies of document sheets in (i) a non-collating mode of operation wherein a predetermined number of copies can be made of each sheet of the first group of sheets while such sheet is located at the exposure station and (ii) a collating mode of operation wherein the second group of sheets can be circulated seriatim one or more times to the exposure station with each document sheet of the second group of sheets being copied only once each time it is circulated to the exposure station; means for storing temporarily copies produced in the non-collating mode of operation with the copies of each document sheet being stored separately; means for delivering to the storing means copies produced in the non-collating mode of operation; a hopper for receiving copies of document sheets; and means for (i) feeding copies to the hopper from both the storing means and from the producing means when it is operating in the collating mode and (ii) intermixing the copies from the storing means and the producing means in a predetermined sequence that results in the copies being received in the hopper and arranged in the same page sequence order as the set of document sheets.

Claim 4

Apparatus for producing one or more sets of collated copies from a set of document sheets arranged in a particular page sequence order, the set of document sheets comprising a first group of one or more sheets and a second group of one or more sheets, the apparatus comprising: an exposure station at which document sheets are positioned for copying; means for producing copies of document sheets in (i) a non-collating mode of operation wherein a predetermined number of copies can be made of each sheet of the first group of sheets while such sheet is located at the exposure station and (ii) a collating mode of operation wherein the second group of sheets can be circulated seriatim one or more times to the exposure station with each document sheet of the second group of sheets being copied only once each time it is circulated to the exposure station; means for storing temporarily copies produced in the non-collating mode of operation with the copies of each document sheet being stored separately; means for delivering to the storing means copies produced in the non-collating mode of operation; a hopper for receiving copies of document sheets; and means for (i) feeding copies to the hopper from both the storing means and from the producing means when it is operating in the collating mode and (ii) intermixing the copies from the storing means and the producing means in a predetermined sequence that results in the copies being received in the hopper and arranged in the same page sequence order as the set of document sheets.

Claim 5

In apparatus for reproducing a document consisting of a plurality of collated sheets, and including means for first making a copy of each of a first group of sheets comprising selected ones of said sheets and thereafter making one after another a copy of each of a second group of sheets comprising the remaining ones of said sheets, means for receiving such copies to form a stack, and means for transporting serially the copies of said second group of sheets to said receiving means, the improvement comprising: means for storing the copies of said first group of sheets; means effective upon actuation for feeding one of the copies from said storing means to said receiving means; programmable means for storing information representing the sequence of said collated sheets in said first group of sheets and in said second group of sheets and for producing output signals corresponding to said information; and means operatively associated with said programmable means and responsive to said output signals for actuating said feeding means in timed relation to the transporting of copies by said transporting means to duplicate the sequence of said collated sheets in the copies of said stack.

Claim 6

In apparatus for reproducing a document consisting of a plurality of collated sheets, and including means for first making a copy of each of a first group of sheets comprising selected ones of said sheets and thereafter making one after another a copy of each of a second group of sheets comprising the remaining ones of said sheets, means for receiving such copies to form a stack, and means for transporting serially the copies of said second group of sheets to said receiving means, the improvement comprising: means for storing the copies of said first group of sheets; means effective upon actuation for feeding one of the copies from said storing means to said receiving means; programmable means for storing information representing the sequence of said collated sheets in said first group of sheets and in said second group of sheets and for producing output signals corresponding to said information; and means operatively associated with said programmable means and responsive to said output signals for actuating said feeding means in timed relation to the transporting of copies by said transporting means to duplicate the sequence of said collated sheets in the copies of said stack.