Xerographic envelope printing

Claim 2

In a marking system, apparatus for processing envelopes by marking said envelopes with an address comprising: means for holding unmarked envelopes, said means for holding including means for distinguishing said envelopes from other materials to be printed by said system to cause said system to enter an envelope printing mode of marking; means for storing address information electronically and for converting said electronically stored information to signals for controlling the marking of said envelopes; means for moving said envelopes from said means for holding to a marking station where said envelopes are marked with address information; means for marking said envelopes with an address corresponding to the stored information; and means for stacking said envelopes encoded with the address information at an output station.

Claim 3

The marking apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for marking comprises a xerographic copier having means for encoding and developing a charged photoconductive member with said information and further comprising means for bringing said unmarked envelopes into a transfer relationship with said developed photoconductive member.

Claim 4

The marking apparatus of claim 1 or 2 which further comprises means for holding sheets to be interleaved with envelopes at said output station after said sheets are marked by said means for printing and wherein said means for storing information also generates marking signals which encode the photoreceptor with information to be printed onto said sheets.

Claim 5

The marking apparatus of claim 2 wherein said copier comprises a main and auxiliary paper input tray and wherein said apparatus includes an envelope cassette insertable into said main paper tray to hold said envelopes prior to the xerographic marking of said envelopes.

Claim 6

Marking apparatus having means for processing envelopes by printing each of said envelopes with an address comprising: means for holding said envelopes in an unmarked condition; means for sensing the presence of said envelopes in said means for holding to initiate an envelope printing mode of marking; means for storing said address electronically and for converting said electronically stored address into control signals for printing said envelopes with said envelope addresses; means for driving said unmarked envelopes to a print station for encoding with said address information; and means for collecting said printed envelopes subsequent to their being printed.

Claim 7

Marking apparatus having means for processing envelopes by printing each of said envelopes with an address comprising: means for holding said envelopes in an unmarked condition; means for sensing the presence of said envelopes in said means for holding to initiate an envelope printing mode of marking; means for storing said address electronically and for converting said electronically stored address into control signals for printing said envelopes with said envelope addresses; means for driving said unmarked envelopes to a print station for encoding with said address information; and means for collecting said printed envelopes subsequent to their being printed.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said marking apparatus comprises a xerographic copier and the print station comprises a region where developed xerographic images are transferred from a photoconductive member to the envelopes, said apparatus further comprising means for substantially permanently affixing said developed images to said envelopes.

Claim 9

Envelope marking apparatus comprising: a xerographic marking engine including a photoconductive member and means for moving said member through charging, imaging development and transfer stations and further including transport means for moving a copy substrate into transfer relation with said photoconductive member at the transfer station to form a powder image on the substrate and fusing means for affixing substantially permanently said powder image to said substrate; a paper tray for supporting individual copy sheets having a first uniform thickness prior to copying; a cassette insertable into said paper tray for holding envelopes to be moved by said transport means to said transfer station for marking; means responsive to the presence of the cassette into the paper tray to cause said marking engine to enter an envelope printing mode of operation, said envelope printing mode including the modification of the transfer, and fusing means to insure image transfer and affixing to portions of said envelopes which due to the multiple layers of said envelopes present a second, thicker substrate to said marking engine.

Claim 10

Envelope marking apparatus comprising: a xerographic marking engine including a photoconductive member and means for moving said member through charging, imaging development and transfer stations and further including transport means for moving a copy substrate into transfer relation with said photoconductive member at the transfer station to form a powder image on the substrate and fusing means for affixing substantially permanently said powder image to said substrate; a paper tray for supporting individual copy sheets having a first uniform thickness prior to copying; a cassette insertable into said paper tray for holding envelopes to be moved by said transport means to said transfer station for marking; means responsive to the presence of the cassette into the paper tray to cause said marking engine to enter an envelope printing mode of operation, said envelope printing mode including the modification of the transfer, and fusing means to insure image transfer and affixing to portions of said envelopes which due to the multiple layers of said envelopes present a second, thicker substrate to said marking engine.

Claim 11

The marking apparatus of claim 7 wherein said transfer station comprises means for applying an image transfer current to said substrate and means for increasing said current when envelopes are to be printed.