Patent ID: 6092948
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
In a liquid ink printing system, a method of supporting and stacking a liquid ink printed sheet moving along an in-track path and direction and having a flat, cross-track dimension ""D1"" defined by a first edge and a second edge thereof, the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a stacking surface having a cross-track dimension ""D2"" for receiving the liquid ink printed sheet onto a stack;(b) positioning a pair of support members at a spaced cross-track distance ""D3"", less than ""D1"", ""D3"" being centered in the cross-track direction, and having a desired vertical distance ""H"" above the stacking surface;(c) supporting and guiding the moving liquid ink printed sheet on the support members to a desired in-track position over the stacking surface; and(d) downwardly buckling the moving liquid ink printed sheet at the desired in-track position and through the desired vertical distance ""H"" by automatically pushing the first edge and the second edge of such sheet inwardly from their flat cross-track dimension ""D1"" to a buckled cross-track dimension less than ""D3"", thus allowing time for printed liquid ink on such sheet to dry, and the sheet to fall through the pair of support members onto the stacking surface.