Patent ID: 6476923
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
A printing assembly comprising:a desktop-type first laser printer; a desktop-type second laser printer substantially identical to said first laser printer, said first laser printer and said second laser printer each having a paper feed port on one side and a paper output port on a substantially opposite side, said first laser printer and said second laser printer each being disposed in an upright orientation, said second laser printer being disposed below said first laser printer in a reversed orientation relative to said first laser printer so that a printing substrate travels in opposite directions through the two printers, the paper output port of said first laser printer being located substantially vertically above the paper feed port of said second laser printer, the paper feed port of said first laser printer being located substantially vertically above the paper output port of said second laser printer; a digital processor operatively connected to data inputs of said first laser printer and said second laser printer, said processor being programmed to detect odd pages and even pages in an electronically encoded document, to separate odd pages from even pages, and to transmit odd pages of said document to said first laser printer and even pages of said document to said second laser printer, said processor being further programmed to synchronize operation of said first laser printer and said second laser printer so that opposite sides of essentially every sheet portion bear consecutive pages; and a paper guide disposed between (1) the paper output port of one of the laser printer and (2) the paper feed port of the other of said laser printer for guiding paper from said one of said laser printers to said other of said laser printers.