Patent GB-1167942-A (GB)
Title: Printing Apparatus.
IPC: G06K15/16
Filed: 1967-01-26
Abstract: 1,167,942. Electro-photographic apparatus. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. Jan.26, 1967 [jan.26, 1966], No.4004/67. Heading G2H. A document copying apparatus for producing copies of a succession of documents bearing symbols indicative of the form background required has sensing means for sensing control symbols on the documents indicative of the number of copies required to be produced and means for controlling the number of copies of each document produced. General arrangement A web 15, Fig. 1, of pre-printed joined documents having control symbols is fed from a roll 9 to an overprinting apparatus 1. The control symbols indicating the number of copies to be produced are sensed in copy printer 3 and the requisite number of copies of each document is produced, the web 15 then being cut into discrete documents and fed to a collator and sorter 4. Pre-printed web The web 15, Fig. 2, is pre-printed in a computer controlled printer with gating symbols GCS, e.g., in the form of an asterisk, symbols in field A for selecting a required document, symbols in field B indicating the number of copies required, and symbols in field C to control distribution into sorter and collator 4 Fig. 1. A further symbol CCS controls trimming of copies to appropriate length. Overprinting apparatus The apparatus has a xerographic drum 45, Fig. 4, exposed to images of forms on sprocketed film (FL, Fig. 3, not shown), by projectors P1, P2, Fig. 4. Marks 54, Fig. 3 (not shown) are sensed by photo-cells (not shown) to bring these marks detected by photo-cells into register with symbols in field A, Fig. 2 by high speed indexing of the film through differential (70, Fig. 5, not shown), to form composite images on the drum 45, Fig. 4. A control circuit Fig. 6 (not shown) controls the alternate exposure and indexing of the film. Copying apparatus The overprinted web is then fed through a loop storage device 2, Fig. 4, which maintains a constant loop length; before entering the xerographic copying apparatus 3, Fig. 7, past a sensing station PC 23 which senses the symbols in Field B, Fig. 2 i.e. representing the number of copies to be made. If no copy is to be made the leading edge of web 15 is diverted through a by-pass path 24 to stacker 25. If a copy is to be made, the web is fed by drum 26 beneath a light source 59 to expose xerographic drum 145. In either case, a cutter 27 severs the required length of web 15. A developed image formed on drum 145 is transferred to a web 115. A device (42, Fig. 9, not shown), causes black marks, indicative of the number of the copy being produced, to be formed on the drum by operation of a shutter (117) by exposure to a light source L, The shutter (117) operates under the control of electromagnets (SM1, SM2) energized through a copy counter. Blank copy paper is fed from a roll 121 by rollers 122 Fig. 7, driven by a one revolution clutch 129 to a cutter 128. The cut copy sheet receives a developed image from drum 145 which is then fixed by heated fixing rollers 148, trimmed to size by cutter 138, and fed to stacker 125. The operation of the xerographic copying apparatus is controlled by control circuit Fig. 10 (not shown) having cam controlled contacts (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3) actuated in synchronism with the rotation of drum 26 Fig. 7, and photo-cells (PC21, PC22, PC23, PC24, Fig. 10, not shown) which sense the symbols on the web 15 Fig. 7 thus controlling the number of copies made and their distribution by collator sorter 4. Documents are retained on the drum 26 to produce multiple copies until removed by a suction roller 28 under the control of a counter. Alternatively, a series of xerographic drums may be provided over which the document to be copied is passed. Copies are piled in stacker 125 and then fed singly to a sensing station 218 having a photocell PC 30A which senses symbols on the copy and thus controls the distribution of the copies to one of a series of pockets 220-1 to 220-8 by actuation of chute blades (226-4, Fig. 13, not shown) and an armature (225) attracted by an electromagnet SMA, Fig. 7 energized through a commutator (222, Fig. 13, not shown). Original documents severed from the web 15 are sorted in a similar manner.