Patent ID: 7407276

Claim:
A solid ink feed system, comprising: a first feed channel having a first longitudinal guide rail extending in a first feed direction; a first ink stick follower having a feed dimension aligned with the first feed direction, and having a detect segment and a sweep segment in the first feed dimension; wherein the sweep segment of the first ink stick follower has a first guide follower that engages the first longitudinal guide rail; wherein the detect segment of the first ink stick follower has no element that engages the first longitudinal guide rail; a first detector, wherein the first detector is adapted to sense elements engaging a first detected segment of the first longitudinal guide rail; wherein the first detector is adapted to assume a first detector position when an element is in the first detected segment of the first guide rail, and a second detector position when no element is in the first detected segment of the first guide rail; so that as the detect segment of the first ink stick follower passes the detector, the detector assumes the second detector position; so that as the sweep segment of the first ink stick follower passes the detector, the detector assumes the first detector position; a second feed channel having a second longitudinal guide rail extending in a second feed direction; a second ink stick follower having a feed dimension aligned with the second feed direction, and having a detect segment and a sweep segment in the second feed dimension; wherein the sweep segment of the second ink stick follower has a second guide follower that engages the second longitudinal guide rail; wherein the detect segment of the second ink stick follower has no element that engages the second longitudinal guide rail; and a second detector, wherein the second detector is adapted to sense elements engaging a detected segment of the second longitudinal guide rail; wherein the second detector is adapted to assume a first detector position when an element is in the detected segment of the second guide rail, and a second detector position when no element is in the detected segment of the second guide rail; so that as the detect segment of the second ink stick follower passes the detector, the second detector assumes the second detector position; and so that as the sweep segment of the second ink stick follower passes the detector, the second detector assumes the first detector position.