Patent ID: 8422934

Claim:
A marking system, comprising: a marking station; a sheet collection station with a signal device, the sheet collection station being positioned downstream of the marking station; a sheet conveyance path positioned between the marking station and the sheet collection station; and at least two sensors separately positioned along the sheet conveyance path, a first of the at least two sensors being configured to detect a sheet of paper passing the first sensor and to send a signal to activate the signal device; wherein: the sheet conveyance path is configured to convey paper along the sheet conveyance path extending from the marking station to the collection station, the first of the at least two sensors is configured along the sheet conveyance path to send the signal to activate the signal device when a first sheet of the paper passes the first of the at least two sensors which is configured to be directly triggered or activated by the first sheet of the paper, a second of the at least two sensors is configured along the sheet conveyance path downstream of the first of the at least two sensors and further configured to send a signal to inactivate the signal device and shut off the signal device at a predetermined or fixed period of time after the first sensor activates the signal device, the second of the at least two sensors sensing passage of the paper to the sheet collection station; and the signal device comprises first, second and third color coded lights, the first, second and third color coded lights being color coded to indicate different conditions for the paper deposited in the collection station, the first color coded light being configured to indicate a first condition for the paper in the collection station, the second color coded light being configured to indicate a second condition for the paper in the collection station, and the third color coded light being configured to indicate a third condition for the paper in the collection station, the first, second and third color coded lights being different colors, and the first, second and third conditions being different conditions for the paper in the collection station.