Patent ID: 8731447

Claim:
An apparatus for aligning belts in an image transfer assembly, the apparatus comprising: first and second driven image-bearing belts, each image-bearing belt for conveying image-forming marking material formed thereon; a driven transport belt selectively engaged independently by the first and second image-bearing belts, wherein the selective engagement of each image-bearing belt is independent from the selective engagement of the other of the image-bearing belts, the first and second image-bearing belts being remote from one another; and a first edge sensor for detecting a lateral position of the first driven image-bearing belt relative to a centerline, the first edge sensor adjacent to an edge of the first driven image-bearing belt the first edge sensor transmitting lateral position signals corresponding to a skew of a net velocity vector of the first driven image-bearing belt relative to the centerline; and a second edge sensor for detecting a lateral position of the second driven image-bearing belt relative to the centerline, the second edge sensor adjacent to the edge of the second driven image-bearing belt, the second edge sensor transmitting lateral position signals corresponding to a skew of a net velocity vector of the second image-bearing belt relative to the centerline, while the first and second image-bearing belts are simultaneously engaged with the transport belt, wherein the lateral position signals provide an indication of a misalignment between the simultaneously engaged image-bearing belts.