Patent ID: 8888271

Claim:
An apparatus transporting a sheet of substrate media along a process path through a marking zone, the apparatus comprising: a marking zone for marking a sheet of substrate media; a first air bearing support rail extending from a first location upstream of the marking zone to a second location downstream of the marking zone, the first air bearing support rail having a porous support surface; a media cart for conveying the sheet along a process path, the media cart including a platen for holding the sheet thereon as the media cart translates through the marking zone, the media cart supported along the process path between the first and second locations by a gaseous layer formed by a gas emitted through the porous support surface of the first air bearing support rail, the gaseous layer providing a non-contact bearing support between an outer surface of the first air bearing support rail and a non-contact support surface of the media; and a second air bearing support rail extending along one lateral side of the marking zone defining a vertical bearing wall disposed to limit movement of the media cart in a cross-process direction, the second air-bearing support rail having a porous support surface of the second air-bearing support rail to emit gas through to define a second gaseous layer, the second gaseous layer providing a non-contact bearing support between the second air bearing support rail and the media cart.