Patent ID: 7624981

Claim:
A modular printing system comprising: a first sheet processing machine; a second sheet processing machine spaced apart from the first sheet processing machine within a range of horizontal distances, with respect to ground; and, a bidirectional universal interface including: a frame; a universal interface module coupled with the frame providing a repositionable bidirectional sheet feeding path therethrough, from one side to the other of the universal interface module, for transporting copy sheets between the first sheet processing machine and the second sheet processing machine; and sheet receiving and sheet discharging sheet path ends disposed at opposite sides of said repositionable bidirectional sheet feeding path of the universal interface module, at least one of the sheet path ends being independently repositionable relative to the other of the sheet path ends for bridging said range of said horizontal distances and a variable width, at least one of the sheet path ends of the bidirectional universal interface are independently repositionable relative to the other of the sheet path ends over a vertical range of vertical distances transverse to said range of said horizontal distances in addition to being independently repositionable relative to the other of the sheet path ends over said range of said horizontal distances, wherein said second sheet processing machine is spaced apart from the first sheet processing machine in a two-dimensional spacing, wherein said two-dimensional spacing includes a grid arrangement between said first and second sheet processing machines of at least one fixed-pitch devices having a horizontal fixed pitch and a vertical fixed pitch, wherein said two-dimensional spacing includes a horizontal non-pitch spacing and a vertical non-pitch spacing, and wherein said bidirectional universal interface is disposed in the two-dimensional spacing to bridge said horizontal non-pitch spacing and said vertical non-pitch spacing.