Patent ID: 7024152

Claim:
A tandem printing system in which at least first and second adjacent electronic printers with outputs of printed sheets and with both simplex and duplex printing capability, including internal duplex loop paths for said duplex printing capability, said first and second electronic printers having integrated outputs for cooperative shared printing of a print job at a higher printing rate than either individual said electronic printer, or optional individual printing by individual said electronic printers, in which at least one sheet bypass section is provided, said sheet bypass section extending around said second electronic printer to provide a sheet transporting path independent from said second electronic printer and bypassing internal transporting paths of the second electronic printer, the transporting paths of the second electronic printer operating at a process speed, said sheet bypass section having a sheet input for receiving printed sheets printed by said first electronic printer for bypassing sheet transport through the second electronic printer, and a sheet output for merging said printed sheets from said first electronic printer with printed sheets printed by said second electronic printer; and, wherein the transporting path of the sheet bypass section operates at a highway speed, the highway speed being different than the process speed.