Patent ID: 7946582

Claim:
A multi-sheet buffer module comprising: a frame having a first side and a second side opposite said first side; a linear middle sheet transport path extending horizontally across said frame from a sheet input port on said first side to a sheet output port on said second side, said sheet input port and said sheet output port being located at a same height on said frame and said sheet input port receiving a merged stream of sheets from multiple different printing engines; an upper sheet transport path above said middle sheet transport path and a lower sheet transport path below said middle sheet transport path, said upper sheet transport path and said lower sheet transport path each having a first portion approximately parallel to said middle sheet transport path and a second portion connected to said middle sheet transport path adjacent said sheet output port; a plurality of upper sheet buffer paths extending from said middle sheet transport path to said first portion of said upper sheet transport path; a plurality of lower sheet buffer paths extending from said middle sheet transport path to said first portion of said lower sheet transport path such that any sheet transported from said middle input path through a sheet buffer path and into one of said upper sheet transport path and said lower sheet transport path re-enters said middle sheet transport path adjacent said sheet output port; and a controller operatively connected to said middle sheet transport path, said upper sheet buffer paths and said lower sheet buffer paths and selectively controlling movement of individual sheets being transported through said buffer module so as to selectively re-order said sheets in said merge stream of sheets and achieve a desired order for said sheets in said merged stream of sheets as said merged stream of sheets is output from said sheet output port.