Patent ID: 7731186

Claim:
A method of transporting a sheet in a printing machine via a transport belt circulating in a direction of transport, wherein a sheet contact surface of the circulating transport belt is made an electrically non-conducting material, the method comprising: placing a sheet on an area of the transport belt; holding the sheet to the circulating transport belt by applying electrical charges to the area of the transport belt, for generating an electro-static holding force, between the circulating transport belt and the sheet, and by negative pressure applied through the belt; moving the sheet a predetermined distance by the circulating transport belt; wherein during a portion of the predetermined distance, negative pressure is not applied through belt; subsequent neutralization by at least partially neutralizing the electrical charges on the sheet after the sheet is past the predetermined distance; wherein towards the end of the movement of the sheet past the predetermined distance and before neutralizing the charge, the sheet is again held to the transport belt by the negative pressure applied through the belt.