Patent ID: 7883197

Claim:
A system for providing solid ink to a printer comprising: a single insertion port for the printer that receives solid ink sticks; a plurality of melting devices, each melting device being configured to heat solid ink sticks proximate the melting device to a melting temperature; a plurality of feed channels, each feed channel in the plurality of feed channels having a first end and a second end, the first end of each feed channel is configured to receive solid ink sticks and the second end of each feed channel terminates into only one melting device in the plurality of melting devices; a sensor that generates an electrical signal that identifies a solid ink stick received in the single insertion port for the printer; and a single ink stick transporter configured to move solid ink sticks from the single insertion port for the printer to each feed channel in the plurality of feed channels to enable solid ink sticks received and identified in the single insertion port for the printer to be delivered to the feed channel in the plurality of feed channels that corresponds to the identified solid ink stick.