High-volume duplicator having efficient operation in the uncollated duplex mode

摘要

A copy system has a duplicator and a large capacity sorter. The duplicator has a limited capacity duplex tray that supports copy processing in the duplex mode. The sorter has up to 10 towers with 60 bins provided in each tower. The maximum bin capacity is 100 sheets, so that the system can handle up to 60,000 copies. Horizontal and vertical transports are provided for each tower and a bin deflector is provided for each bin. Each tower has a local control that is directed by a centralized sorter control. A duplicator control is provided for running the copy process in the duplicator and for directing the sorter control to achieve coordinated operation of the duplicator and sorter. In the uncollated, duplex mode, duplex copies are produced in segment sizes up to the duplex tray capacity limit. Copies of each original in successive copy segments are delivered to consecutive bins in a common bin area in a pair of the towers thereby forming a readily identified copy stack for that stack in the common bin area. Successive copy segments are delivered to consecutive common bin areas.