Feed timing adjustment for sheet feeder

Abstract

A method for feeding media items seriatim along a path of travel includes initiating a feed of a first media item along the path of travel and detecting the presence of the first media item along the path of travel. The time value is determined between initiating the feeding of the first media item and detecting the presence of the first media item. The initiating of feed of a second media item along the path of travel is controlled based on the determined time value between initiating the feeding of the first media item and detecting the presence of the first media item.

1 . A method for feeding media items seriatim along a path of travel, comprising:
 initiating a feed of a first media item along the path of travel;   detecting the presence of the first media item along the path of travel;   determining the time value between initiating the feed of the first media item and detecting the presence of the first media item; and   controlling initiating a feed of a second media item along the path of travel based on the determined time value between initiating the feed of the first media item and detecting the presence of the first media item.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel is based on the determined time value in relation to an expected time value. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel increases the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is less than the expected time value. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel decreases the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is greater than the expected time value. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel does not change the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is within defined limits of the expected time value. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel increases the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time is less than the expected time value and wherein the controlling the initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel decreases the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to the immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is greater than the expected time value. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the increase of the time before initiating the feed of the second media item is an increase increment of time. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the decrease of the time before initiating the feed of the second media item is a decrease increment of time. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel increases the time in an increase increment of time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to a preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is less than the expected time value, controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel decreases the time in a decrease increment of time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is greater than the expected time value, and controlling initiating the feed of the second media item along the path of travel does not change the time before initiating the feed of the second media item in relation to a preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is within defined limits of the expected time value. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the increase increment of time and the decrease increment of time are different time increments. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first media item and the second media item are sheets of paper being fed from a stack of sheets of paper. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first media item and the second media items are envelopes being fed from a stack of envelopes. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the increase increment of time is a larger time increment than the decrease increment of time. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media item feeder is a vacuum type feeder. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media item feeder is a drive roller type feeder. 
   
   
       16 . A system for feeding media items seriatim along a path of travel comprising:
 a media item transport;   a support structure adapted to support a stack of media items to be fed seriatim from the support structure onto the media item transport;   a media item feeder operably connected to the support structure and to the media item transport, the media item feeder including a mechanism that, when initiated to operate, is adapted to feed single media items from a stack of media items in the support structure onto the media item transport;   a detector positioned in relation to the media item transport to detect the presence of a media item at a point on the media item transport; and   a controller connected to the detector and to the media item feeder, the controller operable to initiate the media item feeder to feed a single media item from a stack of media items in the support structure onto the media item transport based on a determined time value from the initiation of a feed onto the media item transport of an immediately preceding media item and on information from the detector relating to detection of the preceding media item in relation to an expected time value, whereby spacing on the media item transport between media items fed seriatim onto the media item transport is controlled.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is operable to increase the time before initiating feeding of a media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is less than the expected time value, the controller is operable decrease the time before initiating feeding of the next media item in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is greater than the expected time value and the controller is operable to initiate feeding of the next media item with no change in time in relation to an immediately preceding feed cycle when the determined time value is within defined limits of the expected time value.