Importance

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Abstract

In a dual engine printing system producing a multipage print job from first and second serially connected printing engines at a common output from the second engine, where the second printing engine has a duplex return path bypassing its printing path and extending substantially therethrough, a high productivity simplex job printing mode is provided in which alternate pages are substantially simultaneously printed in both the first and second printing engines, but the alternate pages printed in the first printing engine are fed to the second printing engine duplex return path to bypass the printing path of the second printing engine and then are automatically interleaved in the common output with the alternate pages printed in the second printing engine. The duplex return path is preferably a bidirectional loop extending above the printing path and driven in a reverse sheet feeding direction for this simplex printing. In an alternate duplex job tandem printing mode, sheets printed on one side in the first printing engine are inverted and fed directly to the printing path of the second printing engine for printing their opposite sides and outputted directly to the common output. Both printing engines may be substantially identical and capable of independent duplex printing with the duplex return path driven in the forward sheet feeding direction.

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First Claim