Unusual machines / why did they build it?

[blackcat4866]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

How about the infamous Binder Minder? I love the part about drilling out spot welds, and hack sawing off scanner frames to install this rickety POS scanner frame. The focus is never right again, especially color.

And what about the little booklet cover thingys that came with the Mita DC-1435/1455? There was a wire embedded in a glue strip in the binding of the booklet, and when you inserted it into the little slot on the copier, it applied a current to the wire to melt the glue. I think the only people who ever tried them out were the salespeople. =^..^=

[gwaddle]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Mita DC-2055 series with the editing tablet on the top of the platen cover. You used the little plastic stylus that came with it to select areas of the copies to mask out. Totally useless function. Never ever saw it used...

No, but it was fun to play with.

[BLADE]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

There was a canon fax with a 'book mode' function, a semi detachable top with a book feeding mechanism. A great idea really

[DavePo]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

How about the infamous Binder Minder? I love the part about drilling out spot welds, and hack sawing off scanner frames to install this rickety POS scanner frame. The focus is never right again, especially color.

=^..^=

Yeah Got one of tose POS's on the shelf that a customer wanted then changed mind.

[copyruss]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

And what about the little booklet cover thingys that came with the Mita DC-1435/1455? There was a wire embedded in a glue strip in the binding of the booklet, and when you inserted it into the little slot on the copier, it applied a current to the wire to melt the glue. I think the only people who ever tried them out were the salespeople. =^..^=

Actually had a customer buy a box of the binders. Guess what was in the cabinet when they traded it in...

[ExXeroid]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Xerox had a family of machines code named "Crossbow" I dont remember the model numbers.
Some of the machines in this family had the ability to have a second developing unit installed (By the Customer) to give them a "Color" machine! I think the choices were Red,Green, Blue, Orange and a few others



( Lucky for me I was trained on the line after it was being phased out,I dont think it worked to well)

Black + 1 color + colored paper= Fooling people they got a full color copy.

I saw quite a few in the field traveling with other techs never with the optional developing units.

[ExXeroid]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Xerox 5046 also had a "selective editing ' feature where you could edit or delete areas of a document that had sensitive information. this was accomplished by entering the X - Y coordinates via the key pad to define these areas.

The N.Y.C. courts had a process where they would copy a document, redact the copy with a marker (preserving the original) and send the copy on to the requester.

This editing feature was supposed to "make the court clerks more productive and reduce waste"

It was never used

It was

[wizardjimmy]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

One more fax flub up:

I think it was the Aficio 270 that first offered a form of MFP faxing for Ricoh.

It required a PC on the network to have Winfax Pro (I think it was the only supported application) and a fax modem. The 270 would then connect to that PC to fax out.

Actually, not a terrible idea, but the salesman would always conveniently forget that minor little requirement.

forgive me for asking this...but what's a MFP faxing?

[KenB]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

forgive me for asking this...but what's a MFP faxing?

The fax that's built into a copier (MFP).

MFP = Multi Function Product (or printer, take yer choice)

[WOETC]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Toshiba had a range with interchangeable colour dev tanks. Red, Green, Blue and Brown from what I can remember. It included some of their most remarkable lemons like the BD5620. The crowning glory was the BD7720 with and edit function that was controlled with a red LED shining through the original on the copy glass. The LED was directed by a sort of Joystick and fire button. Very Unreliable.

Regarding I-faxing it was designed as a fax over internet protocol, much like VOIP. The advantage over email supposedly being cost, plus the fact that there is a legal standing to fax and i-fax that doesn't exist with email. It goes from one piece of paper to another without any possibilty of interference, so a signature can be used for legal purposes.

[KenB]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Regarding I-faxing it was designed as a fax over internet protocol, much like VOIP. The advantage over email supposedly being cost, plus the fact that there is a legal standing to fax and i-fax that doesn't exist with email. It goes from one piece of paper to another without any possibilty of interference, so a signature can be used for legal purposes.

That's why fax (in one form or another) will be with us for a loooong time to come.

[Herrmann]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

once at 1989 i had to mess around with a canon microfilm reader in a newspaper archive. Never seen this before or later, the engine based on a NP200 with "negative toner" (very expensive) and there was a reading thingy, where you could insert the film rolls.... boy, what a POS

[KenB]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

once at 1989 i had to mess around with a canon microfilm reader in a newspaper archive. Never seen this before or later, the engine based on a NP200 with "negative toner" (very expensive) and there was a reading thingy, where you could insert the film rolls.... boy, what a POS

We had a few of those, maybe 5 or so.

I heard the horror stories.

I was extremely happy I never had to get involved!

[KenB]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

Anybody remember the Canon whiteboard?

I think it was called a C-60.

The little gem used a fax printer section to produce output, and it was on thermal paper.

You only had to remove about 50 screws to get the back cover off - that was the one and only time we were allowed to use a power screwdriver.

What a POS!

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

Re: Unusual machines / why did they build it?

A few years ago Pitney Bowes had a big block like machine with a laser printer in it to print your marketing or mail piece and then it would move along to the inserter and put it in an envelope for you.

Formax has two machines that are basically a laser printer that shoots the page out the back and into a transport section and into a paper folder (actually a pressure sealer) for pressure sensitive forms. They do actually work quite well so they're a good thing, but your post reminded me of them.

Just had a good idea for a new discussion. What was the most interesting, unusual, useless, specialty, one of a kind, or re-engineered machine or accessory you ever worked on. What was it, who made it, and what did it do or try to do. NOT the crappiest, fastest, or biggest (that is a different discussion) but the strangest thing you have seen.

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I'll start with a fine 1996'ish offering from the always industry trailing, Mita Copystar America. The Mita DD-1 was basically a small Laser printer that dropped the printed pages into the document feeder of an analog copier and started a run of copies. The thing had a print driver that would allow you to send the print/copy job with option like staple, punch, dpx & qty. It actually worked but it was pretty stupid from a technology standpoint since most of the other manufacturers were already well into their first generation of digital machines. I saw a few in showrooms but never saw one get sold.