OK, confessions first. I had it apart to check out PS19 for "Sub Tray full. Please empty tray." There wasn't anything obviously the matter, and thanks to a little FM that message disappeared. But I created the problem that followed.
After re-assembly, the back cover of each stapled set was wrapped around the set and stapled through and the set did not eject completely. Apparently the set eject arm is on a timed belt/gear combination. I've never really examined one of these, and the manual doesn't offer anything, but I'll share what I discovered:
When it's working properly the eject arm parks at the backside of the sub tray. The edge of the eject arm that pushes against the finished sets parks at the same level as the top edge of the horizontal support for the tray. When a stapled set is started the eject arm moves to the area below the staplers. When a set is finished, the set is ejected and it returns to the area below the staplers for the next set. When the last set clears, the eject arm parks.
So this is how I timed it:
After watching it jam up for a while I realized that the eject arm was parking 3" up the tray side of the sub tray. The simplest way to change the timing is to manually warp the big black gear enough to disengage the adjoining gear teeth, then rotate it ~1/2" at a time. At this point I wasn't exactly sure where the eject arm should park, but definitely not blocking the paper passage in the tray. Once I started getting closer, the staples started missing the paper, because the eject arm was waiting ~1/2" too high holding the paper above the staplers. If you take a flashlight and lay down parallel with the staplers you can see exactly where the eject arm waits. Just a few more gear teeth to jump, lowers the eject arm just below the stop between the staplers. It varies a little, but if you run 20 sets of 4 pages you can confirm that the eject arm is not quite touching the paper as it waits to be stapled and ejected.
I have a theory that if one was to power cycle the machine, the black gear would home to the park position. Then a tech could warp that black gear (but not rotate it) and turn the adjoining gear until the eject arm comes up parallel with the support rib on the back of the tray. At that point it would be just a few gear teeth one way or the other to find the ideal timing.
Does anybody know a better procedure to time one of these in the field? There do not appear to be any sort of timing marks on the gears. I won't be so stupid next time, and mark the gears. =^..^=
After re-assembly, the back cover of each stapled set was wrapped around the set and stapled through and the set did not eject completely. Apparently the set eject arm is on a timed belt/gear combination. I've never really examined one of these, and the manual doesn't offer anything, but I'll share what I discovered:
When it's working properly the eject arm parks at the backside of the sub tray. The edge of the eject arm that pushes against the finished sets parks at the same level as the top edge of the horizontal support for the tray. When a stapled set is started the eject arm moves to the area below the staplers. When a set is finished, the set is ejected and it returns to the area below the staplers for the next set. When the last set clears, the eject arm parks.
So this is how I timed it:
After watching it jam up for a while I realized that the eject arm was parking 3" up the tray side of the sub tray. The simplest way to change the timing is to manually warp the big black gear enough to disengage the adjoining gear teeth, then rotate it ~1/2" at a time. At this point I wasn't exactly sure where the eject arm should park, but definitely not blocking the paper passage in the tray. Once I started getting closer, the staples started missing the paper, because the eject arm was waiting ~1/2" too high holding the paper above the staplers. If you take a flashlight and lay down parallel with the staplers you can see exactly where the eject arm waits. Just a few more gear teeth to jump, lowers the eject arm just below the stop between the staplers. It varies a little, but if you run 20 sets of 4 pages you can confirm that the eject arm is not quite touching the paper as it waits to be stapled and ejected.
I have a theory that if one was to power cycle the machine, the black gear would home to the park position. Then a tech could warp that black gear (but not rotate it) and turn the adjoining gear until the eject arm comes up parallel with the support rib on the back of the tray. At that point it would be just a few gear teeth one way or the other to find the ideal timing.
Does anybody know a better procedure to time one of these in the field? There do not appear to be any sort of timing marks on the gears. I won't be so stupid next time, and mark the gears. =^..^=
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