Media sheet feeding method for overcoming at least one media handling failure mode

1. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming a media handling failure mode, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet of the media stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is operating in a preselected manner in conjunction with the top most sheet; and

raising the elevator a preset distance if a first condition of the pick roll in conjunction with the top most sheet is sensed to decrease a normal force imposed on the top most sheet by the pick roll, and lowering the elevator a preset distance if a second condition of the pick roll in conjunction with the top most sheet is sensed to increase the normal force imposed on the top most sheet by the pick roll, in order to overcome the occurrence of a media handling failure mode between the pick roll and the top most sheet of the media stack.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said initiating operation of the pick roll includes transmitting rotary motive power to the pick roll.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said initiating operation of the pick roll further includes engaging the pick roll with a top most sheet of the media stack supported on the elevator in order to pick and separate the top most sheet from the next sheet beneath the top most sheet and feed just the top most sheet from the stack.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said sensing whether or not the pick roll is operating in the preselected manner in conjunction with the top most sheet includes sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating to determine whether or not a ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode has occurred.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said raising the elevator is in response to the pick roll not rotating within a preset time after initiating operation of the pick roll in order to cause rotation of the pick roll and feeding of only the top most sheet from the stack and thereby overcome the ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said sensing whether or not the pick roll is operating in a preselected manner in conjunction with the top most sheet includes sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating and sensing whether or not the top most sheet has arrived at a sheet arrival sensor to determine whether or not a ‘fails to feed’ failure mode has occurred.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said lowering the elevator is in response to the pick roll rotating within a preset time but the top most sheet not arriving at the sheet arrival sensor within a preset time after initiating operation of the pick roll in order to cause feeding of only the top most sheet from the stack and thereby overcome the ‘fails to feed’failure mode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said lowering the elevator is in response to the pick roll rotating but the top most sheet not arriving at a sheet arrival sensor to overcome the occurrence of a ‘fails to feed’ failure mode.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said raising the elevator is in response to the pick roll not rotating to overcome the occurrence of a ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode.

10. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming media handling failure modes, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll by transmitting rotary motive power thereto and engaging the pick roll with a top most sheet of the media stack in order to pick and separate the top most sheet from the next sheet beneath the top most sheet and feed just the top most sheet from the stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating and whether or not the top most sheet has arrived at a sheet arrival sensor to determine whether or not a media handling failure mode has occurred; and

moving the elevator in a predetermined direction through a preset distance, in response to at least one of the pick roll not rotating within a preset time or the top most sheet not arriving at the sheet arrival sensor within a preset time after initiating operation of the pick roll, in order to sufficiently change a normal force imposed on the top most sheet by the pick roll so as to overcome the occurrence of the media handling failure mode.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating determines whether or not a ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode has occurred.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said moving the elevator includes raising the elevator, in response to the pick roll not rotating, to decrease the normal force imposed on the top most sheet to overcome the occurrence of the ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating and sensing whether or not the top most sheet has arrived at a sheet arrival sensor determines whether or not a ‘fails to feed’ failure mode has occurred.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said moving the elevator includes lowering the elevator, in response to the pick roll rotating but the top most sheet not arriving at a sheet arrival sensor, to increase a normal force imposed on the top most sheet to overcome the occurrence of the ‘fails to feed’ failure mode.

15. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming a media handling failure mode, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet of the media stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating to determine whether or not a ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode has occurred; and

moving the elevator vertically in a selected direction through a preset distance, in response to sensing that the pick roll is not rotating in conjunction with the top most sheet, in order to overcome the occurrence of the ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode between the pick roll and the top most sheet of the media stack.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said moving the elevator vertically a preset distance includes raising the elevator, in response to the pick roll not rotating within a preset time after initiating operation of the pick roll, in order to sufficiently decrease a normal force imposed on the top most sheet by the pick roll to cause rotation of the pick roll and feeding of only the top most sheet from the stack and thereby overcome the ‘pick roll stall’failure mode.

17. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming a media handling failure mode, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet of the media stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating and sensing whether or not the top most sheet has arrived at a sheet arrival sensor to determine whether or not a ‘fails to feed’ failure mode has occurred; and

moving the elevator vertically in a selected direction through a preset distance, in response to sensing that the pick roll is rotating but the top most sheet not arriving at the sheet arrival sensor, in order to overcome the occurrence of the ‘fails to feed’ failure mode between the pick roll and the top most sheet of the media stack.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said moving the elevator vertically a preset distance includes lowering the elevator, in response to the pick roll rotating within a preset time but the top most sheet not arriving at the sheet arrival sensor within a preset time after initiating operation of the pick roll, in order to sufficiently increase a normal force imposed on the top most sheet by the pick roll to cause feeding of only the top most sheet from the stack and thereby overcome the ‘fails to feed’ failure mode.

19. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming a media handling failure mode, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet of the media stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating and sensing whether or not the top most sheet has arrived at a sheet arrival sensor; and

lowering the elevator through a preset distance, in response to sensing that the pick roll is rotating but the top most sheet not arriving at a sheet arrival sensor, in order to increase a normal force imposed on the top most sheet to overcome the occurrence of a ‘fails to feed’ failure.

20. A media sheet feeding method for overcoming a media handling failure mode, comprising:

supporting a media stack on a generally vertically movable elevator;

initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet of the media stack;

sensing whether or not the pick roll is rotating in conjunction with the top most sheet; and

raising the elevator through a preset distance, in response to sensing that the pick roll is not rotating, in order decrease a normal force imposed on the top most sheet to overcome the occurrence of a ‘pick roll stall’ failure mode.