On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:30:22 -0800, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

Yeah; if only we could have desktop printers with feeders as reliable as
the one on the Heidelberg Speedmaster I used to "own" ... now *that's* a
feeder!

Ummm.... su
http://www.heidelberg.com/www/html/en/content/overview1/products/sheetfed_overview-qg
I'm not familiar with it, but my guess is that it uses vacuum pickup
to handle large format and heavy items, such as box cardboard. Such
technology doesn't scale well for the home and small biz printer.
Ignoring the size, price tag, skill level, ink handling, and required
accessories (i.e. dryer), the home version of this beast would
probably make so much noise that it would be unsellable. Still, it
might be possible to borrow some of the paper handling technology and
use it for small printers. For example, instead of pick and plop
vacuum paper handling, the feed rollers could use vacuum to grab,
hold, and eventually release the paper. I suspect that this may also
become a vacuum cleaner, sucking up dust and filth from the
surroundings, but that can be handled by occasionally reversing the
air flow and blasting the dust back into the owners face, until they
get the clue.

Having seen miniature engines, metal working machinery, and
automobiles, I suspected that someone might build a miniature offset
press that could be adaptable for home use. There's a 1937 patent:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=fOo-AAAAEBAJ&dq=2099962
which is not very useful. Google found some vendors in China and
India that sell miniature offset presses. However, their idea of
miniature is about the size of refrigerator. I couldn't find anything
the size of a typical inkjet printer. So, there's your dot.com
opportunity. Design and sell mini-Heidelberg style offset presses for
those home users that need to print on all manner of wrinkled,
pre-printed, warped, filthy, and disgusting paper without a paper jam.
Incidentally, forget about cut sheet paper. Roll feed is far faster,
cheaper, and generally better.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558