The Xerox 3109 copier was introduced in October 1977.
This model had a SEMI-automatic document handler.
First copy after 6.4 seconds, and produced 26 copier per minute.
High-contrast reproduction, gave a solid and faithful images of photos (a special contrast switch, would take care of any hard-to-copy items)
Accepted a variety of throughput stock, including mailing labels, letterhead, colored papers and transparencies.
The flat, edge-mounted platen could enables you to copy bound volumes, B-size drawings, three dimensional objects... anything up to 14" x 18" (or 14" x 25", with an optional paper cassette).
Pushbutton reduction, to shrink oversize originals into convenient-size copies: the 3109 was available with either a 61.5% lens (for originals up to 14" x 18"), or a 71.6% lens (for letter-size copies of 14" x 11" computer printouts).
I’ll have to say, my experience was very different from yours, and just about everyone else that worked on the infamous 3109. Except the astonishing joke of a document feeder. I flat-out told users – some of them were very unhappy, and called the branch about it – I told them the doc feeder was a marketing gimmick and a piece of crap. I nevertheless tried to make them work. What was different, is that I did make-ready on hundreds of these at the branch, and learned them well, and all of mine ran like a Porsche. I loved them.… Read more »
… make that SEMI-automatic, Eric – human intervention was required to push documents into the maw of that thing. The first time I had to work on that LDC feeder with the little spinning foam donut, I honestly thought that Rube Goldberg might have had something to do with it. The machine was clocked too fast for the original 3100 frame design it was built upon. The radiant fuser and that poor little star wheel sensor on the vacuum transport just couldn’t handle the jacked-up speed without sacrificing reliability, copy quality and financially practical serviceability. I remember running one during… Read more »
Thanks for correcting me Anakai. I have edited the page now.