Sharp AL-1642CS We are getting light copies and a lot of toner along one edge of the paper.

it must be shared for all to access. The online button can be pressed to stop the print process when adding paper or toner.

so does that mean that you were getting blank copies and the transfer wire is broken?

Open the right side door and carefully clean the transfer wire with alcohol on a paper towel.

Where the toner bottle inserts into the holder, make sure the OLD bottles nipple is not stuck in there, this issue will not allow the new toner to flow into the system and the machine thinks it has an empty bottle

It's one of two of these solutions. The fixing rollers more so the upper fixing roller which is the hot rollers at the exit end of the copier is dirty or need replacing. Or the drum has a cleaning blade on it that needs replacing. If you look at the drum and see if toner is still on the drum if so then your cleaning blade needs replacing. Also if that copier uses a blanking lamp then it might not be turning on so you can get double images.

make a copy when you here the paper getting picked up count 2 seconds and open front cover or side stopping the process open the copier and see if the dark line is on your drum or transfer is the problem

If it keeps coming back on the drum then replace drum.
Very unlikely that the toner is bad.

Look at the operating panel on top and see if the setting is on auto or if it has been changed.

You have a door on the right side of the machine. in that door is a thin piece of wire mounted inside a bracket. The bracket is white and is at an angle in the door. Do you see that now?

Do you have a shop vac with a hose on it? Turn the copier OFF and UNPLUG it from the WALL and use the vac to do all the lose toner & use a brush to get into the cracks and hard to reach areas. The blotches are most likely coming from the paper path, make sure you clean the whole paper path and run some blanks pages in the copier to clear up any left over... Good Luck