Accumulator for collating punch system

An accumulator for a sheet media punching and collating system having a multi-source sheet media intake mechanism disposed above a punching die assembly, the accumulator disposed at an incline between the intake mechanism and the punching die assembly and comprising:

• an inlet, at an upper position, having a shoulder, configured to be disposed adjacent to the multi-source sheet media intake mechanism;
• an outlet, disposed below the inlet, configured to be disposed adjacent to the punching die assembly;
• a pair of selectively moveable collating belts, disposed below the shoulder, each having an upwardly extending lower stop, and having an accumulating position with the lower stops opposite the shoulder and toward the outlet, defining a downwardly inclined drop region between the lower stops and the shoulder, whereby a lower edge of sheets of media received at the inlet can contact the lower stops and sequentially accumulate in the drop region in a book order to form a lift;
• and
• a pair of selectively moveable tapping belts, disposed below the shoulder and parallel to the collating belts, each tapping belt having an upwardly extending upper stop and being moveable independently of the collating belts to contact an upper edge of the lift to align the sheets, and moveable in concert with the collating belts to discharge the lift through the outlet to the punching die assembly.

A method for accumulating a selected quantity of sheets of media in an automatic punching and collating system having a multi-source sheet media intake mechanism and a punching die assembly, comprising:

• receiving into a downwardly inclined drop region in an accumulator, one at a time in a book order, finished media sheets from the multi-source sheet media intake mechanism;
• stopping a first selected quantity of a plurality of the finished media sheets, in the book order, upon a stopping mechanism in the drop region;
• tapping at least top edges of the first selected quantity of the media sheets with a tapping mechanism, while the first selected quantity of sheets are within the accumulator;
• and
• discharging the first selected quantity of finished media sheets, as a unit, to the punching die assembly for punching, using the stopping mechanism.