Sheet accumulator systems and methods
AssigneeBell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
InventorsEdward J. Kapturowski, Ronald J. Mich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sheet accumulator systems and methods are provided for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets. The method can include advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence and under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack. The method can also include under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack and automatically stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
Claims42
A method for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
- (a) advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence;
- (b) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack;
- (c) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack;
- and
- (d) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
A method for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
- (a) advancing sheets of a sheet set in a predetermined sequence;
- (b) determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the sheet set;
- and
- (c) if the first under-accumulation deck cannot under-accumulate the sheet set:
- (i) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack in the first under-accumulation deck;
- (ii) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack in a second under-accumulation deck;
- and
- (iii) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
The method of step 14 further including comparing the number of sheets in the sheet set to the maximum number of sheets that can be under-accumulated by the first under-accumulation deck.
A system for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
- (a) an advancing mechanism for advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence;
- (b) a first under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack;
- (c) a second under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack;
- and
- (d) a stacking device operable to stack the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
A system for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
- (a) an advancing mechanism for advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence;
- (b)a first under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack;
- (c) a second under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack;
- (d) a controller operable to determine whether the first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the advanced sheets;
- and
- (e) a stacking device operable to stack the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
A program product, comprising at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one programmable computer for controlling an accumulator system causes the accumulator system to perform a sequence of steps for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, the sequence of steps comprising:
- (a) advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence;
- (b) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack;
- (c) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack;
- and
- (d) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
A program product, comprising at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one programmable computer for controlling an accumulator system causes the accumulator system to perform a sequence of steps for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, the sequence of steps comprising:
- (a) advancing sheets of a sheet set in a predetermined sequence;
- (b) determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the sheet set;
- and
- (c) if the first under-accumulation deck cannot under-accumulate the sheet set:
- (i) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack in the first under-accumulation deck;
- (ii) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack in a second under-accumulation deck;
- and
- (iii) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.