Web handling method and apparatus

Method of stacking sheets, comprising:

• feeding sheets longitudinally along a path to one position in a stack, shifting the stack laterally from the one position to another position lateral of the path, feeding at least one additional sheet along the path into the stack while the stack is in the other position to provide at least one separator sheet offset from the remainder of the stack, shifting the stack from the other position to the one position, and feeding additional sheets along the path into the stack while the stack is in the one position.

Method of stacking sheets, comprising:

• providing a stationary stacker base and a stacker carriage on the stacker base, the stacker carriage being shiftable between one position and another position, feeding sheets containing first information along a path onto the stacker carriage while the stacker carriage is in the one position, shifting the stacker carriage from the one position to the other position, feeding at least one sheet containing first information along the path onto the stacker carriage while the stacker carriage is in the other position, shifting the stacker carriage to the one position, and feeding sheets containing second information onto the stacker carriage.

Method of stacking sheets, comprising:

• providing a stationary stacker base, a stacker carriage on the stacker base, the stacker carriage being shiftable between a one position and another position, feeding sheets along a path onto the stacker carriage, and selectively shifting the stacker carriage between the one and the other positions to accumulate sheets both in the one position and in the other position in a stack.

Method of stacking sheets, comprising:

• accumulating a first batch of same-size sheets all having the same first information in a stack, wherein at least the last sheet in the first batch is laterally offset from the remainder of the first batch to provide for batch separation, and accumulating a second batch of same-size sheets all having the same second information in the stack, and all the sheets are aligned with each other except for the offset sheet(s).

Method of stacking sheets, comprising:

• feeding sheets along a longitudinal path to accumulate a stack comprised of batches of sheets, each batch having different printed information, shifting the accumulated portion of the stack laterally of the path before each batch is completed so that only the sheet or sheets which form the end portion of the batch are offset from the remainder of that batch.

A stack of sheets, comprising:

• a first batch of same-size sheets containing first information, a second batch of same-size sheets containing second information, the first batch of sheets including at least one separator sheet next adjacent the second batch of sheets wherein the separator sheet(s) is (or are) offset from the adjacent sheets of the second batch and from the remainder of sheets of the first batch.

A stack, comprising:

• at least two batches of same-size sheets, all of the sheets within each batch containing the same information, the adjacent batches containing different information, wherein at least one sheet at an end of the one batch is offset from the other sheets of that batch and from the adjacent sheet of the adjacent batch to provide batch separation.

A stacker, comprising:

• a stationary stacker base, a stacker carriage on the stacker base, a feeder to feed sheets one-by-one along a longitudinal path onto the stacker carriage, the stacker carriage being shiftable on the stacker base between a first position along the path and an offset second position disposed laterally of the path relative to the first position, and wherein the sheets that are fed onto the stacker carriage while in the first position comprise most of the sheets in the stack and the sheets that are fed onto the stacker carriage while the stacker carriage is in the second position comprise one or more separator sheets.

A stacker, comprising:

• a stationary stacker base, a stacker carriage on the stacker base, a feeder operable to feed sheets along a longitudinal path onto the stacker carriage to form batches of sheets with adjacent batches having different information, the stacker carriage being shiftable on the stacker base between a first position along the path and an offset second position disposed laterally of the path relative to the first position, a driver operable to move the stacker carriage from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position, wherein one or more separator sheets of each new batch are stacked on the stacker carriage while the stacker carriage is in the second position, and wherein the remainder of each batch is stacked on the stacker carriage while the stacker carriage is in the first position.

A sheet feeder, comprising:

• a plurality of different frictional feed members, a turret to bring the feeder members selectively into position to feed sheets, and a driver selectively coupled to one of the feed members.

A sheet feeder, comprising:

• a feed roll for feeding one type of sheet, a feed member for feeding a different type of sheet, a turret including a pivotally mounted frame, the first feed roll being rotatably mounted on the frame, and a drive shaft selectively coupled to either the feed roll or the feed member.

A sheet feeder, comprising:

• a first conveyor, and a second conveyor for selectively receiving tags or liner-backed pressure sensitive labels from the first conveyor, the second conveyor including a turret, a first roll and a second roll rotatably mounted on the turret, a third roll, at least one conveyor belt trained about the first, second and third rolls, a rotatable drive shaft capable of being coupled to either the first roll or the second roll, the first roll being capable of feeding liner-backed pressure sensitive labels when the drive shaft is coupled to the first roll, and the belt(s) being capable of feeding tags when the drive shaft is coupled to the second roll.

Method, comprising:

• printing on a web, cutting the web into sheets, ejecting a leader from the path, feeding the sheets along a path toward a stacker, passing sheets to a stacker, and stacking the sheets in batches with at least one endmost sheet is each batch offset from the other sheets in that batch to provide for batch separation.

Apparatus, comprising:

• a print head for printing on a web, a cutter for cutting sheets from the web, a conveyor for feeding cut sheets along a path into a stacker, an ejector along the path for ejecting a leader from the path, and wherein the stacker stacks the sheets in batches with at least one endmost sheet in each batch offset from the other sheets in that batch to provide for batch separation.