Method of controlling insertion depth of a moving collation into an accelerating envelope

A method for automated insertion of a collation into an envelope

• feeding the envelope, with its flap open, onto an insert station and stopping the envelope so that its flap crease line is at a predetermined location;
• determining a preferred insertion depth for the collation to be inserted into the envelope, the insertion depth being a distance past the flap crease line for an upstream edge of the collation to be positioned once the collation is inserted into the envelope;
• pushing the collation via a pusher that moves at a constant velocity towards an open end of the envelope and monitoring a location of the pusher as it approaches the insert station;
• accelerating the envelope in the downstream direction from its stooped position to the constant velocity of the pusher, the step of accelerating being triggered by the pusher reaching a position whereby the envelope and the pusher will match velocities at the same time that the collation is at the insertion depth;
• and
• as a result of the accelerating step, inserting the collation to the insertion depth at the same time that the velocity of the envelope matches the velocity of the pusher.