Dynamic buffering apparatus and method for processing documents

A method for processing of documents to be used as accompanying paper support in a direct mailing of cards or the like identifiable by a respective univocal code, providing coupling of one or more cards or the like with a respective paper support generated by a printing process, the method comprising:

• reading the univocal codes identifying each card or the like of a group of N cards;
• using the univocal codes, querying a database that contains, for each card, a record containing the data required for the direct mailing of the card;
• starting from the records, generating a respective print instruction for each of the N cards of the group, and subsequently generating an overall print instruction gathering the print instructions of the paper supports of all the N cards of the group;
• printing of N documents to be used as paper supports, imprinting on each of them a respective identification code linked to the univocal code of one of the N cards of the group;
• buffering of the above documents, in the sequence in which they are supplied through the printing step, in a stack of individual sheets arranged one on top of the other, wherein the stack of individual sheets is arranged on a deformable supporting plane and wherein the stacking of the incoming sheets is carried out by deforming the supporting plane, and inserting the incoming sheet beneath the sheet stack, as the lower sheet of the stack, and so on for each further incoming sheet;
• releasing individual sheets, upon request of a processing device downstream the buffering stack, picking up the individual sheets at the top of the stack;
• and
• reading the identification code of the released individual sheet, and supplying a coupling station with the individual sheets to couple together the paper support and the corresponding card on the basis of the identification code on the sheet and of the univocal code identifying the card.