Method and apparatus for assembling and forwarding sets of sheets
AssigneeBell & Howell Company
InventorsGerd Mattern, Franz-Georg Immerschitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
At least three storage devices (6,7,8) are serially arranged between an entrance station (1) and a processing station. Transfer devices are disposed between adjacent storage devices and between a last storage device and the processing station. The transfer devices are operated independently of each other, a given transfer device being operated whenever both a storage device which precedes the given transfer device in the direction of travel of the sets of sheets is occupied and a storage device which succeeds the given transfer device in the direction of travel of the sets of sheets is ready to receive a set of sheets.
Claims8
An apparatus for assembling sets of sheets and for forwarding assembled sets of sheets to a processing station at a predetermined cycle frequency, said apparatus comprising:
- an entrance station including a receiving station which serves to receive individual form sheets;
- at least three storage devices serially arranged in a direction of travel of said sets between said entrance station and said processing station;
- means for feeding individual form sheets from said receiving station of said entrance station to a first of said storage devices, related ones of said form sheets being collectable in a set of form sheets at said first storage device;
- means for determining when all related form sheets belonging to a set of sheets has been fed from said entrance station into said first storage device;
- a plurality of first transfer means provided at least partially between adjacent ones of said storage devices for transferring sets of sheets in said direction of travel between said adjacent storage devices;
- second transfer means provided between said processing station and a storage device which precedes said processing station for transferring sets of sheets to said processing station;
- each of said first transfer means being independently and intermittently operable whereby a given one of said first transfer means is operated only when (1) the storage device which precedes said given transfer means in said direction of travel is occupied by a set of sheets, and (2) the storage device which succeeds said given transfer means in said direction of travel can receive a set of sheets;
- and,
- said second transfer means being independently operable whereby said second transfer means is operated when (1) the storage device which precedes said processing station is occupied by a set of sheets, and (2) said processing station can receive a set of sheets.
A method of assembling sets of sheets and for forwarding assembled sets of sheets to a processing station at a predetermined cycle frequency, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an entrance station including a receiving station wherein individual form sheets are received;
- arranging at least three storage devices in serial fashion in a direction of travel of said sets from said entrance station to said processing station;
- feeding individual form sheets from said receiving station of said entrance station to a first of said storage devices;
- determining when all related form sheets belonging to a set of sheets has been fed from said entrance station into said first storage device;
- collecting related ones of said form sheets in a set of form sheets at said first storage device;
- providing means for transferring sets of forms between adjacent storage devices, and between a last storage device and said processing station;
- transferring said assembled sheets toward said processing station using said transfer means provided at least partially between adjacent storage devices by independently and intermittently controlling each of said transfer means in a manner whereby a given transfer means is operated only when (1) the storage device which precedes said given transfer means is occupied by a set of sheets, and (2) the storage device which succeeds said given transfer means can receive a set of sheets;
- and,
- transferring sets of sheets from said last storage device to said processing station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.