Collating station for inserting machine

Apparatus for collating first and second documents advancing serially in a common plane, comprising:

• first feed means engageable with the first document and operable for advancing the first document toward a collating station, said first feed means including a plurality of first pusher fingers;
• second feed means engageable with the second document and operable for advancing the second document in the common plane to the collating station, said second feed means including a plurality of second pusher fingers;
• a holding platform at the collating station lying in a plane above the common plane for temporarily receiving the first document and having a terminal edge transverse to the direction of travel of the first and second documents;
• a substantially level elongate surface over which the first and second documents are advanced by said first and second feed means;
• transfer means at the collating station for withdrawing the first document from said first feed means and lifting it out of the common plane, then guiding it along a defined course terminating at said holding platform, said transfer means having a ramp movable between an inactive position to permit uninterrupted advancement of the documents along said elongate surface and an active position;
• moving belt means cooperable with said ramp when said ramp is in the active position to form a nip therebetween for receiving the first document from said first feed means, said belt means being frictionally engageable with the first document so as to firmly bias the first document against said ramp and thereby positively guide the first document toward and onto said holding platform;
• flexible, elongated drive means mounting said first pusher fingers at predetermined spaced locations thereon and said second pusher fingers at predetermined spaced locations thereon intermediate said first pusher fingers for movement along said elongate surface;
• actuating means selectively operable for moving said ramp between the active and inactive positions;
• and
• timing means effective for coordinating operation of said actuating means with the position of each of said first and second fingers whereby said ramp is moved to the active position when one of said first fingers is at a predetermined location prior to reaching the collating station and whereby said ramp is moved to the inactive position when one of said second fingers is at a predetermined location prior to reaching the collating station, and said second feed means being engageable, upon continued operation thereof, with the first document as the first document is positioned on said holding platform and being operable for advancing the first document across said terminal edge and downwardly onto the second document such that the first document overlies the second document in a parallel, contiguous relationship.

Apparatus for collating first and second documents advancing serially in a common plane comprising:

• first feed means engageable with the first document and operable for advancing the first document toward a collating station;
• second feed means engageable with the second document and operable for advancing the second document in the common plane to the collating station;
• a holding platform at the collating station lying in a plane above the common plane for temporarily receiving the first document and having a terminal edge transverse to the direction of travel of the first and second documents;
• transfer means of the collating station for withdrawing the first document from said first feed means and lifting it out of the common plane, then guiding it along a defined course terminating at said holding platform;
• said second feed means being engageable, upon continued operation thereof, with the first document as the first document is positioned on said holding platform and being operable for advancing the first document across said terminal edge and downwardly onto the second document such that the first document overlies the second document in a parallel contiguous relationship;
• a substantially level elongate surface over which the first and second documents are advanced by said first and second feed means from an upstream and toward a downstream end;
• a first cylindrical drum rotatable about a transversely extending axis lying in a plane parallel to said elongate surface and spaced therefrom by a first distance;
• drive means including a drive shaft journaled on said frame for rotating said first drum;
• a second cylindrical drum upstream of said first drum and rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said first drum and spaced from said elongate surface by a second distance less than said first distance;
• first continuous belt means drivingly received on said first and second drums such that rotation of said first drum imparts movement to said first belt means and, in turn, rotation of said second drum;
• a third cylindrical drum downstream of said first drum rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said first and second drums and spaced from said elongate surface by a distance less than said second distance;
• second continuous belt means drivingly received on said second and third drums such that rotation of said second drum imparts movement to said second continuous belt means and, in turn, rotation of said third drum;
• a ramp movable between an inactive position to permit uninterrupted advancement of the documents along said elongate surface, and an active position;
• and
• a fixed transitional surface adapted to receive thereon a first document, said transitional surface overlying said elongate surface intermediate said holding platform and said ramp when said ramp is in the active position, said first continuous belt means being cooperable with said ramp when said ramp is in the active position to form a nip therebetween for receiving the first document from said first feed means, said first belt means being frictionally engageable with the first document so as to firmly bias the first document against said ramp and to advance the first document toward engagement by said second belt means, and said second belt means being frictionally engageable with the first document so as to bias the first document so as to bias the first document against said transitional surface and thereby positively advance and guide the first document onto said holding platform.