Dual collating machine

A collating a series of individually spaced sheets machine for collating sheets of paper fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder, comprising:

• means for conveying sheets of paper fed from the feeder;
• diverting means adjacent said conveying means for individually diverting said sheets to first and second paths to form first and second collations, respectively, said diverting means having first and second operative positions respective said first and second paths;
• a lower collating section adjacent said diverting means, said lower collating section defining said first path;
• an upper collating section superposed to said lower collating section, said upper collating section defining said second path;
• wherein each of said upper and lower collating sections include at least one upper, endless, elastic belt and one lower, endless, elastic belt, each of said belts having an upper and lower reach, and wherein the lower reach of the upper belt is situated slightly above the upper reach of the lower belt to thereby frictionally engage and transport said sheets of paper, each of said collating sections further including ramp means operatively coupled to said upper and lower belts for directing each of said sheets of paper to a stacking portion of said collating section whereby collations of said sheets are formed;
• control means operatively coupled to said diverting means for alternating said diverting means between said first and second operative positions;
• and
• sensor means operatively connected to said control means for sensing when a sheet is conveyed to said diverting means, said sensor means senses when a last sheet of a predetermined number of sheets of said first and second collations is conveyed to said diverting means and transmits to said control means a signal indicating said last sheet is conveyed, and said control means actuates said diverting means upon receiving said signal.

A collating machine for stacking and collating sheets of paper conveyed seriatim thereto along a single paper path in the same or reverse order as said sheets are conveyed, comprising:

• means for receiving the sheets of paper fed seriatim along the single paper path;
• means adjacent said receiving means for diverting the sheets to first and second paper paths, said diverting means having first and second operative positions corresponding to said first and second paper paths, wherein said diverting means alternates said operative positions when a last sheet of a collation is being conveyed to one of said first and second paper paths;
• a first collating section adjacent said diverting means for stacking the sheets diverted to said first paper path;
• a second collating section adjacent said diverting means and said first collating section for stacking the sheets diverted to said second paper path;
• a chute downstream of said first and second collating sections, said chute having two channels through which collated stacks of the sheets pass as said stack of sheets are conveyed from said first and second collating sections respectively to a subsequent single paper path.