Signature gatherer with light detector misfeed sensors

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers for holding signatures;
• a collating pocket movable past said plurality of hoppers and for receiving signatures from said plurality of hoppers;
• a member connected with said pocket for movement therewith past said plurality of hoppers;
• means for supporting said member for movement relative to said pocket to a sensor actuating position in response to a misfeed of plural signatures into said pocket;
• and
• sensor means stationary relative to said plurality of hoppers and for sensing that said member has moved to said sensor actuating position, said member being movable with said pocket past said sensor means to enable said sensor means to sense that said member moved to said sensor actuating position in response to a misfeed of plural signatures into said pocket.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers for holding signatures;
• a collating pocket movable past said plurality of hoppers and for receiving a signature from each of said plurality of hoppers;
• a member connected with said pocket for movement therewith past said plurality of hoppers and for moving a predetermined amount relative to said pocket in response to a misfeed into said pocket, said member including a driven roller and a displaceable roller lying against said driven roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving a signature, said displaceable roller being displaced said predetermined amount in response to a misfeed into said nip;
• and
• means for sensing that said member has moved said predetermined amount.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers for holding signatures;
• a collating pocket movable past said plurality of hoppers and for receiving a signature from each of said plurality of hoppers;
• a member connected with said collating pocket and for moving relative to said pocket in response to a feed of a signature into said pocket, said member remaining stationary relative to said pocket in response to a misfeed into said pocket, said member including a driven roller and a displaceable roller lying against said driven roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving a signature, said displaceable roller remaining stationary relative to said pocket when a misfeed into said nip occurs;
• and
• sensor means for sensing that said member remained stationary in response to a misfeed into said pocket and for providing a signal indicative thereof.

An apparatus for forming sheet material assemblages, said apparatus comprising holder means for holding a plurality of stacks of sheet material, a plurality of receiving locations movable past each of the stacks of sheet material in turn, a plurality of feeder means movable with said plurality of receiving locations and for feeding sheet material from the stacks of sheet material to said receiving locations, each of said receiving locations being associated with a corresponding one of said feeder means, each of said feeder means being operatable to feed sheet material from each stack of the plurality of stacks of sheet material to its associated receiving location, means for sequentially moving each of said receiving locations and its associated feeder means past each of the stacks of sheet material in turn, a plurality of members located within said receiving locations, each receiving location being associated with a respective one of said members, each member moving an amount within an associated predetermined range in response to feeding of sheet material from the stacks of sheet material to its associated receiving location, and sensor means for sensing the amount of movement of each of said members, said sensor means being stationary relative to said holder means, each member being movable with its associated receiving location past said sensor means to enable said sensor means to sense the amount of movement of the member within its associated predetermined range in response to feeding of sheet material from the stacks of sheet material to its associated receiving location.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers for holding signatures;
• a collating pocket movable past said plurality of hoppers and for receiving a signature from each of said plurality of hoppers;
• a member connected with said pocket for movement therewith past said plurality of hoppers and for moving a predetermined amount relative to said pocket in response to a misfeed into said pocket, said member including a plate supported for movement relative to said pocket, said plate moving said predetermined amount in response to a misfeed into said pocket;
• means for sensing that said member has moved said predetermined amount;
• and
• a light source for providing a light beam, said plate moving to block a first portion of the light bean when a signature is received in said pocket, said plate moving said predetermined amount to block a second portion of the light beam when a misfeed into said pocket occurs, said sensor means sensing the portion of the light beam not blocked by said plate and providing a signal indicative of a misfeed into said pocket, said signal being provided in response to said plate moving said predetermined amount to block the second portion of the light beam.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of hoppers for holding signatures;
• a collating pocket movable past said plurality of hoppers and for receiving a signature from each of said plurality of hoppers;
• a member connected with said collating pocket and for moving relative to said pocket in response to a feed of a signature into said pocket, said member remaining stationary relative to said pocket in response to a misfeed into said pocket;
• sensor means for sensing that said member remained stationary in response to a misfeed into said pocket and for providing a signal indicative thereof;
• and
• a light source for providing a light beam, said plate moving to block a first portion of the light beam when a signature is received in said pocket, said plate remaining stationary relative to said pocket and blocking a second portion of the light beam when a misfeed into said pocket occurs, said sensor means sensing the portion of the light beam not blocked by said plate and providing a signal indicative of a misfeed into said pocket, said signal being provided in response to said plate remaining stationary relative to said pocket and blocking the second portion of the light beam.