Sheet-size and stacking direction adjustable accumulator with removable ramps and method
AssigneeBell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
InventorsJohn J. Semanick, John H. Vitko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheet-size and stacking direction adjustable accumulator and method are disclosed. The accumulator is easily adjustable for handling sheets of different widths and for either under or over accumulating. The adjustability is provided by allowing accumulator ramps to be added or removed without having to deconstruct the accumulator and without the need for special skill.
Claims15
A sheet-size and stacking direction adjustable accumulator, comprising:
- (a) a conveyor mechanism for moving sheets along a sheet path and towards an accumulation area;
- and
- (b) at least one ramp for deflecting sheets in an over accumulation manner in a first direction, said at least one ramp removable from said accumulator without having to deconstruct said accumulator and said at least one ramp being invertible for deflecting sheets in an under accumulation manner in a second direction.
A method of accumulating sheets, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a sheet accumulator having a sheet accumulating area;
- (b) conveying sheets down a sheet path and towards said sheet accumulating area;
- (c) providing at least one ramp;
- (d) positioning said at least one ramp inside said accumulator in accordance with the width of the sheet to be accumulated;
- (e) using said at least one ramp to deflect sheets into said sheet accumulating area;
- and
- (f) adjusting the number and positioning of ramps across a transverse sheet plane in accordance with the width of the sheet to be accumulated.
A method of reversing the direction in which sheets are stacked in an accumulator, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a sheet accumulator apparatus;
- (b) providing said sheet accumulator with ramps configured for stacking sheets in a first direction;
- (c) removing said ramps;
- and
- (d) replacing said ramps in an inverted configuration for stacking sheets in a second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.