System for assembling collation sets from a split web

A system for assembling collation sets from a split web, the split web consisting of two webstreams each providing a series of collations of connected sheets, the system comprising:

• a cutter or burster, responsive to the two webstreams, for drawing a sheet alternatively from each webstream to a respective port, for providing a cut or burst sheet;
• a conveyor, responsive to the cut or burst sheet, for conveying the cut or bust sheet to an accumulating station;
• a dual accumulator, responsive to the cut or burst sheet at the accumulating station, for accumulating the sheet in an accumulating area, the accumulating station having a first accumulator for accumulating the separated sheets from the first webstream into collations and a second accumulator for accumulating the separated sheets from the second webstream into collations;
• means for monitoring the sheet for determining whether the sheet is a beginning or an end of a collation;
• and
• means for ejecting a collation in an accumulating area based upon the determining of whether the sheet is the beginning or the end of a collation.

An apparatus for assembling collation sets from a split web, the split web consisting of two webstreams each providing a series of collations of connected sheets comprising:

• a sheet separator for receiving the two webstreams and for alternatively separating a sheet from each webstream and conveying the separated sheets to a conveyor;
• the conveyor arranged for receiving the separated sheets from the sheet separator;
• a dual accumulator arranged for receiving the separated sheets from the conveyor having a first accumulator for accumulating the separated sheets from the first webstream into collations and a second accumulator for accumulating the separated sheets from the second webstream into collations;
• at least one monitor for determining collation breaks in each of the webstreams;
• and
• at least one ejector responsive to the at least one monitor for ejecting the collations from the dual accumulator.