Method and apparatus for separating a stream of documents into discrete groups
AssigneeEnergy Saving Products and Sales Corporation
InventorRichard P. Lamothe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and process are provided for separating one or more endless streams of pages into corresponding staggered stacks of reports for further processing. Each page of a first report is taken from the endless stream and moved into a first position on a first stack of reports, and each page of the next subsequent report is moved onto a second stack staggered from the first. This process is continued indefinitely. Alternatively, more than two stacks can be provided for. Also, numerous endless streams of pages, in side-by-side relation, can be stacked into a plurality of stacks of reports in side-by-side relation so as to be conveniently assembled for further processing.
Claims13
COMPONENT DESIGNATIONS 20 Web 22 Sheet cutter unit 24 Cut sheets 26 Conveyor 28 Separator unit 30 Sorting mechanism 32 Staggered stack of reports 34 Floating table 36 Observer position 38 Conveyor bands 40 Driven axle 42 First idling axle 44 Second idling axle 46 Crank arm 48 First air cylinder 50 Second air cylinder 52 Actuator 54 Optical sensor 56 First stream of documents 58 Second stream of documents
- 1. A machine to separate a continuous stream of pages into discrete positions on a holding area, comprising:
- conveyor means to provide a continuous stream of pages seriatim in a first direction;
- means to determine which page in the continuous stream is a last page of a report;
- a driven axle, an idling axle and at least one conveyor band so arranged as to frictionally move pages from the continuous stream toward the holding area;
- and
- means for shifting one of the axles to selectively direct pages to a first or a second position of the holding area.
The machine of claim 1, wherein said means for shifting one of the axles includes means for shifting said idling axle laterally.
The machine of claim 1, further comprising a second idling axle connected to said driven axle by a second conveyor band, and said means for shifting one of the axles includes means for shifting at least one of said idling axles vertically.
The machine of claim 1 wherein said first and second positions are staggered longitudinally.
A machine to separate a continuous stream of pages into discrete reports, and to provide these discrete reports in stacks in a first or a second position on a holding area, comprising:
- conveyor means to move the continuous stream of pages toward the holding area;
- an overhead conveyor system including a driven shaft adjacent the continuous stream of pages, and an opposing idling shaft downstream thereof, said idling shaft being shiftable to direct a last page of a report toward one of said first or second positions and the next subsequent page of the continuous stream to the other of said first or second positions.
The machine of claim 5 further comprising a number n−1 of other machines of claim 11 in side-by-side relation, so as to process n continuous streams of documents in side-by-side relation into n stacks, wherein the number n is any whole number greater than one, and wherein each machine shares a common driven shaft.
An apparatus for sperating a stream of documents into discrete groups, and comprising;
- a) input conveyor means to move at least one stream of document in a downstream direction;
- b) a document support table for receiving the documents fed from said input conveyor means;
- c) overhead conveyor means above said table that receives the documents so fed from said input conveyor means, said conveyor means being driven at a speed that is adjustable relative to the speed of said input conveyor means;
- and
- d) means for shifting said overhead conveyor means transversely to provide documents from said at least one stream in transversely staggered groups on said table.
An apparatus for separating a stream of documents into discrete groups, and comprising:
- a) input conveyor means to move at least one stream of documents in a downstream direction;
- b) a document support table for receiving the documents fed from said input conveyor means;
- c) overhead conveyor means above said table that receives the documents so fed from said input conveyor means, said conveyor means being driven at a speed that is adjustable relative to the speed of said input conveyor means;
- and
- d) means to further adjust the speed of said overhead conveyor means independent of said input conveyor means so as to provide documents from at least one stream in longitudinally staggered groups on said table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.