High throughput sheet accumulator

A sheet accumulator assembly, comprising:

• an input transport for receiving serially fed sheets from an upstream module;
• a first accumulator downstream of the input transport;
• a second accumulator adjacent to the first accumulator and downstream of the input transport;
• a diverter for diverting sheets from the input transport to one of the first and second accumulators;
• a merging transport for receiving completed accumulations from the first and second accumulators and merging them into a single output transport path;
• and
• a divert mechanism for receiving the completed accumulations from the merging transport and selectively diverting accumulations from the output transport path, wherein each of the first accumulator and the second accumulator comprise:
• a guide deck for supporting sheets fed on a paper path;
• a belt arrangement selectively engageable with the guide deck for driving the sheets in a desired orientation on the guide deck along the paper path;
• a ramp apparatus positioned across the paper path for deflecting sheets away from the guide deck as the sheets are fed from an upstream portion of the guide deck to
• an accumulating region of the guide deck downstream of the ramp apparatus;
• and
• a stop mechanism downstream of the accumulating region for preventing movement of the sheets during formation of an accumulation and for transporting the sheets when the accumulation is completed.

A method of accumulating sheets, comprising:

• feeding sheets serially on a first paper path;
• supporting the sheets on a first guide deck;
• selectively engaging a first belt arrangement with the first guide deck to drive the sheets in a desired orientation on the first guide deck along the first paper path, wherein the first belt arrangement is configured to maintain the sheets in the desired orientation without sideguides;
• deflecting the sheets away from the first guide deck as the sheets are fed from an upstream portion of the first guide deck to a downstream accumulating region of the first guide deck;
• preventing movement of the sheets from the first guide deck during formation of an accumulation;
• and
• transporting the sheets on the first paper path when the accumulation is completed, and
• adjusting a length of the downstream accumulating region of the first guide deck.