System and method for minimizing the conveyance feed path of a sheet material handling system

A method for operating a sheet handling system including the processing step of feeding singulated sheets from a stack of sheet material and accumulating select sheets into a completed collation of sheets along a conveyance feed path, the method operative to minimize the conveyance feed path of the sheet handling system and comprising the steps of:

• determining a location of a next collation mark on select sheets of the stack of material to be processed;
• selecting an operating mode based upon the proximity of the next collation mark to a leading or trailing edge of each of the select sheets, and
• processing the singulated sheets in a first operating mode when the next collation mark is proximal to the leading edge of each of the select sheets, and in a second operating mode, when the next collation mark is proximal to a trailing edge of each of the select sheets
• wherein, in the first mode, the step of processing includes conveying singulated and collated sheets along the conveyance feed path by at least one of a first and a second conveyance, the first conveyance (i) conveying singulated sheets in series along a feed path to an accumulation station, and (i) urging each completed collation of sheets into second conveyance;
• and the second conveyance (i) retarding the motion of the singulated sheets to produce a completed collation in the accumulator station, and (ii) dispensing each of the completed collation of sheets from the accumulator station;
• and
• wherein in a second mode, the step of processing includes conveying singulated and collated sheets along the conveyance feed path by at least one of a first, a second, and an auxiliary conveyance, the first conveyance (i) conveying singulated sheets in series along a feed path to an accumulation station, and (ii) buffering select sheets in a buffer region of the conveyance feed path to change the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path;
• the second conveyance (i) retarding the motion of the singulated sheets to produce each completed collation of sheets in the accumulator station, and (ii) dispensing each of the completed collation of sheets from the accumulator station;
• and the auxiliary conveyance urges each completed collation of sheets from the accumulator station into second conveyance;
• and
• wherein, the step of buffering select sheets in the second mode, reduces the conveyance feed path of the sheet accumulating system.