# US 8,540,226 B2 · System and method for minimizing the conveyance feed path of a sheet material handling system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,226 B2 - Document ID: US8540226B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/341,821 - Filed: 2011-12-30 - Published: 2013-07-04 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-30 - Assignees: Pitney Bowes Inc. - Applicants: Anthony E Yap; Mark Macleod; Thomas M Lyga; Gerald Leitz; Andrew J Nikolatos; Richard Stengl; Iskander Tomouline - Inventors: Anthony E Yap; Mark Macleod; Thomas M Lyga; Gerald Leitz; Andrew J Nikolatos; Richard Stengl; Iskander Tomouline - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540226B2 ## CPC - B65H 29/145: {the pile being formed between the two, or between the two sets of, tapes or bands or rollers} - B43M 3/04: automatic - B65H 1/06: for separation from bottom of pile - B65H 1/22: moving in direction of plane of articles, e.g. for bodily advancement of fanned-out piles - B65H 3/10: Suction rollers - B65H 3/5238: {Retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads} - B65H 29/243: {Suction rollers} - B65H 29/669: {ending an overlapping stream} - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2406/332: Details on suction openings - B65H 2511/20: Location in space - B65H 2511/22: Distance - B65H 2511/414: of mode of operation - B65H 2511/512: Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns - B65H 2553/42: Cameras - B65H 2701/1311: leading edge - B65H 2701/1313: trailing edge - B65H 2801/66: Envelope filling machines - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - B43M: BUREAU ACCESSORIES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (stapling devices B25C5/00; devices for temporarily attaching sheets together B42F) ## Abstract A method for operating a sheet handling system including the steps of: determining a location of a next collation mark on select sheets of the stack of material, selecting an operating mode based upon the proximity of the next collation mark relative to a leading or trailing edge of each of the select sheets, 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. Each of the select sheets is buffered to change the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path. By selectively processing the sheets based upon the location of the next collation mark, the conveyance feed path is minimized. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a sheet handling system including the processing steps 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, and buffering each of the select sheets along 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the buffering step changes the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path such that a portion each of the select sheet overlaps a portion of each completed collation of sheets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2 the buffering step includes the step of capturing each of the selected sheets by a first conveyance and conveying each completed collation of sheets by a second conveyance. ### Claim 4 The method according to step 3 further including the step of conveying each completed collation of sheets by an auxiliary conveyance disposed upstream of the second conveyance, to augment the conveyance of the completed collation toward the second conveyance. ### Claim 5 A method for operating a sheet handling system including the processing steps 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5 wherein the processing step includes buffering each of the select sheets along 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6 wherein the buffering step changes the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path such that a portion each of the select sheet overlaps a portion of each completed collation of sheets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5 wherein the processing step includes buffering each of the select sheets along the conveyance feed path, in the second operating mode, to change the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8 wherein the buffering step changes the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path such that a portion each of the select sheet overlaps a portion of each completed collation of sheets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9 further including the step of wherein the buffering step includes the step of capturing each of the selected sheets by a first conveyance and conveying each completed collation of sheets by a second conveyance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9 further including the step of capturing each of the selected sheets by a first conveyance and conveying each completed collation of sheets by a second conveyance. ### Claim 12 The method according to step 10 further including the step of conveying each completed collation of sheets by an auxiliary conveyance disposed upstream of the second conveyance, to augment the conveyance of the completed collation toward the second conveyance. ### Claim 13 The method according to step 11 further including the step of conveying each completed collation of sheets by an auxiliary conveyance disposed upstream of the second conveyance, to augment the conveyance of the completed collation toward the second conveyance. ### Claim 14 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.