Method for initializing a rotary insert feeder for processing of inserts
AssigneeBell & Howell Company
InventorsJoseph Zuech, Aaron A. Kracht
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application relates to techniques and equipment to manufacture mailpieces containing inserts. The equipment can be an inserter or an envelope wrapper that collects documents and inserts on a collating track before the material is inserted into an envelope by inserting equipment or wrapped with paper or film to make an envelope by wrapping equipment. More specifically, the present application relates to a rotary insert feeder that feeds inserts to a collating track on inserting or wrapping type equipment.
Claims17
A method for initializing a rotary insert feeder for processing of a plurality of inserts, the method comprising steps of:
- measuring a length of a first insert delivered from a vacuum belt assembly to a collating track, the collating track comprising a bottom plate with leading and trailing pusher pins with a predetermined spacing therebetween, wherein the pusher pins protrude upwardly through channels in the collation track bottom plate;
- calculating, by way of a control processor, a distance between a trailing edge of the first insert, placed on the collation track with its leading edge positioned behind the first leading pusher pin, using the measured length of the first insert and the predetermined spacing between leading and trailing pusher pins;
- determining a new rotary insert feeder position relative to the collation track pusher pins, based on the calculated distance and a desired distance;
- adjusting, by way of the control processor, the rotary insert feeder to the determined position;
- and
- feeding a second insert from the vacuum belt assembly to the collating track such that a second distance between a trailing edge of the second insert and a second trailing pusher pin is equal to the desired distance.
A system for initializing a rotary insert feeder for processing of a plurality of inserts, the system comprising:
- a rotary insert feeder for feeding the plurality of inserts to a collating track of document processing equipment, the collating track comprising a bottom plate with leading and trailing pusher pins with a predetermined spacing therebetween, wherein the pusher pins protrude upwardly through channels in the collation track bottom plate;
- a programmed control processor associated with the rotary insert feeder and the collating track configured to perform the following steps:
- measuring a length of a first insert delivered from a vacuum belt assembly of the rotary insert feeder to the collating track,
- calculating a distance between a trailing edge of the first insert, placed on the collation track with its leading edge positioned behind the first leading pusher pin, using the measured length of the first insert and the predetermined spacing between leading and trailing pusher pins;
- determining a new rotary insert feeder position relative to the collation track pusher pins, based on the calculated distance and a desired distance;
- adjusting, by way of the control processor, the rotary insert feeder to the determined position;
- and
- feeding a second insert from the vacuum belt assembly to the collating track such that a second distance between a trailing edge of the second insert and a second trailing pusher pin is equal to the desired distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.