US 8,746,688 B2Granted

Accumulator for a sheet handling system

AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.

InventorsAnthony E. Yap, Mark Macleod, Richard Stengl, Andrew J. Nikolatos, Gerald Leitz, Iskander Tokmouline

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Abstract

An apparatus for accumulating sheet material in a sheet handling system including a first conveyance, a second conveyance, an auxiliary conveyance and a processor to control the conveyances based upon a selected operating mode. The first conveyance receives singulated sheets and conveys the sheets to an accumulator station to produce completed collations. The second conveyance is operative to dispense completed collations from the accumulator station and, receives the completed collations from the first conveyance, in one operating mode, and from the auxiliary conveyance in another operating mode when the first conveyance is inoperative. The processor is responsive to a next collation signal, to control the conveyances based upon a selected one of the operating modes.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for accumulating sheet material in a sheet handling system, the apparatus responsive to a next collation signal indicative of the beginning- or end-of the next collation in a series of sheets conveyed along a conveyance feed path, comprising:

first, second and auxiliary conveyances, each operative to convey a completed collation of sheets along the conveyance feed path;
the first conveyance conveying the sheets to an accumulator station to produce completed collations;
the second conveyance dispensing the completed collation from the accumulator station, and receiving the completed collations from the first conveyance, in one operating mode, and from the auxiliary conveyance, in another operating mode, when the first conveyance is inoperative;
and
a processor, responsive to the next collation signal, for controlling the conveyances based upon a selected one of the operating modes and
wherein the next collation signal is generated based upon a location of a next collation mark on one of the series of sheets, the next collation mark being located proximal to a leading edge of the one of the series of sheets in the one operating mode and proximal to a trailing edge of the one of the series of sheets in the another operating mode.

3 more elements

An accumulator adapted to reduce the conveyance feed path of sheets fed through a sheet handling system, the accumulator responsive to a next collation signal indicative of the beginning- or end-of the next collation in a series of sheets conveyed along the feed path, the accumulator comprising:

a first conveyance for receiving singulated sheets and conveying the sheets to an accumulator station to produce a completed collation;
a second conveyance for receiving the completed collation from the first conveyance, in a first operating mode, and dispensing the completed collation from the accumulator station;
and
an auxiliary conveyance for conveying the completed collation to the second conveyance in a second operating mode;
and
a processor, responsive to the next collation signal, for controlling the conveyances such that, in the second operating mode, the first conveyance feeds a first sheet of the next collation into a buffer region to cause at least a portion of the first sheet to overlap a last sheet of the current collation, and the auxiliary conveyance feeds the completed collation to the second conveyance while the first conveyance is inactive to hold the first sheet in the buffer region, whereby buffering of the first sheet minimizes the conveyance feed path of the sheet handling system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/341,784Filed 30 Dec 2011
Published: US 2013/0168205 A14 Jul 2013
Granted: 10 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B65H 29/145
And introducing into a pile: the pile being formed between the two, or between the two sets of, tapes or bands or rollers
B65H 31/3027
Arrangements for removing completed piles: by the nip between moving belts or rollers
B65H 2220/01
Function indicators: indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
B65H 2220/02
Function indicators: indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output