Pitney Bowes Inc.

Other

Dmt Solutions Global Corporation

Edward M Ifkovits

Russell W Holbrook

Karel J Janatka

Daniel J Williams

Michael R Ifkovits

Robert Marcinik

Joseph F Zuzick, Jr

Richard F Stengl

Joseph A Trudeau

Eric J Janatka

Shahzad H Malick

John J Mercede, Jr

Linda A Howard

Joseph Gelb, Jr

Douglas P Sprenger

Edward F Ifkovits, Sr

Robert J Allen

Boris Rozenfeld

George N Branecky

Douglas G Long

Earl E Eschweiler, Jr

Peter K Zanger

Anthony M Macelis

Joseph F Zuzick

Adrian S Ruck

Philip G Ruess

Rebecca J Pritting

George Cruz

Bernhard J Christ

Joseph T Zuzick

Russel W Holbrook

A collation folding device comprising one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions. Below and adjacent to the fold rollers are adjustable nip rollers to form nip spacing between the rollers. The adjustable nip roller is mounted on a nip axis shaft. An adjustment mechanism is used for moving the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing. The nip adjustment mechanism includes a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported. An eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower. Rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis drives the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing.

Method and apparatus for adjusting fold roller gaps

A system is provided for aligning multi-sheet collations including a conveyance system having a transport deck for supporting and conveying the multi-sheet collation along a feed path. The system includes a first pair of registration members disposed orthogonal to the feed path and defining a processing station along the feed path. The registration members further define registration surfaces which are repositionable from an active position above the transport deck to an idle position below the transport deck. A first displacement mechanism raises and lowers the registration members into and out of the active and idle positions, and oscillates at least one of the registration surfaces forward and aft in a direction parallel to the feed path when the registration member is in its active position. A processor controls the motion of the conveyance system relative to the registration members of the alignment station, and controls the first displacement mechanism to: (i) raise the registration surfaces into the active position, (ii) oscillate the registration surfaces to align the opposing edges of the multi-sheet collation, and (iii) lower the registration surfaces into the idle position to facilitate conveyance of the aligned multi-sheet collation along the feed path.

Transport and alignment system for producing variable thickness collations

A system and method for producing printed sheet material for use in a mailpiece inserter. The system comprises an input module for supplying the printed sheet material associated with a mailpiece fabrication job of the mailpiece inserter and a transfer module adapted to receive the printed sheet material from the input module and dispense the printed sheet material. An output module is adapted to receive the printed sheet material from the transfer module and convey the printed sheet material along the transport deck. A processor is operatively coupled to a mail run data file of the mailpiece fabrication job for controlling the input, transfer and output modules to stack the printed sheet material in accordance with the mail run data file. In the method, the output module includes at least two transport decks which may be repositioned such that one of the transport decks receives/stacks the printed sheet material in a manner which is best suited for subsequent use by the mailpiece inserter.

System and method for producing and arranging sheet material for use in a mailpiece inserter

A system for binding variable thickness multi-sheet collations includes first and second processing stations including a stitcher and stapler, respectively and a means for determining the thickness of a multi-sheet collation. A processor is responsive to a thickness value signal and selects one of the first and second processing stations to bind the multi-sheet collation. A conveyance system then transports the multi-sheet collation to the selected one of the first and second processing stations. A method includes the steps of: stacking sheet material to produce a multi-sheet collation, determining the thickness of the multi-sheet collation, and selecting an apparatus to bind the multi-sheet collation from one of at least two binding apparatus based upon the thickness of the multi-sheet collation. The multi-sheet collation is then conveyed along a feed path to a selected one of the binding apparatus. The method further includes the steps of disposing the multi-sheet collation between a pair of opposed registration members and aligning opposed edges of the multi-sheet collation by oscillating at least one of the registration members into and out of engagement with at least one of the opposed edges based upon the thickness of the multi-sheet collation.

Stitcher/stapler for binding multi-sheet collations and method of operating the same

A system for processing nested/unnested content material in a mailpiece inserter includes a first accumulator, a second accumulator and a folding module disposed therebetween. The first accumulator is operative to feed individual sheets of content material, in one operating mode, and accumulate multiple sheets of content material in another operating mode. The second accumulator is operative to accumulate unnested, folded sheets of content material in one operating mode, and feed sheets of nested, folded sheets of content material in another operating mode. The folder interposes the first and second accumulators and is operative to (i) receive the individual sheets of content material from the first accumulator, fold the individual sheets, and feed the unnested, folded sheets to the second accumulator, in one of the operating modes, and (ii) receive the multiple sheets of content material from the first accumulator, fold the multiple sheets, and feed the nested folded sheets to the second accumulator, in the other of the operating modes. A system processor is operatively coupled to, and controls the operation of, the first accumulator, second accumulator and the folder in each of the operating modes.

System and method for processing nested/unnested mailpiece content material

An apparatus for registering sheet material while being conveyed along a feed path including: (i) a conveyance deck for conveying sheet material along a support surface, (ii) a registration member defining an abutment surface operative to align an edge of the sheet material as the sheet material is conveyed along the support surface of the conveyance deck, and (iii) a drive mechanism disposed adjacent to the registration member and along the conveyance deck. The drive mechanism includes a flexible belt disposed about and supported by at least two rolling elements, and a means for driving the flexible belt about the rolling elements. The flexible belt includes a twisted section defining a plurality of spiral edge segments operative to (i) frictionally engage a surface of the sheet material to urge the sheet material against the abutment surface and (ii) convey the sheet material along the conveyance deck.

Alignment/registration and conveyance apparatus

A stitcher for binding variable thickness collations including a means for determining the thickness of a multi-sheet collation, a stitch head operative to drive a stitch through the multi-sheet collation, an anvil operative to clinch the stitch to bind the sheets of the collation and a plurality of actuators operative to displace forming elements of the stitch head to form the stitch, position the stitch head and anvil against opposite surfaces of the multi-sheet collation, drive the stitch through the collation and clinch the ends of the stitch. A processor, responsive to the thickness value signal, controls the actuators to form the stitch and bind the collation.

Reconfigurable stitcher for binding consecutive variable thickness collations

A Right Angle Turn (RAT) module for processing multi-sheet collations includes opposed belt segments defining a conveyance channel for capturing multi-sheet collations therebetween and for conveying multi-sheet collations from an input and to an output end of the conveyance channel. The opposed belt segments define a first re-directing bend, a second re-directing bend, and a twist section disposed therebetween. The first re-directing bend includes a rolling element for re-directing the opposed belt segments about a first axis of rotation while the second re-directing bend includes a rolling element for re-directing the opposed belt segments about a second axis of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are orthogonal to each other so as to effect a twist section therebetween. The RAT module additionally includes a mechanism for driving the opposed belt segments about the first and second re-directing bends to convey the multi-sheet collations from the input to output ends and effect a right angle turn of the multi-sheet collations.

Right angle turn (RAT) module for conveying mailpiece collations

An apparatus is provided for altering the spatial orientation and/or direction of sheet material. The apparatus includes an input deck for receiving sheet material along an input feed path, an output deck for forwarding sheet material along an output feed path, and an orbit nip roller assembly disposed adjacent to and aligned with the input and output decks. The orbit nip roller assembly includes a primary and secondary roller defining a roller nip which lies substantially parallel to the input and output feed paths. The secondary roller is adapted to be bi-directionally displaced in an arc about the periphery of the primary roller such that the roller nip orbits the primary roller from a first radial position to a second radial position. In the first radial position, the roller nip is adapted to accept sheet material from the input deck at a substantially right angle relative to the input feed path and, in the second radial position, the roller nip is adapted to dispense sheet material to the output deck at a substantially right angle relative to the output feed path.

Apparatus for altering the orientation and/or direction of sheet material in mailpiece fabrication systems

A collation control mechanism is used to transfer a collation from a dual accumulator to an exit nip of a collation machine. The collation control mechanism has a middle drum and two side rollers to form an upper nip and a lower nip. The drum is caused to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and in a counter-clockwise direction for transferring a collation from the upper bay and the lower bay, respectively, to the exit nip. A motor is used to drive the drum in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. A coupling mechanism including two sets of one-way clutches is used to engage the motor to the upper and lower rollers of the exit nip so that the upper roller is caused to rotate only in the counter-clockwise direction while the lower roller is cause to rotate only in the clockwise direction.

Document stream merging method and apparatus

An apparatus, and corresponding method, for accumulating and directionally reorienting the movement of a stack of sheets after first folding the stack, each sheet of the stack being fed from a feed conveyor along a feed path. The apparatus includes a turnplate, for receiving each of a series of sheets which are there accumulated into a stack of sheets. Stops protrude from a sheet-receiving surface of the turnplate, which holds the stack of sheets edge aligned against the stops. The apparatus also includes a chute pusher disposed so as to have a pusher tab movable across the sheet-receiving surface of the turnplate, for pushing the stack of sheets along the sheet-receiving surface of the turnplate in a chute direction at substantially ninety degrees from the feed path; a chute feed nip, disposed at the edge of the turnplate toward which the pusher tab pushes, for grabbing the stack of sheets and driving it onward in the chute direction; a chute, disposed so as to receive the stack of sheets being provided in the chute direction by the chute feed nip, the chute having a chute stop disposed a distance along the chute approximately equal to a half-width of the stack of sheets, for continuing to receive the stack until it stops at the chute stop and then to provide a buckle in the stack that is caused to protrude from the chute under the continuing action of the chute feed nip, until the stack is clear of the chute feed nip; a folder nip, disposed to grab the buckle in the stack, for providing the stack folded in half; and a diverter, rotatably disposed to receive the stack folded in half, for directing the stack to either of two different directions, depending on the orientation of the diverter. In addition, it includes a sensor such as a bar code reader for sensing information about directing the stack to either of the two different directions.

Right angle turning device for an inserter system and corresponding method

A web trim collection system having an air pressure system to move web trim. A divert bin operable in a first position to allow the web trim to be deposited in a collection bin. The divert bin is also operable in a second position to intercept the web trim, so as to allow the collection bin to be removed from the collection system while the collection system continues to collect trim.

Web trim collection system

The present invention relates to locking and locating cylindrical components or roller sleeve assemblies on a support shaft. The locking feature is an anti-rotation device that prevents rotation of the roller assembly or sleeve assembly on the support shaft. The locking feature permits axial location of the component or sleeve to a pre-determined position as desired. A pair of over-running clutches or one-way clutches is used to facilitate the feature. The clutches are assembled to a receiving bore in the component or sleeve so that they are able to lock on the support shaft in reverse directions, thereby preventing rotation of those parts on the support shaft.

Locking means for components mounted on support shafts

A method and device for improving the stacking efficiency in a sheet accumulation system using a continuous web cutter for cutting a web of material into sheets and a plurality of right angle turn-over modules for changing the direction of the sheets and causing overlapping between adjacent sheets. Different movement mechanisms are used to move the sheets with different moving speeds from the web cutter toward the right angle turn-over modules for increasing the overlapped amount.

Method and device for moving cut sheets in a sheet accumulating system

A system and corresponding method for accumulating sheets as part of the operation of a mailing system and for conveying the sheets along a normal feed path, and including a mis-scan diverter for diverting sheets that have been mis-scanned from a normal feed path to a first alternate path, and a selective diverter for diverting selective document sets from the normal feed path to a second alternate path. In some applications, the selective diverter includes a pivot table by-pass guide positioned according to commands received from a selective controller so as to selectively divert a sheet. Such a selective diverter uses a nip formed at the distal end of the pivot table by-pass guide by a continuously running cooperating roller and a surface of the pivot table by-pass guide, so that a sheet entering the nip so formed is diverted to the second alternate path. In some applications, the mis-scan diverter includes a diverting chute assembly that is made to rise up into the feed path so that a sheet enters the diverting chute assembly and is thereby provided to the first alternate path, the diverting chute assembly being raised and lowered under the command of a mis-scan controller.

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New Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Edward M Ifkovits