Pitney Bowes Inc.

Eric J Janatka

Edward M Ifkovits

Shahzad H Malick

Rebecca J Pritting

Eric A Belec

Karel J Janatka

Linda A Howard

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 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.

Sheet accumulator with diverting mechanisms

Apparatus for inserting sheets of paper into an envelope. The apparatus includes: a first bursting module for separating a first web of paper into discrete sheets; a conveying device for conveying the discrete sheets from an upstream location to a downstream location along a feed path; a device for feeding a second web of paper having a plurality of longitudinally spaced lines of weakening oriented perpendicular to the feed path; a device for turning the second web of paper parallel to the feed path; a bursting device for bursting the second web into discrete sheets; a device for conveying the second web discrete sheets to the first web discrete sheets; a device for conveying the first web and the second web discrete sheets downstream along the feed path; and a device for inserting the first web and second web discrete sheets into an envelope.

In-line burster for inserting system

Apparatus for transporting a web of paper having tractor holes along only one margin thereof. The apparatus includes: a tractor drive having a first pair of pulleys and a first belt mounted on the first pair of pulleys, the first belt having a plurality of sprockets for engaging the paper tractor holes; and an auxiliary vacuum drive system for engaging the marginal portion of the web of paper without tractor holes, the auxiliary drive system having (a) a second pair of pulleys and a second belt mounted on the second pair of pulleys, the second belt having a plurality of apertures at equally spaced intervals extending longitudinally of the length of the second belt, the second belt having an upper and lower reach, (b) a device for applying a vacuum to the apertures in the upper reach of the second belt, (c) a device for varying the amount of vacuum applied and (d) a device for driving the upper reach of the second belt at about the same linear velocity as the linear velocity of the tractor drive sprockets, whereby the vacuum can be turned off during constant velocity or deceleration motions of the web, thereby dissipating tolerance build-up between the tractor drive and the auxiliary vacuum drive system.

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Danbury, CT, United States of America

Eric J Janatka