Pitney Bowes Inc.

Harry E Luperti

Robert Irvine

Anthony Luvara

Robert E Manna

Thomas L Simmel

Robert J Edwards

James G Montagnino

John G O'Brien

Edward R Hordeski

Robert S Salzman

Keith Bayliss

Lawrence J Kresan

Eric N Person

An apparatus for diverting individual sheets and stacks of sheets from being folded comprises a buckle chute folder having a pair of feed rollers, which form an entrance nip to the buckle chute, and at least one buckle chute. There is a stop member assembly adjacent the buckle chute. The stop member assembly includes a plurality of stop fingers coupled to a solenoid, wherein operation of the solenoid moves the stop fingers from a fold position to a divert position. In one embodiment, the solenoid is a rotary solenoid, with the stop fingers being coupled to the shaft of the rotary solenoid. The stop fingers extend through the buckle chute when the solenoid is de-energized, and the stop fingers pivot out of the chute when the solenoid is energized. The sheets being conveyed into the buckle chute by the feed rollers engage the stop fingers to initiate a fold in the sheets when the stop fingers are in a fold position. Thesheets are conveyed through the buckle chute without a fold when the stop fingers are in the divert position. The buckel chute has an divert end opposite an entrance end adjacent to the feed rollers.

Diverting apparatus and method for in-line inserting equipment

Apparatus and a method are disclosed for associating a relatively wide strip with a set of stacked sheets. The strip, which may be a paper tape, is positioned to intersect a path along which a set of sheets such as paper sheets is advanced. The sheet set is advanced towards the strip and a nip is formed by a pair of opposed belt conveyers so that the downstream edge of the sheet set engages the strip and carries the strip into the nip of the belt conveyers where the strip is folded at least once to the sheet set adjacent the downstream edge of the sheet set. The strip is indexed from a roll to the position in the path of the sheet set. The strip is tensioned and is drawn against a knife edge as the sheet set advanced through the nip to sever the strip from the roll. Pairs of opposed rollers, each pair forming another nip, are disposed adjacent the nip formed by the belt conveyers to cooperate with that nip and form a wider composite nip for folding wider strips and skewed narrower strips.

Sheet set separation using wide folded strips

Method and apparatus for half folding sequentially and nesting a plurality of paper sheets. The apparatus includes a buckle chute folder, the folder having a first pair of feed rollers rotatable at a given velocity, and a device for continuously feeding the paper sheets in shingled relationship at a second velocity greater than the given velocity to the feed rollers. The shingled relationship is defined by an overlap of the sheets of at least one-half of the length of the sheets. By using the apparatus and method, any desired number of sheets may be folded sequentially and nested one inside the other.

Method and apparatus for half folding paper sheets

A reversible collating machine for stacking sheets of paper being fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same or reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder. The reversible collating machine includes a housing, apparatus secured to the housing for rotatably mounting endless, elastic belts, at least one upper, endless, elastic belt rotatably mounted to the mounting apparatus, and at least one lower, endless, elastic belt rotatably mounted to the mounting apparatus. Each of the belts includes an upper and a lower reach, the lower reach of the upper belt being situated slightly above the upper reach of the lower belt to thereby frictionally engage and transport the sheets of paper. The collating machine further includes a frame slidably mounted to the housing, the frame being movable between an upstream and a downstream position, an upper ramp guide block secured to the frame, and a lower ramp guide block secured to the frame. The lower block has an L-shaped downstream portion, whereby when the frame is located in the upstream position collation in one of the two orders is effected and when the frame is located in the downstream position the other of the two orders is effected.

Standard and reverse collator

A collating station is disclosed for a machine intended to insert first and second documents into an envelope. Prior to the insertion operation, the first and second documents are advanced serially in a common plane. At a predetermined location, each first document is intercepted and lifted above the common plane and moved to a holding platform spaced above the common plane. The holding platform has a transverse terminal edge downstream from where the first document comes to rest. Thereupon, the first document resting on the holding platform and a following second document which continues to advance along the common plane as the first document travels toward the holding platform are advanced together in a parallel spaced relationship, toward a downstream station. As the documents are advanced, the first document drops off the terminal edge of the holding platform and onto the second document thereby completing the collating operation. Additionally, movement of the first document is positively controlled as it is guided to locations above the common plane, thereby assuring proper collation of the first and second documents. The desired sequence of events can be achieved by means of a variable computer control, or by a fixed timing sequence built into the machine, or by sensors and associated activating devices, or by a combination of these expedients.

Collating station for inserting machine

A document collating and inserting system having displays for document count verification. A plurality of bank checks belonging to a check set are fed, counted and stacked at a stacking station while simultaneously an associated statement is fed to an imaging station where a number imprinted thereon is imaged by a video camera and displayed on a video monitor. The number represents a predetermined number which should equal the actual number of checks counted, the actual count also being displayed. An operator makes a visual comparison of the two displayed numbers and, if they are in agreement, initiates a cycle of the system thereby forming a collation of the statement and checks and transporting them to a holding station. From the holding station the collation is inserted within an envelope provided by an envelope feeder during the next cycle of the system. If the two numbers are not in agreement a mismatch switch is provided for the operator to activate before cycling the system. After indicating the mismatch the operator must remove the erroneous collation from the holding station in order to cycle the system once again. After removing the erroneous collation and cycling the system, an envelope is not provided by the envelope feeder, thereby avoiding the possibility of inadvertently postage metering and mailing an empty envelope.

Document collating and inserting system having displays for document

An improved separator assembly for document feeders comprises a retarding roller and a cooperating opposed feed roller. The retarding roller is selectably rotatable into orientations such that the selected one of a plurality of different peripheral portions of the retarding roller will be oriented into operative position with respect to the feed roller. The retarding roller includes at least one cylindrical portion and another portion which has an interfering member projecting outwardly from the roller. Other surfaces of the retarding roller may comprise different materials in order to avoid scratches on the documents to be fed or to change the frictional force on the documents.

Separator for a document feeder

In accordance with the invention, a novel high-speed flap-opening apparatus is used in combination with a relatively large transfer roller having two spaced rollers disposed along the periphery to form two separated nips. The pivotable envelope flap-opener comprises guide means having a lip for engaging the flap of the envelope. The flap-opener is disposed at a first position for receiving an envelope from the first nip. The force of the envelope causes the flap-opener to move to a second position which guides the envelope to the second nip of the envelope. As the flap emerges from the first nip, the lip of the flap-opener engages the flap to bend it back as the envelope passes through the second nip.

High speed envelope flap opener

An improvement in a collating machine for stacking sheets of paper being fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder. The collating machine includes a belt for transporting the sheets of paper, a ramp for lifting a succeeding sheet of paper over and onto a preceding, stopped sheet of paper, and a stopping device for stopping each sheet of paper after the sheet has been lifted by the ramp. The improvement includes a removable stacking device for stacking the sheets of paper in the reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder.

Reverse collating machine

A machine for accumulating and for stacking a plurality of documents in a first plane so that the leading end of the documents are in a shingled relationship. Upon actuation of a system of first and second pairs of feed rollers, the documents in a stack are fed along a path leading to an angularly disposed, first buckle chute of a folding device. While traveling within the first buckle chute, the first and second pairs of feed rollers cause the leading end of the stack of documents to become aligned in relationship, thereby providing squarely folded groups of documents when the folds are made in a folding device within the machine.

Shingle compensating device

A stopping mechanism in an inserting machine having a feeder for feeding documents seriatim to a transport deck therebelow, the feeder being angled with respect to the deck. The stopping mechanism stops the documents at a predetermined position with respect to a previously collated package situated on a ramp located upstream of the deck and elevated with respect to the deck. The stopping mechanism comprises a pivotable paddle located downstream of the feeder substantially parallel to the direction of feed, a device for biasing the lower end of the paddle away from the transport deck to permit a collated package to pass therebelow without contacting the pivotable paddle, and a device for pivoting the lower end of the paddle downward adjacent the transport deck for a short period of time at an appropriate moment in order to stop the forward motion of a document exiting the feeder at a predetermined position on the transport deck.

Inserter feeder document stop

An improvement in a document feeding device having a hopper oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane and able to support a pack of documents to be fed seriatim therefrom. The improvement comprises at least one pad having a high coefficient of friction material situated on the upper surface of the hopper whereby the effect of the weight of the documents situated in the hopper above the pad on the pressure of the pack situated below the pad is decreased.

Document feeder

This invention relates to a drive train for small devices such as postage meters and the like wherein various speeds and drives to different sets of outputs are required during different phases of operation. The drive train of the invention negates the need for a burdensome number of components through the use of a unique combination of gears and clutches.

Multiple drive train for small devices

For use with a copier of the type which includes a document illuminating station, a platen at the illuminating station and instrumentalities for flash illuminating respective documents of different thickness at the illuminating station, there is provided a document feeder which includes a plurality of document feeding instrumentalities. A first feeding instrumentality, which is provided for feeding respective documents of different thickness to the platen, includes a first roller disposable in feeding engagement with the respective documents. In addition, a second feeding instrumentality is provided for feeding such documents from the platen, and a third feeding instrumentality is provided for feeding such documents both to and from the platen. Apparatus is provided for translating the first roller into document feeding engagement with the respective documents in response to inserting such documents into document feeding relationship with respect to the first roller.

Document feeder for a copier

An automatic doubles and sheet thickness detector is disclosed that operates by comparing consecutive sheet materials that are delivered to a rotating drum. The consecutive sheet materials pass under two spaced apart rollers that are movably biased against the drum. If a sheet of greater thickness or a double sheet passes under one of the rollers, it will be displaced a greater distance from the drum surface than the other roller. This displacement is magnified by means of elongated pivot arms, which are attached to each roller. The magnified movement is detected by means of an optical arrangement comprising a light source, a photodetector, and a pair of mirrors. The mirrors are each secured to a distal end of a respective pivot arm. The light source casts a beam that reflects off each mirror towards the photodetector. When one of the arms is displaced more than its companion arm, such as when a double or thicker sheet lies between one of the rollers and the drum, the light beam will not be directed towards the photodetector. If each arm is displaced a like amount, as when consecutive single sheets are of like thickness, the photodetector will receive the reflected light, and therefore indicate a proper sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Wilton, CT, United States of America

Harry E Luperti