Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company

Bell & Howell Mail Processing Systems

Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company

James N Driscoll

James R Moser

Edward M Otto

David M Skvoretz

Thomas E Bieber

Donald Dudash

Michael R Drago

A smudge-free sheet material handling apparatus and method are disclosed. The device moves sheet material by only pushing on the edges of the sheet material. Since there is no toner or ink at these locations, the sheet material can be fed without risk of smudging the toner material on the sheet surfaces. Furthermore, since no high friction parts come into relative contact/movement with the surfaces of the sheet material, smudging is even further reduced.

Smudge-free sheet material handling apparatus and method

A sheet processing apparatus and method for selectively inverting, staging and selectively advancing or diverting sheet material along a predetermined conveying path. The apparatus has a pair of support plates with space between the plates for passage of sheet material and a nip roller mechanism operatively connected to the support plates for advancing the sheet material. A rotation mechanism selectively simultaneously rotates the support plates as sheet material is positioned between the plates. The rotation mechanism selectively inverts the sheet material and positions the sheet material for advancement by the nip rollers from between the support plates along the predetermined conveying path.

Apparatus and method for inverting, staging and diverting sheet articles

A high-capacity collector apparatus and method are provided for collecting sheet articles and advancing collected sheet articles. The collector apparatus includes a stage for collecting a stack of sheet articles advanced thereto wherein the stage is adjustable to accommodate sheet articles of various dimensions or sizes. Pusher/stop members are provided and are operable to stop sheet articles collected in a stack in the stage and to subsequently push the stack of sheet articles from the stage. The pusher/stop members are preferably lug members fixedly attached to a plurality of belts with each belt having one lug member fixedly attached thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the collector apparatus comprises two pairs of independently controlled movable belts each having one lug member attached thereto. The lug members of one pair of belts are adapted for providing a front stop for one stack of sheet articles collected in the stage, and for alternately moving to a rear ready position and then pushing another stack of collected sheet articles from the stage at a predetermined time. Each belt operatively extends around one drive pulley and one idle pulley, and the belts are aligned so that two opposing shafts rotated independently by separate drive motors can be used to controllably drive each pair of belt means independently.

Collector apparatus and method

An articulated document feeder and diverter which allows pivoting and rotation about two mutually perpendicular axis of rotation to thereby allow idle rollers mounted on a pivotable carrier to maintain contact with drive rollers, whether a divert pivoting occurs or not. Compliance members, preferably resilient O-rings mounted on the periphery of the idle rollers, help to absorb unevenness in the contact face between an idle roller and a drive roller/s/.

Articulated document feeder

An improved accumulator and method of accumulation into stacks of a number of seriatim-fed sheets selectively in the manner of 'over' or 'under' accumulation and for conveying accumulated stacks to further equipment. The accumulator comprises driven endless elastic belts to drive sheets therebetween and a driven roller pair for nipping and feeding the sheets to a stacking location to be accumulated therein. The nip of the roller pair is offset in relation to the plane in which sheets are driven thereto by the belts. The roller pair drives a sheet in positively nipped manner to the stacking location selectively over or under a previously arrived sheet. Further included in the roller-accumulator is a stop gate device for stopping sheets fed to the stacking location and for selectively releasing accumulated stacks to be transported by and between the endless elastic belts to further equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Perkasie, PA, United States of America

James N Driscoll