Bell + Howell Company

Kenneth A Hams

Lester H Stocker

Gerald D Warden

Sheets are fed from the top of a stack (12) by a continuously rotating vacuum wheel (40). After the leading edge of a just-fed sheet is detected, a control circuit (110) de-energizes valve means (92) whereby the wheel (40) is effectively disconnected from a source of vacuum (90). Indicia borne on the just-fed sheet is read using a probe (23). If the indicia indicates that the just-fed sheet is related for grouping purposes to previously-fed sheets, the control circuit (110) energizes valve means (92) whereby vacuum is applied to the wheel (40) for the feeding of a further sheet. If the indicia indicates that the just-fed, just-read sheet is not related to previously-fed sheets, the control circuit (110) does not energize the valve means (92) for the feeding of a further sheet until the control circuit (110) receives an indication that all previously-fed sheets have been grouped and discharged onto an insert track (32). The valve means (92) comprises two electrically-actuated solenoid valves (94, 96) connected in parallel between the source of vacuum (90) and a vacuum transfer block (42).

Sheet feeding apparatus and method

An insertion machine has a plurality of gripper arms (16), each gripper arm including jaw members (24,26) between which inserts are engaged and from which engaged inserts are released in precise placement upon a transport means (18). Each jaw (26) is actuated by actuating means (28) acting through linkage means (30) to perform the engagement and release operations. Upon insert engagement the activation of the actuating means (28) is controlled to be dependent upon the operating speed of the insertion machine. Upon insert release the activation of each actuating means (28) is controlled so that release is delayed by three release time delay components. A first release time delay component is occasioned by a master presettable release delay means (322) which delays the release operation actuating means (28) of all insert stations in accordance with a preset input value. A second release time delay component is dependent upon the operating speed of the insertion machine. A third release time delay component, which varies from insert station to insert station depending on insert size, is occasioned by individual station presettable release delay means (338) which delays the release operation of actuating means (28) for its insert station.

Method and apparatus for controlling the actuation of gripper arms

An insertion machine includes an insert supply station 10 located alongside a conveyor 30. Associated with the supply station 10 are a selector 16 for deflecting a lowermost piece of material 15 contained in a hopper 12; a separator foot 25 for segregating the deflected piece from the hopper 12; a monitoring means 40 for determining whether only the lowermost piece 15 was, in fact, deflected; and, a gripper arm 18 for extracting the lowermost piece 15 and depositing the same on the conveyor 30. In one embodiment, the monitoring means 40 comprises an infrared source 29 which directs a signal to a sensor 27 mounted in the separator foot 25.

Method and apparatus for preventing insertion errors

Rows (14, 16) of documents are conveyed in a shingled 'two-up' fashion between low speed input rollers (18) and then to high speed rollers (22) which burst the shingled documents. After bursting, coded indicia (44) on each document are read by a photocell assembly (40). After bursting and reading, each document is individually folded in a folder (24). Documents are then delivered to a two-stage collector assembly (26). Documents having like indicia are passed through the collector assembly (26) to a lower collector stage (30). Upon bursting, documents whose indicia (44) indicate that they do not belong to a preceding group of documents are folded and then retained in an upper collector stage (28) until documents belonging to a preceding group of documents have been dumped on an insert track (32).

Document handling machine with two stage collection compartment for

A voltage signal is generated in proportion to the speed of travel of a document travelling through a read station of a document handling machine. The voltage signal is converted to a digital signal having a pulse frequency proportional to the speed of the document. The pulses are counted as an indication of the number of print lines that are passing by the read station. The count is then compared to a pre-selected value approximating the number of print lines typically separating an indicia field of similar documents from a leading edge thereof. When the counted and pre-selected numbers are equal, a reading probe seeks a gate mark within a predetermined number of subsequent print lines. Once the gate mark is located, a variable number of consecutive print line positions comprising the indicia are read.

Indicia reading method and apparatus

This invention concerns a photoelectric skew detection system which checks the alignment of rectangular articles travelling on a conveyor. The mechanism comprises four phototransistors (1,2,3, and 4) arranged in a narrow rectangular pattern. Two lamps (8,9) are provided, each lamp illuminating only the two phototransistors forming corners for a narrow dimension of the rectangle. If a trailing edge (6a) of a given rectangular article (6) crosses either of the two forward phototransistors (3,4), both of the two rearward phototransistors (1 and 2) must be lit. If one is not lit, an electrical circuit generates an error signal. In this manner, the mechanism simultaneously detects both skew conditions and a faulty lamp.

Skew detector

A binary sorting code is read from documents and transmitted to a sorting machine where the code for each document is decoded and used to direct the document to a specific stacker. Cycling of the sorter is controlled by a sequencer responsive to timing pulses from a shaft encoder. Each sequence cycle is initiated by a flip-flop circuit responsive to a document detector. An additional flip-flop provides for fault detection in the system.

Document sorter

Document counter

An automated in-line mailing (AIM) system of the type comprising a continuous sheet web supply, a sheet cutter, a folder, a collector, and an envelope inserter is controlled by indicia on the sheet web. A control system includes a sensor for sequentially sensing the web indicia upstream of a cutting element and a particular arrangement of shift registers for storing signals representative of the indicia. The signals are shifted along the shift registers with movement of the web, and sheets cut therefrom, through the AIM system. The shift registers are sampled at various stages therealong to obtain signals for deactivating a web drive and activating insert stations. A clock signal for cutter and collector shift registers is provided by an endless tape which is normally used to control lengths of cuts by the sheet cutter. In one embodiment the AIM system operates in a 'two-up' mode wherein the cutter slits the sheet web to provide sheets travelling along two channels through the register, folder and collector to the inserter.

Growing community of inventors

Easton, PA, United States of America

Kenneth A Hams