Pitney Bowes Inc.

Mark S Hancock

Robert Marcinik

In a mail processing machine having a non-staging transport and a downstream staging transport for moving mailpieces, the speed of the non-staging transport is constant whereas the speed of the staging transport is controllable. In normal operation, both the staging and non-staging transports move the mailpieces downstream in the same constant speed. When a jam occurs downstream from the staging transport, the staging transport is effectively slowed down so that the staging transport can hold additional mailpieces before they arrive at the jam site during the jam clearance process. After the jam has been cleared, the staging transport is controlled in order to re-gap the mailpieces already released from the non-staging transport. After re-gapping is completed, the staging transport is sped up so that the mail processing machine is returned to its normal operation.

Method and system for controlling a staging transport in a mail processing machine

An apparatus for preparing a collation of sheets for folding operations. The system includes a registration device including multiple registration stations and a conveyance device for transporting the collation to one of the registration stations. Each registration station is adapted to register the edges of the collation based upon a desired edge geometry. A processor determines the fold configuration of the collation and determines the edge geometry thereof based upon the fold configuration of the collation. The processor selects one of the registration stations based upon the fold configuration and then controls the conveyance device to transport the collation to the selected registration station. The registration station selected may also be based upon the thickness of the collation and a desired location for binding the collation.

Adaptive registration/binding apparatus for preparing collations

A system for preparing a collation of sheets for a subsequent folding operation wherein edges of the collation are aligned to eliminate the need for additional trimming operations. The system comprises: a cutting device operative to cut each sheet of the collation based upon a length dimension of each of the inner and outer sheets, an accumulating device operative to stack the sheets to form the collation, a registration device operative to register at least one edge of the collation, a conveyance device for transporting the sheet material along a feed path to the cutting, accumulating and registration devices, and a processor operatively coupled to, and controlling, the cutting, accumulating, registration and conveyance devices.

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Gaylordsville, CT, United States of America

Mark S Hancock