Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company

Randy Trach

David J Helffrich

A multiple-document detection system for an insertion machine comprises a plurality of document detectors, each detector being preset to a successive maximum allowable document-group-thickness measurement; a group of documents whose measured thickness exceeds the preset maximum allowable size for a particular detector will cause that detector's input line to change from a 'normal' level to a 'tripped' level. A processing means then determines the actual number of documents in a measured group of documents according to which of the successively preset detectors was the first to be 'tripped'. The processing means also receives a signal indicative of an expected number of documents for the particular measured group. The expected-number signal is sent, for example, by a reader, upstream of the plurality of detectors, which reads the expected number from a master document in the group. The processing means sends an error signal to a machine control means if the measured number exceeds the expected number; the machine control means executes certain error-correction steps upon receiving an error signal from the processing means. The machine control means may, for example, be a second processing means for alerting a machine operator or a remediation device for actuating a diversion of the measured group of documents, or a combination thereof.

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Nazareth, PA, United States of America

Randy Trach