Am International Incorporated

Heidelberg Finishing Systems, Inc.

Richard D Wamsley

Michael C Buschhaus

Thomas Curtis

Gary Cooper, Jr

An apparatus for use in feeding sheet material assemblages includes rollers which define a nip through which the sheet material assemblages are moved. Nip adjustment mechanisms are operable to adjust the width and configuration of the nip. When sheet material assemblages which are relatively thick at one end portion are to be fed through the nip, the nip adjustment mechanisms are operated so that the thick portion of the sheet material assemblage is fed through a wide portion of the nip. A gate assembly is provided to direct the sheet material assemblages toward either a reject tray or a trimmer mechanism. The size of the nip can be changed without varying the setting of the gate assembly. Similarly, the setting of the gate assembly can be changed without varying the size of the nip. When the size of the nip is varied, the reject tray is moved with rollers which define one side of the nip.

Apparatus and method for use in feeding sheet material assemblages

A calipering assembly (40) is provided for use along a collating conveyor (14) having collated assemblages (20) thereon. The calipering assembly comprises a movable member (60) in the form of a wheel having an outer circumferential surface which engages a collated assemblage when the member is moved toward a collated assemblage. The outer circumferential surface of the member includes a light reflective surface portion (83) against which light (37) is directed and then reflected (38). A light sensor (39) senses the reflected light from the light reflective surface portion of the outer circumferential surface of the member. A processor (44) cooperates with the light sensor to provide a signal (42) which varies as a function of the thickness of the collated assemblage.

Apparatus for calipering a collated assemblage

A sheet material collating apparatus includes a conveyor and a plurality of hoppers which hold sheet material articles. Feed drums are operable to sequentially feed sheet material articles from each of the hoppers to sheet material receiving locations on the conveyor. Each of a plurality of feed drum drive systems includes a transmission which is operable to drive a feed drum at either a first speed or a second speed which is greater than the first speed. A control system for the transmissions may include a detector which is operable to detect when a pusher element in the conveyor is at predetermined location relative to a feed drum by detecting either the pusher element itself or the trailing edge of a sheet material article being pushed by the pusher element. A signal generator, such as an encoder or pulse generator, may be used to indicate the position of a pusher element in the conveyor relative to the feed drums.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

Richard D Wamsley