Pitney Bowes Inc.

Shahzad H Malick

Edward M Ifkovits

Linda A Howard

Eric J Janatka

Douglas P Sprenger

John W Sussmeier

Boris Rozenfeld

Eric A Belec

Karel J Janatka

Arthur H DePoi

Gregory P Skinger

Neil J Kennedy

George N Branecky

Michael R Ifkovits

Charles C Fuller

Alan B Hotchkiss

Jeffrey L Chodack

James B Andreyka

Rebecca J Pritting

The present invention relates to a system for providing diagnostic information relating to the performance of an inserter system having a roller arrangement for conveying a document in a linear direction and first and second sensors located in close proximity to the roller arrangement. Each of the sensors are operable to detect at least the presence of a leading edge of a document conveying in close proximity to each sensor. The control system of the inserter determines the time it takes for a leading edge of a document to convey from said first sensor to said second sensor and compares that time to a prescribed threshold time and provides diagnostic information based upon the measured times values.

Diagnostic methodology for an inserting machine

A rotatable pneumatic feeding head having a vacuum shoe with apertures for picking up an envelope from an envelope stack by negative air pressure. The feeding head has an outer cylinder with holes communicating with the apertures, and an inner cylinder with cutout regions operatively connected to a vacuum pump. The inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are rotated independently of each other such that when they are aligned, a negative pressure is created at the apertures through the cutout regions and the holes. When the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are out of alignment, the negative pressure is cut off from the apertures. The vacuum shoe is removable so that it can be repaired or replaced when it is damaged or worn.

Pneumatic apparatus with removable vacuum shoe

A system and corresponding method for accumulating sheets as part of the operation of a mailing system and for conveying the sheets along a normal feed path, and including a mis-scan diverter for diverting sheets that have been mis-scanned from a normal feed path to a first alternate path, and a selective diverter for diverting selective document sets from the normal feed path to a second alternate path. In some applications, the selective diverter includes a pivot table by-pass guide positioned according to commands received from a selective controller so as to selectively divert a sheet. Such a selective diverter uses a nip formed at the distal end of the pivot table by-pass guide by a continuously running cooperating roller and a surface of the pivot table by-pass guide, so that a sheet entering the nip so formed is diverted to the second alternate path. In some applications, the mis-scan diverter includes a diverting chute assembly that is made to rise up into the feed path so that a sheet enters the diverting chute assembly and is thereby provided to the first alternate path, the diverting chute assembly being raised and lowered under the command of a mis-scan controller.

Sheet accumulator with diverting mechanisms

An apparatus for changing the direction of travel of a flat article being conveyed seriatim along a paper path without changing the orientation of the flat article with respect to a first direction of travel. The apparatus includes a deck having an upstream end for receiving a flat article being conveyed along a paper path in a first direction and a registration wall upstanding on the deck and spaced from the upstream end, the registration wall having a longitudinal axis defining a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction. A drive assembly is operatively coupled to the deck in proximity to the registration wall and is operative to seize a first leading edge of a flat article traveling in the first direction on the deck and convey the flat article in the second direction such that the leading edge of the flat article abuts against the registration wall.

Right angle transfer apparatus

An separating and staging machine is disclosed which is used in conjunction with high speed document processing apparatus in which a succession of collations of insert material moving along an insert material feed path to an insert location are inserted into envelopes fed to the insert location. The machine of the present invention feeds envelopes from a storage hopper to a feed path which is long enough to accommodate a plurality of staging locations at which individual envelopes are maintained until one is fed to the insert location, after which the envelopes at each staging location are advanced to the next staging location, and a new envelope is fed from the storage hopper to the first of the staging locations. With this arrangement the distance between successive envelopes moving through the staging locations is approximately equal to the distance between successive collations moving along the insert material feed path, thereby increasing the rate at which envelopes can be fed to the insert location.

Envelope feeding and staging machine for high speed inserting apparatus

Apparatus for transporting a web of paper having tractor holes along only one margin thereof. The apparatus includes: a tractor drive having a first pair of pulleys and a first belt mounted on the first pair of pulleys, the first belt having a plurality of sprockets for engaging the paper tractor holes; and an auxiliary vacuum drive system for engaging the marginal portion of the web of paper without tractor holes, the auxiliary drive system having (a) a second pair of pulleys and a second belt mounted on the second pair of pulleys, the second belt having a plurality of apertures at equally spaced intervals extending longitudinally of the length of the second belt, the second belt having an upper and lower reach, (b) a device for applying a vacuum to the apertures in the upper reach of the second belt, (c) a device for varying the amount of vacuum applied and (d) a device for driving the upper reach of the second belt at about the same linear velocity as the linear velocity of the tractor drive sprockets, whereby the vacuum can be turned off during constant velocity or deceleration motions of the web, thereby dissipating tolerance build-up between the tractor drive and the auxiliary vacuum drive system.

Vacuum and tractor drive for paper web

In an envelope stuffing apparatus which has an enclosure inserting station and includes a deck, side guides mounted on the deck at the inserting station, structure for delivering the envelope in a path of travel to the inserting station, structure for opening the envelope, and structure inserting an enclosure into the envelope and for removing the envelope from the inserting station, and wherein said opening structure includes structure for supporting the flap of the envelope above the deck, there is an improvement in the envelope opening structure. The improvement comprises two throat openers insertable into the envelope for stripping apart from each other the front and back panels of the envelope. Each throat opener includes a side guide member for guiding the enclosure into the envelope and further including a ramp member for guiding the enclosure from the deck into the envelope.

Envelope stuffing apparatus

An apparatus for changing the direction of travel of a flat article being conveyed in a first direction to one of two other directions without changing the orientation of the article. The apparatus comprises a circular deck mounted on a frame. The deck is pivotable along a center axis of the deck between a left position and a right position. There is structure operatively coupled to the deck for conveying the article over the deck, the deck conveying structure having a first end and a second end, wherein, when the deck is in the left position, the deck conveying structure receives the article being conveyed in the first direction at the first end and conveys the article in a second direction of forty-five degrees (45.degree.) to the left of the first direction, and wherein, when the deck is in the right position, the deck conveying structure receives the article being conveyed in the first direction at the second end and conveys the article in a third direction of forty-five degrees (45.degree.) to the right of the first direction.

Adjustable right angle transfer device for conveying flat articles in

An apparatus and method for changing the direction of motion of flat articles being conveyed along a first path to a second path. The apparatus comprises a deck mounted on a frame. The deck has a first side for receiving an article from a first direction and a second side for conveying the article in a second direction which forms an acute angle equal to or less than forty-five degrees (45.degree.) with the first direction. There is a structure for conveying the article over the deck in the second direction. The conveying structure engages a leading edge of the article only after the article has been disengaged by a conveying structure in the first direction. There is a registration wall positioned downstream from the second direction conveying structure adjacent a third side of the deck. The registration wall extends a third direction whereby the registration wall is at a right angle to the first direction, wherein the leading edge of the article is driven against the registration wall after the article has been disengaged by the second direction conveying structure. There is a structure for conveying the article in the third direction after the article is against said registration wall.

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Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Shahzad H Malick