Bell + Howell Company

Tom Faber

Michael A Wisniewski

Kenneth L Guenther

K George Rabindran

Joseph Kalika

Jerry J Kosner, Jr

John S O'Callaghan, Sr

Mel T Kerstein

A buffered stacking system for selectively diverting horizontally disposed documents from a generally horizontal main conveying path, stacking the documents in a horizontal orientation and dropping the documents into replaceable receiving receptacles is provided. The system has a primary horizontal conveyor belt with a lower horizontal reach defining a horizontal primary conveying path. A plurality of sorting stations are located serially along and below the primary conveying path. Each of the sorting stations has at least one diverter arm disposed along the conveying path. The diverter arms are selectively movable from a generally horizontal position which allows passage of the documents along the conveying path to an inclined position to divert the document into the corresponding sorting station. The diverter arms divert the document in a downwardly inclined direction into a stacking station. The stacking station is formed with a lower drop floor assembly for supporting the diverted documents in a stacked generally inclined orientation and for pivoting open to allow the stacked documents to fall into a replaceable receiving bin located below a drop floor which forms a part of the drop floor assembly. The stacking assembly also includes a method of operation whereby the drop floor is activated when the documents in the stacking bin are equal to or higher than a predetermined height and when additional documents are not being diverted into the stacking bin.

Buffered stacker with drop floor assembly

A matrix printing apparatus of the type having a path for sequentially transporting a series of documents to be printed between a plurality of dot matrix ballistic print heads and back-up platen rollers opposite each print head, the dot matrix ballistic print heads adapted, when actuated, to simultaneously impact an ink source and one side of each document as each document passes the print heads to apply printed material to each document in a pre-programmed array. The improvement of the present invention comprises moving the back-up platen rollers from a first position adjacent the print head when the print head is actuated, to a second position at a distance from the print head when the print head is not actuated. The matrix printing apparatus also includes an ink source comprising an endless inked ribbon which continually moves between the dot matrix ballistic print heads and the document path, and includes an ink guard disposed between the inked ribbon and the document path, the ink guard having relatively small apertures therein adjacent each print head wherein only the portion of the ribbon adjacent each print head extends through each corresponding aperture and contacts each document during application of printed material to each document.

Matrix print head printer

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Skokie, IL, United States of America

Tom Faber