The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2006
Filed:
Apr. 10, 2003
Brett Flickner, Folsom, CA (US);
Christian Tammi, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Robert Kellett, Redding, CA (US);
Brett Flickner, Folsom, CA (US);
Christian Tammi, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Robert Kellett, Redding, CA (US);
DST Output, Inc., El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
A collator for assembling a packet from one or more sheets, includes a sheet collating tray, a retractable sheet stop within said sheet collating tray for stopping and aligning a leading edge of each sheet entering the sheet collating tray, thereby producing an aligned sheet packet, a movable sheet kicker for initiating output of the aligned sheet packet from the sheet collating tray, and sheet packet-grasping packet transfer belts for delivering from the collating tray each of the aligned sheet packets to downstream processing equipment. To optimize operational timing of the collator and for monitoring sheet progress through the collator, a programmed computer is provided that oversees for efficiency and possible errors sheet entry into the sheet collating tray, the presence of one or more sheets within the sheet collating tray, and the aligned sheet packet departure from the sheet collating tray.