Apparatuses and methods for staging and processing documents for sheet processing

• US 20070145659A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Bowe Bell & Howell Company
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard, Kapturowski, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 270/52.100
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 3/04 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/18 and move in contact with a guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/26 comprising a series of co-operating units, e.g. interconnected by pivots
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/00 Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4213 of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4352 with pushers, e.g. the articles being substantially horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/3111 on two opposite chains or set of chains, i.e. having active handling section cooperating with and facing to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/315 Details of arrangement of the auxiliary handling means on the chain(s)
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/63 Oscillating, pivoting around an axis parallel to face of material, e.g. diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/722 movable in operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/73 Means for sliding the handled material on a surface, e.g. pushers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/78 Mailing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/02 Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/10 Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad laminating B32B37/00, B32B38/00

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for staging and processing documents including sheet articles, particularly for processing of sheet articles for mail processing. Different sets of pusher members for advancing document sets along a conveying path are used within the sheet processing machine. The action of the different sets of pusher members within the staging station permits a larger window and location to feed document sets into the staging station to increase processing efficiency.

Claims

1. An extended dump window for staging sheet articles within a sheet processing machine, the extended dump window comprising:

(a) a conveying path with variable pitch pusher members for conveying a plurality of document sets from an upstream position to a downstream position;

(b) a sheet article assembly station with a feeder to dump sheet articles onto a staging area of the conveying path;

(c) at least one pusher member being movable from the conveying path within the staging area.

2. The extended dump window according to claim 1, wherein the variable pitch pusher members are pivotable to a position below the conveying path.

3. A method for extending a dump window, the method comprising:

(a) conveying variable pitch pusher members along a conveying path;

(b) moving at least one pusher member out of the conveying path at a staging area of the conveying path; and

(c) dumping a first document set to a staging area of the conveying path.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein step (a) of moving at least one pusher member out of the conveying path comprises pivoting the at least one pusher member to a position below the conveying path.

5. A staging station for one or more document sets within a sheet processing machine, the staging station comprising:

(a) a conveying path for conveying a plurality of document sets from an upstream position to a downstream position;

(b) a document feeder disposed configured to feed a first document set to the conveying path;

(c) a stop location located along the conveying path wherein the first document set can reside after the document feeder feeds the first document set to the conveying path;

(d) a plurality of first pusher members configured to extend into the conveying path and movable for advancing the first document set along the conveying path; and

(e) a plurality of movable pusher members configured to extend into the conveying path downstream of the stop location and movable for advancing a second document set positioned downstream.

6. The staging station according to claim 5, wherein a stop gate movably positioned along the conveying path downstream of the document feeder and being extendable into the conveying path at the stop location to stop a first document set fed into the conveying path by the document feeder, and the stop gate being retractable from the conveying path to allow passage of a first document set fed into the conveying path by the document feeder.

7. The staging station according to claim 5, further comprising at least one pusher member track having a first section and a second section positioned proximal to the conveying path, the first section of the pusher member track configured to extend the first pusher members into the conveying path upstream of the stop location of the first document set to advance the first document set, and the second section of the pusher member track configured to pivot the movable pusher members into the conveying path downstream of the stop location of the first document set.

8. The staging station according to claim 7, wherein two pusher member tracks extend in parallel beneath the conveying path, the two pusher member tracks configured to extend two sets of first and movable pusher members into the conveying path in parallel.

9. The staging station according to claim 7, wherein the first section of the pusher member track comprises a chamfered lead end.

10. The staging station according to claim 7, wherein the first section of the pusher member track comprises a ramp configured to raise the movable pusher members from a lowered position to an upright position.

11. The staging station according to claim 10, wherein the movable pusher members comprise an arm that contacts the ramp.

12. The staging station according to claim 5, further comprising a guide positioned proximal to the document feeder, the guide configured to position the movable pusher member in a lowered position.

13. The staging station according to claim 5, further comprising a raceway conveyor to which the first and movable pusher members are movably attached.

14. The staging station according to claim 13, wherein the raceway conveyor comprises at least one movable conveyor device on which the first and movable pusher members are attached.

15. The staging station according to claim 14, wherein the at least one conveyor device comprises at least one chain.

16. The staging station according to claim 15, further comprising a wire guide position proximal to and partially around a sprocket of which the chain engages, the wire guide configured to position the movable pusher members in a lowered position.

17. The staging station according to claim 15, further comprising a shelf disposed around a hub of a sprocket, which the chain engages, the shelf configured to aid the extending of the first pusher members into the conveying path.

18. The staging station according to claim 5, further comprising a second document feed location at which a second document set can be fed along a conveying path in front of the extended movable pusher members.

19. A staging station for one or more document sets within an inserter system, the staging station comprising:

(a) a conveying path for conveying a plurality of document sets from an upstream position to a downstream position;

(b) a document feeder disposed along the conveying path and configured to feed a first document set into the conveying path;

(c) a stop location located along the conveying path wherein the first document set can reside after the document feeder feeds the first document set into the conveying path;

(d) at least one movable conveyor device positioned beneath the conveying path;

(e) a plurality of fixed-positioned pusher members movably attached to the conveyor device for advancing the first document set;

(f) a plurality of pivotable pusher members movably attached to the conveyor device for advancing a second document set; and

(g) a pusher member track having a first section and a second section disposed proximal to the conveying path, the first section of the pusher member track configured to extend the fixed-positioned pusher members into the conveying path upstream of the stop location to advance the first document set when the stop gate is retracted, and the second section of the pusher member track configured to pivot the pivotable pusher members into the conveying path downstream of the stop location to advance a second document set that can be fed along a conveying path at a second document feed location in front of the pivotable pusher members after the pivotable pusher members have been extended.

20. A conveying path according to claim 19, where a stop gate is movably positioned along the conveying path downstream of the document feeder and being extendable into the conveying path at the stop location to stop a first document set fed into the conveying path by the document feeder, and the stop gate being retractable from the conveying path to allow passage of a first document set fed into the conveying path by the document feeder.

21. A method for processing document sets in a sheet processing system, the method comprising:

(a) feeding a first document set along a conveying path;

(b) moving at least one first pusher member in the conveying path upstream of the first document set;

(c) advancing the first document set with the at least one first pusher member; and

(d) raising at least one movable pusher member into the conveying path downstream of the first document set in front of the first document set to advance a second document set.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising stopping the first document set at a stop location positioned along the conveying path.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising feeding a second document set at a second feed location along a conveying path in front of the at least one movable pusher member after the movable pusher member has been raised.

24. A method for processing document sets in a sheet processing system, the method comprising:

(a) feeding a first document set along a conveying path;

(b) extending a stop gate into the conveying path downstream of the feeding of the first document set;

(c) stopping the first document set with a stop gate movably positioned along the conveying path in a stop location;

(d) retracting stop gate out of the conveying path;

(e) raising at least one fixed-position pusher member upstream of the first document set in the stop location;

(f) advancing the first document set with the at least one fixed-position pusher member downstream within the sheet processing system;

(g) raising at least one movable pusher member downstream of the stop location of the first document set;

(h) advancing the at least one movable pusher member along the conveying path in front of the first document set; and

(i) feeding a second document set at a second feed location along a conveying path in front of the at least one movable pusher member after the movable pusher member has been raised.