Systems and methods to produce and sequence a plurality of different books

• US 8,388,299 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LSC Communications MCL LLC
• Original Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Inventors: Ramsey, Thomas Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US12/105,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20090263226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 414/788.1
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/04 starting with signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4311 Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/25 Sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1932 Signatures, folded printed matter, newspapers or parts thereof and books
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/48 Bookbinding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/02 Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources

Abstract

Systems and methods are described to produce and sequence a plurality of different books. An example system includes a plurality of signature feeders to deliver signatures to stations along a conveyor to simultaneously produce and sequence a plurality of different books in a first predetermined order to co-mail, wherein each of the different books has different content. Additionally, the example system includes one or more trimmers to trim the plurality of different books. Further, the example system includes a stacker to stack the plurality of different books in a second predetermined order, wherein the second predetermined order satisfies discount postage rate guidelines. Still further, the example system includes a controller to cause the plurality of different books to be produced in a first predetermined order.

Claims

1. A system to produce and sequence a plurality of different books comprising:

a plurality of signature feeders to deliver signatures to a plurality of stations along a conveyor to simultaneously produce and sequence a plurality of different books in a first predetermined order to co-mail, wherein the different books comprise a first book and a second book, the second book having a different trim size than the first book, wherein one or more of the signature feeders is to deliver signatures having a first trim size and associated with the first book and one or more of the signature feeders is to deliver signatures having a second trim size and associated with the second book;

a diverter to divert the first book to a first trimmer and the second book to a second trimmer, the trimmers to trim the books;

a stacker to stack the books in a second predetermined order, wherein the second predetermined order satisfies discount postage rate guidelines; and

a controller to cause the plurality of different books to be produced in the first predetermined order.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined order and the second predetermined order are the same.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of signature feeders, the trimmers, or the stacker.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is to cause the plurality of signature feeders to leave one of the plurality of stations along the conveyor empty.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a rejecter to reject a defective book.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the controller is to cause a replacement book for the defective book to be reordered along the conveyor.

7. The system as defined in claim 6, wherein the defective book is included in a bundle of other books with at least one of the same carrier route number, the same five digit postal code mailing address, the same first three digits of the postal code mailing address, or the same state mailing address.

8. The system as defined in claim 5, further comprising a change of the first predetermined order.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the signatures is personalized as the plurality of different books is produced.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined orders are determined prior to producing the books.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is to maximize a postage rate discount.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a binder to produce different bindings for the plurality of different books.

13. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the bindings include at least one of a saddle stitch or a square back stitch.

28. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first book comprises at least one of a first width or height and the second book comprises at least one of a second width or height different from the at least one of the first width or height.

14. A method of simultaneously producing and sequencing different books on a binding line, each of the different books having different content, comprising:

delivering a plurality of signatures to a plurality of stations along a conveyor in a first predetermined order, wherein the first predetermined order is to co-mail the books to obtain postage discounts;

binding the plurality of signatures to produce the different books using a binder, wherein one or more of the books comprise a different width or height;

diverting the books to a trimmer associated with the respective width or height of the book;

trimming the books using the trimmer associated with the respective width or height of the book; and

stacking the books in a second predetermined order.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the first predetermined order and the second predetermined order are different.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising rejecting a defective one of the books.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising re-ordering a replacement book for the defective one of the books.

18. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising changing the first predetermined order in which the plurality of signature feeders delivers the plurality of signatures to stations along a conveyor.

19. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising leaving an empty space on one of the plurality of stations along the conveyor belt.

20. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising customizing at least one of the different books.

21. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising maximizing a postage rate discount.

22. A system to produce and sequence a plurality of different books comprising:

means for simultaneously producing and sequencing first and second books in a predetermined order to co-mail, wherein one or more of the books comprise a different trim size;

first signature feeders to deliver signatures having a first trim size and associated with the first book and second signature feeders to deliver signatures having a second trim size and associated with the second book;

means for trimming the first books associated with the first trim size and second books associated with the second trim size different than the first trim size; and

means for satisfying discount postage rate guidelines.

23. The system as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for controlling the means for simultaneously producing and sequencing the plurality of different books in the predetermined order.

24. The system as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for rejecting a defective book.

25. The system as defined in claim 24, further comprising means for re-ordering the defective book.

26. The system as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for changing the predetermined order.

27. The system as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for maximizing a postage discount rate.

29. A system to produce and sequence a plurality of books comprising:

a plurality of signature feeders to deliver signatures to a plurality of stations along a conveyor to simultaneously produce and sequence a plurality of books in a first predetermined order to co-mail,

a first trimmer to trim first books;

a second trimmer to trim second books;

a diverter to divert the first books to the first trimmer and the second books to the second trimmer;

a stacker to stack the books in a second predetermined order, wherein the second predetermined order satisfies discount postage rate guidelines; and

a controller to cause the books to be produced in the first predetermined order.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the first books comprise a first trim size and the second books comprise a second trim size.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the diverter is to be upstream from the first and second trimmers.