Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – By means to convey sheet
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-12
2001-01-23
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
By means to convey sheet
C271S266000, C271S121000, C271S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to an apparatus for separating and sequencing documents for use with document handling machines and the like.
The instant invention provides an apparatus comprising two spaced document handling apparatus configured to be positioned along a document line of travel. Each document handling apparatus may be separately controlled such that overlapping documents traveling into the instant separator and sequencing apparatus may be separated when so required by advancing a first document with respect to a second document. Furthermore, the present separator and sequencing apparatus may serve as a buffer by temporarily detaining documents to allow, for example, separation of documents into predetermined account groups.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior systems employed for printing and gathering documents have comprised a printer for printing a pair of documents side by side and a cutter to separate the pair of documents from the roll of paper at the printer and one from the other. Such prior systems further comprised an inverter to align the documents into a single path orientation rather than the side by side orientation dictated by the printer. The documents could be forwarded to an assembly for gathering a stack of documents.
Prior systems have recognized that it may be desirable to advance each document of the pair of documents separately to the assembly for gathering a stack of documents. Separate advancement has traditionally been accomplished in two manners. In the first manner, the advancement of one document of each pair of documents printed by the printer is retarded at the cutter while the advancement of the other document is allowed to advance freely. In the second manner, the inverter either retards the advancement of, or creates a longer path of travel for, one of the documents with respect to the other document. In either manner, the pair of documents exit the inverter without either document contacting the other.
It is worthy to note that prior manners of separating a pair of documents necessarily separate each and every pair of documents printed by the printer and advanced to the assembly for gathering documents. When a system for printing and gathering documents is employed to produce a plurality of different groups of documents called accounts, only pairs of documents which comprise a document from two different accounts need to be separated before being advanced to the assembly for gathering documents. Every other pair of documents printed by the printer may be advanced to the assembly for gathering documents without separating each of the documents in the pair of documents. Consequently, prior systems employed for printing and gathering groups of documents by accounts slow the process of printing and gathering documents by requiring unnecessary separation some documents. The larger the number of pages being processed in each account, the larger the number of pairs of documents in each account which need not be separated and the larger the resultant delay caused by the separation of each pair of documents.
Additionally, the prior manners of separating a pair of documents retarded one of the documents of the pair of documents a predetermined amount. The prior manners did not possess a manner of varying the retardation. Consequently, the assembly for gathering documents used in the prior manners of printing and gathering documents could not be given extra time to unload an account. Extra time may be necessary, for example, due to size of the account.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for separating documents which may selectively separate pairs of documents.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for separating documents which is efficient.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for separating documents which may provide a buffer to the assembly for gathering documents.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient apparatus for sorting documents by account.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient apparatus for sorting documents which apparatus may be integrated into prior assemblies for printing and sorting documents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a separator and sequencing apparatus comprising two distinct document handling apparatus each of which preferably comprise a pair of rollers between which each document traveling along a document line of travel will pass. Each pair of rollers has two horizontally extending rollers mounted one above the other such that the rollers may contact and control the documents traveling therebetween to allow selective acceleration, deceleration, starting or stopping of said documents by said pair of rollers.
Separating and sequencing of documents traveling through the separator and sequencing apparatus is facilitated by spacing the distinct pairs of rollers and providing separate acceleration and deceleration to each. The ability to control the speed of one pair of rollers relative to the other allows relative movement of a document grasped in one pair of rollers with respect to a document grasped in the other pair of rollers. Consequently, documents which enter the separator and sequencing apparatus of the present invention in a partially overlapping relation may be separated one from the other by movement of one document relative to the other. Additionally, the selective control afforded each pairs of rollers of the present separator and sequencing apparatus allows the present separator and sequencing apparatus to provide a buffer in the supply of documents traveling along the document line of travel. Consequently, each document of a pair of documents within the present separator and sequencing apparatus may be forwarded to a separate predetermined account group. Importantly, however, the present separator and sequencing apparatus may advance a pair of overlapping documents therein without separating said pair of documents. Consequently, the present separating and sequencing apparatus affords the ability to separate only documents belonging to separate accounts while merely advancing documents belonging to the same account. The overall processing rate of an apparatus employing the present separating and sequencing apparatus may thereby be increased.
The present separator and sequencing apparatus is preferably placed in a document handling machine comprising an automated control system comprising sensors and means of controlling the separator and sequencing apparatus to provide smooth and efficient operation of the document handling machine. In a preferred embodiment, the automated control system comprises a sensor capable of determining the account association of each document passing thereby. In this manner, the automated document handling system may possess information as to whether each document in the present separating and sequencing apparatus belongs to the same or different accounts.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.
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Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
Patula & Associates P.C.
Schlak Daniel K.
Walsh Donald P.
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