Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering to stack and feeding therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2002-01-15
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering to stack and feeding therefrom
C271S256000, C271S258020, C271S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06338479
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and to a system for in-line processing flat objects.
Such a method and such a system are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,472. In this patent specification, it is proposed to print sheets in a printer and to transport sheets dispensed serially by the printer via a buffer station to downstream processing stations. By printing and finishing sheets in-line, an operation and a possible source of errors in the form of the batchwise transfer of printed sheets to a finishing system is skipped. The buffer station here makes it possible, if the printer temporarily operates faster than the processing stations, or if the processing stations are temporarily stopped and the printer continues to run for some time, to temporarily store printed sheets in a buffer stock in the form of a stack.
A drawback of this device is that collecting printed documents into a stack and separating documents again requires relatively costly and sensitive equipment and in itself also constitutes a source of malfunctions.
Also in various other combinations of devices (such as collecting stations and reading stations) with downstream finishing systems, a problem frequently presenting itself is that the upstream device sometimes dispenses objects that cannot be directly processed by the downstream finishing system because the latter is at a standstill or is processing supplied objects with a frequency which is at least temporarily lower than the frequency with which these are dispensed by the upstream device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a possibility for temporarily buffering flat objects between a device that dispenses the objects and downstream transport facilities, allowing the flat objects, with simple facilities, to be reliably stored and subsequently dispensed serially.
This object is achieved, according to the present invention, by carrying out a method for in-line processing objects wherein the objects are fed from a device; at least one leading specimen of the objects is serially transferred to a system for processing serially received flat objects with a pitch between successive specimens of the objects which is greater than or equal to the dimensions in the direction of transport of the specimens in question of the objects; the at least one leading specimen of the objects is transported in the system; and at least two specimens of the objects that follow the at least one leading specimen of the objects are temporarily collected, wherein temporarily collecting the at least two specimens of the objects occurs in a configuration staggered with respect to each other in the direction of transport with a pitch in the direction of transport, which pitch is smaller than the dimensions in the direction of transport of the specimens in question of the objects; and the collected specimens of the objects are subsequently moved away from each other, from that configuration, in the order in which these specimens of the objects have been collected, and are further transported with mutual interspaces.
For carrying out such a method, in cooperation with a device that dispenses flat objects, the invention further provides a system for in-line processing flat objects serially received from an upstream device, having a transport path having an entrance for serially receiving flat objects coming from an upstream system, having a path monitoring and having a buffer portion upstream of the path monitoring; and control means operatively connected to the transport path for controlling the transport path, wherein the control means and the buffer portion are arranged for controlling the buffer portion of the transport path, such that flat objects in the buffer portion are collected in a configuration staggered with respect to each other in the direction of transport, with a pitch in the direction of transport which is shorter than the dimensions in the direction of transport of the flat objects in question, and for moving the collected flat objects away from each other, from that configuration, in the order in which the collected flat objects have been collected, and transporting the collected flat objects further with mutual interspaces.
Because the flat objects are temporarily stored at a pitch smaller than the size of those objects in the direction of transport, a large number of specimens of the flat objects can be collected in a buffer portion of a small length, but because the specimens are stored with a pitch in the direction of transport, they can easily be moved away from each other again.
Examples of flat objects that can be advantageously processed with the method and the system according to the invention are: sheets of paper or other material, such as plastic, cards, envelopes which may or may not be filled, quires, and booklets.
A particular advantage of the invention is that it further makes it possible to temporarily store in a compact manner flat objects in turn consisting of a plurality of stacked sheets or the like, which may or may not be bonded together, and subsequently to move these away from each other again for further processing. Because the objects are stored so as to be staggered relative to each other in the direction of transport, they can be simply treated separately again without sheets of a stack being moved away from each other.
Further objects, embodiments, details and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5584472 (1996-12-01), Hidding et al.
patent: 0 303 276 (1989-02-01), None
patent: 0 491 507 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 2 644 443 (1990-09-01), None
Van Den Berg René
Van Der Werff Jeichienus Adriaan
Bollinger David H.
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Neopost B.V.
LandOfFree
In-line processing of flat objects does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with In-line processing of flat objects, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and In-line processing of flat objects will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2842825