Sheet-material associating – Associating or disassociating – Sheet associating
Patent
1996-08-05
1998-09-22
Skaggs, H. Grant
Sheet-material associating
Associating or disassociating
Sheet associating
270 583, 270 5807, 271 901, 271 912, 271 913, 271225, 4147911, 1983701, 1983499, B65H 4300
Patent
active
058103465
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a paper handling system and, in particular, to a gathering path used in such a paper handling system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Paper handling systems are predominantly used by large enterprises, banks, insurance companies, service-rendering enterprises, etc. In these enterprises, the paper handling systems are used for processing large amounts of paper, such as bills, reminders, statements of account, insurance policies or cheques.
In order to obtain, e.g. in the case of insurance policies, an adequate collocation of the various necessary pieces of paper at the end of the paper handling system, it is necessary that the paper handling system correctly processes the various pieces of paper when they have been printed. This processing is carried out at successive stations of the paper handling system and comprises e.g. the steps of separating, folding, sorting, collecting and stitching the various pieces of paper as well as, subsequently, the steps of enveloping the collocated insurance policy and putting a stamp on the letter so that letters ready for dispatch are discharged at the output of the paper handling system.
In view of the fact that the above-mentioned various processing operations are carried out at successive stations in the paper handling system, it is necessary to provide a connection between these individual stations. This connection is established by a so-called gathering path by means of which the individual stations of the paper handling system are interconnected.
Each of the known gathering paths essentially consists of a single constructional unit, which must be produced in dependance upon the requirements which have to be fulfilled by the paper handling system.
This kind of gathering path entails substantial disadvantages, said disadvantages being primarily caused by the fact that it is necessary to produce the gathering path in dependence upon requirements made by specific customers, i.e. it must be "made to measure". These requirements made by specific customers comprise the kind of paper processing as well as the space available at the customer's firm for erecting such a paper handling system. Even if the processing requirements are essentially identical on the part of the customer, the paper handling system and especially the gathering path must, in the case of different spatial circumstances, still be made to measure to meet the respective spatial circumstances.
This lack of adaptability in the production of a paper handling system results in a complicated production of the gathering path and, consequently, in an unacceptably long time of delivery of the whole system.
An additional disadvantage of this known gathering path is to be seen in the fact that in cases in which the processed pieces of paper have to be enveloped differently, i.e. put into different envelopes, branching of the gathering path is required. In known gathering paths, such branching necessitates a substantial technological expenditure, which makes the production process of the gathering path even more complicated and which, consequently, extends the time of delivery even further.
Wo 94/20400 already discloses a machine for processing printed matter comprising a plurality of individual stations for producing partial products, which are supplied to a gathering path via associated supply belts; on said gathering path, the individual partial products are combined into a final product, e.g. in the form of a book block. Technical details concerning the structural design of this gathering path cannot be inferred from this publication. GB 2084966 A discloses a system for collocating sheets, which originate from different stacks, during their periodic conveyance along a plurality of conveyor means. These conveyor means combine respective groups of sheets or groups of sheets and envelopes and supply these groups to a common conveyor in an overlapping stream of material. The plurality of conveyors as well as the common conveyor have the form of gathering paths wh
REFERENCES:
patent: 4568072 (1986-02-01), Piotroski
patent: 4989852 (1991-02-01), Gunther
patent: 5462399 (1995-10-01), Clupper et al.
patent: 5575465 (1996-11-01), Auerbach et al.
Bowe Systec AG
Skaggs H. Grant
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