Sheet handling apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for collating or inserting inserts including a raceway for transporting sets of inserts at a raceway transport rate and an insert feed line for feeding an individual insert to each of the sets of inserts on the raceway at the raceway transport rate. The insert feed line having a singulater for separating the individual insert from bundles of inserts at a separation rate, the singulater including a lifter lifting at least one insert from the bundles of inserts, the lifting effecting separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts at the separation rate wherein, the singulater has a controller for controlling the singulater separation rate so that the singulater separation rate is variable with respect to a predetermined raceway transport rate, to allow the insert feed line to feed the individual insert to each set of inserts transported on the raceway at the raceway transport rate.

1 . A sheet handling apparatus for collating or inserting inserts, the apparatus comprising:
 a raceway adapted to transport sets of inserts at a raceway transport rate; and   an insert feed line adapted to feed an individual insert to each of the sets of inserts on the raceway at the raceway transport rate;   the insert feed line having a singulater adapted to separate the individual insert from bundles of inserts at a separation rate, the singulater including a lifter lifting at least one insert from the bundles of inserts, the lifting effecting separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts at the separation rate;   wherein, the singulater has a controller adapted to control the singulater separation rate so that the singulater separation rate is variable with respect to a predetermined raceway transport rate, to allow the insert feed line to feed the individual insert to each set of inserts transported on the raceway at the raceway transport rate.   
   
   
       2 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the raceway comprises first and second raceways, and wherein the transport rate comprises first and second transport rates corresponding to the first and second raceways, and wherein the first and second raceways transport the sets of inserts along parallel first and second transport paths. 
   
   
       3 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a second insert feed line, wherein the insert feed line is adapted to feed individual inserts to the sets of inserts on the first raceway. 
   
   
       4 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the second insert feed line is adapted to feed other individual inserts to other sets of inserts on the second raceway, and wherein the insert feed line and second insert feed line have opposite insert feed directions. 
   
   
       5 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the raceway comprises a plurality of modular raceway sections, and wherein, the insert feed line comprises a plurality of modular insert feed line sections, each modular insert feed line section corresponding to each modular raceway section. 
   
   
       6 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of modular raceway sections comprises a variable number of modular raceway sections, and wherein the variable number is related to a predetermined characteristic of the sets of inserts on the raceway. 
   
   
       7 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the insert feed line further comprises:
 an infeed section adapted to transport the bundles of inserts;   the lifter communicably connected to the infeed section to receive the bundles of inserts from the infeed section, the lifter being adapted to continuously supply the bundles of inserts to the singulater;   a metering conveyor section adapted to transport the individual insert from the singulater;   a buffer section communicably connected to the metering conveyor section to receive the individual insert from the singulater, the buffer section adapted to buffer multiple individual inserts; and   a staging conveyor adapted to transport the individual insert from the buffer section to the raceway.   
   
   
       8 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the separation rate is decoupled from the raceway transport rate. 
   
   
       9 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the separation rate is varied based on rejection or misfeed of the individual insert within the insert feed line. 
   
   
       10 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the individual insert comprises one or more sheets. 
   
   
       11 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second raceway adapted to transport sets of inserts along a second transport paths, the raceway comprising a first raceway having a first transport path, the first and second transport paths being substantially parallel to each other;   the first and second raceways having first and second independent insert insertion points; and   at least one of the independent insertion points inserting an individual insert, at a predetermined insertion rate, to each of the sets of inserts transported by one of the first or second raceways.   
   
   
       12 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second raceways each have substantially constant transport rates. 
   
   
       13 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second raceways comprise modular raceway sections, each modular raceway section having a corresponding, one of the first or second independent insert insertion points. 
   
   
       14 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second raceways are adapted to have a variable raceway length by varying a number of the modular raceway sections in accordance with a predetermined characteristic of the sets of inserts on the raceway. 
   
   
       15 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second insertion points respectively have opposite insert feed directions onto the first and second raceways. 
   
   
       16 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the separation rate of the insert feed line is decoupled from a raceway transport rate. 
   
   
       17 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the separation rate of the insert feed line is varied to account for rejection or misfeed of the individual insert. 
   
   
       18 . The raceway of  claim 1  comprising:
 raceway modules removably connected to each other so that the raceway defined by the connected raceway modules is a modular raceway wherein each raceway of the module comprises;   a raceway conveyor section adapted to convey the sets of accumulated inserts;   wherein, the modular raceway has an adjustable length adjusted by adding or removing raceway modules to the removably connected raceway modules in accordance, with a predetermined characteristic of the sets of accumulated inserts conveyed by the raceway.   
   
   
       19 . The raceway of  claim 18 , wherein the variable separation rate is decoupled from the raceway transport rate. 
   
   
       20 . The modular raceway of  claim 18 , wherein the insert feed line further comprises:
 an infeed section adapted to transport the bundles of inserts;   the lifter being adapted to continuously supply the bundles of inserts to the singulater;   a metering conveyor section adapted to transport the individual insert from the singulater;   a buffer section communicably connected to the metering conveyor section to receive the individual insert, the buffer section being adapted to buffer multiple individual inserts; and   a staging conveyor adapted to transport the individual insert from the buffer section to the raceway conveyor section.   
   
   
       21 . The raceway of  claim 18 , wherein the raceway modules are arranged to provide two parallel and independent transport paths for the sets of accumulated inserts. 
   
   
       22 . The raceway of  claim 21 , wherein, the transport paths are in the same direction, and wherein, insert feed line comprises insert feed line sections of the raceway modules that feed the two parallel and independent transport paths from opposite directions. 
   
   
       23 . A sheet handling apparatus for collating or inserting inserts, the apparatus comprising:
 a bundle feeder adapted to feed bundles of inserts to a singulater;   the singulater connected to the bundle feeder to receive the bundles of inserts, the singulater being adapted to separate individual inserts from the bundles of inserts at a separation rate, the singulater including a lifter lifting at least one insert from the bundles of inserts, the lifting effecting separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts at the separation rate; and   an insert feeder interfacing with the singulater, the insert feeder adapted to accept the individual inserts from the singulater and feed the individual inserts to the raceway moving at the transport rate;   wherein, the separation rate is variable and selectable to be different than the transport rate.   
   
   
       24 . The insert feed line of  claim 23 , wherein the bundle feeder comprises a horizontal conveyor adapted to transport the bundles of inserts to the lifter in communicating with the horizontal conveyor to receive the bundles of inserts, the lifter having two independent lift drives adapted to level the bundle relative to the singulater. 
   
   
       25 . The insert feed line of  claim 23 , wherein the bundle feeder is adapted to continuously supply bundles of inserts to the singulater. 
   
   
       26 . The insert feed line of  claim 23 , wherein the singulater comprises a rotatable vacuum device adapted to remove individual inserts from the bundles of inserts. 
   
   
       27 . The insert feed line of  claim 26 , wherein the vacuum device is a drum, and wherein a position and speed of the rotatable vacuum drum are varied according to a desired separation rate. 
   
   
       28 . The insert feed line of  claim 23 , wherein the insert feeder comprises a metering conveyor adapted to transport individual inserts from the singulater to the raceway, wherein the metering conveyor is adapted to accumulate or deplete individual inserts as a function of the difference between the transport rate and the separation rate. 
   
   
       29 . The insert feed line of  claim 23 , wherein the insert feeder comprises:
 a metering conveyor adapted to transport individual inserts from the singulater;   a buffer communicably connected to the metering conveyor and adapted to buffer multiple individual inserts from the metering conveyor; and   a staging conveyor communicably connected to the buffer an adapted to transport individual inserts from the buffer to the raceway;   wherein, the staging conveyor is adapted to transport individual inserts to the raceway moving at the transport rate, and wherein the metering conveyor is adapted to transport individual inserts at the separation rate, and wherein, the buffer is adapted to accumulate or deplete individual inserts as a function of the difference between the transport rate and the separation rate.   
   
   
       30 . An insert feed line for loading individual inserts on a raceway, the insert feed line comprising:
 a magazine capable of holding a bundle of inserts, each insert having at least one sheet;   a singulater communicably connected to the magazine and positioned to operate on and separate an individual top insert from the bundle of inserts in the magazine; and   a metering conveyor communicably connected to the singulater and having a vacuum belt interfacing with the singulater, transport the individual insert from the singulater and feed the individual insert to the raceway;   wherein, the bundle of inserts may comprise either compensated or uncompensated insert stacks.   
   
   
       31 . The insert feed line of  claim 30 , wherein the singulater further comprising a bundle feeder having a horizontal conveyor adapted to transport the bundles of inserts to the magazine and wherein the magazine has an elevator with two independent lift drives adapted to level the bundle relative to the singulater, and wherein the bundle feeder and elevator cooperate to continuously supply bundles of inserts to the singulater. 
   
   
       32 . The insert feed line of  claim 30 , wherein the singulater comprises a movable vacuum device adapted to remove the individual insert from the top of the bundle of inserts. 
   
   
       33 . The insert feed line of  claim 32 , wherein the vacuum device and bundle of inserts in the magazine move relative to each other in at least two directions angled relative to each other. 
   
   
       34 . The insert feed line of  claim 32 , wherein the vacuum device is a rotatable vacuum drum and wherein a position and speed of the rotatable vacuum drum are varied according to a desired separation rate. 
   
   
       35 . The insert feed line of  claim 30 , wherein a feed speed of the metering conveyor is faster than a feed speed of the singulater. 
   
   
       36 . The insert feed line of  claim 30  further comprising a thickness sensor adapted to detect a thickness of the individual insert and further adapted to detect a misfeed condition. 
   
   
       37 . The insert feed line of  claim 30  further comprising a recycling section at an output of the metering conveyor, the recycling section adapted to redirect misfed individual inserts. 
   
   
       38 . An insert feed line for loading individual inserts on a raceway, the insert feed line comprising:
 a singulater feed elevator adapted to feed bundles of inserts singulater;   a singulater communicably connected to the feed elevator and located to engage a top of the bundles of inserts and singulater to separate a top most individual insert from the bundles of inserts; and   a metering conveyor interfacing with the singulater, the metering conveyor adapted to transport the individual insert from the singulater and feed the individual inserts to the raceway;   wherein the singulater feed elevator comprises:
 a first lift adapted to lift and interface a first bundle of inserts to the singulater; 
 a second lift independently movable and operable from the first lift, the second lift adapted to lift and interface a second bundle of inserts to the singulater; 
 wherein, the first and second bundles are interfaced with the Singulater to enable the singulater to provide a substantially continuous supply of singulated inserts to the metering conveyor and the raceway. 
   
   
   
       39 . The insert feed line of  claim 38 , wherein the singulater comprises a movable vacuum pick, movable relative to the bundles of inserts. 
   
   
       40 . The insert feed line of  claim 39 , wherein relative movement between the vacuum pick and bundles of inserts is effected by moving at least one of the movable vacuum pick or the bundles of inserts, and wherein the relative movement is in at least two directions angled relative to each other. 
   
   
       41 . The insert feed line of  claim 38 , wherein the first lift has two independent lift drives adapted to level the first bundle relative to the singulater. 
   
   
       42 . The insert feed line of  claim 38 , wherein the singulater feed elevator further comprises an elevator conveyor adapted to transport a bundle of inserts to the first lift or the second lift; wherein the first lift or the second lift may pass through the elevator conveyor. 
   
   
       43 . The insert feed line of  claim 38 , wherein the first or second bundle of inserts may comprise either compensated or uncompensated stacks. 
   
   
       44 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the singulater comprises a pick disposed to capture the individual insert and separate the individual insert from the bundles of inserts. 
   
   
       45 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the singulater includes a cyclic elevator adapted to contact the bundles of inserts and capable of cyclic movement for moving at least one insert of the bundles of inserts to the pick to effect separation of the individual insert. 
   
   
       46 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the pick and cyclic elevator move in cooperation with each other to define the separation rate of the singulater. 
   
   
       47 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the pick is movably mounted to move in a substantially continuous loop when separating the individual insert from the bundles of inserts. 
   
   
       48 . The sheet handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the singulater comprises a cyclic elevator adapted to contact the bundles of inserts and capable of cyclic movement for moving at least one insert of the bundles of inserts to effect separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts.