Collator apparatus
US7011304B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 10, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2301/42266
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A collator for assembling a packet from one or more sheets, includes a sheet collating tray, a retractable sheet stop within said sheet collating tray for stopping and aligning a leading edge of each sheet entering the sheet collating tray, thereby producing an aligned sheet packet, a movable sheet kicker for initiating output of the aligned sheet packet from the sheet collating tray, and sheet packet-grasping packet transfer belts for delivering from the collating tray each of the aligned sheet packets to downstream processing equipment. To optimize operational timing of the collator and for monitoring sheet progress through the collator, a programmed computer is provided that oversees for efficiency and possible errors sheet entry into the sheet collating tray, the presence of one or more sheets within the sheet collating tray, and the aligned sheet packet departure from the sheet collating tray.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.