Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for gathering documents

US8172216B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
8References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 2009
Grant dateMay 8, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 19, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65H2513/42
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method in which documents and enclosures are fed by feeding stations to a supply track and subsequently transported along the supply track to a gathering station. A sensor downstream of the feeding stations is used for scanning markings. A divert station connected to the supply track allows clearing the supply track, when scanned markings indicate that the first sheet of a next set has been scanned in the supply track, by diverting the first sheet to the divert station. This allows enclosures of the set being gathered to be fed along the supply track and gathered at the gathering station. After the completed set has vacated the gathering station, the diverted sheet is transported to the gathering station and gathered with further documents of the next set.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.