Patents Assigned to Bell & Howell
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Patent number: 5244200Abstract: A retractable-ramp accumulator comprises driven endless elastic belts to feed sheets therebetween along a sheet-feeding path, a sheet stacker having a stacking location and including a selectively releasable stop gate, and at least one selectively retractable ramp for selectively deflecting sheets out of the sheet feeding path for selectively feeding under or over previous sheets that are stopped in the stacking location by the stop gate. In one embodiment, an upper and a lower set of ramps are arranged such that while one set of ramps is retracted, the other set of ramps is interposed in the sheet feeding path, so that sheets can be selectively "over" or "under" accumulated.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 1992Date of Patent: September 14, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg CompanyInventor: G. William Manzke
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Patent number: 5224695Abstract: Document feeding apparatus advances the leading document in a stack of documents against a moveable feed element which moves at a predetermined, load sensitive speed. The torque applied to the leading document by the feed element is maintained at a substantially constant level by sensing the speed of the moveable feed element and electronically controlling the pressure applied by the stack of documents against the moveable feed element in order to maintain the torque applied by the moveable feed element to the leading document of the stack at a substantially constant value.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1992Date of Patent: July 6, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: Eduard Svyatsky, Jerry Loftis, George I. Paroubek, Frederick P. Hegland, Wesley Dobrzanski, Thomas J. Faber
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Patent number: 5221080Abstract: A stacker assembly for receiving generally flat documents, such as mailing envelopes and flats, in on-edge relation and maintaining the documents in upstanding side-by-side stacked relation as they accumulate in the stacker assembly. A receiving station is supported at one end of a horizontal support plate and guides successive incoming documents into stacked relation transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stacker assembly. A stacker plate is supported to engage the forwardmost document in the stack and is movable longitudinally of the stacker assembly in response to accumulation of documents in the stacker. Means in the form of a negator spring and a wedge plate cooperate with the stacker plate in a manner to apply a variable pressure against the documents so as to accommodate both thin lightweight and heavier documents in the stack while maintaining them in upstanding relation.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 1992Date of Patent: June 22, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventor: Mario Ricciardi
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Patent number: 5217218Abstract: A dual auger stacking device for use with a document sorting and conveying apparatus defining a document path and including a plurality of gates for diverting documents from the path into a preselected document receiving station of a plurality of such stations. Each station has a support structure for supporting planar surfaces of documents diverted by the gates and directing the documents into the receiving station. The stacking device includes a base plate upon which lower edges of sorted documents are conveyed upon being diverted by the gates, and an auger assembly operationally disposed relative to the base plate for pulling trailing edges of documents away from the support structure, for loosening documents stacked at the support structure for which the trailing edges have been pulled away, and for displacing the loosened documents into the document receiving station in a direction normal to the document path.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1991Date of Patent: June 8, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventor: Mario Ricciardi
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Patent number: 5211384Abstract: An in-line inserter device comprises envelope and insert feeding assemblies, an envelope inserting station assembly, a sealing and stacking assembly, and various diverter stations. The envelope feeding assembly withdraws envelopes from a hopper-held envelope stack and conveys them to the inserting station. Each modular insert feeding assembly comprises a hopper-held insert stack disposed above, along, and in line with an insert conveyor. The conveyor, along its track, carries inserts dispensed from the hopper-held insert stacks to the inserting station. Diverter stations are disposed ahead of the envelope inserting station for diversion of envelopes and inserts and ahead of the inserted envelope stacking assembly to divert inserted envelopes, for normal operational purposes and for rectification of sensed faults by rejection and extraction of processed faulty items.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1991Date of Patent: May 18, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: Winston A. Orsinger, Richard B. Hawkes, Eric A. Belec, Lee, Jr.: James S., Harry C. Noll, Jr., David P. Nyffenegger, George Fallos
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Patent number: 5209468Abstract: An articulated document feeder and diverter which allows pivoting and rotation about two mutually perpendicular axis of rotation to thereby allow idle rollers mounted on a pivotable carrier to maintain contact with drive rollers, whether a divert pivoting occurs or not. Compliance members, preferably resilient O-rings mounted on the periphery of the idle rollers, help to absorb unevenness in the contact face between an idle roller and a drive roller/s/.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1992Date of Patent: May 11, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg CompanyInventors: James N. Driscoll, Michael R. Drago
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Patent number: 5208583Abstract: An image having more pixels than can be displayed on a video monitor (16) is stored in an image buffer (10) in packed raster format. During a vertical retrace period, the video monitor generates several horizontal synchronization signals which clock a video memory controller (20). Each time the video memory controller is clocked, it moves a portion of a next successive row of data from the image buffer to a video memory (12). In this manner, several rows of new data are loaded into the video memory before the video monitor starts withdrawing data from the video memory to display the first raster scan line. As the raster scan line is indexed to move down the video image by the horizontal synchronization pulses, the same horizontal synchronization pulses continue to index the row addresses of the video memory controller keeping the transfer of new data into the video memory several lines ahead of the current raster scan line.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 1990Date of Patent: May 4, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Publication Systems, CompanyInventors: Daniel V. Cusick, John E. Conroy, Raymond G. Molnar, O. Nolan Daines
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Patent number: 5201504Abstract: An on-edge stacker for stacking envelopes comprises a transporter and diverter, an accumulator, a spider wheel for delivering diverted envelopes to a conveyor belt of the accumulator, and a propelling arrangement to a drive diverted envelopes to the spider wheel. The diverter includes a gate for intercepting and diverting envelopes from the transporter. The stacker includes a device for laterally offsetting envelopes. In one embodiment, the spider wheel is suspended in a free-floating manner against a spring load. The floating spider wheel displacement as a consequence of stack increase is sensed to energize the accumulator conveyor belt drive to reduce the displacement. The actuation of the envelope propelling arrangement is sychronized in correlation with the positions of spaces between legs of the spider wheel. In operation, a diverted envelope is aligned, selectively offset, and propelled into the spider wheel.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1991Date of Patent: April 13, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: George Fallos, Harry C. Noll, Jr., David P. Nyffenegger
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Patent number: 5200007Abstract: A system for applying corrective mailing labels to documents and the like wherein a plurality of labels are releasably carried in sequential fashion on an elongated flexible substrate. The system includes a label printing station, a label applying drum, and label stripper means including a stripper blade having a free end disposed adjacent the drum and about which the substrate is guided so as to undergo a relatively abrupt reversal in direction. A substrate tractor drive downstream from the stripper blade normally pulls the substrate under tension about the free end of the stripper blade to effect release of labels from the substrate for application to predetermined envelopes, the substrate tractor drive being selectively operable to create a substrate loop path immediately downstream from the free end of the stripper blade to prevent release of an incorrect label from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1991Date of Patent: April 6, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventor: Eduard Svyatsky
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Patent number: 5199101Abstract: An image is stored in raster format having N raster or data lines each with M pixel values in an image or print buffer memory (10). An addressing circuit (20) addresses the print buffer memory to read out m.times.n bit columns or blocks of data, where n=N unless cropping of the image is desired. The blocks are parallel loaded alternately into a first FIFO memory array (40) and a second FIFO memory array (62). Each FIFO memory array includes a plurality of FIFO memories (42a-p 64a-p) which store n data lines segments each of m/p bits. In the first n clock cycles of the first FIFO memory (42a), a multiplexer (46) passes the least significant bit (50) of each data line segment read out of the first FIFO memory. The next N times that the first FIFO memory is clocked, the multiplexer passes the next least significant bit and so on until all m/p bits have been passed serially to a laser printer (48).Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 1990Date of Patent: March 30, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Publication Systems CompanyInventors: Daniel V. Cusick, Michael A. Chmura, Raymond G. Molnar
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Patent number: 5190282Abstract: The multi-pass sorting machine of this disclosure includes a supporting structure which has the configuration of an A-Frame. The A-Frame structure has a slanting front side supporting several individually functional devices and a slanting back side supporting other individually functional devices. The devices of the front side include an input feeding means, a first transporting means, a singulating means, an accelerating means, a second transporting means, a bar code reader and associated electronic and computer means, a plurality of first sorting means in the form of diverting vanes, an equal number of first pass stacker buffer means, and a reversing member for transporting letters from the front side to the back side while at the same time retaining the same orientation of the letters to the planar surface as the letters go around the corner.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1991Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: K. George Rabindran, Thomas Faber, David Filicicchia, Kenneth L. Guenther, Joseph Kalika, Melvin T. Kerstein, Girish B. Shah, David Wiley
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Patent number: 5182991Abstract: A bank check endorser is provided that permits endorsement in each of three discrete locations along the length of the reverse side of a check. The endorser unit utilizes a one-way clutch along the drive shaft to permit movement of the drive mechanism for the print cylinder. By releasing a latch mechanism, the housing portion, which contains the drive mechanism and the print cylinder, is moved along the length of the drive shaft to a second position.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 1991Date of Patent: February 2, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Document Management Products CompanyInventors: Duane R. Patuszynski, John S. O'Callaghan, Andrew Bartoli
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Patent number: 5178383Abstract: A method for in-plane separation of side-by-side parallel sheet articles that are transported along mutually-laterally-adjacent, in-plane paths, the method comprising: feeding unconnected sheet articles parallel to one another to mutually divergent belt arrangements that are driven at the same speed; conveying the sheet articles in a common plane divergently in relation to one another through the divergent belt arrangements and thereby irrotationally separating the sheet articles in the common plane and conveying the articles to a transporter; transporting the sheet articles and selectively stopping them by and in collectors of the transporter; collecting the selectively-stopped sheet articles in the collectors; and selectively releasing and thereby delivering stopped sheet articles for further handling.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1992Date of Patent: January 12, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg CompanyInventors: James R. Moser, Gerald D. Warden, Thomas E. Bieber
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Patent number: 5177687Abstract: In an insertion machine a track 20 moves groups of items past feed station 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, during respective machine cycles. The feed stations selectively feed items onto the tracks 20 for inclusion with a group of items and eventual stuffing into an envelope. A master control item 46 fed from station 31 for each group has indicia 50 thereon which provides an indication from which of the feed stations items can be fed. In order for data processor 102 to calculate the amount of postage appropriate for the stuffed envelope, an operator uses a keyboard and display 110 to input predetermined per item weight values for items held at select stations. A data processor 102 uses the predetermined values indicative of the per item weight of items held in the stations to obtain a calculated total weight for each group of items.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1991Date of Patent: January 5, 1993Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Co.Inventors: Brad A. Baggarly, Christopher K. Scullion
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Patent number: 5172909Abstract: A secondary pivotal drive stacker roller assembly for a document sorting and conveying apparatus adapted for sorting documents of various lengths, preferably from a primary document path to at least one secondary document path leading to a document stacking station, the roller assembly including a roller oriented for rotation about a vertical axis and for engaging shorter length documents advanced along the secondary document path, a pivot arm for reciprocally pivoting the roller into and out of engagement with documents advanced along the secondary document path, and a control system for controlling the pivot arm to selectively position the roller for engaging the shorter length documents, and to disengage the roller from the secondary document path when longer length documents are to be sorted.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1991Date of Patent: December 22, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventor: Mario Ricciardi
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Patent number: 5154404Abstract: A jam detector in an inserting station of an inserter comprises horizontal and vertical photosensors and therewith associated retroreflective targets; the horizontal sensors have a light beam directed across and above an envelope positioned in the inserting station, and the vertical sensors have a pair of vertical light beams directed toward opening fingers while the fingers are positioned in the inserting station for holding envelopes open. The jam detector detects jam malfunctions during the inserting cycle by sensing interruption of the horizontal beam and uninterrupted retroreflection of the vertical beams.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1991Date of Patent: October 13, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg CompanyInventors: James S. Lee, Jr., David P. Nyffenegger, Eric A. Belec
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Patent number: 5150894Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying generally flat documents on-edge includes a primary conveyor belt defining a primary conveyor path, and at least one secondary conveyor belt defining a diverter station and having a first reach disposed in juxtaposed relation to a reach of the primary conveyor belt and a second reach inclined to the primary conveyor belt so as to establish an open span along the primary conveyor belt immediately downstream from the juxtaposed belt reaches. A document diverter mechanism includes pairs of guide arms selectively movable between first positions operative to guide a document along the open span of the primary conveyor belt after exiting the juxtaposed belt reaches, and second positions operative to divert a document from the primary conveyor path and guide the diverted document along the inclined reach of the secondary conveyor belt to a stacking station. A kicker arm assembly is operative to orient diverted documents at the stacker station for sweeping into a container.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1991Date of Patent: September 29, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventor: Mario Ricciardi
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Patent number: 5150891Abstract: A shingling device for use in a mail document sorting apparatus includes a first conveyor belt for receiving a vertical stack of sorted documents. A guide element is oblique to the conveyor belt for shifting the moving vertical stack into a shifted oblique stack and defines a gap between the belt and the guide element to enable passage of documents from the lower portion of the stack. A rotatable roller is disposed adjacent and downstream from the guide element and has a lower surface partially obstructing the gap. The roller rotates opposite to movement of the first conveyor belt for shingling documents passing through the gap. A second conveyor belt cooperates with the first conveyor belt to confine shingled documents advancing on the first belt, and cooperates with the roller so that the second belt has a longitudinal velocity substantially equal to the tangential velocity of the roller.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1991Date of Patent: September 29, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: Eduard M. Svyatsky, George Paroubek, Frederick P. Hegland
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Patent number: 5147092Abstract: An improved accumulator and method of accumulation into stacks of a number of seriatim-fed sheets selectively in the manner of "over" or "under" accumulation and for conveying accumulated stacks to further equipment. The accumulator comprises driven endless elastic belts to drive sheets therebetween and a driven roller pair for nipping and feeding the sheets to a stacking location to be accumulated therein. The nip of the roller pair is offset in relation to the plane in which sheets are driven thereto by the belts. The roller pair drives a sheet in positively nipped manner to the stacking location selectively over or under a previously arrived sheet. Further included in the roller-accumulator is a stop gate device for stopping sheets fed to the stacking location and for selectively releasing accumulated stacks to be transported by and between the endless elastic belts to further equipment.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1991Date of Patent: September 15, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg CompanyInventors: James N. Driscoll, Thomas E. Bieber
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Patent number: 5145161Abstract: A Sheet Feeding System (10) having a reciprocating vacuum shuttle plate (52) includes a knife gate (112) and high-friction rollers 118 and 120 position between the knife gate and an additional conveyor formed by a driven feed roller 94 and an idler feed roller 96. The high-friction rollers form a singulator gap (188) with shoulders 184 of a vacuum-groove (186) on a sheet-engaging surface of the reciprocating shuttle plate. The sheet feeding system includes a transition tray (14) downstream of the additional conveyor for providing a transition to clamps of an endless chain (178). The transition tray comprises an endless conveyor belt (156) with a floating feed roller (160) biased thereagainst. The position of the floating feed roller can be adjusted so as to space it approximately a sheet length from a stationary clamp (176) on the endless chain.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 1990Date of Patent: September 8, 1992Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Co.Inventors: David Bowser, Gerald D. Warden