Abstract: A method for incorporating, in the production of a continuous stream of images, by an image transfer device upon a moving web, post-production operations upon the web at various locations. Locations of a web, having a plurality of images placed thereon, output from an image transfer device are tracked. Specific operations at various locations upon the web are performed by a post-production device as the web passes through it. The web is directed from the image transfer device to the post-production device. In response to the tracking of locations upon the web, the point when a location has entered the post-production device is determined. In response to this determination, the post-production device is commanded to perform its specific operation at a connect location.

Abstract: A machine for feeding rolls of web material to a utilization device that is adapted to draw the web material into the utilization device. The roll machine includes a frame carrying a carriage that supports a pair of arms having respective chucks that are adapted to move toward and away from each other for engaging and disengaging with the core of a roll that is being supported and fed. An overhead drive arrangement is used for driving the periphery of the roll in combination with a torque roller for maintaining tension in the web. A gravity loop of the material has its position sensed for control of the roll drive means in a manner to match the rate of use by the utilization device. The drive arrangement may also include a motor that directly drives the roll core. The chucks driving the roll core may further be adaptable to variably support various roll core diameters and may include structures for positively gripping the core.

Abstract: A high speed sheet feeder for directing sheets to a host utilization device having a stack feed elevator platform accessed by a drawer provides a feed ramp for supporting a stack of sheets. Sheets in the stack are deshingled by a feeder singulator and driven, typically, downwardly to a feed tray extending remote from the singulator. The feed tray receives sheets in a space that enables formation of a second smaller stack of sheets. The tray further includes an opening adjacent the second stack that enables sheets to be slid from the top of the second stack. The tray is positioned and constructed so that it can enter and be removed from a port in the drawer of the utilization device. The feed tray's positioning relative to the port allows sheets in the second stack to be placed adjacent a utilization device singulator in the drawer so that sheets can be removed by the utilization device singulator for processing thereby.

Abstract: A high speed sheet feeder comprises a support for supporting a stack of sheets. The sheets are driven by a backing plate assembly along the support toward a singulator. The backing plate is driven by a drive member such as a drive chain positioned along the support. The drive chain moves the backing plate in predetermined increments. The singulator is mounted on a bracket that moves in response to pressure exerted by the leading face of the stack thereupon. The increments in which the backing plate moves are varied based upon the degree of movement of the singulator bracket in response to pressure exerted thereupon by the stack. Minimum pressure causes a maximum increment of movement while maximum pressure causes a minimum increment or virtually no movement in the backing plate assembly.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing sealed printed packages and one-piece mailers provides fixedly applying printing toner to predetermined locations upon a first part of a face of a printable sheet. The sheet is then folded so that a second part of the face overlies the first part which includes the locations having the toner thereon. The toner is then sealed so that the first and second parts are joined together. The toner may comprise a heat activated xerographic powdered toner. The second part of the face may include toner at locations that overlap the toner upon the first part and sealing may involve preheating of the toner prior to folding and then applying additional heat and pressure to the toner by means, for example, of rollers subsequent to folding. The sheet may then be cooled.

Abstract: A multi-ream paper sheet feeder for use with high speed copiers, printing machines and the like "host machines" has a sturdy frame supporting an upwardly sloping ramp overlying a motor driven feed screw. A pusher plate drives a feed block of as many as thirty reams of edgewise stacked paper sheets up the ramp to a singulating feed assembly. A feed screw drive nut carriage engages and drives the pusher plate up ramp, then disengages, retracts under the ramp and travels to a new start position at the ramp's lower end. Sensors and limit switches govern forward and reverse feed screw motor operation; another sensor governs the operation of the singulating feed assembly, delivering shingled sheets on demand to the feeder's infeed tray. The entire sheet feeder is track-mounted, latched in feed position, disengageable for retraction away from the host machine when desired.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selective high-speed insertion of sheets from a plurality of webs into envelopes provides a mechanism for folding and inserting sheets into preformed envelopes. Preformed envelopes are provided for folding and inserting from a source that may be a roll. A plurality of sheets are fed for folding and inserting into an envelopes. A leading sheet from each of the webs is selectively driven and cut at a collection point for folding and inserting. The selecting of sheets for feeding and cutting may be accomplished by means of a CPU that may include a bar code detection system disposed along each of the webs. A system for widening the openings of envelopes to facilitate insertion of contents may also be included. This system may comprise a strip along each of the envelopes is a stream that includes a folded section within each opening or may comprise tabs disposed along an opening side of each envelope.

Abstract: A sheet justifier provides a table having at least one rotational surface thereon that is substantially aligned with the table. A sheet is input to the table into contact with the rotational surface. A weighted ball is positioned over the rotating surface proximate an outer edge of the rotating surface. The sheet is grasped between the ball and the rotating surface and forced against a raised guide edge. Once the sheet is forced against the guide edge, all rotational driving force is translated in a downstream direction therealong so that the sheet is driven out of the guide edge with its edge aligned therewith in a justified orientation.

Abstract: A system for stacking continuous folded forms coming from a folder and moving to a conveyor. A table is position adjacent and in line with the conveyor and in a position for receiving a horizontal stack of folded forms disposed on the table top. The table is a tiltable table and is able to be tilted from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position to likewise move the stack from a horizontal to a vertical stack position. A cart is movable to a position adjacent to the tilted table for receiving from the table the vertical stack for support on the cart.

Abstract: A trough structure is provided for bending a web of paper widthwise to provide beam strength and controllability to the web of paper, for aiding in guiding the web of paper in a straight path. The trough structure causes the paper to curl widthwise to conform with the shape of the trough structure. The trough structure comprises a concave or convex lower wall upon which the paper flows, open ends through which the paper flows, and shoulders which attach to both sides of the lower wall and extend substantially horizontally from the sides of the lower wall to symmetrical positions above the lower wall. The shoulders act to contain the paper in the trough structure and guide the paper through the trough structure. A drive roll is provided for driving the paper through the trough structure. No buckling of the paper is caused when any slight misalignment occurs between the paper and the drive roll, and this slight misalignment is self-correcting due to the edge guiding function of the trough structure.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing sealed printed packages and one-piece mailers provides fixedly applying printing toner to predetermined locations upon a first part of a face of a printable sheet. The sheet is then folded so that a second part of the face overlies the first part which includes the locations having the toner thereon. The toner is then sealed so that the first and second parts are joined together. The toner may comprise a heat activated xerographic powdered toner. The second part of the face may include toner at locations that overlap the toner upon the first part and sealing may involve preheating of the toner prior to folding and then applying additional heat and pressure to the toner by means, for example, of rollers subsequent to folding. The sheet may then be cooled.

Abstract: A system for incorporating, in the production of a continuous stream of images, by an image transfer device upon a moving web, post-production operations upon the web at various locations. Locations of a web, having a plurality of images placed thereon, output from an image transfer device are tracked. Specific operations at various locations upon the web are performed by a post-production device as the web passes through it. The web is directed from the image transfer device to the post-production device. In response to the tracking of locations upon the web, the point when a location has entered the post-production device is determined. In response to this determination, the post-production device is commanded to perform its specific operation at a connect location.

Abstract: A machine for feeding rolls of web material to a utilization device that is adapted to draw the web material into the utilization device. The roll machine includes a frame carrying a carriage that supports a pair of arms having respective chucks that are adapted to move toward and away from each other for engaging and disengaging with the core of a roll that is being supported and fed. An overhead drive arrangement is used for driving the periphery of the roll in combination with a torque roller for maintaining tension in the web. A gravity loop of the material has its position sensed for control of the roll drive means in a manner to match the rate of use by the utilization device.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing printed envelopes provides feeding the web from a source roll into a laser printer. Predetermined envelope information such as address, name, and presort codes may be placed upon the web at selected locations thereon by the printer. The printed web is then output from the laser printer to an output roll. The printed web output roll is subsequently mounted onto an envelope folder in which each of the predetermined printed locations is detected. These predetermined locations are subsequently cut and the sheets derived therefrom are folded into individual envelopes. These envelopes are subsequently output to a collection point in a predetermined sequence. Prior to cutting and folding, additional enhancements such as embossing may be provided to the printed web.

Abstract: A web separator is provided that cuts a web at predetermined separation locations. Downstream of the cutting, the web is folded at predetermined fold locations. A continuously swinging director, downstream of the folding, guides advancing sections of web to opposing fold edges of a supported zig-zag stack. The web is driven into the continuously swinging director by a driving member. The driving member is deactivated selectively by a clutch, while other elements of the separator continue to operate. A central drive motor may be interconnected with each of the drive member, swinging director, folding and support elements. Fold and separation locations may be determined by a bar code detector and selectively operable upper and lower conveyor belts may be disposed below the supported zig-zag stack.

Abstract: A method and appaaratus for selective high-speed insertion of sheets from a plurality of webs into envelopes provides a mechanism for folding and inserting sheets into preformed envelopes. Preformed envelopes are provided for folding and inserting from a source that may be a roll. A plurality of sheets are fed for folding and inserting into envelopes. A leading sheet from each of the webs is selectively driven and cut at a collection point for folding and inserting. The selecting of sheets for feeding and cutting may be accomplished by means of a CPU that may include a bar code detection system disposed along each of the webs. A system for widening the openings of envelopes to facilitate insertion of contents may also be included. This system may comprise a strip along each of the envelopes is a stream that includes a folded section within each opening or may comprise tabs disposed along an opening side of each envelope.

Abstract: A method for sorting, separating and indicating sections of an outputted stack, such as printed continuous paper web. A continuous web is outputted which includes a plurality of sections having pages therein. Page separation and section separation locations are determined upon the web wherein the size of each page in a section is equal and wherein the size of at least one section separator page disposed adjacent to a section separation location is unequal to the size of the other pages in the section. The web is folded at each of the subsequent page separation locations upon an alternating face to produce a zig-zag pattern. The section separator pages may be folded so that their size is greater than or less than the size of the pages in the section and the section separator pages may be cut so that their size is greater than or less than that of the pages in the section.

Abstract: A system and method for directly feeding unstacked paper sheets into a printing device having a moving image conducting element with a plurality of images placed thereon for transfer to the paper and having a wait station for controlling the timing of paper transfer to the image conducting element. A continuous stream of paper sheets is directed to a printing device wait station. The rate of the movement of the paper sheets into the wait station is controlled to present each paper sheet at a predetermined rate relative to the operating speed of the image conducting element. The spacing of the leading edge of each paper sheet, as it is presented to the wait station, is made relative to the linear spacing between consecutive images on the image conducting element.

Abstract: A system and method for creasing continuous web at predetermined locations. A continuous web material is biased in the first direction. The web is then pinched in a second direction. This pinching is accomplished by drawing a bend in the web into the pinching element, and, following the pinching, the web including a crease is driven out of the pinching element. This section of web containing a crease is then output from the system. A second pinching may also be performed subsequent to the first pinching. This second pinching would occur on the opposite face of the web at a further point along the web. This would result in a zig-zag pattern of creases.

Abstract: A method for sorting, separating and indicating sections of an outputted stack, such as printed continuous paper web. A continuous web is outputted which includes a plurality of sections having pages therein. Page separation and section separation locations are determined upon the web wherein the size of each page in a section is equal and wherein the size of at least one section separator page disposed adjacent to a section separation location is unequal to the size of the other pages in the section. The web is folded at each of the subsequent page separation locations upon an alternating face to produce a zig-zag pattern. The section separator pages may be folded so that their size is greater than or less than the size of the pages in the section and the section separator pages may be cut so that their size is greater than or less than that of the pages in the section.