Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090159631 | TENSION CONTROL FOR A SHEET MATERIAL FEEDER - A sheet material feeder includes a sheet material web, a vacuum box applying a tension force to a portion of the sheet material web extending into the vacuum box by applying a first vacuum force on the sheet material web, a first drive feeding the sheet material web into the vacuum box, a second drive pulling the sheet material web out of the vacuum box, and a system for applying a braking force to the sheet material web proximate to the vacuum box only during a decelerating movement of the sheet material web at the second drive. | 06-25-2009 |
20090165612 | AIR TEMPERATURE NORMALIZATION IN PAPER CUTTING SYSTEM - A paper cutting system includes a cutting assembly, a transport moving a web through the cutting assembly, a vacuum plenum utilizing a vacuum source to control the web moving through the cutting assembly, an air source providing purge air to the cutting assembly for removal of debris, and a heat exchanger normalizing a temperature of the purge air with respect to a temperature of ambient air prior to the purge air reaching the cutting assembly. The heat exchanger may be operated using the vacuum source. | 07-02-2009 |
20090167231 | System and method for controlling electric motors to simulate a mechanical differential - System and methods of controlling a plurality of motors based on a motor motion attribute, such as rotor position, velocity, or acceleration, which simulate the properties of a mechanical differential, including a pure differential, a limited slip differential, and/or a locking differential. The method may be employed in a number of applications, including, without limitation, a paper handling system, such as an inserter, to control the nips of a pinless cutter of an inserter, and in a vehicle. | 07-02-2009 |
20090317216 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WEAR OF A CONTINUOUS CHAIN - A system for detecting wear in a gripper chain of a chain conveyor is provided. The system includes an optical sensing system having a detection path located vertically beneath a portion of the gripper chain at a predetermined location. The detection path is located such that, when the gripper chain becomes elongated and droops a predetermined amount due to wear of the gripper chain, the sensing system senses the presence of the gripper chain in the detection path. | 12-24-2009 |
20090318253 | BELT OVERLOAD DEVICE - An apparatus including a belt support system having a first belt support roller and a system for automatically moving the first belt support roller. The belt support system partially wraps a continuous belt on a belt drive roller. The belt support system includes the first belt support roller at an upstream side of the belt drive roller and a second belt support roller at a downstream side. The system for moving the first belt support roller moves the first roller from a first location relative to the belt drive roller to a second different location, based upon a predetermined load of the belt on the first belt support roller to thereby reduce an amount of wrap of the belt on the belt drive roller and reduce a length of the belt located proximate to the belt drive roller between the first and second belt support rollers. | 12-24-2009 |
20100013148 | SELF-ALIGNING NIP FOR WEB FEEDING MECHANISM - A feeding mechanism for feeding a web of paper in a paper handling system includes a feeding nip assembly having a driven roller structured to be rotatably driven about a first axis, and an idler roller structured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. In addition, the feeding nip assembly is structured to apply a force to the idler roller to push the idler roller toward the driven roller. The force is applied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis. The idler roller is also structured to pivot about a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the second axis, and the direction of the force. | 01-21-2010 |
20100067071 | FLEXIBLE SYSTEM FOR FEEDING AND PROCESSING MULTI-PAGE DOCUMENTS - A system for feeding and processing documents includes a document transport system adapted to transport documents to document processing stations. A fastening device detecting station is connected to the transport system and is adapted to detect a fastening device securing together pages of a document. A fastening device removing station is connected to the transport system. The fastening device removing station is adapted to remove a fastening device securing together pages of a document. A scanning station is connected to the transport system. The scanning station is adapted to scan the pages of a document. A page flipping station is connected to the transport system. The page flipping station is adapted to flip pages of a document having a fastening device securing together pages of a document such that each document pages is positioned to be scanned at the scanning station. A systems controller is interactively connected to and controls the operation of the document transport system, the fastening device detecting station, the fastening device removing station, the scanning station and the page flipping station. The systems controller controls the operation of the transport system and the stations based on information provided to the systems controller by the fastening device detecting station for a document to be scanned at the scanning station, to cause such document to be scanned to be processed by the fastening device removing station to remove a fastening device securing together pages of a document before scanning of the document or by the page flipping station during scanning of the document to be scanned. A method may be employed where depending on a determination of the nature of a document to be processed, the document is either routed along a first path of travel where the fastener is removed and the document pages are fed seriatim for processing or along a second path of travel where the document pages are turned during processing. | 03-18-2010 |
20100110507 | ITEM TRANSPORT SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC ALIGNER - An item transport system includes an input transport for receiving items along a first transport path, an angle transport for conveying the items along a second transport path disposed at an angle with respect to the first transport path, an alignment transport for conveying the items along a third transport path disposed at approximately 90 degrees to the first transport path, and an alignment surface for engaging the items while the items are conveyed in the alignment transport. The alignment transport may include an alignment nip comprising a driven element and an idler element for engaging opposing surfaces of the items, a manifold, a source providing pressurized gas to the manifold, and an orifice in the manifold proximate to the third transport path, wherein the idler element is disposed in the orifice. | 05-06-2010 |
20100122514 | ENVELOPE TRANSPORT - An apparatus includes a first feed path configured to transport an envelope from an input at an envelope supply to an insertion location, and a second feed path configured to transport the envelope with a mail piece insert therein from the insertion location to an output. The first and second feed paths intersect at an intersection spaced from the insertion location. The paths are angled relative to each other at the intersection. | 05-20-2010 |
20100127451 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING FRICTION FORCES DEVELOPED ON AN ENVELOPE IN A MAILPIECE INSERTION MODULE - A system for controlling friction forces acting on a mailpiece in a mailpiece insertion module. The system includes at least one friction drive belt, a repositionable backstop assembly for arresting the motion of the envelope when disposed in a first position and permitting the conveyance along the feed path when disposed in a second position, an actuator operative to position the backstop assembly into the first and second positions and consuming energy to maintain the backstop assembly in the first position, a sensor for measuring the magnitude of energy consumed by the actuator; a means for developing a pressure differential across the envelope to urge the envelope into frictional engagement with the drive belts and for developing friction forces along a mating interface between the envelope and the friction drive surface, and a system controller, responsive to a sensed signal indicative of the energy consumed, for varying the magnitude of the pressure differential and the friction forces developed along the mating interface of the envelope. | 05-27-2010 |
20100169241 | MULTIPLE CARRIER MAILING MACHINE - Systems and methods including mailing machines having postage meters including multiple postal security devices are described. In one illustrative configuration, a postage meter having multiple postal security devices for use with different postal carriers is described. In another illustrative configuration, a postage meter is configured to apply two postage payment information indicia to a single mail piece using two separate postal security devices. | 07-01-2010 |
20100169242 | MULTIPLE CARRIER MAIL SORTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods including mailing machines configured to selecting a route and carrier or carriers for delivery of the mail and for finishing the mail according the selection are described. In one illustrative configuration, the mailing machine tags mail pieces according to the result of a carrier selection process and sorts the outgoing mail by carrier. | 07-01-2010 |
20100236365 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED CUTTER THROUGHPUT USING AN EXIT MOTION PROFILE - A method and apparatus are for decelerating a sheet of paper in a paper-cutting system. The sheet of paper is cut using a cutter, and the sheet is then accepted into a take-away nip. The take-away nip is operated at an initial rate in order to move the sheet of paper away from the cutter at an initial speed. The take-away nip is then operated at a rate decreasing to a final rate, in order to decelerate the sheet of paper to a final speed by the time the sheet of paper exits the take-away nip. The take-away nip is subsequently operated at the initial rate again, prior to accepting another sheet of paper at the initial speed. | 09-23-2010 |
20120061205 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A DRIVE BELT IN A MAILPIECE FEEDER - A system for conveying mailpieces along a feed path including first and second conveyances. A first conveyance is operative to convey mailpieces along the feed path and includes a singulating and drive belt. The singulating and drive belts define a throat or singulating a mailpiece from the stack of mailpieces. A second conveyance accepts mailpieces from the first conveyance and conveys singulated mailpiece downstream of the first conveyance. The system further includes a series of sensors extending from the first to the second conveyance for issuing a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the feed path. Additionally, the system includes a means to vary the velocity of the drive belt based upon the location of the gap signal along the series of sensors. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063876 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A SINGULATING BELT IN A MAILPIECE FEEDER - A system for conveying mailpieces along a feed path includes a plurality of conveyances. A first conveyance is operative to convey mailpieces along the feed path and includes a singulating and drive belt. The singulating and drive belts define a throat for singulating a mailpiece from the stack of mailpieces. A second conveyance accepts mailpieces from the first conveyance and conveys singulated mailpiece downstream of the first conveyance. The system further includes a series of sensors extending from the first to the second conveyance for issuing a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the feed path. Additionally, the system includes a means, responsive to the gap signal, for developing a variable opposing force between the singulating and drive belts to optimize singulation of mailpieces along the feed path. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063877 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING MAILPIECE CONVEYANCE IN A MAILPIECE FEEDER - A system for conveying mailpieces along a conveyance path and singulating a mailpiece from a stack of mailpieces along the conveyance path. The system includes a first conveyance for conveying mailpieces at a variable velocity and a second conveyance, downstream of the first conveyance, for conveying mailpieces at a constant velocity along the conveyance path. A series of optical sensors extends from the first to the second conveyance and is operative to issue a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the conveyance path. A processor is responsive to the gap signal and is operative to control the first conveyance to decrease the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces when the gap signal exceeds a threshold value. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063878 | TRACTION CONTROL FOR SINGULATING MAILPIECES IN A MAILPIECE FEEDER - A system for singulating mailpieces including a first conveyance including a pair of opposing belts for singulating a mailpiece from a stack of mailpieces. The system includes an actuation mechanism operative to apply a force pulse through one of the belts to momentary separate mailpieces of the stack and augment singulation of the mailpiece from the stack by the first conveyance. | 03-15-2012 |
20130056927 | MAILPIECE INSERTER INCLUDING SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING FRICTION FORCES DEVELOPED ON AN ENVELOPE - A system for controlling friction forces acting on a mailpiece in a mailpiece insertion module. The system includes a backstop assembly for arresting the motion of the envelope when disposed in a first position and permitting conveyance along the feed path when disposed in a second position, an actuator operative to position the backstop assembly into the first and second positions and consuming energy to maintain the backstop assembly in the first position, a sensor for acquiring data indicative of the magnitude of energy consumed by the actuator; a means for developing a pressure differential across the envelope to urge the envelope into frictional engagement with a plurality of drive belts and for developing friction forces along a mating interface, and a system controller, for varying the magnitude of the pressure differential and the friction forces developed along the mating interface of the envelope. | 03-07-2013 |