Patent Grant
8181768
This invention relates to an apparatus for handling sheet material and more particularly to a mailpiece inserter adapted for One-Sided-Operation (OSO) and input conveyor module which enables an operator to load sheet material from a single operator location or workstation.
Mailpiece creation systems such as mailpiece inserters are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies, and utility companies to periodically produce a large volume of mailpieces, e.g., monthly billing or shareholders income/dividend statements. In many respects, mailpiece inserters are analogous to automated assembly equipment inasmuch as sheets, inserts and envelopes are conveyed along a feed path and assembled in or at various modules of the mailpiece inserter. That is, the various modules work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mailpiece is produced.
A mailpiece inserter includes a variety of apparatus/modules for conveying and processing sheet material along the feed path. Depending upon the speed and capabilities of the inserter, such apparatus typically include various/modules for (i) feeding and singulating printed content material in a “feeder module”, (ii) accumulating the content material to form a multi-sheet collation in an “accumulator”, (iii) folding the content material to produce a variety of fold configurations such as a C-fold, Z-fold, bi-fold and gate fold, in a “folder”, (iv) feeding mailpiece inserts such as coupons, brochures, and pamphlets, in combination with the content material, in a “chassis module” (v) inserting the folded/unfolded and/or nested content material into an envelope in an “envelope inserter”, (vi) sealing the filled envelope in “sealing module” (vii) printing recipient/return addresses and/or postage indicia on the face of the mailpiece envelope at a “print station” and (viii) controlling the flow and speed of the content material at various locations along the feed path of the mailpiece inserter by a series of “buffer stations”. In addition to these commonly employed apparatus/modules, mailpiece inserter may also include other modules for (i) binding the module to close and seal filled mailpiece envelopes and a (ii) a printing module for addressing and/or printing postage indicia.
These modules are typically arranged in series or parallel to maximize the available floor space and minimize the total “footprint” of the inserter. Depending upon the arrangement of the various modules, it is oftentimes necessary for operators to feed the inserters, i.e., with envelopes, inserts and other sheet material, from two or more locations about the periphery of the inserter. Furthermore, depending upon the “rate of fill/feed”, some stations are more workload intensive than other stations. For example, an insert station of a chassis module may demand seventy-five percent (75%) of an operator's time while an envelope feed station may require twenty-five percent (25%) of another operator.
While a cursory examination of the workload requirements may lead to the conclusion that greater efficiencies are achievable, i.e., by employing a single operator to perform both functions, the configuration of many mailpiece inserters oftentimes does not facilitate the combination of these operations. For example, attending to the chassis module, i.e., adding inserts/sheet material to each of the overhead feeders, is performed from one side of the inserter while attending to the envelope feed station is performed from another side of the inserter. As such, it is difficult for a single operator to move between stations to maintain i.e., feeding sheet material to, both stations.
In addition to the distance and inconvenience associated with maintaining each station, it is important to ensure that the envelope feed station is properly “primed” and continuously fed. That is, the first six (6) to ten (10) envelopes must be fed into the ingestion area of the feed station at a prescribed angle and, thereafter, by a continuous stream of shingled envelopes. Should a gap, break/interruption, or discontinuity develop in a shingled stack, it will be necessary to “re-prime” the feed station. As such, re-priming requires that the feed station be temporarily stopped/halted such that the next six (6) to ten (10) envelopes, i.e., those immediately following the gap/break in the stack, be fed into the ingestion area of the station. It will be appreciated that the requirement to re-prime the station results in inefficient operation of the station.
A need, therefore, exists for a conveyor system which facilitates one-sided operation of a sheet handling apparatus, such as a mailpiece inserter, to maintain efficient operation thereof, e.g., a continuous stack of shingled sheet material.
The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.
a through 6g depict the movement of a shingled stack of envelopes on the feed and extensible conveyors, and the drive system to dispense the mailpiece envelopes on the extensible conveyor into shingled engagement with the mailpiece envelopes on the feed conveyor.
A mailpiece inserter is provided including a feed conveyor adapted to feed a shingled stack of mailpiece envelopes along a feed path to an insert module and a chassis module adapted to produce content material for insertion into the mailpiece envelopes processed by the insert module. An envelope position detector is operative to sense a discontinuity in the shingled stack and issues a first position signal indicative thereof, and an input conveyor module is adapted to convey mailpiece envelopes into shingled engagement with an aft end of the shingled stack of mailpiece envelopes on the feed conveyor. The input conveyor module has an input end proximal to a single workstation of the chassis module which enables an operator to (i) feed mailpiece envelopes to the input module and (ii) supply content material to the chassis module. The input conveyor module includes an extensible conveyor, responsive to the first position signal, for advancing the conveyor deck of the input conveyor module toward the aft end of the shingled stack and dispensing mailpiece envelopes into shingled engagement therewith.
A conveyor module is also disclosed for delivering a shingled stack of sheet material to a processing station comprising a feed conveyor for conveying a forward end of the shingled stack to the processing station and an extensible conveyor for conveying additional sheet material to the aft end of the shingled stack. The extensible conveyor includes fixed and extensible segments wherein the extensible segment is operative to extend and retract relative to the fixed segment. Moreover, the extensible segment is spatially positioned above the feed conveyor to gravity feed additional sheet material into shingled engagement with the aft end of the shingled stack. A position detector determines when the aft end of the shingled stack reaches a location along the feed path. A drive system is responsive to a position signal issued by the position detector to (i) extend the extensible segment over the aft end of the shingled stack, (ii) drive the continuous belt for conveying the additional sheet material onto the shingled stack, and (iii) retract the extensible segment while continuing to dispense the additional sheet material onto the feed conveyor.
A One-Sided Operation (OSO) input module 10 is described and depicted for use in combination with a conventional mailpiece inserter having a plurality of stations/modules for processing sheet material and producing a mailpiece. In the context used herein “sheet material” is any substantially planar substrate such as sheets of paper, cardboard, mailpiece envelopes, postcards, laminate etc, While the invention is described in the context of a mailpiece inserter, the OSO input module 10 is applicable to the dispensation of any sheet material which requires that the material remain shingled and continuously feed to a processing station. Furthermore, while the mailpiece inserter disclosed and illustrated herein depicts the stations/modules which are most relevant to the inventive system/method, it should be borne in mind that a typical mailpiece inserter may include additional, or alternative, stations/modules other than those depicted in the illustrated embodiment.
The mailpiece inserter 8 includes a chassis module 14 having a plurality of overhead feeders 14a-14f for building a collation of content material on the deck 16 of the chassis module 14. More specifically, the chassis module deck 16 includes a plurality of transport fingers 20 for engaging sheet material 22 laid on the deck 16 by an upstream feeder (not shown) or added to the sheet material 22 by the overhead feeders 14a-14f. The transport fingers 20 move the sheet material 22 beneath each of the overhead feeders 14a-14f such that additional inserts may be combined with the sheets 22, i.e., as the sheets pass under the feeders 14a-14f, to form a multi-sheet collation 24. These collations 24 are conveyed along the deck 16 to an insert module 30 which prepares the mailpiece envelopes 12 for receiving the collations 24. While the chassis module 14 is defined herein as including overhead feeders 14a-14f and transport fingers 20 for building and transporting sheet material/collations 22, 24, it should be appreciated that the chassis module 14 may be any device/system for preparing and conveying content material for insertion into a mailpiece envelope.
As sheet material collations 24 are produced and conveyed along the deck 16 of the chassis module 14, mailpiece envelopes 12 are, simultaneously, conveyed on the deck 38 of a feed conveyor 40 to an upstream end 30U of the insert module 30. More specifically, a first portion SS1 of the shingled stack SS of mailpiece envelopes 12 is prepared on the transport deck 38 and conveyed along a feed path FPE which is substantially parallel to the feed path FPC of the sheet material collations 24. In the context used herein, a “shingled stack” means mailpiece envelopes which are stacked in a shingled arrangement along the feed path FPE of the OSO input module 10 and/or feed conveyor 40, including portions SS1, SS2, SS3 thereof which define a discontinuity in the shingled stack. Furthermore, while the shingled stack SS refers to any shingled envelopes conveyed along the feed path FPE, the specification may refer to first and second portions SS1, SS2 or, alternatively, downstream and upstream portions (i.e., the downstream portion is that portion closest to the insert module and the upstream portion which follows the downstream portion as the stack is conveyed along the feed path FPE) to define where a discontinuity begins and ends.
A forward end SS1F of a first portion SS1 of the stack is primed for ingestion by the insert module 30 to facilitate the feed of subsequent envelopes 12 from the stack. The envelopes 12 are singulated upon ingestion and conveyed from the upstream to the downstream ends, 30U and 30D, respectively, of the insert module 30. As the envelopes 12 travel downstream, the flap 12F of each envelope 12 is lifted to open the envelope 12 for receipt of the content material 24 produced by the chassis module 14. Once filled, the flap 12F is moistened and sealed against the body of the envelope to produce a finished mailpiece 12M. Thereafter, the finished mailpieces 12M are stacked on a large conveyor tray (not shown) to await further processing, e.g., address printing or postage metering. Mailpiece inserters of the type described are fabricated and supplied under the trade name FLOWMASTER RS by Sure-Feed Engineering located in Clearwater, Fla., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc. located in Stamford, Conn.
The throughput of the mailpiece inserter 8 determines the rate of sheet material consumption and the need to replenish the supply of sheet material/inserts 22, 24 and mailpiece envelopes 12. As the throughput increases, greater demands are placed on an operator to fill each of the overhead feeders 14a-14f while maintaining a continuous supply of mailpiece envelopes 12 to the insert module 30. The OSO input module 10 of the present invention facilitates these operations by permitting an operator to replenish the supply of sheet material/inserts 22 and envelopes 12 from a single workstation/area WS. That is, the OSO input module 10 enables an operator to feed mailpiece envelopes/sheet material 12, 22 from one side of the inserter 8, i.e., without ignoring one operation to attend to another. Furthermore, the OSO input module 10 accommodates short feed interruptions, i.e., a discontinuity D in the shingled stack SS, by introducing a “prescribed gap” in the shingled stack SS and employing an extensible conveyor 50 to fill the prescribed gap PG. These features will be more clearly understood by the following description and illustrations.
In
The belt 52 of the extensible conveyor 50 has a width dimension which is slightly larger than the width of the envelopes to be conveyed, is fabricated from a low elongation material, and includes a plurality of cogs (not shown) molded/machined into each side of its lateral edges. With respect to the latter, the cogs engage gear teeth of the support structure 60 to precisely control the motion/displacement of the continuous belt 52. The significance of cogs in the belt 52 will be more thoroughly understood when discussing the operation and control of the extensible conveyor 50.
The extensible support structure 60 includes an extensible segment 62 operative to extend and retract relative to a fixed segment 64. Each of the extensible and fixed segments 62, 64 includes a plurality of rolling elements 66E, 66F which function to support and accommodate motion of the continuous belt 52. While the rolling elements 66E, 66F are illustrated as cylindrical rollers, it will be appreciated that other any structure which supports the belt and rotates about an axis to facilitate motion thereof may be employed. Each rolling element 66E, 66F is mounted for rotation between sidewall structures 68E, 68F of the respective extensible and fixed segments 62, 64. More specifically, the rolling elements 66E are mounted for rotation between the sidewall structures 68E of the extensible segment 62, and the rolling elements 66F are mounted for rotation between the sidewall structures 68F of the fixed segment 64.
The rolling elements 66E, 66F and continuous belt 52 are arranged such that the deck 50D of the belt 52 is advanced forward and aft (i.e., extended and retracted) by the relative movement of the extensible segment 62. This may be achieved by uniquely arranging of the rolling elements 66E, 66F such that the deck 50D translates fore and aft while the belt 52 may also be driven around the rolling elements 66E, 66F. More specifically, this may be achieved by causing a coupled pair of rolling elements 66E associated with the extensible segment 62 to move relative to a rolling element 66F associated with the fixed segment 64, or enabling at least one of the rolling elements 66E, 66F associated with either of the segments 62, 64 to move independent of the other rolling elements 66E, 66F, e.g., within a track or other guided mount.
In one embodiment of the invention, shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In
The belt drive mechanism 90 includes a motor 92 for driving the continuous belt 52 by means of an overrunning clutch 94. More specifically, the motor 92 drives the overrunning clutch 94 which drives the belt 52 around the rolling elements 66E, 66F to advance the belt 52 along the feed path FPE. The clutch 94 drives the belt 52 in one direction and “overruns” in the opposite direction. The overrunning feature is necessary to prevent the extensible conveyor 50 from back-driving the clutch 94 when the extensible segment 62 moves forwardly from is retracted or home position. In the described embodiment, the overrunning clutch 94 is a sprag clutch, though the clutch may be any of a variety of clutch types.
The extensible conveyor 50 is shown in the home or retracted position in
The deck 50D of the belt 52 includes a horizontal deck 50H and an inclined deck 50IN disposed downstream of the horizontal deck 50H. Hence, mailpiece envelopes 12 transition from the horizontal deck 50H to the inclined deck 50IN and move downwardly toward the deck 38 of the feed conveyor 40, i.e., as mailpiece envelopes 12 are conveyed along the inclined deck 50IN. The slope of the inclined deck 50IN is a function of the height dimension of the extensible conveyor 50, however, to prevent the second portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS from cascading/sliding downwardly under the force of gravity, it will be appreciated that the slope angle 8 of the inclined deck 50IN is preferably shallow. The slope angle 8 of the inclined deck 50IN becomes increasingly sensitive depending upon the type and/or surface characteristics of the mailpiece envelopes 12. For example, envelopes 12 having a smooth satin surface (i.e., low friction surface) will require that the inclined deck 501N define a low slope angle θ while envelopes 12 having a fibrous, heavy weight, surface (i.e., a high friction surface) may provide greater flexibility of design by enabling a higher slope angle θ. In the described embodiment, the slope angle θ is preferably less than about forty degrees (40°) to about ten degrees (10°) and, more preferably, about thirty degrees (30°) to about fifteen degrees (15°).
In
A plurality of Envelope Position Detectors (EPDs) 110, 116, 118 and 120 are operative to sense a discontinuity in the shingled stack SS of mailpiece envelopes 12 and issue position signals PS1-PS4 indicative of the discontinuity. Furthermore, first and second Conveyor Position Detectors (CPDs) 112, 114 are operative to sense the position of the extensible conveyor 50 and issue position signals CPS1, CPS2 indicative of the extended/retracted positions EX, HM of the extensible conveyor segments 62 relative to the fixed conveyor segment 64. Upon sensing a discontinuity in the shingled envelope stack SS, a processor 130, responsive to the position signals CPS1-CPS2, drives/throttles the speed of the input conveyors 40, 50, 100 and the drive system 80 for extending and retracting the extensible conveyor 50.
To understand the operation of the OSO input module 10 and its integration with the mailpiece inserter 8, it is best to examine a hypothetical involving an operator feeding the OSO and chassis modules 10, 14 from a single side, i.e., from the workstation/area WS, adjacent the overhead feeders 14a-14f of the chassis module 14. Upon initial set-up of the mailpiece inserter 8, a first portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS is disposed along the deck 38 of the feed conveyor 40. Set-up also includes the step of priming the forward end SS1F of the first portion SS1 of the shingled stack SS for ingestion by the insert module 30. A second portion SS2 of the shingled stack SS is also laid on the extensible and arcuate conveyor decks 50D, 100D of the OSO module 10. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the second portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS extends the length of the OSO input module 10, i.e., from the input end 100I of the RAT input conveyor 100 to the output end 50E of the extensible conveyor 50. The second portion SS2, therefore, functions to replenish the supply of mailpiece envelopes 12, i.e., associated with the first portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS, being are ingested by the insert module 30.
While
As the mailpiece envelopes 12 are conveyed along the deck 38 of the feed conveyor 40 (
Forward motion of the extensible segment 62 is terminated when the first Conveyor Position Detector (CPD) 112 senses the fully extended position EX (see
After a short time delay, i.e., sufficient to allow the additional envelopes 12 to engage the first portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS1, the processor 130 activates the linear actuator 82 to reverse direction while continuing to drive the belt 52. As a result, shingled envelopes 12 are dispensed while the extensible segment 62 retracts to a home position HM. Rearward motion of the extensible segment 62 is terminated when a second CPD 114 senses the home position HM. More specifically, the second CPD 114 is disposed in combination with the sidewalls 68E, 68F of the extensible and fixed segments 62, 64 and issues a fully retracted position signal CPS2 when the sidewall 68E associated with the extensible segment 62 reaches a threshold position, i.e., the fully retracted or home position HM, relative to the fixed segment 64. In response to the fully retracted position signal CPS2, the processor 130, deactivates the linear actuator 82 while continuing to drive the motors M1, M2, M3 of the feed and OSO input module conveyors 40, 50, 100. Control of these motors M1, M2, M3 to feed the shingled stack SS to the insert module 30 are discussed in greater detail below.
A second EPD 116 senses whether a discontinuity is present in the shingled stack SS at a second location L2, upstream of the first location L1, and corresponding to the home position HM of the extensible conveyor 50. If no discontinuity is sensed by the second EPD 116, the processor 130 synchronously drives the motors M1, M2, M3, to convey a steady stream of mailpiece envelopes 12 from the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100 to the feed conveyor 40, and, finally to the insert module 30. The processor 130, therefore, drives the motors M1, M3 of the OSO input module 10 synchronously with the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40. It will be recalled that the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40 is being driven in response to signals derived from the insert module 30.
If the second EPD 116 senses a discontinuity in the shingled stack SS at the second location L2, i.e., sensing an aft end SS1A of the first portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS, a second position signal PS2 is issued by the second EPD 116. In response to the second position signal PS2, the processor 130, drives the motors M1, M3 of the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100 to “run-up” a second portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS to a third location L3. More specifically, upon receipt of the second position signal PS2, the processor 130, drives the conveyor decks 50D, 100D at increased speed relative to the deck 38 of the feed conveyor 40 to rapidly convey the forward end SS2F of the second portion SS2 to a “ready position” at location L3 along the feed path FPE. This also has the effect of minimizing the length of the discontinuity as will be discussed in greater detail below.
A third EPD 118 senses when a forward end SS2F of the second portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS reaches the ready position and issues a third position signal PS3 indicative thereof to the processor 130. The processor 130, then, stops driving the motors M1, M3 of the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100, but continues driving the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40. As such, the second portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS is advanced forward to the ready position at location L3, while the first portion SS1 downstream of the second portion SS2 continues toward the insert module 30. Hence, the motors M1, M3 of the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100 are no longer synchronized with the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40. Although, the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40 remains responsive, though the processor 130, to signals from the insert module 30. As the first portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS progresses downstream of the extensible conveyor 50, the prescribed gap PG is once again produced and the cycle of extension, dispensation, retraction, run-up and envelope conveyance continues once again.
In the described embodiment, the second and third locations L2, L3 are essentially concurrent, i.e., lie at the same point along the feed path FPE, however, the second and third EDPs 116, 118 may lie in different planes to obtain a different perspective on the leading and trailing edges of the mailpiece envelopes 12. That is, by projecting a beam of light energy from an alternate perspective, the ability of a detector to sense the presence/absence of an envelope/stack of envelopes can be improved.
In another embodiment of the invention, the method for controlling the inserter 8 obviates run-out of mailpiece envelopes 12 to the insert module 30, and the requirement to re-prime the module 30 for ingestion of envelopes 12, i.e., a laborious task requiring the attention of a skilled operator. More specifically, should the OSO input module 10 lack a supply of envelopes to replenish the shingled stack SS, i.e., the processor 130, issues a shut-down signal to stop the motor M2 of the feed conveyor 40. In this embodiment, two criteria must be satisfied to execute an extension/retraction cycle of the OSO input module 10. More specifically, when the first EPD 110 detects a discontinuity at the first location L1, i.e., the location where the first and second portions SS1, SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS are joined to produce a continuous stack SS, the third EPD 116 must also detect that the mailpiece envelopes 12 are queued, i.e., at the ready position at location L3, to initiate an extension/retraction cycle of the OSO input module 10. If no mailpiece envelopes 12 are detected at location L3, i.e., in the absence of a ready position signal PS3, the processor 130 shuts down the feed conveyor 40 and issues a cue to the operator to replenish a supply of mailpiece envelopes 12 on the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100. Consequently, the first or downstream portion of the shingled stack SS, i.e., extending from location L1 to the insert module 30, remains on the feed conveyor 40 to await the issuance of a “start-up” signal from the processor 130.
The operator replenishes the supply of mailpiece envelopes 12 by sequentially stacking envelopes 12, e.g., one box of envelopes at a time, at the input end of the OSO input module 10, i.e., the input end 100I of the RAT input conveyor 100. Inasmuch as the RAT input conveyor 100 bridges an upstream end of the chassis module 14 and curves into alignment with the input end 50I of the extensible conveyor 50, the operator may input mailpiece envelopes 12 from the workstation WS. It will be appreciated that the location of this workstation WS also accommodates input to the overhead feeders 14a-14f of the chassis module 14.
In another embodiment, it may be desirable to employ a fourth EPD 120, upstream of the second and third EPDs 116, 118, to sense a discontinuity in the shingled envelope stack SS, e.g., between a second and third portion SS2, SS3 thereof, at an upstream location L4. With this information, i.e., that a discontinuity has been sensed, a “flag” can be set such that the third EPD 118, or any of the other downstream EPDs 110, 116, can anticipate that a discontinuity, or gap in the shingled stack, will occur, when it will occur, and/or the length/duration of the gap/discontinuity in the shingled stack SS.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the OSO input module 10 facilitates one-sided operation, i.e., from a single workstation WS or area, by permitting interruptions, or a discontinuity, in the shingled stack of envelopes. That is, the OSO input module 10 allows an operator to attend to the overhead feeders 14a-14f of the chassis module 14 while one or more gaps/discontinuities develop in the shingled stack SS along the feed path of the input module 10. In
In step B, the length of the discontinuity may be minimized by increasing the speed of the OSO input module conveyors 50, 100 relative to the speed of the feed conveyor 40 when the discontinuity passes from the OSO input module 10 to the feed conveyor 40. This discontinuity is sensed by the second EPD 116 which monitors when the aft end SS1A of the first/downstream portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS has been dropped, gravity fed, from the inclined deck 50DIN of the extensible conveyor 50 to the feed conveyor 40.
In step C, the second or upstream portion SS2 of the shingled envelope stack SS is retained on the conveyor decks 50D, 100D of the OSO input module 10 while the first or downstream portion SS1 of the shingled envelope stack SS is conveyed forward, along the deck 38 of the feed conveyor 40 toward the insert module 30. Conveyance of the first portion SS1 continues until the discontinuity is sensed by the first EPD 110. Additionally, the motion of the second portion SS2 is retained in response to a signal issued by the third EPD 118.
In step D, the discontinuity is eliminated by cycling the OSO input module 10 and advancing the deck 50D of the extensible conveyor 50. In one embodiment shown in
In step E, the discontinuity in the shingled stack SS is eliminated by driving the belt 52 of the extensible conveyor 50 to dispense envelopes 12 into shingled engagement with the shingled stack SS1 of envelopes 12 disposed on the feed conveyor 40. CPDs 112, 114 sense the extended and retracted positions EX, HM and issue signals CPS1, CPS2 to the drive system 80, through the processor 130, to cycle the extensible conveyor 50.
Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and deviations in the form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, while envelope position detectors 110, 116, 118, 120 employed are photocells, the EPDs may be any device capable of detecting when a mailpiece envelope is present or absent. Furthermore, while the OSO input module 10 extends fully to bring envelopes into shingled engagement with the first portion SS1 of the shingled stack SS and employs a conveyor position detector 112 to indicate when the extensible segment 62 is fully extended, a plurality of EPDs and CPDs 110, 112 may be employed along the feed path FPE and between the segments 62, 64 such that the extensible segment 62 extends to an intermediate location, i.e., between the fully extended and fully retracted positions EX, HM. As such, the plurality of EPDs 110 may provide information concerning the instantaneous position L1 . . . LN of the shingled envelopes along the feed conveyor 40 and the CPDs may be employed to vary the length of extension along the feed path FPE. It should, therefore be understood that the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the specific embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. The illustrations merely show the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is intended to cover all such variations, modifications and equivalents thereof as may be deemed to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/149446, filed Feb. 3, 2009, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This application also relates to commonly-owned, co-pending Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/489,042, now patented as U.S. patent number 7,905,481 entitled “METHOD FOR FEEDING A SHINGLED STACK OF SHEET MATERIAL”.
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