Patent Application
20100032894
The present invention relates to apparatus for conveying sheet material, and more particularly, to a new and useful Right Angle Turn (RAT) module which is operative to re-direct a collation of sheet material from an upstream module to a downstream module of a mailpiece fabrication device.
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.
While the exact configuration of each mailpiece inserter depends upon the needs of a particular customer/installation, a mailpiece inserter will frequently employ modules for re-directing the feed path, e.g., ninety degrees, to accommodate the configuration of a customer's facility. More specifically, a mailpiece inserter may employ one or more Right Angle Turn (RAT) modules to produce an L- or U-shaped inserter feed path. In this way, the various inserter modules, together with the in-process mailpieces, are accessible to the operator(s) which may be centrally located within the bounded area of the inserter.
A RAT module typically comprises one or more roller assemblies, i.e., a drive and idler roller pair, disposed at an acute angle relative to the direction of the feed path upon receipt by the roller(s). Generally, the roller assembly is disposed at an angle of approximately forty-five (45) degrees such that the sheet material will enter the module by contacting the peripheral surface of the roller assembly along a first line of tangency, i.e., to one side of the drive roller, and exit the module after being driven about the peripheral surface of the drive roller, to a second line of tangency along the other side thereof. Consequently, the sheet material is redirected ninety (90) degrees.
While RAT modules of the prior art have proven successful and reliable for re-directing individual sheets of material, i.e., a single sheet of material captured between the drive and idler rollers, such modules are significantly less effective and/or reliable when re-directing multi-sheet collations. That is, when passing multiple sheets of material through a RAT module of the prior art, the sheets exhibit a propensity to skew, become misaligned, and/or do not maintain edge registration. Consequently, difficulties arise when inserting such collations into a mailpiece envelope. Specifically, insertion becomes difficult when attempting to fill an envelope with a collation which is skewed inasmuch as the internal side edges of the envelope pocket are no longer parallel to the side edges of the collation. Furthermore, when edge registration of the individual sheets of a collation is not maintained, i.e., are misaligned, the sheet collation may be oversized as compared to the pocket dimension of the envelope. Consequently, the envelope cannot be filled.
A need, therefore, exists for a Right Angle Turn (RAT) module which is capable of re-directing mailpiece collations while maintaining alignment of the multi-sheet collation, both in terms of sheet registration and skewing of the sheet collation relative to the receiving envelope.
A Right Angle Turn (RAT) module is disclosed for processing multi-sheet collations in a mailpiece fabrication device. The RAT module includes opposed belt segments defining a conveyance channel for capturing multi-sheet collations therebetween and for conveying multi-sheet collations from an input and to an output end of the conveyance channel. The opposed belt segments defining a first re-directing bend, a second re-directing bend and a twist section disposed therebetween. The first re-directing bend includes a rolling element for re-directing the opposed belt segments about a first axis of rotation while the second re-directing bend includes a rolling element for re-directing the opposed belt segments about a second axis of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are orthogonal to each other so as to effect a twist section therebetween. The RAT module additionally includes a mechanism for driving the opposed belt segments about the first and second re-directing bends to convey the multi-sheet collations from the input to output ends and effect a right angle turn of the multi-sheet collations.
The present invention will be described in the context of a mailpiece inserter for re-directing sheet material through a right angle, or ninety-degree turn. Furthermore, the invention is generally applicable to any sheet material handling device such as may be used in the fabrication of mailpieces, e.g., sorters, facer/cancellers, feeders, etc. That is, the Right Angle Turn (RAT) module of the present invention is described in the context of a mailpiece inserter merely for illustration purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claims.
In
In
The input end 30 is defined by a first pair of rolling elements 34a, 34b which, in combination with the belts 22, 24, form an input throat 30T for receiving the multi-sheet collation 28, e.g., from the upstream module 12. The output end 32 is similarly defined by a second pair of rolling elements 38a, 38b which, in combination with the belts 22, 24, define an exit interface 32E for conveying the multi-sheet collation 28 to the downstream module 14. Furthermore, in the described embodiment, the input and output ends 30, 32 and, consequently, the throat 30T and exit interface 32E, are essentially coincident and co-planar, along line 36L and plane 36P. It should be appreciated, however, that input and output ends 30, 32 may differ in elevation and alignment.
In addition to the rolling elements 34a, 34b, 38a, 38b associated with the input and output ends 30, 32, the opposed belt segments 22, 24 are disposed over and guided by various additional rolling elements to define an inclined section 40, a first re-directing bend 42, a vertical twist section 44 and a second re-directing bend 46. More, specifically, a rolling element 48 rotates about an axis of rotation 48A to direct the opposed belt segments 22, 24 up the inclined section 40 toward the first re-directing bend 42. In the described embodiment, the inclined section 40 defines an acute angle θ of about forty-five (45) degrees, though this angle may vary depending upon the available space within the RAT module 10.
The first re-directing bend 42 is effected by a rolling element 52 having a first axis of rotation 52A which redirects the opposed belt segments 22, 24 and, the course/direction of the sheet collation 28. The first re-directing bend 42, furthermore, re-directs the opposed belt segments 22, 24, and the course/direction of the sheet collation, over an obtuse angle β of about one-hundred and thirty-five (135) degrees. Furthermore, the first re-directing bend 42 directs the opposed belt segments 22, 24, vertically downwardly toward the second re-directing bend 46. Moreover, the axis of rotation 48A is substantially parallel to the rotational axis 52A such that opposed belt segments 22, 24, and consequently, the sheet collation 28, are not skewed or twisted along the inclined section 40 of the conveyance channel 26.
Before continuing with our discussion of the conveyance channel 26, it should be appreciated that the inclined section 40 is incorporated to maintain the input and output ends 30, 32 at the same elevation, i.e., co-planar. The acute angle θ introduced by the inclined section 40 necessitates that the first re-directing bend 42 introduce an obtuse angle β to direct the sheet collation 28 vertically downward. However, depending upon the desired location of the input and output ends 30, 32, the inclined section 40 may be eliminated in its entirety such that the first re-directing bend 42 need only introduce an angle β of ninety (90) degrees, i.e., a right angle, to direct the opposed belt segments 22, 24, and the sheet collation 28, vertically downward.
The second re-directing bend 46 is effected by a rolling element 54 having an second axis of rotation 54A which is orthogonal, i.e., at right angles, and lies in a parallel plane parallel to, the first rotational axis 52A associated with the rolling element 52 of the first re-directing bend 42. Furthermore, the rotational axis 52A, 54A are substantially vertically aligned along a vertical axis VA. As a consequence of the orthogonal and vertical orientation of the axes 52A, 54A, the opposed belt segments 22, 24 are vertically twisted from the first to the second re-directing bends 42, 46 of the conveyance channel 26. Accordingly, the orientation of the axes 52A, 54A produces the vertical twist section 44 which is aligned with the vertical axis VA of the conveyance channel 26. Finally, the second re-directing bend 46 changes the direction of the opposed belt segments 22, 24 by an additional (90) degrees, i.e., a right angle.
In operation, the conveyance channel 26 re-directs the sheet collations 28 by ninety (90) degrees as they travel from the input to output ends 30, 32 of the channel 26. More specifically, the opposed belt segments 22, 24 are driven in the same direction and at the same speed to prevent misalignment of each multi-sheet collation 28. The mechanism for driving the opposed belt segments 22, 24 may include any conventional rotary drive mechanism 56 (see
The sheet collations 28 are introduced into the throat 30T of the conveyance channel 28, i.e., at the input end 30 thereof. Each sheet collation 28 is captured between the opposed belt segments 22, 24 at a midsection thereof, i.e., about a centroid of the respective sheet collation 28, such that equal portions of the sheet collation 28 project beyond each side of the opposed belt segments 22, 24. The sheet collations 28 travel up the inclined section 40 and around the first re-directing bend 42. As the sheet collations 28 are conveyed from the first to the second re-directing bends 42, 46, the twist section 44 causes each sheet collation 28 to rotate ninety-degrees about the vertical axis VA of the twist section 44. To complete the right angle turn, the sheet collations 28 travel around the second re-directing bend 46 and out the exit interface 32E of the conveyance channel 26.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention shown in
In operation, the spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b of the anti-skew guides 60a, 60b are operative to contact the leading edge of each sheet collation 28 to maintain alignment of the sheet collation 28 and facilitate subsequent insertion thereof into a mailpiece envelope. For example, if a sheet collation 28 is skewed as it enters the twist section 44, one of the laterally projecting portions of the sheet collation 28, i.e., a portion extending to one side of the opposed belt segments 22, 24, will present a first leading edge portion which contacts one of the spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b. Should the first leading edge portion contact one of the spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b before a second leading edge portion, i.e., to the other side of the opposed belt segments 22, 24, the guide surfaces 62a, 62b will have the effect of correcting a misalignment which may have been introduced by the RAT module 10. For example, should the first leading edge portion of the sheet collation 28 contact one of the spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b before the second leading edge portion contacts the other of the spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b, the sheet collation 28 will rotate until both the first and second leading edge portions are in contact with the guide surfaces 62a, 62b. As such, the sheet collation 28 will be properly aligned for receipt by the downstream inserter module 14, i.e., for subsequent insertion into a mailpiece envelope. That is, the sheet collation 28 may be squarely inserted within the mailpiece envelope such that the side edges of the sheet collation 28 remain parallel to, and aligned with, the corresponding internal edges of the mailpiece envelope.
In summary, the RAT module 10 of the present invention provides a reliable and efficient device for re-directing multi-sheet mailpiece collations 28. The RAT module 10 maintains alignment of the multi-sheet collations 28 though the use of anti-skew guides 60a, 60b and opposed belt segments 22, 24 formed by a single conveyance belt. Specifically, the anti-skew guides 60a, 60b employ spiral-shaped guide surfaces 62a, 62b disposed to each side of the conveyance channel 26 to maintain alignment of the leading edge of the sheet collation 28 as it traverses downwardly along the twist section 44 of the conveyance channel 26. As a result, the multi-sheet collation 28 may be squarely inserted into a mailpiece envelope. Furthermore, the RAT module 10 may employ a single conveyance belt to positively synchronize the motion of each of the opposed belt segments 22, 24. That is, a single conveyance belt driven by a common drive mechanism eliminates the potential for one of the belt segments 22, 24 to be driven at a different rate of displacement than the other of the belt segments 22, 24.
It is to be understood that all of the present figures, and the accompanying narrative discussions of preferred embodiments, do not purport to be completely rigorous treatments of the methods and systems under consideration. For example, while the invention describes an interval of time for completing a phase of sorting operations, it should be appreciated that the processing time may differ. A person skilled in the art will understand that the steps of the present application represent general cause-and-effect relationships that do not exclude intermediate interactions of various types, and will further understand that the various structures and mechanisms described in this application can be implemented by a variety of different combinations of hardware and software, methods of escorting and storing individual mailpieces and in various configurations which need not be further elaborated herein.
