Claims
- 1. A method for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
(a) advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence; (b) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack; (c) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack; and (d) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the advanced sheets are in a Z to A sequence.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second stacks are in a Z to A sequence.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the combined stack of sheets is in a Z to A sequence from top to bottom.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the advanced sheets are in an A to Z sequence.
- 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and second stacks are in an A to Z sequence.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the combined stack of sheets is in an A to Z sequence from top to bottom.
- 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the advanced sheets.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the advanced sheets are the sheets first received in the predetermined sequence.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises advancing the second stack of sheets to a stacking device.
- 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising under-accumulating additional portions of the advanced sheets in at least one separate stack in addition to the first and second stacks of sheets.
- 12. A method for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
(a) advancing sheets of a sheet set in a predetermined sequence; (b) determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the sheet set; and (c) if the first under-accumulation deck cannot under-accumulate the sheet set:
(i) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack in the first under-accumulation deck; (ii) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack in a second under-accumulation deck; and (iii) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein step (b) further includes receiving information regarding the number of sheets in the sheet set.
- 14. The method of claim 13 further including receiving information regarding the maximum number of sheets that can be under-accumulated by the first under-accumulation deck.
- 15. The method of step 14 further including comparing the number of sheets in the sheet set to the maximum number of sheets that can be under-accumulated by the first under-accumulation deck.
- 16. The method of claim 12 further including receiving information regarding the weight of the sheet set.
- 17. The method of claim 16 further including receiving information regarding the weight limit of the first under-accumulation deck.
- 18. The method of claim 17 further including comparing the weight of the sheet set to the weight limit of the first under-accumulation deck.
- 19. A system for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
(a) an advancing mechanism for advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence; (b) a first under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack; (c) a second under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack; and (d) a stacking device operable to stack the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
- 20. The system of claim 19 wherein the advancing mechanism advances the sheets in a Z to A sequence.
- 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the first and second stacks are in a Z to A sequence.
- 22. The system of claim 19 wherein the combined stack of sheets is in a Z to A sequence.
- 23. The system of claim 19 wherein the advancing mechanism advances the sheets in an A to Z sequence.
- 24. The system of claim 23 wherein the first and second stacks are in an A to Z sequence.
- 25. The system of claim 19 wherein the combined stack of sheets is in an A to Z sequence.
- 26. The system of claim 19 further comprising a controller operable to determine whether the first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the advanced sheets.
- 27. The system of claim 19 wherein the first portion of the advanced sheets are the sheets first received in the predetermined sequence.
- 28. The system of claim 19 further comprising additional under-accumulation decks for under-accumulating additional portions of the advanced sheets in at least one separate stack in addition to the first and second stacks of sheets.
- 29. The system of claim 19 further comprising a controller operable to determine whether the first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the sheet set.
- 30. The system of claim 29 wherein the controller is further operable to receive information regarding the number of sheets in the sheet set.
- 31. The system of claim 30 wherein the controller is further operable to receive information regarding the maximum number of sheets that can be under-accumulated by the first under-accumulation deck.
- 32. The system of claim 31 wherein the controller is further operable to compare the number of sheets in the sheet set to the maximum number of sheets that can be under-accumulated by the first under-accumulation deck.
- 33. The system of claim 29 wherein the controller is further operable to receive information regarding the weight of the sheet set.
- 34. The system of claim 33 wherein the controller is further operable to receive information regarding the weight limit of the first under-accumulation deck.
- 35. The system of claim 34 wherein the controller is further operable to compare the weight of the sheet set to the weight limit of the first under-accumulation deck.
- 36. The system of claim 19 further comprising an input/output device for receiving information from and communicating information to an operator.
- 37. A system for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, comprising:
(a) an advancing mechanism for advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence; (b)a first under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack; (c) a second under-accumulation deck for under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack; (d) a controller operable to determine whether the first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the advanced sheets; and (e) a stacking device operable to stack the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
- 38. A program product, comprising at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one programmable computer for controlling an accumulator system causes the accumulator system to perform a sequence of steps for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, the sequence of steps comprising:
(a) advancing sheets in a predetermined sequence; (b) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack; (c) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack; and (d) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
- 39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the advanced sheets.
- 40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises advancing the second stack of sheets to a collation device.
- 41. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises under-accumulating additional portions of the advanced sheets in at least one separate stack in addition to the first and second stacks of sheets.
- 42. A program product, comprising at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one programmable computer for controlling an accumulator system causes the accumulator system to perform a sequence of steps for forming a stack of under-accumulated sheets, the sequence of steps comprising:
(a) advancing sheets of a sheet set in a predetermined sequence; (b) determining whether a first under-accumulation deck can under-accumulate the sheet set; and (c) if the first under-accumulation deck cannot under-accumulate the sheet set:
(i) under-accumulating a first portion of the advanced sheets in a first stack in the first under-accumulation deck; (ii) under-accumulating a second portion of the advanced sheets in a second stack in a second under-accumulation deck; and (iii) stacking the first stack of sheets on the second stack of sheets to form a combined stack wherein the combined stack is in a predetermined sequence.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/356,950, filed Feb. 14, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60356950 |
Feb 2002 |
US |