RIGHT ANGLE STAGER APPARATUS AND METHOD - BELL & HOWELL MAIL & MESSAGING

Title:

RIGHT ANGLE STAGER APPARATUS AND METHOD

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO2001042116

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

A right-angle sheet stager apparatus (10) for merging multiple input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface (24A, 24B). Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface (24A, 24B) at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface (22A) and the staging surface (24A, 24B). Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface (24A, 24B). The output channel (30) includes an output surface (32), and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus (10) permits a sheet from the transport surface (22A) to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Inventors:

MIDDELBERG NEAL J (US)
GUBERSKI JAMES M (US)
DEROME GERARD A JR (US)
TUCCI VINCENZO (US)
BENNETT ROBERT BRADLEY (US)

Application Number:

PCT/US2000/042210

Publication Date:

January 10, 2002

Filing Date:

November 16, 2000

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

BELL & HOWELL MAIL & MESSAGING (US)
MIDDELBERG NEAL J (US)
GUBERSKI JAMES M (US)
DEROME GERARD A JR (US)
TUCCI VINCENZO (US)
BENNETT ROBERT BRADLEY (US)

International Classes:

B65H39/06; B65H83/02; (IPC1-7): B65H31/00

Foreign References:

US6092802A	2000-07-25
US5934670A	1999-08-10
US6044958A	2000-04-04
US5882175A	1999-03-16
US5957652A	1999-09-28
US6089558A	2000-07-18

Other References: