Sheet diverting and delivery system

Claim 2

A sheet diverter and delivery system comprising: a first conveyor means including cutting means for cutting a continuous web into a stream of separate sheets; a second conveyor and third conveyor means each having an entrance and exit end, said entrance ends being positioned after said cutting means of said first conveyor means and said second conveyor means disposed above said third conveyor means; a pair of diverter means for alternatively diverting the separate sheets into the second and third conveyor means; and means connected with each of said second and third conveyor means for decelerating and shingling said sheets for delivering two separate streams of shingled sheets to a subsequent printing operation.

Claim 3

A sheet diverter and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diverter means are a plurality of oppositely rotating diverting cams disposed adjacent the entrance end of said second and third conveyor means.

Claim 4

A sheet diverter and delivery system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutting means comprises a rotary cutting cylinder having at least one knife blade and an opposed anvil cylinder whereby a continuous web of printed paper is run between said cutting cylinder and anvil cylinder and cut into separate sheets.

Claim 5

A sheet handling system for receiving a moving, continuous web, cutting sheets therefrom, and diverting alternate sheets to one of two delivery paths, comprising: a cutting means for receiving the web and cutting the web into individual sheets, thereby forming a stream of cut sheets; conveyor means positioned downstream of the cutting means and defining first and second delivery paths for receiving sheet material from the cutting means and transporting sheets to predetermined points of delivery, the delivery paths being disposed on opposite sides of the travel path of the sheet material leaving the cutting means and each delivery path being at least partially defined by a conveyor system having an entry portion and an exit portion downstream of the entry portion forming the point of delivery for that delivery path, in each of which delivery paths a sheet is transported under substantially continuous control from the entry portion to the exit portion; and diverter means for alternately diverting the sheet material cut by the cutting means to the entry portion of one of the two delivery path conveyor systems under substantially continuous control; the cutting means being timed so that the leading edge of the continuous web is received by the conveyor means before the sheet is cut from the web.

Claim 6

A sheet handling system for receiving a moving, continuous web, cutting sheets therefrom, and diverting alternate sheets to one of two delivery paths, comprising: a cutting means for receiving the web and cutting the web into individual sheets, thereby forming a stream of cut sheets; conveyor means positioned downstream of the cutting means and defining first and second delivery paths for receiving sheet material from the cutting means and transporting sheets to predetermined points of delivery, the delivery paths being disposed on opposite sides of the travel path of the sheet material leaving the cutting means and each delivery path being at least partially defined by a conveyor system having an entry portion and an exit portion downstream of the entry portion forming the point of delivery for that delivery path, in each of which delivery paths a sheet is transported under substantially continuous control from the entry portion to the exit portion; and diverter means for alternately diverting the sheet material cut by the cutting means to the entry portion of one of the two delivery path conveyor systems under substantially continuous control; the cutting means being timed so that the leading edge of the continuous web is received by the conveyor means before the sheet is cut from the web.

Claim 7

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the conveyor systems of the delivery paths comprise closely spaced, endless conveyor belts.

Claim 8

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the conveyor means further comprises a pair of nip rollers positioned at the upstream end of the conveyor means to receive and positively engage the leading edge of the continuous web before the sheet is cut from the web.

Claim 9

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the diverter means comprises first and second sets of oppositely rotating diverting cams disposed on opposite sides of the travel path of the sheet material leaving the cutting means and received by the conveyor means, each set of diverting cams including a plurality of similarly shaped cams fixed with respect to a common axis for rotation about the axis and being timed with the receipt of sheet material by the conveyor means so that the sheets are alternately diverted by the set of diverting cams from the initial travel path of the sheet material to the entry portion of one of the two delivery path conveyor systems under substantially continuous control.

Claim 10

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of the diverting cams of each set is adjustable along its associated axis.

Claim 11

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, wherein_the cutting means comprises a rotating cutter having at least one cutting blade extending across the width of the web and an opposed anvil member cooperating with the cutting blade to define a cutting area, the continuous web being passed through the cutting area to the conveyor means.

Claim 12

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the nip rollers are driven at an overspeed so that sheets cut from the web are spaced therefrom.

Claim 13

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the delivery path conveyor systems are driven at a speed such that sheets transported in each conveyor system are spaced from each other upon arrival at the exit portion of the conveyor system.

Claim 14

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a delivery system for receiving sheets at the points of delivery of each delivery path conveyor system, decelerating the sheets, and depositing the sheets on a delivery conveyor operating at a speed less than the speed of the sheets at the point of delivery, so that the decelerated sheets will overlap in shingled relation on the delivery conveyor.

Claim 15

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 12, wherein each delivery system comprises: a conveyor system positioned downstream of the point of delivery, dropped relative to the travel path of the stream of sheets exiting the point of delivery and having a conveying surface facing the sheet travel path; and a snubbing means positioned near the upstream end of the conveyor system for trapping each of the incoming sheets against the conveying surface of the conveyor system so that each sheet-is thereby decelerated to the speed of the conveying surface; the conveying surface being operated at a speed less than the speed of the sheets exiting the point of delivery, and the snubbing means being timed with respect to the arrival of the sheets so that a sheet is trapped against the conveying surface of the conveyor system substantially as the tail of the sheet exits the point of delivery.

Claim 16

A sheet handling system for receiving a stream of moving, regularly spaced apart sheets from a point of delivery, decelerating the sheets, and placing the decelerated sheets in a shingled format, comprising: a conveyor system positioned downstream of the point of delivery, dropped relative to the travel path of the stream of sheets exiting the point of delivery and having a conveying surface facing the sheet travel path; and a snubbing means positioned near the upstream end of the conveyor system for trapping each of the incoming sheets against the conveying surface of the conveyor system so that each sheet is thereby decelerated to the speed of the conveying surface; the conveying surface being operated at a speed less than the speed of the sheets exiting the point of delivery, and the snubbing means being timed with respect to the arrival of the sheets so that a sheet is trapped against the conveying surface of the conveyor system substantially as the tail of the sheet exits the point of delivery.

Claim 17

A sheet handling system for receiving a stream of moving, regularly spaced apart sheets from a point of delivery, decelerating the sheets, and placing the decelerated sheets in a shingled format, comprising: a conveyor system positioned downstream of the point of delivery, dropped relative to the travel path of the stream of sheets exiting the point of delivery and having a conveying surface facing the sheet travel path; and a snubbing means positioned near the upstream end of the conveyor system for trapping each of the incoming sheets against the conveying surface of the conveyor system so that each sheet is thereby decelerated to the speed of the conveying surface; the conveying surface being operated at a speed less than the speed of the sheets exiting the point of delivery, and the snubbing means being timed with respect to the arrival of the sheets so that a sheet is trapped against the conveying surface of the conveyor system substantially as the tail of the sheet exits the point of delivery.

Claim 18

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the snubbing means is timed with respect to the arrival of the sheets so that a sheet is trapped against the conveying surface of the conveyor system just before the tail of the sheet exits the point of delivery.

Claim 19

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the snubbing means is timed with respect to the arrival of the sheets so that a sheet is trapped against the conveying surface of the conveyor system immediately after the tail of the sheet exits the point of delivery.

Claim 20

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the point of delivery is defined by the discharge end of a conveyor system comprising closely spaced, endless conveyor belts.

Claim 21

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the snubbing means comprises a plurality of aligned snubbers mounted on a common axis for rotation, the common axis being positioned substantially perpendicular to the travel path of the incoming sheets and parallel to the conveying surface of the conveyor system.

Claim 22

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 18, wherein each snubbing means comprises a snubber plate rotatably mounted on a common axis, said snubber plate having an outer perimeter mounted to which are a pair of freely rotating snubbing wheels 180° apart, and the snubbing means being timed with the arrival of the sheets so that the snubbing wheels of a snubber alternatingly act to trap successive sheets against the conveying surface.

Claim 23

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 19, wherein each snubber further comprises a trailing means for urging the portion of a trapped sheet upstream of the snubber wheel to the conveying surface.

Claim 24

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the conveyor system comprises a plurality of laterally spaced, endless conveyor belts and the conveying surface is the surface of the belts facing the sheet travel path.

Claim 25

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a roller means positioned downstream of the snubbing means and resting against the conveying surface for urging the shingled sheets transported on the conveying surface against same.

Claim 26

A sheet handling system in accordance with claim 21, further comprising tensioning means associated with the conveyor belts for maintaining a desired tension in the belts.