Method and apparatus for adding inserts to folded sheets

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ADDING INSERTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE TO FOLDED SHEETS, SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS, HAVING A FOLDED EDGE AND AN OPPOSITE OPEN EDGE FROM A SERIES OF OVERLAPPED SHEETS OF NEWSPAPERS, USING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED STOPS AND GRIPPERS COMPRISING SEPARATING EACH FOLDED SHEET IN SUCCESSION FROM THE SERIES AND FEEDING THE FOLDED END OF EACH SHEET IN SUCCESSION AGAINST A RESPECTIVE STOP, GRIPPING THE FOLDED EDGE OF EACH FOLDED SHEET AND MOVING IT THROUGH A FIRST FEED PATH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE, OPENING THE FOLDED SHEET BY GRIPPING ONE OF THE OUTER END REMOTE FORM THE FOLDED EDGE AND BY MOVING IT AWAY FROM THE FEED PATH AS THE FOLDED SHEET IS BEING FED BY THE CONVEYOR THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ORBIT, ADVANCING AN INSERT THROUGH A SSECOND FEED PATH TO INTERCEPT THE FIRST FEED PATH FROM A LOCATION ABOVE THE OPENED FOLDED SHEET AS THE SHEET IS BEING MOVED DOWNWARDLY, DROPPING AN INSERT INTO THE OPENED FOLDED SHEET, AND CLOSING THE FOLDED SHEET OVER THE INSERT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ADDING INSERTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE TO FOLDED SHEETS, SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS, HAVING A FOLDED EDGE AND AN OPPOSITE OPEN EDGE FROM A SERIES OF OVERLAPPED SHEETS OF NEWSPAPERS, USING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED STOPS AND GRIPPERS COMPRISING SEPARATING EACH FOLDED SHEET IN SUCCESSION FROM THE SERIES AND FEEDING THE FOLDED END OF EACH SHEET IN SUCCESSION AGAINST A RESPECTIVE STOP, GRIPPING THE FOLDED EDGE OF EACH FOLDED SHEET AND MOVING IT THROUGH A FIRST FEED PATH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE, OPENING THE FOLDED SHEET BY GRIPPING ONE OF THE OUTER END REMOTE FORM THE FOLDED EDGE AND BY MOVING IT AWAY FROM THE FEED PATH AS THE FOLDED SHEET IS BEING FED BY THE CONVEYOR THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL ORBIT, ADVANCING AN INSERT THROUGH A SSECOND FEED PATH TO INTERCEPT THE FIRST FEED PATH FROM A LOCATION ABOVE THE OPENED FOLDED SHEET AS THE SHEET IS BEING MOVED DOWNWARDLY, DROPPING AN INSERT INTO THE OPENED FOLDED SHEET, AND CLOSING THE FOLDED SHEET OVER THE INSERT.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR ADDING INSERTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE TO FOLDING SHEETS SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS HAVING A FOLDED EDGE AND AN OPEN EDGE, COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SPACED SHEET SUPPORTING AND GRIPPING ELEMENTS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING CARRIED IN AN ORBIT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ARRANGED, SAID GRIPPING ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING FRONT EDGE ALIGNING MEANS FOR POSITIONING A FOLDED FRONT EDGE ALIGNING SHEET, MEANS FOR FEEDING A FOLDED EDGE OF A SERIES OF SHEETS IN SUCCESSION AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE ALIGNING MEANS, SAID GRIPPER ELEMENTS FURTHER INCLUDING A PIVOTAL MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID SHEETS ON SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENTS COMPRISING OPENABLE MEANS FOR SEPARATING THE UNCLAMPED ENDS OF SAID SHEETS AND MAINTAINING THEM IN OPEN CONDITION, MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID ELEMENTS WHEN THE CLAMPED EDGE OF THE SHEETS ARE BEING MOVED DOWNWARDLY TO FEED AN INSERT INTO EACH OPEN SHEET, AND MEANS FOR DEPOSITING SAID SHEETS AFTER THE INSERT HAS BEEN POSITIONED THEREIN.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR ADDING INSERTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND THE LIKE TO FOLDING SHEETS SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS HAVING A FOLDED EDGE AND AN OPEN EDGE, COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SPACED SHEET SUPPORTING AND GRIPPING ELEMENTS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING CARRIED IN AN ORBIT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ARRANGED, SAID GRIPPING ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING FRONT EDGE ALIGNING MEANS FOR POSITIONING A FOLDED FRONT EDGE ALIGNING SHEET, MEANS FOR FEEDING A FOLDED EDGE OF A SERIES OF SHEETS IN SUCCESSION AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE ALIGNING MEANS, SAID GRIPPER ELEMENTS FURTHER INCLUDING A PIVOTAL MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID SHEETS ON SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENTS COMPRISING OPENABLE MEANS FOR SEPARATING THE UNCLAMPED ENDS OF SAID SHEETS AND MAINTAINING THEM IN OPEN CONDITION, MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID ELEMENTS WHEN THE CLAMPED EDGE OF THE SHEETS ARE BEING MOVED DOWNWARDLY TO FEED AN INSERT INTO EACH OPEN SHEET, AND MEANS FOR DEPOSITING SAID SHEETS AFTER THE INSERT HAS BEEN POSITIONED THEREIN.