Method and apparatus for jogging and stacking signatures

Claim 1

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SIGNATURE INTO A STACKED PILE, SUCH MECHANISM INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION: MEANS FOR SHINGLING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF SIGNATURES, SAID SHINGLING MEANS COMPRISING A MOVING SURFACE UPON WHICH LAY THE SIGNATURES, SAID MOVING SURFACE HAVING A RATE OF SPEED GREATER THAN THE RATE OF SPEED OF THE STREAM OF PRESHINGLED SIGNATURES, AND VACUUM MEANS ARRANGED TO CAUSE EACH SIGNATURE IN THE STREAM TO BE URGED AGAINST THE MOVING SURFACE TO THEREBY FACILITATE SEPARATION OF EACH SIGNATURE IN CONTACT WITH THE VACUUM MEANS FROM THE IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDING SIGNATURE IN THE STREAM, AND TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE BETWEEN EACH SIGNATURE AND THAT PORTION OF THE MOVING SURFACE WITH WHICH IT IS IN CONTACT, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE SHINGLED SIGNATURES IN A STACK, MEANS, RESPONSIVE TO THE COLLECTION OF A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF SIGNATURES, FOR TERMINATING OPERATION OF THE SHINGLING MEANS, MEANS FOR MOVING THE COLLECTED STACK TO A REMOVAL ZONE, AND MEANS FOR REINSTITUTING OPERATION OF THE SHINGLING MEANS UPON MOVEMENT OF THE STACK OF SIGNATURES TO THE REMOVAL ZONE.