Method and apparatus for producing copying sets

Claim 3

The method recited in claim 1, further wherein said writing sheets are sequentially and individually tear-line perforated and printed at said processing station.

Claim 4

Apparatus for continuously producing quick separation copying sets having n sheets of writing paper and n-1 sheets of carbon paper interleaved between the writing paper sheets, the sheets all being joined along a bonded edge area, comprising: a. Means for sequentially supplying and advancing a plurality of writing paper sheets in groups of n generally aligned superposed sheets to a writing sheet accelerating and feeding means, the sheets of each group being arranged so that their leading edges are spaced apart a predetermined distance in the direction of advancememt; b. Means for accelerating in timed sequence the individual writing sheets in each group generally in the direction of the advancing motion so that the sheets are sequentially separated from the following sheets in each group in a leading direction with respect to the paper advancing motion; c. Means for processing said individual accelerated writing sheets; d. Carbon paper supply means in the form of a continuous roll; e. Means for sequentially cutting n-1 sheets of carbon paper of a desired length from said supply roll in timed relationship with said writing paper processing means; f. Means for adhesively preparing said carbon paper sheets sequentially, including means for applying a glue line thereto along both sides of an edge area of each sheet along the edge thereof to be adhesively joined in the final assembled copying set; g. A writing paper and carbon paper interleaving means whereby advancing processed writing sheets may be sequentially brought in contiguous, aligned, overlaying relationship with carbon paper sheets and bonded thereto along a bottom of the bonding edge area of the writing sheets to form writing paper and carbon paper pairs; h. Means for advancing said n-11 carbon paper sheets from said cutter means and through said adhesive preparation means to said interleaving means in timed relationship with the processed writing sheet advancements; i. Means for controlling said carbon sheet cutter means and said carbon sheet advancing means whereby foremost sheets of said groups of n sheets of writing paper pass through said interleaver without joining a carbon paper sheet, but the remainder of said writing sheets of each group are joined to carbon paper sheets to form n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets; i. Means for advancing sequentially from the interleaving means the said foremost sheets of the said groups of n writing sheets and n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets; k. Means for collecting and stacking said foremost writing sheets and said n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets in aligned, contiguous and overlaying relationship whereby a lower adhesively prepared edge area of each carbon sheet in the stack contacts and becomes bonded to a writing sheet beneath it to form assembled copying sets having n sheets of writing paper and n-1 sheets of carbon paper interleaved between the writing sheets.

Claim 5

Apparatus for continuously producing quick separation copying sets having n sheets of writing paper and n-1 sheets of carbon paper interleaved between the writing paper sheets, the sheets all being joined along a bonded edge area, comprising: a. Means for sequentially supplying and advancing a plurality of writing paper sheets in groups of n generally aligned superposed sheets to a writing sheet accelerating and feeding means, the sheets of each group being arranged so that their leading edges are spaced apart a predetermined distance in the direction of advancememt; b. Means for accelerating in timed sequence the individual writing sheets in each group generally in the direction of the advancing motion so that the sheets are sequentially separated from the following sheets in each group in a leading direction with respect to the paper advancing motion; c. Means for processing said individual accelerated writing sheets; d. Carbon paper supply means in the form of a continuous roll; e. Means for sequentially cutting n-1 sheets of carbon paper of a desired length from said supply roll in timed relationship with said writing paper processing means; f. Means for adhesively preparing said carbon paper sheets sequentially, including means for applying a glue line thereto along both sides of an edge area of each sheet along the edge thereof to be adhesively joined in the final assembled copying set; g. A writing paper and carbon paper interleaving means whereby advancing processed writing sheets may be sequentially brought in contiguous, aligned, overlaying relationship with carbon paper sheets and bonded thereto along a bottom of the bonding edge area of the writing sheets to form writing paper and carbon paper pairs; h. Means for advancing said n-11 carbon paper sheets from said cutter means and through said adhesive preparation means to said interleaving means in timed relationship with the processed writing sheet advancements; i. Means for controlling said carbon sheet cutter means and said carbon sheet advancing means whereby foremost sheets of said groups of n sheets of writing paper pass through said interleaver without joining a carbon paper sheet, but the remainder of said writing sheets of each group are joined to carbon paper sheets to form n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets; i. Means for advancing sequentially from the interleaving means the said foremost sheets of the said groups of n writing sheets and n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets; k. Means for collecting and stacking said foremost writing sheets and said n-1 pairs of writing and carbon sheets in aligned, contiguous and overlaying relationship whereby a lower adhesively prepared edge area of each carbon sheet in the stack contacts and becomes bonded to a writing sheet beneath it to form assembled copying sets having n sheets of writing paper and n-1 sheets of carbon paper interleaved between the writing sheets.

Claim 6

The apparatus recited in claim 3, further wherein said writing sheet supply means comprises: a. A sheet advancing conveyor and means for feeding writing sheets to said conveyor; b. n writing sheet supply bins having separators for sequentially and in timed relationship separating individual writing sheets from stacked suppliEs in said bins, and feeding said sheets sequentially to an intermediate ready position and to said conveyor feeding means; c. Means for controlling the operation of said separators whereby the writing sheets from the said bins are held at the ready position and subsequently advanced to the conveyor feeding means in timed relationship with said processing means; d. The relationship of said conveyor feeding means and said conveyor being such that simultaneous feeding of writing sheets from all bins results in said writing sheets being disposed on said conveyor in generally aligned, fanned, orientation, with the leading edges of said sheets in the conveying direction being spaced apart a predetermined distance.

Claim 7

The apparatus recited in claim 4, further including: a. Electrooptical misfeed detection means for sensing any missing writing sheets at the ready position in said writing paper supply means immediately after the point in time that said separators have completed their initial separation of writing sheets and advanced them to the ready position; b. Means responsive to said misfeed detection means for indicating the occurrence of a missing writing sheet and its location in the writing sheet supply means; and c. Means also responsive to said misfeed detection means for ceasing operations of said apparatus upon detection of such misfeed.

Claim 8

The apparatus recited in claim 5, further including: a. Electrooptical means for detecting the presence of a double sheet feeding at the ready position of said writing sheets prior to the point in time said separators initiate the feeding of said writing sheets to said conveyor feeding means; b. Means responsive to said double sheet detector means for indicating the occurrence of a double sheet at the ready position of said writing sheets, and the location of such occurrence; c. Means also responsive to said double sheet detector means for ceasing operations of said apparatus upon detection of such double sheet feeding.

Claim 9

The apparatus recited in claim 6, wherein said indicating means includes a self-holding control circuit whereby said indicating means is activated and maintained in the activated position by a momentary control signal responsive to the occurrence of a malfunction.

Claim 10

The apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein said separator control means each comprises: a. A drive means for each separator, said drive means being normally activated during operation of said apparatus; b. Means for electrically controlling said drive means comprising a photocell circuit and a switch means controlled by said photocell circuit; said switch means being normally closed when said photocell circuit is uninterrupted and opened when the photocell circuit is interrupted; c. Said drive means being deactivated upon opening of said switch means, and activated when said switch means is closed; d. Said writing sheets interrupting the photocell circuit when they are advanced to the ready position by said separators when said drive means are activated, whereby the said switches are caused to open and deactivate said drive means.

Claim 11

The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein said separator control means further includes means for intensifying illumination in said photocell circuit for overcoming the interrupting effect of a single sheet of writing paper after said writing sheets have been advanced by the separators to the ready position, whereby said switch means are closed and said separator drive means are re-activated to advance said writing sheets to said conveyor feed means, and control means for controlling said intensifying means whereby said intensifying means functions in timed relationship with respect to said writing sheet processing means.

Claim 12

The apparatus recited in claim 4, further wherein the timed operating relationship of said writing sheet separators, carbon paper cutting means, and carbon paper adhesive preparing means with respect to said processing means is controlled by means of a cam system, the cam system being variable for operating the above recited separators, cutting means, and adhesive preparing means at different timed relationships with respect to said processor.