1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for conveying products and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for conveying documents in a high-speed electronic finishing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the electronic finishing field, multi-page documents such as insurance policies and contracts are printed on high-speed laser printers and then finished on an electronic finishing system which assembles the document and adds any desired inserts (such as prefolded advertising brochures or other solicitations) to the document to create a product which are sometimes folded in manner set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,094. Then, the product is inserted into a standard envelope to create a package ready for mailing. These steps are done at high speed while the accuracy of the document assembly is verified through use of a printed bar code on each sheet of the document.
The prior art conveyors used to convey documents under the insert feeders are complicated and are difficult to adjust to accommodate different size documents. The prior art adjustable conveyors are inadequate because they often leave gaping holes in the conveyor path allowing products to sag or drop below the conveyor path.
Another problem with prior art conveyors is that the guiding rails are adjustable but the pusher path is fixed whereby, as the rails are adjusted wider for wider products, the pusher integrity become less stable. Thus, as the product gets wider in relation to the pusher path, the conveyor is the less reliable at advancing the product in a controlled manner.
Yet another shortcoming of the prior art conveyors is that the hold down devices are fixedly positioned such that they will prove adequate for the range of applications intended. However, when additional hold-down requirements arise, it often left up to the ingenuity of the operator or technician to solve the requirements.
Finally, all of the components which overhang the prior art conveyors make them difficult to access to clear jams and clean.
The present invention is designed to overcome the above limitations that are attendant upon the use of xe2x80x9cprior artxe2x80x9d devices, and toward this end, it contemplates the provision of a novel apparatus and method for the high-speed conveying of products and the provision of inserts to be combined with the products as they are conveyed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method utilizing adjustable spring loaded collapsible pusher fingers to move the product though the conveying system.
Yet another object is to provide an apparatus and method which accomplish the desired provision of inserts at high speeds.
A further object is to provide an apparatus that is compatible with conventional electronic finishing systems and is generally compatible in physical size, form and configuration with such systems, to be readily adaptable for the same use without disadvantage.
It is a general aim of the invention to provide such an apparatus which may be readily and economically fabricated and will have long life in operation and significantly greater flexibility in use.
It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects can be readily attained in an apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention which conveys a product along a product conveying path, permits products of different widths to be conveyed and easily adds inserts as desired.
According to t he invention, a conveyor system for conveying the product along the product conveying path utilizes six primary assemblies: pusher assembly, inner rail assembly, outer rail assembly, strap-ramp assembly, hold-down strap assembly and stop finger assembly. Insert feeders are spaced above the conveyor system to feed inserts onto the conveyor system so as to be combined with the product as the product is conveyed a long the product conveyor path.
In the pusher assembly, there are a plurality of pusher devices. Each pusher device has a plurality of pushers for engaging at railing end of the product to propel the product along the product conveying path. At least two of the pushers on each pusher device are spaced from one another transversely across the conveying path and moveable between first and second positions transversely across the conveying path. These pushers are closer to one another in the first position than in the second position thereby being adjustable to convey products of different widths. A mechanism is provided for moving the pusher devices so that the pushers move along the product conveying path to propel the product engaged at the trailing end thereof along the product conveying path.
For the inner and outer rail assemblies, pairs of inner opposed rails support the product as it is propelled along the product conveying path. The inner opposed rails are adjustable between at least two distinct positions to permit conveying products of different widths. Pairs of outer opposed rails cooperate with the pairs of inner opposed rails for supporting the product as it is propelled along the product conveying path. The outer opposed rails being adjustable relative to and independent of the pair of inner opposed rails to permit conveying of products of different widths. Each of the outer opposed rails having a base portion for supporting the product as it is propelled along the product conveying path and an upstanding portion for guiding the product as it is propelled along the product conveying path.
With the strap-ramp assembly, a strap support device has a plurality of straps to support the product being propelled along the product conveying path. The straps are spaced from one another transversely across the product conveying path. At least some of the straps are moveable between first and second positions. In the first position, these straps are located to support the product being propelled along the product conveying path. In the second position, these straps are not located so as to support the product being propelled along the product conveying path. Desirably, a mechanism is provided for moving these straps of the strap support device between the first and second positions.
In the hold down assembly, at least one hold down support device extends over the product conveying path and at least one hold down strap is removeably mounted on the hold down support device. The hold down device holds the product flat on the conveyor path and helps decelerate the product at each indexing movement of the product.
To stop the product accurately at each station following each indexing movement of the product, the stop finger assembly includes a stop finger support device cantilevered over the product conveying path with at least one stop finger removeably mounted on the stop finger support device. The stop finger support device is moved so that the at least one stop finger moves into the product conveying path to engaged the product at a leading end thereof following each indexing movement of the product and moves out of the product conveying path to begin each indexing movement of the product.
To feed at least one insert onto the conveyor system so as to be combined with the product as the product is conveyed along the product conveyor path, a plurality of insert feeders are spaced above the conveyor system. Conveniently, each of the insert feeders is pivotally mounted adjacent the product conveyor path whereby the insert feeder can be rotated between an operative position spaced above the conveyor system for feeding at least one insert onto the conveyor system so as to be combined with the product as the product is conveyed along the product conveyor path and a raised inoperative position spaced farther from the product conveyor path to provide access to the product conveyor path.
The invention will be fully understood when reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.