Collating punch system

Abstract

A media punching and collating system includes a multi-source sheet intake mechanism, an accumulator, a punching die assembly and a discharge mechanism. The sheet intake mechanism is configured to pick and feed at least two different types of finished sheet media to the accumulator, which is positioned to receive the sheets from the sheet intake mechanism. The accumulator includes a sheet accumulating mechanism configured to sequentially gather and align a selected number of the sheets into a sheet lift. The punching die assembly is positioned to receive the sheet lift as a unit from the accumulator, and configured to punch holes in an edge of the sheets of the lift, after which the discharge mechanism discharges the punched lift.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A media punching and collating system, comprising:
 a multi-source sheet intake mechanism, configured to pick and feed at least two different types of finished sheet media;   an accumulator, positioned to receive the sheets from the sheet intake mechanism, having a sheet accumulating mechanism configured to sequentially gather and align a selected number of the sheets into a sheet lift;   a punching die assembly, positioned to receive the sheet lift as a unit from the accumulator, configured to punch holes in an edge of the sheets of the lift; and   a discharge mechanism, configured to discharge the punched lift.   
     
     
         2 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, coupled to and configured to selectively actuate the sheet intake mechanism, the accumulator, the punching die and the discharge mechanism, whereby lifts of sheets are sequentially gathered and punched according to a selected book configuration programmed into the controller. 
     
     
         3 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 2 , further comprising a sheet detector, associated with the sheet intake mechanism, configured to detect the individual picked sheets and send corresponding signals to the controller. 
     
     
         4 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the sheet intake mechanism comprises:
 multiple sheet feeder devices, each sheet feeder device configured to hold different types of finished media sheets, arranged face-up in a selected book order for the respective type of media; and   a sheet detector, associated with each of the sheet feeder devices, configured to detect the individual picked sheets and send corresponding signals to the controller.   
     
     
         5 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a sheet transport mechanism, coupled to selectively receive the sheets from the multiple sheet feeder devices and transport the sheets one by one to the accumulator; and   an inverting portion, in the sheet transport mechanism, wherein the finished sheets are reoriented to enter the accumulator face-down.   
     
     
         6 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , the accumulator further comprising:
 an inlet, having a shoulder, disposed adjacent to the sheet intake mechanism;   an outlet, disposed adjacent to the punching die assembly; and   
       the sheet accumulating mechanism further comprising
 a moveable collating belt, disposed below the shoulder and extending from the inlet to the outlet, having an upwardly extending lower stop, the lower stop having an accumulating position opposite the shoulder and defining a drop region between the lower stop and the shoulder, whereby a lower edge of the sheets received through the inlet can contact the lower stops and sequentially drop into the drop region in the book order to form the lift; and 
 a moveable tapping belt, disposed below the shoulder and parallel to the collating belt, having an upwardly extending upper stop and being moveable independently of the collating belt to contact an upper edge of the lift to align the upper edges of the sheets, and moveable in concert with the collating belt to discharge the lift through the outlet to the punching die assembly. 
 
     
     
         7 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the media sheets have a front side and a back side and accumulate in the sheet accumulating mechanism with the front side down, the accumulator further comprising
 an upper frame, positioned above and opposite the collating and tapping belts; and   a media driving mechanism, attached to the upper frame, having selectively rotatable elements configured to contact a back side of the media sheets and move the sheet media in concert with the collating and tapping belts to transport sheet media within the accumulator.   
     
     
         8 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising reciprocable side bars, disposed on opposing lateral sides of the accumulator, configured to contact and align lateral sides of the sheets of the lift prior to punching by the punching die. 
     
     
         9 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accumulator is disposed at an incline between the sheet media intake mechanism and the punching die assembly, with the inlet at an upper position and the outlet at a lower position. 
     
     
         10 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an output tray, positioned to receive punched lifts from the discharge mechanism; and   a lateral shift mechanism, configured to selectively laterally offset the discharge mechanism relative to the punching die assembly, whereby all lifts for a single book can be stacked on the output tray in the book order in a common lateral position that is laterally offset from a lateral position of preceding and following books.   
     
     
         11 . A paper punching and collating system, comprising:
 a sheet transport mechanism having an inlet and an outlet;   a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms, disposed at the inlet, configured to selectively supply a plurality of types of finished sheet media, having a front side and a back side, to the sheet transport mechanism;   an accumulator, disposed at the outlet, positioned to receive the sheets of media from the sheet transport mechanism front side-down, having a stopping and aligning mechanism, configured to gather and align a selected number of the sheets of media into a lift;   a punching die assembly, positioned to receive the lift of sheets from the accumulator as a unit, configured to punch binding holes of a selected configuration in an edge of the sheets of the lift, and to discharge the punched lift; and   a controller, coupled to and configured to selectively actuate the sheet transport mechanism, the sheet feeding mechanisms, the accumulator and the punching die assembly, whereby collated lifts of sheets of multiple types are sequentially gathered and punched according to a selected book configuration programmed into the controller.   
     
     
         12 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 11 , the accumulator further comprising:
 a collating belt, having a lower stop configured to receive and stop the sheets received by the accumulator to form the lift, and to align the lower edges thereof;   a tapping belt, having an upper stop, configured to contact an upper edge of the sheets in the lift to align the upper edges, the collating and tapping belts configured to move in concert to discharge the lift to the punching die after the lift is accumulated; and   reciprocable side bars, disposed on opposing lateral sides of the accumulator, configured to contact and align lateral sides of the sheets of the lift prior to punching by the punching die.   
     
     
         13 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising
 an upper frame, positioned above and opposite the collating and tapping belts; and   a media driving mechanism, attached to the upper frame, having selectively rotatable elements configured to contact the back side of the sheet media and counter-rotate relative to the collating and tapping belts to transport the sheet media within the accumulator.   
     
     
         14 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of paper feeding mechanisms comprise at least three air lift sheet feeders, including a body sheet feeder having a largest sheet capacity, and at least two specialty sheet feeders, each having a smaller sheet capacity. 
     
     
         15 . A paper punching and collating system in accordance with  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an output tray;   a discharge mechanism, configured to receive the punched lift from the punching die assembly and transport it to the output tray; and   a lateral shift mechanism, configured to selectively laterally offset the discharge mechanism relative to the punching die assembly, whereby all lifts for a single book can be stacked on the output tray in the book order in a common lateral position that is laterally offset from a lateral position of preceding and following books.   
     
     
         16 . A method for punching and collating sheets of media in an automatic punching and collating system having a multi-source media intake mechanism provided with multiple types of media, comprising:
 receiving media sheets one at a time in a programmed book order from the multi-source media intake mechanism into a stopping and aligning mechanism;   accumulating a selected number of the media sheets in the book order into a collated stack in the stopping and aligning mechanism;   punching binding holes in the aligned stack of media sheets using a punching die assembly positioned to receive the collated stack discharged from the stopping and aligning mechanism, producing a collated punched stack; and   discharging the collated punched stack from the automatic punching and collating system using a discharge mechanism.   
     
     
         17 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising:
 selectively picking the sheets one at a time from a selected input tray of the multi-source media intake mechanism; and   transporting the sheets from the input tray to the stopping and aligning mechanism with a mechanical sheet media transport mechanism.   
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising
 counting the selected number of the media sheets prior to their receipt into the stopping and aligning mechanism; and   aligning edges of the sheets using the stopping and aligning mechanism prior to punching the holes.   
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein aligning edges of the sheets comprises:
 stopping the selected number of sheets in the stopping and aligning mechanism in the book order; and   contacting one or more of a bottom, top and lateral edges of the sheets with aligning structures in the stopping and aligning mechanism.   
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising
 controlling the receiving, collating, punching and discharging steps using a computer controller coupled to the multi-source media intake mechanism, the stopping and aligning mechanism, the punching die assembly and the discharge mechanism, using a computer controller that is programmed with the book order; and   discharging the lift from the discharge mechanism onto an output tray in the book order in a common lateral position with other lifts for a given book, the common lateral position being laterally offset from a lateral position of lifts for preceding and following books.