Method and apparatus for controlling a multiple delivery collator in response to a downstream fault condition.

摘要

An apparatus and method for controlling a collator (10) having a plurality of delivery conveyors (14) are disclosed. The collator includes a plurality of hoppers (18A, 18B...) for feeding a plurality of signatures to a plurality of gathering stations or pockets which moves past the hoppers. An assemblage, i.e., a group of collated signatures is formed in each of the plurality of pockets. The plurality of delivery conveyors receives assemblages from the plurality of pockets during operation of the collator. If a fault condition is detected downstream of one of the plurality of delivery conveyors, then receipt of assemblages by the one delivery conveyor is interrupted while receipt of assemblages by the other of the plurality of delivery conveyors is maintained. The result is that only the one delivery conveyor with the downstream fault condition ceases delivering assemblages. All production from the collator does not cease. Production and delivery of assemblages onto the delivery conveyors with no fault condition are maintained.