Demographic assembling and addressing machine for magazines and the like

摘要

An assembling and addressing machine for magazines which are differently assembled in a number of different versions for sending to individuals falling into different demographic categories based upon interest, occupation or the like. A plurality of signatures are produced which are capable, upon selection in predetermined combinations, of accommodating all of the different versions. A gathering device gathers the selected signatures to form a book. Books in various versions are stored in temporary storage stations. The device operates under the control of address labels which include the address and indication of the demographic category. Means are provided for reading the category and for triggering release of a book from the corresponding storage station and to which the label is then applied. It is one of the features of the invention that means are provided in each storage station for sensing depletion and for signaling the gathering device to produce a group of books to replenish the depleted station. The temporary storage stations are in the form of conveyor belts arranged side by side and having hoppers at the output with individual dispensing means. Delay devices, preferably including memory, are interposed between a point where a given book is acted upon and a point of upstream release so that books may flow in unbroken series. Means are provided for calipering each book immediately following gathering of signatures with means for readjusting the caliper depending upon the version of book being measured. Automatic means are provided for insertion of cards into the book at the order of the address label.