Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A collating apparatus having a collating unit, a perforating unit and a fan-folding unit, all gear driven by a single main drive gear, and having a gear assembly driven by the drive gear which includes a gear having an adjustable rotational eccentricity and an adjustable phase of eccentricity relative to the other gears. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable gear includes an inner hub mounted on a rotatable shaft, an intermediate hub having an eccentric bore rotatably receiving the inner hub, a gear ring having an eccentric bore rotatably receiving the intermediate hub and a clamp bar attached to the gear ring and to the shaft. The bar includes an adjustment mechanism for varying the orientation of the gear ring, intermediate hub and inner hub relative to each other. By adjusting the rotational eccentricity of the gear ring and the phase of the eccentricity, the adjustable gear can compensate for eccentricities inherent in other gears of the apparatus so that the collating, perforating and folding units operate synchronously.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim