Patent ID: 8746688

Claim:
An apparatus for accumulating sheet material in a sheet handling system, the apparatus responsive to a next collation signal indicative of the beginning- or end-of the next collation in a series of sheets conveyed along a conveyance feed path, comprising: first, second and auxiliary conveyances, each operative to convey a completed collation of sheets along the conveyance feed path; the first conveyance conveying the sheets to an accumulator station to produce completed collations; the second conveyance dispensing the completed collation from the accumulator station, and receiving the completed collations from the first conveyance, in one operating mode, and from the auxiliary conveyance, in another operating mode, when the first conveyance is inoperative; and a processor, responsive to the next collation signal, for controlling the conveyances based upon a selected one of the operating modes and wherein the next collation signal is generated based upon a location of a next collation mark on one of the series of sheets, the next collation mark being located proximal to a leading edge of the one of the series of sheets in the one operating mode and proximal to a trailing edge of the one of the series of sheets in the another operating mode.