Patent ID: 8342505

Claim:
An accumulator apparatus for an inserter system, the apparatus comprising: a transport chassis comprising a horizontal deck and a series of pusher fingers arranged on a transport belt to push accumulations of sheets along a length of the horizontal deck; an insert feeder positioned above the horizontal deck of the transport chassis for providing inserts to be included in accumulations of sheets on the transport chassis; a set of driven accumulator nip rollers immediately downstream of the insert feeder, the set of driven accumulator nip rollers positioned in line with the transport chassis to receive accumulations of sheets transported on the horizontal deck, and positioned within one insert length downstream of the insert feeder to receive and transport inserts fed from the insert feeder; a recessed accumulation deck immediately downstream of the accumulator nip rollers, the recessed accumulation deck positioned below a level of the transport chassis horizontal deck, the recessed deck receiving sheets from both the transport chassis and the insert feeder via the accumulator nips, and whereby a first sheet will rest in the recessed accumulation deck and a subsequent second sheet will be placed on top of the first sheet; and a controller coupled to the transport chassis and the insert feeder, whereby the controller is configured to control operation of the accumulator apparatus whereby one or more insert sheets are released by the insert feeder to be driven by the accumulator nip rollers onto the recessed accumulator deck prior to arrival of one or more accumulation sheets pushed by the pusher fingers on the horizontal deck at the accumulator roller nips.