Racetrack collator, carriage and related methods

1. A racetrack collator comprising:

a collator frame defining a racetrack travel path;

a first collator drive assembly mounted to the collator frame and including a first endless drive element extending around the racetrack travel path;

a second collator drive assembly mounted to the collator frame and including a second endless drive element extending around the racetrack travel path;

a first collator carriage releasably connected to the first endless drive element and including a first plurality of dividers, the first plurality of dividers being flexibly connected independently of the first endless drive element; and

a second collator carriage releasably connected to the second endless drive element and including a second plurality of dividers, the second plurality of dividers being flexibly connected independently of the second endless drive element;

wherein the first collator carriage further includes a first flexible substrate and a first plurality of divider mounting bars, each of the first plurality of divider mounting bars connected to a corresponding one of the first plurality of dividers through the first flexible substrate; and

wherein the second collator carriage further includes a second flexible substrate and a second plurality of divider mounting bars, each of the second plurality of divider mounting bars connected to a corresponding one of the second plurality of dividers through the second flexible substrate.

2. The racetrack collator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second endless drive elements are releasably connected, respectively, to the first and second collator carriages only along respective leading edges of the first and second collator carriages.

3. The racetrack collator of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of threaded fasteners inserted through the respective leading edges releasably connect the first and second collator carriages to the first and second endless drive elements, respectively.

4. The racetrack collator of claim 1 , wherein the first collator drive assembly further includes a first drive shaft, a first drive pulley and a first freewheeling pulley;

wherein the second collator drive assembly further includes a second drive shaft, a second drive pulley and a second freewheeling pulley; and

wherein the first drive pulley and the second freewheeling pulley are mounted on the first drive shaft and the second drive pulley and the first freewheeling pulley are mounted on the second drive shaft, the first drive and freewheeling pulleys engaging the first endless drive, and the second drive and freewheeling pulleys engaging the second endless drive.

5. The racetrack collator of claim 4 , wherein the first collator drive assembly further includes a first servomotor operable to turn the first drive shaft; and

wherein the second collator drive assembly further includes a second servomotor operable to turn the second drive shaft.

6. The racetrack collator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second endless drive elements each include a plurality of segments having a segment pitch therebetween.

7. The racetrack collator of claim 6 , wherein a divider pitch of the first and second plurality of dividers is independent of the segment pitch.

8. The racetrack collator of claim 6 , wherein the first and second endless drive elements are toothed drive belts.

9. The racetrack collator of claim 1 , wherein the collator frame includes a carriage guide maintaining the first and second collator carriages in the racetrack travel path during movement of the first and second endless drive elements.

10. The racetrack collator of claim 9 , wherein the carriage guide includes at least one removable segment for facilitating installation and removal of the first and second collator carriages.

11. The racetrack collator of claim 9 , wherein the carriage guide includes opposed side sections for engaging opposite sides of the first and second collator carriages.

12. The racetrack collator of claim 11 , wherein the first and second collator carriages each define guide slots along the opposite sides thereof, the guide slots being engaged by the opposed side sections of the carriage guide.

13. The racetrack collator of claim 12 ,

wherein the guide slots are collectively defined by opposite ends of the first and second pluralities of divider mounting bars.

14. A removable collator carriage for a racetrack collator, the removable collator carriage comprising:

a flexible substrate having opposed first and second surfaces extending between first and second ends and first and second sides;

a plurality of dividers extending away from the first surface perpendicular to the first and second sides; and

a plurality of divider mounting bars extending away from the second surface perpendicular to the first and second sides, each of the plurality of divider mounting bars being connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of dividers through the flexible substrate.

15. The removable collator carriage of claim 14 , wherein first and second side slots extending along the first and second sides are collectively defined by opposite ends of the plurality of divider mounting bars.

16. The removable collator carriage of claim 14 , wherein one of the plurality divider mounting bars and the corresponding one of the plurality of dividers adjacent the first end of the flexible substrate have at least one mounting hole defined extending therethrough for connection to an endless drive element of a racetrack collator.

17. A method of adjusting a racetrack collator, the method comprising:

removing a first collator carriage from an endless drive element of the racetrack collator, the first collator carriage including a first plurality of dividers in a first configuration respectively connected through a first flexible substrate to a corresponding plurality of divider mounting bars such that the first plurality of dividers are flexibly attached independently of the endless drive element; and

connecting a second collator carriage to the endless drive element in place of the first collator carriage, the second collator carriage having a second plurality of dividers in a second configuration respectively connected through a second flexible substrate to a corresponding plurality of divider mounting bars such that the second plurality of dividers are flexibly attached independently of the endless drive element.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first and second configurations differ in at least one of: a divider pitch; and a divider quantity.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the first collator carriage includes detaching a leading edge thereof from the endless drive element and removing a segment of a carriage guide from a collator frame; and

wherein connecting the second collator carriage includes attaching a leading edge thereof to the endless drive element and reinstalling the segment of the carriage guide.