MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR SEPARATING SIGNATURES

Mixed book signatures are fed into a machine which transports them one after the other past a camera where an image of each is captured. Each captured image is directed to an electronic computer which has stored within its memory images of limited areas of interest from selected signatures, as well as the location of each limited area within the overall signatures. As to each captured image, the computer compares the stored image with it, attempting to match each stored image with that location in the captured image corresponding to the location for the stored image. If the captured image identifies with a stored image, a controller activates a reject device along the conveyor, and that device diverts the identified signature from the conveyor. A separate reject device exists for each stored image, so like signatures are diverted and isolated at the same locations along the conveyor.