Abstract: A semishell-shaped gripper apparatus for sheet-fed printing machines includes a gripper of low mass, which is fastened without play on the gripper shaft and minimizes the sliding of the gripper tip on the printing carrier. This is achieved by having the gripper finger surround the gripper shaft in such a way that separate effective engagement surfaces are formed. The effective engagement surfaces are disposed on the gripper shaft with frictional engagement and, in conjunction with the resultant force, form a triangle of forces. The gripper holder has a depression running parallel to the gripper shaft connecting to the lower edge of a web on the gripper finger in a releasably positive-locking manner. The gripper tip has a raised holding surface which has tapering radii on its periphery.

Abstract: A document conveying apparatus for a document processor has a pair of width restriction members for correctly positioning documents to be processed. The width restriction members are movable in the width direction of the document processor. First and second rack-and-pinion mechanisms are spaced apart in the document conveying direction and are interlocked so that the racks of both mechanisms move together in a synchronized manner. Each width restriction member is coupled to two of the racks that move in the same direction.

Abstract: A folder apparatus is disclosed which has at least one lead-in tape mechanism having a left lead-in tape and left exit roller and a corresponding right lead-in tape and right exit roller, the right and left lead-in tapes forming a signature passage for delivery of a signature, and the left exit rollers being at a different height than the right exit rollers. A signature aiming device controls the direction of the signature path by moving one or both sets of exit rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and a dependable deceleration of folded products, e.g. before being fed to a second longitudinal fold, including two groups of belts, each of which contains upper and lower belts, supplemented by a further belt group containing only upper belts. These belts of the further belt group are guided parallel to the lower belts of the first belt group at a distance which is greater than the product thickness.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a paper-feed control apparatus for a printer that reduces the frequency of paper-feed failures by automatically performing a clearing operation if a malfunction should occur in the supply of paper. Paper stacked in a paper tray 1 is separated one sheet at a time by separator tabs 5, and then is sent in a conveyor direction by the rotation of a feed roller 3. If the paper should jam partway during this separation and conveyor process, a paper-feed motor that drives the feed roller 3 is driven intermittently. This intermittent operation produces a large paper conveyor force from repeated generation of a large frictional force between the roller and the paper, and thus the frequency of paper-feed failures is reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a paper feeding apparatus for a printer wherein a paper feed roller can be driven to rotate with a high degree of accuracy to achieve feeding of a paper sheet with a very high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: A plurality of bottle release stations are arranged proximate to the path of movement of a plurality of bottle gripper heads. The gripper heads have grippers which can be switched from a gripping mode to a release mode. Containers of unsorted bottles are conveyed to a pick up station on an infeed conveyor where one of the gripper heads is guided to direct its grippers to the mouths of bottles at which time the grippers are switched to the gripping mode. All of the unsorted bottles in the container are carried to a first release station on an infeed conveyor where bottles having a certain characteristic such as the same color are released by switching the grippers to the release mode. The gripper head, in a continuous motion, then moves to another release station where, by means of a control system, bottles having another characteristic, such as a different color are released.

Abstract: In the field of sheet handling apparatus such as a mail processing machine, it is known to provide infeed apparatus which allows for both the manual and automatic feeding of inserts for processing.The disclosure relates to such infeed apparatus (10) including sensor means (32,33) for detecting (i) whether more than one insert has been fed automatically from one insert tray (13); or (ii) whether an insert has been fed manually from another insert tray (14). In the former case, the apparatus is arranged to signal a fault to an operator; in the latter case operation of the apparatus is automatically continued on sensing of a correctly fed, manually fed insert.

Abstract: A recording paper sorting and discharging device designed to improve the construction of copiers, printers, or the like, in sorting, separating and discharging paper in which the ends of one side of a pair of paper discharging roller shafts are shifted in a direction essentially parallel to a recording paper discharging direction while the other ends of the shafts remain stationary. The device includes a paper discharge section for discharging a recording paper in a direction essentially orthogonal to the discharge section or at an angle with respect to the discharge section, and a paper discharging tray for receiving the recording paper discharged from the discharged section. The paper discharging tray includes a first edge portion over which a section of the recording paper discharged in the orthogonal direction is projected and a second edge portion over which a section of a recording paper discharged at an angle with respect to the orthogonal discharge direction is projected.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for a sheet-fed printing machine having a cylinder with a gripper system, movable suction conveyors for separating individual sheets from a sheet pile, the suction conveyors being disposed adjacent one another in a sheet-conveying direction, and groups of revolving adjustable conveying elements for aligning the sheets on a drive side and on an operating side of the printing machine in association with the suction conveyors and cooperating therewith for feeding the sheets to the gripper system of the cylinder of the printing machine, includes a drive system for driving the groups of conveying elements independently of one another and with varied speed so as to align the sheets on both of the sides of the printing machine, and a device disposed at locations of the revolving conveying elements for querying the sheet edges and for generating, in accordance with a response to a respective query, an electric pulse for controlling the drive system; and a method of separating and aligning the sheets in

Abstract: Finished envelopes are conveyed in a feed line of an envelope forming machine aligned in spaced apart relation to a spiral delivery mechanism that transfers the envelopes on edge to the surface of a delivery table. A conveyor on the delivery table sequentially advances the envelopes in a stacked relation from a receiving end portion to a discharge end portion where a predetermined quantity of stacked envelopes are periodically removed from the table as envelopes are added to the stack at the receiving end portion of the table. The envelopes are maintained in a compact stack by a stop member which is normally biased toward the receiving end portion of the table by an actuator mechanism. The stop member exerts pressure on the stack as it advances upon the addition of envelopes from the receiving end portion to the discharge end portion.

Abstract: The device (11) conveys the sheets (14) output from a laser printer (10) for deposition on a stack (12). For matching to the growing height of the stack (12), at least one conveying roller (28) defining an outlet (37) is arranged on a height-adjustable carriage (21). A feeler lever (26) senses the respective height of the stack (12) and effects an automatic tracking of the carriage (21). By means of the device (11), the achievable stack height can be multiplied with respect to the standard height.

Abstract: A document conveying apparatus has a document pushing-down/adjusting mechanism disposed at an upper position on the downstream side of a document discharge port. The document pushing-down/adjusting mechanism acts on the rear end of the document on delivery after its rear end is substantially liberated from being nipped by a pair of document discharge rollers, forcibly pushes the rear end of the document down toward the upstream end position on the document-placing plate means, and holds the document for the document-placing plate means for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: Double pick separator device comprising means for retaining a flat object which might otherwise be entrained by friction by another flat object being moved in a predetermined transfer direction by transfer means.The retaining means are mounted on a structure mobile in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transfer direction. The separator device further comprises means for exerting a holding force on the retaining means, said holding force being oriented in a holding direction substantially perpendicular to the transfer direction.Application to automatic mail sorting, especially to sorting mail items of varying thickness.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically magnetizing pieces cut to have an optional shape and size and sorting magnets magnetized in terms of quality. For the sorting, the apparatus includes a testing station for applying an external magnetic field in the form of pulses or the like to each magnet, sensing a variation in characteristic of the magnet caused by the applied magnetic field, and performing a measurement, an analysis and an evaluation for the characteristic of the magnet. The apparatus also includes a feeding station for separating one from magnets stacked in a supplying station and feeding it to the testing station, and a sorting station for sorting the tested magnet as a good one or as a bad one, based on the test result obtained in the testing station and putting it in a container.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine of the type in which a leading edge and a trailing edge of a moving sheet are detected. The improvement includes an elongated light source that is of a length greater than that of an irregularity on the moving sheet. The elongated light source extends in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of the moving sheet. A plurality of sensors are arranged in an array and are movably mounted on a support which is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the elongated light source. The elongated light source is movably mounted to another support, so as to position the light source relative to the array of sensors. A lens, interposed between the light source and the sensor array focuses light rays emitted from the light source on to the sensors. The sensors are in a receiving relationship with the light source. The elongated light source and the array of sensors define a passageway through which the moving sheet passes.

Abstract: A sheet guiding device guides sheets which are to be fed out to a device for processing the sheets. The sheet guiding device includes a sheet loading unit on which the sheets are loaded, a pair of restriction members for contacting a side edge of the sheets loaded on the sheet loading unit to restrict a position of the sheets, and a support unit for supporting the restriction members such that the restriction members are movable obliquely relative to a direction in which the sheets are fed.

Abstract: A vending machine for selling card-like articles having a coin insert located off-center in the front of the vending machine and a handle for advancing card-like article for output. An output maybe provided on the front side of the vending machine. A display panel is provided for showing a display having a depiction or description of the card-like article. Optionally a ceiling cover may be provide which can be slid back for removal and insertion of the display in the vending machine.

Abstract: A sheet feed device for image forming equipment and capable of feeding sheets one by one from a stack by separating them. The device has a flat plate including a dielectric portion which is capable of making surface-to-surface content with the top of the stack, a means for moving the plate in a reciprocating motion, a means for moving the plate into and out of contact with the stack, and a means for applying a voltage to the plate to cause it to exert an electrostatic adhering force.

Abstract: A modular dual function sheet feeder/separator system for an electronic document imaging and printing system with an electronic document imaging station, a printing engine, an externally exposed sheet stacking tray, a sheet feeder/separator for separating and feeding documents from the sheet stacking tray, and at least two selectably different sheet feeding paths for the sheets stacked in the sheet stacking tray after they are separated and initially fed, the two sheet feeding paths being a first sheet path for feeding documents to the electronic document imaging station to be electronically imaged in a first operating mode and a second sheet path for feeding sheets to the printing engine in a second operating mode, and a sheet path selector for selecting between the first and second sheet paths in response to selecting between the first and second operating modes, wherein in the first operating mode the sheet stacking tray contains documents to be electronically imaged and the documents are fed through the f