Abstract: A hopper for receiving documents and stacking documents flat wherein the documents are fed on edge along a document feeding track which terminates tangentially to a vertical back plate of the hopper includes a first guide means which moves the upper edge of a document, which enters the hopper parallel to the plate, away from the plate, and a second guide means for guiding the lower edge of the document while holding it on the same course until the document reaches a position where it drops into the hopper by tilting about its lower edge. The hopper includes a tilting ramp which is attached to the vertical back plate at a level substantially lower than that of the upper edge of a document entering the hopper. The ramp moves the upper edge of the document away from the plate as the document is introduced into the hopper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing documents having both pre-printed information adapted to be identified by an automatic recognition device and handwritten information adapted to be identified by the human eye. Each document is subjected to an operation involving the reading of the information contained thereon in two recurrent operating phases and an operation involving the recording of fresh data thereon. In the first phase, the pre-printed information is read by an automatic recognition device. During the second phase, the handwritten information is read visually and transcribed by an encoding device. Simultaneously therewith, fresh data is recorded on another document which was subjected to a reading operation in the course of the two next preceding operating phases.