Abstract: The device includes a magazine for storing divider films to separate sheets output by an office machine and deposited directly in stacks, wherein the divider films are placed between discrete groups of associated sheets. In order to be able to associate the sheet groups separated by the divider films with particular users of the office machine, different types of divider films, for example differently colored divider films, are used. The different types of divider films are identified by an automatically detectable identifying code and are deposited onto the sheet stack according to this identifying code.

Abstract: To separate sheet-type recording media of different stiffnesses from a stack, a separating roller acts by friction on the current first sheet of the stack, in order to push it against a ramp and lift it up from the stack along this ramp. The separating roller is mounted in freely movable manner in a plane parallel to the plane of the stack, so that, as a function of the stiffness of the recording medium, it rolls over the stack and away from the ramp until the front edge of the sheet is able to bend sufficiently at the ramp to be separated. Thereby the separating roller adjusts automatically to the distance from the ramp that is optimum for the stiffness of the current recording media.

Abstract: In a hydraulic telescopic damper with a cylinder (10) and a piston (12) which has a check valve (O-ring 18) and a narrow opening (22), a valve member (30) is mounted on the side of piston (12) away from the pressure side. Valve member (30) is urged by the force of a spring (36) in a locking position of piston (12) and keeps opening (22) closed. The telescopic damper thereby locks automatically. Exerting an additional manual force on the piston rod can release the self-locking action once more.

Abstract: A sheet-feeding device for feeding individual sheets to the platen of an office machine is supported on top of the office machine by means of a contact section or sections engaging the shaft of the platen. The lower extremity of the contact section is laterally displaced from the plane of the sidewall of the sheet-feeding device to facilitate the adaptation of the sheet-feeding device to different widths of office machines.

Abstract: In a device for feeding individual sheets to an office machine, in which a stack of sheets stored in a magazine is pressed by a pressure plate (22) against a separating device (20), a switch (30) which is actuated by a lever is provided on the rear of the pressure plate (22). The lever extends through the pressure plate (22) with one arm (36) in order to determine the presence of paper sheets in the magazine. The other arm (38) is actuated by a stop when the pressure plate (22) is moved away from the separating device (20). This causes the switch (30) to indicate whether the device is ready for operation.