Abstract: Document feeding apparatus advances the leading document in a stack of documents against a moveable feed element which moves at a predetermined, load sensitive speed. The torque applied to the leading document by the feed element is maintained at a substantially constant level by sensing the speed of the moveable feed element and electronically controlling the pressure applied by the stack of documents against the moveable feed element in order to maintain the torque applied by the moveable feed element to the leading document of the stack at a substantially constant value.

Abstract: In a combination document feed system and intelligent document separation system, including a document removal assembly associated with the document feed system for removing documents one at a time from a stack of documents disposed in the document feed system and feeding each document into the document transport system: comprising a document removal assembly for providing a contact surface between the document removal assembly and a lead document in the stack of documents, the contact surface adapted to alternately contact the lead document and advance the lead document from the document feed system to the document separation system. A document advancing apparatus is adapted to advance a single document properly removed from the stack of documents, to halt the movement of one of two documents improperly removed from the stack of documents, and to reverse the direction of movement of additional documents improperly removed from the stack of documents.

Abstract: An improved printing apparatus for printing pre-selected indicia on an envelope or other documents to be placed on a transport raceway of an insertion machine.

Abstract: A device for feeding envelopes from a hopper to an envelope reading station upon demand. A pair of drive rollers are mounted on a first drive shaft by means of a one-way clutch which allows the rollers to rotate only in a feeding direction. Mounted below the drive rollers are a pair of driven rollers which have a brake applying a force to them counter to the feeding direction. The braking force minimizes the possibility of feeding two documents at the same time. A second substantially identical set of rollers are mounted downstream of the first set of rollers. Upon demand envelopes are fed through the feeder and retained in the nip of the second set of rollers with a portion of the envelope extending into an envelope reading area. An operator reads address indicia from the envelope and keys it into envelope processing apparatus.

Abstract: A device for feeding envelopes from a hopper to an envelope processing station. Driving and driven rollers feed the envelopes one at a time from the hopper. The rollers define a nip through which the envelopes are fed. A unique "U" shaped spring forces the driven roller to contact the driving roller causing the driven roller to oscillate when no envelopes are fed. The oscillation helps envelope feeding by pulling and separating the lead envelope from the stack.