Abstract: A singulation mechanism is provided for use in a handling system for mail or other substantially flat articles, the mechanism having a singulation head with a drive mechanism which, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, initially moves an article pressed thereagainst with high acceleration, interrupts the drive to the article for a brief instant and then moves the article again at high acceleration, a take-away mechanism removing the article exiting the head. In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, movement at a high acceleration is imparted to the article pressed against the singulation head only when the head is energized and substantially no movement in imparted when the head is not energized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for feeding a currency note into a currency processing machine. This note feeder includes a transporter for transporting notes from a note stack onto a processing belt inside the currency processing machine. The note feeder also includes a mediating transporter that takes the note from the transporter and feeds the note onto the processing belt. The note feeder also includes sensors for determining when the note has left a first feeding area and entered a second feeding area and a sensor that determines when the note has entered onto the processing belt. Based on information received from the sensors, the transporter starts and stops thus providing uniform spacing between notes.

Abstract: An arrangement for feeding documents piecemeal from a document bundle (9) comprises a banknote separator (200) which includes two mutually biased rollers (4,6) that are driven by a drive motor (1) that also drives a dispensing roller (3) which functions to dispense documents from the bundle. The rollers (4,6) of the roll pair are rotationally coupled together via a freewheeling hub. The second roller (6) does not rotate during dispensing of a document. Upon completion of a dispensing operation, the drive direction of the motor (1) is reversed, so as to bring the second roller (6) to a new angular position.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aligner apparatus which bottom edge aligns documents and separates documents and provides adequate gap between documents for subsequent processing. The an aligner apparatus includes first and second guide walls, forming an alley along the document feed path in which the documents are relieved of interdocument forces allowing bottom edge alignment of the documents with the document feed path. A trap assembly including first and second trap levers is lever mounted along the document feed path on a side of the guide wall and when actuated, cause opposing forces on one-another in order to grab the documents as they move along the feed path in the aligner apparatus so as to control the gap between the documents. It apparatus further provides an adequate gap between documents while reducing noise. Each trap lever has a head portion which is fitted with a resilient pad which is attached to the trap arm in a manner that forms a gap between the head and the pad.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an apparatus for doffing flat shipments at a controllable doffing speed that delivers the shipments at constant speed to driven conveyor belts. According to the invention, the speed at which the shipment to be doffed must be transported, from the time it reaches a first sensor for detecting the shipments until it reaches a corresponding second sensor in order to achieve a desired gap is ascertained. The first sensor is located at the position at which the shipments (1′) to be doffed have reached a fixed mean doffing speed, and the second sensor is located at the point of takeover by the conveyor belts.

Abstract: A feeding machine for feeding envelopes into a station for further individual handling. A stack of envelopes is held in a downwardly inclined feed channel. The stack of envelopes is transformed into a layered stream by an upward inclined discharge channel including a conveyor unit that carries a stream of envelopes through a gap formed by an imbricator strip and a low friction circulation belt. The layered stream is conveyed to a removal point where a removal device removes individual envelopes for further processing. The conveyance of the layered stream is controlled in such a manner that the removal device can remove individual envelopes at regular time intervals.

Abstract: A sheet feeder apparatus and method with throughput control. By varying the speed at which sheets are fed from a supply, the sheet feeder apparatus and method assures that the throughput capacity of a downstream operation is never exceeded. Speed is varied based upon the length of the sheets being fed. Furthermore, the sheet feeder apparatus can have worn components replaced quickly and by operators of minimal skill level.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aligner apparatus which bottom edge aligns documents and separates documents and provides adequate gap between documents for subsequent processing. The an aligner apparatus includes first and second guide walls, forming an alley along the document feed path in which the documents are relieved of interdocument forces allowing bottom edge alignment of the documents with the document feed path. A trap assembly including first and second trap levers is lever mounted along the document feed path on a side of the guide wall and when actuated, cause opposing forces on one-another in order to grab the documents as they move along the feed path in the aligner apparatus so as to control the gap between the documents. It apparatus further provides an adequate gap between documents while reducing noise. Each trap lever has a head portion which is fitted with a resilient pad which is attached to the trap arm in a manner that forms a gap between the head and the pad.

Abstract: The present invention is made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus which can monitor a sheet conveying condition even with small sheet interval, an image forming apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus, an image reading apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus, and a sheet processing apparatus having such a sheet conveying apparatus.

Abstract: Device for individually supplying flat products (P) to a processing station, including a feed attachment (2) having a wall (4) with substantially vertical orientation, against which the products are juxtaposed, and a system (16) for extracting the products to feed them one by one to the processing station.

Abstract: A paper detecting apparatus of an electrophotographic processor allows reduction of product cost by enabling total sensing of paper loading and paper transporting in a paper cassette with only one sensor. The paper detecting apparatus inter-actuates the second actuator for turning the switch on and off with the first actuator to which displacement is produced depending on paper loading in the paper cassette, and produces a displacement of the second actuator depending on the actuation of the first actuator. It also produces a displacement of the second actuator depending on the paper transport, and is thereby able to sense both the paper loading state within the paper cassette and the paper transport state within the picture processor according to the on/off state of the switch. Accordingly, both paper loading within the paper cassette and paper transporting within the electrophotographic processor can be sensed through the use of only one sensor. Therefore, product cost reduction may be achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivery of sheet media to a printer includes a chassis, a drive motor, a media tray with elevatable pressure plate, a plurality of pick rollers situated opposite movable pinch rollers that come into contact with the pick rollers to form a roller assembly therebetween when in an extended position. A movable separator forms a throat between one of the pick rollers and the leading edge of the separator when it is in an extended position. A common transmission is used to simultaneously position the pinch rollers, separator, and the pressure plate. The apparatus also includes a media retarder for preventing multiple sheets of media from advancing through the apparatus at the same time. The method includes delaying the rotation of the pick rollers until a stack of media has been raised to press against the pick rollers, and the pinch rollers and separator are in an extended position.

Abstract: Sheet feed apparatus for supplying sheets such as banknotes from a store (1) to a sheet transport system. The apparatus comprises a feed system (4) for withdrawing sheets from the store (1). A separator system (12) is provided to which sheets are fed by the feed system (1), the separator system being adapted to feed sheets singly to the sheet transport system (22, 23). A controller (29) controls operation of the feed and separator systems (1, 12) independently.

Abstract: A printer for printing an image on a paper paid out by a pick-up roller and separated from the other papers by a separating device includes a kind-of-paper setting device for allowing the operator of the printer to select and input the kind of papers to be used. A controller automatically selects, among transport conditions stored beforehand in correspondence to the kinds of papers, optimal transport conditions matching with the kind of papers input by the operator in response to a signal received from the kind-of-paper setting device. The operator should only select and input the kind of papers while watching an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) provided on an operation panel. The printer obviates troubles relating to the transport of papers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a carrier portion, a suction belt, a servo motor, a blower, a solenoid valve, a pressure sensor, a position sensor, a belt hole sensor, and a controller. The carrier portion feeds a plurality of sheets of different sizes in a direction of their thickness in an upright state. The suction belt has a belt hole for drawing each sheet fed from the carrier portion by suction, so as to feed out each sheet drawn by suction with the belt hole. The servo motor drives the suction belt. The blower generates a pressure for drawing the sheet by suction in the belt hole. The solenoid valve enables/disconnects supply of the negative pressure from the blower to the belt hole. The pressure sensor measures a pressure in the belt hole. The position sensor detects the sheet fed out by the suction belt. The belt hole sensor detects the belt hole after the sheet is fed out.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for optimizing a production output of a processing device for processing flat articles, the processing device including at least one processing arrangement for receiving and processing the flat articles and which has function parameters controllable through actuators. Actual values of the function parameters are detected. Deviations of the actual values of the function parameters from set values are thereafter evaluated according to an empirically determined algorithm. A correction value for at least one of the actuators is calculated based on results of the above evaluation, and the actuator is operated based on the correction value for controlling the function parameters.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of controlling a device for removing flat items of post as a function of the spacing of the item of post to be removed from an item of post already removed, the actual spacing between the item to be removed and the removed item being determined, and the item to be removed being removed as soon as the actual spacing corresponds to a nominal spacing. According to the invention in order to reduce the difference between average gaps between the items of post and minimum gaps, the item of post to be removed is first accelerated to an intermediate speed value which is slower than a predetermined final speed. As soon as the actual spacing equals the nominal spacing, the item of post is accelerated to the final speed.