Abstract: A paper feeder for an image duplicating machine such as a copying machine or the like is provided with a handle for carrying the image duplicating machine pivotally attached to the outer surface of the machine body to be raised, a paper holding mechanism for holding the paper for image duplicating set within the paper feeding portion, and a communicating mechanism for actuating the paper holding mechanism in cooperation with the raising operation of the handle.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for handling envelopes and the like in which a flexible retard pad projects into the feeder discharge opening, the upper part of the pad being unsupported with the lower part supported in an inclined position so that on feeding movement of an envelope from the tray, the leading edge of the topmost envelope strikes the unsupported part of the pad to deflect the pad out of the way while the leading edges of other envelopes in the tray that are carried forward by feeding of the topmost envelope engage the supported part of the retard pad and are prevented by the pad from being fed.

Abstract: A device for sequentially introducing sheets placed in a stack into the nips of a pair of introduction rollers comprising at least one linear member having ends secured to a control pulley or roller and passing around a return pulley or roller which is adjacent the nips of the introduction rollers. A plurality of cams mounted on rotating shafts for engaging a run of the linear member to shift it from a retracted position to a position for engaging a bottom sheet in a stack disposed above the linear member, a vacuum chamber disposed along each linear member for holding the sheet on the members as they engage the sheet and carry it toward the nips.

Abstract: In a sheet stacking system, especially for a printer or copier set complier, in which sheets are sequentially fed for stacking into a stacking tray to a stacking registration wall position, a sheet stacking assistance and control system is provided by partially supporting and rotating an endless weighted chain-like lose element member, e.g., a metal bead chain, from above the stacking tray, preferably by two spaced and commonly driven pulleys, so that a first chain portion continuously moves downwardly towards the stacking tray in the path of said sheets being fed in the stacking tray to help pull them down, and then the chain flexes so that a substantial second chain portion continuously lies on the top sheet being stacked and continuously drags it towards the registration position, and then desirably an immediately following third chain section is pulled through the registration wall and sharply arcuately dropped there below the stack top level to continuously drag down the sheet edges there.

Abstract: A stack of documents to be supplied to a processing device rest on at least one pull wheel for pulling the documents towards the processing device. A pushing element exerts a constant and uniform force which pushes the stack of documents against the pull wheel. The pull wheel pulls the documents towards a guide. The guide, which is configured such that only one document is permitted to pass through to the processing device, includes a first roller with three toric projections mounted thereon on one side of the guide and a pair of rollers with two toric projections mounted therebetween on the other side of the guide. As the direction of the rollers on opposite sides of the guide rotate in different directions and as the force of rotation of the single first roller is greater than the force of rotation of the two second rollers, the toric projections mounted on opposite sides of the guide will only permit documents to pass therebetween one at a time.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism for feeding sheets one at a time, comprising a hopper loaded with a stack of sheets, a feed roller disposed near the outlet of the hopper, and a resilient tongue held in resilient contact with the central section of the feed roller. The central section of the feed roller is provided with an alternate circumferential arrangement of low friction portions and high friction portions. The friction coefficients between the sheet and the low friction portions is smaller than that between the sheet and the tongue, and the friction coefficient between the sheet and the high friction portions is greater than that between the sheet and the tongue.

Abstract: A dispenser for sequentially dispensing one sheet at a time from a stack of sheets. A housing encloses a drive and a lift roller, and each roller has a longitudinal axis arranged in parallel aligned relationship respective to one another and spaced from the one another an amount to bring the outer peripheral surfaces thereof into rolling contact with one another. A holding post is aligned in parallel relationship with respect to the rollers and is spaced therefrom for enabling a stack of sheets to be held against the holding post and lift roller, with one outermost sheet having a marginal edge portion thereof urged against the lift roller and the opposed marginal edge portion thereof is urged against the holding post. The outer peripheral surface of the drive roller is made of high friction material while the lift roller has a relatively small segment of its outer peripheral surface made of high friction material and the remainder of the peripheral surface made of low friction material.

Abstract: A transport device for multiple layered web material consists of a transport roll and a pressure roll between which the web material passes. The pressure roll is in the form of a hollow prism mounted with play on a supporting shaft. The interior of the prism has rounded corners with a radius of curvature matching that of the shaft. During rotation of the pressure roll, the transport roll translates with the web material during some portions of its movement and rotates relative to the shaft during other portions of its movement.

Abstract: A paper let-out apparatus is provided which includes a paper accommodating section for holding paper, such as bills, on a bottom plate such that the paper is inclined slightly from vertically standing state. The apparatus includes a fixed receivng plate and a pushing member for urging accommodated paper toward the receiving plate. The receiving plate is formed with a window, and a let-out roller is provided outside the paper accommodating section so that the roller faces the window. A friction member is provided to the let-out roller at a portion of the periphery thereof such that the friction member projects outwardly radially beyond the periphery thereof. As the let-out roller is driven to rotate, the friction member enters the paper accommodating section through the window to be in contact with the endmost or first paper sheet thereby letting out the same due to frictional force.

Abstract: The front feeder for a high speed machine for handling mixed mail, including a nudger drive assembly for advancing the mail pieces while maintaining registration, and for fluffing a stack of mail contributing to preshingling of the mail as it is advanced downstream, angled decks and a back prop for a guideless hopper region, a tamper subsystem for maintaining registration of flapped envelopes, and structure configured to guide open envelope flaps along a slot for downstream sealing purposes.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for use in a photocopier or the like in which sheets can be fed automatically from a cassette or manually from a manual-insertion tray to a pair of conveying rollers without interference and using a simple structure. Sheets are fed from the cassette to the conveying rollers with a semicircular roller, the latter having a flat surface which is directed downward at the completion of each sheet feeding operation. The manual insertion tray guides the manually inserted sheets along a path below the semicircular roller. A sensor detects when a sheet has been manually inserted, in which case rotation of the semicircular roller is inhibited.

Abstract: A mechanism for preventing the feeding of more than one sheet of paper at one time comprising a document feeder having a pair of parallel shafts, one of which is a paper-supply roller shaft supporting a plurality of paper-supply rollers, and the other of which is a separation roller shaft supporting a plurality of separation rollers, wherein the distance between the shafts is slightly less than the sum of the radii of these paper-supply rollers and separation rollers, and said paper-supply rollers and said separation rollers are arranged in a zigzag manner, the outer surface of each of said paper-supply rollers being composed of a large frictional section producing much friction between the paper-supply roller and the paper and a small frictional section producing little friction between the paper-supply roller and the paper.

Abstract: On a transport path starting from a bankbook outlet from which a customer picks up a bankbook and extending into the inside of the bankbook issuing apparatus, a plurality of store units are disposed one after another. Bankbooks of several different types are stacked in the store units each reserving those of a same type. Upon request from a customer or a host computer, one of the store units in which requested bankbooks are stacked is selected. A bankbook at the lowest position in the selected store unit is then drawn therefrom to be transported on the transport path back to the bankbook outlet and to the customer.

Abstract: An automatic feed device for postal franking machines includes a feed tray, a device for transporting mail on the feed tray and a drive of the transporting device. A separating head in the form of a structural unit includes brake levers separating mail and pressure rollers, holding-down devices and a manual actuating lever transporting mail. Guide shafts support the separating head during displacement of the separating head into a housing from an operating position outside the housing. A detent shaft and a slide lock the separating head in the operating position. A microswitch coupled with the slide controls the drive of the transporting device.

Abstract: Mail inserting and collating apparatus includes an envelope conveyor for continuously conveying envelopes along a first path; a plurality of envelope carriers mounted on the envelope conveyor and movable therewith, for holding the envelopes; an insert conveyor for continuously conveying a plurality of inserts along a second path, at least a portion of the second path running substantially parallel and adjacent to the first path; a plurality of pockets mounted on the insert conveyor and movable therewith, for holding the inserts; a rotatable kicker roller for removing a lowermost insert from a stack of inserts and moving the lowermost insert toward a pocket adjacent the stack, the kicker roller having an arcuate rubber projecting surface from engaging the lowermost insert from the stack during rotation of the kicker roller and a vacuum port extending through the kicker roller and terminating in the projecting surface; a drive for intermittently rotating the kicker roller; a vacuum supply for supplying a vacuum

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus having a manual paper feed function, wherein a passage for a manually inserted paper is formed below paper feed rollers, a leading end regulating member is disposed downstream of the passage for regulating the leading end of the manually inserted paper, and the regulating member is energized by an energizing member associated with the operation of the paper feed rollers before the paper feed. The paper feed rollers are formed into a semicircular shape and the energizing member is a semicircular cam fixed on the shaft of the paper feed rollers and inverted from the paper feed rollers.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus supplies sheets one by one from a paper cassette to a transfer portion defined between a photosensitive body and a transfer charger in a housing. The sheet is picked up by rotation of a pair of feed rollers. The picked-up sheet is aligned by register rollers. The feed rollers are driven in synchronism with the operation of the register rollers.

Abstract: The leading ends of sheets in a storage container are brought into abutment against arcuate portions of stopper rollers by an abutment roller to orient the sheets properly with respect to the first direction, i.e, to correct the sheets out of a skewed condition Then, the sheets are fed between a feed roller and a separator roller to arrow the separator roller to separate the uppermost sheet from the other sheets. Thereafter the other sheets are fed back into the storage container by reverse rollers.

Abstract: A paper feeding cassette setting arrangement which is so arranged that the action point of a pushing arm is pulled by a spring so as to push up a paper tray only when the paper feeding cassette is set in the copying apparatus. The operator has only to push in the paper feeding cassette when the cassette is desired to be set in the copying apparatus, and also the operator has only to pull out the paper feeding cassette when the cassette is desired to be taken out of the copying apparatus since the cassette has been already pulled out to some extent, with the lock thereof being released. A pushing arm may rotate orthogonal to the paper feeding direction.

Abstract: A conveyor for removing stock items from the bottom of a stack comprising an intermittently operable roller member having conveying and lifting portions movable in an orbit, the conveying portions being operative during their operative periods to drag against the lowermost item of the stack seated thereon and enter one end of the item into a metering device which is operative during the same intervals to enter the leading end of each article into a pair of pullout rollers, the roller member cycling to dispose the lifting portions in lifting positions to the stack and providing smooth surfaced areas releasing the partially withdrawn items from under the stack during this interval.

Abstract: A paper supplying device including first feed rollers eccentrically mounted on a horizontal rotational shaft, having convex feed surfaces whereby the feed rollers are capable of coming in contact with a first surface of a paper to fed, pressure rollers disposed as to face the feed surfaces of the feed rollers, for urging the paper toward the feed rollers while contacting the other surface of the paper, a separating plate arranged at the downstream side of the first feed rollers with respect to a feeding direction of the paper, for interrupting the movement of remaining sheets of paper other than the paper in contact with the convex feed surfaces of the first feed rollers, second feed rollers arranged at the downstream side of the first feed rollers with respect to the feeding direction of the paper, for feeding the paper in contact with the feed surfaces, according to an angular displacement of the first feed rollers and a transport arranged at a downstream side of the second feed rollers with respect to the

Abstract: A rotatable feed wheel for use in a sheet shingling apparatus having fixed, relatively round protrusions spaced about its outer surface which contact and shingle sheets of paper. The rotatable feed wheel is unitarily constructed and its surface which contacts the sheets of paper is made of a material which produces a lower coefficient of friction between the wheel protrusions and the outermost sheet being shingled than the coefficient of friction between the outermost sheet of paper and its adjacent sheet in the stack.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus supplies sheets one by one from a paper cassette to a sheet feed portion defined between a photosensitive body and a transfer charger in a housing. The sheet is picked up by rotation of a pair of feed rollers. The picked-up sheet is aligned by register rollers. The feed rollers are then driven in synchronism with the operation of the register rollers.

Abstract: In a paper feeding and ejecting device for a printing apparatus, a sheet of paper is fed by a paper feeding roller from the top of a stack of paper sheets in a magazine through a feeding guide to a gripping assembly on the peripheral surface of a platen which is rotated in one direction during printing and in the opposite direction during ejecting of a printed sheet through an ejecting guide to ejecting rollers. The feeding roller and the ejecting rollers are driven by a single reversible drive motor at suitable times during the operating cycle. The feeding guide and the ejecting guide are separated from each other at the platen so that the feeding of a sheet to the platen will not interfere with the ejecting of a printed sheet. At the completion of each operating cycle, the feeding roller is accurately located at a standby position without requiring the use of a control sensor therefor.

Abstract: A sheet dispenser for selectively dispensing predetermined numbers of paper currency of different denominations and having plural stations each receiving a stack of bills. The dispenser includes a feed roller with a pair of flanges. The high friction surface portion of the feed roller flanges engage a bottom sheet and feed it between the feed roller and a stripper shoe to assure single sheet feeding. Elongated acceleration pinch wheels each form a nip with the belt for accelerating a sheet entering the nip. A curved resilient guide cooperates with each feed roller to guide sheets toward its associated nip. The sheets pass along the acceleration belt to an outfeed stacker including a stacker wheel. Sensors detect the entry of a sheet into each acceleration nip and control positioning of the feed roller. Notches in the flanges of each feed roller assure movement of the leading edge of the sheet into the feed nip. Each feed roller rotates one revolution for each sheet to be dispensed.

Abstract: A method and device fills sheet-like blanks, such as folded box blanks, into a container on the edge of the blanks to form a stack or row therein. The method and device utilizes a feed unit for removing blanks from a flow of shingled blanks one at a time and inserting them into a conveyor which transports them to a filling unit that inserts them one at a time on edge in a row or stack in the container. The device includes a control arrangement including various sensors, one for determining the presence of blank at the filling unit, one for detecting of the position of a surface on which the blanks are being placed and one for determining a position of a side wall of the container.

Abstract: This invention relates to a apparatus for separating and feeding sheets such as sheets of paper comprising an accommodation box for accommodating the sheets of paper stacked by their own weight, a pick-up roller provided so that the upper surface thereof projects into the interior of the box to bear the weight of the stacked sheets of paper, a separation arrangement comprising a frictional roller and the feed roller and provided so as to face an ejection port of the accommodation box from which sheets are sent out to the separation arrangement, and a support arrangement disposed on the side opposite to the ejection port supports the end, opposite to the ejection port, of the sheets of paper, and for allowing the lowermost sheet end to be free of the weight of the sheet thereabove when the lowermost sheet is moved to the ejection port side so that frictional resistance of the lowermost sheet is reduced greatly and the pick-up roller can surely pick up and convey the sheet one by one from the lower side of the

Abstract: An attachable feed and delivery system for envelopes in a high speed, batch printer (14) environment is described. Included is a hopper (10) having input (30) and output sections (32) separated from each other by a spring loaded bail (34). The transport path to and from the print station includes a picker/separator (90) located adjacent to the input section of the hopper. Fresh envelopes are urged toward the pick area by the spring loaded bail (34). Endless belts (56) passing through the base (50) of the hopper (10) assist in urging printed envelopes into the output area (32).

Abstract: There is disclosed an envelope hopper for attachment to a printer requiring envelopes. Spring members provided with adjustable throats for permitting passage of a single envelope are biased downward against the upward force of the supply stack for compensating for changes in relative position of the uppermost envelope and the throats during separation from the stack.

Abstract: An envelope feeding apparatus, including a hopper having a support deck and a pair of vertical sides extending upwardly from the support deck, the support deck being oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, a separator roller and a separator stone situated at the lower end of the hopper for feeding envelopes seriatim from the hopper, a center ramp located upstream of the separator roller and the separator stone, the center ramp extending only a small portion of the distance between the vertical sides of the hopper, a center feed roller located above the downstream portion of the center ramp and proximate the separator stone, whereby the lower corners of the envelopes are raised off the support deck when the envelopes are translated along the center ramp and under the feed roller, thereby allowing the envelopes to approach the separator roller and the separator stone unskewed.

Abstract: A bank note processing machine has at least one cassette in which feed rollers and a gate gap is provided to enable conveying of bank notes. When the cassette is placed outside the machine, the feed rollers are locked. When the cassette is loaded in the main body of the machine, the lock is released. The feed rollers provided in the cassette 2 are driven by one driving system while first and second bank note conveying system in the cassette and the main body are driven by the other driving system.

Abstract: A sheet transfer apparatus is for a sheet counting apparatus in which paper sheets stored in a hopper in a stacked state are fed by a payout roll from the hopper to a stacker at the downstream side of the payout roll. A guide assembly is disposed opposite to the periphery of the payout roll and is adapted to separately guide the paper sheets from the hopper toward the stacker in cooperation with the payout roll. According to the invention, the guide assembly, which has a frame member carrying a separating roll, a pinch roll and a guide plate, is pivotally mounted so as to be movable between a closed position in which it is close to the periphery of the feed-out roll and an opened position in which it is farther away from such roll. The position of the frame member is controlled by a pivotable opening/closing device engageable with the frame member for selectively holding the frame member in the closed position or the opened position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying machine comprises a copy paper feeding device for serving for an automatic paper feeding mode and a manual paper feeding mode. The automatic paper feeding mode is such that a great number of papers as stored in the device are automatically inserted into the copying machine. The manual paper feeding mode is such that a manually inserted paper different from the papers stored in the device is inserted into the copying machine. A cover of the device is slided for selecting either the automatic paper feeding mode or the manual paper feeding mode. Responsive to the slide position of the cover, a stopper is seesawed for opening or closing an opening through which the manually inserted paper is to be transported.

Abstract: Apparatus for counting the number of paper sheets has a pair of feed-out, or delivery, auxiliary rolls rotatably mounted at the bottom of a hopper for advancing paper sheets stacked in the hopper towards a payout rolls mounted adjacent the hopper outlet. Each auxiliary delivery roll has a frictional surface forming a portion of the roll periphery and a relatively slippery surface forming the remainder of the roll periphery. The frictional surface has a recessed peripheral zone, all points of which are spaced from the center of the roll by a distance less than that by which the periphery of a slippery surface, forming the remaining portion of the roll periphery, is spaced from the center of the roll. The paper sheets stacked in the hopper are moved vertically by the auxiliary rolls and advanced towards the payout roll with a larger force of friction by being contacted over a wider area by the frictional surface.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus permits a choice between an automatic feed mode in which sheets disposed in a stack on a sheet receiving table can be sequentially separated and fed one by one from the bottom of the stack, and a manual feed mode in which a single sheet is manually fed. The sheet separation from the stack occurs by utilizing a separating roller which rotates in a direction in which the sheet is fed, and brake device which is disposed in abutment against the separating roller. The manual feed mode is enabled when the brake device is moved away from the separating roller.

Abstract: In apparatus for counting the number of the paper sheets in which paper sheets are fed-out from the inside of the hopper by a feed-out roll assembly and are extracted from the feed-out roll assembly by extracting rolls operating at a speed faster than the speed of the feed-out assembly, the feed-out roll assembly comprises a pair of first payout rolls having a frictional surface and a slippery surface on their peripheries and a second payout roll intermediate the first payout rolls which has a frictional surface on its entire periphery. The rolls are mounted on a driving shaft, and at least the second payout roll is connected to the driving shaft through an overrunning clutch. When the trailing end of the paper sheet being removed from the hopper is in contact with the slippery surfaces of the first payout rolls, the sheet is extracted by the extracting rolls at a constant speed equal to the speed of the extracting rolls and thus, without being affected by the peripheral speed of the feed-out roll assembly.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a stalled roll sheet feeding device is illustrated. It comprises a registration roll and a feed roll driven in timed sequence each with a control collar comprising a clutch to engage and disengage the respective shaft and each collar having control stops positioned to interact with a control arm pivotally mounted between them which with a solenoid actuator selectively pulls one end of the control arm down releasing the other and, when the solenoid is deenergized a spring positively retracts the control arm from engagement with the control collar. In a preferred embodiment the sheet feed roll comprises a segmented feed roll and a cam actuated spring is used to multiply the positive retraction force supplied to the control arm when it is retracted from engagement with the control collar.

Abstract: A modular envelope feed mechanism which may be used with a cut sheet feeder attachment for high speed printers or the like is disclosed. Envelopes are more reliably fed and separated because they are urged toward a pair of separators at the separation station with uniform force by a pressure plate containing a pivotable member provided with resilient pads positioned in alignment with the separators.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including a resilient rotatable separator roller which includes a radial cut permitting radial attachment and detachment from a rotatable shaft. A fixing device is provided for fixing the roller to the shaft.

Abstract: An improved counter for documents, currency, paper money, sheets or the like achieves low weight, low power consumption, low cost and high counting accuracy by a feeding mechanism in which a first roller or set of rollers successively feeds a sheet from the bottom of a stack thereof to a second roller or set of rollers for further feeding, on a sheet-by-sheet basis, to a pair of pulling rollers which pulls each sheet at high speed and dispenses it. The first and second rollers or sets of rollers have about their respective peripheries portions having a large coefficient of friction and portions having a small coefficient of friction. Such intermittent feed rollers are synchronized to rotate with related space phases, i.e. with the low friction coefficient portion of each roller in contact with its associated sheet at the same time, thus assuring that the pulling rollers require minimal torque to pull each sheet away from the second of the intermittent rollers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided with kick-out rollers of generally cylindrical shape having chordal flats. The kick-out rollers are operable to rotate in one direction to deliver a sheet from a sheet stack for forward transport to a printer or the like. The sheet may be reversely transported back to the sheet stack by means of intermediate rollers which direct the sheet between the sheet stack and the chordal flat of the kick-out roller.

Abstract: A bottom sheet feed system employs a slated feed surface having a pair of apertures therein for receiving a respective agitator wheel. The agitator wheel is constructed of a plurality of freely rotating rollers spaced in a circle around a central axis of the agitator wheel. Downstream of the agitator wheels a nip is provided formed of a stationary retard surface and a feed wheel. As the agitator wheels rotate, they jostle bottommost sheets of the stack of sheets and cause these sheets to fan along the stationary retard surface which is preferably curved above the feed surface. With the system of the invention reliable operation is achieved in combination with high feed rates. Top loading of the stack of sheets during operation is facilitated since major upper portions of the stack of sheets abut against a perpendicular surface while only the bottommost sheets are fanned along the stationary retard surface curved portion.

Abstract: This specification discloses a device for feeding sheet-like image-bearing members (hereinafter simply referred to as sheets) cut into a predetermined size and used with copying machines, recording apparatuses, printing machines and the like. More particularly, it discloses improvements in a sheet feeding device having a feed roller for feeding one by one sheets piled on a paper feed bed or in a cassette or the like, said roller having a cross-section in which part of the circumference thereof is cut away so that, during the non-feeding, the uppermost surface of the piled sheets and said roller maintain a non-contact condition with the aid of said cut-away part. The sheet feeding device is characterized in that it has a member for depressing the piled sheets substantially to a predetermined position before said roller contacts the sheets, in order to always maintain constant the position whereat said feed roller first contacts the sheets.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing photographic sheets from a stack, comprising a dispensing mechanism including a bodily displaceable rotatably supported dispensing roller that is provided with uni-directional anti-rotation device, and a bodily stationary, driven roller for cooperation with the bodily displaceable roller.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding single sheets of paper from a stack of the sheets, including fixed upper and lower guide surfaces between which the sheets travel during feeding, a single, centrally-located feed roll, a registration roll downstream of the feed roll, the registration roll being activated at the end of a predetermined delay period beginning when the feed roll is activated, the delay period being sufficient to assure that a single sheet is moved into engagement with the registration roll before the end of the period, the separation between the upper and lower guide surfaces being greater at a location intermediate the separation and registration rolls than at the rolls to define a buckle-restraint region intermediate the rolls wherein buckling of the sheet occurs after engagement with the registration roll and before the end of the delay period, and the moving feed surface of the feed roll being adapted to slip with respect to the sheet after the sheet has buckled against the surface of the region.

Abstract: A device and a method for dispensing articles in the form of sheets from a supply. In order to dispense the articles, for example banknotes, from a supply in the form of a stack of banknotes, the outermost banknote of the stack is first displaced in one direction so that the banknote is made to form a bulge after its resistance to buckling has been overcome, whereupon the banknote is displaced in the opposite direction for being fed out from the dispensing device. The banknote is displaced by means of a withdrawal roller of appropriate shape, wherein the peripheral surface of said roller for example may be concave or convex and/or may be provided with helical projections for affecting the resistance of the banknote to buckling. In consequence of said bulge being formed in the banknote the latter will be effectively separated from the immediately following banknote of the stack, said separation being facilitated additionally by the design of the withdrawal roller.

Abstract: An improved conveyor for signatures, loose sheets, gathered sheets, and the like, with a device for picking them up. The improved conveyor achieves fast signature transport capabilities in overlapped relationship. A mechanism is also provided for entraining the signatures which are operative on each signature prior to a preceding signature moving fully away from the following one. Advantageously, the entrainment members have an outer surface with a high friction coefficient. The initial section of the elevator conveyor belts follows a path which deviates from the oblique plane of lay thereof, preferably a substantially vertical path.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding a single sheet from a stack of sheets by using a rotating cylindrical feed roller having a truncatel portion spaced away from the stack and a full diameter portion able to contact the stack whenever it is lifted by a lifting arm, which is pivoting in a timed relationship to the feed roller. This device simplifies sheet timing and eliminates the need for a constant biasing of the stack against a feeding member.

Abstract: A self-compensating stripper assembly cooperating with a feed roller for separating sheets from a stack and feeding them one-at-a time to facilitate counting, examining and endorsing operations on each individual sheet. Said assembly has a pivotally mounted stripper member positioned upon the free end of a swingable arm. A resilient element urges the swingable arm toward the feed roller and an adjustable stop limits the movement of the stripper assembly toward the feed roller. An additional independent resilient member urges the stripper member toward the feed roller and is yieldable to accommodate changes in sheet thickness. The shape of the stripper member facilitates the stripping operation by shaping the stack of sheets prior to entry into the stripping operation. Separate stops are provided for limiting the pivotal movement of the stripper member about its pivotal mounting.

Abstract: A normal force applicator and removal apparatus which applies, varies and removes force applied to the top of a document stack where documents are being fed, i.e., by a shingler wheel type document feeder, (also termed combing wheel or wave generator) in order to generate a shingled stack of documents for subsequent processing. The shingler wheel is adjustable so that it can be centered for document stacks of multiple lengths. In order to shingle documents at a practical and predictable rate, i.e., maintain a shingled stack of documents, and to avoid skewing of the documents as they are shingled, the normal force is varied as a function of the thickness of the document stack decreasing as the document stack is depleted, and the normal force is applied symmetrically from the center of the shingler wheel to either side thereof. This symmetrical force distribution is maintained throughout the range of adjustment of the shingler wheel.