Abstract: A feeding mechanism in which a reciprocating swab-like apparatus is provided wherein the pitmans are adjustable for beginning and ending their stroke by having the cranks driven by separable gears which may be meshed in different positions and wherein the pitmans are connected to a pair of counterrotatable wheels with friction facings engageable with paper sheets disposed in a stack therebeneath, the wheels being mounted on axes which are adapted to be canted to increase or reduce the area of engagement of the wheel periphery with the sheet to vary the amount of drag. The wheels are carried by a slider foot which is arranged to slide upon the sheet being moved. The wheels are arranged to move the sheet to be fed first into a registered position against a stop and then in the opposite direction to associated receiving mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for handling sheet-like pieces, whereby a swell is made on a zone of a piece in sheet form by pressing the latter between the support and a pressing member, the piece is gripped at the level of this zone, between the pressing member and a finger, and the piece thus gripped is displaced with respect to the support. The invention is more particularly applicable to the handling of pieces of material stacked in a pile.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discharging sheets one by one from a stack wherein a reciprocating ejector foot engages the top sheet of the stack and urges it against barriers positioned to intercept the corners of the sheet; the barriers are disposed obliquely to the plane defined by the sheet thereby tending to block the corners of the sheet from moving out of the tray but permitting the portion of the sheet between the corners to buckle upwardly and enter the nip of a pair of rollers, raising the corners of the sheet from engagement with the oblique corner barriers and pulling it from the tray.

Abstract: A sheet dispensing device having a pair of lateral guides defining a space within a housing for insertion of a container containing a stack of sheets. The dispensing device comprises a conveyor, which is reciprocated within the housing to carry the uppermost sheet from the container and dispense the same from the device, and a separator designed to retain all sheets with the exception of the uppermost sheet in the container. The dispensing of a sheet operates a switch to then energize the copying machine. The container has a pair of laterally extending flange-like members to engage laterally spaced guides in the housing and is perforated along two sides on the upper surface to permit removal of a section of the container to expose the uppermost sheets.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheets one at a time from a sheet storage to a printer mechanism and for receiving the sheets one at a time from the printer mechanism and storing them in a printed sheet storage area, the feeding and receiving sections being indepdendent of the operating mechanisms of the printer mechanism, and the feeding and receiving mechanisms including means to move a sheet edge beyond a decision threshold and to thereafter release the sheet in a manner allowing it to move either from the feeding mechanism to the printing device or from the printing device to the printed sheet storage.

Abstract: A device for removing a film sheet from a stack of such sheets present in a cassette. The device comprises a pin that can be moved into engagement with the uppermost film sheet of the stack in a marginal area thereof, and thereafter is moved in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said sheet, whereby said sheet is bulged and thus made ready for engagement by means for removing it from the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a top ply from a stack of fabric workpieces before removal and depositing the ply at a processing location. The apparatus comprises an air cylinder actuator connected to a friction pad for engaging the top ply, the pad being mounted in a guide member for movement with an impacting force, on application of a pulse of pressure air to the air cylinder, to displace the top ply in a sweeping and lifting action from and across the stack while the guide member is forced downwardly into engagement with the remaining plies in the stack to hold the stack against movement as the displaced ply is removed.

Abstract: An apparatus for the selective removal of an ultimate sheet of a flexible material from a stack thereof is comprised of a support member for the stack of sheets; a restraining member for applying a restraining force on the stack at one transverse edge thereof; and a pair of pivotal levers disposed adjacent opposing longitudinal edges of the stack, each lever being operatively connected to the restraining member and pivotally connected at first and second movable swivel points on a support member therefor, one swivel point allowing for longitudinal displacement of the lever and the other swivel point allowing for vertical displacement of the lever, in order that the restraining member is capable of being displaced in substantially constant vertical contact with the ultimate sheet in the stack during any subsequent dispensing operations.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for separating a single outermost label from a stack of labels mounted on a centrally disposed shaft in a magazine. The apparatus utilizes a pair of friction members diametricaly opposed from said shaft and containing respective friction engaging elements which are caused to reciprocally move into a position where the friction engaging elements doggingly engage the outermost label of the stack and move toward one another thereby causing the outermost label to slide and bend outward from the next adjacent label in the stack. Included in the apparatus is an adjustable camming mechanism for varing the points at which the friction engaging elements contact the outermost label of the stack.

Abstract: There is disclosed a separator device for singularly passing to a transport member a rectangular sheet of material from a stack of such sheets accommodated in a storage cassette having a rectangular slotted sheet discharge opening. The cassette is provided with a hold-down plate for pressing the uppermost sheet against a bulge forming means disposed adjacent the discharge opening and comprised of a pushing member. The bulge forming means is controlled by a first cam disc adapted to perform a reciprocating movement to engage the leading edge of the uppermost sheet whereby such sheet is partly released from the stack by bulging at the discharge opening.

Abstract: A buckling type paper sheet feeding mechanism wherein the top sheet of a stack is separated from the underlying sheet by first driving the front sheet edge in a rearward direction against a rear restraint, causing the top sheet to buckle, and then reversing the direction of sheet drive, causing the top sheet to be fed in a forward direction over a front stack edge restraining or hold-down means. The top sheet is moved rearward by a variable force means which provides a progressively increasing buckling force, to thereby ensure reliable feed of paper of varying types, weights and humidity content, while at the same time minimizing the possibility of double sheet feed. A variable position rear restraint moves rearward, in synchronism with operation of the variable force means, to increase the column length of the top sheet as the buckling force increases.