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 automatic document feeding device provided with a positionally adjustable document detector for adjusting the document stopping position.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for destacking individual flats from a horizontally extending stack thereof for processing as well as a device for restacking of the processed flats. Biasing devices are disclosed for maintaining the integrity of the horizontally extending stacks of flats prior to processing such as washing and subsequent to such processing. A vacuum pick-up device is movable from the supply stack to a conveyor traveling through the processing station. A flat removal device which is cam operated is cyclically movable from a removal position to a restacking position and vice versa. Resilient retaining members such as spring biased doors and flexible plastic and steel members are included for retaining the uppermost flats of the horizontally extending supply stack and the lowermost flats of the horizontally extending restacked flats.

Abstract: An envelope feeder for a duplicating press having a suction feeder wherein the envelope feeder includes a conveyer for transferring envelopes one at a time from a magazine storing a supply stack to a feed stack from which the suction feeder of the duplicating press removes the envelopes one at a time from the top of the stack. The conveyer coacts with the magazine and other means for taking the envelopes from the bottom of the supply stack one at a time and feeding them to the bottom of the feed stack at the press. A detector at the feed stack shuts down the conveyer when the feed stack reaches a predetermined height, and thereafter starts the conveyer when the stack diminishes to a given level.

Abstract: A copying system for copying either duplex or simplex original document sets as pre-collated copy sets, utilizing a document handling system providing selective automatic recirculative pre-collation copying of either duplex or simplex document sheets, with selective automatic sheet inversion. Also described is an integral sheet stack normal force/jogger unit for continuous and simultaneous top loading and bottom feeding from either opposite or common directions from a stack of document or copy sheets.

Abstract: A document transport for transporting document sheets over a copier platen and into a registration position thereon for copying with a single light reflective, flexible, unapertured and air impervious wide frictional movable belt providing a uniform light imaging background for the document sheet, having a selectably actuatable vacuum system for selectably applying a vacuum to a vacuum plenum overlying the vacuum belt above the platen, for lifting all but selected minor areas of the belt away from the platen and document toward the vacuum plenum when a vacuum is applied, but and for allowing the belt to drop into planar engagement with a document sheet on the platen over a much larger area of said belt when the vacuum is removed, and belt deforming rollers deforming the selected minor areas of the belt away from the vacuum plenum towards the platen for selective area driving of a document sheet on the platen with these deformed minor areas or protuberances of the belt when the vacuum is applied.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus attachable to a printer for feeding and delivering envelopes. Storage means for fresh and printed envelopes which are disposed perpendicularly to the orientation of print direction. A reduction in overall size required in a mechanism for handling feed and delivery of both cut sheets and envelopes is achieved.

Abstract: A sheet feed machine comprising guides for holding sheets in a stack at a sheet input station, a first conveyor for successively feeding sheets from the bottom of the stack at the sheet input station into a stream with adjacent sheets in an overlapped configuration, and an inverter for inverting the stream of sheets at a sheet inversion station. A stop is located at a sheet output station for stopping the stream and accumulating sheets in a stack, and a second conveyor is provided for conveying the stream of sheets from the inversion station to the sheet output station.

Abstract: A feeder has an endless belt conveyer which removes flat articles one-by-one from the bottom of a stack and transports them downstream to a delivery point. A chamber is connected to a vacuum source in timed sequence to apply a vacuum through apertures in the belt to pull the underside face of the lowermost article against the upper surface of the moving belt. Further, restraining chambers are connected to a vacuum source to engage the article next thereabove and prevent its premature downstream travel.

Abstract: A copying apparatus is provided with original feeding device for feeding an original to an exposure position and discharging the original from the exposure position after termination of exposure, image formation device for forming an image corresponding to the image of the original, start instruction device for instructing the apparatus to start copying, detector for detecting the original placed at the exposure position when copy start has been instructed by the instruction means, and control device for causing the original feeding device to discharge the original after a predetermined number of copies have been produced for the original when there is an output of the detector.

Abstract: A method and device for emptying a belt reel or bobbin filled with tobacco leaves or portions thereof, the belt being withdrawn from the bobbin and wound on a reel, while each time the tobacco leaf portions are removed from the corresponding strip of belt, wherein prior to the removal of each tobacco leaf portion the belt is stretched in excess of the normal tensile force required for winding off the belt in order to detach the tobacco leaf portion from the belt, which additional stretching effect need only be very slight in order to pick up all tobacco leaf portions without disturbance.

Abstract: A registration mechanism registers document sheets on a copier platen at an edge of the platen surface. The mechanism includes a unique gate member that moves relative to the platen edge to either register a document sheet or to permit the sheet to be driven past the edge and over a sheet deflector. For duplex copying, the deflector can be raised to guide the leading edge of the sheet over the platen edge as the sheet is returned to the platen for copying a second side of the sheet.

Abstract: In a tandem duplicating system, a transport means conveys a copy sheet from a first printing station where an image is applied to the first side of the copy sheet to a second printing station where an image is applied to the second side of the same copy sheet utilizing a suction force for securing the copy sheet to a sheet conveyor, wherein only the image-free side of the copy sheet is contacted or engaged by the conveyor. Advancing copy sheets are delivered to a position subjacent the second printing station where means normally disposed beneath the conveyor are activated to engage the trailing edge of the copy sheet lift it to a position above the transport means and advance the trailing edge of the sheet into gripping means provided in the second printing station for advancing the copy sheet through the second printing station and applying an image to its second side.

Abstract: The printing plate processing machine includes a first conveyor for receiving printing plates and a second conveyor for receiving plate-separating sheets, and a feed mechanism for selectively transporting the plates and sheets from a loading station in which the plates and sheets are alternately disposed in a stack, toward the first and second conveyors. A plate and sheet diverting mechanism is located between the first and second conveyors for alternately delivering the plates to the first conveyor and the sheets to the second conveyor. The plates are processed after disposition on the first conveyor. A collecting station received the plates and sheets from the first and second conveyors alternately in a stack after processing of the plates. The feed-mechanism includes a fluid-operated cylinder and ram, the ram being movable selectively between an extended position and a retracted position.

Abstract: In a device for the synchronized introduction of sheets into a treatment machine, e.g. a printer-slotter or cutter for processing corrugated cardboard sheets, in which a reciprocating pusher pushes forward the lowermost sheet of a stack in a magazine between two stops and into engagement with feed rollers, the stack rests on the upper run of a set of endless belts, which upper run extends over a suction box which is maintained continuously under suction during forward movement of the pusher, the belts are driven forwardly to facilitate movement of the lowermost sheet from the bottom of the stack, and belts being immobile during the return movement of the pusher.

Abstract: Signatures fresh from the printing press are fed in a shingled stream toward and then dropped one by one into a hopper which may feed a gathering chain.The signatures are "broken" (unstuck) by first stacking them edgewise on a horizontal support, shingling them in a constant stream by an unusual form of suction feed, bending the shingled stream and thereafter cascading the stream into the hopper.

Abstract: A document transport for a document scanning device has an elevator for locating a stack of documents to be fed automatically into position to be scanned. The top document is removed from the stack by a feed roller. Other documents which may become entrained with the top document are returned to the stack by separation rollers. The top document is driven into the scanning device against an alignment gate and this action eliminates any skew in the position of the document. At a read or scan station beyond the gate, which is reached by the document once the alignment gate has been withdrawn, the data on the document is scanned as the document is moved by read rollers in a controlled fashion. As the document leaves the read station it is trapped between the two single opposing belts in a buffer unit, which move the document at the spped of the scanning rollers.

Abstract: A detector mechanism and system for currency dispensers for automatic banking equipment which senses the presence of multiple or double bills, called "doubles," at any bill location in a series of bills intended to be fed one by one in a path of travel from a supply of bills to a place of delivery to a customer. The bill thickness of each bill is gauged continuously while moving in the path of travel, and the thickness measurements are time averaged over substantially the entire length of the gauged portion of the bill. The averaged and normal bill thicknesses are compared to determine if the averaged thickness is greater than the normal thickness by a predetermined amount. A greater thickness determination generates a signal of the presence of doubles, and the signal actuates means to reject the doubles while moving in the path of travel before delivery of the doubles to a customer.

Abstract: Folded signatures of lightweight stock are fed in a direction parallel to the backbone of the signatures and deposited in sets of predetermined number and in shingled relation onto a main conveyor moving transverse to the direction of feed from the supply stack. The main conveyor deposits the signatures on the top of a stack in the hopper of a gathering machine. The height of the stack in the hopper is sensed, and this is used to control feeding from the supply stack. Preferably, the supply stack is held in a hopper with the signatures resting on a second or supply conveyor which extends upwardly and outwardly from the main conveyor so that adjacent loading machines can be nested to reduce space requirements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically delivering discrete pieces of stationery, particularly envelopes, serially at a controlled rate from a stack of stationery into a programmable printing machine such as an automatic or a manual typewriter. Simultaneously, discrete pieces of stationery which have been printed by the typewriter are automatically fed back into the stack at the same rate at which they were delivered therefrom. The speed of operation of this automatic stationery handling apparatus is automatically coordinated to the speed at which discrete pieces of stationary can be processed by the programmable typewriter.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding and transporting blanks of corrugated paperboard and the like is disclosed wherein a stack of blanks is received on a blank feeding station having a first belt-over-roller conveyor which cooperates with an angularly inclined control gate of a gate assembly to feed blanks from the bottom of the stack beneath the control gate and effect shingling of the blanks, whereafter the blanks are transported to a receiving station such as the feed hopper of a printing press or the like. The control gate is adjustable to vary the shingling relationship of the blanks fed from the bottom of the stack and has a low friction surface thereon facilitating optimum operation.

Abstract: A paper feeding and receiving system for use on presses and duplicators, such system including a paper feed regulator assembly which has a microswitch mounted on a supporting arm above a vertically reciprocable feed table for sensing the height of papers vertically stacked thereon. An electrically actuated solenoid is mountable on the duplicator or press, and operates in response to closure of the microswitch to actuate a pawl latch lever and mechanical linkage to control and effect the incremental elevation of the paper feed table disposed below the microswitch. The paper feed and receiving system further includes a balance beam subassembly mounted on the paper feed table for supporting dual, horizontally spaced, vertically extending stacks of paper to facilitate simultaneous feeding of two sheets of paper to the press or duplicator.

Abstract: A machine that receives four rows of completely separated but closely spaced cartons from a customer printing and cutting press, and spaces each carton laterally and longitudinally from its neighbors for non-interference therewith. The machine aligns each independent stream of cartons with the longitudinal dimension of the overall machine and directs the streams of cartons to a switching device intended to control carton traffic to a primary automated stacking process or to an essentially secondary manual stacking process. The primary automated process passes the streams of cartons through an underlapping process, over an inspection table, through an inverting process, into a rate controlling hopper. From the rate controlling hopper, the cartons of each stream pass over a set of laterally disposed conveyors and into a discrete stack of cartons formed within a vertical hopper system that is the output receiver of this machine.

Abstract: A recirculator feeds document sheets in order from a supply stack to the viewing window of a copier and back to the supply stack for as many times as desired to make a number of collated copies of a multi-page document. The recirculator is arranged above the copier window and has a sheet circulation path that is generally triangular. The supply stack is inclined along one side of the triangle, a second side of the triangle extends from the bottom of the supply stack across the copier window, and the third side extends from the copier window back up to the top of the supply stack. The device removes sheets successively from the bottom of the supply stack and advances them forward in order across the copier window and back up to the top of the supply stack.

Abstract: A recirculator feeds document sheets in order from a supply stack to the viewing window of a copier and back to the supply stack for as many times as desired to make a number of collated copies of a multi-page document. The recirculator is arranged above the copier window and has a sheet circulation path that is generally triangular. The supply stack is inclined along one side of the triangle, a second side of the triangle extends from the bottom of the supply stack across the copier window, and the third side extends from the copier window back up to the top of the supply stack. The device removes sheets successively from the bottom of the supply stack and advances them forward in order across the copier window and back up to the top of the supply stack.