Abstract: A splicer quickly and accurately joins together with tape the ends of plain sheets or perforated sheets, such as the ends of fanfold sheet commonly used for printing. The sheets are clamped between mating pairs of resilient strips by a top which hinges down onto a base. The base has a combination of frictional clamps and retractable pins, for aligning the ends of sheet before they are clamped in place by the top, according to whether the sheets are perforated or not. A head is then moved rearwardly along the top, to first slit overlapping sheets and create a precise butt line, when that is required. An anti-friction surface on one of the resilient clamping strips attached to the top enables selective removal a one trim piece, to expose the butt line for taping, without release of the clamping action on the sheets. The head is then moved forward to precisely apply tape from a dispenser, and to automatically cut the tape and the end of the run.

Abstract: Lifts or sets of precise count are withdrawn from a stack of sheets. A reciprocating vacuum head serially pulls away sheet corners from the stack. Each sheet is stripped from the head and held by the backside of the head at a holding zone axially spaced apart from the stack until the desired quantity in the set is accumulated. A wedge then interposes in the space between the set of restrained corners and the rest of the stack, to bend the upper half of the sheet set away from the stack while the rest of the set remains in contact with the stack. Then nip rollers engage the bent away parts as a set and draw away the whole of the set transversely.