Abstract: A device is disposed in the path of paper sheets leaving a printing unit or processor such as an office copier or non-impact printer and has an arcuate concave guide and a roll spaced from the guide to form a sheet path which is curved or arched oppositely to the direction in which the sheet is curled in the processor. The space between the guide and the roller is greater than the thickness of the paper and the paper is bent in the direction opposite to its curl as it passes through the arched space, while the beam strength of the paper and the change in direction of the paper maintain adequate drive friction on the sheet. A selector isolates the de-curler when it is not needed.

Abstract: A device is disposed in the path of paper leaving a printing unit or processor such as an office copier, facsimile or non-impact printer and has an arcuate concave guide and a feed roll which causes the paper to pass between the guide and the feed roll to decurl the paper. The space between the guide and the roller is greater than the thickness of the paper and the paper is bent in the direction opposite to its curl as it passes through the arched space, while the beam strength of the paper and the change in direction of the paper maintain adequate drive friction on the paper. The feed roll is mounted for movement laterally of the direction of paper travel to cause it to be laterally displaced or offset.

Abstract: A sheet sorting machine of the shifting tray type has a plurality of trays mounted for shifting movement past a sheet infeed location during sorting operation. The trays are pivoted to widely spaced relation at the entry location and are also cammed open by tray ends at distal ends of the trays in response to the pivotal motion. A tray support is moved with the trays to maintain uniform tray angle.

Abstract: A random access sheet receiver is provided with a stack of trays having ends vertically shiftably mounted in a frame structure and forming bins to receive sheets from a copier, printer, or the like, wherein said ends of the trays are normally closely spaced and rest one on the other. A sheet infeed is pivotally mounted in the frame structure to receive sheets exiting from the copier, printer, or the like, the infeed being associated with a bin opening mechanism which raises and lowers the infeed and has a lifter to pivotally open and hold open said ends of the trays during transport of a sheet to a selected bin. The other ends of the trays are supported on cams which increase the space at the other ends of the bins in response to pivotal opening of the trays by the bin opener.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for automatic printers has a single cassette sheet feeder in which the printer rests. The printer supports an over-the-top feed apparatus which receives sheets from the cassette and transports sheets to the platen of the printer and from the platen to a receiver.

Abstract: A sheet receiver has a plurality of trays to receive paper sheets in a sequential or selected order as sheets are successively fed to the receiver from a source, such as a printer or copier, and transported to the inlet ends of the trays between opposing transport rolls which define a continuous straight paper path past the trays. Selected pressure or nip rolls are actuated from positions relative to feed rolls forming the straight path past the trays to positions relative to an adjacent feed roll to interrupt the straight paper path and form a nip at which the rolls are positioned to change the direction of sheet travel to direct a sheet into a tray.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sheet-sorter, operating in conjunction with a photocopy machine, has a plurality of trays in general horizontal alignment with the path taken by a sheet of paper discharged from the copier. A tray pusher is arranged to move the lower-most tray in a stack of trays disposed above the paper-path so that the in-board end of the lower-most tray will drop some distance below the paper path, after the sheet has been discharged from the copier. The tray-pusher may be activated by movement of the copier carriage or by an appropriate gear-train connection to a pair of juxtaposed rolls, slightly spaced from each other, constructed and arranged so that one roll will cause the other roll to rotate only when a sheet of paper is disposed between the rolls as the sheet is discharged from the copier. The stack of trays may be re-set manually or by the movement of the copier carriage.

Abstract: An improvement in the mechanism for separating sheet-receiving trays of a sorter for photocopy machines, which increases the capacity of the sorter. A plurality of drive cams each sliding up and down on its own drive shaft, and each having a helical slot on its outer surface, rotate as the shafts are rotated. Trunions extending from the trays engage the helical grooves in the cams, and they, along with the tray to which they are connected, move up or down as the cams rotate. The sorter has improved capacity while yet permitting access between trays. It is simple and positive in operation and provides sorting action in both the upward and downward movement of the cams on the driveshafts.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for receiving sheets from the discharge portion of an electrostatic copy machine, which apparatus receives, stacks and collates the sheets as desired. The apparatus can be electrically independent of the copier and is attached thereto by simple hanger and bracket arrangements. The apparatus includes a plurality of trays which are moved past the discharge opening of the copier, and which are controlled and arranged, selectively to receive (1) a plurality of sheets in each tray; (2) a single copy of each sheet in each of several trays; or (3) a number of identical sheets in one tray and a differing number of other sheets in successive trays. The apparatus can collect, collate, and sort the sheets while the trays are moving in one direction past the copier discharge opening, as well as when the trays are moving past it in the other direction.

Abstract: A sheet sorting machine of the movable bin type has a frame structure which supports a plurality of bins at one end of the bins, adjacent to a sheet entry location, the other ends of the bins being free and spaced for removal of sorted sets of sheets. The bins have pairs of trunnions at opposite sides engageable with one another and by pairs of bins shifting spiral cams to raise and lower the bins in parallelism. The trunnions for the bins and the spiral cams are mounted in spring loaded housing with springs which bias the trunnions into the spiral cams, and a trunnion is always in the cam track of the spiral cams.