Abstract: A stack of sheets of sheet material is stapled along an axis and fed to a position from which it is folded along the axis by a blade to form a booklet having a curved spine. The blade also inserts the booklet into a position between clamping jaws and determines its final position therebetween. Rotatable guide rollers guide the sheets into the gap and are fitted with one-way clutches to resist upward movement of the folded sheets upon retraction of the blade from the gap. In a first mode of operation, the curved spine of the booklet protrudes a short distance beyond the jaws. The spine is then flattened by a forming roller which passes along the spine. In a second mode of operation, the spinal portion lies between the jaws and the curved end surface is flattened by the clamping force alone. The first mode is suited to booklets having or more sheets; the second to booklets having fewer than sheets or having loop staples and any number of sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding sheets of material, such as paper, sequentially from the bottom of a stack of sheets comprises a suction chamber, a perforated belt movable over the suction chamber, a sheet restraining gate above the downstream end of the suction chamber, and a roller to produce an upward corrugation in the bottom sheet only of the stack. The gap between the bottom of the gate and the belt is profiled to match the corrugation in the bottom sheet to enable the bottom sheet only to pass through. The profile preferably includes a shallow triangular recess in the bottom edge of the gate.

Abstract: A booklet of sheets folded to create a curved spine is fixedly held by clamping jaws adjacent to the spine and a forming roller is passed one or more times along the length of the protruding spine with sufficient pressure to produce a flattening of the curvature of the spine. The deformation of the spine of the booklet means that the sheets lie flat after the treatment. A retractable stop plate defines the amount by which the spine protrudes beyond the jaws.

Abstract: A suction device for feeding sheets of material comprises a housing (38) connectable by a pipe (40) to a vacuum device and having apertures (54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 58) through which a suction effect can be created. An eccentric roller (46) imparts a corrugation to the attracted sheet. The apertures are shaped and located so that there is a boost in the suction exerted on the sheet at the time that it is distorted. Continuous and pulsed air flows are used as well as aids to separate sheets individually from a stack.

Abstract: Apparatus for stitching and folding sheets of material, especially paper, comprising an in-feed unit, a wire-stitching unit, a sheet-folding unit and an out-feed conveyor. The sheets are maintained in a downward linear path from entry into the in-feed unit until initiation of the folding by a folding blade. Removal of the folded sheets is substantially perpendicular to the previous downward linear path. The sheets abut a first stop for the stitching, and abut a second stop for the folding. The in-feed unit and the wire-stitching unit are pivotable relative to the rest of the machine in the manner of a clam-shell. All units remain engaged with a main drive in both the closed and opened positions.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus, e.g. a collator, comprising a variable plurality of modules (12a, 12b, 12c, 14') stacked one above another, and each incorporating a sheet storage station (14), means are provided for directing sheets (15) from said stations in a requested sequence laterally and downwardly into a common transmission path to below the lowest module (12a). A power pack (18) for the whole stack is mounted above the uppermost module.

Abstract: A sensor, especially for detecting misfeeds in a stream of sheets of paper, comprises a pair of sensing plates sensing changes in the capacitance between the plates, a first oscillator providing an output signal at a frequency representative of the capacitance, a second oscillator set to a reference frequency which is the same as or close to that frequency generated by the first oscillator when no object is between the sensing plates, gating means to produce an output representative of the frequency difference between the oscillator outputs, a low-pass filter, and a microprocessor which responds to changes in the difference frequency.

Abstract: A pneumatic valve mechanism, especially for controlling the movement of paper, comprises a mouthpiece (47) which defines an air intake (58), a bellows (10) coupled to the mouthpiece, a passage (42, 44) connecting the interior of the bellows to a pump so that when the bellows is not fully retracted suction is created at the air intake (58) and a seal (50) between the mouthpiece and a valve body (14) which is effective when the bellows is fully retracted, following closure of the air intake by a sheet of paper (60), to seal the air intake from the suction pump. Venting air can enter the mouthpiece in the retracted position of the bellows, to permit the sheet to drop off the intake, but without breaking the seal (50), whereby the bellows is maintained in its retracted position. The bellows (10) will only extend again to seek the next sheet when the effect created by the suction pump is interrupted, as by breaking the seal (50) by energizing a solenoid (64) and displacing a mechanical linkage (62,54).

Abstract: In a rotary collating and/or inserting machine where individual sheets are peeled from the bottom of a plurality of stacks of sheets arranged spaced around a circle on a table and are moved down through one or more radial slots in the table, the separation of the bottom sheet of each stack, preferably at a corner, is initiated by creating changes in air pressure in a cyclically controlled manner at or adjacent to the upper region of at least one slot. This can be accomplished by the provision of suction holes along the length of at least one slot or by changing the contour of the table surface, such as by incorporating a bellows. To aid onward movement of a sheet into a slot after initial separation from the stack, the initial suction effect which either acts directly on the sheet or changes the contour of the table surface is shut off or reversed as the bottom sheet passes down through the slot. Cyclically controlled suction devices are preferably provided at or adjacent to the lower region of each slot.