Abstract: A high speed sheet feeder comprises a support for supporting a stack of sheets. The sheets are driven by a backing plate assembly along the support toward a singulator. The backing plate is driven by a drive member such as a drive chain positioned along the support. The drive chain moves the backing plate in predetermined increments. The singulator is mounted on a bracket that moves in response to pressure exerted by the leading face of the stack thereupon. The increments in which the backing plate moves are varied based upon the degree of movement of the singulator bracket in response to pressure exerted thereupon by the stack. Minimum pressure causes a maximum increment of movement while maximum pressure causes a minimum increment or virtually no movement in the backing plate assembly. The singulator comprises an elastomeric wheel pivotally mounted on a support bracket having concentric a sleeve that is mechanically interconnected with the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet support for supporting a plurality of sheets, a separating roller rotated in a direction for feeding the sheets, a reversely rotatable roller rotatably supported by a rockably provided reversely rotatable roller holder and bearing against the separating roller, drive force transmitter for transmitting to the reversely rotatable roller a drive force for rotating the reversely rotatable roller in the direction opposite to the direction for feeding the sheets, and a torque limiter provided on the drive force transmitter for cutting off the transmission of a driving torque of a predetermined torque value or greater.

Abstract: 1. Apparatus for the storage and extraction of blanks (10) consisting of thin cardboard from a blank magazine (12).2.1. An extraction unit (16) having a sun wheel (17) and planet wheels (18, 19) rotating about the latter serves for the continuous extraction of blanks (10) consisting of thin cardboard from a blank magazine (12). Each planet wheel (18, 19) rotating about its own axis extracts a lower blank (10) of a blank stack (11) in the blank magazine (12) and transfers this onto the sun wheel (17). The blank is transferred from the latter, in conjunction with a transport disc (51, 52), into a blank track (14).2.2. The sun wheel (17) and the planet wheels (18, 19) grasp the blanks (10) solely in a middle region, namely in the region of a blank middle strip (46), with the exclusion of lateral folding tabs (39, 40; 41, 42).

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus has a shutter mechanism, having a shutter, for controlling the stacking and dropping operations of sheets to be stacked in a stacking safe. When a sensor detects that the sheets to be stacked on the shutter have been stacked to reached a predetermined height, the shutter is moved downward to reserve a space in the vicinity of a sheet loading port, and is opened to cause the sheets to drop onto the lower portion of the stacking safe. Then, the shutter is moved upward to the home position to stack the sheets thereon. When these shutter downward and upward movements are repeatedly performed, stacking can be performed stably, and the sheets discharged from the lower bottom of the stacking safe can be collected in the upper portion of the stacking safe through a communication path outside the stacking safe, thereby continuously performing a series of sheets loading and discharge operations.

Abstract: The upper end of a movable plate for guiding paper sheets is fitted to a shaft on which the plate swings, and is suspended in a slit provided in a stacking box. The movable guide plate and a supporting plate are in a positional relationship in which the angle .theta. formed by them is at a certain prescribed degree, and even if relatively heavy sheets are deposited and hit against the movable guide plate, the plate will not be flipped up because it is supported by the supporting plate. When the stack of the sheets sufficiently increases in volume to reach the lower end of the movable guide plate, the upper end of the plate slides along the slit along with the further deposition of sheets, so that the angle .theta. formed by the movable guide plate and the supporting plate increase to deprive the latter from its supporting function, and the supporting plate, together with the movable guide plate, are pressed upward as the stack of sheets further increases in volume.

Abstract: A conveying device prevents slip or disengagement of a conveying endless belt. The belt has an flat outer periphery, which is to be contact with one of the major faces of the bank note to be conveyed, and an inner periphery having a plurality of teeth formed thereon. A drive pulley and a driven pulley are both cylindrical and have a plurality of gear teeth formed on their outer peripheries. The teeth of each of the pulleys may be engageable with the plurality of teeth of the endless belt. Between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, the endless belt is tensioned and a belt drive mechanism for rotating the drive pulley is provided. Each pulley has a flange which has a larger outer diameter than that of each pulley and provided at one end portion thereof in which each of the rotary shaft extends.

Abstract: A Sheet Feeding System (10) having a reciprocating vacuum shuttle plate (52) includes a knife gate (112) and high-friction rollers 118 and 120 position between the knife gate and an additional conveyor formed by a driven feed roller 94 and an idler feed roller 96. The high-friction rollers form a singulator gap (188) with shoulders 184 of a vacuum-groove (186) on a sheet-engaging surface of the reciprocating shuttle plate. The sheet feeding system includes a transition tray (14) downstream of the additional conveyor for providing a transition to clamps of an endless chain (178). The transition tray comprises an endless conveyor belt (156) with a floating feed roller (160) biased thereagainst. The position of the floating feed roller can be adjusted so as to space it approximately a sheet length from a stationary clamp (176) on the endless chain.

Abstract: An image forming device such as a facsimile telecommunications unit having an improved structure of a self-stacking discharge paper tray includes a housing for the unit, a cover hinged at the sides of the facsimile unit's housing to be capable of being opened and closed, and a paper tray hinged onto the cover so that the rotational path of the cover differs from that of the paper tray, thereby enabling the complete opening of the cover without first removing the paper tray. When the facsimile unit is transported, handling is facilitated and shipping volume is reduced.

Abstract: A feeding device having a pickup roller which makes pressure contact with paper to feed the paper, a forward rotation roller which is disposed downstream from the pickup roller relative to a paper feeding direction and rotated faster than the pickup roller and a reverse rotation roller which makes pressure contact with the forward rotation roller. One way clutch is disposed between the pickup roller and a drive shaft thereof so as to enable to rotate the pickup roller following the paper transported by the forward rotation roller. The pressure contact force of the pickup roller relative to the paper is reduced when the pickup roller is rotated following the sheet transported by the forward rotation roller.

Abstract: The present invention relating to a feeder adapted to be used with a scanner for feeding for the scanner an article comprises a shell adapted to mount therewith the scanner, a driving device for feeding for the scanner the article, an adjusting device contained in the shell to adjust a height of a passage through which the article can pass to be scanned by the scanner according to a thickness of the article, and a floating box contained in the shell and mounting therein the driving device.

Abstract: A loader for an automatic packaging machine received an inflow of product subject to a randomly variable product delivery. The loader delivers an outflow of product at a defined rate and in a predetermined pattern despite the variations of the inflow. A buffer storage device stores an adjustable amount of product between the inflow and the defined outflow in order to compensate for the random variables. The buffer storage device is a link chain trained over three principal sprocket wheels arranged in a triangular pattern with the wheel at an apex of the triangle being in a fixed position. The portion of the link chain which forms the base of the triangle provides the buffer storage. The product output is taken from approximately a midpoint on the base of the triangle.

Abstract: Sheets that arrive one after another in a horizontal travel direction at a relatively high input speed at an input station are stacked by first displacing the sheets transversely downward as they pass the input station, and then braking the downwardly displaced sheets so that they move in the direction at an output speed that is substantially lower than the input speed. The sheets are then stopped so that they settle downward on a stack in the bin. Since the sheets move downward somewhat before they are braked, the trailing edge of the braked sheet is below the leading edge of the following sheet. In other words a leading edge of a sheet passing through the input station extends in the direction downstream past a trailing edge of the sheet is braked. The sheets are braked by gripping their trailing edges and retarding their downstream movement. This gripping can be effected by suction or, in the case of ferromagnetic sheets, magnetically.

Abstract: Sheet stacking apparatus comprises a sheet feed system formed by a belt (9) movable past a sheet stacking hopper (1) in a sheet accept direction to feed sheets to the hopper. At least one pusher member (23) is movable in the sheet accept direction through the hopper to push successive portions of a stack (24) in the hopper (1) out of the path of an incoming sheet so as to permit unrestricted entry of a sheet into the hopper.

Abstract: Sheet feeder of a printing press having suckers for seizing an uppermost sheet of a sheet pile at a leading end of the uppermost sheet, at least one sheet-pile stop having an upper edge over which the uppermost sheet is liftable, and a pair of transport rollers to which the uppermost sheet is feedable includes grooves formed in the sheet-pile stop and extending parallel to leading and trailing edges of the sheets on the sheet pile.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for distributing semi-rigid sheets, one by one, below or above a stop behind which said sheets are stacked. The device has no sheet-extraction system in front of the stop and no fixed surface in contact with the stack in the proximity of the stop. It comprises at least three cylinders adapted to entrain by friction the sheet with which they are in contact, the axis of the outlet cylinder being vertical with respect to the stop. Moreover, it comprises a device for synchronizing the cylinders so that, during distribution of a given sheet, on the one hand, each of the cylinders upstream of the outlet cylinder is decelerated after the sheet has left contact therewith and, on the other hand, the outlet cylinder is decelerated after the rear edge of the sheet has substantially gone beyond the vertical with respect to the stop, the cylinders upstream already being in stopped position.

Abstract: A device for pre-picking a top sheet of media from a stack is disclosed. A biased friction pad is mounted on a D-shaped pick roller mechanism to engage the top sheet with a lighter force than that which follows when a similar friction pad on the D-shaped pick roller mechanism engages the sheet. Multiple sheet pick problems inherent with use of only a D-shaped pick roller mechanism are alleviated.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention apparatus for stacking flat articles, such as envelopes, on edge, comprises structure for transporting the envelopes on edge along a transport path and a deck plate having an upper side adjacent the transport path. A vertical registration wall, which is mounted on the deck plate, defines a stacking bin in which the envelopes are stacked. A deflector, which is situated between the transporting structure and the stacking bin, pivots between a first and second position, wherein the first position allows the envelopes to be transported past the stacking bin and the second position deflects the envelopes into the stacking bin. There is an urge roller, located in the stacking bin between the deflector and the registration wall for urging the envelopes towards the registration wall. There is a spring loaded paddle slidably positioned in the stacking bin orthogonal to the registration wall and above the deck surface, for urging the stacked envelopes toward the urge roller.

Abstract: An inverter for turning a sheet over and reversing the lead and trail edges of the sheet includes a disc stacker that works in conjunction with a vacuum transport. A sheet transported from a source is captured lead edge first by fingers or in a slot of the disc stacker which is rotating in a first direction. A vacuum transport is positioned adjacent the disc stacker and draws the sheet away from the disc stacker at a predetermined point and transports the sheet in a second direction opposite to the first direction trail edge first for further processing.

Abstract: A planar article or sheet, such as a divider sheet for stacked products, and the method of supplying substantially planar articles from a supply magazine to an article transfer device, which then transfers the article to a desired location for further processing. The planar article itself can be a divider sheet for stacked beverage containers, folded paperboard cartons for carriers, or any other substantially planar article which is adapted to be consecutively arranged with other such articles in a group, and placed in a supply magazine for singular delivery to an article transfer device. The method of the present invention is specifically designed to insure that only one sheet at a time is removed from the group by the article transfer device. The sheets or articles themselves, are designed to cooperate with the supply magazine to facilitate singular delivery.

Abstract: A corner buckle feeder has a singulation roller and feed roller for initially separating and feeding glossy paper. The front corners of a sheet stack are unsupported in order to minimize the intersheet frictional forces that are influenced by temperature and humidity. The axis of the singulation roller is disposed at an angle with respect to an edge adjacent to the lead edge of the top sheet. The singulation roller drives the adjacent edge inward and the top sheet deforms along the leading edge to form a buckle.