Abstract: A pick mechanism including a pick roller, a pick arm supporting the pick roller and an actuation system adapted to move the pick arm from an idle position to a pick position and impart additional normal force to the pick roller. The magnitude of the additional normal force, which is greatest when the tray is full, decreases as the size of the stack in the tray decreases.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an apparatus for doffing flat shipments at a controllable doffing speed that delivers the shipments at constant speed to driven conveyor belts. According to the invention, the speed at which the shipment to be doffed must be transported, from the time it reaches a first sensor for detecting the shipments until it reaches a corresponding second sensor in order to achieve a desired gap is ascertained. The first sensor is located at the position at which the shipments (1′) to be doffed have reached a fixed mean doffing speed, and the second sensor is located at the point of takeover by the conveyor belts.

Abstract: A sheet transport system comprises a plurality of separately driven transport sections (1, 2; 4, 5, 6), each transport section being driven by a respective motor or motors (7-12). A control system (22-27, 50) controls operation of the motors (7-12). A monitoring system (37) monitors the performance of the motors, the control system being responsive to the monitoring system to maintain correct operation of the motors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lumber unloading and feeding method and apparatus that can reliably separate individual boards from a stacked unit and feed the individual boards into other automatic machinery. One embodiment comprises a first load supporting surface and a second load supporting surface that cooperate to support a first end and a second end of at least one tier; a tier receiver located below the first and second load supporting surfaces; a first pusher that biases the first end of the tier off the first load supporting surface; and a second pusher that biases the second end of the tier off the second load supporting surface, thereby allowing the tier to drop onto the tier receiver.

Abstract: An interfolded paper napkin dispensing system composed of: (a) an outer housing defining an interior space; (b) stacking means mounted within the outer housing for holding a stack of paper napkins within the interior space; and (c) a dispensing face defined in the outer housing proximate to an end of the stacking means. The dispensing face has a central portion projecting out from the dispenser and a dispensing throat located in the central portion. The dispensing throat is composed of a slot portion having a length sufficient to permit a paper napkin to be pulled through by a user, but a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled through the throat at one time. The dispensing throat further includes a finger access portion to help a user grip and pull a paper napkin through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.

Abstract: This invention entails the piling of newspapers to be bundled into a stack atop a pair of shelves secured to, and between, rear and side walls of a housing, with the shelves being separated a distance to allow a length of twine, cord, rope, tape or other material to be drawn down from off a roll, under and over the newspapers to be tied in perpendicular directions, without having to lift and rotate the pile. In one embodiment of the invention, the bundling apparatus can be wall-mounted, while in a second embodiment, a lower compartment can be provided to accumulate stacked bundles or to house an additional collection container for glass, plastic, metal, or paper trash so separated, as a free-standing unit.

Abstract: A feeding machine for feeding envelopes into a station for further individual handling. A stack of envelopes is held in a downwardly inclined feed channel. The stack of envelopes is transformed into a layered stream by an upward inclined discharge channel including a conveyor unit that carries a stream of envelopes through a gap formed by an imbricator strip and a low friction circulation belt. The layered stream is conveyed to a removal point where a removal device removes individual envelopes for further processing. The conveyance of the layered stream is controlled in such a manner that the removal device can remove individual envelopes at regular time intervals.

Abstract: When it is detected that a first containing section contains or is being supplemented with used paper sheets, a CPU feeds the used paper sheets one by one to a table incorporated in a housing tray in a second containing section, via a conveyance path. When the housing tray is filled with used paper sheets, the CPU stops feeding and conveyance of used paper sheets from the first containing section to the second containing section, and confirms whether a main body is operating or is in a late-night standby state. If it is confirmed that the main body is operating or is in the late-night standby state, the table in the second containing section is moved into the third containing section, thereby shifting the used paper sheet on the table to the third containing section. The used paper sheets placed in the third containing section are fed to the main body one by one when necessary.

Abstract: A switchback device has an inverting tray for temporarily holding a sheet guided inside the switchback device thereon; a guide unit for guiding the sheet in pressing contact with the inverting tray when the sheet exits the switchback device in an exiting direction on the inverting tray, the exiting direction opposite to an entering direction of the sheet on the inverting tray; a guide switching unit for selectively changing the guide unit to a sheet guide allow state to allow the sheet to enter in the entering direction on the inverting tray and a sheet pressing state to make the sheet in pressing contact with the inverting; and a sheet transporting unit for transporting the sheet out of the switchback device in the exiting direction on the inverting tray.

Abstract: In a drawer (20) of a high-speed printer, individual sheets (24) supplied in an imbricated stream (30) are fed from below to a stack (22) consisting of individual sheets (24). For continuous feed, a conveying means (28) is arranged in the drawer (22). The individual sheets (24) are transferred to the conveying means (28) from a delivery conveyor (36) at a transition point or interface (38).

Abstract: A sheet-like object feed unit in a sheet-fed rotary printing press includes a feedboard, paper feed belts, connecting plate, improper paper feeding detector, swing arm shaft pregripper, transfer cylinder, non-motion roller, gripper closing cam, and air cylinder. The feedboard, paper feed belts, and connecting plate convey a sheet-like object. The improper paper feeding detector is disposed on a sheet-like object convey path including the feedboard, paper feed belts, and connecting plate, and detects improper feeding of the sheet-like object. The swing arm shaft pregripper is disposed downstream of the feedboard, paper feed belts, and connecting plate in a sheet-like object convey direction, and has a first holding unit for holding the sheet-like object conveyed by the feedboard, paper feed belts, and connecting plate.

Abstract: A method and arrangement are provided for removing air inclusions between sheets in a stack when forming the stack from sheets fed successively by a sheet feeder to the stack to be formed and deposited thereon in a sheet feeding region. Air out is suction out of the spaces between the sheets in the sheet-feeding region.

Abstract: An air cushion guide for sheet or web-formed material that includes at least one guide member having a chamber and a surface formed with nozzle openings that may communicate with the chamber, through which air is blown between the guide member and the guided material for supporting the guided material on a supporting air cushion located above the guide member. Each of the nozzle openings has a cross sectional area. At least one moveable element is constructed to vary a volumetric flow of air emitted from the nozzle openings to form the air cushion guide. The moveable element is selected from the group consisting of a component having a movement which changes a number of the nozzle openings formed in the surface that are supplied with blown air, and at least one component having a movement that changes the cross sectional area of at least one of the nozzle openings formed in the surface. A control unit is provided for controlling a movement of the at least one moveable element.

Abstract: A thermal printer includes a thermal printer component for image recording to a thermosensitive recording sheet. There is a loading opening through which the thermal printer component is supplied with the recording sheet. Plural guiding projections position the recording sheet in the loading opening. A recording sheet package includes a packaging case for containing a loose stack of plural recording sheets. The loading opening is loadable with the packaging case. A package outlet is formed in the packaging case for passage of each recording sheet, and set directed toward the thermal printer component. Plural cutouts are formed in a periphery of the packaging case, and receive the guiding projections. Blocking portions of a blocking frame are disposed inside the packaging case, and close the cutouts. The blocking portions are shiftable inwards from the cutouts by the guiding projections.

Abstract: After the uppermost sheet is separated from a stack of sheets on a pressure plate by a sheet feed roller, a push plate is lowered by a lowering mechanism by a predetermined distance and is halted at a plate standby position higher than the plate lower position by the engagement of a ratchet pawl with a lock pawl. Accordingly, when the pressure plate is lowered after the sheet is separated, it is unnecessary to lower the push plate to the plate lower position. Thus, the moving up/down distance of the pressure plate is shortened when the sheet is separated and conveyed, resulting in a reduction in impact noise generated upon the contact of the sheet and the sheet feed roller. In addition, because the moving distance is shortened, the sheet feed speed per sheet is increased.

Abstract: A follower mechanism is provided for use in a system for feeding flat articles, such as mixed mail, which follower mechanism includes a paddle assembly connected to a mount so as to be pivotable between a feed position and an inactive position, and mechanism for permitting the paddle mount to be freely moved in either direction when the paddle assembly is in its inactive position, but to be drivable only in the forward direction when the paddle is in its feed position. A counterbalance mechanism is provided to control downward movement to the paddle and to assist in the lifting of the paddle. A mechanism may also be provided for positively disengaging the mount for the paddle from the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A multiple bin sorter for use with an image forming device in which the bins rotate through a sheet receiving position and, as may be necessary or desirable, through other positions to accommodate a variety of different finishing operations. The sorter includes a plurality of rotatable bins configured to receive sheets outputted by an image forming device.

Abstract: A dispensing machine is used to dispense rectangularly shaped containers including milk cartons and the like, preferably of a size ranging from approximately one-half liter to approximately two liters or even larger. The machine can be used to dispense various products including juices, soft drinks, milk, candy and virtually any product that can be suitably contained in a square rectangular container. The machine has a vertical channel containing paddles where each paddle supports only some of the containers in the channel when the channel is filled with containers. Since the containers have flexible side walls, the paddles move simultaneously to gently lower the containers one space at a time when the machine is activated. Also, when the containers are in the vertical channel, the lowermost container is not subjected to the weight of all of the containers above it when the channel is filled with containers.

Abstract: A discharged sheet stacking apparatus includes a sheet feed-in device for pinching and feeding a sheet onto a sheet stacking portion on which a plurality of sheets are stacked and for causing a tip end of the sheet to abut against a sheet stopper. The sheet feed in device is disposed at a position spaced apart from the sheet stopper by a distance smaller than a length of the sheet. The sheet feed-in device continues the feeding operation while pinching a tail end of the sheet even after the tip end of the sheet abuts against the sheet stopper so that, after a loop is formed in the tail end of the sheet, the sheet is discharged onto the sheet stacking portion.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeding system has a paper-grabbing device and paper-separating device, with a paper tray having a front end that can move up and down. A paper-feeding channel is in front of the front end of the paper tray. The paper-grabbing device is installed on the paper tray and moves paper in the paper tray into the paper-feeding channel. The paper-separating device has a paper-separating roller and a paper-separating friction disk which are respectively installed above and below the paper-feeding channel. These elements together permit only a single sheet of paper to move forward. An actuator mechanism installed under the paper-feeding channel lifts up or pulls down the front end of the paper tray and the paper-separating friction disk. Finally, a driving device drives the paper-grabbing device, the paper-separating device and the actuator mechanism.