Abstract: An apparatus and method in conjunction with a copier and/or a collator is disclosed for providing on-line and off-line insertion of sheet material or collation, respectively. The apparatus includes a single supply tray and sheet feeder therefor. The supply tray is pre-loaded with one or more types of insert material, each type being separated by a coded sheet. As the insert sheets are fed, a sensor detects the coded sheet which is fed to an overflow tray and further feeding from the supply tray is inhibited until additional copy sheets from the copier is supplied in the on-line mode of operation, or a different type of material is to be collated in the off-line mode.

Abstract: To pull apart interfolded, imbricated paper copy products (4, 5), two pairs (1, 2) of upper and lower transport systems, typically sprocket chains, each have engagement projection elements (10-13), preferably roller elements, extending therefrom, and gripping laterally projecting edges of the respective imbricated in-folded copy products. The paths of the upper and lower transport systems (6-7, 8-9) converge towards each other to grip the copy products and, after having gripped the copy products, the pairs diverge laterally from each other to pull out and pull apart the copy products (4', 5') gripped by the respective pairs of the transport systems, the upper and lower transport systems then diverging to release the copy products to further removal transport arrangements, for example transport belts (17, 18).

Abstract: The invention provides a paper feeder apparatus having first and second automatic paper feeder mechanisms and a manual paper feeder mechanism. The paper feeder apparatus performs automatic feed using the manual paper feeder mechanism and the first automatic paper feeder mechanism. The paper feeder apparatus also has the second paper feeder mechanism which is detachably mounted in the manual paper feeder mechanism. Furthermore, the paper feeder apparatus has a display unit. When the second automatic paper feeder mechanism is mounted in the copying machine, a display control circuit (microcomputer) controls to display a sign at the display unit to indicate which one of the first and second paper feeder mechanisms is selected. However, when the second automatic paper feeder mechanism is not mounted, the display control circuit controls the display unit so as not to display the sign which indicates the selected mechanisms.

Abstract: A cassette for use with a cash dispensing machine having a picker assembly including first and second pickers, for example, for picking bills from the cassette when the cassette is placed into operative engagement with the cash dispensing machine. The cassette is used to receive a stack of bills having a front end and a rear end, with the cassette having a dispensing end which is positioned next to the picker assembly. The cassette utilizes first and second resilient pushers that are aligned with the first and second pickers to move the stack of bills towards the dispensing end. Each of the first and second resilient pushers includes a ball and socket joint which enable the pushers to conform to the rear end of the stack and thereby obviate a current "wedging" problem associated with cassettes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeder for supplying single sheets of paper to a printer's paper feeding mechanism. The sheet feeder is pivotably mounted so that the paper supply is maintained in contact with a fixed position feed roller. The feed roller is actuated when a sheet of paper is to be fed into the printing mechanism. The sheet feeder's pivot point is chosen to provide constant feed pressure to the paper supply regardless of the size of the remaining paper supply.

Abstract: Assembly for stream feeding sheets overlappingly staggered relative to one another via a feed table to an aligning device and for delivering the sheets aligned by the aligning device to a sheet-processing machine, the assembly maintaining movement of the sheets in direction towards the sheet-processing machine during alignment of the sheets by the aligning device, includes an aligning cylinder disposed under the feed table for receiving a sheet to be aligned which is fed thereto via the feed table, at least two rows of front lays disposed symmetrically on and around the circumference of the aligning cylinder, as well as a respective device disposed adjacent the rows of front lays for aligning side edges of the sheet, and a gripping device for holding the sheet until other further-transferring conveying device take over the sheet in-register.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus for a printing device, comprising a rotational shaft connected through a one way spring clutch to a forward and reverse rotatable driving motor supported by the printing device, feed rollers mounted on the rotational shaft so as to be in pressure contact with the uppermost surface of pieces of printing paper stacked on a holder table, and a coil spring wound around the rotational shaft and supported at one end thereof by a frame for preventing the rotation in the other direction of the rotational shaft induced by the reverse rotation of the driving motor. The holder table is supported by the frame pivotally through an adjusting means utilizing an eccentric shaft.

Abstract: Improvements result from using a feed roller always rotating at a constant surface speed to feed mail items successively with gaps between them from a stack to a franking machine without undue variations in the gap lengths when there are variations in the mail item lengths in respective stacks. A cam rocks a cradle about an input roller axis to bring a feed roller against the stack at a frequency to feed the items forward one by one. Gearing between rollers drives a two speed transmission to a cam via one way clutches. For envelopes shorter than a predetermined limit, the higher speed drive operates. When a rear mail guide member engages envelopes longer than the limit, a lever allows a pawl to disengage a wrap spring clutch disabling the higher speed drive and rendering the lower speed drive effective.

Abstract: A device for controlling the vacuum at a rotating vacuum cylinder in a high peed paper converting machine by means of a control head having a conical shape which is supported coaxially therewith and which is secured against rotation. The conically shaped control head is telescoped into a complementarily shaped opening in the vacuum cylinder with an exact fit. The two cooperating control surfaces lie on the outer cone surface of the control head and on the inner cone surface of the vacuum cylinder.

Abstract: A device including unpiling apparatus of the gripper type, each gripper including a pick-up beak, the fixed plate of the gripper being rigid with a carriage movable on a horizontal guide, this carriage being coupled to the piston rod of a fixed fluid-operated cylinder and adapted to transfer the sheet or web picked up by the beak from one pick-up station to the treatment station. It further includes apparatus for causing the pick-up beak to grip the web by turns in a first and a second positions, the second gripping position causing the picked-up web to be turned upside down.

Abstract: An envelope hopper (20) is capable of selectively handling stacks of short envelopes (SE), stacks of long envelopes (LE), or stacks of envelopes of intermediate dimensions. The envelope stack rests on a table frame (26) in such a manner that at least a portion of a bottom-most envelope overhangs a breaker plate edge (32). At appropriate points in an machine cycle suction cups (64) rise from below a breaker plate (30) to attract the underside of the overhanging envelope and then fall to deflect the attracted envelope. Rotating arcuate surfaces (202) of segmented rollers (66) thereafter make contact with the underside of the deflected envelope. Cooperating rollers (72) are pivoted into a position to contact the upperside of the deflected envelope, to engage the deflected envelope between the rollers (72) and the driven segmented roller (66), and to apply a pressure which facilitates displacement of the envelope from the stack by the application of rotational motion from the segmented roller (66).

Abstract: The solution according to the invention serves to position textile surface configurations, especially cut parts for pieces of clothing. It is the object of the invention to create an apparatus, with which sewing material parts can be positioned in two coordinates in a simple manner. In the invention, the sewing material is moved against a contact edge of a positioning table in the x-direction by air nozzles, which are alternately guided by sensors. The sewing material edge is clamped by a vertically-adjustable clamping device. The positioning table is then moved in the y-direction until the sewing material edge reaches a sensor.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting copy sheets made from an original by a copying machine includes a plurality of trays which are vertically aligned in multiple stages at predetermined intervals, an indexer for delivering the copy sheets to the trays, a conveyor for conveying the copy sheets to the indexer, and a flexible guide member which is provided at the inlet portion of each of the trays for guiding each copy sheet from the indexer into one of the trays along the bottom surface of an adjacent upper tray.

Abstract: Apparatus for counting the number of paper sheets has a pair of feed-out, or delivery, auxiliary rolls rotatably mounted at the bottom of a hopper for advancing paper sheets stacked in the hopper towards a payout rolls mounted adjacent the hopper outlet. Each auxiliary delivery roll has a frictional surface forming a portion of the roll periphery and a relatively slippery surface forming the remainder of the roll periphery. The frictional surface has a recessed peripheral zone, all points of which are spaced from the center of the roll by a distance less than that by which the periphery of a slippery surface, forming the remaining portion of the roll periphery, is spaced from the center of the roll. The paper sheets stacked in the hopper are moved vertically by the auxiliary rolls and advanced towards the payout roll with a larger force of friction by being contacted over a wider area by the frictional surface.

Abstract: A document and currency handling machine in which bills to be handled are loaded in a cartridge having a first endless belt with a pusher plate which is spring biased towards the sheet-by-sheet feeder in the machine by a spiral spring coupled between the first endless belt and the shaft of one roller over which the first belt passes, so as to assure constant pressure by the pusher plate throughout its travel; a second endless belt, receiving separated bills from the sheet-by-sheet feeder, passes them by a sensor which detects defective bills and activates a diverter which diverts such defective bills into a reject tray, the good bills passing to an output stacker which, when the predetermined number of bills has been received by it, pivots to permit easy removal of the good bills.

Abstract: In a newspaper stacking plant a sensor is placed at a point along the newspaper path. After counting a predetermined number of newspapers, the sensor control electronics actuate a first intercepter means to provide a gap in the newspaper flow. The subsequent newspapers are led to a first collection station such as a stacking blade. The sensor control electronics also control a second intercepter such as a deflecting tongue entering the newspaper flow on actuation, at a point between the first intercepter and the first collection station, a predetermined number of newspapers being diverted and led to a second collection station. The inventive device enables machine diversion of small portions from the newspaper flow to the second collection station, while the major portion is led to the first collection station.

Abstract: A braking mechanism for decelerating copy sheets being delivered to a stacking tray of an electrophotographic copier includes pairs of opposing feed rollers disposed at closely adjacent longitudinally spaced locations along the sheet path to the tray. The first pair of rollers are driven at a peripheral velocity equal to that of the upstream portions of the sheet transport assembly, while the second pair of rollers are driven through an overrunning clutch at a peripheral velocity equal to about one-third to one-half the velocity of the first pair of rollers. A copy sheet entering the nip of the second pair of rollers from the first pair of rollers acts as a rigid member to drive the second pair of rollers at the upstream velocity, overrunning the clutch. When the sheet emerges from the upstream nip, frictional drag slows the second pair of rollers down to the slower velocity of their drive source, causing the sheet to be delivered to the copy tray at a relatively low rate of speed to ensure even stacking.

Abstract: A paper handling system for a copier is disclosed. A paper sheet is wrapped around a drum of a copier by utilizing the exhaust air flow of a vacuum to lift the paper to the drum and to hold the paper sheet onto the drum. In addition, if a second paper sheet is lifted to the drum in a double pick situation, the second sheet is returned to a paper tray for subsequent copying thereon.

Abstract: An arrangement for removing sheets, especially X-ray film sheets, from a container in the interior of which such sheets are arranged next to one another in a stack, wherein at least some of the sheets are so dimensioned as to be movable toward and away from an abutment surface, includes at least one roller which engages at least the next sheet to be removed during a moving operation and moves the next sheet into abutment with the abutment surface. A plurality of such rollers may be arranged at the bottom region of the container such that their axes of rotation extend normal to the edges of the sheets which rest on the rollers in an upright position of the container in which the removal operation is performed.

Abstract: A document feeding device having a hopper oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, the hopper having an upstream aperture and a downstream aperture and able to support a pack of documents to be fed therefrom, a device situated at the lower end of the hopper for feeding documents seriatim from the hopper, a first pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the downstream aperture and a second pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the upstream aperture, and a double sided timing belt mounted on the first and second pulleys and riding on the upper surface of the hopper.