Abstract: An apparatus for use in handling sheet material articles includes a feed drum which is rotatable to sequentially pull sheet material articles from a hopper. A separator assembly includes a rotatable separator disk in which a plurality of gaps are formed. A plurality of suction applicator heads are rotatable with the separator disk relative to the hopper. Each of the suction applicator heads is aligned with a gap in the separator disk. During rotation of the separator disk and suction applicator heads together relative to the hopper, the suction applicator heads are operable to sequentially apply suction to lower side surfaces of lowermost sheet material article in the hopper. The feed drum pulls one sheet material article from the hopper while a next succeeding sheet material article in the hopper is engaged by a suction applicator head.

Abstract: A hand scanner support and paper guide apparatus is disclosed for mechanically scanning a thin sheet, e.g. a sheet of paper, using a scanner designed to be hand-held. The apparatus includes a housing which includes a planar upper wall which serves as a flat surface along which the thin sheet is moved. A support assembly is connected to the housing and supports the scanner a spaced distance above the planar upper wall as the thin sheet is moved past the scanner. A guide assembly is connected to the housing and guides the thin sheet in a straight path as the thin sheet is moved along the planar upper wall. A drive assembly is housed within the housing and moved the thin sheet past the scanner. The drive assembly includes a driven, thin-sheet-contacting element such as a cylindrical roller; and a slot, in the planar upper wall, permits the cylindrical roller to contact and move the thin sheet as it lies on the planar upper wall.

Abstract: The method of recovery from a jam of a copy sheet in a clearance zone in an image processing machine including the steps of determining the position of the copy sheet and a following copy sheet in the copy sheet path, recognizing that the following copy sheet is within a second clearance zone, calculating a time period to continue machine operation to drive the following copy sheet into the first clearance zone, and determining that said time period does not exceed a maximum time period.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for feeding sheets, one by one, from a stack of sheets. The sheet feeding device basically comprises a suction cup or pad which is used to attract and hold an uppermost one of stacked sheets for thereby taking out the uppermost sheet from the stacked sheets and which is swingable at a given angular range, a delivery mechanism for receiving the uppermost sheet from the suction pad for deliverying the same to a succeeding device, a drive source for swinging the suction pad, and a control circuit for swinging the suction pad at, at least, either a first angular velocity or a second angular velocity which is lower than the first angular velocity and is used to deliver the uppermost sheet to the delivery mechanism. The sheet conveying speed the delivery mechanism to the succeeding device can accurately be adjusted so as to match with the actual sheet conveying speed of the succeeding device.

Abstract: A universal interface for operatively connecting and feeding the sequential copy sheet output of various reproduction machines of widely varying ranges of sheet output level heights to various independent copy sheet processing units having widely varying sheet input level heights with a free-standing movable interface module of a fixed narrow width. A sheet feeding path extends from one side of the module to the other for transporting the copy sheets. This sheet feeding path is preferably bi-directional and reversible for feeding copy sheets therethrough from either side. It is repositionable by vertically repositioning over a large vertical height range integral sheet path ends opening at opposite sides of the interface module, a retention system retains the sheet path ends at a selected height position mating with a selected reproduction apparatus sheet output level and a selected copy sheet processing unit sheet input level.

Abstract: A sheet stacking system is provided which includes mechanism designed to compensate for the aerodynamic forces which act on a sheet as it passes from the printer's output port to the floor of the printer's output tray. The system includes a pair of spaced, anti-sail wings which are positioned adjacent the printer's output port so as to controlledly receive just-expelled sheets. The wings are operatively associated with the output tray's floor, and are arranged so that opposite movement thereof results in rear-to-front sequential release of a supported sheet, directing substantially vertical passage of such sheet to the top of an output stack.

Abstract: A take-off device for gripping and releasing an article has a gripper heat capable of imparting a downward force to an article gripped thereof. The gripper head has a lower jaw and an upper jaw, the lower jaw being capable of moving linearly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the take-off device. The upper jaw is capable of pivotal movement below the line of linear movement of the lower jaw after the lower jaw has moved linearly to release the article gripped by the gripper head, whereby a downward force to an article gripped and released by the take-off device may be imparted.

Abstract: A sheet material handling apparatus having a rotatable drum and clamps for holding the sheet material on the drum during high speed rotation. The clamps are arranged to rely on centrifugal force as the primary operational clamping force during the high speed rotation. One clamp is eccentrically mounted on a pivot axis with a greater mass on a segment of the clamp adapted to pivot away from the drum surface during high speed rotation. A second clamp is contacted by a slidable counterweight mounted on the drum opposite the central rotation axis of the drum from the second clamp such centrifugal force of the counterweight enhances clamping of the sheet material to the drum surface.

Abstract: In an apparatus for transporting sheets along a travel path, a registration mechanism for aligning a sheet relative to the travel path. The registration mechanism comprises a support for a sheet moving along the travel path and a pair of frusto-conical rollers. The frusto-conical rollers are mounted for rotation about common axis, with the apex portions of the respective frusto-conical rollers oriented in the same direction relative to the common axis. The common axis is located to lie in a plane parallel to the plane of a sheet in the travel path and extend in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of a sheet along the travel path. The plane containing the axis is spaced from the sheet supporting means a distance such that the frusto-conical rollers are in nip relation with the sheet supporting means so as to urge a sheet in the travel path in the direction of movement along the travel path and in a direction transverse to the direction of movement with a minimum of skew induced in such sheet.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheet material to a sheet transport system leading downstream in a machine, for example a printer, comprises a plurality of sheet material magazine stations, each of which is provided with a feed channel leading into the sheet transport system and with at least one friction roller set which can be selectively driven or stopped. Provision is made for the friction roller sets (28, 50) of the various magazine stations (2, 4) to be provided in each case with a mechanical clutch (72, 74) enabling them to be selectively coupled to a common drive motor, and for the clutches (72, 74) each to be provided with a clutch actuator ( 88, 96 ) cooperating with a control cam member (38 ) common to all the actuators (88, 96 ) and connected to a servomotor (108). In this way a plurality of friction roller sets can be operated with a single servomotor.

Abstract: A bill accumulating storage unit is provided for use with a paper currency acceptor, the storage unit comprising a presser plate on one side of the currency pathway therein and a spring loaded currency support platform on the opposite side of the currency pathway. The presser plate is pivotably mounted to the eccentric center section of one or more cranks having concentric end sections journalled for rotation in the walls of the storage unit. Elongated stacker arms are mounted at a first end to a concentric end of the crank for conjoint rotation therewith.

Abstract: A carry pallet is disclosed which has a plurality of supporting members attached to the periphery of a pallet base, sacrifice board carrying portions are mounted on the upper portions of the supporting members and stop plates are arranged on the carrying portions. When process boards and a sacrifice board are arranged on the pallet, the sacrifice board is carried on the carrying portions of the carry pallet without contact with the stack of process boards without shifting and falling.

Abstract: In order to select certain sheet sizes or formats for a rotation by 90.degree. in the plane of the sheet, sensors are provided which sense the presence of a sheet on a supply and turning table. The sensors provide a respective signal for the control of a sheet turning mechanism. After turning the sheets are fed in the proper positional orientation to further processing, for example, in a folding apparatus. The turning mechanism also performs a sheet lifting and lowering operation. The sheet transport out of the turning mechanism is performed at a speed higher than the speed of the sheets travelling into or onto the turning mechanism to provide the time necessary for the sheet turning operation which takes place in three steps: sheet lifting, sheet turning, and sheet lowering in response to a control signal from the sensors which determine what sheet format needs to be reoriented.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a first conveying unit driven by a first motor; a second conveying unit which is driven by a second motor and situated downstream from the first conveying unit; abnormality detecting unit for detecting an abnormality in the apparatus; a clock unit for counting a predetermined time following the timing of detection of an abnormality by the abnormality detecting unit; and control unit for separately stopping the motors when the abnormality detecting unit has detected an abnormality. The control unit stops the second motor in response to the output from the abnormality detecting unit and stops the first motor a predetermined time there-after in response to the output from the clock unit.

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: This bill validator (10) includes a bill transport system (20) for conveying bills (B) to a location adjacent a bill collection compartment (12). The transport system (20) comprises a first pair of spaced belt assemblies (70) including a lower pulley (80) an upper pulley (82) and a belt (86) movable between said pulleys; a second pair of spaced belt assemblies (72) including a lower pulley (90) an upper pulley (92) and a belt (94) movable between said pulleys, associated belts (86, 94) being adjacent to direct bills (B) in a generally vertical path, the belts (86, 94) being moved into engagement by providing the lower pulleys (90) of the second belt assemblies (72) with a floating journal (104) and by providing the associated belts (94) with a length to induce tension into said belts (94) and apply a force to said pulleys (80) to provide sufficient pressure between said belts (86, 94) to grip and convey said bills (B).

Abstract: A recycling automatic document feeder (RADF) for a copier or similar image forming apparatus and capable of preventing curled or otherwise deformed documents from being damaged when such documents are recirculated. The RADF includes a parting plate for separating part of a stack of documents not undergone illumination from the other part undergone illumination and returned to the stack. When the parting plate is raised to a level above a predetermined height, the RADF is inhibited from returning the illuminated documents to the stack.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for feeding a stack of flat articles on edge, especially mail items, to a de-stacker head provided with a support surface, the device comprising a main feed magazine in which the stack is disposed and a plate pushing the rear of the stack. A secondary feed magazine is introduced between the main magazine and the support surface of the de-stacker head, the secondary magazine having an upwardly inclined transfer surface, its edge adjacent to the support surface of the de-stacker head being higher than the latter.

Abstract: An inexpensive large-capacity paper hopper capable of energizing a paper feed table with a constant lift force irrespective of the quantity of paper sheets remaining thereon, thereby performing stable paper feeding. To achieve such a paper hopper, a paper hopper, wherein a paper feed table is lifted or lowered being kept in a horizontal condition and paper sheets stacked on the paper feed table are sequentially sent out from the top sheet for feeding, is arranged such that the paper feed table is so suspended by a wire suspending device as to be lifted or lowered in a horizontal condition, and an elastic tensile force of extension coil springs included in a lift force exerting device is so exerted to the paper feed table that the direction in which the restoring displacement of the extension coil springs takes place becomes coincident with the direction of lifting the paper feed table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for processing printed products such as newspapers, magazines or parts thereof in which the printed products are transported by controllable grippers of a conveying device wherein the printed product is held at a first edge which runs transversely to the conveying direction. The printed products are conveyed at a set conveying speed. The grippers are at least partially opened to displace the printed products in the mouth of the grippers. The printed products are then displaced in the mouth of the grippers until the second edge (which is opposite the first edge) is brought to rest on a straightening mechanism. The straightening mechanism is driven substantially in the conveying direction. The grippers are then closed to continue transporting the printed products. If the second edge of the printed products leads relative to the first edge, the straightening mechanism is driven at a lower speed than the conveying speed.