Abstract: The sucker assembly is driven into contact with the stack of sheets by a fluid drive air cylinder at relatively slow speed. The stack of sheets is held at a steep incline in the hopper which includes a stock advance drive for keeping the entire stack properly positioned adjacent the sucker pickup point. A pressure sensing transducer measures the vacuum at the suction cupped tip of the sucker and triggers the relatively brisk retraction of a single sheet when proper vacuum is sensed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating fiber suspension is especially applicable for pulp screening in the wood processing industry, particularly for the separation of light particles from fiber suspensions. The apparatus comprises an outer casing with conduits for inlet pulp, accepts, heavier rejects and lighter rejects; a filter cylinder and a rotor, the surface of which is provided with at least one protrusion; and an opening for guiding the light rejects through the surface of the rotor.

Abstract: A multistage paper feeding/conveying apparatus has a plurality of recording paper storing devices vertically arranged at multiple stages; a paper feeder for feeding a sheet of recording paper one by one from arbitrary one of the recording paper storing devices; and a vertical conveyer vertically extending and opposed to a paper feeding side of each of the recording paper storing devices. The vertical conveyer conveys the sheet of recording paper fed from the paper feeder to a paper receiving section of an image forming apparatus. The paper feeder has a single paper feeding unit which can selectively come in contact with a front end portion of an uppermost sheet of recording paper on an upper face thereof with respect to sheets of recording paper stored within the plural recording paper storing devices. The paper feeding unit and the vertical conveyer have a single endless conveying belt and a device for forming an electric charge pattern for adsorbing the sheet of recording paper to the endless belt.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a sheet-like object comprises a motor, a fly-wheel rotated by the motor at a uniform speed, a rotor for displacing one of stacked sheet-like objects by a torque of the rotor in the direction of the torque, and a cam mechanism for converting the uniform speed rotational movement of the fly-wheel to non-uniform speed rotational movement, and transmitting the non-uniform speed rotational movement to the rotor. The cam mechanism comprises a stationary cam member, an orbit forming member formed on the cam member, a roller urged by uniform speed rotational movement of the fly-wheel to move along the orbit forming member, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting to the rotor non-uniform speed rotational movement obtained as a result of the movement of the roller along the orbit forming member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the floatable guiding of material in the form of sheets or webs. The material in the form of sheets or webs (1a, 1b, 1c) is guided over floating nozzles disposed on one side and operating on the air cushion principle. Suction shafts are disposed between the individual floating nozzles, so that during conveying the material is alternately subjected to excess pressure and negative pressure forces, being guided as a result free from back-up and flapping in a required conveying plane. The invention is more particularly suited for guiding material over convexly and/or concavely curved conveying paths such as are usual, for example, for the dragging conveyance of printed sheets between the outlet of a printing machine and the delivery.

Abstract: An automatic sheet supplying apparatus comprising a first supply rotary member for feeding a sheet intermittently, and a second supply rotary member disposed at a downstream side of the first supply rotary member in a sheet feeding direction and adapted to feed the sheet at a stop time period shorter than that of the first supply rotary member. A clearance is created between a previously fed sheet and a next sheet.

Abstract: A sheet transporting device including a first and a second transporting rollers having different starting/stopping characteristics and capable of retransporting a sheet after the sheet is temporarily held between the first and the second transporting rollers. The sheet transporting device detects an amount of loop in a sheet which is produced between the first and the second transporting rollers and controls timing by which the second transporting rollers are started so as to delay the start until after the first transporting rollers are started in accordance with the detected amount of the loop.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting superimposed sheets of paper in a sheet fed printing press utilizes cooperating upper and lower transmitter and receiver pairs that are positioned above and below the sheet transport path. Voltages that are representative of the positions of the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet are compared to nominal values. If the actual values significantly exeed the nominal values, a superimposed sheet condition exists and appropriate corrective action can be taken.

Abstract: A stacker assembly for receiving generally flat documents, such as mailing envelopes and flats, in on-edge relation and maintaining the documents in upstanding side-by-side stacked relation as they accumulate in the stacker assembly. A receiving station is supported at one end of a horizontal support plate and guides successive incoming documents into stacked relation transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stacker assembly. A stacker plate is supported to engage the forwardmost document in the stack and is movable longitudinally of the stacker assembly in response to accumulation of documents in the stacker. Means in the form of a negator spring and a wedge plate cooperate with the stacker plate in a manner to apply a variable pressure against the documents so as to accommodate both thin lightweight and heavier documents in the stack while maintaining them in upstanding relation.

Abstract: A two corner container for receiving copy sheets for stacking is positioned within a machine and allows viewing of stacking progress within the machine, as well as, the status of the container outside the machine. A two corner cover is provided that facilitates four corner protection and stacking capability for storing, stacking and transporting such containers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding and separating device incorporated in image forming equipment for feeding sheets one by one from a sheet stack while preventing two or more sheets from being fed together as far as possible and, when a plurality of sheets are accidentally fed together, surely separating one of them from the others. A pick-up member is implemented as an endless dielectric belt. An AC power source forms a charge pattern on the belt via an electrode. As a result, the belt retains a sheet by attraction and transports it due to the Maxwell stress generated in the sheet. When a plurality of sheets are fed together, an arresting member which faces the belt separates one of them from the others. Alternatively, a charge pattern may be formed on the surface of the arresting member.

Abstract: A diverter (10) for a printing press having a cylinder (14) for sequentially carrying printed matter (22), a device (16) for rotating the cylinder (14) a device (42) for passing the printed matter (22) along a first usual path (32) when the printed matter (22) is in a proper arrangement, and for diverting the printed matter (22) along a second different path (54) when the printed matter (22) becomes jammed along the first path (32).

Abstract: A sheet alignment device to align the edges of recording sheets stacked on a sheet stacker of a duplex unit in a two-sided copying apparatus, in which a document image has been copied onto the first surface of the recording sheet and the recording sheet is reversed so that another document image can be copied onto the second surface of the recording sheet. The device has an edge pushing member which can be driven in the range from the maximum width to the minimum width of the recording sheets used in the apparatus in order to align the edges of the recording sheets, a driver which moves the edge pushing member in the width direction of the recording sheet, a detector which detects the width of the edge pushing member located in a home position, and a controller which controls the movement of the edge pushing member to the home position being narrower than the maximum size of recording sheet and wider than the minimum size, based on the result of the detection.

Abstract: A removable stacker for automatic mail sorting system comprises a stacking area, a mobile wall adapted to hold documents on edge and to move against the action of a return device as the stacker is filled and an articulated flap adapted to assume a first position in which it is retracted and a second position in which it cooperates with the mobile wall to grip the documents during manipulation of the removable stacker. A system is provided for maintaining the flap in its second position against the action of the weight of the stacked documents.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet by a vibration wave includes a pair of rotatable rollers each having a rotary shaft orthogonal to the direction of conveyance of the sheet and substantially parallel to the surface of the sheet. The sheet feeding device is designed such that the sheet is nipped by and between the pair of rollers with suitable pressure, thereby eliminating lateral shift and inclination for any extraneous force applied to the sheet.

Abstract: An auger apparatus having an elongated housing for permitting granular, powdery or pelletized material to pass therethrough has an inlet is provided for introducing material to be conveyed into one end of the housing and an outlet for causing the material to drop therethrough to a desired destination, this outlet comprising a plurality of elongated openings disposed at least partially in a lower portion of the housing. An auger is disposed in the housing for moving the material therein in one direction through the housing. A motor is provided for rotating the auger about an axis in a direction to cause material disposed in the housing to move from the inlet to the outlet thereof. The lower portion of the housing is at least partially cylindrical in shape and the elongated openings have one end thereof closer to the inlet than to the outlet of the housing and these elongated openings also have one end thereof lower than the other end thereof.

Abstract: A document fed from a document loading tray is first transported into one branch transport path for invention of the transporting direction thereof, and then is guided through the other branch transport path and transported on to a document scanning area. In this process, when the trailing edge of the inverted document has passed the branching point between the two transport paths, the feeding of a succeeding document toward said one transport path is initiated. Also, when the trailing edge of the inverted preceding document has passed the branching point, the transportation of the preceding document is temporarily stopped, during which time the transporting direction of the succeeding document is inverted. This allows the succeeding document to be brought close to the preceding document. At this time also, the feeding of a further succeeding document may be initiated.

Abstract: A media feed roll apparatus is provided for the transfer of articles such as envelopes, magazines and newspapers, one by one, from a stack to a transport which conveys these articles to a work station for printing or labeling. The apparatus and methodology according to the invention allow for independent adjustment of the roller nip between upper drive rollers and lower facing rollers so that an article such as an envelope can be inserted into the nip with the roller pairs providing substantially equal nip pressure on the article. Roller nip pressure is achieved through a mechanism allowing raising and lowering of the upper drive rollers, preferably by a pivotal action, which are independently suspended. Upon being released from the mechanism, the rollers are biased toward the article thereby creating substantially equal nip pressure on the article even if the nip spacing is different as a result of the article having different thicknesses.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine of the type having a duplex tray for collecting sheets having an image formed on one side thereof. Successive sheets collected in the duplex tray are advanced therefrom to the processing stations of the printing machine to have an image formed on the other side thereof. The duplex tray has at least one backstop member positioned thereon and adapted to engage an edge of the sheets being collected. The backstop member stops movement of the sheets and is adapted to deflect upon being contacted by the sheet edge. When the leading edge of the sheet engages the backstop member, the backstop member deflects and absorbs energy. This also increases the sheets contact area and minimizes denting and deletions of the image edge of the sheet edge contacting the backstop member.

Abstract: In a document handler for a copier or scanner imaging station in which a separate document input loading tray and a document restacking output tray are provided, but with both trays being superposed over the imaging station and one another for compactness; the document input tray is only partially underlying the output tray, has a substantially fully supportive surface, and is adapted to fully support document feeding into an input end of the document handler; and the document restacking output tray (except for an initial portion at its opposite end entrance area) consists of only a thin, rear edge only, shelf, overlying not more than a minor rear portion of the input tray in at least that portion of the input tray adjacent the input end of the document handler into which documents are to be fed, so as to provide open document loading access.