Abstract: An apparatus for the peel off feeding of stacked printed items such as newspapers, periodicals, booklets or the like, comprises a number of open-topped containers for receiving the stacked items. There is furthermore a peel off station into which the containers are moved for the removal of the printed items therein. Each such container for printed items has a bottom shelf with device for guiding it vertically and is slanted towards a removal side, at least in the feeding station. At least during the time it is in the peel off station the shelf in each container may be driven vertically so as to bring the uppermost printed item therein into the range of action of a suction device which cooperates with a scoop plate in lifting and sliding off the items from the top of the container one by one. The scoop plate is able to be moved between a position in which it somewhat overlaps the top edge of the container in the peel off position and a position retracted therefrom.

Abstract: A machine for counting flat articles includes a sequence of conveyor belts driven at successively increasing speeds from input to output. At the input end the articles are stacked and withdrawn from the stack from the bottom. A separator above the conveyor isolates the bodies from each other and spaces them, the spacing being increased by the increasing speed of the conveyors as the articles move toward the output end. The articles are counted by a photocell device or feeler. A receiver arranges the articles in a layered arrangement. Band-shaped resilient, curved clamping members are mounted on the separator to assure separation of articles of varying thicknesses, a first set of clamping members being mounted on the outside of the separator and curving in the direction of conveyance and a second set being mounted on the inside and curving in the direction of conveyance under the separator. An eccentric adjusts the curvature and tension of the first set of clamping members.

Abstract: A machine for counting flat articles includes a sequence of conveyor belts driven at successively increasing speeds from input to output. At the input end the articles are stacked and withdrawn from the stack from the bottom. A separator above the conveyor isolates the bodies from each other and spaces them, the spacing being increased by the increasing speed of the conveyors as the articles move toward the output end. The articles are counted by a photocell device or feeler. A receiver arranges the articles in a layered arrangement. In one embodiment the input conveyor belt is inclined and has spaced groups of holes with a suction box below the belt to grip and move the articles in spaced relationship.