Abstract: Apparatus for singulating sheets of paper and detecting a double feed. The apparatus includes: a sheet feeder having a feed deck; a separator wheel housing secured to the feed deck; a separator wheel mounted in the separator wheel housing; a stone mount located beneath the separator wheel, the stone mount being secured to the feed deck; a separator stone mounted in the stone mount beneath the separator wheel; a Hall effect sensor located in the stone mount downstream of the separator stone; and a magnet secured to the feeder, the magnet being biased against the Hall effect sensor, whereby the Hall effect sensor can detect feed without being effected by any fluctuations in the feed deck.

Abstract: An envelope inserting machine is disclosed which includes means for ensuring that very thin collations, down to a single sheet folded sheet, are consistently accurately inserted into envelopes held at an inserting position with the throats of the envelopes held open. The inserting machine includes an inserting means which feeds successive envelopes to an inserting position and holds the envelopes thereat with the throats open, and a feeding means for the collations feeds the collations into the envelopes while maintain a grip thereon until the insertions are fully inserted into the envelopes, so that the feed means maintains control over the collations until they are fully inserted into the envelopes.

Abstract: In a mechanism for detecting double sheets fed from a feeder, including an actuator arm operatively coupled at one end to a magnet and at the other end to a paper follower, wherein the paper follower follows the profile of each sheet or group of sheets being conveyed between the paper follower and a fixed transport deck below thereto, the paper follower causing the actuator arm to pivot about a first axis to raise and lower the magnet with respect to a stationary electromagnetic sensor, an improvement comprises a flat spring mounted at one end to a shaft extending along the first axis, and a lever, having a pin for supporting an other end of the flat spring. The lever is pivotally mounted along a second axis for pivoting the pin between at least a first and second position wherein the flat spring provides a first dampening load to the paper follower and the actuator arm when the lever is in the fist position and provides a second dampening load to the actuator arm when the lever is in the second position.