Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets from a sheet stack, having a feed deck for supporting the sheet stack and a pair of spaced apart parallel guide rails on the feed deck for receiving the sheet stack between the guide rails. A sheet feeding assembly is mounted in proximity to a sheet feeding end of the feed deck and is operative to feed individual lowermost sheets from the sheet stack, the sheet feeding assembly including a continuously rotating feed drum having an inner and outer circumference and a plurality of suction openings and a vacuum assembly received in the inner circumference of the feed drum and having at least one rotating cylinder coupled to a vacuum source and movable between an actuated position for drawing air downward through the portion of the feed drum extending above the planar surface of the feed deck and a default position preventing the drawing of air through the feed drum when a vacuum is applied to the at least one rotating cylinder.

Abstract: A wicking apparatus for supplying moisture to a sheet document. The apparatus includes: a housing; a reservoir secured to the housing for storing a supply of water; a wicking unit secured to the housing, the unit having a lower, inclined surface, an inlet leading to the inside of the unit, and an interior channel leading from the inlet to the inclined surface; a wicking material situated on the inclined surface and adjacent the interior channel, the wicking material extending beyond the inclined surface; a device for urging a sheet document into contact with the wicking material; and a device for supplying water under pressure to the wicking material.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for opening the flap of a document having a bent-over flap. The apparatus includes a pair of side frames, a driven, transfer roller rotatably mounted in said frames, a first, rotatably mounted pressure roller disposed against said transfer roller and providing between itself and said transfer roller a first nip for receiving said document, and a second, rotatably mounted pressure roller disposed against said transfer roller, said second roller being spaced from said first roller about the periphery of said transfer roller and providing between itself and said transfer roller a second nip for receiving said document.

Abstract: There is disclosed a registration device for use with an envelope inserting machine. The device includes a pair of support members which are L-shaped, and which each have an elongated first portion extending parallel to the feed deck of the machine. A second portion of the members reaches laterally outward and overlies a pair of laterally disposed support members which extend from the feed deck. There is a registration guide member placed over an L-shaped portion of each support member, such that an internal corner of each guide member provides a guide and support for documents moving parallel and between the guides. The guides are clamped to the deck to ensure that documents cannot jam between the guide and the deck.