Abstract: A mistake detector for an In-Line Inserter includes complementary metallic detecting rolls positioned slightly downstream of ejection rolls of a pull-foot sheet feeding system. One of the detecting rolls is moveable and is attached to a detection feeler which is positioned between detection points. The detection points are also moveably mounted so that their positions can be overridden by excessive movement of the detection feeler.

Abstract: An in-line inserter device comprises envelope and insert feeding assemblies, a stuffing-station assembly and a sealing and stacking assembly. The envelope feeding assembly withdraws envelopes from a hopper-held envelope stack and conveys them along an involute path toward the stuffing station. The insert feeding assembly comprises a plurality of hopper-held insert stacks which are positioned in line with an insert conveyor. The insert conveyor carries dispensed inserts from the hopper-held insert stacks to the stuffing station. The stuffing station assembly coordinates operation of the insert and envelope feeding assemblies in a special way to efficiently accomplish the stuffing of the inserts into the envelopes. Subsequent to such stuffing, filled envelopes are conveyed from the stuffing station, sealed, and stacked by the sealing and stacking assembly.

Abstract: In a modified embodiment of the pull-foot sheet feeding device described in U.S. application Ser. No. 608,970, filed Aug. 29, 1975, now Pat. No. 4,013,283 the bottom roller is replaced by a roller segment. The roller segment is pivotally mounted on a carrier which is fixedly mounted on a driving shaft. The pivotal axis of the roller segment is offset from the axis of the driving shaft. The roller segment has an outer surface for pinching sheets between it and the pull-foot while rolling on a sheet in response to rotation of the driving shaft. The position of the roller segment relative to the carrier is constrained by a spring, which provides biasing of the roller segment surface against the pull-foot, and an adjustable stop. The pull-foot is driven outwardly to pull sheets from a hopper by the roller segment but is under the control of a biasing spring and cam during its return.

Abstract: A sheet transporting system for transporting sheets from a pull-foot feed mechanism to a stuffing station includes parallel fast and low-speed endless conveyors. The low-speed endless conveyors have pins thereon which extend into the path of sheets transported by the fast endless conveyors. The pins register, and control the speed of, sheets being transported. This transporting mechanism is used in one embodiment for transferring sheets from the pull-foot feeding system into the mouths of clamps on a transporting chain and in another embodiment for transferring sheet to a drum/belt transporting system.

Abstract: In a mechanism for feeding individual sheets of paper separately from a stack of paper sheets, a separating device exposes an edge of an outer sheet and a "pull-foot" is oscillated between the separated sheet and a remaining stack. A roller is concurrently moved into position to pinch the separated sheet between the pull-foot and the roller. The pull-foot is oscillated away from the stack and, in doing so, the outer sheet is pulled from the stack by interaction between the pull-foot and the roller.