Abstract: An electrophotographic printing in which successive copy sheets are supplied from a supply source thereof. A tray is arranged to have a stack of copy sheets disposed thereon. When one marginal region of the stack of copy sheets has a greater thickness than the other marginal region, a support is interposed between the tray and the lowermost sheet of the stack of copy sheets so that at least the opposed marginal regions of the uppermost sheet of the stack of copy sheets are at substantially about the same level.

Abstract: A top vacuum corrugation feeder employs a vacuum feedhead working in conjunction with an air knife to feed sheets from the top of a stack. The feedhead is valveless and has a vacuum applied thereto during the entire feed cycle in order to increase reliability and decrease minimum feed speed. The air knife includes trapezoidal shaped fluffer jets in front of the stack and side fluffer jets and added on the sides of the stack in order to assist the feedhead in separating severely downcurled sheets for feeding. A rotational damper member is positioned above and has a portion thereof resting on the stack for controlling sheet flutter and leakage of air from the stack sides. A belt coast control member controls the precise stopping position of vacuum belts that surround the vacuum feedhead in order to minimize multifeeding of sheets from the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus in which the loading and unloading of sheets on a tray used in a printing machine is facilitated. The uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets on the tray is continuously maintained at a preselected level as additional sheets are loaded on the tray or removed therefrom. This optimizes the operator access level and minimizes the delay time associated with the tray moving from the sheet feeding position to the operator access level.

Abstract: An electrically operated stapling apparatus is disclosed having a circuit utilizing a capacitor for driving the solenoid actuator for the apparatus. The circuit includes a fullwave rectifier for charging the capacitor with closely spaced dc pulses and includes circuitry for producing a plurality of charging levels for the capacitor depending upon the number of sheet material to be stapled. A reference circuit is also provided to insure the voltage level of charging is such that the operation of the apparatus is immune to line source voltage fluctuations.

Abstract: A sheet feeding and separating apparatus includes a multiple piece entrance guide located between a stack from which sheets are to be fed and a retard nip. The guide includes a polycarbonate base member and a high friction urethane retard member. The urethane is ground on the leading edge to an exact angle to promote shingling of sheets and the breaking up of slugs prior to entering the retard nip.

Abstract: A retard feeder and separator apparatus adapted to sense the threat of a misfeed or multifeed and adjust the stack normal force of a feed belt against a stack of sheets accordingly. The apparatus includes a movable frame on which is mounted a sheet separating feed belt, a retard roll that forms a retard nip with the separating feed belt, and a stack force relief sensor. The sensor detects the lead edge of a sheet fed from a stack as it reaches the retard nip and causes a solenoid connected to the frame to trigger and move the frame slightly. The frame movement relieves the stack normal force of the feed belt against the stack from a high value to a low value while the sheet continues to be fed from the stack by the force in the retard nip and the lessened stack normal force. Alternatively, if the sensor does not sense a sheet within a predetermined period of time, the stack normal force will be increased to the original high value.

Abstract: A copy sheet reversing apparatus is arranged on a reproduction machine for changing the direction of movement of copy sheets from the reproduction processor to the opposite direction to a finishing station. The reversing or turn-around apparatus is devised to accomplish reversal of direction in the smallest space possible without causing sheet deformation while the same is still pliable from image fixing in the processor. An arrangement of large diameter flat-rimmed wheels and cooperating transport belts join together for transporting each sheet around a fairly tight curved path.