Abstract: A leveling device assists in support of stackable objects having a non-uniform thickness, such as DocuCards, in a stackable tray. The stackable tray includes a pivoting tray that can be pivoted from a full sheet stack position to an empty sheet stack position. A valley removal mechanism is provided on the pivoting tray to variably support an intermediate portion of the bottom of the stack to compensate for and remove a valley created intermediate ends of the stack due to an aggregate effect of stack media of non-uniform thickness. The valley removal mechanism preferably includes a support surface that contacts a bottom of the stack, a ramp defining a ramp profile, and a ramp follower that guides the support surface to a variable orientation that compensates for the valley as the stack height changes.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for supporting objects in a tray and moving different portions of the objects at different rates for inputting or outputting from an objects processor. These techniques may be applied to stacking objects that has a thickness at one end greater than the thickness at another end, for example, resulting in stacking height of the thicker end increasing faster than the stacking height of the other thinner end.