Abstract: A substrate feeding system, and printers that use such feeding systems, that includes a feed roll and a retard roll that form a nip, a nudger roll for advancing a substrate from a substrate stack toward the nip, and an entrance guide between the nudger roll and the nip. The entrance guide has a contact surface that forms an angle of more than 100.degree. with the direction of motion of the substrate. The entrance guide further including a top section over which the substrate moves as it advances into the nip. The entrance guide is beneficially pivotally mounted such that when a retard roll is removed the entrance guide pivots out of the way, and such that when a retard roll is in place the entrance guide moves into position.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a sheet bi-directionally. The apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller. A drive system is associated with the rollers to drive the first roller in a first direction. The drive system is adapted to rotate the second roller simultaneously with the first roller in the same direction as the first roller or in the opposite direction thereto. In addition, the drive system is capable of idling the second roller so as to adjust the timing of the sheet as it moves to subsequent processing stations within a printing machine.

Abstract: A stalled sheet folding and flattening apparatus for reducing a sheet, stalled between a withdrawable and a fixed component of a cut sheet handling system of a sheet handling machine, into a shape and size suitably enabling reliable removal of the stalled sheet through even a relatively narrow gap between the withdrawable and fixed components of the sheet handling system. The stalled sheet folding and flattening apparatus includes a fixed component of the sheet handling system connected to a frame of the machine and having a first section of a sheet path; a withdrawable component of the sheet handling system mounted to the frame, and having a sheet flattening side defining a relatively narrow gap between a fixed surface within the machine and the withdrawable component, and including a second section of the sheet path adjoining the first section of the sheet path; and a sheet folding device mounted to the fixed component.

Abstract: In a sheet handling machine having a frame, and a cut sheet handling system including a sheet path, a stalled sheet pulling and crushing apparatus for reducing a sheet, stalled across an interface between a withdrawable and a fixed component of a cut sheet handling system into a shape and size suitably enabling reliable removal of the stalled sheet through a relatively narrow gap between the withdrawable and fixed components of the sheet handling system.