Abstract: A sheet stock transfer apparatus (10) is adapted to successively extract the lowermost sheet (22) of a stack thereof, while initially releasably confined within an elevated magazine (23) at a dispensing station, and to thereafter invert each such extracted sheet while being transferred to, and subsequently precisely positioned within, an underlying workholder (26) of an associated indexably advanced turret (27), for example, at a receiving station. This sequence of operations is accomplished through the use of both a specially constructed rack (11) and a pinion assembly (12). The rack is formed with an intermediate section with teeth and two opposite end sections without teeth.

Abstract: To permit, selectively, multi color prime printing or prime-and-verso printing, two rubber blanket cylinders (5, 6) each in engagement with a respective cylinder (3, 4) cooperate with a single printing or impression cylinder (7), and an engagement element (23, 24, 28) such as a roller (23, 24) or a compressed air supply (28); the rubber cylinder can be engaged with the impression cylinder or, respectively, separated therefrom.

Abstract: A new and improved vacuum document feeder provides a vacuum cup support mechanism which follows a somewhat crescent-shaped coupler curve that eliminates the vacuum cup wear-producing disadvantages of the prior art; improves separation of documents, and provides for increased feeding rates. A four-bar system moves a table over the somewhat crescent-shaped coupler curve, while at all times holding an edge of the table parallel to the documents. Two vacuum cups are individually pivotally mounted on the table, to sweep over an angle which accommodates leaning documents. Cams on a drive pulley associated with the transport system coordinates the table movement with both the pivoting and vacuumizing of the cups. The cups move in a manner to cause the document to buckle thereby improving separation between documents and eliminating double feeding.

Abstract: A single paper sheet product separator, feeder and transport mechanism is provided capable of high speed in line product feed rates from a stack of products of 60,000 per hour for on-line operations with high speed rotary presses, trimmers, binding machines, folders, etc. By initially bending only a bottom edge of the product stacked on edge, reliable high speed separation is feasible. A scalloped periphery rotary member provides indentations for precisely seating and spacing the individual documents and grasping them to pull them substantially horizontally from the stack, in shingled array if desired. The products are retained against the rotary member by a moving belt over an arc of substantially 180.degree. to be discharged substantially horizontally onto a conveyor belt for further transport.

Abstract: A mechanism for transporting printing plates includes a swiveling lifting cylinder carrying on its extendable and retractable piston rod a dish-shaped plate which is equipped with suction elements. The printing plates are stacked in inclined positions in a plate holder. When so stacked, the coated, photoconductive sides of the printing plates face downwards and are protected from damage by sheets. For transporting a printing plate to an exposure table, the dish-shaped plate of the lifting cylinder is lowered onto the uncoated side of the printing plate which lies on top of the stack in the plate holder until the suction elements rest on the printing plate. Then, reduced pressure is applied to the suction elements so that they grip the printing plate by suction, and the piston rod is partially retracted into the lifting cylinder.

Abstract: An unstacking apparatus comprises one or more sheet-entraining drums each having a peripheral depression, lying behind a rising forward edge, onto which the first sheet of a confronting stack is pulled by suction cups during every drum revolution. A counterpressure roller osscillatable about the drum axis is then swung from a position downstream of the depression past its forward edge, against the sense of rotation of the drum, to engage the pulled-off sheet and deliver it to a conveyor. Each counterpressure roller is spring biased toward the associated drum but is prevented by a stop from reaching the bottom of the depression in the absence of an entrained sheet. A sensor on the drum shaft or on the roller shaft emits an alarm signal whenever the distance between these shafts deviates from a predetermined range limit.

Abstract: A linear air cylinder drives a guided slide block or carriage on which is pivotally mounted a vacuum arm biased by a spring to a down horizontal position. Cam followers carried by crank arms on the pivoted vacuum arm engage fixed stops when the rod of the air cylinder is retracted to swing the vacuum arm to an upright tag pickup position. Tags stored in a hopper are transported one at a time to a horizontal position away from the hopper where they are attached to socks.

Abstract: Automatic feeding apparatus for transferring work pieces to a work station including a robot having a work arm pivoted about a point and movable through a segment of a sphere with vertical movement of the work arm scribing an arc relative to the pivot point. The robot work arm has means to pick up, hold and release a work piece. A work piece stacking assembly is provided and includes a base for holding a vertical stack of magnetizable work pieces and a vertical butt plate above the base curved correspondingly to the arc scribed by the vertical movement of the work arm of the robot. A magnet is provided to magnetize the work pieces through the vertical curve butt plate to set up a repelling force between the work pieces to vertically separate the work pieces in the upper portion of the stack and urge the separated work pieces against the vertical curve butt plate.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for feeding and transferring the top sheet from a stack of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame; a first member mounted on said frame for controlled movement in a vertical direction from a predetermined substantially horizontal first position; and a stationary second member mounted on the frame at a predetermined elevation above the first member when at the first position. The first member subtends and supports a stack of sheets. The second member is provided with an opening which is in vertical alignment with the supported stack of sheets. Opposed first perimetric segments of the opening are provided with upwardly convergent surfaces which frictionally engage corresponding peripheral portions of the top and adjacent sheets of the stack, when the first member has moved the stack upwardly a predetermined amount. The frictional engagement causes the top sheet to be upwardly distorted within the opening.

Abstract: To insure accuracy in feeding a sheet of paper from an overlapped, shingled paper supply on a make-ready table, a suction pick-up picks up the sheet and moves it upwardly for a limited distance of about 1 mm before initiating the forward movement of the sheet to transfer it to a gripper mechanism of a printing cylinder or transport drum while, simultaneously, moving it transverse to the plane of the sheet to bring it into proper alignment with the drum or cylinder gripper mechanism.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for exposing the contents of an envelope which has two opposing panels wherein the panels have been separated from each other along all but one edge portion where the panels remain connected. The envelope is gripped on one of the panels and then the envelope is oriented so that at least the contents of the envelope fall away from the gripped panel to thereby expose the envelope contents.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a single sheet from the bottom of a stack of sheets to a station for performing subsequent operations on the sheet. The apparatus is comprised of a magazine to receive a stack of sheets having a bottom support and upstanding walls, the bottom support having an opening therein through which the lower most sheet can be removed. A suction nozzle is provided below the magazine opening and a vacuum surface is provided below the suction nozzle. A first pivot arm is attached to the suction nozzle and a second pivot arm is attached to the vacuum surface. A sheet receiving and feeding apparatus below the magazine receives and feeds the sheet to the station which performs the subsequent operation on the sheet. The pivot arm is pivoted to (i) raise the suction nozzle to engage the surface of the lower most sheet, and subsequently (ii) lower the suction nozzle to engage the bottom surface of the sheet with the vacuum surface.

Abstract: This relates to a transfer apparatus for transferring labels from a label stack into the cavity of a moving mold half. The transfer device includes a pivotally mounted arm which has mounted on its free end a transfer head which swings about the arm so that for a limited movement of the arm there can be a much greater movement of the transfer head. Thus, the transfer head may rapidly enter and rapidly depart from a mold cavity so that a label may be seated in the mold cavity very quickly without requiring any slowdown of the movement of the mold half. The transfer head is provided with vacuum heads which operate to effect a peeling of a label from its associated stack beginning along one edge portion of the label so as to assure that only a single label is picked up from the stack.

Abstract: A flexible sheet feeding mechanism with a hopper for receiving parallel sheets and a suction pickup which has a simultaneous linear and angular reciprocating motion. The pickup separates the outside sheet of the hopper stack by applying suction near one edge. The linear and angular motion of the suction device then peels that sheet off of and away from the stack, feeding it into a set of friction rollers. The plane formed by the outside flexible sheet intersects the plane generated by the path of linear reciprocal movement.

Abstract: Picker mechanism for picking notes from a note supply stack in a note dispenser of an automatic banking or teller machine (ATM) which withdraws notes from the supply stack through an access opening in a note supply container laterally of the opening. The access opening has one dimension smaller than the length of the note being laterally withdrawn. The picker mechanism engages the note being withdrawn with a picker cup by combined frictional pressure and suction. The picker cup during note withdrawal moves in multi-directions toward and away from the note stack through the access opening as well as back and forth in directions generally parallel to the length of the note being withdrawn.

Abstract: This relates to a transfer device for transferring labels from a stack into mold cavities without modifying the operation of the existing molding machine. The transfer device includes a pivotally mounted arm which is positioned and pivoted by a linear drive shaft positioned by a cam carried by an associated mold half. The transfer head is mounted on the arm for pivoting about the arm by way of an actuator which includes drive pulleys coupled by drive belts. The transfer head includes vacuum heads, one of which has associated with a suction cup thereof bellows for retracting the suction cup after the suction cup has sealed with the label to initiate peeling of the label from the stack. The suction cup is guidingly mounted so as to maintain its orientation at all times.

Abstract: A new and improved vacuum document feeder provides a vacuum cup support mechanism which follows a somewhat crescent-shaped coupler curve that eliminated the vacuum cup wear-producing disadvantages of the prior art and provides for increased feeding rates. A four-bar system moves a table over the somewhat crescent-shaped coupler curve, while at all times holding an edge of the table parallel to the documents. At least one vacuum cup is pivotally mounted on the table, to sweep over an angle which accommodates leaning documents. Cams on a drive pulley associated with the transport system coordinates the table movement with both the pivoting and vacuumizing of the cups.

Abstract: Document sheets are removed seriatim from the bottom of a stack of sheets by an oscillating vacuum feeder having a plurality of spaced tube sections. The feeder delivers a removed sheet to a sheet transport mechanism, which transports it to the platen for copying and then removes the sheet from the platen. The sheet transport mechanism has at least one vacuum belt that passes between two adjacent sections of the feeder and picks up a sheet as it leaves the feeder so that the sheet is tacked to the feeder or the vacuum belt throughout its path of travel from the stack of sheets to the platen. After the sheet is removed from the platen it is returned to the stack of sheets on top of other sheets in the stack. A sheet inverter can be provided for inverting duplex document sheets so that both sides of such sheets can be copied. Sheets also can be fed to the platen along a non-recirculating path by a document positioner apparatus.

Abstract: A machine for feeding individual flexible trays from an inclined nested stack to a conveyor or other appropriate surface below the stack. Vacuum heads are mounted to arms that pivot about a horizontal axis spaced from an upper transverse edge of an inclined hopper holding the nested stack. The lower end of the inclined hopper is open for engagement by vacuum heads at the ends of the pivoted arms. The vacuum heads are pivoted by the arms to engage successive trays adjacent a lower transverse edge of the hopper. The arms are then pivoted back with the vacuum heads adhered to a tray, stripping the tray from the stack and pivoting it to a substantially horizontal position where it is released to fall to a surface below. A guide may be employed to direct movement of the tray downwardly.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus for use with facsimile apparatus comprising an original table for inserting original sheets manually, a recording sheet cassette for holding a stack of recording sheets therein, sheet feed roller means disposed so as to be capable of receiving both original sheets and recording sheets to transport them individually to a reading and printing station of the facsimile apparatus, and sheet feed means for automatically separating recording sheet individually from a stack of recording sheets in the cassette.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a machine for applying indicia, preferably decalcomanias (decals), to felts that form part of tennis balls. A stack of the felts is placed in the machine, and a destacking mechanism separates each felt from the stack and places them on a conveyor which moves the felts to a decal applicating machine. After a decal is applied to each felt, the conveyor moves the felts to a restacking mechanism which lifts the felts off the conveyor and restacks them. The machine is preferably equipped to handle the felts in pairs in order to double the speed of operation.

Abstract: A suction head is provided in a paper sheet counting machine in which a number of paper sheets contained in a container box are vacuum-sucked one at a time to be taken out of the container box and be counted. The suction head has a suction port into which a suction port member is threaded. The suction port member is integral with a suction contact member made of a rubber which contacts a paper sheet to be taken out.

Abstract: Suction feet are arranged to pick up and feed a sheet from a stack and a blower is arranged to blow air against the edges of the sheets on the stack to separate the top sheet from the rest. A cam assembly driven through a novel one-rotation clutch moves a piston in a cylinder which is connected to both the feet and blower so that the piston is moved in one direction to supply pressurized air to the blower and subsequently in the opposite direction to apply suction to the suction feet. A cylindrical presser member is carried by each suction foot which extends past the suction foot to bend the top sheet during pickup and further aid in separating the top sheet from the lower sheets.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus, in which photographic sheets of various sizes are lifted by a plurality of suction disks, includes edge detectors for detecting the edges of the topmost sheet and disabling any suction disc not completely located on that sheet.

Abstract: A pneumatic sheet feeder includes a movable bottom plate which is disposed to form a constant angle with the uppermost sheet in a stack placed on a sheet receptacle, irrespective of the height of the stack. Sheets on the receptacle are attracted one by one by a negative pressure to be sequentially fed by a feed roller which is driven for rotation in an automatic manner.

Abstract: The invention provides a feeder having two stacks which are top fed by reciprocating suction boxes, the stacks feeding alternately and a belt being used to transfer blanks from the rear stack.

Abstract: A photographically recording apparatus comprising means for storing a plurality of photosensitive sheets, exposure means including a support means for supporting one of the photosensitive sheets, optical means for projecting an image to be recorded on the supported sheet, sheet feed means for supplying the photosensitive sheets stored in the storing means to the support means one by one, the sheet feed means comprising a movable vacuum head for lifting a top sheet of the photosensitive sheets stored in the storing means. A pair of rollers receives the top sheet and a leading edge thereof lifted by the vacuum head, for carrying the top sheet to the support means. A reversible motor drives the driving roller. Control means controls the motor so that the driving roller is rotated in reverse for a certain time when the vacuum head lifts the top sheet stored in the storing means to cause a leading edge of the top sheet to abut upon the driving roller and thereafter for driving the driving roller forwardly.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for erecting cartons wherein a flat folded carton blank is conveyed to the apparatus where it is momentarily stopped. Suction cups pull the underside of the blank downwardly against a breaker bar to bow the underside downwardly pulling the leading and trailing ends of the blank toward each other and thus bowing the upper carton side upwardly. With the carton thus partially opened, an overhead opening element rotates into engagement with a trailing side panel of the carton to swing it through an arc of about 90.degree. until it is substantially vertical. An overbreak element thereafter engages the now vertical trailing side panel and swings it through another 90.degree. to overbreak the carton. In this condition, the carton is conveyed out of the erecting apparatus and into transport lugs of the transport conveyor of a cartoner.

Abstract: Film handling apparatus preferably for handling microfiche film in which a holder or cassette is provided and is locatable at a film pick-up station; the holder or cassette has engaging means preferably provided as a lip to engage at least one marginal portion of the top microfiche lamina of a stack of laminae held within the holder or cassette; a suction means being provided in the apparatus which by means of preferably two or more suction areas is enabled to progressively suck the top lamina from the holder or cassette; in one embodiment two similar suction means are provided as suction platens which move in close relationship on guides within the apparatus to position the lamina at a filming and titling station.

Abstract: An improved mechanism for feeding paper sheets from a stack by suction, wherein the mechanism includes a manifold provided with a plurality of spaced sheet pickup devices carried by the manifold and in fluid communication therewith. Each device includes a main member having an L-shaped element provided with a flexible suction cup on the lower end thereof. The element is shiftably mounted on and extends through the member for movement fore and aft relative to the member, and is releasably secured to the member in anyone of a number of operative positions relative to the member by a set screw or the like so that the suction cup thereof can be spaced relatively close or relatively far from the member. A preferred embodiment utilizes a U-shaped tube coupled at one end thereof to the element and at the opposite end thereof to a short tube projecting laterally from the member near the upper end thereof.

Abstract: Suction-pulling devices for engaging the underside of a lifted top sheet of a stack of sheet material are carried on short carrier pieces inwardly extending from the respective front ends of two swing rods suspended above the stack near its sides. The swing rods are suspended on two crank arms, the most rearward of which is continuously driven to cause the front ends of these rods to describe an oval path in the vertical plane. The upper part of this path, which provides the forward motion, matches the speed of a suction lifter for the top sheet in a rear path portion and matches the linear speed of the drive rolls of a succeeding transport device in a forward portion. The suction-pullers are rotatable about a horizontal axis to fit the lay of the sheet being transferred and a control cam on a bearing of the rear supporting crank arm also produces a slight outward pull of the suction lifters during the forward motion to stretch the front edge of the sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus for successively delivering envelopes from a stack of envelopes arranged on edge on a support to a conveyor belt disposed below one edge of the support. The stack is urged by a driven feeder into engagement with an abutment extending across and slightly above the support adjacent to the support edge and into engagement with a retainer bar spaced above the support by a distance somewhat less than the height of the smallest envelope to be handled. A suction device first engages the leading envelope of the stack to pull it over the abutment and then to pull the lower edge forwardly over a stripper element to ensure that any envelope stuck to the leading envelope is stripped therefrom. Subsequently, the suction device moves downwardly to pull the leading envelope out from under the retainer bar and then releases it to permit it to fall to the conveyor. The driven feeder provides a controlled force for urging the envelopes against the abutment and the retainer bar.

Abstract: A feeder mechanism for feeding single sheets, folios or multiple-ply material of paper or the like to subsequent processing machinery. A stack of sheets is partially tilted and edge portions of the front sheet are grasped and bent over by alternately approaching suction devices. While one of the suction devices engages the edge portion of one sheet, the previously detached sheet is being engaged by a conveyor wheel which pulls it completely from the stack.

Abstract: A sheet separator separates a copy sheet held attracted to the surface of a rotating photosensitive member by the use of a suction member pivotably disposed at a sheet separating position. The suction member includes an air suction port in its surface which is located opposite the photosensitive member. During a movement of the suction port from a first position in which it is located rearwardly, as viewed in the direction of movement of the photosensitive member, of a line joining the axis of rotation of the photosensitive member and the pivotal axis of the suction member to a second position forwardly of the line, the suction member holds the leading edge of the copy sheet attracted thereto, thereby separating it from the photosensitive member.

Abstract: Pattern envelopes or like flat articles retained in stack configuration by elements engaging marginal portions of the lead article are withdrawn substantially in such flat condition by displacing the lead article in its entirety in a manner spacing at least one lead article marginal portion from its associated retaining element and then displacing the same outwardly of the stack spacedly from the retaining element. Further outward displacement of the withdrawn marginal portion effects sequential withdrawal of the other marginal portion from the stack.

Abstract: A pile of sheets arranged vertically next to one another is gently urged against a rigid metal plate that can be reciprocated back and forth very rapidly so as to pull the end sheet off the pile by suction and to return to rest against the pile of sheets before they have followed this reciprocation motion to the same extent as the end sheet. Once the plate pulls rapidly away from the end of the pile, pulling the end sheet with it, this end sheet is engaged by a suction roller and pulled laterally off the pile.

Abstract: Battery plate elements and separator elements are maintained in hopper type sources along opposite sides of a conveyor, and with pivotally swingable vacuum pickup heads serving to withdraw plates and separators from their sources and to deposit them onto a conveyor, with a plurality of plates or separators being withdrawn simultaneously, and with the conveyor being indexed from withdrawal station to withdrawal station for stacking of plates and separators one upon the other, alternately, whereby at any given time a plurality of plate-and-separator sandwiches are being formed, but in different progressive stages. A number of source stations may be deactivated, depending upon the number of plates and separators desired in any given sandwich. Capability is also provided for various size adjustments for handling different sized plates and separators. Particularly novel vacuum operated pickup technique is employed.

Abstract: A device for parallelly feeding objects to be printed in a printing machine, which device feeds substantially parallelly an object to be printed to the feed rollers by providing a vacuum feeding sucker and a rotary vacuum ring which is lifted in synchronism with the sucker.

Abstract: An apparatus for filming a plurality of index or library cards is disclosed which feeds, spaces and photographs the individual cards automatically. The apparatus is provided with a means for sensing the height of cards in a stack, adjusting the height of the stack so that a feeding mechanism may properly engage the cards for delivering them to a belt. The cards are photographed on the belt and are held stationary thereon by means of an electric charge on the individual cards so that they adhere to the surface of the belt. Subsequent to being photographed, the cards are restacked in the same order as they were stacked prior to being photographed.

Abstract: A sheet-feeding apparatus for separating and feeding sheets of paper, cardboard, metallic and plastic material and the like individually from a stack of such sheets is described. The apparatus as described is provided with a curved sheet-receiving chute for containing and temporarily storing a stack of sheets. A chamber having an apertured movable wall is provided adjacent the stack of sheets. The movable wall is positioned and freely movable to contact the top sheet of the stack. A low-pressure blower is provided for evacuating air from the chamber and drawing the top sheet into sealing contact with the movable wall about the aperture. Sealing of the aperture creates a partial differential pressure which moves the wall, reducing the volume of the chamber and removing the top sheet from the stack. Means, such as a roller, is also provided within the chamber. The roller extends slightly through the aperture to contact the sheet once the sheet is removed from the stack.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus, for counting a stack of sheets, of the kind (hereinafter referred to as "the kind described") comprising a counting head which in use is traversed along a corner of the stack, the head having a suction blade provided with a suction orifice for insertion in the corner of the stack, which blade is oscillatable about a horizontal axis to separate a corner of a sheet in the stack adhered by suction to one side of the blade from the next stack, and a wiping pin movable in an elongate orbit around the blade to transfer the corner of the sheet from the said one side of the blade to the opposite side thereof, and means to count the number of transfer operations effected, wherein there are provided means to traverse the counting head downwardly past a corner of a stack to be counted and means to move said wiping pin in a generally downwardly inclined elliptical orbit around the suction blade, comprising first means to mount the wiping pin for eccentric rotation about a first axis, second