Abstract: Letter quality addressing is possible at production speeds. A feeding and transport system positively feeds discrete media elements to be addressed (such as envelopes) past a number of print heads in a positive manner to maintain consistent and proper alignment of the printed text on the media elements. First and second feed rollers feed the media elements to a pair of pinch rollers, the operation of the first roller being interrupted once a media element reaches a predetermined position. A normally non-rotatable selector bar with O-rings mounted at axially spaced positions therealong are associated with the second feed roller. An adjustment mechanism is provided for not only adjusting the selector bar relative the second feed roller to accommodate media of different thickness, but also to adjust the position of the O-rings relative to the second feed roller.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeder device including means for supporting a generally vertical stack of sheets. The supporting means include endless belts having an upper belt run position to extend across the bottom of the stack of sheets. A stationary gate forming member is provided which is positioned above the upper run of the belts and adjacent the forward side of the stack to define a nip which forms a gap between the gate forming member and the upper run for permitting the lowermost sheet of the stack to pass forwardly from the stack through the nip. The gate forming member is a cylindrical roll defining a central axis and an outer peripheral surface which is concentric to the central axis. The roll has a groove extending axially along the length thereof. An elastomeric bar is disposed in the groove, and the bar has a coefficient of friction which is higher than that of the material of the roll. Also, the bar is sized so as to extend radially beyond the peripheral surface.

Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus which takes out sheets from a sheet stacker by frictional force produced by friction between sheets and a plurality of take-out rollers and separates sheets one by one by frictional force which is produced by friction between the upper face of the sheet and a plurality of friction rollers disposed to be opposite to the take-out rollers and has the opposite direction to that of the first mentioned friction force and the first mentioned friction force, the sheet take-out apparatus including a controller for rotating the take-out rollers with low torque until the rotation of the take-out rollers has become steady. In this apparatus, since the sheets are prevented from being taken out and fed to the gap between the take-out rollers, it is prevented that the leading edges of sheets are damaged or that sheet jamming occurs, whereby it is possible to take out sheets one by one and feed them to a sheet stacking section.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided with a guide member for guiding sheets of paper sent out from the paper pile section in the sheet feeding direction, a feeding roller which is installed above the guide member and by which a sheet of paper is transferred in the sheet feeding direction, and a separation member which is engaged in non-contact with the feeding roller in the axial direction thereof and by which sheets of paper can be separated sheet by sheet between the separation member and the feeding roller and is so composed that a separation portion formed between the feeding roller and the separation member can be arranged in the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction from a minimum clearance portion formed between the guide member and the feeding roller.

Abstract: A sheet transport device comprising a separating roller drivingly rotatable in a direction opposite to the direction of transport of sheets, bearings for rotatably supporting the rotary shaft of the roller, and a sheet guide member for guiding the sheet to the roller, the guide member being provided with a fitting portion fittable to each of the bearings from a direction approximately perpendicular to the axis of the bearing and thereby attachable to the body of an apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a recording sheet feeding apparatus for feeding recording sheets singly to a copying machine, comprising a sheet storage cassette for storing the recording sheets, a conveyance roller for conveying the recording sheets from the sheet storage cassette to a feeding roller, the feeding roller for feeding the recording sheets conveyed from the sheet storage cassette to the copying machine, a sheet separation roller, in contact with the feeding roller, for separating one of the recording sheets from other recording sheets so that the recording sheets are fed to the copying machine singly, and a rotation resister for resisting the rotation of the sheet separation roller by frictional resistance of a resistant member in which the sheet separation roller is further capable of rotating in an opposing direction to the feeding roller by the resiliency of a spring so that the other recording sheets separated by the sheet separation roller are fed back towards the sheet storage cassette.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism installed in an image recorder for feeding sheets one by one out of a sheet cassette. A feed roller is driven in a rotary motion at a predetermined timing in a direction for feeding a sheet, while a reverse roller is pressed against the feed roller and driven in a rotary motion by a predetermined torque in a direction for returning the sheet. The feed roller functions to feed sheets out of the cassette alone. The feed roller and reverse roller cooperate to separate the sheets which are fed by the feed roller. A reverse shaft is formed integrally with the reverse roller. A torque limiter has a fixed hub and a free hub and provided integrally with the reverse roller and reverse shaft. A stop gear has a one-way clutch and engaged with the free hub. A coil spring generates a reverse torque.

Abstract: A sheet separating device is particularly usable in an intermediate tray of a copier. A drive belt separates the outside sheet from a stack and feeds the sheet through a nip with a retard roller. The retard roller is braked by a motor. The motor is adjustable between a braking condition in which it prevents rotation of the retard roller when two sheets are in the nip and a free-wheeling condition in which it permits rotation when one sheet is in the nip. When applied to an intermediate tray of a copier, the logic and control of the copier knows when one sheet is left in the tray and switches the motor to its free-wheeling condition.

Abstract: A conveying system comprising an upfeed conveyor for conveying individual stock items upwardly to a press or the like and a generally horizontal infeed conveyor for conveying endwise a stack of items positioned on edge thereon to the upfeed conveyor which has several sections all of which are activated to move the item delivered thereto upwardly and wherein the lower sections are periodically stopped and the uppermost section is freely adapted to move to facilitate withdrawal of the item in transit from the upfeed conveyor, the infeed conveyor being vertically adjustable and tiltable with respect to the upfeed conveyor for handling different sized stock items, and wherein conveyors are so juxtaposed that the item in transit on the upfeed conveyor shields the upper portion of the next item from engaging movable section until the item in transit is completely withdrawn from the upfeed conveyor and wherein a retard is provided with an items gauge shield to insure single item feeding.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeder device including support for a generally vertical stack of sheets. The support means includes endless belts having an upper belt run position to extend across the bottom of the stack of sheets. A stationary gate forming member is provided which is positioned above the upper run of the belts and adjacent the forward side of the stack to define a nip which forms a gap between the gate forming member and the upper run for permitting the lowermost sheet of the stack to pass forwardly from the stack through a nip. The gate forming member is a cylindrical roll defining a central axis and an outer peripheral surface which is concentric to the central axis. The roll has a plurality of annular grooves extending about the circumference thereof, and the grooves are disposed concentrically about a second axis which is eccentric to the central axis.

Abstract: A printer for printing data on an original slip and on a copy slip in which both are dropped into a guide chute. Feed and pinch rollers having a higher degree of friction that the friction between the slips tend to drive both slips along the chute and past an ink jet printer. However, a brake initially prevents rotation of the pinch roller and thus retains one of the slips while the other slip is advanced past the printer, at which time the brake is released to enable the feed roller to advance the remaining slip past the printer.

Abstract: A paper sheet counter is provided in which a large number of paper sheets stacked in a hopper are fed one by one between a pay-out roll and separating rolls, and stacked in a stacker. According to the invention, the separating rolls have separating roll shafts angled slightly relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the pay-out roll.

Abstract: An incremental motion mechanism which utilizes first and second one-way clutches attached to the output shaft of the mechanism. The first one-way clutch is used to prevent back up of the output member, while the second one-way clutch is used to incrementally rotate the output shaft. First and second solenoids and associated linkage under the control of a controller are used for adjusting the extent of rotation of the output shaft.

Abstract: A mechanism for preventing the feeding of more than one sheet of paper at one time comprising a document feeder having a pair of parallel shafts, one of which is a paper-supply roller shaft supporting a plurality of paper-supply rollers, and the other of which is a separation roller shaft supporting a plurality of separation rollers, wherein the distance between the shafts is slightly less than the sum of the radii of these paper-supply rollers and separation rollers, and said paper-supply rollers and said separation rollers are arranged in a zigzag manner, the outer surface of each of said paper-supply rollers being composed of a large frictional section producing much friction between the paper-supply roller and the paper and a small frictional section producing little friction between the paper-supply roller and the paper.

Abstract: In a dispensing device for sheet material that includes a draw-off device and a single feed device with at least one draw-off roll, several conveyor rolls (22) arranged side by side with some axial spacing and with mating rolls (24) that are axially offset and are radially adjustable with respect to the conveyor rolls (22), where the mating rolls (24) and at least one of the conveyor rolls (22) that can be driven in the same direction with the former are made of a hard material, a ring-shaped strip (44) made of an elastic deformable material is embedded in the peripheral surface of the conveyor roll (22) that is made of a hard material where the axial width of this ring is smaller than the axial width of the peripheral surface of the conveyor roll (22) and projects radially above the peripheral surface in the unloaded state.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeding apparatus which automatically feeds sheets one by one to an image forming portion, comprises a sheet storing plate, a paper-feeder roller for feeding sheets stored on the sheet storing plate, a transport roller positioned at the downstream relative to the paper-feeder roller in the paper feeding direction and rotatable in the paper feeding direction, a separation roller touching and pressing the transport roller and rotatable in the reverse direction to the paper feeding direction, a supporting plate for rotatably supporting the separation roller and being pivotably provided to move in the direction where the separation roller touches with and separates from the transport roller and being urged by an elastic member so as to cause the separation roller to be pressed toward the transport roller, and a guide plate for guiding a sheet into the nipping portion between the transport roller and the separation roller.

Abstract: A position controlling member for controlling the leading ends of paper sheets housed in a paper receiving member is provided at a free end thereof with an auxiliary double feed preventing member having large friction factor or force and engaging with a lower side of a paper sheet during return movement thereof to a position controlling position thereof, thereby preventing double feeding of paper sheets without interfering with the paper feeding operation.

Abstract: The paper feeding device of the present invention comprises a paper holder for holding a stack of large number of paper sheets; a first roller for sheetwise feeding out paper sheets from the stack in or on the holder; a regular rotation roller for further feeding each of paper sheets and rotatably mounted at a position downstream from the first roller when looking in the paper feeding direction; and a paging roller mounted in opposition to the regular rotation roller. The paging roller is driven always in such a rotational direction for drawback of sheet or sheets in the reverse direction relative to the regular and forward paper feed direction when one or more common class paper sheet or sheets or a plurality of special class paper sheet of a different quality then common class paper sheet is/are fed between the regular rotation roller and the paging roller.

Abstract: An improved separator assembly for document feeders comprises a retarding roller and a cooperating opposed feed roller. The retarding roller is selectably rotatable into orientations such that the selected one of a plurality of different peripheral portions of the retarding roller will be oriented into operative position with respect to the feed roller. The retarding roller includes at least one cylindrical portion and another portion which has an interfering member projecting outwardly from the roller. Other surfaces of the retarding roller may comprise different materials in order to avoid scratches on the documents to be fed or to change the frictional force on the documents.

Abstract: The unstacking device comprises an object magazine (2), an object transport conveyor (7) for removing objects from the magazine, an object separator assembly (20) mounted in front of the object outlet from the magazine above the transport conveyor and comprising firstly a retaining element constituted by at least one flexible end tongue (34) mounted on a deflector flap (31) carried by a pivoting arcuate arm (32) which is resiliently urged by a spring (38), and secondly a part constituting a separator shoe (40) carried by a second pivoting arm (41) which is resiliently urged by a second spring (45), an object extractor (50), and detector for (55, 56) for detecting when objects are engaged in said object extractor in order to stop said conveyor (7).

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding device for feeding sheets of low rigidity and high coefficient of friction, such as documents of small thickness and thin sheets with carbon backing, including feeding rollers, separating rollers, a rotating mechanism for rotating the separating rollers, and a regulating mechanism for regulating a torque applied to the separating rollers. A torque tending to rotate the separating rollers in a direction in which the sheets are fed is applied thereto by the feeding rollers, and a torque tending to rotate the separating rollers in a direction opposite the direction in which the sheets are fed is applied thereto by the separating roller rotating mechanism through the regulating mechanism for regulating the torque applied to the separating rollers which is a friction clutch.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets on a stacker one by one, includes a separation device having a sheet convey member for conveying a separated sheet and a double feed prevention member which is brought into tight contact with or separated from the convey member, and a sheet stop member for preventing movement of nonseparated sheets along a convey direction. When the separation device is in tight contact with the sheet during a separation operation, the sheet stop member is located in a first position where the sheet stop member does not prevent the separation operation. When the separation device is released and the sheet is conveyed, the sheet stop member is moved to a second position where the sheet stop member abuts against leading ends of sheets except for a sheet to be fed, thereby preventing movement of the sheets except for the sheet to be fed.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating documents from one another includes two spaced-apart rollers which define a gap therebetween. The rollers rotate so that the surfaces which face one another move in opposite directions. One of the rollers serves to transport a document in the conveying direction, while the second countermoving roller serves to hold back any additional document which has been fed on top of the first document. The second roller is mounted so as to be pivotable, so that the gap between the rollers can be adjusted in accordance with the document conveyed through the gap. A guide roller serves to maintain the gap between the rollers. A storage container for the documents has movable rearward and bottom walls, wherein the rearward wall is biased by a tension spring so as to exert an essentially constant pressure on the stack of documents.

Abstract: A self-contained conveyor is adapted to be seated or bodily removed with respect to a support of an associated press. The conveyor has a gravity feed section for receiving a pile of stock items imbricately arranged thereon and delivering the items onto a pile fragmentizing roller assembly. The roller assembly separates the piled items by transporting the items over it and feeds items onto a belt conveyor which in turn delivers the items against a fanning mechanism. The bottom item is delivered into a metering nip defined between a retard and cooperating feed roller assembly which delivers each item to a pickup station of a press beneath a sensing finger switch. As long as each item remains on the station, it prevents the finger from dropping to close the switch and actuate a circuit which operates the belt conveyor and feed roller to deliver the next bottom item to the station.

Abstract: A method and a device for controlling the issuance of cards or like paper stock singly from a card feeder having a friction wheel which is positioned above a movable platform to feed the cards singly from the bottom of a stock. The friction wheel is rotated sequentially through preselectable arcs, intermittently if desired, whereby the issuing cards are optimally spaced apart. An auxiliary feed mechanism operating at a preselected speed and intermittently if desired may assist feeding the bottom cards of the stack as they are moved towards the nip between the friction wheel and the feeder platform. An advancer mechanism may assist movement of the stack towards the feeder platform, the stack advancer being movable sequentially at a preselected amount and preferably intermittently.

Abstract: A drive mechanism is disclosed for a document feeder which is used in supplying documents to-be-copied onto the glass top of a copy machine.The drive mechanism includes a set of feed wheels which remove the document to-be-copied from a document support and by rotating in one direction move the document to-be-copied against a set of drive wheels. The drive wheels, when rotated in one direction, move the document onto the glass top of a document copier against a stop, where the document is copied. Thereupon the drive wheels rotate in the opposite direction to remove the copied document from the glass top of a copying machine and deposit the copied document into a receiving tray.

Abstract: A suction device is movable between a receiving position in which it removes a sheet of film from a magazine and a delivery position in which it transfers the sheet to a conveyor. The effective width of the suction device approximates or equals the width of the smallest sheet of film to be transferred. Sheets having a width greater than the smallest width are gripped in the region of one end thereof leaving the remainder of such a sheet free to deflect. In order to permit proper transfer of all sheets into the conveyor, the latter is provided with grooved rollers which lift the deflected portions of larger sheets into the conveyor. In the delivery position, the suction device is located opposite one portion of the conveyor. The conveying force exerted by this portion of the conveyor is smaller than the gripping force which the suction device exerts on a sheet but larger than the conveying force exerted by a laterally adjacent portion of the conveyor.

Abstract: A sheet separator for a sheet feeder comprises a friction cylinder which is rotatable for feeding a sheet from a stack of sheets. A retaining member is mounted for radial movement with respect to the friction cylinder. The retaining member has a friction surface which holds back other sheets in the stack and which forms with the friction cylinder a passage gap which is adjusted to the thickness of a sheet to be fed. A carrier is connected to and supports the retaining member. An adjustment mechanism is provided between the carrier and the retaining member for adjusting the passage gap width. A bracket is mounted for radial movement on the carrier and has a contact surface for engaging the friction cylinder or a sheet held in the passage gap. Signal switch is provided in the bracket and is activated by a checking element which is movably mounted to the bracket and engaged with either the carrier or the retaining member.

Abstract: An improved automatic paper feeding device for a facsimile equipment or the like apparatus is disclosed which includes a feeding roller (3) disposed below the feeding end part of an inclined paper feeding board (2) and a reversing roller (7) located above the feeding roller (2) in a line contact relation to be rotated in the opposite direction to that of drawing of papers from the paper feeding board (2), the reversing roller being rotatably supported at the free end part of side plate members (20) adapted to turn about a support shaft (21). A connecting line between the shafts (4,8) of the feeding roller (7) and the reversing roller (7) extends substantially at a right angle relative to a connecting line between the shaft (8) of the reversing roller (7) and the support shaft (21) for the side plate members (20).

Abstract: A device for feeding envelopes from a hopper to an envelope processing station. Driving and driven rollers feed the envelopes one at a time from the hopper. The rollers define a nip through which the envelopes are fed. A unique "U" shaped spring forces the driven roller to contact the driving roller causing the driven roller to oscillate when no envelopes are fed. The oscillation helps envelope feeding by pulling and separating the lead envelope from the stack.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism in which a reciprocating swab-like apparatus is provided wherein the pitmans are adjustable for beginning and ending their stroke by having the cranks driven by separable gears which may be meshed in different positions and wherein the pitmans are connected to a pair of counterrotatable wheels with friction facings engageable with paper sheets disposed in a stack therebeneath, the wheels being mounted on axes which are adapted to be canted to increase or reduce the area of engagement of the wheel periphery with the sheet to vary the amount of drag. The wheels are carried by a slider foot which is arranged to slide upon the sheet being moved. The wheels are arranged to move the sheet to be fed first into a registered position against a stop and then in the opposite direction to associated receiving mechanism.

Abstract: To separate sheets from a stack, for example being fed upwardly, two separating stages are provided: one separating stage is formed by a driven third feed roller (28) located immediately above a fixed separating element (30), for example a rubber block. If, by chance, two sheets should be fed, the sheets are then fed to a second separating stage which includes a driven second roller (16) which, for example, may drive the third roller, and a first roller (20) therebeneath which can freely rotate in feeding direction. It is secured to a shaft by a one-way clutch, preventing reverse rotation. To impart limited reverse rotation to the first roller (20), the shaft thereof is rocked backwardly by an eccenter (50, 52) coupled to the shaft (18) which drives the entire apparatus.

Abstract: Sheets being advanced on a driven conveyor with one sheet at least partially overlapped by another are separated in the transport path, so that only one sheet is fed at a time, by the action of a friction member such as a roller which is mounted for swinging movement relative to a line of contact with the sheets for pressing the sheets against the conveyor and is biased by a spring and/or its own weight in the direction opposite to the transport direction. The axis of swinging movement is parallel to the line of contact and so located that a plane through the swing axis and the plane of the transport path at that line, as viewed in the transport direction, forms an angle of between about 70.degree. and 90.degree.. The friction member preferably is a roller which is rotated at a relatively low speed so as to move its peripheral surface in the direction opposite to the transport direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mechanism whereby individual sheets are fed from a cassette that carries a pile of paper sheets. The mechanism comprises a paper feed member which is mounted over the front portion of a feed bed whereon a cassette is removably installed and which is movable orbitally to feed sheets forward, and a retarding member engaged under upward bias against the feed member to prevent forward feed of sheets below one that is directly engaged with the feed member. The retarding member is so arranged as to be in its operative position when a cassette is fully installed on the feed bed but to move rearwardly and away from the feed member as the cassette is rearwardly removed from the feed bed, to thus release unfed but jammed sheets for removal with the cassette.

Abstract: A sheet double feeding prevention member is moveable into contact with a transporting member. A swing member is provided for supporting the double feeding prevention member. A moveable fitting positions the swing member at an operative position for adjustment relative to the transporting member.

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 pivotal feed head for feeding non-rigid paper sheets individually from a feed hopper to a photo-optical utilization station at high speed without interruption, overlap or collision between sheets including oppositely disposed members for applying a normal force between an enlarged resilient tired feed wheel adapted for unidirectional rotation and a conjointly movable, engageable retard roller. The feed head is mounted for pivotal movement about an outboard drive member. A frictional brake for the retard roller is adjustable to provide a preset load at the nip between the feed wheel and the retard roller while a solenoid-actuated one-way clutch operably engages the feed wheel mounting shaft for incremental signal controlled paper feed. A vertical, signal-controlled latching member locks the feed head in a vertical pivoted position at the end of the vertical upward movement of the paper stack platform as the paper is fed into the nip between the feed wheel and the retard roller.

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 bottom sheet feed system employs a slated feed surface having a pair of apertures therein for receiving a respective agitator wheel. The agitator wheel is constructed of a plurality of freely rotating rollers spaced in a circle around a central axis of the agitator wheel. Downstream of the agitator wheels a nip is provided formed of a stationary retard surface and a feed wheel. As the agitator wheels rotate, they jostle bottommost sheets of the stack of sheets and cause these sheets to fan along the stationary retard surface which is preferably curved above the feed surface. With the system of the invention reliable operation is achieved in combination with high feed rates. Top loading of the stack of sheets during operation is facilitated since major upper portions of the stack of sheets abut against a perpendicular surface while only the bottommost sheets are fanned along the stationary retard surface curved portion.

Abstract: The retard roll in a paper transport mechanism is rotated by the feed roll to transport manually supplied paper when a photodetector indicates that manually supplied paper is present, the retard roll is substantially stationary and serves its normal purpose of preventing more than one sheet at a time from being transported by the feed roll as it rotates in an opposite direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for individually feeding sheets in which a friction feed roller positively driven in the direction of feed opposes a friction retarding roller biased in the reverse direction with a predetermined torque and urged against the feed roller with a predetermined force. The reverse bias torque is regulated by means of a spring and a controllable clutch which is disengaged in response to a predetermined strain in the spring. The spring and controllable clutch may comprise a helical spring clutch. In another aspect of the disclosure, the retarding roller is carried by an arm for rotation about a pivot center located such that the normal force urging the two rollers together is automatically suitably adjusted in response to changes in the biasing torque.

Abstract: In apparatus for separating and feeding sheets, which includes a sheet feeding deck, a sheet separating stone and structure for carrying the stone in overhanging relationship with respect to the deck. There is provided an improvement for controlling the height of the stone above the deck. The improvement includes a movable frame connected to the stone carrying structure, a manually rotatable shaft connected so as to threadably engage the frame for moving the same to move the stone to a selected height above said deck, and apparatus for permitting the shaft to be pushed, without rotating the same, for raising the stone above the selected height.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating and extracting stacked sheets one by one, in which the top sheet is driven by a friction roller only forward in the extraction direction and is passed between two rollers 6, 9 which have suitable profiles to curve it transversely at least once. Roller 6 rotates with the friction roller, while roller 9 is permitted only a few degrees of rotation in the forward direction and is then spring-returned, preferably to slightly beyond its initial position; so that the roller 9 indexes slightly in the counterfeed direction with each dispensing cycle, thereby evenly distributing wear around its periphery.The invention applies in particular to bank-note extractors.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device including a sheet separating mechanism consisting of a feeding member and a braking separating member for preventing feeding of a plurality of sheets, and a speed adjusting mechanism for varying as desired the sheet feeding speed. The spacing between the feeding member and the braking separating member is determined based on a predetermined sheet feeding speed, and the sheet conveying force exerted by the feeding member is set at a level higher than the sheet arresting force exerted by the braking separating member. A supporting member for journalling at least one of the feeding member and the braking separating member and being movable for movement of one member toward the other member, and a transmission for moving the supporting member in synchronism with the movement of an adjusting member of the speed adjusting mechanism are provided, to vary the spacing between the feeding member and the braking separating member in accordance with a change in the sheet feeding speed.

Abstract: A top-load, bottom-feed friction feeder which includes a power source having connected thereto a main feed wheel and an eccentric wheel. A stone wheel is located adjacent the main feed wheel. The stone wheel can be adjusted and the feeder can continuously feed pieces which have a wide variety of sizes, stocks and orientations.

Abstract: A sheet feeding assembly for separating and feeding sheet material one by one by means of a reversely rotatable separation roller or a stationary friction separation roller. There is further provided a sheet protective roller of which the dimension is substantially equal to that of the separation roller. The protective roller is rotatable freely from the separation roller so that the relative movement of the protective roller may remain unchanged with respect to the feed roller when in use.

Abstract: A multifeed detection system is disclosed that includes a drag roll which is in contact with and loaded against a driven feed belt. A slip clutch applies a torque to the drag roll. The drag roll is in synchronism with a constant speed motor that drives the feed belt. A double sheet entering the nip between the drag roll and the feed belt will cause the drag roll to hesitate with the hesitation being detected by a sensor that activates shut-down of the feeding system.

Abstract: A sheet separator and feeding apparatus is disclosed for feeding and separating sheets that vary in thickness from batch to batch. This is accomplished by providing an adjustable deck that changes the size of opening and entrance angle to the separator rollers. Additional exposure of the surface of the bump feed roller is also achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for singly conveying sheets of paper, especially currency, from a supply stack to an outlet, including a counter-rotating roller and a braking roller for separating two or more sheets which adhere to one another. Control elements delay new sheet take-up whenever adhering sheets are separated from one another, thus creating necessary space in the conveyance path.

Abstract: A feeder device having a supply magazine for record carriers and an associated separating device. The magazine is pivoted to bring a top sheet into contact with a feed roller, and the pivot motion is used to control the separating device so that more reliable separation is obtained.