Abstract: Apparatus for feeding flat items comprising a rotatable body, a drive member having a drive surface for drivingly contacting the surface of an item, said body and said member defining therebetween a nip, and respective surface portions of the body and the member at the nip being movable only in directions extending askew of one another with a skew angle such that the body surface portion frictionally resists the passage of an item through the nip.

Abstract: A high speed sheet-material separating and feeder system is disclosed which handles a wide range of mixed thicknesses and sizes of envelopes and sheets. The sheets are stacked at one end of the system, and are fed to a dual separator mechanism having two separator members. The dual separator mechanism has a first separator member which is adjusted for thicker sheets of the range, and a second separator member which is adjusted for thinner sheets of the range. Sheets leaving the dual separator are ejected one at a time, in seriatim, where they then can be fed to other sheet handling equipment for processing.

Abstract: A combination sheet-feed and utilization machine wherein the sheet feeder comprises an endless belt, or series of belts. The belt is driven in a path which is normally out of contact with a paper sheet stack and when a sheet is to be fed, the run of the belt between end supports is distended toward the sheet stack until contact is made and frictional engagement picks up the top sheet and begins it on its feed path. A retard mechanism prevents double feeding. The feed cycle is initiated by whatever means is convenient for the particular use, such as manual feed button or a machine cycle controller requesting another master, for example. The sheet travels to the utilization device, whatever type is being supplied, and when the sheet arrives at the utilization device in-feed, it triggers a sensor to initiate a circuit which ends the paper feed cycle and begins the utilization device cycle to pick up the paper from the feeder.

Abstract: A sheet delivery apparatus includes a sheet delivering revolving member in abutting relationship with a sheet separating member, which members cooperate to deliver the lowermost one of sheets in a stack through a nip therebetween while maintaining the forward edge face of the sheets in an inclined position.

Abstract: A drive roller and a driven, braked, retard roller are juxtaposedly positioned along the path of documents being transported beyond a document feeding mechanism to provide passage of only one document at a time. The retard roller is carried on an arm which is swingable on a pivot and lightly spring loaded against the drive roller, such arm being placed and positioned at a certain angle rearward of a line extending perpendicular from the document, this angle being larger than the friction angle of document against document, but smaller than the friction angle of document against roller. A single document will pass between the rollers with both rollers rolling at the same speed, whereas when two documents attempt to pass between the rollers at the same time the second document will be retarded by the retard (braked) roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeder apparatus having a feed roller, a reverse roller, a movable sheet support platform for furnishing sheets from a stack to the feed roller, and a pivotable arm with pickup roller for engaging the stack of sheets on the support platform. The sheet support platform is spring driven and equipped with a brake mechanism operable responsive to movement of the pivotable arm which is caused by feeding of sheets from the stack, thereby to permit the spring to drive the sheet support mechanism into further feeding disposition. The nip between the feed roller and reverse roller of the apparatus may be selectively controlled to accommodate sheets of various thicknesses by means of a pivot shaft connected to the reverse roller, which shaft has a levered end engaging a manually operated adjustment cam and release lever mechanism.

Abstract: A stack elevating apparatus for a sheet feeder. A tray for supporting a stack of sheets is arranged for movement between at least one elevated position and a lowered position. The tray is arranged to descend to the lower position by gravity. An inertial force is provided for controlling the rate of descent of the tray. In one embodiment the inertial force is provided by an inertial member which is arranged to rotate in response to the descent of the tray and for continued rotation after the tray has stopped. In another embodiment a system is provided for amplifying the inertial force provided by the inertial member. A selectively engageable friction drive system for elevating the tray forms yet another embodiment.

Abstract: A high speed sheet-material separating and feeder system is disclosed which handles a wide range of mixed thicknesses and sizes of envelopes and sheets. In a free running mode, the system can conservatively handle 30,000 pieces of mail per hour. The sheets are stacked at one end of the system, and are fed to a first of two separator mechanisms. The first separator mechanism is adjusted for thicker sheets of the range. Sheets leaving the first separator are then fed to the second of the two separator mechanisms. The second separator is adjusted for thinner sheets of the range. Sheets leaving the second separator are ejected one at a time, in seriatim, where they then can be fed to other sheet handling equipment for processing.

Abstract: Improvements in a sheet feed device for a facsimile system for selectively supplying an original copy and a recording sheet to the rotating drum. A cassette adapted to be placed on a cassette table comprises two trays adapted to move relative to each other, one tray for supporting thereon a stack of original copies and the other tray for supporting thereon a stack of recording sheets. One of the two trays is selectively brought to a position in which it is disposed below a friction roller for picking up the uppermost sheet of the stack of original copies or recording sheets. Means is provided for lifting the two trays to bring the uppermost sheet into frictional engagement with the roller.

Abstract: A document feed mechanism is disclosed for feeding documents from the bottom of a stack. Sheet separating rolls prevent the feeding of more than one sheet at a time through a nip formed by the separating rolls and feed rolls. Wear compensation means functions to uniformly distribute wear about the cicumference of the separation rolls. The wear compensation means additionally provides for axial shifting of the separator rolls relative to the feed rolls so that a constant gap or nip is maintained. Simplified means for adjusting the gap are also disclosed. The feed mechanism will accept documents having a relatively wide range of thicknesses without adjustment.

Abstract: A facsimile transceiver apparatus is described which includes means for advancing a document to a station at which location the document is line scanned by a laser light beam. A video signal thus formed is transmitted to a remote facsimile apparatus for reproduction of the document. The transceiver further includes an electrostatographic printing station at which station a latent electrostatic image is formed by line scanning a laser light beam over a uniformly charged photoreceptor surface. A means for line scanning at the document scanning station and at the photoreceptor surface includes a laser light source and means for alternatively sweeping the laser light beam across the document at the scanning station or across a charged image retention surface at the printing station. Means are also described for enhancing document feed, resolution, and speed of reproduction.

Abstract: A sheet separating device is disclosed for separating a single sheet from a stack of sheets in an inclined supply hopper of a document feeder or the like. Spaced drive rollers are located above the stack and are operative to engage the uppermost sheet of the stack. During rotation of the drive roller, the sheets are separated one at a time from the stack and are fed to a work station, for instance, a printing station. Means is provided for equalizing the pressure of the separator upon the stack of sheets as its height decreases.

Abstract: A plurality of first rollers are rotatably mounted on a shaft symmetrically about the center of the shaft. The shaft is biased toward an axis about which a plurality of second rollers are mounted for rotation so that the first and second rollers contact each other. The shaft is supported for movement in a plane toward and away from the axis, and for rotation about an axis through the center of the shaft at right angles to the plane. A drive mechanism is provided for driving either the first or second rollers to forward a sheet between the nip of the rollers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism for a reproduction machine has a plurality of trays for supporting sheets of various sizes which are to be fed into the machine. A baffle plate is provided for each tray for guiding the sheets from that tray upwardly to a sheet separating roller assembly associated only with that particular tray. All of the sheets from the various trays are fed to a common output.

Abstract: Paper inserts, such as statements, payroll checks, and the like, are stacked on the downward sloping bottom of a hopper behind inward extending front stop plates that form a clearance over the hopper bottom. A pair of pinch rollers are constantly driven in front of the stop plates to pass on inserts delivered thereto. At least one front feed roller is disposed substantially below the stop plates and two rear feed rollers are disposed behind the stop plates. The front and rear feed rollers are of resilient material and project upward above the bottom of the hopper. A cylindrical gate is adjustably positioned above the front feed roller so that an intermittent rotation of the feed rollers advances the lowermost insert of the stack under the gate to be engaged by the pairs of constantly driven pinch rollers.