Abstract: In some examples, a gimbaled monoclamp can include a housing including a first opening, a second opening, and a pivot point, a clamp disposed at least partially in the housing and including a first pad and a second pad to extend through the first opening and the second opening, respectively, and a pin extending through an opening in the clamp into the pivot point to couple the clamp to the housing in a gimbaled manner.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a base member, a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are stacked, and a biasing portion configured to bias the sheet stacking portion. The sheet stacking portion is swingably supported by the base member, and the biasing portion biases the sheet stacking portion such that a swing angle is reduced.

Abstract: A modular placement device for a feed station of a mail processing apparatus, wherein the feed station includes an ejection roller, has a housing that is separate for the modular placement device located upstream, in terms of the mail flow, of the feed station. The housing has a cavity therein to receive a stack of mail items, and a pressure element mounted so as to be pivotable and so as to be plugged into the cavity. The pressure element exerts a pressure force on the stack of mail items in the cavity, with a bottommost item of mail being pressed against the ejection roller so that the bottommost item of mail is propelled in the mail flow direction. The weight loss of the stack due to removal of the bottommost item of mail therefrom is counteracted by the pressure element.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pick roller and a resilient element disposed above the pick roller. The pick roller has a roller surface. The resilient element includes two side resilient arms and a center resilient arm located between the two side resilient arms. Free ends of the two side resilient arms are pushed forward by all sheets when the sheets arrive between the free ends of the two side resilient arms and the roller surface. A free end of the center resilient arm faces the roller surface of the pick roller and maintains a gap therebetween. When too many pieces of paper are drawn forward to the resilient element, the side resilient arms are pushed forward further more, the uppermost paper contacts the center resilient arm. The center resilient arm cooperates with the side resilient arms to provide the paper a pressure big enough to be conveyed forward.

Abstract: A bottom feed newspaper hopper utilizes a shuttle plate that reciprocates across the bottom of a stack of the papers to partially eject each successive lowermost newspaper from the stack during each feed stroke and present it to high speed nip rollers. The rollers grasp the leading edge of the partially ejected newspaper and quickly withdraw it the rest of the way from the stack. The stack of newspapers rests upon a fore-and-aft narrow rail on the shuttle plate so that a stiffening ridge is created in the body of the lowermost paper and at least several papers thereabove. During each feed stroke, a stop at the front of the hopper permits the lowermost paper to exit from the hopper but blocks similar movement of the second paper and all those above it. The stop is offset laterally from the path of travel of the rail so that the area immediately above the rail is open and unrestricted, allowing the peak of the ridge to pass out of the hopper even if the paper has an accidentally rolled up, fat leading edge.

Abstract: A hopper and feeder assembly for feeding newspapers to be collated or assembled for delivery is provided which includes a reciprocating feeder device employing roller clutch and bearing wheel assemblies. The roller clutch and bearing wheel assemblies lock during frictional engagement with the lowermost newspaper in the stack during a forward feed stroke to push the newspaper forward to nip rollers. The narrow feeder device permits a sharp ridge to be formed as the nip rollers snap down to bend the lowermost newspaper in the stack over the wheel assemblies. The roller clutch and bearing wheel assemblies are mounted on a rail to provide a narrow newspaper engagement surface and corresponding narrow ridge formed in the newspaper.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a sheetlike object, especially a card with magnetic strip, from a stack has a storage compartment for the stack and an object removal unit on a lower side of the storage compartment. The object removal unit has a conveying element movable back and forth under control perpendicular to the stack, i.e., in dispensing direction (x). According to the invention, the conveying element has a supporting surface concave in dispensing direction (x) and/or convex in a transverse direction (y) which is orthogonal to dispensing direction (x). With an element thus shaped, cards already used and bent in various ways can be reused for automatic card dispensing.

Abstract: A paper feeder for a printing and bookbinding system incorporates a top load, bottom feed hopper having a cyclically operated platform for transporting paper signatures from a stack to a conveyor. The platform utilizes spaced supports of a high friction, low durameter rated material in contact with the lowermost signature in the stack. A gating mechanism is adjustable to pass only a single signature during each cycle of the platform. Outfeed rollers grasp the signature after initial advancement by the platform. Operation of the platform is synchronized to position such that the platform lowers to drop the supports out of contact with the signature as the advancing signature is grasped by the rollers. In one form, the platform may include a vacuum attachment to assure adherence of the signature to the supports. A vacuum mechanism may also be attached to the outfeed rollers for use in opening signatures for an insert-stitch-trim operation.

Abstract: An improved slide mount advance mechanism advances a slide mount to an insertion station of a slide mounting apparatus, where the slide mount receives a film transparency to form a photographic slide. The mechanism includes a slide ejector designed to contact a bottom slide mount in a slide magazine and advance the slide mount from the slide magazine to the insertion station. The slide ejector contacts the slide mount through a rear slide ejector opening of the slide magazine to force the slide mount through a front slide mount opening of the slide magazine to a slide track. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for aligning the bottom slide mount at or above an upper edge of the slide ejector while maintaining the bottom slide mount in a position to be engaged by the slide ejector. The aligning mechanism restricts the ejection of multiple slide mounts from the slide magazine to assure proper operation.

Abstract: Each interfaced loader and metering hopper combination of a newspaper assembling system includes improvements for producing ridges in the newspapers at various states where separation of the newspapers from one another is required. The ridges enhance separation by stiffening the newspaper and reducing the area of contact and thereby the friction between them. At the receiving region of the loader, an arrangement of parallel side and central conveyors, wherein the central one is at a higher level than the side conveyors, produces ridges when the newspapers in a stack are fanned back into a stream. A pair of superimposed center conveyors and inclined laterally located arms produce ridges in the newspapers as they are discharged one at a time from a discharge region of the loader into a receiving zone in the hopper.

Abstract: The feeder has a device which reciprocates across the bottom of a stack of articles so as to separate and feed the lowermost article of the stack during each feeding stroke of the device. The device has a pair of elongated members which extend in the direction of feed and are provided with friction padding along their uppermost surfaces for making firm contact with the article to be fed. Such members, working together as an integral unit, rise up into engagement with the article to slightly raise it along the engaged portions thereof above the rest of the device as the forward stroke is commenced, thereby warping the article along the leading edge thereof as such leading edge is at the same time tucked beneath a confining element at the front of the stack which is strategically spaced above the device a distance which permits the passage of only the lowermost article during each feed stroke.

Abstract: Friction members, working together as an integral unit, rise up into engagement with the lowermost article in a stack to slightly raise it along the engaged portions thereof above the rest of the device as a forward stroke is commenced, thereby warping the article along its leading edge as such leading edge is at the same time tucked beneath a forwardly located element positioned to permit passage of only the lowermost article during each feed stroke. This combination of actions has the effect of advancing the articles seriatim from the stack into a pair of highspeed nip rollers which grab only the lowermost article and immediately complete its withdrawal. At the instant the nip rollers begin pulling on the article, the raised friction members respond by dropping down to their initial position below the upper surface of the feed device, which thereupon makes its return stroke in preparation for feeding the next article of the stack.