Abstract: A mail singulator system determines a position of an optical panel to automatically adjust a loading conveyor speed to prevent stacked and overlapped mailpieces in the singulator and large gaps between mailpieces. The optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece of a mail stack on the loading conveyor and the optical sensor. The optical panel changes position with the pressure exerted by the mail stack and provides signals to the controller to adjust the conveyor speed. An optical sensor may detect a far threshold position or limit distance to increase the speed of the conveyor and may detect a near threshold position of limit distance to reduce the speed of the conveyor. The optical panel may have a low friction surface to allow the mail to slide into the conveyor and an optical surface to allow reliable optical sensor detection of the optical panel position.

Abstract: A mail singulator system determines a position of an optical panel to automatically adjust a loading conveyor speed to prevent stacked and overlapped mailpieces in the singulator and large gaps between mailpieces. The optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece of a mail stack on the loading conveyor and the optical sensor. The optical panel changes position with the pressure exerted by the mail stack and provides signals to the controller to adjust the conveyor speed. An optical sensor may detect a far threshold position or limit distance to increase the speed of the conveyor and may detect a near threshold position of limit distance to reduce the speed of the conveyor. The optical panel may have a low friction surface to allow the mail to slide into the conveyor and an optical surface to allow reliable optical sensor detection of the optical panel position.

Abstract: A stacker device (1) for flat articles (2) stacked on edge, said device including a retaining paddle (6) mounted to be moveable along the stacking path (E) between an upstream position and a downstream position, and between a working position in which it interferes with said stacking path (E) and a resting position in which it does not interfere with said stacking path (E), a holding finger (7) suitable for being in a deployed position in which it interferes with said stacking path (E) so as to receive the foot of a flat article (2) bearing against it, and mounted to be moveable along said stacking path (E) between a rear position and a front position, said holding finger (7) and said retaining paddle (6) being independent from each other so that said holding finger (7) retains said foot of the flat article (2) even when said retaining paddle (6) is in its resting position.

Abstract: Provided is a financial device, which comprises a medium entrance, a medium processing apparatus, and a control unit. A medium is deposited or withdrawn through the medium entrance. The medium processing apparatus processes the medium. The control unit controls the medium processing apparatus. The medium processing apparatus comprises a front guider, a rear guider behind the front guider, a pushing member pushing a medium disposed in a medium processing space, and a supporting guider supporting the medium in the medium processing space. The control unit controls an operation of the medium processing apparatus such that states of the front guider, the rear guider, the pushing member, and the supporting guider when moving of a medium is completed in the medium processing space to deposit the medium are the same as states of the front guider, the rear guider, the pushing member, and the supporting guider when moving of a medium is completed in the medium processing space to withdraw or return the medium.

Abstract: An envelope feeder for a printer having two aligned conveyors moving at different speeds is disclosed. An upstream conveyor moves a backwards slanted procession of envelopes having aligned upper edges onto an inline downstream conveyor that accelerates the envelopes along a curved upper edge so that by the time any single envelope arrives at the printer ingestion or feed slot, the envelope is almost completely flat yet supported upwards slightly so that the pickup roller of the printer can easily and reliably ingest the envelope for processing. Due to the speed of the downstream conveyor, envelopes are continually and reliably presented to the printer to avoid printer stalls. The configuration reduces the amount of skill and operating labor required to establish a high-speed envelope feed source for high-speed printing.

Abstract: A document storage assembly for storing documents such as banknotes in a stacked configuration includes a support plate assembly for biasing the stack of documents toward an opening in the housing of the document storage assembly. The housing can include an assist mechanism to facilitate displacement of the stack of documents during the stacking of a newly received document.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a manual feed portion provided on a side surface of a housing that accommodates an image forming portion and having an abutting portion against which a downstream end in a sheet feeding direction of a sheet inserted into a gap between the manual feed portion and the side surface abuts. The manual feed portion also includes a holding portion configured to hold the sheet such that a sheet surface is held along the side surface of the housing in the condition in which the downstream end of the sheet abuts against the abutting portion.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a paper-sheet stacking apparatus includes a holding unit, a pushing mechanism, a backup, and a variable-force spring mechanism. The holding unit has a stacking base for holding a plurality of paper sheets in standing position and is configured to stack the paper sheets, one laid on another in a direction of a plane. The pushing mechanism is configured to push paper sheets transported, into the holding unit. The backup opposed to the pushing mechanism, is able to move in the direction the paper sheets are stacked and is configured to hold any paper sheet stacked between the backup and the pushing mechanism and to move away from the pushing mechanism as paper sheets are stacked one after another.

Abstract: A method for feeding sheets to a printing technology machine improves reliability of feeding sheets and reduces an acceleration time from a base speed to a production speed. The sheets are conveyed onto a feed table in shingled formation by a first drive and are individually and successively conveyed from the feed table to a first processing station of the machine by a second drive. The sheets are conveyed onto the feed table before an acceleration of the second drive to production speed is completed and the first drive is accelerated to the production speed when the processing station has reached the production speed.

Abstract: A media cassette is described. The media cassette comprising: a media removal window at one end of the media cassette; a handle end at an opposite end of the cassette to the media removal window; and a pusher plate assembly. The pusher plate assembly includes: (i) a finger recess component, (ii) a pawl biased downwards to a low position, and (iii) an actuator coupled to both the pawl and the finger recess component and including a pivot. The actuator is moveable on insertion of a finger into the finger recess component to raise the pawl from the low position to a high position.

Abstract: A folding machine and a method of folding sheets of paper, board and the like with underlapping, include at least a first folding station with folding units and an imbricated feeder for feeding sheets to the first folding station, over an aligning table, in a first transporting direction. The imbricated feeder has a device for separating the sheets and a suction configuration which can be adjusted in and counter to the first transporting direction and is intended for the underlapping transfer of sheets from a sheet stack of the imbricated feeder to the aligning table.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for handling notes of value, comprising at least one cash box for receiving notes of value and at least one separating and/or stacking module for removing notes of value and/or for supplying notes of value to the cash box. Here, the separating and/or stacking module and the cash box are arranged separately from each other. The cash box comprises a retraction element which in a swiveled-away position is arranged such that the notes of value are suppliable to the cash box by means of the separating and/or stacking module through an opening of the cash box and/or are removable from the cash box. In a retaining position, the retraction element is arranged such that no notes of value are suppliable to and no notes of value are removable from the cash box.

Abstract: Provided is a means for stably accumulating the bills to be paid out to a customer. A bill press (26) has a dog-leg shape composed of a supporting face (26a) facing bills and an inclined face (26b) inclined in a direction away from the bills above the supporting face (26a), has two sliding pins (30) lined up along a movement direction on a side face thereof, and has a sliding groove (35) at the side of the bill press (26). A bent portion (35a) is provided at one end of the sliding groove (35) on the side of an accumulating tongue piece roller (28). When the bills to be paid out to a customer are accumulated in a bill deposit/withdrawal unit (10), the bill press (26) turns so that the sliding pins (30) on the side of the accumulating tongue piece roller (28) enter the bent portion (35a), and thereby the supporting face (26a) is inclined toward the accumulating tongue piece roller (28).

Abstract: An assembly includes a currency cassette, a pressure plate, and a plurality of gears rotatably connected to at least two opposite edges of the pressure plate. In an implementation, a plurality of substantially parallel racks are configured to engage a plurality of the gears.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying envelopes traveling in a travel direction in a generally upright orientation. The apparatus includes a first pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another and configured to engage lateral edges of the envelopes, and configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction. The apparatus includes a second pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another and positioned downstream of the first pair of conveyor assemblies in the travel direction, with the second pair of conveyor assemblies being configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction independently of the first pair of conveyor assemblies.

Abstract: A flat-article feed device comprising a supply magazine in which flat articles are moved in a stack on edge in a first transfer direction, a separator for separating the leading flat article of the stack from the remainder of the stack and for driving it in a second transfer direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first transfer direction, an unstacker that takes a flat article that is being unstacked and brings it in the second transfer direction to the inlet of a conveyor, and a retainer that exerts a retaining force that opposes movement of the flat article towards the conveyor, the unstacker being offset from the separator by a distance not less than the maximum length of a flat article, and the retainer being provided facing the unstacker. A postal sorting machine including such a feed device.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a sheet storage unit into which a sheet is inserted in a generally vertical direction through a sheet inlet, the sheet storage unit having a first opening portion formed on a front of the sheet storage unit, a second opening portion formed on a rear thereof, and a third opening portion formed on a top thereof; a pressure plate having a bottom portion on which the sheet inserted into the sheet storage unit is placed, and a rear portion formed on rear of the bottom portion, the pressure plate being disposed in a manner slidable in front and rear directions; a moving device configured to slide the pressure plate in the front direction so that the rear portion presses the sheet through the second opening portion; and a roller rotatably disposed so as to contact with the sheet through the first opening portion, the roller moving the sheet in a vertical direction in response to rotation of the roller, to output the sheet through the third opening portion.

Abstract: This invention relates to an input tray media de-slouch apparatus, comprising; an input media tray, at least one pivotable media de-slouch arm operatively connected to the tray, and a releasable locking means operatively connected to the arm and the tray to lock the arm prior to media being placed against the arm to substantially keep the media from slouching and to release the arm when the media is being fed from the input tray.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pick up device for paper sheets includes an input unit configured to support a plurality of paper sheets in a stacked manner, a supply mechanism configured to move the placed paper sheets in a stacking direction and supply each paper sheet to an pick up position, a pick up mechanism configured to pick up the paper sheet at the pick up position from the input unit one by one, and a control unit configured to determine a supply speed or a feed amount of the paper sheets by the supply mechanism in accordance with thickness information per unit time of the picked up paper sheets obtained from a thickness detector, and configured to determine whether the supply mechanism is to be operated or stopped based on density information of the paper sheets obtained from a paper sheet sensor.

Abstract: A recording apparatus of the disclosure includes a recording unit that performs a recording process on a subject recording medium, a cassette body that accommodates the subject recording medium, a subject recording medium cassette opening that is provided in the cassette body and supplies the subject recording medium therefrom, a movable portion that switches to a closed state in which the subject recording medium cassette opening is closed or an opened state in which the subject recording medium is able to be supplied from the subject recording medium cassette opening, a lock portion that locks the movable portion in the closed state, and an insertion portion that is provided in the movable portion so that a feeding roller is able to be inserted therethrough.

Abstract: A media cassette includes a body having a removable lid. The media cassette comprises a housing defining a closeable pick window; an urging plate biased towards the pick window for urging a stack of media items towards the pick window; a detent located distal from the pick window for limiting movement of the urging plate; and a detent moving mechanism operable to move the detent. The detent moving mechanism may be operated by engaging the removable lid or by insertion of the cassette into a media handler. The media cassette allows the urging plate to exert less force on the stack of media items by expanding the space available for media items located within the cassette by activating the detent moving mechanism.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a supply holding section that holds paper, which is supplied to a printing section, in an overlapping manner; a paper discharging roller that discharges the paper from the printing section; a discharge holding section that holds the paper, which are discharged from the paper discharging roller, in an overlapping manner, and is installed movably to the supply holding section, in an overlapping manner; and a moving unit that is moved to move the discharge holding section to the supply holding section so as to widen a difference of a height between the discharge holding section and the paper discharging roller according to a decrease of a holding amount of the paper in the supply holding section.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying products from a stack to an output includes a stack area configured for receiving a stack of a plurality of products, a guiding element extending to the output, and a transport mechanism configured for acting on at least part of the products in the stack for conveying the products in the direction of the output such that edges of the products abut on the guiding element.

Abstract: A media cassette comprises a housing defining a closeable pick window; an urging plate biased towards the pick window for urging a stack of media items towards the pick window; a detent located distal from the pick window for limiting movement of the urging plate when the pick window is closed; and a detent moving mechanism operable to move the detent when the pick window is opened. The media cassette allows the urging plate to exert less force on the stack of media items by expanding the space available for media items located within the cassette by activating the detent moving mechanism.

Abstract: A singulator device for standard postal objects and extended postal objects, configured for receiving at input groups of standard/extended plane rectangular postal objects grouped in packs and supplying at output singulated standard/extended postal objects, i.e., each one is physically separated from the others. The device comprises: a singulator system; a resting surface for the packs of postal objects; and a drawing system that displaces the packs towards the singulator system, designed to withdraw individually the postal objects that form a front end face of the pack. Also provided is a supporting device, configured for providing abut surfaces on opposite end portions of the packs formed by extended postal objects to keep the extended postal objects with planes of lie substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance, thus preventing the extended postal objects from possibly bending towards the adjacent packs formed by standard postal objects.

Abstract: A recording apparatus of the disclosure includes a recording unit that performs a recording process on a subject recording medium, a cassette body that accommodates the subject recording medium, a subject recording medium cassette opening that is provided in the cassette body and supplies the subject recording medium therefrom, a movable portion that switches to a closed state in which the subject recording medium cassette opening is closed or an opened state in which the subject recording medium is able to be supplied from the subject recording medium cassette opening, a lock portion that locks the movable portion in the closed state, and an insertion portion that is provided in the movable portion so that a feeding roller is able to be inserted therethrough.

Abstract: A method of advancing packaging blanks disposed standing upright in a magazine, one after the other, in a file or queue resting against the bottom of the magazine and disposed to be driven forwards through the magazine towards a stop at an outlet end for individual discharge comprises the file or queue of blanks being divided into two pressure zones, a first and forward pressure zone extending from the zone limit between the pressure zones up to the stop and displaying a first mutual pressure between neighboring blanks, as well as a rear second pressure zone displaying a second mutual pressure between neighboring blanks. The first mutual pressure is higher than the second mutual pressure. Another aspect of the disclosure pertains to an apparatus for carrying out advancement of the packaging blanks.

Abstract: A media delivery apparatus includes a media insertion portion and a media delivery port. A media guide surface is configured to guide media toward the delivery port. The feed roller is configured to feed the media toward the delivery port. The first pressing member is configured to press the media against the feed roller and the second pressing member is configured to press the media against the media guide surface. A driving mechanism is configured to drive the first pressing member. The first pressing member is moved from a waiting position and toward the feed roller and the second pressing member is moved from a retreating position to a side of the media guide surface interlockingly with the first pressing member. The second pressing member reaches a position at which the second pressing member presses the media against the media guide surface after the first pressing member reaches a position at which the first pressing member presses the media against the feed roller.

Abstract: A bottom surface of a stacking and accommodating portion is structured such as to be sloped to be lower in accordance with moving away from a paper carry-in side, and a push plate is controlled so as to be moved in a direction moving close to a carry-in port of the paper by detecting a stack paper width determined on the basis of a product of a stacked number count information of the papers and a thickness information per one paper, and the papers are accommodated.

Abstract: A medium transferring mechanism that includes a medium inserting portion into which a sheet medium is inserted, the medium inserting portion defined by a bottom face and by a first side face and a second side face which extend from the bottom face and are opposed to each other; wherein a first guide face extending toward the first side face is formed at a forward end portion of the second side face; a second guide face extending from the second side face so as to gradually get close to a medium transferring path towards a medium transferring direction is formed above the first guide face; and a third guide face inclined downward from a lower edge of the second guide face toward an upper edge of the first guide face, is formed between the first guide face and the second guide face.

Abstract: A cassette for a currency note dispensing machine, in which the cassette is slidably mounted to easily fill with currency note, can receive various kinds of currency note by adjusting a currency note guide, and prevent wrong mounting of a push plate to smoothly pay the currency note. The cassette includes a cassette housing formed in a box shape with an upper surface opened, in which currency note vertically stands up and stacks, slidably mounted to a main frame of the currency note dispensing machine, and having a groove for establishing sheet separating means at one side of a rear plate so that currency note contacts with the sheet separating means after one edge of the currency note is supported, and a push plate supporting the currency note stacked between a front plate of the cassette housing and the rear plate and coupled to a resilient member to press the currency note toward the rear plate of the cassette housing.

Abstract: A storage module for flat postal items includes a storage area, an infeed function to transfer postal items from a stream of postal items into the storage area, and an extraction function to extract postal items from the storage area. The infeed and extraction function have a common roller conveyor unit and a feed stop. The infeed function guides the postal items in a direction of travel of the roller conveyor unit from the roller conveyor against the feed stop for a transfer into the storage area. The extraction function extracts the last stacked postal item from the storage area in the direction of travel of the roller conveyor unit through an extraction opening. The storage area includes a separating knife to exert a first pressure and a second pressure.

Abstract: A paper feeding device includes a supporting base and a paper arranging module. The supporting base has a supporting surface, an inclined supporting plane, and a slot located at the supporting surface. The paper arranging module includes a guiding structure fixed under the supporting surface, a paper-pushing structure slidably disposed on the guiding structure, an elastic element interconnected between the paper-pushing structure and a fixed end, and a gear disposed on the guiding structure. The gear has an engaging part for engaging with and driving the paper-pushing structure to move toward the inclined supporting plane along the slot for arranging the paper sheets supported on the supporting base, thus facilitating subsequent paper dividing. When a non-engaging part of the gear corresponds to the paper-pushing structure, the paper-pushing structure is restored to an original position by an elastic force of the elastic element.

Abstract: A paper feeding device is mounted in a shredder and has a casing, and a pushing assembly and a feeding assembly mounted in the casing. When a stack of paper is put into the paper feeding device, the pushing assembly pushes the paper forward and the feeding assembly automatically feeds some of the paper into the shredder to shred the paper into small pieces until shredding of the stack of paper is complete. Furthermore, according to a capability of a cutting mechanism of the shredder, the feeding assembly is adjustable to feed different quantities of paper at a time. Therefore, the paper feeding device for the shredder is convenient, time saving and efficient.

Abstract: A medium delivery device comprising a medium insertion section into which a sheet-shaped medium to be delivered is inserted in a stacked state, first and second medium guide surfaces that are opposed to each other to guide the sheet-shaped medium to the medium delivery port, a feed roller that is disposed at a side of the first medium guide surface and delivers the sheet-shaped medium inserted into the medium insertion section, to the medium delivery port, a first pressing member that presses the sheet-shaped medium inserted into the medium insertion section against the feed roller, a second pressing member that presses the sheet-shaped medium inserted into the medium insertion section against the first medium guide surface at a position deviating from the feed roller, and a driving mechanism that drives the first pressing member in directions in which the first pressing member moves close to and away from the feed roller.

Abstract: A magazine pressure control is provided with pressure control wheels that are designed to regulate pressure on carton blanks being fed to a folder/gluer in a carton forming operation. These wheels are disposed around the periphery of the carton blank to urge the edges of the cartons forward and to straighten misaligned cartons. A separately controlled motor operates each half of the magazine pressure control. Each motor is controlled by a pressure sensor assembly and regulates the progression of the carton blanks through the magazine pressure control to equalize the pressure around the periphery of the carton blanks as they are presented to the pick face of the folder/gluer.

Abstract: A device for aligning flat objects, in particular mail items, has a base face, a side wall, and at least one spindle thread, which is let into the base face. The spindle thread is embodied to transport flat objects lying on the base face in a conveyance direction, thereby pushing them against the side wall. The spindle thread has at least one aligning region. Each aligning region is subdivided respectively into a decompression segment and a compression segment. The pitch of the spindle thread increases along the conveyance direction in each decompression segment and decreases in each compression segment.

Abstract: A feed device includes a paper tray on which sheets are stacked and a side fence that guides a side edges of a sheet stacked on the paper tray in a sheet feed direction. The feed device feeds an uppermost sheet from the sheets stacked on the paper tray to an image forming apparatus. A plurality of concavities and convexities integrally formed with an identical material to the side fence is formed on a surface of the side fence that is in contact with an edge face of a fed sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for conveying a stack of flat objects, in particular a stack of mail items, in a conveyance direction. The conveyor device comprises a base face, a side wall, which is perpendicular to the base face, a base face conveyor facility let into the base face and a side wall conveyor facility let into the side wall. The side wall is divided into two partial side walls. The rear partial side wall—viewed in the conveyance direction—is offset outward in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction in relation to the front partial side wall. The side wall conveyor facility is let into the rear partial side wall. The base face conveyor facility is embodied to exert a force on the objects, which moves the objects toward the side wall conveyor facility.

Abstract: An unstacker device for unstacking flat objects comprises a motor-driven feed magazine controlled so as to move flat objects in a stack and on edge facing an unstacking head provided with a motor-driven drive having a perforated belt and a suction chamber, which motor driven drive is actuated so as to separate a current first object from the stack and so as to eject it in a direction that is transverse to the direction in which the stack of flat objects is moved, in which device the motor-driven drive is actuated and stopped each time a current object is unstacked, and the stack of flat objects is straightened up in the magazine in response to detection of signals delivered by a plurality of sensors disposed in the unstacking head.

Abstract: A medium delivery apparatus, includes: a medium insertion portion; a medium delivery port; first and second medium guide surfaces; a feed roller; a first pressing member; a second pressing member; a rotating member; an urging member, configured to give an urging force acting in a first rotation direction to the rotating member to rotate the second pressing member toward the protruding position; an elastic member, configured to cause the second pressing member and the rotating member to abut against each other; and a stationary abutting portion, against which the rotating member abuts when the first pressing member is placed in the vicinity of the waiting position.

Abstract: Unstacker apparatus (1) for unstacking flat items (E), the unstacker apparatus comprising a flat item feed magazine (M) in which the flat items are disposed in a stack and on edge and are moved in a certain direction (D) until they reach an unstacking plate (6) disposed in alignment with said feed magazine, whereupon they are ejected one-by-one in a perpendicular direction (P) that is perpendicular to said certain direction (D), the unstacker apparatus further comprising a blower member (13) which is disposed so as to blow a jet of air onto the flat items, and which is mounted in a manner such as to be retractable into the unstacking plate.

Abstract: A holder of an apparatus for individually separating flat items from stacks comprises a first separating structure for individually separating outer flat items from one of the stacks at one end of the holder and a second separating structure for individually separating outer flat items from another stack at the opposite end of the holder. At least one urging member is at least partially positioned between the two separating structures for urging at least one of the stacks in the holder towards one end of the holder. A method for separating flat items from two stacks in a holder is also described.

Abstract: A media transfer method and apparatus enable media to be separated and discharged out of a media cassette of a media dispenser with a uniform transfer interval. The media transfer apparatus includes a pickup roller in contact with media waiting to be discharged, so as to separate and transfer the media sheet by sheet. A main feed roller and a delivery roller transfer a separated sheet of the media to a media transfer route. A sensor detects a front end of the separated sheet, having passed through a juncture between the main feed roller and the delivery roller. When the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet, a power supplied to the pickup roller is stopped, and the separated sheet continues to be transferred by the driving power of the main feed roller and the delivery roller.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding sheets to a user machine, whereby the sheets, arranged in a stack along a channel having a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis, are fed to a single-sheet pickup member by dividing the stack into an output portion, an intermediate portion, and an input portion; pushing the output portion towards the pickup member at a given constant first pressure; compressing the input portion at a given second pressure; transferring sheets from the intermediate portion to the output portion to compensate for the withdrawn sheets and keep a length of the output portion substantially constant and equal to a given value; and transferring sheets from the input portion to the intermediate portion to keep the density of the sheets along the intermediate portion substantially constant and equal to a given value.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for feeding shingled media item includes a tray for supporting a stack of shingled media items. The tray has an exit area and each of the media items has a bottom edge. A feeder separates and feeds media items from the shingled stack of media items. The tray is connected to the feeder with a first and a second cavity formed at the exit area of the feed tray and the front of the feeder such that media items moved from the tray into the feeder are supported on a portion of the media item bottom edge. A rail structure is attached to the surface for supporting the media items bottom edge adjacent the media item exit area.

Abstract: A media cassette for a media dispenser includes a cassette body which includes a storage space in which media are filled and a discharging opening through which the media are discharged. A door selectively opens and closes the discharging opening. A solenoid and locking member are installed in the storage space to selectively lock and unlock the door in response to an external electrical signal. A gear unit is formed at an external surface of the door, and an opening/closing gear of the media dispenser is engaged with the gear unit to open and close the door. The solenoid is installed in the cassette body, and the locking member is also installed in the cassette body to lock and unlock the door via a driving force of the solenoid.

Abstract: A backing plate support system is provided for a mailpiece feeder mechanism wherein mailpieces are conveyed vertically, on-edge along a transport deck to a transfer station for subsequent sortation and delivery. The backing plate support system includes a guide track disposed along and adjacent to the transport deck and a plurality of backing plates each having a guide support fitting at its base. The guide support fitting engages the guide track and supports the backing plate in an orthogonal position relative to the transport deck. The backing plate support system, furthermore, includes an advancing belt disposed adjacent the guide track and adapted to be driven linearly along the transport deck and a mechanism for coupling each backing plate to the advancing belt. The mechanism facilitates relative movement of the backing support plate relative to the advancing belt in one direction while inhibiting relative motion thereof in an opposing direction.

Abstract: An apparatus of feeding mailpieces such as envelopes is disclosed. The apparatus includes a supply conveyer for supporting thereon an array of mailpieces which are arranged in a tilted-backward position and moving such mailpieces forward, and a suction feeder which is located downstream of the supply conveyer for picking up by suction a forefront mailpiece from the array of mailpieces on the supply conveyer. The suction feeder has a rotary drum, a shaft rotatably supported in the drum and disposed with the axis thereof oriented in parallel to and offset from the axis of the drum. An external gear is fixed on the shaft for rotation therewith and a stationary internal gear engages with the external gear, the gear ratio of the external gear to the internal gear being n:n+1, wherein n represents an integer.

Abstract: A paper money supply unit has a backup plate which presses paper money input to a first input unit to a pickup roller, and a support plate which supports a paper money additionally input to a second input unit. When the paper money additionally input to the second input unit is moved to the first input unit and joined with the paper money, the support plate supports the paper money by a pressing force in the direction reverse to a pressing force by the operator.