Abstract: A power unit, comprising a telescopically joined plunger assembly and barrel assembly, is internally configured to define a pair of separate fluid chambers, each of which is alternately communicated to a common source of fluid energy. The plunger and barrel assemblies are coaxially mounted on a common support shaft along which the power unit travels in incremental steps. The external end of each of the plunger and barrel assemblies is internally fitted with a set of unidirectionally acting locking rings, each set being normally biased against an associated locking wedge and into canted positions frictionally locked onto the supporting shaft. Alternate pressurization and venting of the pair of fluid chambers alternately unlocks one set of rings and effects a limited increment of inboard movement of either the plunger assembly or barrel assembly, the other assembly remaining locked to the support shaft.

Abstract: A feeder hopper for documents. A pair of guide rods are slidably mounted in a base member. A rear plate is mounted on the guide rods. A second plate pivotally and slidably mounted on one side of the guide rods. The plates are adapted to nest together. Means are provided to push back the rear plate back from the second plate when it is desired to add a new supply of documents to the hopper. The second plate holds the stack in position. After the new sheets are added the second plate is rotated out of the stack.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coupon dispenser for automatically dispensing advertising or promotional coupons into open product containers such as egg cartons passing on a conveyor. The dispenser has a body with a horizontally inclined surface on which a deck of coupons are stood between a coupon support member on the forward side and a slidable weight on the rearward side. A rotatable drive wheel is positioned above the inclined surface forwardly adjacent the coupon support member to slightly project through a window in the lower end of the coupon support member to contact the adjacent coupon. A pair of rotatable rollers are located downstream from the drive wheel to assist in drawing out the coupon and dispensing it into the positioned container. An electric motor drives the drive wheel through a solenoid operated friction clutch and brake to rotate it one revolution each time a microswitch indicates a container is in position on the conveyor to receive a coupon.

Abstract: A device for applying pressure to a stack of flat items such as sheets, cards, plates or the like, which device is primarily intended for use in an apparatus which feeds items from the stack for further processing. The device provides a constant pressure on the stack, regardless of whether the stack is in full or depleted condition, and, in this way, the device substantially reduces the possibility of malfunctioning by way of two items being fed at once. The device includes a slide member which is linearly movable in a housing, a main weight movable with respect to the slide member, and a roller. The slide member, main weight and roller are operatively coupled together so that the slide member will be urged in the feeding direction under constant force.

Abstract: A hopper mechanism comprising a hopper front panel and a back shoe horizontally sideable with respect to a hopper base together forming a hopper into which a horizontal deck of document cards may be placed; a belt extending around a pick roll moveable through the front panel for picking an end card in the hopper and driving it downwardly through a throat gap disposed in the hopper base; a relatively large diameter roll supporting the belt and forming a nip with the belt into which the picked document card moves from the throat gap for reversing the direction of movement of the card from vertical to horizontal; a registration arm swingable by the card as it passes out from engagement with the large diameter roll and belt for sensing the position of the card; and a reversely rotating roll coacting with a roller carried by the registration arm for moving the card backwardly, after the card has cleared the registration arm, into contact with a card abutting registration edge of the arm for providing a registered

Abstract: A carton loading and forming machine having a carton dispenser magazine which includes a walking beam mechanism arranged to underlie portions of the carton blanks in the magazine for moving the carton blanks towards the discharge end of the magazine. The magazine is adapted to suspend the blanks from support rails disposed at opposite sides of the blanks and arranged above the center of gravity of the blanks so that the blanks hang freely from the support rails.

Abstract: A stack of edge supported mail pieces delivered batchwise to a feed system requiring a continuous supply includes fingers moving the back of the stack with pressure responsive means in the fingers to discontinue the drive thereof when the pressure reaches a predetermined level.

Abstract: A signature feeder with a stack-supporting conveyor for moving a stack of signatures to a dispensing location. A pick-up conveyor engages the stack and positions the signatures in an imbricated stream and a guide member directs them to a deposit location where the signatures are again placed into a stack from whence they are dispensed to a feeder mechanism. Sensors are disposed at the forward face of the stack and also at the deposit location, and the sensors are connected to electric motors which in turn drive either the stack-supporting conveyor or the pick-up conveyor.

Abstract: In the arrangement, a batch or stack of vertically oriented recording media sheets is supported on edge on a horizontal vibrating table which is vibrated by a vibrating conveyor and the sheets are advanced singly, starting with the leading or frontmost sheet, through a separating slot between a pair of endless belts constituting a transporting arrangement. A first rotating suction drum is mounted at the rear end of the vibrating table and is formed with circumferentially spaced suction bores for operative relation with a rotary slide valve to connect the suction bores intermittently to a suction system. A second rotating suction drum is arranged within the range of the separating slot and serves as a separating drum, and a hold-back suction drum is also arranged within the range of the separating slot and serves as a hold-back device, the hold-back suction drum having the same design as the first rotating suction drum.

Abstract: A punching, reading and printing machine for document cards having a hopper holding the cards in vertical disposition, card transporting means moving the cards out of the hopper into horizontal disposition in a horizontal card path and closely spaced punching, reading and printing mechanisms operative on the cards while in the horizontal path. The punching mechanism includes a row of punches extending transversely of the card path each made active by an interposer and a leaf spring actuator for the interposer, and the printing mechanism includes a row of print hammers extending longitudinally of the card path and an electromagnet and armature for each of the print hammers. The interposer springs extend longitudinally of and over the path of card travel preceding the punches, and the armatures extend transversely of the machine for shortening the machine and rendering it more compact.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism for feeding individual sheets from a stack thereof comprises a first generally horizontal surface for supporting the edge of a stack of sheets and a second surface for supporting a face of the stack, the second support surface being provided by a plate member supported above the first surface and inclined at an obtuse angle with respect thereto. The plate member is supported so that the second surface is urged towards the nip defined between the first support surface and a sheet feed roller in such a manner that as the second surface approaches the nip the obtuse angle increases. In a preferred embodiment a cam surface is provided on the plate member to adjust the rate at which the obtuse angle varies as the second surface approaches the nip. The preferred embodiment also includes means for adjusting the height of the nip defined between the sheet feed roller and the first support surface to permit feeding of different gauges of sheets.

Abstract: Vertical carton erecting machine of the stationary diereciprocable plunger type, including an improved carton supply hopper. Feed arms are carried adjacent to the die to move to a blank hopper and directly pull a flat carton blank, presented by the hopper in proper registration for placement on the die, onto the top of the die in carton erecting position.

Abstract: A neat arrangement such as a pack of bills or like sheets to be counted is placed on one of their longitudinal edges in a sheet stand formed on the top of the casing of a sheet counting apparatus. An infeed mechanism comprising first and second infeed rolls frictionally feed the sheets one by one into the apparatus. A pair of sensing rolls are mounted under the second infeed rolls for sensing the passage thereover of each sheet thus fed into the apparatus and hence for actuating a counter switch. The thus counted sheets are successively loaded on a conveyor mechanism at one end thereof and are thereby transported toward the other end, where the successive counted sheets are stacked for recovery purposes. The apparatus further comprises an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the sheets in the sheet stand and in the recovery mechanism according to their size and a stop motion mechanism for instantly terminating the infeeding operation of the sheets.