Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for unloading articles from a container of items for use in an automatic stack feeder are disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may comprise a belt, a moveable lower paddle, and a moveable upper paddle, wherein the lower paddle is configured to partially extend through a belt of the automatic stack feeder. The movement of the belt, the lower paddle, and the upper paddle are coordinated such that there is no need to interrupt the operation of the automatic stack feeder to unload the container.

Abstract: Gripping device adapted for gripping a stack of flat-folded cartons, where the gripping device comprises a first gripping jaw and a second gripping jaw arranged adjacent each other and enclosing a holding space, where the gripping device is provided with a first open state in which the distance between the gripping jaws is greater than the height of a flat-folded carton, and where the gripping device is provided with a second closed state in which the distance between the gripping jaws is less than the height of a flat-folded carton, and that the gripping device is adapted to displace one side of the stack of flat-folded cartons in a longitudinal direction, such that each flat-folded carton of the stack of flat-folded cartons will be held in an angled state by the gripping device. The advantage of the invention is that a stack of flat-folded cartons can be held in a secure way, where the height of the stack is reduced when the stack is held.

Abstract: A truck, a loading bridge, a sorting system for items being dispatched and a retrofit kit for a sorting machine for items being dispatched. In order to ensure that an item being dispatched can be removed in simple ways from the sorting machine for items being dispatched and transported to a further sorting step, the truck has a displaceable floor and the loading bridge has a driving device for the floor.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for singulating articles in an automatic stack feeder are disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may comprise a pressure sensor on a perforated drive belt assembly configured to sense the pressure exerted by a stack of articles. The sensed pressure may be used to control various portions of the automatic stack feeder, such as a belt or a paddle.

Abstract: There is described a magazine (1) for sheet packaging elements (2) in which side portions (4a) of said packaging elements (2) are held in a vertical position by transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of main and secondary units (6, 8, 9) and said packaging elements (2) are advanced in respective conveying spaces (16, 19, 21) along a path (P) parallel to said transport and support branches (15, 18, 20) of said main and secondary units (6, 8, 9). The packaging elements (2) are advanced along said path (P) from an inlet section (7) to an outlet section (12). During conveying, batches (3) of packaging elements (2) are formed between an accumulation unit (8) and an auxiliary conveying unit (9) so that said packaging elements (2) are advanced in said batches (3) towards an end packaging station.

Abstract: A cashbox and a money validator using the same, wherein the cashbox includes a box body, a partition for separating an inner space of the box body into a storage space and a temporary storage space that are horizontally arranged, a supporting plate assembly located inside the storage space, and a currency pressing assembly for pressing a paper currency in the temporary storage space into the storage space; further includes a sliding plate assembly located inside the storage space for supporting the paper currency, wherein the sliding plate assembly includes a sliding plate, and a plurality of rolling bodies located between the sliding plate and a bottom wall of the box body; wherein the sliding plate contacts with an end face of the paper currency, and can move back and forth along a stacking direction of the paper currency.

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: 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: Flat item feeding apparatus (10) having a delivering section (12) for receiving a large batch of flat items on a transport surface (24, 26a, 26b) and a singulating section (14) for extracting these items one by one and transferring them downstream. The delivering section includes a transport device (22) for conveying the stacked on edge flat items towards the singulating section, a pushing device (30) for jogging the stacked on edge flat items during the conveying. The transport device has an endless belt (26a, 26b) protruding a transport deck (24) within a conveying zone B of length d of the delivering section and located a distance d2 from a downstream pulley (29a, 29b) and a distance d1 from an upstream pulley (27a, 27b), the distances d1 and d2 respectively defining determined conveying zone A, C in which the at least one endless belt remains below the transport deck.

Abstract: A printing stock feeder system may include, but is not limited to: a support stand; a feed deck rotatably coupled to the support stand; a printing stock storage stack; and a printing stock transfer mechanism.

Abstract: A sorting outlet device including a support surface on which a stack of flat articles is formed by accumulation as the flat articles are inserted, accumulated, and pushed on-edge one-by-one in a main direction against a retaining element for retaining the stack, which element is provided at the front end of the stack. The support surface is mounted to be free to move in translation in the main direction, being moved synchronously with the movement of the retaining element in the main direction. The retaining element is also mounted to move relative to the frame under the effect of accumulation of said articles and associated with means of the winder or counter weight type arranged so as to exert a return force on the stack of flat articles in such a manner as to retain it. A postal sorting machine is equipped with at least one such stacker device.

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 sheet take-out device in which sheets are conveyed in an upright state and sheets having a low height can be stably taken out is provided. A sheet take-out device includes a main floor belt that conveys sheets that are placed in an upright state in a direction intersecting a conveying direction to a take-out portion, and a take-out unit that takes out the sheets conveyed by the main floor belt one by one in order from the frontmost sheet. The device includes a sub-floor belt that is capable of reverse conveyance, in which sheets are conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the main floor belt, a tightness detection unit, and a height detection unit that detects the height of the sheets immediately prior to being taking out by the take-out unit, and performs sub-floor control.

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: An apparatus transports a discrete paper or film object in a machine direction for insertion into an envelope. A guide assembly of the apparatus includes opposed first and second channels facing one another for guiding the object in the machine direction, with the channels extending upwardly to thereby define an uphill path of travel for the object. A drive apparatus includes engaging elements for moving the object along the first and second channels. At least one support element holds the object against the guide assembly.

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 method for feeding a shingled stack of sheet material to a downstream processing device includes the step of identifying a discontinuity in the shingled stack of sheet material wherein the discontinuity has a length dimension from an aft end of a downstream portion of the shingled sheet material to a forward end of an upstream portion of the shingled sheet material. In a next step, the motion of first and second serially arranged conveyors are controlled such that the length dimension of the discontinuity is substantially equal to a prescribed gap of known length dimension. The first conveyor supports the upstream portion of the shingled sheet material and the second conveyor supports the downstream portion of the shingled sheet material. The deck of the first is advanced over the deck of the second conveyor toward the aft end of the downstream portion by the length dimension of the prescribed gap.

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 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: 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: 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 device for withdrawing flat items of mail from a decollating section includes conveyor belts, and guide rollers. The conveyor belts extend around guide rollers and act unilaterally upon upright items of mail. The guide rollers are individually mounted, and, at an exit of the decollating section, are rotatably disposed jointly with transfer rollers of an adjoining transfer region, which are driven independently of the conveyor belts on a common guide axle. On a side of the conveying path pressure rollers are provided at a level of the transfer rollers, which press the items against the transfer rollers. The pressure rollers are mounted pivotably at a locally fixed fulcrum, which is situated in withdrawal direction upstream thereof and laterally offset from a conveying channel, and in which rollers driven synchronously with the transfer rollers are rotatably mounted. Belts forming an inlet extend over the pressure rollers and the driven rollers.

Abstract: An infeed station for conveying and positioning a stack of carton blanks for sequential removal by a carton feeder, for automatically adjusting the rate of advancement of the carton blanks to compensate for excessive tilting and gaps between the carton blanks, and for providing alerts to signal the need for operator intervention or automatic shutdown. The infeed station includes a hopper and a magazine that receives carton blanks from the hopper. The magazine includes a sensing mechanism including a control sensor and a warning sensor mounted in proximity to the carton blanks in the infeed station, and a processor that, according to a condition signaled by the sensing mechanism, controls the rate at which advancing belts advance a queue of carton blanks toward the magazine.

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: In a device for singulating vertically positioned flat mailings from a stack of mail, at least two discharge rockers are disposed on top of one another, wherein the discharge rockers are adjacent to revolving second discharge belts that are arranged in a fixed manner along the path of travel. A supporting element in relation to which the stack of mail is aligned ends at a defined distance from the undeflected discharge rockers. A flexible, elongated retaining element is arranged in a resiliently pressed manner from the end of the supporting element to the beginning of the second discharge belts located downstream of the discharge rockers and further on to the discharge rockers and to further discharge belts of successive singulating stages. The distance of the supporting element from the leading end of the second discharge belts relative to the direction of travel is greater than the maximum permissible length of a mailing.

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 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 mail destacker is provided that includes a destacker plate and a retractable protrusion that can move between an article erecting position and a retracted position.

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 sheet material feeding apparatus includes a feed-out device that brings the stacked sheet materials conveyed on a floor belt into contact with a pickup roller and feeds the sheet materials out in a direction crossing the conveying direction of the stacked sheet materials by rotation of the pickup roller, and an inclination correcting device provided in an upstream of the feed-out device in its sheet material feeding direction and including an upper roller located at a position higher than that of the pickup roller, that brings an upper side of the stacked sheet materials conveyed towards the feed-out device into contact with the upper roller to correct the inclination of the stacked sheet materials.

Abstract: The invention relates to a signature hopper loader and method for feeding signatures to a hopper on a binding line. The hopper loader includes a conveyor and a deblocker that work together to feed signatures to the hopper. The deblocker is preferably positioned adjacent the conveyor such that the deblocker serves to laterally shift the signatures facilitating deblocking and/or alignment of the signatures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an input unit of a letter sorting system which comprises separable first and second conveyor lines. The first line is positioned proximate to an isolating device which processes letters. The first line comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide which extends beyond the surface. On the linear guide runs a separating blade. The second line also comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide, however this linear guide does not run beyond the length of the second conveyor line supporting surface. At least one second separating blades run on the second conveyor line linear guide. In operation, letters are placed on the second conveyor supporting surface from bins. The placement may be in a select order. The second conveyor line is then brought proximate to the first conveyor line where the two are then coupled.

Abstract: A feed device for stacks of paper or plastic material has at least one transport unit with a supporting member for the stack and at least one transport element. A separating unit with at least one rotatably driven feed drum is provided for removing individual sheets from the stack. The transport unit transports the stack to the separating unit and is pretensioned in the transport direction toward the feed drum such that the stack rests with pretension against the feed drum. The pretension can be provided by a spring acting on the transport unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and marking a substrate, such as a collapsed corrugated cardboard carton. A feeder station is configured to receive a substantially vertically aligned stack of substrates. An advancement assembly of the feeder station successively moves the lower portions of the substrates in an inboard direction and a tensioner assembly applies a clamping force to the upper portions of the substrates. A transfer assembly engages the innermost substrate in the stack to rotate and remove the substrate from the rest of the stack and provide the substrate to a transport and marking station, which drives the substrate past a marking mechanism. The transport and marking station advances the substrate into a gravity discharge station which induces sufficient tilt in the substrate so that, upon exiting of the substrate from the transport, gravity induces the substrate to rotate and fall in a controlled fashion into a completed stack.

Abstract: A high capacity document sheet processor combines significant speed and efficiency enhancing improvements in existing approaches to stack feeding particularly in the stack loading, feeding and singulating functions with novel operational arrangements adaptable to a universal paper handling and envelope inserting system.

Abstract: A method of singulating and feeding a random mix of thick and thin flat articles includes: (a) sensing whether a flat article is positioned on a feed conveyor in a position for removal from the feeder conveyor with a sensor, (b) advancing the feed conveyor with a first motor an incremental step to place a series of flat articles positioned on edge in a position for removal from the feed conveyor each time the sensor detects the absence of a flat article for removal from the feed conveyor, (c) counting each incremental advance of the feed conveyor, (d) incrementally advancing the stack of flat articles with a jogger driven by a second motor after the feed conveyor has moved a predetermined number of incremental steps to load additional flat articles on the feed conveyor, the jogger tending to edge the flat articles for removal from the feed conveyor; and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) while sequentially removing flat articles from the feed conveyor on a one-by-one basis as the feed conveyor is advanced.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the presentation of articles to the singulation head of a system for singulating a stack of edge-mounted articles, for example mixed mail, which mechanism senses the instantaneous pressure at which the lead article of the stack is pressed against the singulation head. A feedback control may be provided responsive to a difference between detected instantaneous pressure and a desired target pressure for controlling at least one drive member in a manner so as to reduce such difference. Where there is a pick window of instantaneous pressure at which singulation can be effectively performed, a control may also be provided to inhibit operation of the singulation head when the instantaneous pressure is outside the pick window.

Abstract: A high capacity document sheet processor combines significant speed and efficiency enhancing improvements in existing approaches to stack feeding particularly in the stack loading, feeding and singulating functions with novel operational arrangements adaptable to a universal paper handling and envelope inserting system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the presentation of articles to the singulation head of a system for singulating a stack of edge-mounted articles, for example mixed mail, which mechanism senses the instantaneous pressure at which the lead article of the stack is pressed against the singulation head. A feedback control may be provided responsive to a difference between detected instantaneous pressure and a desired target pressure for controlling at least one drive member in a manner so as to reduce such difference. Where there is a pick window of instantaneous pressure at which singulation can be effectively performed, a control may also be provided to inhibit operation of the singulation head when the instantaneous pressure is outside the pick window.

Abstract: In a device for loading a feeder rack (5) in further-processing machines such as gather-stitcher machines or gathering machines (6) for folded sheets (1), sheets, booklets or similar printed products, which has a first conveyor arrangement (15) extending in planar manner for the purpose of feeding printed products (1) standing on their edges in the form of a horizontal stack (2), a second, initially upwardly sloping conveyor arrangement (16) for drawing the printed products (1) off the stack (2) in an overlapping formation and for transferring the overlapping stream (3) to the feeder rack (5), infinitely variable drives (20, 24) associated with the two conveyor arrangements (15, 16), and a light barrier (31) arranged in the feeder rack (5), a control means (23) is provided by means of which the drives (20, 24) can be controlled in dependence on the degree of coverage (BG) of the light barrier (31), as a result of which the fill level of the feeder rack (5) remains at an at least substantially constant height

Abstract: The method and apparatus for delivering generally flat articles one by one make use of first and second conveyors. The first conveyor has a top article-supporting surface operated at a first linear speed in a forward direction. In operation, a stack of generally flat articles lies on one side on this top article-supporting surface longitudinally of the first conveyor. The second conveyor is installed in series with the first conveyor, operates at a second linear speed higher than the first linear speed in the forward direction, slopes upwardly in the forward direction, and includes a plurality of generally parallel, rotative longitudinal screws having respective threads structured to engage a lower edge of the generally flat articles. According to the method, the generally flat articles are jogged and thereby separated from each other through slipping of the lower edges of these articles on the successive ridges and grooves of the threads of the rotative longitudinal screws.

Abstract: A high capacity document sheet processor combines significant speed and efficiency enhancing improvements in existing approaches to stack feeding particularly in the stack loading, feeding and singulating functions with novel operational arrangements adaptable to a universal paper handling and envelope inserting system.

Abstract: A sheet advance device has a transport device for transporting a stack of sheets in a first direction, a feed finger located in the path of the stack of sheets for contacting the stack of sheets, a sensor for detecting a movement of the feed finger; and an externally-located adjustment device for positioning of the feed finger.

Abstract: A carton loader for automatically loading stacks of cartons onto a mass feeder for supplying cartons to a packaging machine includes a loader in which stacks of cartons are received and held, and a carriage on which the loader is pivotally mounted. After the stacks of cartons are received, the loader is pivoted from a loading position to a stacking position. The carriage is then moved along the mass feeder for the packaging machine toward a magazine or supply of previously stacked cartons, whereupon the stack of cartons within the loader is moved in engagement and stacked against the previously loaded cartons.

Abstract: A follower mechanism is provided for use in a system for feeding flat articles, such as mixed mail, which follower mechanism includes a paddle assembly connected to a mount so as to be pivotable between a feed position and an inactive position, and mechanism for permitting the paddle mount to be freely moved in either direction when the paddle assembly is in its inactive position, but to be drivable only in the forward direction when the paddle is in its feed position. A counterbalance mechanism is provided to control downward movement to the paddle and to assist in the lifting of the paddle. A mechanism may also be provided for positively disengaging the mount for the paddle from the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A unit for feeding flat diecut blanks of wrapping material to a user machine is equipped with a conveyor by which blanks disposed on edge transversely to a given feed direction and ordered in a substantially continuous column are caused to advance along a conveying path extending toward a transfer station where each blank in turn is picked up from the column; the conveyor comprises two sections aligned along the path: the one, an intermittently driven first belt by which the column is advanced toward the transfer station through a step of predetermined length, at a predetermined frequency timed with the operation of a pickup mechanism positioned at the transfer station, the other a continuously driven second belt designed to advance the column toward the first belt at a predetermined velocity.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding blanks on a packing machine, whereby a store, having a horizontal axis, feeds a succession of blanks to a pickup station from which the blanks are withdrawn one by one; and the blanks are fed to an input station of the store in groups, wherein the blanks are positioned on edge and gripped together by a band, which is only removed once the groups are packed together along the store.