Abstract: Apparatus for feeding sheets respectively having an upright surface and a lower edge, the apparatus comprising: structure for supporting a stack of said sheets on said lower edges thereof; first structure for feeding said sheets of said stack in a downstream path of travel; second structure for feeding said sheets on said lower edges thereof from said stack in a direction extending transverse to said path of travel, said second sheet feeding structure including structure for frictionally engaging the upright surfaces of successive sheets; and structure for resiliently urging said structure for frictionally engaging into engagement with said upright surfaces of successive sheets.

Abstract: Signature loader comprising a telescopically related main floor-mounted frame and a smaller auxiliary frame, first and second horizontal rotatable shafts between the frames spaced apart by a predetermined distance and so positioned that infeed belts thereon converge to define between them a signature infeed throat, one of said shafts being a pivot about which the auxiliary frame may be pivoted so the throat may be selectively positioned in one of two alternate attitudes.

Abstract: Cyclically operable signature machine having a one-way drive to incrementally advance a signature infeeding conveyor synchronously to the action of an oscillating suction finger for withdrawing a signature from a stack in a hopper; in a cycle where a signature is not to be fed, the suction finger is latched and simultaneously the one-way drive is disabled to prevent the stack from being compacted.

Abstract: In an imbricated formation delivered by an infeed device in each case two printed products lie in pairs upon one another and, viewed in a predetermined product conveying direction, bear upon the upstream or trailing printed product pair. A suction roll is arranged downstream of the infeed device which causes the current lower printed product to be downwardly bent in a direction transverse to a product conveying plane. The leading edges of the printed products are introduced in such separated or fanned apart condition into a respective gripper, engaged by such respective gripper and outfed in a further predetermined conveying direction. The spacing between neighboring grippers is minimal at a product take-over region, so that when the grippers are open in each instance a leading gripper finger of a trailing gripper bears against a trailing gripper finger of the neighboring leading gripper.

Abstract: A conveying system comprising two conveyors interconnected for adjustment relative to each other and an arrangement of rollers some of which convey and during a set period others serve as drag against the stock items carried thereon to obtain single item feeding.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for receiving a stack of sheets, with each sheet oriented in a standing position on edge, and rotating a predetermined number of sheets from the stack of sheets to a laid position. The apparatus includes a first conveying surface attached to a second conveying surface having two portions. The first portion of the second conveying surface is inclined for separating and rotating the predetermined number of sheets from the stack of sheets.

Abstract: A swing-up loader for a signature machine serves as an extension for the pile feed mechanism. The loader has its own conveyor belts and drive. When placed in its operating position, the loader adjoins the regular infeed of the signature feeder at a junction. A microswitch senses the height of the signature pile at the junction. When the pile height falls due to removal of signatures at the stockplate, the microswitch calls for movement of the loader's drive belts. This movement transfers signatures on the loader across the junction to the regular infeed of the signature feeder. The loader maintains a full infeed to assure a uniform pressure at the stockplate.

Abstract: Labeling machine of the stack fed type in which the labels are precut and arranged vertically in a horizontal stack. Pressure is applied to the rear of the stack to move the stack forwardly as the labels are dispensed to a label transfer mechanism such as a vacuum drum. Air is blown into the stack from the bottom at the forward end of the stack to separate the foremost label, which is picked up from the stack by a rotating vacuum wheel.

Abstract: A signature supply apparatus moves signatures in an on-edge orientation to a signature feed apparatus which feeds the signatures one at a time. The signature supply apparatus includes a generally horizontal main section which supports a large number of signatures in an on-edge orientation with major side surfaces of the signatures upright. A hopper section is disposed at a higher level than the main section and supports on-edge signatures with the major side surfaces of the signatures upright and with a forwardmost signature positioned to be engaged by the signature feed apparatus. An inclined ramp section extends forwardly and upwardly from the main section to the hopper section. The ramp section supports the signatures on-edge in a thick shingled stream with major side surfaces of the signatures inclined forwardly and upwardly. The main, ramp and hopper sections of the improved signature supply apparatus support a continuous stream of on-edge signatures.

Abstract: An envelope processing system (20) includes an input transport section (22); a processing/transport section (24); and a discharge transport section (28). Envelopes are fed on-edge from the input transport section to the processing/transport section (24) by a feeder section (40) comprising a feeder (72) and a feed assist device (80). When a signal controller (190) monitoring the feeder (72) detects a significant delay between the feeding of envelopes, the feeder (72) is enabled to acquire greater contact with the next envelope by displacing the feed assist device (80) out of its normally biased co-planar position with a feed belt (130) of the feeder (72), resulting in a greater force vector on the next envelope in the direction toward a singulation region (73). A stacker section (38) comprising the discharge conveyance section (28) includes introductory conveying means (302), stacker conveying means (304), and a discharge magazine (300).

Abstract: An improved labelling system for automatically applying labels one at a time in sequence to a series of items, such as post cards, etc., is disclosed. Post cards or other articles are conveyed one at a time to a labelling position. Separately, a carrier web, releasably carrying adhesive labels, is also conveyed to the labelling position. The carrier web is sharply reversed about a narrow edge, enabling the label to be peeled off and applied to a post card or the like being conveyed automatically underneath. A plurality of pairs of elements, including drive rollers and pressure-applying devices cooperating therewith, are utilized to controllably advance the carrier web through the labelling unit. As a feature of novelty, the labelling unit is pivotally mounted in relation to the conveying means for the post cards or the like.

Abstract: A magazine for conveying cartons to a metering wheel. The magazine has a stack conveyor holding the bulk of the cartons in the magazine and a feed conveyor downstream from the stack conveyor. The two conveyors are separated by an upper inclined stop and lower ramp that keeps the cartons on the stack conveyor from applying pressure to the cartons on the feed conveyor.

Abstract: The device for feeding flattened boxes comprises a magazine arranged at the output of a feeder, such as a folding-pasting machine and provided with advancement means adapted to collect boxes, which exit in a line horizontally superimposed in a sequential manner from the feeder, and to accumulate them in stacks. The device then transfers the boxes into a vertically flattened position, at a zone which cooperates with a packaging machine extractor.

Abstract: High speed sheet feeders receive blocks or bricks of paper sheets, cards or folders stacked edgewise on a downsloping supply ramp, and singulate these for edgewise feeding in rapid succession. The frontmost sheets ready for feeding are buckled and fanned at their upper edges, and their lower edges are arched forward to form a dimple or ridge-shaped pocket by an underlying central traction singulator. A pair of ganged or synchronized feed belts engage the frontmost sheet and propel it rapidly downward edgewise, and a slanting discharge belt receives and diverts the sheet at even higher speed between the discharge belt and a tractive pinch roller. A transfer assembly beneath the discharge belt may receive sheets from an adjacent feeder and interleave them upon command with sheets delivered by the discharge belt.

Abstract: In a combination document feed system and document removal assembly associated with the document feed system for removing documents one at a time from a stack of documents disposed in the document feed system and feeding each document into a document transport system: comprising a document removal assembly for providing a substantially elongated contact surface between the document removal assembly and a lead document in the stack of documents, the contact surface adapted to alternately contact the lead document and advance the lead document from the document feed system to the document transport system. The document feed system includes belts for advancing the stack of documents toward a document removal assembly, including a back plate adapted to provide a compressive force to the rear of the stack of documents.

Abstract: An apparatus applicable to a sheet article processing system for temporarily accumulating sheet articles which come in arbitrarily one by one or in a bunch and sending them out one by one at predetermined intervals. The apparatus includes a drive mechanism capable of starting and stopping the movement of a suction belt instantaneously, a sensor responsive to the leading edge of a sheet article which has been nipped by a downstream transport path, and a sensor responsive to the presence/absence of an interval between successive sheet articles which occurs between the downstream transport path and a reverse belt. Other sensors are provided for determining an interval between successive articles. A pick-up roller pair is driven at a controllable speed in matching relation to the interval between successive articles determined.

Abstract: A computer enhanced document forwarding system capable of feeding individual generally flat documents from a horizontally disposed edge stack of documents and include a transporter for accepting serially disposed end to end individual documents one at a time, the transporter sequentially moving each document to at least one station for observation by an operator; electronic information storage facility having an interconnected input and retrieval means positioned adjacent to the operator observation station; a supply of self-adhering labels sequentially disposed in end to end fashion; an electronically controlled printer where the labels pick up ink in a predetermined symbol array capable of being different for each label; and a continuous label applying device for serially applying corrective labels to serially disposed documents with both the labels and documents moving in the same direction, thereby carrying corrective information supplied by said storage means to individual pieces of incorrectly designate

Abstract: A feeder for document processing equipment having a singulator for feeding a single document upon demand. The feeder includes a movable gate which when in a closed position acts as a fixed guide for properly aligning a stack of documents in a magazine and which when in a released position moves out of contact with the documents to relieve the frictional force between documents. The gate is moved to its released position simultaneously with the start of the pick-off means of the singulator whereby the frictional force between the first and second document is substantially reduced at the instance the first document is picked off the stack.

Abstract: A feeder for a stack of upright documents includes a horizontally disposed receptacle having a planar base and a side restrainer. A spring loaded back plate and a fanning device move the stack form one end of the base to the other end adjacent a separator. The fanning device, which includes a plurality of movable belts projecting above the planar base each having a different rate of linear speed relative to one another, cause individual documents to fan away from the stack and thereby relieves pressure.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for feeding carton blanks to a side seam gluer. The blanks are removed from the discharge end of a conveyor by a friction belt so as to shingle the blanks. The shingled blanks are delivered to a feed hopper in such a way that the feed hopper maintains a constant height of carton blanks. The blanks are fed, one at a time, from the feed hopper.

Abstract: A device for unstacking relatively flat objects such as letters or postal packets of various different lengths, widths, and thicknesses. The device includes: a conveyor for conveying stacks of objects as well as an object separating and grasping mechanism for separating and grasping the objects one-by-one, and a transport conveyor for transporting the objects one after another.

Abstract: A stack of signatures is transformed into a moving stream of individually arranged signatures by feeding a stack of signatures on edge to a transfer station, individually transporting the signatures as a moving stream away from an entrance location laterally offset from the stack, and carrying each signature of the stack in turn laterally to the entrance location as such signature arrives at the transfer station. As each signature is carried laterally to the entrance location, such signature is separated from the stack so as to prevent mutilation due to friction with the adjacent signature on the stack. The signatures are carried to the entrance location by suction cups that form part of a transfer arm. The transfer arm is momentarily transported away from the stack as it carries the signature to the entrance location so as to effect separating of the signature from the stack.

Abstract: A machine for arranging signatures in bundles includes a receiving conveyor onto which signatures are placed. The receiving conveyor moves the signatures in a shingled condition between deflecting surfaces to cause the signatures to assume an edge-standing condition. The edge-standing signatures move onto a consolidating conveyor so they move closer together. The signatures pass from the discharge end of the consildating conveyor onto an accumulating conveyor, which normally advances the signatures at a slightly slower speed than the consolidating conveyor. When enough signatures to make a bundle have passed onto the accumulating conveyor, the velocity along that conveyor is increasd substantially, and the consolidating conveyor is stopped to produce an isolated group of edge-standing signatues on the accumulating conveyor.

Abstract: A cartoner has a generally horizontal magazine and a rotary feeder at the discharge end of the magazine, the rotary feeder having a knife that is generally parallel to the plane of the cartons to slice the cartons one at a time from the stack in the magazine. A mechanism is provided for pivoting the plane of the slicing blade to follow the plane of the upper edges of the cartons in the event that the cartons become twisted in the magazine.

Abstract: A signature feeder comprises an in-feed table for conveying signatures disposed in a stack adjacent one another and each in an almost vertical aspect to a signature separator operating to separate the signatures one at a time from the stack and transfer them to a signature elevator operating to raise them to an upper horizontal conveyor on which they are disposed in a partly overlapping shingle configuration.

Abstract: The apparatus for the lateral straightening of printing products on a conveyor has guide members in the form of endless toothed belts arranged on opposite sides of the conveyor which are given, by motor-driven pulleys, a movement in the same movement direction and with approximately the same feed speed of the conveyed material. At the same time, the pulleys move inwardly toward each other, converging at the width of the printed products.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a plurality of flat, collapsed, folded paper boxes which have been produced on a high speed, folder-gluer, delivered in shingled formation onto the advancing apron of a stacker, counted into slugs of about fifty each and must be packed into cases for shipment. To enable an operator to grasp individual and successive lifts of the flats between her hands and remove them for packing, the apparatus includes a secondary apron traveling at less speed than the stacker apron to raise the shingled flats upstanding on edge, hold down belts to prevent misalignment and a transversely movable segregation rod mounted on a carriage movable horizontally alongside the path of the flats. The carriage has one-way clutch rollers so that the rod will hold back the leading flat but the carriage will roll freely back to the next slug. Speed reduction mechanism may be used to advance the carriage at less speed than the apron to compress the line of flats when edge stacking is desirable or necessary.

Abstract: A device for separating slices of bread from sliced loaves of bread and for transferring the separated slices one by one to a conveyor for further processing. The device incorporates an inclined, intermittently driven infeed conveyor for conveying the slices of bread in generally upright positions and in surface-to-surface contact with one another to a separating and transfer position. The separating and transfer position incorporates a primary rotatable member which rotates about its horizontally extending central axis. The primary rotatable member carries a plurality, for example, four, of secondary rotatable members, each of which rotates about its longitudinal central axis, which is spaced outwardly from and extends generally parallel to, the longitudinal central axis of the primary rotatable member.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a plurality of flat, collapsed, folded paper boxes which have been produced on a high speed, folder-gluer, delivered in shingled formation onto the advancing apron of a stacker, counted into slugs of about fifty each and must be packed into cases for shipment. To enable an operator to grasp individual and successive lifts of the flats between her hands and remove them for packing, the apparatus includes a secondary apron traveling at less speed than the stacker apron to raise the shingled flats upstanding on edge, hold down belts to prevent misalignment and a transversely movable segregation rod mounted on a carriage movable horizontally alongside the path of the flats. The carriage has one-way clutch rollers so that the rod will hold back the leading flat but the carriage will roll freely back to the next slug. Speed reduction mechanism may be used to advance the carriage at less speed than the apron to compress the line of flats when edge stacking is desirable or necesary.

Abstract: To carry bills in a bill container in a correct rearward inclined position, the bills are carried by first belts at the rear half of the container but by second belts at the front half of the container. Since the second belts are driven at a speed higher than that of the first belts, the bills carried to the discharging roller are arranged at a correctly rearward inclined position before the succeeding discharge operation.

Abstract: A system for the transfer of an individual folded carton from a supply of folded cartons to a conveyor for further processing using a vacuum unit that is reciprocated over an arcuate path and wherein vacuum is applied to the vacuum unit immediately prior to its contact with a first one of a supply of folded cartons so as to secure the first one to the vacuum unit and the vacuum is discontinued from the vacuum unit after the vacuum unit and the first one of the folded cartons have moved away from the supply of folded cartons through a distance less than about three inches.

Abstract: A singling apparatus for letters, vouchers, receipts, checks, punched cards, or other main items of all kinds up to a given size and thickness, singles out the items arriving in any irregular sequence one below the other, unarranged and oriented on a longitudinal or transverse edge. To obtain a high singling output and draw-off quality, the items are transported in vertical position through a transport mechanism and, by using a restricting guiding unit, into the draw-off region of a draw-off belt revolving about deflection bodies tangentially toward the draw-off belt surface. In the contact zone of draw-off belt and one deflection body the inflowing mail items are pressed against the draw-off belt and only the items coming into contact with the draw-off belt directly are drawn off by friction, by deflection of these items around the deflection body.

Abstract: A cash cartridge for a cash processing machine includes: a pressure plate for biasing a stack of bank notes in a particular direction towards a cash outlet and for squeezing the stack of bank notes together; a pair of pulleys; an endless belt mounted on the pair of pulleys, with the pressure plate being fixedly mounted to the endless belt and being moved in the particular direction by rotation of the endless belt and the pair of pulleys in a certain particular rotational direction; a means for biasing the endless belt and the pair of pulleys in that particular rotational direction; a door which is opened for charging bank notes into the cash cartridge and is otherwise closed; and a means for preventing the endless belt and the pair of pulleys from rotating in the opposite rotational direction and for allowing them to rotate in the particular rotational direction when the door is closed, and for allowing the endless belt and the pair of pulleys to rotate in either rotational direction when the door is open.

Abstract: A method and device fills sheet-like blanks, such as folded box blanks, into a container on the edge of the blanks to form a stack or row therein. The method and device utilizes a feed unit for removing blanks from a flow of shingled blanks one at a time and inserting them into a conveyor which transports them to a filling unit that inserts them one at a time on edge in a row or stack in the container. The device includes a control arrangement including various sensors, one for determining the presence of blank at the filling unit, one for detecting of the position of a surface on which the blanks are being placed and one for determining a position of a side wall of the container.

Abstract: A machine for arranging signatures in bundles includes a receiving conveyor onto which the signatures are initially directed, and this conveyor moves the signatures in a shingled condition between deflecting surfaces which cause the signatures to simultaneously bow forwardly and rise at their leading edges so as to assume an edge-standing condition. The edge-standing signatures move onto a consolidating conveyor which advances them at a lesser velocity so that they move closer together, and here the signatures are also jogged into marginal registration. At the end of the consolidating conveyor the signatures pass onto an accumulating conveyor which normally advances the signatures at a slightly lesser velocity than the consolidating conveyor, so that the signatures pack together.

Abstract: An attachable feed and delivery system for envelopes in a high speed, batch printer (14) environment is described. Included is a hopper (10) having input (30) and output sections (32) separated from each other by a spring loaded bail (34). The transport path to and from the print station includes a picker/separator (90) located adjacent to the input section of the hopper. Fresh envelopes are urged toward the pick area by the spring loaded bail (34). Endless belts (56) passing through the base (50) of the hopper (10) assist in urging printed envelopes into the output area (32).

Abstract: An automatic apparatus for supplying flattened cardboard boxes or work units to an automatic packing machine. The apparatus comprises a first belt conveyor on which the work units are placed groupwise in a standing posture closely in contact with each other, a second belt conveyor onto which the work units on the first are transferred while maintaining them upright, a holding bracket slippingly disposed on the first belt conveyor, and retaining means provided at the juncture of the first and second belt conveyors. The holding bracket is adapted to be borne by friction so as to hold and push the work units upright in close contact and to slip on the first conveyor belt owing to the reaction from the work. The retaining means comprises two holding pins which are kept retracted under the belts until the work has been completely transferred onto the second belt conveyor and then project above the belt conveyor so as to hold the work units from the rear to prevent them from falling backward.

Abstract: A friction separator for separating letters and similar flat items from a stack of such items. The friction separator comprises a base belt for supporting the stack of items and conveying them in a first direction, a guide wall extending along one side of the belt and a removal member for withdrawing the foremost items in the stack through a gap between the guide wall and the removal member. A first support member is positioned in a plane defined by the leading edge of the stack at the trailing portion of the shortest item withdrawn by the removal member, the first support member supporting the stack at a point spaced from the guide wall by a distance which is less than the length of the shortest item to be processed. A second support member is positioned at a location between the plane and the trailing edge of the stack of items supported by the belt, and is further positioned at a distance from the guide wall which is less than the length of the longest item to be processed.

Abstract: In a high speed mail sorting machine, a mechanism for feeding envelopes one at a time to a pickoff device such as a vacuum belt system. The envelopes are loaded onto a floor panel which inclines from side to side. A chain conveyor moves the envelope supply along the floor panel with each envelope having its lower edge traveling on the floor and one side edge travelling along an inclined side panel. The envelopes are successively discharged from the inclined floor onto a conveyor belt which is driven transversely to the floor and at a greater speed than the chain conveyor. The speed difference causes the envelopes to spread out as they travel downstream. The conveyor belt loads the envelopes onto a driven roller having a spiral groove which feeds the individual envelopes flatly against the vacuum belts of the envelope pickoff device.

Abstract: The device comprises a conveyor assembly for continuously feeding edge arranged signatures and provided with side guiding members for restraining and guiding the signatures at the end portion of the side guiding members in the signature feeding direction there being provided a narrowing width region for bending the signatures with a convexity facing the signature a feeding direction, feeding belt being further provided for picking the bent signatures and loading them, in a turned over condition, on a conveyor.

Abstract: The present invention is constituted by a device which acts, simultaneously, as an accumulation member for pacts of signatures (15) and as a device for conveying these latter to subsequent working stages. The device comprises a structure (20) supporting at least one pair of shafts (1,2), disposed horizontally and provided each with a pair of sprockets (3,4; 5,6), over which pass special conveyor chains (7,8) constituted by articulated links (9) capable of rotating about articulation pins (10) and some of the pins (10) supporting pairs of pulleys (11,12), suitably spaced, and disposed on the same side or, alternatively, on opposite sides of the chain itself. The pulleys (11,12) have a diameter such that they project above the links (9) and longitudinally adjacent pairs of pulleys (11,12) carry belts (16) which also project above the chain links (9) to provide a support surface on which the signatures can rest.

Abstract: An apparatus in which successive flexible sheets are advanced from a stack. One edge of the stack of sheets is supported rollably in a substantially vertical orientation. Successive outermost sheets are fed from one side of the stack. The stack of sheets moves toward a sheet feeder so as to position successive outermost sheets of one side thereof in a feeding relationship therewith.

Abstract: A loader for box-type feeders of packaging machines, bookbinding machines and the like, in which the products are loaded into a feed channel with an inclined base formed by a conveyor belt, to be brought into contact with a counteracting plate. Sucker arms cyclically withdraw one product at a time and transfer it to wheels provided with grippers which insert the product between pairs of belts by means of which the product is transferred until it discharges into the feeder box. Feeler elements cyclically determine the thrust of the products in the feed channel and enable the conveyor belt to advance through one step when the thrust is smaller than a predetermined value, whereas they prevent said advancement when the thrust is greater than said value.

Abstract: A high speed feeder for cartons being fed into a cartoner includes both mechanical and fluid flow environments for precisely delivering cartons. A preferably inclined conveyor receives cartons stacked on their edges and in a generally vertical orientation. A rotating metering wheel at the downstream end of the conveyor engages the top edges of the cartons and separates them one at a time from the incoming stack. A blower is provided to direct air onto the cartons adjacent the metering wheel to (a) blow the cartons against the metering wheel, (b) blow air between the first and second cartons of the stack as the metering wheel separates the first from the second, and (c) blow the cartons down to a horizontal attitude. Horizontal feed chains having feed lugs receive the horizontal cartons and advance them one at a time into the cartoner. Vacuum nozzles are provided to aid in controlling carton placement on the feed chains and lugs throughout a broad range of feed speeds. Methods are included.

Abstract: A document feeding device having a hopper oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, the hopper having an upstream aperture and a downstream aperture and able to support a pack of documents to be fed therefrom, a device situated at the lower end of the hopper for feeding documents seriatim from the hopper, a first pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the downstream aperture and a second pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the upstream aperture, and a double sided timing belt mounted on the first and second pulleys and riding on the upper surface of the hopper.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for gathering printed signatures for saddle stitching has a single frame having shafts that carry two complete mechanisms each of which includes signature supply box means and signature transfer means for feeding 1-up signatures to a conveyor chain. The apparatus can be produced by a relatively simple conversion of a commercially available 2-up machine.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for destacking individual flats from a horizontally extending stack thereof for processing as well as a device for restacking of the processed flats. Biasing devices are disclosed for maintaining the integrity of the horizontally extending stacks of flats prior to processing such as washing and subsequent to such processing. A vacuum pick-up device is movable from the supply stack to a conveyor traveling through the processing station. A flat removal device which is cam operated is cyclically movable from a removal position to a restacking position and vice versa. Resilient retaining members such as spring biased doors and flexible plastic and steel members are included for retaining the uppermost flats of the horizontally extending supply stack and the lowermost flats of the horizontally extending restacked flats.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding flat folded cartons from a stationary magazine to a continuously moving conveyor. The magazine has a choke at its discharge end formed from parallel guides which are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the two folded edges of the cartons. A rotary carrier is located adjacent the magazine and the conveyor. A plurality of planetary members with attached suction cups are rotatably mounted on the carrier. A fixed cam cooperates with cam followers mounted on the planetary members to cause the planetary members to rotate on their own axes as the carrier rotates to pick up cartons from the magazine, open them and deposit them gently between transport lugs on the conveyor.

Abstract: A portable feeder table for converting existing pile fed paper folding machines and the like to continuous fed machines, in which the table is portable, and includes a motor housing having height adjustment provisions, the table has a horizontal portion with a plurality of endless driven feed belts, a detector member for detecting the presence or absence of sheets of paper and connected to control the speed and advance of the feed belts, paper hold-down rollers carried on the folding machine, and a longitudinal guide plate carried on and transversely movable across the table.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding vertically disposed sheet material from a horizontally extending stack comprising a platform adapted to support a stack of sheet material, a vertically extending frame disposed at one end of the platform, and first and second rollers vertically supported in spaced relation by the frame. Endless webs extend around and are driven by the first and second rollers, wherein the webs include a plurality of perforations therein and have one run facing the platform. The one run has a portion which provides an effective contact surface to engage the first article in the stack of sheet material to transport the article from the stack of sheet material as the endless webs are driven. A carriage adjustably located between the first and second rollers supports third and fourth rollers, and the endless webs pass between the third and fourth rollers to continue movement in a different plane.