Abstract: An automatic original sheet feeding apparatus for carrying original sheets mounted on an original sheet mounting table to a predetermined work position and then through an ejection roller to an original sheet receiver, successively, is disclosed, in which the ejection roller is braked while ejecting the original sheet to thereby eject said original sheet onto a region in the vicinity of the ejection roller without substantial inertia.

Abstract: An anti-toggling, constant-contact cage roll assembly is provided for movement of corrugated box blanks along a belt. In one embodiment, the cage roll assembly includes a series of four rollers that are mounted to a bar spring-biased away from a frame, in which the bar is pivotally mounted at each end to an associated lever arm, each of which is in turn pivotally mounted to the frame to form a modified four-bar linkage, with a compliant mount for one lever arm, the mount for the other lever arm being fixed to the frame to permit limited canting of the roller-carrying bar to accommodate multiple folded layers of corrugated material. The subject cage roll assembly prevents the prior art type of toggling of pairs of rollers into an almost vertical position as the box blank moves between the rollers and the belt and thus prevents jamming. In one embodiment, each of the lever arms carries an adjustable stop at the free end for positioning the bar above the belt which carries the box blank.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for an electrophotographic copying machine including an automatic document feed device for automatically transporting a plurality of copy documents from a document supply tray to a document discharge tray, at least one pair of document discharge rollers for discharging the plurality of copy documents, a document sensor member for sensing the passage of at least one of the copy documents, the sensing member being disposed just before the pair of document discharge rollers, and a speed reduction device for causing the document discharge rollers to rotate slowly in response to the condition whereby the sensing member detects the rear edge of one of the copy documents under transport.

Abstract: An ejector unit for machines for handling signatures and similar flat articles comprises a first rotary body defining the output end of a conveyor on which a substantially continuous flow of articles to be handled is fed, a stop member selectively orientable between a rest position and an operating position in which the member stops the flow of articles adjacent the output end of the conveyor, and two second rotary bodies which can be rotated by the first rotary body to carry out a shaping (ribbing) action on the articles handled. Third rotary bodies interposed between the first rotary body and one of the second rotary bodies are movable between a first operating position in which motion is transmitted from the first rotary body to the second rotary bodies and a second operating position in which the transmission of rotary movement between the first rotary body and the second rotary bodies is prevented.

Abstract: A sheet stacker for a corrugation machine having a cutter to widthwisely cut off a continuously manufactured corrugated cardboard web into corrugated cardboard sheets, and then transfer, stack and eject the sheets.

Abstract: In a device for collating sheets of paper having at least one receiving surface made from electrically insulating material, a set of rolls for feeding a sheet from one side of the receiving surface and depositing it thereon and an improved charge remover for removing electrical charges from a deposited sheet comprising at least one conductor connected to earth potential which is disposed on the side of the insulated receiving surface remote from the side where the sheet enters and which forms an abutment with which the leading edge of each sheet comes into contact when it is being deposited on the insulated receiving surface, thereby removing electrical charges from the entire sheet.

Abstract: The impact speed of a printed product which is delivered at a rapid rate into a pocket of a rotatable flywheel is reduced by engaging the printed product as it is propelled into the flywheel pocket adjacent its trailing edge. The invention includes a fly delivery wheel which may comprise a plurality of individual flywheel elements each having a plurality of flywheel pockets distributed around its circumference. The flywheel pockets open radially and as the openings of each pocket are moved around during the rotation of the flywheel the printed product is delivered into the opening and it moves at high impact speed into the pocket space. A cam is rotatably mounted adjacent the flywheel and adjacent a ring which is carried on a rotatable shaft and the printed products are delivered between the rotatable cam plate and the ring and into the pocket. The cam plate advantageously includes one or more cams having tips with elastic portions which move during rotation of the cam into close contact with the rings.

Abstract: A reproduction machine with a paper path along which copy sheets are brought one by one into transfer relation with a photoreceptor to receive a developed image, the copy sheets being supplied from either a main or auxiliary paper tray which feeds sheets at a predetermined clock count in synchronization with the operation of the machine, a program permitting the current clock count of a selected tray to be determined and compared with a desired optimum clock count window stored in memory, with adjustment of the clock count made when the current clock count of the selected tray is outside the optimum clock count window to bring paper tray timing within the window, but prevented where the current clock count is outside preset maximum and minimum clock counts.

Abstract: A braking mechanism for decelerating copy sheets being delivered to a stacking tray of an electrophotographic copier includes pairs of opposing feed rollers disposed at closely adjacent longitudinally spaced locations along the sheet path to the tray. The first pair of rollers are driven at a peripheral velocity equal to that of the upstream portions of the sheet transport assembly, while the second pair of rollers are driven through an overrunning clutch at a peripheral velocity equal to about one-third to one-half the velocity of the first pair of rollers. A copy sheet entering the nip of the second pair of rollers from the first pair of rollers acts as a rigid member to drive the second pair of rollers at the upstream velocity, overrunning the clutch. When the sheet emerges from the upstream nip, frictional drag slows the second pair of rollers down to the slower velocity of their drive source, causing the sheet to be delivered to the copy tray at a relatively low rate of speed to ensure even stacking.

Abstract: An apparatus forms a continuous moving stream of signatures into groups separated by gaps. The apparatus includes lugs which travel along a path having an upwardly inclined portion between belts of a conveyor. The lugs lift the signatures off the conveyor while keeping them moving at conveyor speed. Once the signatures are lifted, the lugs stop. The leading signature lifted by a lug is pinched between the lug and biasing members pressing down on the stream of signatures. A guide extends upstream from the biasing members to control stack up of the signatures behind the leading signature. When a sufficient gap has been formed, the lugs accelerate and lower the signatures back onto the conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed that can be selectively operated with equal advantage to strip sheet material from either the top or the bottom of a stack. A translatable member having a generally planar surface formed of an electrically insulative material is disposed proximate to either the top or bottom of a stack of sheet material. A pair of electrodes in the form of an electronic grid is secured to the planar surface. A DC voltage is applied to the electrodes selectively to effect a highly intense electric field only close to the surface of the member. The intensity of the electric field can be varied in predetermined relation to the applied DC voltage so as to determine the number of sheets simultaneously removed from the stack. The electric field exerts an attractive force only on the end-most sheet or sheets of the stack so that said end-most sheet or sheets only will be stripped from the stack.

Abstract: To match the speed of incoming sheets, typically folded sheets, form a first high-speed transport system (3, 4) to a receiving speed of a second, lower speed transport system (5, 6), a decelerating path is formed by a third transport system (1, 2) which includes moving belts which are looped about looping rollers (17, 18) in S-configuration to further define a third path between opposed rollers (19, 20), the looping rollers being reciprocatably connected to a slide unit by an eccenter-and-crank arrangement (22, 23) so that the belts (14, 14') of the third unit will have undulating variable speed between maximum and minimum. The rotation of the eccenter-and-crank arrangement (22, 23) is synchronized with the transport of sheets such that, when the belts are at their maximum speed, they are about to grip the leading edge of a sheet being fed thereto, and then decelerate to their minimum speed when the sheets are about to leave the third transport system.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating sets of sheets such as copy sheets from an electrophotographic copier by delivering alternate sets of sheets to a stationary tray along overlapping laterally spaced paths. Sheets are fed first through a first, transversely fixed assembly of opposing feed rollers and then through a second, transversely movable assembly of feed rollers into a stacking tray. Sheets belonging to alternate sets are offset by shifting the second set of rollers laterally following the emergence of their trailing edges from the first set of rollers. In the preferred embodiment, the emergence of the trailing sheet edge from the first set of rollers is sensed by driving the second set of rollers at a slightly greater linear speed and sensing the retarding torque transmitted through the sheet from the first set of rollers.

Abstract: A delivery mechanism for a sheet fed printing press in which a rear edge guide in the form of a traverse member guides the rear edges of the downwardly settling sheets into a condition of register. A brake assembly is provided for engaging the trailing edges of the sheets to decelerate them, the assembly being horizontally adjustable to accommodate sheets of different length and the traverse member being coupled by linkage to the brake assembly for simultaneous adjustment therewith. An intermediate stacking mechanism is provided having a horizontal frame and an intermediate pile receiver which is shiftable between a receiving position and an out-of-the-way position for temporarily accumulating sheets during a pile change. Detent assemblies at the ends of the traverse member lock the traverse member to the frame following horizontal adjustment.

Abstract: There is disclosed a gate mechanism including a conveyor for conveying a shingled stream of articles along either of two paths and for shifting between the two paths without interruption of the flow of articles. The mechanism includes an infeed conveyor having an end portion pivotable between a generally horizontal position in which it is aligned with one outfed conveyor and a downwardly inclined position in which it is aligned with a second outfeed conveyor. Prior to returning from the inclined position to the horizontal position a pivotable rake which includes a number of V-shaped members swings to clear the inclined portion of any articles and to temporarily support articles arriving on the infeed conveyor.

Abstract: This conveyor device for transferring freshly printed sheets from a printing machine to a stack or to another printing machine, comprises a first chain clips system movable continuously and adapted to hold with its clips the leading edge of the sheet. This first system comprises a rectilinear path section along which a second system of chain clips is provided, the clips of this second system, disposed in the same transport plane as those of the first system, being adapted to grip the trailing edge of each sheet as it penetrates this section, and to subsequently stretch the sheet tautly by accomplishing a slight backward movement in relation to the clips of the first system, and to hold the sheet taut throughout its travel through this section. This device is applicable notably to a drying station of a machine for printing sheets according to the direct plate printing process and is also adapted to turn the sheets.

Abstract: A document stacking bin receives and stacks documents injected therein along a free flight path. The bin includes an energy absorbing device for intercepting the documents in free flight, absorbing their kinetic energy and allowing them to free fall onto a stack. The energy absorbing device includes at least one bead chain having one end fixed and the other end looped over a portion of the bin and attached to a weight.

Abstract: A sheet diverter in the path of a stream of cut sheets to be diverted in predetermined sequence in different directions in which a pair of rotary diverters having cam surfaces thereon divert and guide the sheets in the predetermined sequence relative to a pair of guiding surfaces.

Abstract: A device for piling up flat workpieces especially box blanks characterized by a conveyor for transporting the box blanks in at least one stream of staggered blanks, a device for braking and separating the blanks in each stream of box blanks, a device for removing box blanks having contingent flaws from the conveyor, a piling device for forming piles of box blanks from the stream of blanks in the conveyor, a removing device for removing the piles of box blanks created in the piling device, a device for creating batches of box blanks standing on their edges from the piles and a device for transferring the piles of box blanks in an aligned fashion to the device for creating the batches. In particular the device for conveying includes a plurality of conveyors aligned one after the other in the direction of transport with the last conveyor in the direction of transport being pivotable around the drive roller and being part of the device for rejecting box blanks having contingent flaws.

Abstract: A series of separate paper sheets issuing from a cross cutter wherein a running paper web is subdivided into discrete sheets is converted into a stream of partly overlapping sheets by transporting the sheets of the series at a first speed onto the upper reach of a belt conveyor which is driven at a lower second speed. A cylindrical braking roller is adjacent to the sheet-receiving end of the upper reach of the belt conveyor and is driven at a peripheral speed matching the second speed. A flat of the otherwise cylindrical peripheral surface of the braking roller is adjacent to but out of contact with the leading edges of successive sheets of the series but the cylindrical surface of the roller engages the intermediate portions of successive sheets and decelerates such sheets from the first to the second speed. This ensures that reaction liquid cannot escape at the leading edges of successive sheets which constitute carbon-free pressure-sensitive copy paper sheets.

Abstract: Attached to revolving traction elements are a number of equidistantly arranged entrainment members having impact surfaces at their leading edges. The impact surfaces engage at trailing edges of the printed products arriving in an imbricated product stream. Between the traction elements there is arranged a suction head connected by means of a connection line or conduit with a negative pressure source. The suction head fixedly retains the printed products moving therepast or delays their forward movement until the engaged printed product can be entrained by one of the entrainment members. Due to the holding back of each second printed product each entrainment member infeeds two superimposed printed products to the individual grippers of a transport device. Since each gripper conveys away two printed products the transport device can be driven at a lower velocity that the infeed velocity of the imbricated product stream, which, among other things, affords quieter travel and reduced wear of the transport device.

Abstract: The size of the gap between the leading and trailing portions of a severed web is monitored with respect to an upper limit. The severed web is cut into box blanks which are transported on a stacker conveyor in shingled relation. The speed of the severed web through the corrugator is continuously controlled to prevent the gap from exceeding the limit when the gap reaches the stacker conveyor. Alternatively, the stacker conveyor is temporarily stopped until the size of the gap falls below the limit, and the stacker conveyor is re-started before the gap can close. In either case, the gap control prevents bumping of consecutive box blanks on the stacker conveyor following a change-over of production runs while insuring that the first blank of the new production run shingles on the last blank of the old production run with sufficient tail to insure retention of the first blank by stacker conveyor suction cups or tail grabbers.

Abstract: A brake assembly for stopping moving sheet stacks on a folding table of a rotary printing press and a method of operating the brake assembly is disclosed. A rotatable drum carries a plurality of axially extending stop rods spaced about the periphery of the drum. Each of these stop rods is carried on bearing arms that are spring biased. Each moving sheet stack contacts a stop rod which absorbs the energy of the moving sheet stack and causes it to stop on the folding table. The drum rotates in an intermittent fashion to bring a different stop bar into engagement with each succeeding sheet stack. A gear drive assembly for the brake assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus involving passing the leading edge of successive sheets carried by a high-speed conveyor over a slow-down region, and when the rear edge portion of the sheet reaches said region, grabbing the same to slow down the sheet to the desired speed and then releasing it and permitting the leading edge of the next sheet to travel freely at high speed over said region, thereby to enable controlled slow-down of the high-speed sheets for predetermined overlap on lower speed conveyors or stacking on platforms and the like.

Abstract: A plurality of consecutively numbered sheets or parcels of paper sheets such as, by way of example, snapout forms or the like are consecutively deposited onto the upper reach of a conveyor whereby the leading edge of each subsequent form is inserted beneath the trailing portion of the preceding form whereby an underlap-echelon relationship of the succeeding individual forms is provided, and wherein the forms are numbered consecutively and forwardly with the lowest numbered sheet foremost and on top of the sheets or forms on the conveyor.

Abstract: A method of employment of automatic lengthwise receivers which equip continuously operating corrugators. In accordance with the invention the course of the last panel of a first form and size is followed from its arrival upon the receiver, and a change of stack is triggered when this last panel has left the final conveyor of the receiver. Furthermore any retraction of the telescopic device located downstream from first conveyor of the said receiver is stopped.

Abstract: A conveyor positioner arrangement for sequentially controlling the positioning of flexible plastic film products in a substantially stationary position on a stacker input station, with gaseous discharge means being utilized to provide certain of the control for the film product, and including means for establishing a Bernoulli effect pressure reduction along a plane beneath the flexible plastic film product. The gaseous discharge means establishing a Bernoulli effect reduction comprises a plurality of generally parallelly arranged spaced apart nozzles which have their respective discharge orifices disposed generally beneath the plane of travel of the flexible plastic film products to deliver a flow of compressed gaseous fluid, such as air, along such plane.

Abstract: Document stacking apparatus for continuously stacking a plurality of documents in the sequential order in which they are fed into the apparatus is disclosed. Motor driven feed rollers feed the documents into the apparatus and along a predetermined path defined by guide plates and a deflector. A stacking bed is provided for supporting the documents in a stacked arrangement and a moveable baffle is mounted upon the stacking bed for defining a stacking cavity with the guide plates. The stacking bed is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and is also provided with an inclined slot. A follower is fixedly secured to the baffle and slidably disposed within the slot whereby the baffle is gravity-biased toward a first position so as to normally minimize the stacking cavity. The baffle is also movable, under the influence of the incoming documents to be stacked, against the gravity-bias toward a second position so as to expand the stacking cavity and thereby accommodate successive documents to be stacked.

Abstract: A plurality of spaced, endless, coplanar, envelope feed belts have their upper runs interleaved and coplanar with the upper run of an envelope support belt at one end of the apparatus, which conveys the envelopes through an apparatus for applying sealant material to the flap closure portion and an adjacent body portion of the envelope. The envelopes are smoothly transferred from the feed belts to the support belt due to the simultaneous support of both belt systems at the delivery end of the apparatus. Another belt is then overlapped with the support belt at the delivery end of the apparatus to clamp the envelopes therebetween as they are conveyed through the sealant applying apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for dividing an imbricated stream of printed products into individual mutually separated sections, comprising a separator device which, in the conveying direction of a conveyor device, can be moved with a speed which is smaller than the conveying speed of such conveyor device. The separator device is equipped with a clamping device which selectively retains, for a certain time, a printed product and which can be forwardly moved at the speed of motion of the separator device. Owing to the lower speed of movement of the fixedly-retained printed product, in relation to the conveying speed of the conveyor device, there is formed a gap with respect to the leading printed product of the preceding section and which printed product moves forwardly at the full conveying speed. By means of this gap the successive sections can be separated from one another.

Abstract: Overlapping sheet articles continuously arriving on a belt conveyor are separated into groups by brake bands which are intermittently pressed against respective rails disposed between the belts substantially flush with the conveying runs. The brake bands lie loosely on the sheet articles which pass thereunder unimpeded until they are to be temporarily halted, which is done by successively lowering a plurality of weights on the brake bands starting at the leading ends of the brake bands.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus with a cross-cutter in front and an arrangement, following the cross-cutter, for forming a series of underlapping sheets with lifting and holding elements in a region between two withdrawal devices driven at different feed speeds. These elements lift the rear end of each sheet to form a lead-in gap for the following sheet. The lift and holding elements are fastened, furthermore, to continually driven transport elements and are kept on a straight path in the engagement area slightly delayed relative to the following withdrawal device. The lift and holding elements are uniformly distributed across the width of the sheet, and are fastened to a strip picked up by chains located on the side. Several strips are provided spaced at sheet-to-sheet spacing. The track of the lift and holding elements descends slightly in the transport direction. The strips connected to the lateral chains are guided in lateral rails which are adjustable.

Abstract: A device for stacking sheets from the output of a machine for producing sheets, the device comprising a conveyor system feeding the sheets to a stack forming station, the conveyor system comprising first and second conveyors of which the first conveyor has a telescopic discharge portion which is retracted relative to the second conveyor during the period in which a formed stack is discharged from the stack forming station, to lay sheets on the second conveyor. The second conveyor moves at a reduced or zero linear speed while the speed of the first conveyor remains unchanged.

Abstract: A flexible sheet stacker is described which includes a support surface disposed substantially at right-angles to a flowline along which flexible sheets are fed in spaced relationship. The support surface is adapted to support in a stack the leading edges of the successive sheets fed along the flowline. The pressure-member is arranged to contact a face of a first sheet fed to the support surface and is thereafter movable away from the flowline against biasing means as sheets are progressively fed to the support surface. A wedge shaped separation member is movable along a substantially rectilinear path in advance of a sheet approaching the support surface, the separation member contacting the face of the stack and maintaining the contact during rectilinear movement of the separation means up to the support surface, a face of the stack being thereby displaced laterally out of the path of the leading edge of the approaching sheet as the sheet is advanced up to the support surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a board grouping apparatus wherein boards successively discharged from a rotary cutter which cuts a web, for example, a corrugated board web and which continuously, transversely feeds the boards of a suitable length onto a conveyor to group the boards on the conveyor in any suitable predetermined number of sheets.

Abstract: This application discloses an improved device for reducing the velocity at which thermoplastic bags, as they are produced by a bag machine, are directed to a table, or other suitable support, for accumulation in even-edged stacks.

Abstract: Sheet stacking apparatus having a variable speed conveyor on which sheets are carried in partially overlapped or "shingled" relation and deposited onto a second variable speed conveyor disposed in end-to-end relation to the first conveyor for receiving sheets therefrom and projecting onto a vertically movable stacking conveyor which lowers automatically as the stack builds up. Feed stop mechanism is disposed to stop and release selectively the flow of sheets from the first conveyor onto the second conveyor in response to the "full stack" position of the stacking conveyor. Control means is provided for changing the speed of the two conveyors in sequential relationship to the actuation of the stop mechanism whereby the speed of the first conveyor is substantially reduced, while the speed of the second conveyor is substantially increased to clear the latter preparatory to discharge of the stacking conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for receiving a continuous stream of forms at high speed and automatically stacking the forms into discrete batches of accurate count. The forms are first shingled into a uniform and accurate shingle by spiral screws, kickers, rollers, and hold down tapes which positively and forcefully drive the forms uniformly and accurately onto a conveyor. The forms are then stacked and collected on a vertically reciprocable tray until the desired count is reached, at which time finger hooks intercept and engage the shingle to stop the leading edges of the forms destined for the next batch. A conveyor diverting roller separates the leading edges of the forms for this purpose. Those forms downstream from the finger hooks are then quickly swept onto the elevator tray which deposits them on a discharge conveyor for delivery from the apparatus.

Abstract: Previously folded corrugated paperboard blanks are stacked, aligned, and discharged in stacks of preselected number by slowing the advance of such blanks advancing in serial alignment to form a stream of shingled blanks; counting a preselected number of the blanks; momentarily interrupting the stream in response to counting to form spaces between preselected numbers of the blanks; detecting the spaces; in response to such detecting, stopping and then releasing the preselected numbers of blanks for collection in a stack; simultaneously aligning all the blanks in the stack; and discharging the aligned stack perpendicular to the stream of shingled blanks.

Abstract: High speed electrostatic document handling apparatus wherein an electrostatic charge is deposited on an item-document such as a check and wherein the charge is caused to interact with an electrical field through which the item is obliged to move effective to selectively divert the item into a desired receiving pocket or bin and/or stack the item in the pocket or bin in the original selection order.

Abstract: A copier/collator installation wherein the copier's output copy sheets are collated into sets in a multi-bin collator. The collator bins are vertically stacked.Vertical stacking of the electrostatically charged and heated copy sheets, which therefore tend to curl, is enhanced by providing collator bins having electrically nonconductive walls. The bottom sheet-receiving walls are formed to have a generally concave cross section, facing upward. Considering the direction of sheet movement, this concave surface extends generally transverse the sheet movement. Pivoted and biased paper stabilizing wires hold down the leading portion of the sheet stack in the bin, and also absorbs the sheet's kinetic energy as the sheet enters the bin. A flexible, electrically nonconductive plastic flap, at the bin's entrance or mouth, holds down the sheet's trailing portion, and also absorbs the sheet's kinetic energy.

Abstract: A flat article separating apparatus for separating overlapping articles traveling along a feeding belt is disclosed. The apparatus includes a slipping section for causing overlapping articles to slip with respect to each other. Thereafter, the articles pass through a detector which detects the presence of an article and in response to such a detection, activates a moving roller aligned with a branching section of the feeding belt to cause the belt in the area of the branching section to bend. Bending of the feeding belt in the vicinity of the branching section allows the article in the branching section to be directed to a branch path of the feeding belt. Articles whose leading edges have passed the branching section at the time the moving roller is activated, continue to move along the main path of the feeding belt.

Abstract: An improved discharge apparatus for facilitating the removal and stacking of finished bags from a bag-making machine. An adjustable speed control means is operable to impart selective rotational velocity to a pair of opposed stacking wheels between which bags are travelling as they are discharged from the machine. Timing means operatively connected to the stacking wheels cause the speed control means to operate for a fraction only of the time interval of discharge of each bag.