Abstract: A system and method reorients flat articles in a serial stream, by receiving a horizontally moving, serial input stream of substantially vertically oriented flat articles each having a downwardly oriented primary edge, laterally diverting the flat articles in the serial input stream alternately between a pair of separate paths, impeding horizontal movement of each flat article in each separate path, accelerating each flat article with impeded horizontal movement in the direction of its primary edge, and delivering substantially horizontally oriented flat articles from each separate path.

Abstract: A sheet processing system comprises a high speed printer operative to print sheets fed through the printer longer edge first, and a downstream processor for performing a subsequent operation using the printed sheet fed shorter edge first. A sheet feeder for feeding the sheet to the downstream processor with its shorter edge first, comprises a sheet feed conveyor extending to said downstream processor, and input feed means for feeding the sheet from the printer laterally onto the sheet conveyor so that the longer edges of the sheet extend in a longitudinal direction of the sheet feed conveyor. Guide surfaces ensure alignment of the longer edges of the sheet in the longitudinal direction of the sheet feed conveyor during feeding to the downstream processor.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming a third stream of at least one first and one second stream of identical printed products has a first transport device synchronously conveying in a first conveying direction the first and second streams adjacent to one another. A second transport device is arranged downstream of the first transport device and has a second conveying direction substantially transverse to the first conveying direction of the first transport device. The first and second transport devices form steps transporting the printed products in a cascade fashion and combining the first and second streams to a common third stream.

Abstract: A captured belt path selection device includes a first fixed frame including a plurality of fixed, vertically oriented belts mounted thereon and a second moveable frame including a plurality of vertically oriented movable selector belts and guide rollers mounted thereon, the moveable frame being positioned adjacent to and over the fixed frame, the moveable selector belts and guide rollers being vertically offset from the fixed belts so that the moveable belts and guide rollers pass above and below at least a portion of a fixed belt as the second frame is moved from a first position to a second position. At least a first one of the moveable belts and a fixed belt transport media therebetween along a first path when the moveable, frame is in a first position and at least a second one of the moveable belts and a fixed belt transport media therebetween along a second path when the moveable frame is in a second position.

Abstract: A paper feeder including a platen roller for feeding paper sheet supplied from a manual paper supply opening to a printing section and conveying the same after printing again to the manual paper supply opening so as to be discharged. In the paper feeder, the length of the paper sheet supplied from the manual paper supply opening is the same as the distance between a paper sensor disposed at the manual paper supply opening and the paper catching position of the platen roller, and the platen roller is inversely rotated by the length when the power source is switched on, and therefore a paper sheet remaining in a conveyance path can be discharged certainly to the manual paper supply opening.

Abstract: An apparatus that can rotate a sheet 180° or invert the sheet, if required, includes a horizontal cylinder. The apparatus includes a horizontal cylinder. A front image output sheet wraps around the horizontal cylinder (turning counter-clockwise), entering the cylinder from the bottom. The cylinder then rotates 180° with the wrapped sheet. Continued counter-clockwise rotation of the cylinder will now unwrap the sheet from the cylinder and drive it away from the cylinder. In order to accomplish inversion, a deflector is raised in front of the cylinder. A sheet is directed over the top of the cylinder by the deflector as the cylinder turns clockwise. The sheet wraps around the cylinder and thereafter, the cylinder is rotated counter-clockwise resulting in the sheet exiting the cylinder at the bottom after having been inverted.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing the redirecting the path of a flat article transported in an article processing system. A transport including a ramp that can raise the elevation of vertically oriented envelopes from a first level to a second level, and maintaining the alignment and orientation of transported envelopes square with the direction of travel. The transport comprised of nips which act to drive and orient the envelopes in the direction of travel. Sets of these nips comprising a driven roller and an idler roller. The idler roller has a toroidally shaped outer surface biased against the driven roller. The nips operate to allow the transported articles to pivot and maintain alignment in the travel direction as they are driven forward. In an alternative embodiment, the invention can be used to transport horizontal envelopes and alter the path of horizontal envelopes while maintaining the orientation of the envelopes in the direction of travel.

Abstract: A device is used to insert and/or deposit printed products into a conveying channel. The printed products are conveyed in the conveying channel with of carriers of a conveying element. An acceleration apparatus pre-accelerates the printed products in conveying direction. The acceleration apparatus conveys the printed products essentially in a straight line and at an angle to the conveying direction of the conveying channel. The printed products are preferably inserted with the aid of conveying belts and at an angle into the conveying channel. As a result of the slanted feed, the divisions of the conveying element can be optimized and the capacity increased.

Abstract: Flat articles (3) each held by a feeding-in gripper (5) on a leading first edge are fed-in to a hold changing station (1) one after the other, are pulled onto a changing support situated in the changing station (1), and are deposited on it by opening the feeding-in gripper (5). Each deposited article is then pushed across the changing support (10) by a conveying-away gripper (6) and, while being pushed, is grasped by closing the conveying-away gripper (6) and is conveyed away held gripped on a second edge. Advantageously, the feeding-in direction (Z) and the conveying-away direction (W) intersect above the changing support (10) under the one angle (&agr;), which is also constituted by the first and the second edge. For the hold change of rectangular printed products, the angle (&agr;) amounts to 90°. For pushing the articles, the conveying-away grippers (6) move in the plane of the surface of the changing support and are driven from below.

Abstract: In order to fold folded products having sealing flaps with or without mating flaps, such as packaging bags including envelopes with or without self-adhesive glue, the envelopes are moved against a stationary stop and the mating flaps and the sealing flaps are then turned over by suction elements arranged on a mating flap roll and on a sealing flap roll. The mating flap roll, which bears the suction element that turns the mating flaps over, has a radius that is reduced on a part of the roll's circumference that is not equipped with the suction element. The mating flap roll can be locked in such a rotational position, that a folded product not having a mating flap can be moved past this roll to the stationary stop without contacting or virtually without contacting this roll.

Abstract: A right-angle sheet stager apparatus for merging multiple input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface. Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface and the staging surface. Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface. The output channel includes an output surface, and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect to the input channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus permits a sheet from the transport surface to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Abstract: A right-angle sheet stager apparatus for merging multiple input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface. Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface and the staging surface. Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface. The output channel includes an output surface, and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect to the input channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus permits a sheet from the transport surface to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Abstract: A sheet path assembly having two mating components which are pivotally attached to one another so that they may be opened in the case of a sheet jam. One of the mating assemblies is a turnover component, which is torsionally weak about an axis in the direction of the sheet path. This is done so that the turnover component will conform to the mating component when they close. A stiffening member is mounted to the turnover component, such that when the stiffening member is engaged, the turnover component is then torsionally stiff. When the turnover component is conformed to the mating assembly, the stiffening member is engaged, locking the turnover component into the conforming position.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a transport device for rerouting flat mail pieces (6) that are transported clamped between an endless lower band (1) and an endless upper band (2), wherein the upper band (2) is realized in a longitudinally elastic fashion and guided back in an outwardly directed loop. According to the invention, an inexpensive and space-saving rerouting with the least possible stress on the mail pieces is realized due to the fact that the driven lower band (1) is guided on a stationary, immovable guide element (3) with a sliding surface that has the shape of a curved segment, and the sliding surface of the curved segment has a lower coefficient of friction than the lower band (1) and the mail pieces (6). The lower band (1) has a low coefficient of friction on its side facing the guide element (3) and has a high coefficient of friction on its side facing the non-driven upper band (2) and the mail pieces (6).

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and delivering individual sheets (14) within a final processing unit (11) downstream from a printing or copying unit (10). In the final processing unit (11) an input transport roller pair (15) is followed by a sheet transport track (18) having a stop surface (20) for lateral registration of the sheets (14) passing through, a working delivery surface (24) having a stop surface (22) for end-surface registration of the sheets (14) being arranged at the end of the sheet transport track (18). Arranged after the working delivery surface (24) is a final delivery container for the individual sheets or sheet stacks, which extends at a 90° angle to the sheet transport track (18).

Abstract: In an image-forming apparatus, which discharges to a stacker a sheet on which an image has been formed, the sorting of printed matter is performed on the stacker without providing optional equipment. Because of being constituted so as to independently drive a plurality of discharging rollers (30, 31), which discharge a sheet (100) to a stacker (19), and such that a controller (50) differs the driving of this plurality of discharging rollers for a normal mode and an attitude control mode, sorting of printed matter can be performed on top of the stacker with a single paper feeding means and a single stacker without providing optional equipment.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling the traveling direction of a piece of folded material in the feed path of a folding machine. A first roller nip is used to ingest the folded material into the front end of a turn chute. If the traveling direction is to be maintained, the folded material is allowed to move out through the rear end of the turn chute. If the traveling direction is to be reversed, a stop is used to block the rear end in order to keep the leading edge of the ingested folded material from leaving the turn chute through the rear end. At the same time, the trailing edge of the ingested folded material is caused to engage in a second roller nip located in the front end of the turn chute, in order for the second roller nip to move the folded material out of the turn chute, thereby reversing the traveling direction of the folded material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for turning sheets. A sheet to be turned is guided into a gap between two transport elements moving in opposite directions and is pressed against the reverse-moving transport element or the forward-moving transport element depending on whether or not said sheet should be turned. The following transport elements then guide the turned or unturned sheet to the output of the device. The device preferably is configured such that the same transport time is required for turned and unturned sheets so that the order of the sheets and the interval between the sheets upstream and downstream of the turning device remain the same.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotor to which torque in a fixed direction is transmitted and a transmitting unit for transmitting torque to the rotor. The transmitting unit is replaceable by a driving unit capable of freely rotating the rotor in both forward and backward directions.

Abstract: A sheet flow direction changing mechanism having a roller system comprised of three rollers and a sheet stopping device and so adapted and arranged that a sheet passing through said mechanism is (1) driven in a first direction by passing between a center roller and a top roller, (2) stopped and then (3) directed into a nip between the center roller and a bottom roller and thereby driving the sheet in a second direction.

Abstract: A simplified pressure sealing apparatus for acting on business forms having pressure activated cohesive to seal the cohesive has only two or three pressure-seal rollers for effecting proper sealing. The pressure seal rollers may receive a folded business form substantially immediately from the output of a folder, or one of the pressure-seal rollers may function to both assist in folding the form, and then pressure sealing it. The form may be held in a flip plate above the nip between first and second pressure-seal rollers, or a separate set of idler nip wheels may hold the form in position once it has passed completely through the sealing nip. In either case the form may pass completely through the sealing nip yet be moved through the sealing nip in the opposite direction, and then diverted to a stack.

Abstract: A method and device for improving the stacking efficiency in a sheet accumulation system using a continuous web cutter for cutting a web of material into sheets and a plurality of right angle turn-over modules for changing the direction of the sheets and causing overlapping between adjacent sheets. Different movement mechanisms are used to move the sheets with different moving speeds from the web cutter toward the right angle turn-over modules for increasing the overlapped amount.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring media (2) to and from an information transfer device (1) consisting of a media supply tray (36) for holding the media (2) and a drive roller (8). The first idle roller (10) forms a first nip for moving the media (2) from the media supply tray (36) to the information transfer device (1). The drive motor (4) is connected to the drive roller (8) for rotating the drive roller (8). The deflector (44) is located between the first nip and the information transfer device (1). The second idle roller (18) forms a second nip with the drive roller (8) for moving the media (2) from the information transfer device (1) to an exit tray (34) when the deflector (44) is in a second position.

Abstract: To provide an apparatus for sorting sheetlike data carriers which firstly has a compact and ergonomically optimal design and secondly permits the use of compact and cost-effective test devices, it is proposed that the input pocket (2) and the output pocket (12-15) are designed and oriented with respect to the front side (1) of the apparatus such that the long sides of the data carriers (3) face the operator. The singling device (19) and the transport system (4) transport the data carriers through a test device in the direction of their long sides. After running through the test device (6) the data carriers are supplied to one of the output pockets (12-15) by a longitudinal/cross conveying device (7) along their transverse sides.

Abstract: Flat rectangular objects, such as printed products, arrive in an overlapping formation and have a specific first extent A1 and a variable second extent A2, A2′ running at right angles thereto. The objects 10 are conveyed in an overlapping stream S at a constant predetermined overlap distance B and with a first extent A1 running in the conveying direction F. As viewed in the conveying direction F, the edges running in the conveying direction F are mutually aligned on one side and are at the same location. A specific number of the objects 10 is in each case gripped by a single transport clamp 18 to transport them onward.

Abstract: The present invention relates to media handling devices and media handling methods. One aspect of the invention provides a media handling method including providing a media handling device having an initial media path; selectively moving a guide member using a motor intermediate a first position where the guide member is spaced from media within the initial media path and a second position where the guide member contacts the media within the initial media path; applying a control signal to the motor to control the moving; and modulating the control signal.

Abstract: In a mail processing system with a franking and addressing machine and to a method for combined franking and address printing, both printing jobs for franking or addressing are sequentially implemented in a specific sequence in separate passes with a single print head. The print medium surface is correspondingly printed while the print medium is transported past the print head. A turning station is provided for rotating a print medium by approximately 180° before or after the printing and is arranged in the mail processing system preceding or following the digital printer device.

Abstract: A right-angle sheet stager apparatus for merging multiple-input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface. Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface and the staging surface. Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface. The output channel includes an output surface, and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect to the input channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus permits a sheet from the transport surface to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Abstract: A sheet member discharge mechanism comprising an upper discharge roller and a lower discharge roller for conveying a sheet member in a predetermined direction while nipping it therebetween. A push-down member is disposed downstream of the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller as viewed in a direction of conveying the sheet member, the push-down member being allowed to move between an ascended position and a descended position and is urged to the descended position. The push-down member is moved to the ascended position by the sheet member acting upon the push-down member while the sheet member is being conveyed by the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller that work in cooperation. The push-down member moves to the descended position to push down the trailing edge of the sheet member after the trailing edge of the sheet member has passed the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller.

Abstract: A simplified pressure sealing apparatus for acting on business forms having pressure activated cohesive to seal the cohesive has only two or three pressure-seal rollers for effecting proper sealing. The pressure seal rollers may receive a folded business form substantially immediately from the output of a folder, or one of the pressure-seal rollers may function to both assist in folding the form, and then pressure sealing it. The form may be held in a flip plate above the nip between first and second pressure-seal rollers, or a separate set of idler nip wheels may hold the form in position once it has passed completely through the sealing nip. In either case the form may pass completely through the sealing nip yet be moved through the sealing nip in the opposite direction, and then diverted to a stack.

Abstract: Featured is a sheet feed unit including a first transport path in which is transported a first sheet, a second transport path and a protrusion. A second sheet is transported in the second transport path and guided at a prescribed angle relative to the first transport path. The protrusion is located or fixed at a confluence of the first transport path and the second transport path. The protrusion also has a guide surface that is placed to allow the second sheet to be guided along the first transport path.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for guiding a sheet in a stream of sheet progressing through a paper path of a printing machine. The apparatus includes an input feed mechanism for feeding the sheets in a first direction. The apparatus also includes a guide which is operably associated with the input feed mechanism for guiding the sheets along the first direction. The apparatus further includes a movable gate operably associated with the guide. The gate and the guide define a passageway therebetween for passing sheets therethrough. The passageway has a first width at a first position of the gate selected for passing sheets therethrough having a thickness less than a first thickness. The first width of the passageway is selected for inhibiting sheets therethrough having a thickness greater than the first thickness.

Abstract: A document conveyance device for conveying single documents on a document stack is described, which includes at least one driven conveying shaft with the interval of the driven conveying shaft from the document stack being variable. The driven conveying shaft includes at least one document conveyance system which comprises a toothed wheel, fixedly disposed on the conveying shaft, with outer toothing and a concentric ring with inner toothing. On the outer ring a friction coating is disposed. The teeth of the toothed wheel and the inner toothing are always meshed in an engagement point. A force component fed in under definition, engages the concentric outer ring such that a force component between the friction coating of the outer ring and the document to be conveyed is active.

Abstract: According to a document transport device of a preferred embodiment, when reading images of a plurality of one-sided documents, these one-sided documents are accommodated in a first accommodating portion with the document surface facing upward. The held documents are fed sequentially from the uppermost document to the first document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and transported with the document surface facing downward to the predetermined position, i.e., the document reading position. When the reading of the document is completed at the document reading position, the read document is transported to a second document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and accommodated in a second accommodating portion with the document surface facing upward. Thereafter, the document is transported to a third document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and accommodated in a third document accommodating portion with the document surface facing downward.

Abstract: An electronically actuated turning device for transport apparatus, which apparatus use endless belts for transport, which detects the presence of products being transported such as paper folders, activates a solenoid to cause an upper swivel ball to contact the product and engage a lower swivel ball, which grips and stops the product, and allows the product to rotate 90 degrees, and then releases the product, which product is then transported in the original direction by the apparatus for further operations as required.

Abstract: A collating device for sheet material comprises a collating station (1) having a pair of guide members (8, 10) for receiving sheets to be collated through an opening (9) therebetween, first conveyor means (3) for conveying sheets consecutively into the collating station and second conveyor means (5) for conveying a collated stack of sheets out of the collating station, support means (12) biased towards a position for supporting sheets in the collating station away from the second conveyor means, and an actuator member (14) movable to urge a collated stack of sheets towards the second conveyor means against the bias of the support means.

Abstract: A shunt is described for reversing the direction of conveyance of a document or the like. The document is accepted by a front-end roller and supplied to a reversing roller. As soon as the trailing rear edge of the document has left the front-end roller, the direction of rotation of the reversing roller is reversed and this guides the document, with the rear edge leading, to an output roller which is disposed offset in height relative to the front-end roller and outputs the document in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An envelope transport system, for transporting envelopes, flaps opened, along a final common path in a direction at ninety degrees from a feed direction along which the envelopes are provided in two parallel paths.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding flat products from a pile of flat products to a receiving location especially on a conveyor includes a plurality of delivering units for extracting a single flat product from the pile. Each of the delivering units has a first driven belt and is engageable with a pile. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a diverting element for diverting the flat products in a predetermined direction. A method of operating the apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for folding a sheet having a certain length into a folded piece of a fold type having a first edge and a second edge, wherein the sheet length and the fold type are simultaneously selectable. The sheet can be folded once or twice into the folded piece. After the sheet is folded into the folded piece, the folded piece moves in a direction with a first edge leading the second edge. The method and system further include a step and a mechanism to control the moving direction of the folded piece such that the folded piece can be caused to move with the first edge trailing the second edge or allowed to continue to move with the first edge leading the second edge when the folded piece exits the system.

Abstract: A discharge mechanism capable of discharging a sheet facedown is advantageous to miniaturization of a duplex printing apparatus. The discharge mechanism includes a discharge roller gear engaged with a driving gear; a pair of discharge rollers rotatable by the discharge roller gear, keeping in contact with each other; a disklike support member having a shaft fixed on a same line of a shaft of the driving gear, intervening between the driving gear and the discharge rollers; a friction disk attached to the discharge roller gear, for transferring a driving force of the driving gear to the disklike support member; a compression coil spring interposed between the friction disk and the disklike support member, a shaft of a selected one of the discharge rollers passing through the compressing coil spring; and a solenoid for restricting rotation of the disklike support member when unactuated and for allowing rotation of the disklike support member when supplied with a current.

Abstract: The apparatus has an intermediate conveyor (18) with conveying elements (26) distributed in the circumferential direction on bearing plates (36). Each conveying element (26) has a roller segment (54), which is driven counter to the direction of circulation (U), and a belt conveyor (56) which is assigned to said roller segment. A control device (48) keeps the conveying elements (26) in a mutually parallel position during circulation in the direction of circulation (U). During movement past the receiving location (16), a rear section (82) of the roller segment (54) and the belt conveyor (56) form an introduction gap (24) for a product (14) fed by a feed conveyor (12) in each case. During further rotation, said product (14) is moved through the conveying element (26), in the conveying gap (90) now formed by the roller segment (54) and belt conveyor (56), and is deflected by means of the guide element (92).

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for feeding a processing machine with flat products, such as printed sheets, cards, patterns or the like. Over a conveyor path arranged between a storage unit and the processing machine and forming a product storage unit, the flat products are carried from the storage unit in a stream formed by products arranged in an overlapping configuration. The product stream conveyed on the conveyor path toward the processing machine is followed by a product stream having a higher speed. The apparatus includes a device with a drivable storage unit for removing the flat products, wherein the storage unit is connected through a conveyor unit to a processing machine for processing the products.

Abstract: A device for placing printed sheets on a guide includes a mechanism for accelerating a printed sheet in an off-transport direction to a transverse velocity before the printed sheet is placed on the guide. The mechanism includes a gripping device for grasping the printed sheet by the front end thereof as seen in the off-transport direction and for accelerating the printed sheet in the off-transport direction by pulling the printed sheet.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for guiding a sheet in a stream of sheet progressing through a paper path of a printing machine. The apparatus includes an input feed mechanism for feeding the sheets in a first direction. The apparatus also includes a guide which is operably associated with the input feed mechanism for guiding the sheets along the first direction. The apparatus further includes a movable gate operably associated with the guide. The gate and the guide define a passageway therebetween for passing sheets therethrough. The passageway has a first width at a first position of the gate selected for passing sheets therethrough having a thickness less than a first thickness. The first width of the passageway is selected for inhibiting sheets therethrough having a thickness greater than the first thickness.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a sheet discharging device for discharging sheets; a stacking tray for stacking sets of the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device; a retaining tray for retaining one sheet discharging by the discharging device; a shifting device for shifting, in a direction crossing with a direction of the discharging of the sheet, the one sheet on the retaining tray; a feeding device for feeding the one sheet to the stacking tray; whereby the sets of the sheets are grouped with the sheet shifted by the shifting device.

Abstract: A feed device for feeding a document folding and/or inserting machine with envelopes delivered by a general-purpose printer, said feed device comprising detection means for detecting the position of the envelope at the outlet of the printer and reorientation means for reorienting the envelope as a function of its position as determined by said detection means so as to enable documents to be inserted into the envelope. The detection means advantageously comprise a detector for detecting an edge of the envelope, and the reorientation means advantageously comprise a turntable.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers such documents from storage areas and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport (70) in which documents which are deposited are oriented and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in recycling canisters (92, 94, 96, 98) when a user subsequently requests a dispense of documents. Documents are selectively picked from the storage areas and delivered to the customer. Media gates (116, 118, 120, 122) are used to selectively direct documents between remote transport segments (108, 110, 112, 114) and canister delivery transports (124, 126, 128, 130). The media gates operate by selectively directing documents through an intersection (421) in engagement with transversely offset belt flights (396, 422).

Abstract: A stream of signatures is delivered by a conveyer belt to an angled conveyer. The angled conveyor grips a set of signatures from the stream. The gripped set of signatures is transported by the angled conveyer to a third conveyer belt, and deposited on the third conveyer belt. By transporting the set of signatures at an angle, a lateral offset between the individual signatures within the set of signatures is created. A diverter on the third conveyer belt grips the laterally offset signatures, separating the signatures into substreams.

Abstract: A compact printer has a sheet feeder positioned at its front wall and electrophotographic components arranged along a sheet moving path for receiving a sheet from the sheet feeder and for exposing, developing, then transferring a toner image onto the sheet. At its rear side, the printer has an image fixing unit and a discharge portion for discharging the sheet to a side output tray or onto the top wall of the printer. The discharge portion is provided with a detachably hinged, sheet turning apparatus when it is desired to discharge sheets onto the top wall, or with a detachably hinged cover with a rear opening to discharge sheets onto a rear side output tray.