Abstract: A compact sheet stacker or sorter for a xerographic or other copier has respectively one or more upright sheet-receiving bins which are fed from below by a guide assembly which, in the case of a sorter, can be indexed from bin to bin but, in the case of a stacker is fixed. With this arrangement sheets are collected inproperly collated (1-N) order without using an active sheet inverter or conventional inverting paper path, thereby saving space. Bin plates defining the bins are shaped so as to hold sheets in a curved configuration transverse to the direction of sheet feed. The curvature imparts beam strength to the sheets enabling them to stand on edge even when the sheets extend above the tops of the bins. A stacker or sorter with relatively short bins can therefore handle a variety of sheet sizes without adjustment.

Abstract: In the apparatus for binding stacks (31) of zig-zag-folded layers (40) a folder (10) is followed by a stacking device (43), which has a lifting table (14). In stacking area (41) following folder (10) is provided a separating device (24) in the form of a rake with front separating heads (100), which can be provided with blast air nozzles. A straightening device (22a) is used for periodically compressing the folded edge (82a) and the folder is preceded by a cutting mechanism (110) for making cuts on the folded edges (82a) to be separated, so that the separating devices (24) are not required to operate at areas on the edges provided with conveying holes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating doublets includes a device in which opposed surfaces that are connected to a vacuum source have a rippled portion in which vacuum slots are positioned at the apex of the ripples. There is a gradual transition in the surface of the slots from a planar portion to a rippled portion and back to a planar portion. The two surfaces are spaced a predetermined distance from each other such that when a double sheet of paper is driven through the rippled area, both the upper sheet and the lower sheet can tack to the upper and lower slots without having to jump across a gap. Subsequently, as the two sheets move into the area of the surfaces where there are no ripples, a strong separating force is generated as each sheet remains attached to the respective vacuum slots since the upper and lower slots are not in the same plane.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having a slip preventing mechanism having a deformable member whose tip projects from a drive discharge roller by a short length and bends in contact with a sheet to be discharged in a small area, when the sheet is located between the drive discharge roller and the driven discharge roller. The deformable member transfers the sheets forcibly with biting them. As one of the drive roller and the driven roller which contacts the printed face of the sheet is made of a material which is hard to be stained by ink when contacted to the printed sheet, neither stain nor slip incur. Alternatively, the surface of one of the discharge rollers may be made rough.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a sheet is registered during the movement thereof. The sheet is moved along a path in a forward direction of movement and a lateral direction of movement substantially normal thereto. The lateral movement of the sheet causes the side edge of the sheet to engage a registration edge so as to be aligned thereat. The magnitude of the moving force applied on the sheet is proportional to the thickness of the sheet. In this way, the moving force varies as a function of the thickness of the sheet with the sheet slipping laterally when engaging the registration edge to prevent buckling thereof.

Abstract: A handling apparatus for guiding paper money or other strip-like media into a storage area or cashbox includes a drive mechanism for driving the central longitudinal area of a strip-like element to follow a first curved path, and an opposing guide for simultaneously urging the outer longitudinal areas of the bill in directions transverse to the first path so that they follow curved paths which are different to the first path. This tends to pull or stretch the element simultaneously both along its central axis and transverse to that axis, which will tend to remove any previous deformation applied to the element prior to stacking. A guide surface guides the bill from the drive mechanism into the storage area, and is preferably movable when a bill is detected projecting out of the storage area to urge the bill into the storage area and to compress the stack of bills.

Abstract: The present invention is of a paper transferring apparatus for a copying machine which consists of a pair of upper and lower resist rollers and a pair of upper and lower pre-transfer rollers located at a photoreceptor-drum side from these resist rollers, andthe upper roller out of the paired upper and lower resists rollers has a substantially larger roller diameter at the center part in the axial direction of the roller in comparison with that at the both ends, and the lower roller thereof has a uniform roller diameter throughout the roller, andthe upper roller out of the paired upper and lower pre-transfer rollers has a substantially smaller roller diameter at the center part in the axial direction of the roller in comparison with that at the both end parts, and the lower roller thereof has a uniform roller diameter throughout the roller.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a sorter and an offsetting device. The offsetting device is positioned within the printer and is adapted to translate sheets in route to the sorter alternately front and rearward such that copy sheets are offset before they are driven into the sorter with subsequent copy sheet sets being offset from each other within bins of the sorter.

Abstract: A delivery device comprising at least one conveyor belt defining a conveying plane arranged under a fan wheel to receive products from the fan wheel more especially in the form of an overlapping stream. The device has at least one elongated and raised member that is aligned with the direction of delivery and which slopes downwards from a higher level than the conveying plane on the conveying belt in the direction of delivery and at its front end has an edge that adjoins the conveying plane on the conveying belt side.

Abstract: A bale wrapping mechanism for wrapping a large round bale with a wrap material such as plastic sheet material or net, is mounted to the rear of a bale discharge gate. Drive rolls are located rearwardly of the gate and are selectively drivable for dispensing wrap material onto the rear end of a guide pan extending beneath and engaged with a portion of bale-forming belts extending between lower rear and lower front belt support rolls carried by the discharge gate. A guide finger assembly is secured to the front of the pan and includes a plurality of fingers located in gaps between the bale-forming belts and including forward end portions curved arcuately about the lower front belt support roll for directing wrap material about the roll and into a pinch point defined between the belts and a bale desired to be wrapped by the material.

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 buckle adjust procedure that automatically adjusts the amount of buckle introduced into copy sheets. The buckle adjust procedure includes the measurement of the time period for the trail edge of a first set of buckled copy sheets at the registration station to pass under a pre-registration switch. A second measurement is made of a time period for the trail edge of a second set of unbuckled copy sheets to pass under the pre-registration switch. The two time periods are compared and if the difference exceeds an acceptable range, an automatic adjustment is made to the amount of buckle introduced into copy sheets. The amount of buckle is determined by the time period that the copy sheets are driven into braked registration rolls.

Abstract: A paper document pocket for receiving and stacking sorted documents from a high-speed reader sorter used in the banking industry and similar applications. The pocket is designed to stack in columns paper documents of various sizes and paper weights in sequential order without producing paper jams.

Abstract: A device for use in conjunction with a compartmented distribution line for flat articles, such as letters, which arrive in succession over a conveying path. The device comprises a succession of stacking compartments arranged one behind the other to which the flat articles are supplied by switches separately associated with the individual compartments. On the conveying path, closely before each individual stacking compartment, there is provided a rubber elastic roller-type attachment which faces the upper edge of each flat article against a guide sheet disposed opposite the attachment.

Abstract: The printed products are slid upon the rearmost printed product in order to form a stack in a lying configuration. For this purpose there is provided a conveyor having at least one circulating chain at which entraining cams are mounted in a regularly spaced relationship. The entraining cams act upon the trailing edges of the printed products. A multiple number of pressing rollers press the stack, and these pressing rollers are mounted at a support disc. The support disc is driven for rotation synchronously with the conveyor chain. Each pressing roller in succession presses upon the rearmost product of the stack. The pressing roller which acts upon the stack is always located just in front of the leading edge of the product which is slid onto the stack and the pressing roller moves upwardly conjointly with the product in the product slide-on direction thereof. While the stack is thus always under compression, the next following product can be slid onto the stack without experiencing a pressing action.

Abstract: A system for counting and stacking a continuous stream of shingled or overlapping sheets in which the shingled sheets are transported by a first conveyor and fed into an optical counting means for individually counting the sheets. From the optical counting means, the sheets are fed into a second conveyor which imparts a concave transverse bow to the sheets thereby providing rigidity to the sheets. The sheets exit the second conveyor and are collected by a recovery means for stacking. The second conveyor further includes an insertion means activated by the optical counter for separating the stream of sheets. The action of the insertion means separates the stream of sheets so that a predetermined number of sheets are collected and stacked by the receiving means while the insertion means temporarily supports the continuing stream of sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for pocketing documents in vertically-aligned pockets. The apparatus includes a frame and slides for mounting the frame for reciprocal movement between a home position and an extended position relative to the apparatus. A plurality of vertically-aligned, pocket members is mounted on the frame for selectively receiving documents to be pocketed. A transfer station, having first and second track members, receives a document therebetween, with the first track member being mounted on the frame for movement therewith. A first transport apparatus is used to move a document in a first direction to said transfer station, and a second transport apparatus is used to move a document in a second direction from the transfer station to the plurality of pocket members. A transfer apparatus is used to transfer a document at the transfer station from the first transport apparatus to said second transport apparatus.

Abstract: A document guide mechanism having an upstream end, a downstream end, and a feeding line therebetween. A cupping device including a cupping rib provides stiffness to the documents as they are moved along the feeding line from the upstream end towards the downstream end where the documents are stacked. A flexible band having predetermined parameters is used to form a "wave" which travels along the feeding line to move the trailing edges of documents already stacked away from the feeding line to provide an entrance for the leading edge of a document being moved along the feeding line towards the stacked documents.

Abstract: A manual label applicator is provided for use in a commodity weighing and labeling station. As a preprinted label is advanced from a printing station in a cantilever fashion, a label applicator having a roll with knife edges thereon causes said label to be creased in the direction of travel. Creasing of the label tends to keep it rigid and reliably hold it in a orientation suitable for manual application either through impact or by physically removing the label by hand. The knife edges or ridges on the roll further cooperate with fluting provided in a sliding surface for facilitating the partial creasing of the label as it advances through the label applicator.

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: An automatic sheet processing device is adapted to be mounted to the sheet outputting portion of an image forming apparatus which outputs sheets one after another and used to receive the sheets successively output from the sheet outputting apparatus, automatically align the received sheets to one another, and then automatically bind the bundle of aligned sheets.

Abstract: A system for delivery and stacking sheets of paper into a receiving tray or chute from a processing machine, such as a printing machine and the like, includes supporting flanges at the open end of the chute for supporting the side edges of the paper and an air jet system vertically above the paper for bending the paper about its axis for longitudinal support of the paper to prevent roll and tumble of the sheet into the chute.

Abstract: An apparatus in which sheet material is decurled. The apparatus includes a baffle type decurler in which a sheet moving therethrough chooses one of three paths and baffles, depending on the direction and amount of curl. Spring loaded baffles in conjunction with idler rolls reverse bends the sheets in two of the three paths.

Abstract: A paper feeding device includes conveyor rollers including top rollers and bottom rollers which rotate in the same direction and disposed respectively on two shafts in alternate positions. Timing rollers are provided on the down stream side of the conveyor rollers. The center-to-center distance between the two shafts is somewhat smaller than the sum of the radii of the top and bottom rollers. A recess is provided on each of the top rollers, so that the recess faces the direction of the circumference of the bottom rollers, when the forward end of the original sheet conveyed to the timing rollers by conveyor rollers abuts the timing rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for counting the sheets of a stream of partly overlapping sheets wherein the leaders of the next-following sheets normally rest on the trailing ends of the preceding sheets has a transporting unit which defines a path having two mutually inclined portions with the second portion sloping downwardly at an angle of 15 to 90 degrees relative to the first portion so that the leaders of successive sheets are lifted off the trailing ends of the respective preceding sheets. A photocell generates signals on detection of successive leaders while the leaders are on their way from the first into the second portion of the path, i.e., while the leaders are separated from the trailing ends of the preceding sheets, and such signals are transmitted to a counter which regulates the conversion of sheets into a series of stacks containing preselected numbers of superimposed sheets. The photocell is installed substantially midway between the longitudinal marginal portions of the stream.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting copy sheets made from an original by a copying machine includes a plurality of trays which are vertically aligned in multiple stages at predetermined intervals, an indexer for delivering the copy sheets to the trays, a conveyor for conveying the copy sheets to the indexer, and a flexible guide member which is provided at the inlet portion of each of the trays for guiding each copy sheet from the indexer into one of the trays along the bottom surface of an adjacent upper tray.

Abstract: A machine for stacking and bundling flexible sheets, such as the signatures that are delivered from a printed press, includes a succession of aligned conveyors. The sheets are deposited on the first conveyor where they accumulate in a generally horizontal disposition, one on top of the other, and the first conveyor withdraws sheets from the bottom of this pile and conveys them to a gate in a shingled condition. At the gate, which is narrower in width than the sheets, the sheets bow forwardly and rise upwardly at their leading edges until they stand on edge. It is in this condition that the sheets pass onto a second conveyor which moves them through another gate that is narrower than the first gate, so that the degree of bowing increases. The second conveyor moves slower than the first conveyor and as a result the flexible sheets consolidate in the upright condition on the second conveyor.

Abstract: An inverter for reversing the direction of movement of sheets fed to it even at high speed comprises a guide member onto and along which a sheet is fed and having an end edge portion spaced a small distance from a bend-over guide that lies across and at an acute angle to the path of the leading edge of the sheet and deflects the leading edge so that a leading portion of the sheet is bent over the end edge portion to retard the sheet movement. The sheet then is in a position to be delivered by movement in the reverse direction. The bend-over guide typically is disposed at a distance of 3 to 10 mm from the end edge portion and at an acute angle of 60.degree. to 85.degree. to the adjacent surface of the guide member. Preferably, the guide member presents a concavely bowed sheet guiding surface having angled recesses extending across it.

Abstract: For removing printed products out of their composite product formation or arrangement the grippers of a conveyor device which grippingly retain such printed products are opened by means of a release device. Viewed in the product conveying direction, the printed products are bent in a substantially saddle-shaped fashion forwardly of the release device, so that these folded or bent printed products are stiffened and, following the release thereof, they can drop downwardly along a substantially straight fall path into a stacking chute. For appropriately kinking or bending the printed products there is provided a saddle-shaped support member at which come to bear the printed products at the region of their trailing edges, such printed products being grippingly retained at their leading edges by the grippers approximately at the central region thereof.

Abstract: In a sheet stacking apparatus, especially a recirculating document handler for recirculating document sheets for precollation copying at a copier platen to and from a stack in a document tray without obstructing access to the document tray, with restacking edge guides repositionable to accommodate stacking different sheet sizes and a restacking feeder for restacking the document sheets in the tray within the restacking edge guides by feeding each document in over the top of the stack from one edge and releasing the document to restack, there is provided automatically varying corrugation restacking apparatus enabling controlled restacking for recirculative copying of large flimsy documents such as Japanese B4 size sheets compatibly with normal document sizes having sheet corrugating members repositioned by movement of a repositionable restacking edge guide into a position to restack such large sheets and automatically providing in coordination therewith additional sheet corrugation in response to the flimsines

Abstract: A device for inverting a sheet includes an input and output transport means and a sheet receiving tray. Sheet deflectors are provided to deflect portions of a sheet as it leaves the input transport means and moves into the tray. A reversal drive arrangement, including a drive roller within a vacuum plenum, contacts a sheet supplied to the tray and moves the sheet into engagement with the sheet output transport means. This arrangement adds beam strength to a sheet entering the tray and permits a second sheet to be supplied to the tray prior to complete removal of the previously inverted sheet.

Abstract: An intermediate document storage chamber permitting coupling of two asynchronously operated document input and output devices together, the storage chamber having flexible guide members for bowing or arcing the portion of the document in the chamber, and control responsive to the level of the document portion in the chamber to control operation of the document input device to assure a continuous supply of document material to the document output device.

Abstract: Two stop or impact members which are situated opposite one another with respect to grippers of a conveyor device are used for detaching or removing the printed products out of their product formation. In their effective position these stop members project into the conveying path of the printed products. The printed products released by the grippers impact against the stop members and under the action of their own weight drop downwards. Viewed in the conveying direction the printed products are folded or bent into a substantially saddle-like configuration forwardly of the stop members, resulting in stiffening of the thus folded printed products, and after they impact against the stop members they can fall downwardly along a straight path.

Abstract: Electrophotographic plain paper copier apparatus of a highly compact nature in which the copier is modular in construction and has a removable magazine to hold the paper supply in an arcuate disposition. A substantial number of the components and parts of components of the copier are located within the general quadrant subtended by the magazine thereby shortening the overall length of the copier. The copier features a removable master belt support, a compact projection system, the magazine mechanism and means to couple the same into the operating system of the copier and a novel illumination adjusting means.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a stacker tyer for stacking newspapers received in a shingled stream from a printing press. A single centrally located stacker mechanism is flanked by a pair of compensators and outside of the compensators is a pair of tyers. Stacks are built in the stacker and moved laterally first to a compensator and then to a tying mechanism. A shuttle mechanism is used to move the completed stacks from the stacker to one or the other of the compensators and from there to the adjacent tyer. The shuttle mechanism supports the leading and trailing edges of each stack as it is moved, and the back side and bottom of each stack is supported by fixed bottom supports and back supports.

Abstract: An apparatus for clamping individual pieces of textile fabric exiting a fusing machine conveyor 13, for withdrawing the fabrics until the trailing edges thereof clear a photocell sensor 42, and for stacking the fabrics with aligned leading edges on a hinged and vertically movable table 19 includes a withdrawable stacking rake 21 and a cooperable, vertically movable clamping plate 20. The rake and plate comprise a plurality of laterlly spaced, longitudinally oriented prongs 38 and rods 37, respectively, which are relatively staggered such that they may be partially interleaved during operation to clamp a piece of fabric therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding individual substrates from the top of a stack upon demand includes an air nozzle that directs air along the bottom surface of an airfoil located above the front end of the stack. The combined effect of air pressure from the nozzle and the shape of the airfoil serves to lift the leading edge of the top sheet in the stack above a restraining member. A paddle wheel drives the separated sheet away from the stack.

Abstract: A copier capable of producing simplex and duplex copies includes a tri-roll inverter that employs a corrugating roll on roll return force applicator located downstream from the tri-roll input/output members. A sheet coming into the inverter is driven by a pair of the tri-rolls into a nip formed between corrugating rings mounted on the dual rolls of the return force applicator. One of the rolls has a minimal friction force and rotates continuously in the opposite direction to the incoming sheet. When the last portion of the sheet is driven into the corrugation nip, the friction force of the nip will cause the sheet to buckle into an output nip of the tri-roll members for outward movement.

Abstract: A collector and discharge mechanism permits a continuous flow of sheet material into a stacker station while predetermined size batches are removed from the growing stack and discharged for processing and cartoning.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for producing and dispensing place mats from a roll of sheet material including curved guide member cooperating with said apparatus to receive said place mats and to curl upwardly the side edge portions thereof permitting said place mat to extend outwardly from said apparatus in cantilever fashion to facilitate handling of said place mat as by positioning it on a tray or the like. When the place mat is removed, the apparatus automatically produces another one extending out of the apparatus for easy handling.

Abstract: A flexible sheet handling apparatus having particular application to the handling of documents in a copy machine is disclosed. The sheet handling apparatus includes a curved drive surface, a drive for driving the surface, and a curved reaction surface which defines a curved sheet path extending along the drive surface, the reaction surface being out of contact with the drive surface.

Abstract: Paper sheets are advanced seriatim between high speed upper and lower conveyor belts across a gap onto a slower speed multi-belt conveyor with which the upper high speed belts cooperate to form a sheet controlling tunnel. Static eliminating and sheet knock-down air is directed through the upper high speed belts and into the sheets traversing the gap. Advance of the sheets across the gap is facilitated by impermanent wave-like longitudinal stiffening rib deflection of the sheets where they leave the high speed conveyor belts. After each sheet has been fully received on the slow speed conveyor, its high speed travel is stopped by stop roll means to assure overlap of a succeeding sheet thereon. The stop roll means cooperate with the slower speed conveyor belts to effect impermanent wave-like longitudinal jam preventing stiffening rib deflection of the sheets.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheet material into a granulator and particularly scrap plastic sheet material of the type wherein a plurality of such sheets are normally twisted together to form a composite rope which is fed between opposed feed rolls and subsequently into a granulation chamber. The present feed device includes a pair of cooperating rolls, each of which is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced, radially inwardly extending grooves. The grooves of each roll are adapted to mesh or interdigitate with a resultantly formed ridge on the opposing roll such that the sheet material fed therebetween is forced into a sinuous cross sectional configuration and subjected to differing roll surface velocities. Both of the above-described conditions imparted to the sheet material are believed to contribute to trouble free positive feeding especially when feeding individual, i.e. single sheet material thicknesses.

Abstract: Sheet material is taken from a supply, moved along its length to a cutting station, an edge thereof is hemmed as it moves toward the cutting station, the sheet material is cut into segments, and the cut segments are moved parallel to their cut edges, the cut edges are hemmed, and the segments are folded. At the cutting station the leading portion of the sheet material is gripped and pulled from the entrance to the cutting station to the other side thereof, a slack bar is moved downwardly into the segment of sheet material in the cutting station to form slack in the segment, the sheet material is clamped adjacent the entrance to the cutting station and the segment in the cutting station is clamped against parallel conveyor tapes. A cutting disc is drawn across the sheet material at the entrance to the cutting station, and the parallel conveyor tapes move the sheet parallel to its cut edges to a hemming station where the edges are folded and hemmed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for transporting documents in first and second adjacent parallel transport paths in aligned rows of two documents transverse to the paths and for arranging the documents into a single stack of documents wherein the two adjacent documents of each row in the transport paths are stacked one on top of another so that the document from the first path is below the adjacent document from the second path.

Abstract: A sheet inverter which accommodates the reversal of motion of sheets of different sizes within a curved fixed length inversion chute having a variable buckle control provided by highly flexible and low force spring members chordally intersecting the inverter chute which provide assistance in positively feeding the sheet back out of the chute, after it has been positively buckled therein against the chute end, but allows the undisturbed formation of buckles of various dimensions within the chute depending on the size of the sheet.

Abstract: Demountable, modular, apparatus permitting item/documents, such for example as checks, to be stacked at high speed on opposite sides of a linear main-line item feed-through pathway. Indicators are included for indicating in which direction, forward, right or left of the main-line pathway an item diverting gate is directed and item position sensing devices are located within and adjacent to the diverting gates. Each demountable module, if more than one is employed, is provided with right and left columnators including concentric roller members disposed between a resilient drive roller. Idler rollers are demountably, replaceably secured adjacent respective drive rollers by resilient flat spring members for ease and efficiency of replacement, repair and/or removal. Each diverting gate includes an LED and phototransistor combination for sensing the passage therethrough of an item.

Abstract: A transfer sheet guiding device for guiding a transfer sheet along a predetermined path. The device includes a separating member for separating one lateral side of a transfer sheet from an image carrying member, a rotary body, located adjacent the one lateral side for gripping the separated side of the transfer sheet and guiding it away from the image carrying member, a guide member having a stepped portion which extends across the transport path of the transfer sheet, the position of stepped portion being disposed progressively further downstream in the advancing direction of the transfer sheet from the side where the rotary body is provided to the opposite side, and a rotary member which extends along the rotary body and guide member at the one lateral side for gripping the separated side of the transfer sheet and guiding it downwardly at least along the stepped portion in cooperation with the rotary body and guide member.

Abstract: A sheet reversing mechanism having drive rolls independently activated for driving sheets into and out of a sheet reversing station at different rates. A first shaft supports a drive roll engaging an idler roll supported on a second shaft and a drive roll supported on the second shaft engages an idler roll supported on a third shaft. The diameters of the idler roll and the drive roll on the second shaft are different providing corrugations in sheets driven out of the reversing station.

Abstract: A device for transferring a sheet from one station to a second station in a sheet processing device with the device including at least one lower conveyor and at least one upper conveyor arranged to discharge a sheet from a first station onto a third conveyor at the second station characterized by means disposed adjacent the lower conveyor to bend the sheet traveling between the upper and lower conveyor transverse to the direction of movement of the sheet, means for guiding the sheet as it is being discharged from the upper and lower conveyors onto the third conveyor and means for ensuring the depositing of the sheet onto the third conveyor as it is discharged from the upper and lower conveyor.