Abstract: A device for the temporary guidance of successively transported sheets along a guiding surface defined by opposite side edges of a sheet, includes a sheet guiding element revolving in a given direction during operation. The guiding element has a groove oriented at least substantially in the given direction and the guiding element has at least one suction opening formed therein. The at least one suction opening has an aperture cross section in the groove to be temporarily covered by a sheet, and the at least one suction opening is subjected to a periodic underpressure exerting a suction effect on a sheet. Such a device exhibits good guiding characteristics at high sheet speeds.

Abstract: Device for conveying a stream of sheets to a sheet-processing machine having a conveyor table with endless transport tapes formed with through-holes and drivable around the conveyor table, and a suction box arranged below the conveyor table and connected with an underside of the transport tapes via suction openings formed in the feed table includes three suction chambers formed in the suction box and extending in succession in a sheet transport direction, the suction chambers including a first suction chamber subjectible to underpressure by a first vacuum source, a third suction chamber facing towards the sheet-processing machine, and a second and middle suction chamber subjectible in common with the third suction chamber to underpressure by a second vacuum source.

Abstract: A paper guide apparatus for a sheet-fed offset printing press includes a conveying unit, a gripper unit, a paper guide member, and an inspection unit. The conveying unit conveys a printed sheet delivered from a printing unit. The gripper unit is supported by the conveying unit for gripping one end of the sheet. The gripper unit has a plurality of sets of grippers and gripper pads. The paper guide unit is arranged along a sheet conveying route to guide the sheet which is being conveyed with a guide surface arranged to be substantially flush with the gripper pads. The paper guide member has a plurality of suction holes for drawing the sheet on the guide surface by suction and a plurality of grooves formed on traveling routes of the grippers. The inspection unit inspects a printed state of the sheet which is conveyed while being drawn on the guide surface of the paper guide unit by suction.

Abstract: A conveyor system wherein individual sheets are conveyed from a cutter at a given speed, are increased in speed before passing through a vacuum conveyor shingling section, are slowed down at the shingling section, and then normally proceed at a slowed down speed to the stacker which is adapted to stack a fixed number of sheets before discharging a stack. The sheets are basically handled in accordance with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,276. The vacuum shingler of the invention includes a slow-down device, such as a smoothing wheel or spring fingers, positioned above the vacuum conveyor section to nip the leading edge of the individual sheets before they contact the vacuum conveyor. The slow-down device acts to reduce the tendency of lightweight paperboard sheets to fold transversely or buckle across their width.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device comprises a document table on which documents are placed; a vacuum separating/feeding means for feeding the set documents placed on the document table; a set document stopper for positioning the front ends of the documents placed on the document table; and a discharged document stopper for restraining the movement of the document discharged onto the set documents after being fed by the vacuum feeding means and subjected to image processing. A first opening and a second opening are provided in the document table. The vacuum separating/feeding means is disposed below the first opening. A feed drum connected to the vacuum chamber of the vacuum separating/feeding means via an opening/closing means is disposed below the second opening.

Abstract: A vacuum hold down conveyor system employing a vacuum table with a plurality of suction grooves and relief grooves extending parallel to a direction of travel. A vacuum generator is fluidly connected to the suction grooves to create a sub-ambient pressure in the suction grooves. A belt is translatable relative to the vacuum table to simultaneously occlude the suction and the relief grooves. The relief grooves are exposed to a pressure greater than the suction grooves to thereby reduce the net downward force on the belt as it translates across the vacuum table.

Abstract: A substrate transport assembly having an air mover that moves air through an air housing such that a substrate is biased against a drive member. The substrate assembly further includes an air plenum that receives moving air and directs that air along a predetermined path. The air plenum expands when air is moving but is otherwise collapsed.

Abstract: A suction feeder can feed photosensitive material sheets of different sizes with the suction force applied thereto kept substantially constant. The suction feeder has a motor-driven endless suction belt having numerous suction holes formed uniformly over the entire area thereof. A suction box is provided under the carrier side of the suction belt and has a belt supporting plate formed with suction holes. A motor-driven blower is connected to the suction box. The suction pressure applied to the suction holes of the suction belt through the suction holes in the belt supporting plate is reduced by reducing the revolving speed of the blower-driving motor with an increase in the size of the photosensitive material sheet fed onto the carrier side of the suction belt. It is thus possible to apply substantially constant suction force to photosensitive material sheets of different sizes.

Abstract: Device for adapting negative pressure in a suction belt feed or supply table of a sheet feeder to operating conditions which vary during sheet conveyance, having at least one endless, revolvingly driven conveyor belt provided with suction openings, and a side alignment device for laterally aligning a respectively foremost sheet of a shingled or overlapping sheet stream, and at least one suction box disposed below a conveying plane, the suction box, in a sheet feeding direction, being subdivided into a plurality of chambers subjectible to negative pressure independently of one another, includes a conveyor belt, a plurality of suction chambers disposed in the conveying plane below the conveyor belt, a common suction union and a swivelable shutoff element for selectively connecting the suction chambers to the suction union.

Abstract: A vacuum-type transport device, used in cardboard printing units, comprising: a support structure; a suction hood; a vacuum fan; a plurality of plates on the lower surface of the suction hood; a first and a second plurality of belt-type conveyor means, with a pressure cylinder between them, that protrude from windows obtained in the lower surface of the suction hood; and motoring means for the device. The pressure cylinder is located next to the printing cylinder and the sheets of material to be printed pass between these cylinders and are dragged away by the belt-type conveyor means.

Abstract: A sheet stacking and registration system particularly suited for high speed sequentially stacking of the flimsy printed sheets output of a high speed reproduction apparatus in a sheet stacking area, with a stacking registration position; with a vacuum belt sheet transport system acquiring only a limited lead edge area of the sheets and transporting them over the stacking area with non-slip sheet feeding towards the registration position; and an integral system peeling the lead edges of the sheets off of the vacuum transport and guiding them downwardly and towards the lead edge registration position while reducing but partially maintaining the sheet's vacuum acquisition, and applying a normal force, preferably with a roller pressing down the lead edges of the peeled off sheet against the previously stacked sheets adjacent the registration position, to frictionally slow the sheet as it approaches the registration position, and also holding down the sheet after it reaches the stacking position.

Abstract: A strip conveyor and stacker receives cut elongated flexible strips from a strip former and by conveying and stacking the strips produces a stack of strips such as a cellular panel for a window covering. The conveyor receives the strips from the strip former and includes a foraminous conveyor belt which holds the strips on the surface thereof by suction. At the stacker, the strips are discharged from the conveyor belt by applying a burst of pressurized air, thereby ejecting the strips into a stacker magazine. As the strips are stacked, the magazine is indexed to increase its depth, or a cellular structure formed by the stacked strips is withdrawn from the body of the magazine. An auxiliary magazine may be used to form a preliminary stack of soft, flexible strips prior to stacking in the magazine. A strip defect sensor scans each strip and causes the ejection of defective strips from the apparatus.

Abstract: A paperboard processing machine is disclosed for printing and otherwise processing sheets of paperboard, such as corrugated container blanks, and in which the sheets are conveyed from one section of the machine to another section by one or more vacuum transfer systems. Each vacuum transfer system comprises an enclosure which is closed by a closure plate for creating a subatmospheric pressure, which pressure forces the sheets into frictional engagement with the reaches of a plurality of conveyor belts whereby the sheets are transported without contact of the opposite side of the sheet not contacted by the conveyor reach.

Abstract: Individual sheets are singled out in a delivery of a sheet-fed rotary printing press. The delivery has a chain delivery with gripper bars extending transversely to the sheet-transport direction. The gripper bars are disposed on revolvingly driven transport chains and carry spaced apart sheet grippers disposed side by side. The sheet grippers grip the leading edges of the sheets and slave them to a main sheet pile. The gripper release is subject to an adjustable control for delayed sheet release, so that selected sheets may be transported beyond the main sheet pile. Revolvingly drivable suction tapes suction-grip the sheets which are released by the grippers with the delay, and they transport those sheets in the transport direction across and beyond the main sheet pile and onto a single sheet depository. The sheet depository is movably disposed in or on the printing-press frame. The suction tapes have upper suction surfaces at a raised position which extend between the sheet grippers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for feeding a stream of underlap-imbricated sheet-like printing substrates to printing machine, the apparatus comprising a conveying table for conveying the stream in a conveying direction toward the printing, a source of compressed air, and at least one blowing device coupled to the source of compressed air, the blowing device being disposed in a region of the conveying table adjacent to printing machine, and including at least one opening disposed to direct compressed air beneath the imbricated stream in a direction opposite to the conveying direction.

Abstract: A device for stream feeding of sheet onto a stack including first and second conveyors spaced apart along a conveying path of the sheets, a deflector mounted between the conveyors and a braking system reducing a transport speed of the sheets and providing loading the sheets onto a stack.

Abstract: A prefuser vacuum transport apparatus that increases the latitude of sheet acquisition includes at least one perforated belt entrained around a vacuum plenum to provide a limited drive force on sheets being driven by the vacuum transport apparatus. The vacuum plenum includes a vacuum port surface having a profile that is contoured to follow the profile of the stiffest sheet to be transported with the maximum specified curl. The belt follows the port surface contour.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism for transferring a limp workpiece from a first conveyor traveling at a first speed to a second conveyor traveling at a second speed different from the first speed or running at the same speed, includes a sensor for initially sensing a leading edge of the workpiece and a controller for controlling inhibiting of the workpiece a predetermined time after detecting the leading edge of the workpiece. Further, the transfer mechanism includes a suction device for supplying air flow to create a pressure differential and transfer the sensed leading edge of the workpiece from the first conveyor to a transfer mechanism, with the transfer mechanism traveling at the second speed. The transfer mechanism thereafter conveys at least the leading edge of the limp workpiece to the second conveyer and clamps the leading edge of the limp workpiece between both the transfer mechanism and the second conveyor.

Abstract: A paperboard processing machine is disclosed for printing and otherwise processing sheets of paperboard, such as corrugated container blanks, and in which the sheets are conveyed from one section of the machine to another section by one or more vacuum transfer systems. Each vacuum transfer system comprises an enclosure which is closed by a closure plate for creating a subatmospheric pressure, which pressure forces the sheets into frictional engagement with the reaches of a plurality of conveyor belts whereby the sheets are transported without contact of the opposite side of the sheet not contacted by the conveyor reach. In one embodiment the closure plate is imperforate, while in the second embodiment the closure plate is provided with a limited number of apertures for providing a secondary flow of air upwardly against the bottom surfaces of the paperboard sheets.

Abstract: A limited drive force prefuser vacuum transport apparatus includes at least two sets of belts entrained around a vacuum plenum to provide a limited drive force on sheets being driven by the vacuum transport apparatus. One set of the belts is deliberately driven at a lower speed than the other of the at least two sets of belts in order to maintain the ability of limited slip of sheets on the vacuum belt transport, thus accommodating speed variations among components of a copier/printer including a photoreceptor, paper transport and fuser.

Abstract: Device for conveying a continuous shingled or overlapping sheet or copy stream to a rotary printing press, with a conveying table, at least one endless, revolvingly drivable conveyor belt surrounding the conveying table, and at least one suction box disposed beneath the conveying table and being connected through suction openings with the underside of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being formed with through-perforated suction holes, the suction box being formed with at least two suction chambers subjectible to negative pressure or vacuum independently of one another, includes a base member forming a suction box, profiled guide sections accommodated in the base member, suction ducts formed between edges of the profiled guide sections and boundaries of the base member, the edges forming a seal, and the suction ducts extending in different planes in the base member.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting sheets seriatim along a travel path from a first station to a downstream second station. The sheet transport apparatus comprises a housing in juxtaposition with the sheet travel path. A first transport assembly and a second transport assembly are respectively mounted within the housing. The second transport assembly is mounted in the housing, downstream in the direction of sheet transport, of the first transport assembly, for articulation relative to the first transport assembly, and so as to extend into operative relation with said sheet travel path for transporting a sheet respectively along a first portion of the sheet travel path and a second portion of the sheet travel path at an angle to the first portion.

Abstract: Plates, leaves, foils or similar sheet material is led to a stack by a belt transporter, wherein a negative pressure holds the sheet to the moving belt. The source of negative pressure, such as a vacuum chamber, is continuously applied to the transport belt, but the negative pressure between the belt and the sheet is passively interrupted by the sheet itself, as the sheet is transported beyond a predetermined position. Once established, the predetermined position results in the sheets being deposited consistently on the stack.

Abstract: A depositing apparatus for depositing a piece of laundry including an endless conveyer belt upon which the laundry is spread and stretched. The conveyer belt can supply the deposited laundry to an apparatus placed downstream of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt comprises a number of air passage openings, and a suction which is positioned below the upper surface of the conveyor belt. The suction sucks in air through the upper surface of the conveyor belt in order to suck the piece of laundry against the conveyor belt. The suction comprises at least one chamber-like space having an open upper side and a discharge side. At least two facing sides of the chamber-like space define a venturi.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing a sheet from a moving imaging member having an unfused image after transfer of the image to the sheet. After the image is transferred to the sheet, the sheet is advanced by a transport to a fuser. The transport has low impedance, high air flow to draw the sheet toward the transport for acquisition. As the sheet is moved across the transport, an increased air flow impedance causes a low vacuum pressure in the transport to provide a low drive force that minimizes quality and motion disturbances on the sheet. The low drive force exerted on the sleet is lower than a holding force of the sheet to the moving imaging member thus causing the sheet to slide on the transport.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing a copy sheet includes a moving imaging member having an unfused toner image. The copy sheet is in contact with the moving imaging member to transfer the toner image from the imaging member to the copy sheet. The copy sheet is then engaged by a moving sheet transport. A vacuum draws the copy sheet toward the sheet transport while a pressure sensor detects the vacuum pressure in the transport to control the air flow through the transport so as to maintain a low and constant drive force in response to the level of vacuum sensed by the sensor. The low drive force exerted on the sheet is lower than a holding force of the sheet to the moving imaging member thus causing the sheet to slide on the transport.

Abstract: An inverter for turning a sheet over and reversing the lead and trail edges of the sheet includes a disc stacker that works in conjunction with a vacuum transport. A sheet transported from a source is captured lead edge first by fingers or in a slot of the disc stacker which is rotating in a first direction. A vacuum transport is positioned adjacent the disc stacker and draws the sheet away from the disc stacker at a predetermined point and transports the sheet in a second direction opposite to the first direction trail edge first for further processing.

Abstract: A paper transport is formed by a plurality of substantially identical conveyor modules which are arranged end-to-end and separated by gaps selected as a function of active devices which are to be installed along the paper path defined by the transport. The conveyor modules each include plural conveyor belts and documents are held against the belts for transport there through the creation of a small pressure differential thereacross, the pressure differential resulting from establishing a large volume air flow through the conveyor modules, the same air flow being employed for cooling the electronic components of the active devices associated with the transport.

Abstract: A belt conveyor is provided to feed veneers in the arrow-marked direction in the drawing. A porous transfer belt having numerous of air holes therein is stretched around so as to run above said belt conveyor. Inside the porous transfer belt, a suction hood which has a plurality of small air passages formed in the running direction of the porous conveyor belt is installed to rotatably accommodate a damper further therewithin. The damper makes intermittent rotations to open or close the sucking section such that only a desired veneer is selectively sucked for sort-out transfer with the result that the need for piercing the veneer or defining in advance a gap between each adjacent two veneers is eliminated. Therefore, it is now possible to perform high speed sort-out operations without subjecting the veneer to damage or breakage resulting from tensile strength exerted thereon at the time of defining the gap.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for interleaving a carrier sheet with sliced food products, such as bacon strips, has a supply conveyor for continuously conveying products with spacings that may be random or non-uniform, a delivery section to a drop-off point, a detector for detecting the position of each product from the drop-off point, a sheet supply source, an indexing conveyor for moving the carrier sheet to receive products at the drop-off point in timed relation to arrival of the products, a counter for counting down the arrival of each product to the drop-off point, and a programmable controller for controlling the advance of the carrier sheet to the drop-off point and incrementally thereafter to receive successive products in timed relation thereon. The preferred embodiment draws and cuts each carrier sheet from a supply paper roll. The indexing conveyor has a perforated belt and holds the carrier sheet on the belt by vacuum pressure. Multiple interleaver lines can be set up in side to side relation.

Abstract: Device for conveying sheets from a printing press to a sheet pile includes revolving endless conveyor members looped about at least two rotating members having respective horizontal axes of rotation disposed parallel to one another, one of the rotating members being disposed at a location remote from the printing press, mechanical grippers carried by the endless conveyor members for gripping only respective leading edges of sheets, the endless conveyor members having respective upper sides moving along a conveying path in a given conveying direction for carrying thereon sheets conveyable away from the printing press, revolving endless guiding members disposed over part of the conveying path along and adjacent the upper side of the endless conveyor members and along a part of the endless conveyor members looped about the one of the rotating members disposed at the location of the endless conveyor members remote from the printing press, and pneumatic equipment disposed along the endless guiding members for exer

Abstract: A vacuum conveyor system for transporting sheets between two process stations in an image producing apparatus, such as copiers and printers. The system includes a plurality of interleaved belts which extend between the process stations and around rollers to convey the sheet without image disruption or sheet damage between the processing stations.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a vacuum and belt document handling system comprises first structure for transporting individual documents along a document path in a first direction, second structure downstream from the first structure for transporting the individual documents in a second direction along the document path, and a vacuum drum having a peripheral section located between the first and second structure. The vacuum drum includes a plurality of non-rotating sections having stationary vacuum ports at the peripheral section and further includes a plurality of pulleys, each of which support an upper reach of an endless belt at the peripheral section of the vacuum drum between the first and second structure. The system further comprises a plenum shaft to which the non-rotating section of the vacuum drum is fixedly secured and the pulleys are rotatably secured. The plenum shaft is connected to a vacuum source and the stationary vacuum ports are connected to holes in the plenum shaft.

Abstract: A conveyor device for sheets of wrapping material, whereby the sheets are transferred, from a first conveyor to a second conveyor forming an angle of other than zero, by a conveyor designed to swing between a forward position wherein the sheets are removed off the first conveyor, and a withdrawn position wherein the sheets are transferred to the second conveyor.

Abstract: The instant invention provides a method for reliably separating a selected sheet from a spaced array of sheets transported on a conveyor. The invention continuously maintains vacuum on the conveyors, and uses selectively activated jets directed at the underside of the sheets to divert them for separating. The invention positively controls the destination of discrete, flexible sheets, such as photographic film, by continuously engaging the sheets with another conveyor during separating, sorting, shuffling or the like, as they travel in an array along a conveyor. Positive control of the sheets permits reliable, high speed separating of lightweight, flexible sheets.

Abstract: In handling machines, in particular punching machines, operating in discrete steps, for sheets of paper or similar objects, a warping, waving or wrinkling of the sheets occurs during the deceleration movements of the sheets ahead of the delivery station. These deformations are smoothed by the hold-down device according to the invention, which consists of a circulating perforated endless belt, to which an underpressure is applied from below. There is also synchronization between the feed movement of the sheets and the movement of the endless belt.

Abstract: A device for applying adhesive bands to packets, whereby an annular conveyor feeds the bands along a path having a first portion extending along a portion of the path along which the packets are supplied, a second portion extending between the output of the first portion and a loading station where the bands are loaded on to the conveyor, and a third portion extending between the loading station and the input of the first portion and past a gumming device; the conveyor being a suction conveyor having at least a first suction chamber wherein a selective vacuum is formed and extending along the first and second portions of the path along which the bands are fed, and a second suction chamber wherein a constant vacuum is maintained and extending along the third portion of the path along which the bands are fed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting the suction pressure drawn through a conveyor belt which conveys a stream of underlapping sheets to an alignment station where sheets are aligned prior to being fed to a sheet-processing machine. A source of high pressure is coupled to a low pressure suction chamber adjacent the alignment station when the final sheet in the stream reaches the alignment end. The high pressure source rapidly equalizes the pressure with the chamber, thus enabling easy lateral alignment of the final sheet in the stream which has no following underlapping sheets to otherwise block the suction pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for repeatedly feeding a pile of sheets to a copy section, including a feeding device to feed a sheet from the top of the pile of sheets to the copy section; a returning device to return a sheet from the copy section to the pile of sheets; and a inserting device to insert a sheet under the bottom of the pile of sheets stacked on the sheet stand.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor table for delivering sheets from a printing press has upper and lower portions. The lower portion is secured adjacent a delivery unit of the printing press and the upper portion is releasably attached to the lower portion through a swivel joint and catch coupling. An endless conveyor belt is trained about a pair of guide rollers and a tensioning roller on the upper portion for continuous movement imparted by the rotational force of a drive wheel mounted on the lower portion of the table. A guide plate extends substantially parallel and closely adjacent the conveyor path for guiding sheet materials during transfer. A wedge-shaped suction aperture in the guide plate is adapted for communication with a vacuum source, thereby creating a downwardly directed suction force for braking and guiding the sheet materials during transfer.

Abstract: A device for conveying and piling flat workpieces includes a conveyor comprising side-by-side endless belts with a vacuum chamber for each belt, which vacuum chambers are interconnected to a common source of vacuum and which chambers are separated by ducts which are in communication with either atmospheric air or pressurized air and contain ejector levers acting on an elongated flexible element to eject a sheet from the belts and to break the suction from the vacuum chambers on the sheet by uncovering openings in the ducts to supply air at atmospheric pressure or pressurized air to each of the vacuum chambers. The conveyor places the sheet in a piling store, which can then be removed as a batch of a certain number of sheets.

Abstract: A media transport mechanism including a high accuracy vacuum belt used in conjunction with a pinch roller assembly. The media transport mechanism includes a vacuum belt supportably wrapped around two sprocket assemblies and a plenum and disposed in facing relation to a print head. The vacuum belt has two pinch roller assemblies disposed in spaced-apart relation across the front surface of the vacuum belt, with each pinch roller assembly including two pinch rollers which, in conjunction with the vacuum belt, grip and advance a sheet of media across the front surface of the vacuum belt during printing. The plenum provides a vacuum hold-down force for holding the media flat against the front surface of the vacuum belt.

Abstract: A conveying device for transporting strip portions to be cut by a cutting device from a material strip in transverse direction of the material strip, which strip portions are then laid overlapping in the manner of roof-tiles onto a stacker, comprising:i) a first conveyor disposed adjacent the cutting device which transports the material strip for cutting and the cut strip portions at a first conveying speed V.sub.1 which is substantially equal to the supply speed V.sub.0 of the material strip; andii) a second conveyor preceding the stacker which transports the cut strip portions at a second conveying speed V.sub.2 which is greater than the first conveying speed V.sub.1and to a method for conveying strip portions cut from a material strip in transverse direction of the material strip, which strip portions are laid overlapping in the manner of roof-tiles on a stacker, comprising the steps of:i) conveying with a first conveyor the material strip for cutting and the cut strip portion at a first conveying speed V.

Abstract: Apparatus for overlapping and depositing sheets cut by a crosscutter from a web of material, including a conveying device disposed immediately downstream from the crosscutter in a conveying direction of the sheets for conveying the sheets at a conveying speed along a conveying path and for further guidance thereof to floating strips extending over a sheet-pile stacking location, a combined conveying and braking device disposed immediately upstream of the stacking location and including a camshaft disposed above the conveying path of the sheets, the camshaft carrying conveying and braking cams and being rotatable in synchronism with the crosscutter, slide elements and brake elements disposed one after the other along a circle of rotation of the cams below the sheet conveying path and at a distance from one another corresponding to the length of the cams, a device for rotating the cams at the sheet conveying speed, a device for rotating the brake elements at a braking speed, the cams having a constant radius an

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying sheets having various widths. The apparatus includes a hollow drum having a plurality of holes disposed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, a suction device for sucking air through the plurality of holes toward an interior of the drum, and a plurality of conveying belts wound on the hollow drum and adapted to be conveyed around the drum and in sliding contact therewith. The conveying belts are spaced apart from one another in the widthwise direction of the sheets so as to define gaps therebetween. Additionally, a plurality of spaced apart pressing belts are alternatingly disposed with respect to the conveying belts such that the pressing belts oppose the gaps between. In this manner, the widthwise ends of the sheets are contacted by the inside edges of a pair of conveying belts so as to convey the sheets in the proper direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying/sorting system which sorts sheets being successively conveyed by a target number of sheets, that is, by a package units. The sheet conveying/sorting system includes a downstream conveyor, an upstream conveyor, sucking conveyor and controller. In the sheet conveying/sorting system, in accordance with a signal output from the control, the successively conveyed sheets are separated from each other and, after separation, the respective parts of the system are returned to their original positions. By repeating these steps sequentially and sucessively, the sheets can be sorted by the package units.

Abstract: A first conveyor is adjoined downstream, as viewed in a predetermined conveying direction for an imbricated product stream, by a gap-forming device. A gap is formed in the imbricated product stream by means of the gap-forming device which feeds the imbricated product stream to a second conveyor. The gap-forming device comprises a belt conveyor provided with two laterally spaced transport belts, as well as an accelerating conveyor arranged between the two transport belts. A conveyor belt of the accelerating conveyor comprises passages which are distributed over approximately one half of its length. At the region of the conveying-active path of the conveyor belt, the passages are in connection with a suction trough. In order to form a gap in the imbricated product stream, the conveyor belt is driven at a higher speed than the belt conveyor, and the suction trough is connected to a negative pressure source.

Abstract: A conveying cable for conveying sheets includes a suction chamber with a supporting surface defining a shallow groove having a plurality of suction openings therein over which a perforated suction belt moves. A plurality of vent openings separately communicating with atmosphere are disposed adjacent the belt edges to prevent the sheets from being sucked against the table surface. The perforations in the suction belt preferably take the form of staggered slots which leave imperforate zones free along the center and adjacent the edges of the belt to help reduce undesirable belt stretching and the suction openings in the supporting surface increase in size adjacent the delivery end of the table.

Abstract: Accordingly, an apparatus has been provided for printing identifying indicia on a work product. The apparatus includes a print mechanism and a transport for imparting relative motion between the work product and the print mechanism. The work product and the print mechanism are positioned in close proximity to one another. A control is provided for causing the print mechanism to print predetermined identifying information on the work product when the work product and the print mechanism reach a desired location as they move with respect to each other. In the preferred embodiment the print mechanism has a fixed print electrode with a moving resistive ribbon associated therewith. A track is provided for supporting the work product on air bearings. A moving vacuum belt moves the work product along the track and thereby moves the work product with respect to both the print electrode and the ribbon.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus uses spaced, serially arranged suction chambers to provide suction to overrunning conveying belts. The belts are divergent with respect to each other in the direction of sheet transport to effect a lateral stretching of the conveyed sheets. The conveying belts are slidably supported on an upper surface of the conveying table and may have their speeds individually varied.