Abstract: A method and apparatus for feeding sheet shaped blanks to an article. The blanks are extracted from a magazine by a blank conveyor at a first point, and, occasionally, more than one blank is erroneously extracted. To ensure that only one blank is conveyed to the article, all but one blank are removed at a second point. In the preferred embodiment, the blank or blanks is or are in such a fashion so as to permit a suction conveyor belt to detach all but one blank from the blank conveyor. Once detached, the erroneously extracted blanks are removed via air suction, and the remaining blank is conveyed to the article at a third point.

Abstract: A stacking and feeding device of document-handling equipment for documents moving along one of their edges, includes a transporting conveyor belt system that forces the documents against a stop where they begin to stack up in the horizontal direction in the order in which they arrive. A feeder rides on the outermost document of the stack and slides along guide shafts as the size of the stack changes. The feeder is selectively actuated to remove the documents from the stack one at a time in the order in which they entered the stack. A swing arm is pivotally and extensibly connected between the feeder and the following stationary part of the equipment so that the documents can be delivered thereto, regardless of the position of the feeder.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking paperboard blanks including a timed conveyor utilizing vacuum pressure to hold the blanks by their leading edges beneath the conveyor and serially advance them against a backstop whereupon they are released by the vacuum to settle upon an elevator which lowers incrementally as a stack of blanks is formed thereon. When the stack is completed, interrupter tines move over the stack and under the conveyor to store oncoming blanks while the stack is discharged from the elevator after which is rises. As the tines withdraw, the stored blanks settle on the elevator and subsequent blanks form another stack. A counter is used to energize operation of the tines to form stacks of a predetermined number of blanks on the elevator. An inclined conveyor utilizing vacuum belts is used to feed the blanks into engagement with the timed conveyor.

Abstract: A spreading conveyor comprising an endless air-permeable laterally stretchable spreading band, endless air-permeable supporting band means within the path of the spreading band, and a suction box within the loop of the suction band and having a perforated wall in contact with the inner side of the supporting band means along a portion of its path. This arrangement allows a reduction in the wear and deformation of the spreading band, and can operate at higher speeds than common spreading bands that operate without suction means.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a rotatable hollow sheet transport drum with a plurality of openings extending therethrough, a vacuum supply for supplying a partial vacuum to the interior of the drum, a drive for rotating the drum, and a stationary deflection plate disposed adjacent the outer drum surface. A vacuum shield is mounted within the drum and is movable from a first position, remote from the inner wall of the drum, to a second position, adjacent the wall. The shield, when in its second position, prevents the partial vacuum from being applied to the leading portion of a sheet on the drum so as to permit the leading edge of the sheet to deflect outwardly from the drum and strike the deflection plate.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus for making plastic material bags from an intermittently advanced, flattened tubular film web comprising retaining means which in the direction of advance of the tubular film web succeed transverse cutting means and serve to retain adjacent to its open end rim the last bag which has been severed from the tubular film web. To provide such apparatus which is structurally simple and can be used to make imperforate bags, the retaining means consist of a suction box (32), which adjacent to the transport plane is provided with suction holes arranged in two rows (33, 34), which extend transversely to the direction of travel and have a spacing which is approximately as large as the pitch of the shingled groups of bags. A pressure roller (35) which is adapted to be raised and lowered is adapted to be lowered onto the last bag which has been deposited and cooperates with a backpressure roller (37), which is disposed under the upper course of the conveyor belt (5).

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively transferring cigarettes, uniting bands or other discrete articles from a first onto a second conveyor has a first suction generating device which communicates with suction ports in the periphery of the cylindrical rotor of the first conveyor while such ports advance along a first portion of a first endless path, and a discrete second suction generating device which can be activated to draw air from the ports in a second portion of the first path adjacent to a portion of a second endless path defined by the second conveyor. When the second suction generating device is activated, the articles which reach the second portion of the first path are not transferred onto the second conveyor. The second suction generating device can constitute an injector which can be activated or deactivated by a valve within a few milliseconds.

Abstract: A recirculating document handler having a document restack transport. The transport includes a series of spaced vacuum assisted drive belts for transporting successive documents to a position above a document stacking tray. A sensor is used to note the passage of a document lead edge past an input to the restack transport. After a delay which allows the document to be driven to the position above the stacking tray the document is separated from the drive belts by a knockdown bail and a reduction in the vacuum attraction between the document and the drive belts. The bail comprises a series of rods supported in locations between the drive belts which pivot into contact with the document and drive it into the stacking tray. The rods contact the document near its trailing edge to force the trail edge to the stacking tray.

Abstract: A combined sheet iverter and sorter comprises a plurality of bins B, a gate D associated with each bin which permits a sheet S to travel direction into the bin B, and a reversible conveyor 102 for advancing sheets past the bin openings and reversing the sheets into the bins B. The conveyor 102 is controlled so that each sheet is reversed when its trail edge is located between a pair of adjacent gates whereby the sheets S may be guided into selected bins B in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus includes a photosensitive surface capable of retaining an electrostatic latent image for at least two cycles of the surface so a first copy of an original can be made upon scanning the original and the latent image can be recycled to produce a second copy of the same original during the return of the scanning mechanism. The apparatus includes an improved mechanism for driving the scanning mechanism, as well as improved developing and transfer stations.

Abstract: A vacuum document feeder which transports a document page in juxtaposition to an illumination platen of a reproduction apparatus where such page is illuminated for copying. The feeder includes a vacuum plenum having a reflective wall formed with a plurality of spaced ports overlying the exposure platen. A ported transport belt is moved in contact with the plenum wall to feed a document page to the platen for copying. The moving belt is positioned on the plenum wall so that the belt ports are maintained in spaced relation to the wall ports. Further, the wall ports and the belt ports are fluidically inter-connected so that vacuum within the plenum is effective to tack a document page to the moving belt for movement to the exposure platen. This structural arrangement prevents light trapping by the wall ports during illumination of such document page.

Abstract: The invention relates to conveyor apparatus comprising substantially parallel conveyor belts, and seeks to provide such apparatus with means for reliably holding pieces of material fed seriatim to the apparatus on the conveyor belts. According to the invention, the belts (6) extend over a casing (10) which is formed with openings (12) forming elongate slits extending between the belts (6). In use, the negative pressure is created in the casing (10), and suction holds the pieces of material to the belts. The openings may be selectively closed by shutters (16) to adapt the effective suction area in accordance with the pieces (3) of material on the belts (6).

Abstract: An apparatus 20 and method for recirculating document sheets to and from the imaging station 23 of a copier 10, with seriatim feeding and inverting of a set of individual conventional flimsy document sheets unescorted (without a carrier) to and from a stack of document sheets loaded in a stack support 22 overlying the imaging station 23, to provide for properly collated output copy sets from the copier, with loading the stack of document sheets face-up in said stack support in normal forward serial page order, feeding 28 the document sheets so loaded from one end of the top of said stack seriatim in forward serial page order for copying, and restacking 70 the copied document sheets seriatim on the bottom of the opposite end of the same stack in the same order, to provide continuous document sheet recirculation in said forward serial page order. The restacking preferably includes intermittent lifting 72 of the stack from one end, a vacuum belt sheet transport 74 and air flotation 76 of the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus which moves documents in a recirculating path from a stack to an imaging station. Successive uppermost document are fed from the stack to the imaging station. After imaging, the documents are returned to the bottom of the stack.

Abstract: A sheet transfer apparatus (10) is disclosed. The apparatus (10) includes a first station (14), a second station (16) and a transfer mechanism (18) for transferring stiff sheets (20A,B) from the first station (14) to the second station (16). A conveyor mechanism (48) moves the sheet (20B) in a first direction (49) from the second station (16). Push-plates (32) are provided for releasing the sheet (20B) from the transfer mechanism (10) at the second station (16). A pair of longitudinally spaced bar members (50) apply downward pressure to a sheet (20B) falling downward onto the conveyor mechanism (48). Each bar member (50) is supported in an inoperative position by one of the push-plates (32).

Abstract: A ticket shingling process and an apparatus for performing the process by which tickets are serially stripped from the bottom of a stack of tickets by means of a reciprocating suction means which, in conjunction with rotable feed means, transfers the stripped ticket to a longitudinally extending first conveyor. Suction means is provided above the downstream end of the first conveyor to lift each ticket into engagement with ticket aligning means on a second, laterally extending conveyor where glue is applied to the ticket. The second conveyor is advanced a predetermined increment whereupon a succeeding ticket is mated with the first ticket in adhesive offset or shingled manner. The process is repeated until a predetermined number of tickets comprise the ticket assembly. Means is provided for alternative movement of the second conveyor to accomplish desired ticket placement within a bank.

Abstract: Apparatus for marshalling glass sheets comprises a conveyor capable of conveying an array of sheets lying in a transverse sheet array across the conveyor to a sheet removal station, transverse conveying means extending transversely above the conveyor and transfer means operable to transfer a sheet or sheets from the conveyor to the transverse conveying means at the sheet removal station. The transfer means includes a plurality of selectively and separately operable transfer devices, such as lifting devices, extending in an array across the array of sheet positions, and control means for controlling simultaneous operation of selected transfer devices.

Abstract: A collator mechanism for transporting and feeding sheets of material such as paper, microfiche film or the like to individual bins. The sheets are carried by an apertured conveyor tape which slides along an apertured vacuum manifold so that the sheet is maintained in contact with the tape by the vacuum. The conveyor tape delivers the sheet to a deflector assembly which is progressively stepped through a plurality of indexed positions adjacent the bins. The deflector assembly includes upper and lower deflector rollers which bend the tape and sheet sufficiently to feed it toward the adjacent bin, release the sheet from the tape and then bend the tape away from the sheet being conveyed and the adjacent bin. The momentum and rigidity of the sheet carries the sheet, after its release from the tape, into the adjacent bin.

Abstract: To print on each of a number of sheets, the sheets are advanced, preferably in underlapped form, up to registering stops. When a sheet has been registered at the stops, suction is applied to an underlying conveyor, the stops are withdrawn and the sheet is advanced in steps to a printing station, the sheet being held in register by suction during this advancement. Printing takes place while the sheet is stationary and still held in register, between steps of movement. Suction may be switched on and off at the registering station by means of a movable perforated switch plate, the perforations of which are aligned, in a first position of the switch plate, with suction-conveying perforations in another plate or belt; in a second position of the switch plate its perforations are misaligned with the perforations in the other plate or belt, preventing the application of suction to an overlying sheet.

Abstract: An original document handling apparatus for moving successive individual document sheets on the surface of a movable belt into a registered position for copying at a copier imaging station, including registration fingers movable into and out of the path of the documents, in which the belt has a plurality of narrow elongated grooves extending in the direction of movement of the belt and having gently sloped walls to avoid reproducible shadows, and wherein the registration fingers are adapted to interfit into the grooves for the registration of the documents. The grooves preferably also include vacuum apertures therein.

Abstract: In a document handling system in which an apertured vacuum belt transports the documents to the imaging station of a copier and provides a light reflective background surface, the belt vacuum apertures are only within discrete limited areas of the belt and have a convoluted surface which holds the document spaced from the vacuum apertures and provides low impedance air flow under the document from the apertures, said areas being substantially enclosed by narrow border areas of unapertured and non-imageable pneumatic weirs at positions corresponding to the edges of conventional sizes of documents, which weirs are finely convoluted to have a much higher air flow impedance.

Abstract: In a document handling system in which documents are moved on an apertured belt over a vacuum manifold to an imaging station of a copier, the vacuum manifold surface engaging the backside of the belt contains narrow, spaced apart, shallow grooves extending in the direction of movement of the belt. Vacuum is applied to the belt only through these grooves, to reduce belt/manifold friction. These manifold surface grooves have light reflective bottom surfaces closely spaced below the back of the belt to underlie the belt apertures and reduce their printout through translucent documents. The apertures in the vacuum belt are only in narrow bands overlying the grooves in the vacuum manifold. The apertures in the vacuum manifold are also preferably transversely spaced from the vacuum belt apertures so that they are not aligned during the belt movement.

Abstract: In an apertured vacuum belt document handling system for a copier, with a normal vacuum transport mode for moving the belt with a document thereon over the exposure position, the belt is provided with an unapertured area, preferably larger than the exposure area. This unapertured area is automatically positioned and stopped over the exposure station when the copier is placed in a manual document placement mode of operation.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a rotatable support for supporting a sheet of paper, a rotary drive for rotating the support, and an ink jet print head mounted adjacent the support for printing on a sheet of paper supported thereon during a plurality of successive rotations of the support. A paper supply loads a sheet of paper onto the support such that the sheet of paper is supported thereby. A paper ejector removes a sheet of paper from the support. A control is provided which controls operation of the paper supply and the paper ejector such that as a sheet of paper is removed, after a plurality of rotations on the support, another sheet is concurrently loaded onto the support, whereby the time required for loading and unloading a sheet of paper is minimized and the overall speed of the printer enhanced.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a vacuum conveyor which periodically receives a polymer film bag from a bag-making machine and intermittently advances the bag to a work station. If work is to be performed at that work station, the vacuum is cut off and the bag is operated upon. At the work station, the bag may be printed, cut, stacked, wicketed, provided with handles, provided with a sealed-in drawstring, or delivered to a second conveyor. The apparatus may include one or more work stations, and the method comprises advancing the bag to the selected work station, turning off the vacuum at that work station to aid in the bag delivery, and working on the bag.

Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes a plurality of endless belts spaced from one another and rotating at a predetermined speed toward a sheet shipping container mounted at a loading position. A sheet held against the belt by vacuum pulled between the belts moves along a movement path into a wall of the container. The belts continue to rotate to align the sheet relative to the container; afterward plungers move the sheet downward away from the belts onto the backwall of the container to stack same.

Abstract: A sorting machine has sheet deflecting fingers actuatable from closed positions at one side of a sheet path to open positions, in succession, to remove sheets from a sheet transport and direct the sheets into trays. The fingers, in closed condition, span adjacent fingers, in nested relation, with surfaces of the fingers facing the transport lying on a plane parallel to the moving sheets and extending arcuately beneath the open finger below to assist in guiding a sheet into a tray.

Abstract: Sheets are delivered to receptacles by a traveling distributor which includes an incrementally movable carriage. A continuous loop belt or belts such as in a vacuum plenum transport convey the sheets to the carriage where a roller arrangement on the carriage diverts the belts and thus the sheets into a direction in alignment with the receptacles. The rollers then divert the belt away from the receptacles so that the sheets continue into the receptacles. The rollers are mounted so as to place the belt or belts in tension during normal operation but are movable to relieve the belt tension to facilitate paper removal from the belt in jam clearance procedures.

Abstract: A paper handling system capable of providing a single or multiple pass of a printing medium by an ink jet printing head for the reproduction of original documents utilizes an endless conveyor belt to support the printing medium. The belt can be driven both forwardly and in reverse to cycle the printing medium under a printing head which prints tracks of information onto the medium. After each cycle, the printing head is advanced in a direction transverse to the motion of the printing medium until complete coverage of the printing medium is achieved. Either an interlace or band printing scheme can be used.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet handling apparatus wherein sheets are delivered onto a conveyor belt traveling at a slower speed than the speed at which the sheets are delivered. The leading end of a sheet is sucked against the conveyor belt such that a trailing end of the sheet flips upwardly and allows the leading end of the succeeding sheet to pass therebeneath. These sheets are conveyed in lapped relationship by the conveyor belt. At a discharge end of the conveyor the lapped sheets drop sequentially in vertical orientation onto a carrier. A movable retainer plate contacts the initial sheet of the stack and is horizontally displaced thereby as the stack builds up, to maintain the sheets upright and in tightly abutting relationship. The retainer is mounted at the end of a freely movable, horizontally extensible pair of rods onto which the sheets fall, such that displacement of the retainer produces extension of the rods to accommodate additional sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming thin paper sheets or signatures into an upright stack first arranges said sheets on a generally horizontal endless belt conveyor in a shingled stream with the leading edge of each sheet beneath the immediately preceding sheet and the trailing edge portion of each sheet projecting behind the trailing edge of said preceding sheet, and moves said conveyor continuously forwardly to bring the sheets successively into abutment with a stop so the driving force of the conveyor causes a stack to form from the bottom. The endless belt conveyor has a perforate bet, and a vacuum system below the perforate belt draws the sheets constantly and firmly downwardly against said perforate belt in a part of the path which ends at the stop, so that each sheet is conveyed positively forwardly against the stop.

Abstract: The upper reach of a first belt conveyor delivers a stream of partly overlapping sheets to one end of a perforated second belt conveyor whose lower reach is located above the open top of a magazine and below the perforated bottom wall of a suction chamber. The lower reach attracts the non-overlapped leaders of successive foremost sheets of the stream and transports them toward a position of register with the open top of the magazine. Timely separation of sheets which are attracted to the underside of the lower reach is insured by a non-foraminous slide which is installed between the suction chamber and the lower reach and is movable lengthwise of the lower reach to seal a selected number of perforations in the lower reach in the region of that side wall of the magazine which is remote from the first conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor system for feeding a web of corrugated fiberboard into or out of a cutter. It includes perforated conveyor belts mounted on a suction box which is formed with longitudinal slits in its top surface. The web is securely transferred with a sufficient, but not excessive, holding force without slipping or crushing of corrugations in the fiberboard.

Abstract: Elements are supplied to a work station with the elements being arranged in a row. The elements are releasably retained at the work station. The articles to which the elements are to be transferred are moved through the work station with the row of elements at the work station extending in the same direction as the direction of article movement. Each of the elements is transferred to an associated article as the articles are moved through the work station. The elements are sequentially transferred with the most downstream element always being the next element to be transferred.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling sheets of material in which the sheets are received at a pick-up station and conveyed to a discharge station by means of a carrier, in combination with means to maintain a differential of pressure between the sheets and a plenum chamber beneath which a flight of the carrier operates. The invention also contemplates means to discharge the sheets at the discharge station comprising a stripper which enters between the sheet of material being conveyed and the plenum, thus to admit air under atmospheric pressure between the two, permitting the sheet to drop off. The invention contemplates also the use of means to release the vacuum on the sheet of material being conveyed by momentarily shutting off the suction fan from the plenum chamber, permitting the sheet to drop.

Abstract: Envelope machine of the window-applicator type and means for avoiding application of gum to window when envelope blank is missing and to dispose of the window under similar circumstances.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a plurality of interconnected blanks formed in a sheet and for stacking the separate blanks in a plurality of designated stacks characterized by an input carrier receiving a sheet such as from a delivery end of a die cutting platen press and transports it to a separating unit which separates the interconnected blanks from each other and forms a flow having spaced rows of spaced blanks with the position and sequence of the blanks in the flow being the same as their position and sequence in the sheet. The stacking unit receives the flow and utilizes a suction unit for each of the rows in the flow which unit preferably comprises a belt of pervious material moving along a suction chamber to engage an upper surface of the blanks and transports the engaged blanks to a position above their respective designated stacks.

Abstract: A movable conveyor belt having first and second belt surfaces and an opening extending between the belt surfaces, a mechanism for depositing a label on the first belt surface at a first station, and a pressure source for blowing air under pressure through the opening to transfer the label from the belt at a second station to at least one object.

Abstract: A sheet transfer device of a printing press includes a plurality of conveyor belts of relatively narrow cross section compared to the width of a sheet being transferred thereby, and an elongated suction chamber formed with an elongated orifice extending in the direction of sheet transfer. Sealing beads formed at each end of the orifice cooperate with the belts at each side of the orifice to form a sealing extension of the elongated orifice.

Abstract: A sheet handling device, especially for stacking sheets, includes overhead conveyor belts with a suction chamber to hold sheets against their undersides and mechanism for displacing the sheets from the belts onto a table. This mechanism includes a set of fingers which, as well as being displaceable through the plane of the belts, are also displaceable in the direction of sheet feed to enable them to engage the sheets while travelling in the same direction at substantially the same speed and thereafter slow down the sheets and displace them towards the table.

Abstract: A document moving apparatus having belt and pneumatic elements under electronic logic control to translate a document to a desired position, reverse translate it to a second position, turn it over, end-for-end, by motion at right angles to the direction of the prior translation while the document is adjacent to the second position, and thereafter to again translate the document to the desired position, inverted.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a sheet of a flexible material between a first and a second position. The apparatus includes an elongated frame and an air-pervious endless belt movably mounted on first and second pulleys positioned at each end of the frame. The belt has its upper rung travelling from the first pulley, adjacent the first position, to the second pulley, adjacent the second position, and is arranged to receive a lead strip of the sheet from the first position. A vacuum chest having a perforated top extends longitudinally of and below the upper rung of the belt. There are means for evacuating air from the chest in order to apply a vacuum at the undersurface of the belt and thereby cause the lead strip to cling to the belt. The apparatus has means defining an opening where the sheet leaves the belt and an air jet means able to direct air through the opening.

Abstract: A photocopying machine which includes a band conveyor for transporting sheet material through the machine, the conveyor including end drums supporting a band of seamless and endless perforated metal with its upper run disposed over a suction chamber.

Abstract: A vertically adjustable infeed conveyor section for the conveyor system of a sheet sorting device. The sheet sorting device is of the type having side-by-side vertical columns of bins with distributor means for directing individual sheets or groups of sheets of paper in series to the individual bins. The infeed conveyor section receives sheets of paper or the like from a sheet feeder, a duplicator, or printing press and delivers them to the conveyor system of the sorter. The infeed conveyor section is adjustable vertically to adapt itself to any height of sheet feeder or duplicator. The in-feed conveyor section includes a horizontal initial section, an inclined transition section, and a delivery section having a vertical run to which the transition section extends. In a second preferred embodiment, the transition section extends directly to the upper terminous of the delivery section vertical run.

Abstract: A device for separating a copy sheet and an original that are delivered together by copying apparatus along a common path, including suction means for drawing the original from the path and a curved guide plate for guiding the copy sheet as the original is separated therefrom. The suction means, disposed at one side of the common path, includes a curved suction surface and plural apertured endless belts passing over the surface in position for register of apertures of the belts with suction openings formed in the surface. The guide plate, disposed at the opposite side of the common path, has a sheet-engaging surface with a degree of curvature, relative to the last-mentioned path, that is less than the curvature of the suction surface but greater than a predetermined curling limit of the copy sheets being separated.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing the bottom sheets from a stack of sheets or inserting sheets at the bottom of a stack of sheets including an air plenum to provide an air cushion between the stack tray and the bottom sheet in the stack and vacuum feed means adapted for contact with the lead edge of a sheet to remove the sheet from the bottom of the stack or insert a sheet therein.

Abstract: Sorting apparatus has vertically adjustable sheet receiving and feeding vacuum chamber and traveling belt mechanism which directs successive sheets to a receiver having vacuum chamber and traveling belt conveyor mechanism for transporting sheets to or past vertically spaced trays. Fingers are shiftable to and from positions to deflect sheets from the transport conveyor and cause sheets to enter the trays. The receiving and feeding mechanism and the receiver are separable at the vertical plane of the fingers between the fingers and the vertically extended traveling belts.

Abstract: An endless vacuum belt system for transporting sheets, particularly suited for transporting copy sheets in electrostatographic transfer systems, where the belt is made up of a multiplicity of flexibly connected small diameter hollow tubular, rigid vacuum chambers, each adapted to have a vacuum applied through its end, and where the tubular vacuum chambers extend transverse the belt and have sheet-retaining vacuum openings.

Abstract: Elements are supplied to a work station with the elements being arranged in a row. The elements are releasably retained at the work station. The articles to which the elements are to be transferred are moved through the work station with the row of elements at the work station extending in the same direction as the direction of article movement. Each of the elements is transferred to an associated article as the articles are moved through the work station. The elements are sequentially transferred with the most downstream element always being the next element to be transferred.