Abstract: A device for collating sheets, in which the sheets are offered at an input of the device, which comprises conveyor member which convey the sheets in a circuit arranged between the input and an output of the device, the conveyor member comprising at least a first pair of helical ramps with a predetermined winding direction and each comprising a free end. The ramps are arranged on rotating member which rotate them about their helix axis in the opposite direction to the winding direction. The device also comprises guide and placement member, the rotation of the ramps having the effect of conveying the sheet positioned, by the guide and placement member, on a predetermined portion of each of the two ramps, along a portion at least of the circuit and toward the free end of the ramps, a first of the two ramps of the pair having an opposite winding direction in relation to the second.

Abstract: Sheet stacking apparatus comprises a sheet feed system formed by a belt (9) movable past a sheet stacking hopper (1) in a sheet accept direction to feed sheets to the hopper. At least one pusher member (23) is movable in the sheet accept direction through the hopper to push successive portions of a stack (24) in the hopper (1) out of the path of an incoming sheet so as to permit unrestricted entry of a sheet into the hopper.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an endless belt which is postioned to be adjacent to a rear part of a sheet stand on which trailing edges of a pile of sheets are loaded. The endless belt includes a holding member to hold a leading edge of a sheet that is being returned to the sheet stand so that the endless belt conveys the sheet together with the holding member and inserts the sheet being returned to the sheet stand under the pile of sheets. A single stopper is provided on the sheet stand to align the sheets of the pile as well as the sheets inserted under the pile.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in a stacking device having an urge roller, an input guide, a spring loaded backup paddle and a registration wall. The improvement comprises a series of ramp-shaped fingers located between the urge roller and the registration wall. The ramp fingers guide the lead edge of an envelope in such a manner as to create a pocket between the surface of the envelope and the ramp fingers. The lead edge of the next envelope follows the ramp fingers and thus is not forced against the surface of the previous envelope. As a result the lead edge of the second envelope will not catch on the external side seam of the first envelope.

Abstract: Short multi-ply business forms, or other flexible planar articles, are stacked with a vertical orientation in a horizontally elongated stack. The forms are conveyed in a first horizontal direction, then deflected by a deflecting roller and conveyor belts to move toward a generally vertical orientation, and driven vertically into contact with a depth stop, so that they have a vertical orientation and the first form in a stack is against a backstop. The backstop is moved intermittently in the horizontal first direction to accommodate further forms in the stack. A conveyor for moving the forms vertically is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis, which movement is sensed by a sensor which in turn, through a controller and motor, effects intermittent movement of the backstop. The depth stop may be adjusted to accommodate forms of different depths, and the position of the horizontal axis about which the second conveyor pivots may also be adjusted.

Abstract: By a first conveying device printing products are fed in an imbricated formation (S), in which each printing product rests on the following one, the fold edge of the folded products forming the trailing edge. The printing products are pushed into an intermediate stack from below. The respectively uppermost product of this intermediate stack is seized in the region of the fold edge by at least one sucker of a sucker arrangement, raised upward and brought into the conveying region (F) of a second conveying device. The latter has individually controllable grippers which are arranged at regular intervals, circulate along a closed path, seize the fold edges delivered by the sucker arrangement and convey away the printing products thus seized. By forming an intermediate stack, from which the printing products are then raised by the sucker arrangement at the desired rate and fed to the grippers, even imbricated formations (S) occurring with irregularities can be processed satisfactorily.

Abstract: A stacking apparatus for printers, to build up a stack (20/1, 20/2) of individual sheets (13), includes two transport systems, designed in the form of roller cages (1/1, 1/2), for individual sheets, which systems are arranged axially parallel next to each other. Each of the roller cages (1/1, 1/2) has on its periphery roller-shaped transport elements (3) which extend in the axial direction of the roller cages (1/1, 1/2) and are spaced apart by gaps. They individually surround separate partial depositing surfaces (7/1, 7/2) of a common, inner depositing surface which crosses through both roller cages (1/1, 1/2) and is for receiving the individual sheets (10) to be stacked. By moving the roller cages (1/1, 1/2) in opposite directions, the roller cages centrally take up the individual sheets (10) to be stacked and transport them into a depositing position arranged above or below the roller cages (1/1, 1/2).

Abstract: A conveying mechanism for a press having sucker fingers which lift horizontally positioned items. The mechanism having two conveying sections for supporting imbricately arranged items, the first conveying section delivering to the second and the second section having components which rearrange the items into a vertical stack and lift it by wedging the items one under the other to a position where the fingers pick off the uppermost item of the stack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reverse accumulation of folded documents.

Abstract: A mechanism for handling packages having mechanism to move a package from a depositing station to a removing station. The packages comprise a preceding package and a subsequent package with the preceding package being deposited on the moving mechanism before the subsequent package and the subsequent package being deposited on said moving mechanism under said preceding package.

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: Business form components are stacked to separate them into different jobs, and after stacking are synchronously conveyed together to a pressure sealer, or similar device, for sealing the components together into a business form or are conveyed to subsequent operations such as secondary stacking into larger stacks. Each component moves from an aligner/feeder to a stacker, moving up an incline of a continuously running conveyor belt so that each successive component passes underneath any previous components in a stack. When a movable stop against which the components are held rotates out of the way, a top roller near the trailing ends of the components pinches them against a bottom roller so that the components move together away from the stacker in register with each other.

Abstract: A retractable-ramp accumulator comprises driven endless elastic belts to feed sheets therebetween along a sheet-feeding path, a sheet stacker having a stacking location and including a selectively releasable stop gate, and at least one selectively retractable ramp for selectively deflecting sheets out of the sheet feeding path for selectively feeding under or over previous sheets that are stopped in the stacking location by the stop gate. In one embodiment, an upper and a lower set of ramps are arranged such that while one set of ramps is retracted, the other set of ramps is interposed in the sheet feeding path, so that sheets can be selectively "over" or "under" accumulated.

Abstract: In a stacker, where a stopper for aligning the front end of the papers to be stacked being detachable within a bottom plate of a paper receiver by a magnetic force, a paper feed means being provided along the paper feed direction in a manner such that the feed surface projects slightly above the bottom plate, a projection being provided at the bottom of the stopper in a manner such that it extends in parallel with the feed surface while not projecting above the feed surface of the feed belt, thereby letting the stopper moveable at any position along the paper feed direction in order to adjust the paper feed depth corresponding to the length of the fed papers, the papers can be fed by the feed belt and stacked without fail and further the stacked papers can be taken out by raising the stopper from the bottom plate while the stacked papers are raised by the projection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for the accumulation, cutting, and stacking of continuously moving web material such as fabric tape that is to be printed and cut by appropriate processing apparatus into a plurality of discrete labels The method and apparatus provide for the accumulation of the continuously-supplied web between a base and an overlying resilient spring member while other processing steps such as web cutting are being performed on the web. The spring member engages the tape to temporarily suspend its forward advancement while allowing the tape to accumulate between the spring member and the base. The cut labels are stacked in a bottom-fed stacking assembly having a stacker chute that is angled both rearwardly with respect to the machine front and backwardly in the direction of label advancement to permit the removal of previously processed labels during operation of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: An improved accumulator and method of accumulation into stacks of a number of seriatim-fed sheets selectively in the manner of "over" or "under" accumulation and for conveying accumulated stacks to further equipment. The accumulator comprises driven endless elastic belts to drive sheets therebetween and a driven roller pair for nipping and feeding the sheets to a stacking location to be accumulated therein. The nip of the roller pair is offset in relation to the plane in which sheets are driven thereto by the belts. The roller pair drives a sheet in positively nipped manner to the stacking location selectively over or under a previously arrived sheet. Further included in the roller-accumulator is a stop gate device for stopping sheets fed to the stacking location and for selectively releasing accumulated stacks to be transported by and between the endless elastic belts to further equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking sheets comprises a belt of predetermined length and an endless belt. The belts pass around fixed axis rollers and three guide rollers which are displaceable for the purpose of varying the belt geometry by means of a carriage. As soon as a sheet passes in one direction of movement into a transportation plane formed by the belts a drive displaces the carriage on a rail into a position above a stack in the same direction of movement, the sheet which is engaged by the belts being conveyed at double the speed of the carriage to one of the guide rollers around which it is rolled for deposit on to the stack.

Abstract: In a reversible collating machine for stacking sheets of paper fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same or reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder, the collating machine comprising a plurality of upper and lower belts suspended over a plurality of pulleys, each of the belts having an upper and lower reach wherein the lower reach of the upper belts and the upper reach of the lower belts frictionally engage and transport the sheets of paper, a plurality of upper ramp guide blocks secured to a frame, wherein each of the upper ramp guide blocks includes at least two idler rollers for defining a path for the upper belts, an improvement comprises a removable idler roller shaft having rotatably mounted thereto one of the idler rollers for each of the upper ramp guide blocks, wherein each of the upper ramp guide blocks has a first slot in which the idler roller shaft rests and a second slot perpendicular to the first slot in which the one idler roller rotatably fits when the idl

Abstract: The stacker for stacking sets of cards comprises a container for receiving a set of boarding passes and a stacking section for stacking these boarding passes in the container in the fixed orientation. In the stacker, the container has first and second walls opposing each other, and the stacking section includes a first ejecting portion for ejecting the boarding pass into the container from the second wall side, such that front of the boarding pass faces the first wall, a second ejecting portion for ejecting the boarding passes into the container from the first wall side, such that the back of the boarding pass faces the second wall, and a feeder for supplying the passes to one of the first and second ejecting portions sequentially.

Abstract: A stack of sheets contained in a containing member is loosened at the downstream edges in the feeding direction by air injected from an air injecting device, and fed one by one seriatim from the sheet on top in a predetermined feeding direction by a vacuum suction feeder disposed above the containing member. At this time, an upwardly directed impact is applied to the downstream edges in the feeding direction of the sheets from an impact generating device, thereby improving looseness of the downstream edge faces in the feeding direction by the air.The sheet fed from the containing member is returned to the bottom of the stack of sheets on the containig member. At this time, a claw formed on a feed roller pushes up the upstream edges in the returning direction of the sheet so as to force the sheet completely into the containing member.

Abstract: A paper accommodation apparatus for use, for example, in copying machine includes a recirculating document feeder. The feeder includes a paper stacker for stacks of papers to be copied. After each sheet of paper is copied, it is returned to the stack. A sheet after copying is moved in a first direction back into the paper stacker. An apparatus is provided for moving an end portion of the paper after it is in the paper stacker, in an opposite direction to the first direction to lift the paper so that the end of the paper can rest on a guide.

Abstract: This disclosure provides an apparatus used in combination with an envelope feeder of the type having a frame with a generally horizontal feeder tray and a rack holding a stack of envelopes, the feeder having an endless belt supported on the feeder tray and the feeder serving to deliver envelopes from the stack onto the endless belt, the endless belt moving the envelopes to form a short-height stack at the outer end of the tray where the envelopes may be picked up by a printing press, a flap closure to close the envelope flaps so that open flaps do not interfere with the stacking process, the closure being in the form of an elongated member supported at the feeder tray outer end and having a first upper surface portion inclined upwardly in the direction away from the envelope feeder and a second horizontal upper surface spaced in a direction away from the envelope feeder, the second surface being in a plane parallel to and spaced above the plane of the endless belt.

Abstract: In a recirculating feeder of sheets, the sheets are supplied and restored by the top-pick bottom-return method from a storing device in which the sheets are stacked and stored. The sheets are restored in the lowermost position in the stacking direction of the stacked sheets and stored in the storing device through a driving member, a first restoring device and a second restoring device. The driving member is controlled so as to approach/depart from the first restoring device, and when the sheet is conveyed into the storing device, it approaches to intervene between the lowermost position in the stacking direction of the sheets and the first restoring device, thereby pinching the sheet together with the first restoring device. In this way, the conveying force of the first restoring device is securely transmitted to the sheet, and repelling and mixing are avoided. The driving member contains defining members, which are intended to match the sheet stacking.

Abstract: There is disclosed a stacker for tags received from a tag dispensing device. The stacker has an improved feed mechanism with a self-clutching feature and an adjustable end wall member. The printer is adapted to be releasably secured to tag dispensing device, such as a printer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a stacker for tags received from a tag dispensing device. The stacker has an improved feed mechanism with a self-clutching feature and an adjustable end wall member. The printer is adapted to be releasably secured to tag dispensing device, such as a printer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a stacker for tags received from a tag dispensing device. The stacker has an improved feed mechanism with a self-clutching feature and an adjustable end wall member. The printer is adapted to be releasably secured to tag dispensing device, such as a printer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a tag stacker and tag stacking method for taking tags from an output device such as a printer and stacking them in a stack. Tags are inputted one-by-one into the stacker and are moved from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation in a stack. Tags are fed one-by-one into the stack in a hopper, the tags are tamped to settle them in the hopper and the stack is advanced by a conveyor as the stack builds. A side of the stack is guided by an adjustable side guide.

Abstract: A sheet sorter is disclosed which is designed to permit the sorting of sheets of significantly-greater area than the sorter bin support surface, without the projecting area of sheet bending over the bin edge and potentially interfering with the introduction of new sheets into adjacent bins. Each bin surface is provided with wings to induce a curve into a sheet being fed and stored in a bin, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength for the projecting portions to remain aligned with the portion of sheet which is in the bin.

Abstract: Sheet conveyer intended to take charge of and convey part sheets (2', 2", 2"') obtained from a main sheet by dividing this into a predetermined number of parts and delivering it out of a cutter simultaneously and side by side. The conveyer includes a number of downward gradient planes corresponding to the number of part sheets. Each plane has a length as viewed in the conveying direction corresponding to the length of a respective part sheet. Adjacent planes are connected with one another by an intermediate portion substantially shorter than the respective plane. The connection of the intermediate portion to the preceding plane is rounded off. Furthermore, carrier elements are arranged so that when the planes have received a respective part sheet, the carrier elements push the last part sheet as viewed in the conveying direction from its plane to a position on top of the next part sheet. Thereafter the two part sheets lying on one another are pushed to a position on top of the following part sheet, etc.

Abstract: A device for piling up flat pieces, such as printed and folded box blanks characterized by a piling station having a comb supporting a front edge of a pile of blanks and a rotating sleeve member having an axially extending groove supporting a rear edge of the pile. New blanks are introduced below the pile by a belt conveyor and the blank is lifted into the pile by front lifting elements engaging the belts of the conveyor to lift the front edge of the blank into the pile and sector elements moving to lift the rear portion of the blank into the pile. The comb is reciprocated out of engagement as the lifting elements lift the front portion into the pile and the sleeve is rotated to present the groove so that the back edge of the blank can move past the sleeve and into the pile.

Abstract: A device for stacking sheets, as from the outlet of a reprographic machine, uses a pair of belts having coplanar upper surfaces. The upper runs of the belts are stationary, and have a gap between them. To make the device work, the gap is displaced to one side of this stack and a sheet is fed into contact with that part of one belt which comes to lie below the stack, so that as the gap is translated across the bottom of the stack, the sheet is applied smoothly to the stack, displacing it upwardly.

Abstract: A reversible collating machine for stacking sheets of paper being fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same or reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder. The reversible collating machine includes a housing, apparatus secured to the housing for rotatably mounting endless, elastic belts, at least one upper, endless, elastic belt rotatably mounted to the mounting apparatus, and at least one lower, endless, elastic belt rotatably mounted to the mounting apparatus. Each of the belts includes an upper and a lower reach, the lower reach of the upper belt being situated slightly above the upper reach of the lower belt to thereby frictionally engage and transport the sheets of paper. The collating machine further includes a frame slidably mounted to the housing, the frame being movable between an upstream and a downstream position, an upper ramp guide block secured to the frame, and a lower ramp guide block secured to the frame.

Abstract: A vertical stack of envelopes is produced adjacent the infeed end of a printing press, for removal one at a time by envelope infeed mechanism of the printing press, the stack being maintained by adding envelopes one at a time to the bottom end of the stack when the height of the stack or number of envelopes in the stack is reduced to a predetermined magnitude, the rear end of the stack being elevated to facilitate insertion of added envelopes to the bottom of the stack. The envelopes are removed one at a time by operation of the envelope infeed mechanism of the printing press. The addition of envelopes to the stack is stopped when the height of the stack or number of envelopes in the stack is increased to a predetermined magnitude.

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: Envelopes are fed in a mutually overlapping state one by one toward a stopper provided at the front side of a transfer conveyor. Upon abutment with the stopper the envelopes pile up so as to be temporarily stored. An envelope feeder device is provided so as to enable a large number of envelopes to pile up. The envelope feeder device includes a body which is adjustably supported from a support shaft above the transfer conveyor, so as to position the feeder device according to the size of the envelopes. A pair of first rollers are mounted to both sides of the body and positioned so as to roll upon the upper surface of the transfer conveyor. Each first roller includes a rotary member mounted eccentrically on its side. A bifurcated feed member engages with the eccentric rotatable members so as to reciprocate horizontally as by the rotational movement of the first rollers, whereby assisting in the piling up of the envelopes as by a pair of claws located at the free ends of the bifurcated portions.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus has a conveying member on which an article such as a bundle of newspapers to be conveyed is laid, a driving device for driving the conveying member, and a lifting device to lift the article so as to separate at least a part of the article from the surface of the conveying member. Thyis lifting device is located near by the tail end of the conveyor member. This lifting device consists of a mechanical lifting unit or a pneumatic lifting unit, or the combination of them. This lifting device is actuated in accordance with a signal from a sensor for detecting the article.

Abstract: An improvement in a collating machine for stacking sheets of paper being fed seriatim thereto from a singulating feeder in the same order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder. The collating machine includes a belt for transporting the sheets of paper, a ramp for lifting a succeeding sheet of paper over and onto a preceding, stopped sheet of paper, and a stopping device for stopping each sheet of paper after the sheet has been lifted by the ramp. The improvement includes a removable stacking device for stacking the sheets of paper in the reverse order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder.

Abstract: An apparatus for accumulating and delivering paper sheets for use with a bank note dispenser including a paddle wheel for receiving paper sheets among swirling paddles provided on the paddle wheel and supporting the paper sheets thereon, a scraper for scraping the paper sheets away from the swirling paddles, an alignment plate for aligning the paper sheets above the paddle wheel, and lower and upper delivering rollers for cooperating to deliver, at one time the accumulated paper sheets as a whole in a horizontal direction. The two lower delivery rollers, are raised upwardly to horizontally support the accumulated paper sheets and are rotatably driven to deliver the paper sheets. The two upper delivery rollers are lowered to resiliently clamp the paper sheets between the lower rollers and upper rollers and are rotatably driven to deliver the paper sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting sheets under the bottom of a stack of sheets including a positive air pressure source that provides an air cushion between the bottom sheet in the stack of sheets and the stack tray. The air pressure source has articulated seal means attached thereto that are adapted to increase the efficient use of the air pressure source. Drive belts feed sheets under the stack of sheets in cooperation with a vacuum source that deflects sheets against the belts until they reach a point in their forward movement of coming under the influence of the positive air pressure source and are thereby floated up to the bottom of the stack of sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring sheet materials comprises a plurality of externally threaded rods having threads spaced at equal pitches and grooves therebetween. The threaded rods extend parallel to each other and are mounted in a one-sided box-shaped housing for rotation about their axes. The threaded rods are drivable for synchronous rotation in the same lead direction to transfer the sheet materials inserted edgewise in the grooves of the threaded rods in the lead direction in synchronism with rotation of the threaded rods.

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 knife to provide an air cushion between the stack of sheets and the bottom sheet in the stack and a reversible drive roll mounted within a vacuum plenum for driving sheets beneath or away from the sheet stack.

Abstract: A sheet dispenser in which sheets are delivered from cassettes to a collector and held thereon. The collector is mounted on a moveable support, and the collector and bills thereon are moved to either left or right delivery areas of the terminal in response to a request entered on an input terminal. Closures normally close the left and right delivery areas; however, these closures are opened to permit the sheets held on the collector to extend out of the dispenser to be grasped by an operator.

Abstract: Successive sheets of a stream of partially overlapping paper sheets are brought into contact with and are entrained by successive increments of an upwardly sloping running flexible band which is convoluted onto a rotary core to form with the sheets a bobbin wherein the sheets are confined between successive overlapping convolutions of the coiled band. The sheets of the stream are inverted ahead of the locus where they reach the running band so that the trailing portion of each preceding sheet overlies the leader of the next-following sheet. This reduces the likelihood of shifting of the sheets on impact against and during travel with the band upwardly toward the rotating core and renders it possible to dispense with a flexible element which is used in conventional apparatus to hold the sheets against slippage relative to the upwardly sloping band and which is convoluted with the band to thereby reduce the amount of space which is available in the bobbin for storage of confined sheets.

Abstract: An improved stop plate and belt assembly for the stacking section of a corrugated box machine and an improved system for conveying corrugated boxes from the folding section to the stacking section of a corrugated box machine.

Abstract: A deposit container for printers for the deposition of sheet-like data carriers which are delivered by means of a platen is pivotably disposed above the platen to permit selective sheet stacking in upwards or downwards sequence. A pair of transport rollers are arranged adjacent the accepting end opening of the deposit container to be spread apart during sheet introduction into the container and to be moved together to form a drive nip for the sheet after it has passed through the printing zone and lift it into the deposit container. Pivotal flap valves are mounted on the container walls, which are adjusted in dependence upon the pivot position of the deposit container to assist the deposition of the individual sheets.

Abstract: Apparatus for directing a flow of air between the bottom blank of a stack and a blank advancing beneath the stack, particularly for corrugated paperboard counter stacker machines, comprising an air supply means adjacent the trailing edge of the bottom blank adapted to direct the flow of air beneath the bottom blank and above the advancing blank to form a cushion of air therebetween for reducing sliding friction between such blanks.

Abstract: Apparatus for inserting sheets at the bottom of a stack of sheets including a levitation pocket and a positive air pressure source to provide an air cushion between the stack tray and the bottom sheet in the stack. Drive belts feed sheets under the stack in cooperation with a vacuum source that deflects the sheets against the belts and into a groove until the sheets reach the positive pressure source where they are pushed upward against the bottom of the stack.

Abstract: An envelope feeder for a duplicating press having a suction feeder wherein the envelope feeder includes a conveyer for transferring envelopes one at a time from a magazine storing a supply stack to a feed stack from which the suction feeder of the duplicating press removes the envelopes one at a time from the top of the stack. The conveyer coacts with the magazine and other means for taking the envelopes from the bottom of the supply stack one at a time and feeding them to the bottom of the feed stack at the press. A detector at the feed stack shuts down the conveyer when the feed stack reaches a predetermined height, and thereafter starts the conveyer when the stack diminishes to a given level.

Abstract: In a signature delivery device in which signatures of paper sheets folded by a folding machine of a rotary printing press are conveyed by an endless conveyor belt to a horizontal type stacker in a partially overlapped state and at the stacker the signatures are inverted and then sequentially inserted beneath a stack of previously stacked signatures, there are provided a first roller in contact with a lower surface of the endless conveyor belt and rotated at a peripheral speed substantially the same as a running speed of the endless belt, a second roller mounted on a shaft in parallel with the first roller for clamping the conveyor belt and the signatures conveyed thereby between the first and second rollers, and drive gears for rotating the second roller at a peripheral speed lower than that of the first roller so as to slightly lay an upper sheet of each double fold signature with respect to the lower sheet.

Abstract: Documents are inserted into a bin beneath a document stack already in the bin. An air bearing holds the document stack above the floor of the bin. A lifting mechanism lifts the stack along one edge so that a document is driven between the last sheet in the stack and the floor of the bin. A selectively activated drive means positioned on the floor of the bin advances the document into proper registration into the bin. Documents can be fed from the top of the stack simultaneously with the bottom stacking operation.