Abstract: The conveyance guide unit is provided with a guide member, a supporting frame, and an external cover. The guide member guides a sheet, which is discharged from a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus or from a sheet discharge port of a relay conveyance device installed in the image forming apparatus, to the sheet carrying-in port of a post-processing device. The supporting frame supports the guide member. The external cover is fixed to the supporting frame; the external cover covers an upper part of the guide member and side parts of the guide member in a traverse direction of a sheet conveyance path, which is perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction. The external cover has an upper surface serving as an extension part of a discharge tray part of the post-processing device, the extension part being extended downstream, in a sheet discharge direction.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus contains an image-forming portion, a first conveying portion that is arranged at an upstream side of the image-forming portion along a sheet conveying direction, a second conveying portion that is arranged at an upstream side of the first conveying portion along the sheet conveying direction and a control portion. The control portion controls the first conveying portion to move a pair of registration rollers along a direction that is orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction while the pair of registration rollers nips the sheet when conveying the sheet to the image-forming portion. The control portion controls the second conveying portion to move one of the pair of conveying rollers along the direction that is orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction while the pair of conveying rollers does not nip the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus, including: a stacking section; a first alignment section which aligns both end portions in a sheet conveyance direction of the sheet stacked in the stacking section; a second alignment section which aligns both end portions in a width direction, that is orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, of the sheet aligned by the first alignment section; a sheet ejection section which ejects the sheet stacked in the stacking section outside the stacking section; and a control section which moves a pair of horizontal alignment plates away from the both end portions in the width direction of the sheet after operating a gripping section so as to grip the sheet in a state where the pair of horizontal alignment plates contacts the both end portions in the width direction of the sheet supported by a supporting section.

Abstract: A method and dot printer for dot printing on a card. A method includes receiving a card on a plate-like element of a carriage in a manner that a lateral movement of the card one of on or above the plate-like element is stopped by an abutment element, moving the plate-like element and card in a direction crosswise to the lateral movement until a main side of the card abuts a first abutment surface of an abutment structure and a main edge of the plate-like carrier abuts a second abutment surface of the abutment structure. The first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are not coplanar. The method also includes transporting the plate-like element and the card in a direction away from the abutment structure to a printing station and activating the printing station for dot printing on the card.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for aligning a bill supplied to a transfer path with a center line of the transfer path. The apparatus includes a fixed support unit which moves a bill in a transfer direction of the transfer path, a movable support unit which is disposed in succession to the fixed support unit and is provided so as to be movable in a lateral direction of the transfer path, a bill position sensor which senses the position of the bill that moves on the fixed support unit and the movable support unit, and a controller which is controls a lateral displacement of the movable support unit in response to information about the position of the bill, thus aligning the bill with the center line.

Abstract: Disclosed are a printing media holder and an image forming apparatus including the same. The printing media holder includes an printing media alignment unit capable of moving bidirectionally toward and away from the printing media loaded on the printing media holder, and includes a release mechanism that releases the printing media alignment unit, to allow the printing media alignment unit to move its position for aligning of print media of different sizes, in response to a force received thereto in any of the bidirectional directions.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction; and a plurality of holding members which are provided while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction and which press the sheet transported along the transport passage, from at least one of front and back surfaces of the sheet. At lease one holding member, which is provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction of the transport passage, is arranged on a downstream side in the transport direction as compared with the other holding members.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording section which is provided over a transport passage for transporting a sheet in a transport direction and which has nozzles for discharging an ink onto the sheet; a platen which is provided under the recording section with the transport passage intervening therebetween and which has a plurality of ribs provided to support the sheet while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction, the respective ribs protruding upwardly and extending in the transport direction; and a plurality of holding members which are provided to be positioned between the plurality of ribs in the widthwise direction of the transport passage over the platen on an upstream side in the transport direction from the nozzles and which abut against an upper surface of the sheet and press the sheet toward the platen.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section which is placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; and a skew correction section which corrects a skew of the sheet conveyed by the suction and conveyance section.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus includes a pair of registration rollers configured to convey a print medium to a printing unit of a printing machine in a conveyance direction, a motor configured to rotate the registration rollers, and a controller configured to control the motor such that after the print medium strikes the registration rollers and thereby forms a predetermined amount of slack in the print medium, the motor starts rotating the registration rollers to convey the print medium, and the motor stops rotating the registration rollers once the print medium exits the registration rollers. In stopping rotating the registration rollers, the controller is configured to drive the motor to generate torque in a reverse rotational direction opposite from a rotational direction in which the motor generates torque to convey the print medium in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a device main body, a detachable unit that is detachable and attachable to the device main body, a sheet guide that guides a pathway of sheet, and a guide position part that regulates a position of the sheet guide. The guide position part is disposed in the device main body, the sheet guide is disposed movably with respect to the detachable unit, and when the detachable unit is mounted on the device main body, a position of the sheet guide is regulated by abutting the guide position part.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a collation of sheets for folding operations. The system includes a registration device including multiple registration stations and a conveyance device for transporting the collation to one of the registration stations. Each registration station is adapted to register the edges of the collation based upon a desired edge geometry. A processor determines the fold configuration of the collation and determines the edge geometry thereof based upon the fold configuration of the collation. The processor selects one of the registration stations based upon the fold configuration and then controls the conveyance device to transport the collation to the selected registration station. The registration station selected may also be based upon the thickness of the collation and a desired location for binding the collation.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a first guide located downstream of the first conveyance unit in a conveyance direction and configured to guide a first side end of the conveyed sheet, a skew unit configured to convey the sheet in an oblique direction to come closer to the first guide, a second guide configured to contact a second side end opposite the first side end to guide the second side end, a second conveyance unit located downstream of the first guide in the conveyance direction, and a control unit configured to perform control so that, after conveying the sheet by the skew unit with the first guide contacting the first side end while the second guide is separated from the second side end, the second guide moves to a position close to the second side end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a sheet conveying portion which conveys a sheet to be formed with an image, and an abutment member which is abutted by the tip end of a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying portion, and movable to a first attitude of being abutted by the tip end of the sheet being conveyed, and to a second attitude of allowing passage of the sheet and being in the state of abutting the surface of the sheet, wherein the abutment member in the second attitude abuts a part which is outside an image forming region and on the sheet surface having the image forming region in a central part in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: A control portion controls a skew feed correcting portion so that a first skew feed correcting operation for correcting skew feed of a sheet while turning the sheet based on one edge of the sheet crossing a sheet conveying direction is performed in a case where a first alignment operation based on a position of one edge of the sheet is performed when a sheet processing portion processes the sheet. Further, the control portion controls the skew feed correcting portion so that a second skew feed correcting operation for correcting the skew feed of the sheet based on a side edge of the sheet parallel to the sheet conveying direction is performed in a case where a second alignment operation based on a position of the side edge of the sheet is performed when the sheet processing portion processes the sheet.

Abstract: A control portion controls a skew feed correcting portion so that a first skew feed correcting operation for correcting skew feed of a sheet while turning the sheet based on one edge of the sheet crossing a sheet conveying direction is performed in a case where a first alignment operation based on a position of one edge of the sheet is performed when a sheet processing portion processes the sheet. Further, the control portion controls the skew feed correcting portion so that a second skew feed correcting operation for correcting the skew feed of the sheet based on a side edge of the sheet parallel to the sheet conveying direction is performed in a case where a second alignment operation based on a position of the side edge of the sheet is performed when the sheet processing portion processes the sheet.

Abstract: Provided is a device for the alignment of sheets in a printing machine, said device comprising two pairs of rollers for the alignment of the sheets in their advance direction, for the alignment transverse to their advance direction and with respect to skewing, whereby each pair of rollers consists of a driving roller and of a counter-pressure roller. One drive unit is provided for each of the two driving rollers, whereby each of the drive units consists of a motor and a drive shaft linked therewith, whereby the driving rollers are non-torsionally accommodated on respective drive shafts. The driving rollers can be slid in linear direction on their drive shaft, or the respective drive shafts, and thus the driving rollers accommodated thereon, can be linearly shifted with respect to their drive motors.

Abstract: The sheet conveying apparatus includes first to third pairs of skew conveying rollers conveying a sheet, a reference portion, in which the reference portion corrects a skew feeding of the sheet by abutting a side edge of the sheet conveyed by the first to third pairs of skew conveying rollers against a reference surface placed in parallel with the sheet conveying direction, and a guide groove provided on the reference portion, which guides the side edge of the sheet skew-conveyed by the first to third pairs of skew conveying rollers to the reference surface, wherein a vertical width of an opening portion of the guide groove in an upstream area of the reference portion is wider than that of the guide groove in a downstream area of the reference portion, in the sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus which can suppress generation of sheet skew feeding by a simple configuration and a pair of side edge regulating portions 30r and 30l is provided opposite each other in a sheet storage portion in order to regulate positions of side edges in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction of the stored sheet S. At least one of the side regulating plates 30r and 30l can be moved in the width direction, and abutting portions 301r and 301l are provided opposite each other on inner wall surfaces of the side regulating plates 30r and 30l to abut on side edges of the sheet S.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a sheet conveying portion which conveys a sheet to be formed with an image, and an abutment member which is abutted by the tip end of a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying portion, and movable to a first attitude of being abutted by the tip end of the sheet being conveyed, and to a second attitude of allowing passage of the sheet and being in the state of abutting the surface of the sheet, wherein the abutment member in the second attitude abuts a part which is outside an image forming region and on the sheet surface having the image forming region in a central part in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: A bill position adjustment method and system for bill acceptor is disclosed to include a body with an insertion slot and a bill passage, a transmission mechanism for transferring an inserted bill, a recognition device for recognizing the authenticity and value of an inserted bill, an entrance sensor and a stoppage sensor mounted in the bill passage for controlling the transmission mechanism to transfer the inserted bill into position for recognition, a bill passage adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width of the bill passage to correct the direction of an inserted bill into accurate alignment with the recognition device, and a bill sensor mounted in a sensor zone in the insertion slot for detecting the width of an inserted bill and controlling the bill passage adjustment mechanism to adjust the width of the bill passage subject to the detection result.

Abstract: A sheet ejection device including: a sheet stacking section; a sheet trailing edge hitting section; a pair of sheet holding members for holding a sheet or plural sheets placed one on top of another at a sheet holding position, and moving the same to the sheet stacking position; and a friction member that is provided on one of the sheet holding members and that comes in contact with the topmost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking section; wherein, when the sheet holding members reach the sheet stacking position, one of the sheet holding members is moved upstream in the sheet ejecting direction, whereby the trailing edge of the held sheet is made to hit against the sheet trailing edge hitting section, and the friction member comes in contact with the topmost sheet, and then the topmost sheet is biased toward the sheet trailing edge hitting section.

Abstract: A sheet guide device according to an embodiment includes: a sheet carrying unit which carries a sheet from a paper discharge port of an image forming apparatus to a paper supply port of a finishing apparatus; and a pair of guide plates having one end attached to an inner side of the paper discharge port so as to be narrowed in a tapered form from the paper discharge port toward the paper supply port and having the other end attached to an inner side of the paper supply port. The pair of guide plates has one of the one end and the other end as a fulcrum and has the other as a turning end. When the paper discharge port and the paper supply port are shifted from each other in height position, the turning end turns according to the quantity of shift in the height position.

Abstract: For a device for the alignment of sheets, which comprises at least one first and one second driving roller (20) and at least one pressure roller (21), as well as at least one first and one second rotary drive (26) for rotating said first and second driving rollers (20), respectively, about an axis of rotation (28), a simple and cost-effective setup is achieved by at least one displacement drive for shifting at least the driving rollers (20) along the axis of rotation in such a manner that there is a change of distance between the driving rollers.

Abstract: An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected. When an accumulation is completed, the accumulator stop mechanism allows sheets to be transported from the accumulating region.

Abstract: An automatic paper feed device is provided, including a cover member that has a paper insertion opening in a nearly rectangular shape, the paper insertion opening having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to both a transport direction of the paper and a thickness direction of the paper. The paper insertion opening includes a first end opening portion, a second end opening portion, and a center opening portion arranged in the longitudinal direction of the paper insertion opening. The paper insertion opening connects a placement unit, in which paper is placed, with a separation and transport mechanism, that separates paper placed in the placement unit and transports paper placed in the placement unit in the transport direction. The first and second end opening portions are each larger in size than the central opening portion.

Abstract: The present application is directed to methods and devices for aligning media sheets in an input tray of an image forming device. The input tray includes a support surface and at least two spaced apart side walls. A first side wall includes a reference surface to align the media sheets. A second side wall includes a plurality of biasing members. The biasing members bias the media sheets toward the reference surface.

Abstract: Systems for moving a moveable drive module in a cross-process direction are disclosed. A system includes a moveable drive module and a cross-process positioning system. The moveable drive module includes a drive roll. The cross-positioning system is capable of moving the moveable drive module in a cross-process direction. The system may optionally include a plurality of idler rolls, each configured to be associated with the drive roll when the moveable drive module is in an associated position. The moveable drive module may alternately include an idler roll associated with the drive roll. Alternately, the cross-positioning system may further be capable of moving a moveable idler module in a cross-process direction. Still alternately, the system may further include a moveable idler module including an idler roll and a translation drive motor capable of moving the moveable idler module in a cross-process direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for deskewing a media sheet includes a sheet feed system for transporting the media sheet along a media feed path in a media feed direction. A split alignment gate is positioned to intersect the media feed path. The split alignment gate subjects the media sheet to a deskewing force, wherein an amount of the deskewing force is determined based on a width of the media sheet in a direction transverse to the media feed direction.

Abstract: A bill processing apparatus comprising: movable pieces that are movable toward a center of a bill traveling route through which a bill is conveyed by a driving source, and regulate side edges of the bill to be conveyed so as to make the bill aligned in parallel with a conveyance direction, and a control device that controls driving of the driving source is provided. Here, the control means drives the driving source to move the movable pieces toward the center of the bill traveling route from a position at which the movable pieces touch the side edges of the bill after the bill passes the movable pieces.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating unit supported by an apparatus main body in an insertable and withdrawable manner in a direction orthogonal to a feeding direction of the sheets, a leading edge regulating unit provided fixedly to the sheet accommodating unit, a trailing edge regulating unit provided in the sheet accommodating unit, a side edge regulating unit provided in the sheet accommodating unit, and an insertion position limiting unit configured to contact a frame on a rear of the apparatus main body in an inserting direction of the sheet accommodating unit to limit an insertion position of the sheet accommodating unit, wherein the insertion position limiting unit is arranged on a rear of the sheet accommodating unit and on an upstream of a position of center of gravity of the sheet accommodating unit along a sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus provides skew correction roller pairs which rotate a sheet while conveying the sheet to correct skew of the sheet, and lateral registration roller pairs which moves the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction to correct the lateral registration. When the lateral registration is corrected, assist roller pairs arranged downstream is moved in the same direction as the lateral registration roller pairs in synchronization with the lateral registration roller pairs.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a rack that stores sheets in a vertically placed state, a first conveying roller that conveys a sheet extracted from the rack in a first direction in an erected state, a scraper that scrapes a surface of the sheet conveyed in the erected state by the first conveying roller, and a second conveying roller that conveys the sheet, the surface of which is scraped by the scraper, in a second direction different from the first direction.

Abstract: A sheet aligning mechanism that aligns sheets of paper includes, in a shift tray, a pair of main joggers and a pair of sub joggers, which are arranged downstream of the main joggers in a sheet discharge direction, for use in width-direction alignment of the sheets. One of the sub joggers is configured to move from a position where the sub jogger is not upwardly receded to an upwardly-receded position so that the thus-opened up space, of which height corresponds to a height difference between the two positions, can be utilized for sheet removal.

Abstract: A shifting unit shifts a plurality of sheets discharged on a tray to a different position in a sheet width direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction in a set of sheets. A first width-direction aligning unit and a second width-direction aligning unit align both sides of the sheets in the sheet width direction. A leading-edge aligning unit aligns leading edges of the sheets in the sheet discharging direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding and aligning sheets which are fed to a processing machine, e.g. a printing machine, includes at least two parallel transporting belts which, on a side directed toward the sheet, subject the sheet to different retaining forces, in such a way that the retaining force in outer peripheral regions is greater than in an inner region located therebetween. The transporting belts can be activated individually in dependence on the position of the sheet, and they can therefore align the sheet in its transporting direction and obliquely thereto.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a first folder to fold a sheet in a first folding direction relative to a given orientation of the sheet, a line of the fold defining a second edge of the sheet; a second folder to fold the folded sheet in a second folding direction perpendicular to the first folding direction; and a switcher, disposed between the first folder and the second folder, operable to switch a sheet conveyance direction of the sheet sent from the first folder and to align the sheet sent from the first folder, the switcher including the following, an aligning member arranged to face a first edge of the sheet, the first edge of the sheet being located relatively opposite to the second edge along the conveyance direction, the second edge not having a straight line shape, and a feeder to force the sheet in a given direction toward the aligning member so as to align the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction by contacting the first edge of the sheet against the aligning member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a guide unit configured to form a conveyance path on which a sheet passes wherein the guide unit includes curved portions curved in a thickness-direction of the conveyed sheet, and a flat portion. The guide unit includes a rib contacting with the sheet and disposed continuously spreading over the curved portions and the flat portion. The rib has at least a part tilted with respect to the sheet conveying-direction in the curved portion more than in the flat portion.

Abstract: A transport and alignment system is provided for handling stacked sheet material on a support deck including first and second belts each having a portion thereof disposed parallel to the support deck. Each of the belts includes a plurality of spaced-apart fingers which engage the edges of the stacked sheet material and define a pocket therebetween. The transport and alignment system further includes a drive mechanism for independently driving the first and second belts to effect concurrent and relative motion of the fingers. Concurrent motion of the fingers transports the stacked sheet material along the support deck while relative motion of the fingers opposed edges of the stacked sheets of material. The transport and alignment system is described in the context of a stitcher and chassis module of a mailpiece inserter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet guide element for use in an apparatus for transporting sheets by means of a gripper system having at least two grippers spaced apart from each other and a sheet guide surface defined by the sheet guide element. Here, the sheet guide element is provided with depressions in the sheet guide surface, running parallel to the transport direction, at least in some sections, in order at least partially to accommodate the grippers, so that the sheet guide surface described by the sheet guide element in the transport direction runs, at least in some sections, at the same height as the movement path of the sheet leading edge fixed in the gripper system.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet to an image forming portion has a first aligning member for effecting the alignment of the sheet with one of the opposite side edges of the sheet parallel to a sheet conveying direction as a reference, a second aligning member for effecting the alignment of the sheet with the leading edge of the sheet orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction as a reference, and an aligning operation controlling device for selectively operating one of the first aligning member and the second aligning member on the basis of at least one of image information, sheet information and sheet processing information.

Abstract: A wide/super wide digital printer comprising a printer head box that reciprocates from left to right across a wide or super wide printing table having a length of up to 20 cm that is supported by a fixed support, and a feed roller and a guiding roller that are moveably coupled to the fixed support, wherein the wide/super wide digital printer is configurable as a roll to roll printer by lowering the feed roller and the guiding roller to a lowered configuration wherein uppermost parts of the feed roller and the guiding roller are below upper surface of printing table, or as a discontinuous sheet printer by raising the feed roller and the guiding roller to a raised configuration wherein the uppermost parts of the feed roller and the guiding roller are collinear with the upper surface of the printing table.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for aligning at least the front edge of several sheets arranged in a stack, one above the other, whilst maintaining the order of the sheets. Said device comprises a stacking table, one side of which is provided with a front edge stop for aligning the front edge of the sheets. A supporting platform, upon which a stack of sheets can be placed with non-aligned front edges, is arranged upstream of the stacking table. The device is provided with a sheet feeder, which removes the sheets from the supporting platform by placing them in an overlapping stream with the front edges placed under the preceding sheets. A turning device is provided downstream of the sheet feeder, said device turning the overlapping stream in such a way that the front edge area of each sheet is freely accessible.

Abstract: Preheated plastic sheets are squared and flattened to be engageable by clamping fingers of clamps on a clamping frame by an array of paddles having vertical and horizontal portions moved to engage any upturned or skewed sheet edges to flatten and square the same as said paddles are simultaneously moved longitudinally and vertically by respective actuators.

Abstract: In a mail processing machine comprising a reception plate for receiving, in the form of a stack of items, the mail items to be printed, a jogging means for jogging this stack of items against a reference wall, a selection means for extracting the mail items to be printed from this stack of items one by one, and a printing means for printing a postal stamp on the selected mail item, an anti-skew device is provided, comprising a plurality of pivoting levers which are each positioned at a defined distance from the reference wall and a first end of which extends through an orifice made in the reception plate, in order to form, above the plate, a removable lateral obstacle for the mail items. These defined distances each correspond to a width of envelope of different format.

Abstract: Sheet registration with improved sheet deskewing of print media sheets may be provided with an intermediately transversely pivotal baffle member overlying and engaging at least part of a buckled sheet being edge registered so that the effective buckle chamber size and sheet path length on one side of the sheet is automatically different from the other side of the sheet with said pivoting of said pivotal baffle member, to assist in the deskewing of the sheet as it is being partially buckled by the sheet registration system. The direction and amount of baffle pivoting may be self-pivoted by the extent of transverse buckle difference, or positively driven in response to a detected sheet skew.

Abstract: A bundled sheet processing apparatus has a chute unit tilting between the first and second positions. A downstream side in the chute unit conveying direction, there is provided a stopper that has the contact surface narrower than the thickness of a bundle and stops the bundle by contacting the end of the bundle in the conveying direction with the contact surface. At this time, sheets protruding beyond the contact surface are detected by a detector.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus comprises a predetermined number of transport members 2 disposed in a sheet transport passage 1. At least a part of the transport members 2 is a multi-direction transport member 4 for variably setting the transport direction of a sheet 3 to a plurality of directions. To perform direction switch control of the multi-direction transport member 4, the sheet transport apparatus comprises a transport direction switch unit 8 that can switch the transport direction of the sheet 3 by the multi-direction transport member 4 at a predetermined timing. Alternatively, the sheet transport apparatus comprises a guide member 9 for regulating a side position of the sheet 3.

Abstract: Large items such as magazines or large envelopes lie flat upon and are transported by a first conveyor in a first, transverse direction until they sequentially encounter a frustoconical member rotatably mounted to a back wall. A second conveyor is disposed normal to the first conveyor so that it transports the items that have encountered the frustoconical member in a second direction normal to the first. A rotatably mounted barrier has a first, retracted position where it does not interfere with items approaching the frustoconical member and a second, deployed position where it stops the items short of the frustoconical member. The position of the barrier is controlled by information concerning postal routes. The items are sorted into sharply defined groups that are transversely staggered with respect to one another.

Abstract: A device is provided for diverting an imbricated flow of printed products that is transported on a roller table having a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other. The device comprises an elongated adjustment member whose position can be varied within a sliding plane extending in parallel to a transportation plane defined by the rollers. The device further comprises a plurality of guide elements for guiding the imbricated flow. The guide elements extend into clearances formed between every two rollers and are received on the adjustment member for rotation relative to the adjustment member in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane and for sliding movement in lengthwise direction of the adjustment member.