Abstract: A device for registering a sheet against a side stop on the feed table of a printing press which includes a suction head flushly recessed in the table and reciprocated for lateral shifting movement, a draft of suction being applied to the head timed with the lateral shifting movement so that the sheet is affirmatively shifted into contact with the side stop. Subsequently, a puff of air is applied to the head timed with the completion of the shifting movement to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table. An auxiliary nozzle recessed in the table in a position adjacent the head is permanently connected to a source of air pressure and arranged approximately parallel to the surface of the table for producing a moving film of air under the sheet in the direction of the side stop to ensure that the sheet remains against the side stop when the suction is no longer effective and until the sheet is removed from the table.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for automatically positioning a piece on a worktable. A worktable (4) supports a reference system (3) constituted by three rollers (G1, G2, G3). The piece such as a substrate (2) is placed on the table (4) in the neighborhood of the rollers. A first pivoting arm (21) comes into contact with a side (C3) of the substrate (2) to bring the opposed side (C1) in contact with the rollers (G1, G2). A second pivoting arm (20) comes into contact with the side (C4) of the substrate (2) to bring the opposed side (C2) in contact with the roller (G3). The arms (20, 21) are controlled by a single means such as a jack (22) of which the body (23) and the rod (24) are floatingly mounted and are respectively associated with the two arms (20, 21). The invention is primarily useful for positioning of a support for integrated circuits in a serigraphic machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for driving a sheet into a corner registration with registration members defining two orthogonal registration lines, including a sphere mounted to overly and drivingly engage a sheet being so registered, said sphere being rotatable on variable axes and vertically and laterally movable relative to the sheet, including a drive engaging the sphere for rotatably driving said sphere and a sheet in an initial direction of rotation towards both orthogonal registration lines, but allowing changes in the direction of rotation of the sphere and lateral movement of the sphere relative to its retainer and different positions of engagement thereagainst in response to the different reaction forces on the sphere from a sheet being driven by said sphere, and including a normal force control system associated with the retainer for automatically varying the normal force between the sphere and the sheet being driven in response to the lateral movement of the sphere and the reaction force, this normal force control pre

Abstract: Device for separating and feeding sheets in seriatim from a stack to a processing station. The device includes a pin which periodically contacts and forms a pivot point on the stack. A rotary wave generator is disposed to rotate about the pivot point. The rotary wave generator periodically contacts a topmost sheet in the stack and shingles (that is separates) the sheet from the stack. The shingled sheet is fed into a paper sheet aligner and into the processing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving sheets of paper from a copying machine or the like includes a tray receiving a stack of sheets on a bottom plate. A side reference plate and a front reference plate are provided on portions of the plate to align the sheets of paper properly within the tray. A roller inclined relative to the side and front reference plates is rotated in contact with the sheets entering the tray to assure they are properly positioned, and means are provided for selectively discharging sheets from the tray.

Abstract: A sheet orthogonal-conveying method and apparatus in which the front edge of a sheet sliding under its own weight is delivered into the nip formed between a pair of rollers orthogonal to the direction of advancement of the sheet. The sheet is first guided so that its front edge slides into contact with the side edge of one of the rollers, preferably the upper one of the rollers, at a position away from the nip. After the sheet has reached a stationary position stopped by the roller, the position of the guide has changed so that the sheet may slide into the nip and be clamped and conveyed by the rollers. Preferably, the sheet is vibrated during this operation. An elastic guide piece may be utilized to urge the sheet toward a reference surface of the guide member.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transporting a sheet first toward and then along a registration edge provide a support for the sheet having a sheet support surface adjacent the registration edge and a first drive wheel rotatable about a first axis for driving the sheet on the support surface. A second drive wheel rotatable about a second axis extending at right angles to the support surface is provided at the first drive wheel. Such first wheel is initially positioned at an angle to the registration edge and is rotated with the second wheel through a third wheel about the first axis, with the sheet being brought into peripheral engagement with the first drive wheel to transport the sheet on its support surface to the registration edge. The third wheel with the first wheel is then swiveled about the second axis and about the second wheel, toward parallel relationship with the registration edge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semi-automatic aligning and feeding device (1) for copiers, for the purpose of aligning an original (25) and feeding it from a feed table (17) to an object stage (5). Sensors (L.sub.1 to L.sub.5) are provided for scanning the original in various positions. Except for one sensor (L.sub.2), the sensors are located in or on the pivotable cover (3) of the device. The original, laid by hand onto the feed table (17), is picked up by a suction bar (11) which is equipped with spring suction heads (12, 12') and is, corresponding to its particular operating state, supplied either with vacuum or with compressed air and can be moved from a starting position into an end position and back again. In the end position, the spring suction heads are supplied with compressed air so that the original is laid down in precise alignment on the object stage.

Abstract: A direct control paddle wheel apparatus for document corner registration includes a paddle wheel with multiple blades that drive a document into registration with intersecting walls. The blades, as they rotate, are channeled in a direction plate or in the alternative along the surface of an interference barrier and, as a consequence, drive a document from side to side, as well as straight ahead depending on the shape of the plate or barrier.

Abstract: A re-registering feeder machine which is also an improvement to a separating machine accepts sheets of paperboard or other material with various angles of skew, registers them and feeds them to a following machine. A conveyor deck moves the sheet in a first direction where at the last roll the sheet is held down by a plurality of balls in cooperative rotation with the last roll and its leading edge meets a side register guide having a plurality of pairs of tapered drive rolls to grip the sheet along the margin and move the sheet in a second direction at right angles to the first direction after the sheet has been registered. Coatings on the conveyor rolls except for the last roll which has the cooperatively rotating balls in contact therewith provide a proper friction between the rolls and the sheet allowing the sheet to turn in either direction until the angle between its leading edge and the side register guide is zero.

Abstract: An exposure station of an electrophotographic printer (e.g. a reader-printer) comprises means defining a downwardly inclined support for a copy sheet and stop means for the sheet adjacent to the lower extremity of the support, the stop means being movable between operative and inoperative positions, in the former of which it supports the copy sheet against sliding down the support. The stop means comprises a lower stop means and an upper stop means, the lower stop means being effective in a transverse central region of the support and the upper stop means being in two parts, one lying on each side of said central region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating and individually transporting flexible sheets from a stack to at least one processing unit wherein one stack edge is compressed and the topmost sheet is picked-up by pick-up heads at its edge situated at the compressed stack edge, the engaged edge is lifted from the stack, and the lifted edge is gripped by horizontally moving removal elements which remove the partially lifted sheet from under the pick-up heads and carry it away in a horizontal direction at least beyond the pick-up zone whereby the sheet is progressively turned and rolled off the stack and transported to a registering mechanism where the sheet is oriented in a predetermined position for feeding to the processing unit.

Abstract: In apparatus for conveying successive stacks of sheets to a station at which an operation is to be performed on the stack, the sheets are advanced by pushing elements (14) to the station, at which a resilient finger (17) projects through a slot (16) in the track. The finger (17) aligns the leading edges of the sheets in the stack. When the stack of sheets is to be advanced, a slide (20) retracts. The finger (17) is pivotally mounted on the slide and its upper inclined edge engages the bottom rear corner of the slot when the slide is retracted, causing the finger to sink below the track until the slide is returned in time for the alignment of the next stack.

Abstract: In a copier, a recirculating document handler having a corner registering mechanism for precisely positioning a document on a platen prior to imaging. The document is initially driven onto the platen and then corner registered against two mutually orthogonal edge guides by a dual paddle wheel drive mechanism. A clamp plate mounted above the platen is then lowered to flaten the document against the platen thereby insuring it is imaged in the copier's depth of field. Once the document is imaged it is side shifted away from one of the edge guides and driven from the platen and stacked in a copier stacking tray. This process of registering, clamping, and removing is repeated for successive documents rapidly enough to have a document throughput of greater than one per second.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding of sheets from a pile to the inlet gripper of a printing press includes a downwardly angled feed table extending between the pile and the press, sheets being fed in succession across the table. A periodically interposed front stop stops the sheet at the end of the table in position for pick-up by the gripper in the press. A side guide at the edge of the table and extending upwardly a short distance therefrom positions the lateral edge of the sheet. A wiping assembly wipes the sheet toward the side guide as it settles against the front stop. To keep the sheet on the table a flexible leaf spring presses downwardly on the sheet in the region of the side guide. A holder engages the upstream end of the spring for holding it at a shallow angle and in a slightly sprung condition.

Abstract: A device for aligning sheets in a stack relative to at least one reference surface of a support tray. The device includes at least one movable alignment arm extending into the tray and a mechanism for transporting the arm to contact a sheet periodically and to move said sheet in a direction perpendicular to the reference surface for alignment.

Abstract: A moving-document copier wherein a loop-shaped path is used to recirculate a document once for each requested copy, the recirculation path having a skewed turn-around guide which intentionally skews the document's leading edge during recirculation, to avoid document jams. The document is subsequently realigned for rescanning to make another copy. A copy-request counter operates to pivot the skewed turn-around guide to a document-intercept position so long as more copies are needed. When all requested copies have been imaged, the document is allowed to proceed to an exit tray.

Abstract: A large number of presensitized plates are stacked on a platform. The platform is controlled to lift the stack of presensitized plates so that the uppermost presensitized plate in the stack is always positioned at a predetermined level. Sucking members suck the uppermost plate and lift it away from the rest of the stack. The lifted plate is placed on a plurality of parallel endless belts and transferred to a printing section. The plate is positioned in two dimensions with respect to the printing section on the way thereto.

Abstract: Sheet alignment and feeding apparatus including a sheet feed table for supporting a sheet to be fed, a side registration edge along one edge of the feed table, a sheet feed roll rotatably mounted in the feed table so that its top surface is in feeding engagement with a sheet to be fed, a cooperating pinch device in contact with the top of the feed roll, the feed roll being canted at an angle to the side registration edge to simultaneously drive a sheet against the registration edge and in a forward direction, and the feed roll having a relatively low coefficient of friction. The effects of contamination on the feed roll are minimized and a more effective and reliable feeding operation is achieved.

Abstract: A mechanism for registering a sheet against front and side stops on the feed table of a printing press, employing a suction head recessed in the table and reciprocated for lateral shifting movement in the direction of the side stop timed with the arrival of the sheet. The head is connected to a source of suction so that the sheet is shifted into contact with the side stop. The head has intentional play in the direction of feeding movement of the sheet, as measured from a reference position, and is freely rockable about its axis, so that the sheet is free to settle against the front stop at the same time that it is being shifted toward the side stop. A conduit connected to a source of a pressure is provided for applying a short puff of air to the head, timed with completion of the shifting movement, to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table. The return movement of the head is utilized to reverse the play and to restore the head to reference position.

Abstract: A document registering and feeding apparatus comprising a flexible registration and feeding member for driving a document into registration engagement with a side registration member and for feeding a document in a direction substantially parallel to the side registration member. The flexible registration and feeding member comprises a flexible rotatable drive shaft and a generally cylindrical deformable scuffer wheel fixed to one end of the drive shaft, the wheel being in pressure contact with the base surface and adjacent to but spaced from the side registration member.

Abstract: Stacking apparatus for stacking sheets in corner registration to form sets positioned with respect to a finishing device such as a stitcher or stapler. The apparatus comprises a stack support surface which is inclined downwardly towards an endless belt extending across the surface and which forms a registration stop. The belt aligns the sheets in one plane and full corner registration is achieved by driving the belt to feed the sheets against a second registration stop.

Abstract: A sheet feeding and registering apparatus includes a document platen, a single wide document transport belt and a sheet registration member. The sheet registration member is a linear member with a plurality of lower registration edges at a first level above the platen and a plurality of sheet stripping portions raised to a level above the first level and forming therewith a series of undulations. The raised sheet stripping portions are inclined to a direction opposite the direction of sheet transport and with the document platen form a small sheet corner capturing cavity. When feeding a slightly skewed sheet to the registration edge the lead corner is first stripped from the transport belt, then physically captured by the cavity and pivoted about its lead edge until it is fully registered against the registration member.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a sheet-like original on the feed table of a copying machine comprises a plurality of sensors, mounted on the table, that have different states of response corresponding to the presence or absence of an original at the sensor on the table. The sensors are mounted in pairs, the sensors in each pair being arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the feed table that extends parallel to the direction of feed of sheet-like originals. A lateral transport mechanism causes an original, lying ready to be copied, to be displaced in a lateral direction, transverse to the feed direction.

Abstract: An aperture card reader is equipped with a unit detachably mountable on the main body for automatically feeding aperture cards. The aperture card can automatically be placed between presser plates while the unit is mounted on the main body or, alternatively, can be manually fed when the unit is detached from the main body. The aperture card is automatically fed between the presser plates with the card in a position in which the minor sides of the aperture card are oriented in the direction of feed, while the card can be manually placed between the presser plates by feeding the card in a position in which the major sides of the card are oriented in the direction of feed. The image of the microfilm mounted on the aperture card can be projected on a screen in a horizontal position when the card is fed automatically, or in a vertical position when the card is fed manually.

Abstract: A frame has (1) a pair of arms parallel to one another and normal to a third arm, each arm having a movable dog for orienting a sheet and (2) a plurality of arms each having cups through which a vacuum is pulled to secure the oriented sheet to the frame and through which pressurized fluid is moved to bias the sheet away from the frame.

Abstract: To align sheets being fed to a printing machine without interruption of smooth flow of sheet feeding, the sheets are aligned while they are being fed from a stack to a set-up or alignment table 19 by imparting thereto a lateral force to direct the moving sheets towards a side or lateral stop. The vectorial lateral force component can be obtained by skewing transport belts 33 laterally, providing a transversely running belt 83 with freely movable engagement balls to press the sheets against the transversely moving belt, or tilting the transport table or conveyor system 17 and imparting vibration thereto so that the sheets will be jogged against a lateral stop 45, arriving properly longitudinally as well as laterally oriented at the set-up or alignment table for subsequent feeding into the printing machine. Preferably, the drive mechanism for the transport conveyor belts includes a variable speed transmission to selectively control overlap of subsequent sheets being fed.

Abstract: A machine tool is illustrated having a workpiece support table on which a workpiece is moved by an automatically controlled workpiece gripper movable in the X and Y directions. Movement of the gripper in at least the X direction is controlled in reference to a base line which is set within the automatic control in response to abutment of the workpiece edge against a table supported stop, the stop being movable against a spring from a rest position through a first or base line set in position in response to abutment by the moving edge of the workpiece carried by the gripper. Movement of the stop through the first position automatically sets the base line within the automatic control.

Abstract: Multiple size plate registration system having a platen with a top planar surface. Channels are formed in the platen and open through the top planar surface. Parallel grooves are formed in the platen spaced transversely of the platen, extending longitudinally of the platen and opening through the top planar surface. Endless belts travel in the grooves and are used for advancing a plate onto the planar surface of the platen. First and second stop pins are mounted in the platen and are extendable above the top planar surface. Controls are provided for causing the stop pins to be selectably movable between retracted positions below the top planar surface and extended positions above the top planar surface. A guide is carried by the top surface of the platen and extends longitudinally of the platen on one side of the planar surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding sheetlike originals to be copied which has a defined path for conveying the original that includes a feed section with guide elements which together form a feed slot and a continuously driven roller for conveying an original introduced in the path further includes a sheet arresting element located downstream of the driven roller and movable between two positions, namely, a first position in which the arresting element blocks the path of conveyance, and a second position in which the arresting element lies outside of the path of conveyance.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to new methods and means for removing fabric plies one at a time from a stack, transporting the individual plies to a secondary location, precisely orienting and aligning the plies for a subsequent operation and, in some cases assembling one ply with another in preparation for a sewing operation. In one of its advantageous forms, the equipment specifically illustrated herein is especially useful for picking individual shirt cuff and liner plies from separate supply stacks, transporting them to a load station, and assembling the plies one on top of the other, in proper alignment and orientation for sewing. In a secondary mode, the equipment of the invention may be used to transport individual fabric plies, such as entire short sleeve shirt sections, to a sewing or other processing station.

Abstract: In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. As the sheet is brought into registration fluid injected or drawn through holes in a wide wall of the sleeve is used to force at least a part of the sheet against one of the wide walls and the resulting friction serves to brake the traveling sheet, thereby minimizing impact forces between the sheet, the narrow wall, and the stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered.

Abstract: A method for changing the direction of travel of a sheet includes the steps of providing a pocket, guiding a sheet traveling in a first direction into the pocket, and providing a fluid stream in the pocket to bias the sheet in a substantially opposite direction, thereby reversing the direction of travel of the sheet.

Abstract: An original sheet document for electrostatic reproduction is inserted into the mechanism face up, and the mechanism feeds and positions the document onto a glass platen face down. Endless belts are trained over pulleys forming a plurality of parallel runs which are disposed closely above the platen. Idler feed rollers are disposed above the pulleys which feed the document into engagement with a guide member which reverses the direction of movement of the document by 180.degree. and guides the document between the belts and the platen. The belts are oriented at an angle to the edges of the platen and move the document both forwardly and laterally across the platen. Elongated stops are provided at the edges of the platen toward which the document is moved by the belts, and the document aligningly abuts against the stops. The belts are arranged to yield upon said abutment. The stop at the forward edge is movable to allow the belts to move the document off the platen onto a receiving tray.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding record cards to and from a utilization station in a record card utilization machine comprises a support housing for a card origination hopper and a card collection hopper, which is mounted below the origination hopper. A transfer carriage is mounted for reciprocal, pivoted movement from a first position where it receives a card from the origination hopper, to a second position at the utilization station where the card is utilized, and back to the same first position where it returns the card to the collection hopper. A card feeding and returning mechanism is associated with the hoppers to feed cards to and remove cards from the carriage at different times in the sequence of operation of the apparatus, but nevetheless with the carriage at the same first position in its path of reciprocal, pivoted travel.

Abstract: In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered. In a third embodiment, similar to the first, a manifold is coupled to the ports and a vacuum pump is coupled to the manifold to accelerate registration. In a fourth embodiment, similar to the third, the pumps are replaced with a reversible pump to register and discharge a sheet.

Abstract: A device for positioning a metal sheet on a transfer conveyor comprises a support surface for the sheet, guides extending parallel to the conveyor, a carriage slidably supported on the guides, sheet gripping clamps supported on the carriage, reference stops for the longitudinal and transverse positioning of the sheet relative to the conveyor feed direction, jacks for moving the gripping clamps between a position in which they pick up the sheet on the support surface and a position in which they abut against the transverse reference stops, and drive means for the carriage.

Abstract: A method for registering a stack of sheets with respect to perpendicularly related axes includes the steps of providing a first sleeve for accommodating the stack of sheets; providing a stop at one end of the sleeve; placing the stack in the sleeve; and providing in the sleeve a fluid stream, whereby the fluid stream moves the sheets down the sleeve in unison and moves the sheets into registration with a wall of the sleeve and the stop. In a modified method a second sleeve is provided in alignment with and adjacent to said first sleeve. The sheets are first placed inside the second sleeve and fluid is drawn from the first sleeve to move the stack. Assistance in moving the stack is provided by fluid injected into the second sleeve, care being taken to prevent a net flow of air out of a gap between the first and second sleeves.

Abstract: An original to be copied is fed onto the copy table of the copying machine. The receipt of the original to be copied triggers the establishment of an electrostatic holding field which holds the original flat on the copy table during the exposure operation. Performance of the exposure operation triggers disestablishment of the electrostatic holding field. The polarity of the electrostatic holding field is successively reversed.

Abstract: A device for the lateral and longitudinal positioning of sheets on the feed table of a printing press, with the leading edge of the sheet engaging a set of front stops and the lateral edge of the sheet in contact with a side guide, enabling accurate registered pick up by a transfer cylinder or the like. Cooperating laterally swingable wiper members are provided both above and below the sheet having friction shoes for wiping the sheet in the direction of the side guide. The friction shoes are connected to the respective wiper members in such a way as to provide freedom of relative movement at right angles to the direction of wipe so that the sheet may move against the front stops at the same time that is being wiped toward the side guide.

Abstract: Apparatus for registering a sheet with respect to perpendicularly related axes is disclosed. Structurally, each embodiment disclosed includes (a) a sleeve for internally accomodating a sheet, at least one point on an inner narrow wall of the sleeve being aligned in parallel with one of the axes; (b) a retractable gate located at one end of the sleeve, in one position the gate having at least one point aligned in parallel with the other of the axes; and (c) means for providing in the sleeve a fluid stream having velocity components normal to each of the axes, whereby when the gate is in said position and a sheet is placed in the sleeve, the stream moves the sheet into abutment with each of said points.

Abstract: In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. Near the other end of the sleeve the other narrow wall includes a plurality of ports communicating with the space inside the sleeve and a chamber of a grounded metallic manifold coupled to the sleeve. Insulators support in the chamber an electrode connected to a voltage source and a pump forces air past the electrode and into the sleeve to provide therein an ionized fluid. The fluid exits through the ports in said narrow wall and stop and if a charged sheet is in the sleeve it is neutralized and registered against said narrow wall and stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the ports in the narrow wall and sleeve communicate with the chamber of a second manifold coupled to the sleeve.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop, a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. After the sheet has been registered, fluid inserted or drawn through holes in a wide wall of the sleeve maintains the sheet in contact with one of the wide walls, thereby further registering the sheet. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered. In a third embodiment, similar to the first, a manifold is coupled to the ports and a vacuum pump is coupled to the manifold to accelerate registration.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming serrated edges in wooden panels for interengagement with abutting panels in a wooden I-beam assembly comprises opposed sets of broaches operable for cutting a toothed serration pattern cleanly and accurately in opposed edges of a stack of up to 40 such panels simultaneously. The panels are loaded in infeed means of the apparatus which transports the stack into position for broaching. The stack of panels is aligned laterally by lateral stack alignment means upon placement of the panels in the infeed means. Longitudinal stack alignment means aligns the stack longitudinally when it is transported by the infeed means to a position for broaching. During broaching the stack is supported on opposed anvils in a manner for forming the serrations symmetrically with respect to each end of the stack, hold down means clamps the stack on the anvils, and actuation means drives the broaches downwardly.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a bent rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop, a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. The sleeve includes at each bend a pair of oppositely disposed openings, a driven roller, a drive roller cooperating with the driven roller to provide a nip in the sleeve, and a pair of shrouds covering the rollers and openings. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop, the rollers assisting movement of the sheets through the bends. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered.

Abstract: A system wherein documents are presented to a platen of a xerographic system includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. A document handler resting on the platen and having a fluidically lubricated platform is used to feed documents placed on the platform through the opening and into pockets of the rack. The document handler cooperates with the platen to provide a rectangular document pocket and documents in the rack may be shuttled to and from the document pocket. Fluid streams are used to initiate movement of a document being shuttled. Documents moved to the platen are orthogonally registered with a pair of walls of the document pocket, and copies of the registered documents may be made by the xerographic system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an alignment assembly for accurately aligning separate sets of documents being inserted into the assembly from transversely oriented feed paths, the alignment assembly including a pivotally mounted document gate which provides not only guide passageways for documents entering the assembly, but also an alignment edge for accurately positioning and aligning documents within the assembly in document clamps adapted to transport the documents from the alignment assembly to a print station and thereafter to an exit transport assembly. The movement of documents inserted in the alignment assembly is effected by a document aligner assembly comprising cooperating vibratory document transporters and pivotally mounted back-up rollers for simultaneously urging the documents into the clamps and against the alignment edge of the document gate.

Abstract: Method for forming planks for use in chord components of integral truss-supported decks comprises placing the squared off leading edge of a blank, unprocessed plank on a supporting frame; indexing the plank longitudinally and laterally in the frame accurately locating it for drilling; and drilling splice plate locating holes at each extremity of the plank, and side connector holes in a spaced relation along the sides of the plank, with the aid of drill jigs located above the frame.The apparatus includes a frame, for supporting the planks, having an end stop located at one end for accurately locating the plank longitudinally in the frame, a side stop located along one side for accurately locating the plank laterally in the frame, and indexing means for indexing the plank with the side stop and maintaining it there.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatus for fluidically registering or posing documents in copying systems are disclosed. Each embodiment includes: a document feeder; and fluidic means for registering documents at a station and for discharging documents from the station. Discharged documents are collected in a tray.

Abstract: A rotary cylinder printing press in which the disadvantages incurred by having to stop each sheet to set it in registration with the printing cylinder are overcome by carrying the longitudinal register on a transfer cylinder so that the sheets can be set in exact register with the printing cylinder without stopping. The transfer cylinder is rotated continuously in the same direction and its speed is varied cyclically as each sheet is set in register and then transferred to the printing cylinder. The transfer cylinder is also provided with a safety system which detects misalignment of sheets or damaged sheets to prevent the transfer cylinder from conveying such sheets to the printing cylinder.