Abstract: An apparatus for guiding flexible sheet material for forming a three-dimensional assembly including a drive device and an edge position detector. The drive device includes a spherical drive wheel moving about two perpendicular axes. A drive roller controls the rotation of the wheel in a vertical plane and a shaft controls its rotation in a horizontal plane. The apparatus provides for measurement of angular position and for control of rotation at the end of the shaft which carries the spindle of the drive wheel. The edge position detector is formed from a strip of photoelectric diodes, a light source, and electronic dircuits providing a control signal for the drive device.

Abstract: A wrinkle-preventing mechanism for a high-speed printer, in which the web constituting the printing medium passes between skewed image and pressure cylinders while being subjected thereby to a high pressure, includes a flat-surfaced, rigid pressure pad underlying the web path toward the nip of the cylinders, a skewed, freely rotatable, elastomer-surfaced drag-inducing roller for pressing the web over its entire width against the pressure pad, and a loading system for applying forces to the roller to provide the requisite loading across the entire width of the web. A skew angle for the drag-inducing roller of about 2.degree.-5.degree. relative to the perpendicular to the direction of movement of the web toward the nip is preferred.

Abstract: An edge steerage apparatus for steering an edge of a moving web to correct for misalignment of the edge in the direction of travel. The apparatus includes one or more edge steerage units, each unit having a pair of pivotally supported, spaced-apart wheels adjacent to the edge of the web for contacting the moving web. For each of the wheels of the steerage unit, a spherical ball is provided which rotates freely omni-directionally so that the web is engaged between the wheels and the spherical ball. The two wheels of a steerage unit have a slight toe-out so that the web between the wheels is maintained in a taut condition. The position of the edge is monitored in relation to a fixed position and a steerage drive orients the wheels to introduce lateral movement in the cloth between the wheels and at the edge to steer the edge toward the fixed position.

Abstract: Sheet feeding systems provide a sheet receiving nip at a peripheral region of a rotary sheet transport and arrange sheets in a stack having a stack and formed by a bottom sheet and spaced from the nip by a distance shorter than the minimum length of any of the sheets. The stack is temporarily lifted from a stack rest, and the bottom sheet is removed therefrom. Sheet jams are prevented by advancing any bottom sheet to the rotary sheet transport in a plane intersecting that rotary sheet transport at a distance from the nip. Each bottom sheet is further advanced from that intersecting plane to the nip, and such advanced bottom sheet is engaged with the nip for transport away from the stack with the rotary sheet transport. The stack end is returned to the stack rest after said removal of a bottom sheet, and the temporary stack end lifting, sheet advancing, sheet engaging and stack end returning steps are repeated individually for further bottom sheets advanced from the stack end.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a sorter and an offsetting device. The offsetting device is positioned within the printer and is adapted to translate sheets in route to the sorter alternately front and rearward such that copy sheets are offset before they are driven into the sorter with subsequent copy sheet sets being offset from each other within bins of the sorter.

Abstract: A transport mechanism for film cards having two rocker levers supported on a pivoting lever that can swivel around a shaft, with the rocker levers being capable of pivoting around a rocker lever shaft. The two rocker levers, in turn, support two opposite discs, one of which is driven by a motor. A gripping motion of the discs is brought about by provision of guide grooves located on the rocker levers, with each groove accommodating a stationary pin. Through provision of an intermediate carrier, the upper disc is fixed to the upper rocker lever in a manner that it can pivot around a horizontal axis which is at right angles to the rocker lever shaft. Therefore the upper disc can be tilted in the respective direction of transport.

Abstract: A garment portion loader utilizes a plurality of photo-electric sensors to determine the positions of garment portions at selected stations including a delivery assembly which supplies garment portions for loading, a pick-up assembly which removes garment portions from the delivery assembly and places them on an alignment conveyor, and an alignment assembly which aligns the garment portions with a pre-established standard relative to the alignment conveyor. A rejection assembly is provided to remove garments which are not properly aligned. The loader may be controlled by a microprocessor receiving input from the sensors and controlling the various assemblies.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus for moving a sheet in a predetermined direction, characterized by a guide located at the lateral side of the path for the sheet, a conveyor for conveying the sheet along the guide, and a flexure inhibiting member for holding down the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet rotation and registration vertical transport includes the combination of a belt conveyor and a series of housed free floating balls arranged such that the balls selectively retard one side of a sheet moving along the conveyor, thereby causing the sheet to rotate 90.degree. due to the pull of gravity against the sheet.

Abstract: A feed lever and a lateral stop with individual guide members spaced apart and arranged in slot-shaped grooves of the metal feed table supported so that they can be raised and lowered on a support. The guide members are each equipped with a guide body possessing a lateral stop in the form of a roller. These rollers come up against the edge to be guided of the sheet metal plate. A guide and clamping device is located alongside of each roller. The apparatus allows sheet metal plates to be accommodated, spaced apart from one another in several stacks, these sheet metal plates being cut at different locations on the cutting knife.

Abstract: A device for transporting a flexible strip (11) along a guide (15) by means of conical pressure rollers (35 and 45), whose apices face each other. The pressure rollers (35 and 45) are loaded by a spring (65, 135) common to both rollers, as a result of which an accurately defined directional force is obtained towards the guide (15).

Abstract: A transport mechanism is disclosed for transporting a document around a track in a groove. A boundary wall in the form of a continuous wall or an array of guide cylinders is provided on the outside of a corner around which the track passes. A breaking cylinder which is rotated with the same surface velocity as the document constricts the document against the boundary and opens out any longitudinal folds therein to reduce the mechanical strength which they cause in the document. A drive mechanism then flattens the document against the boundary and renders the document flexible for the continuation of its transportation around the curved track. Dog-ears on the leading edge of a document are conditioned to prevent their causing impediment to further document transportation either by being folded back against the document or by being folded back into the plane of the document.

Abstract: A document feeder for feeding a document sheet in a document feeding path downstream to a registered copying position on the platen of a copier, with deskewing and edge registration (document registration transverse the direction of the document feeding path to the platen) upstream of the platen, with a skewed roller edge registration system for feeding the document transversely as well as downstream, and wherein a large radius non-skewed arcuate document guide path provides an arcuate document deforming portion of the document feeding path, the improvement wherein an arcuate document edge confinement and control is provided along the edge of the arcuate document guide path, preferably by a document edge guide having a narrow and smooth-bottomed arcuate slot adapted to receive, confine closely, and edge register the document therein, sliding it along the bottom of the slot, and the skewed rollers are mounted in and intermediately of the arcuate document guide path for providing both edge registration and desk

Abstract: Apparatus for driving sheets comprises a track assembly, a first plurality of drive rollers and a cooperating set of back-up rollers for transporting sheets in a first direction along the track assembly, a second plurality of drive rollers and a cooperating set of back-up rollers for driving said sheets in a second direction with respect to the track assembly, into proper position to cause them to be transported by said first plurality of drive rollers and cooperating back-up rollers, and solenoid-operated actuating mechanism for simultaneously operating both sets of back-up rollers to cause one set of back-up rollers to be moved into operative position when the other set of back-up rollers is moved out of operative position.

Abstract: A mounting mechanism for the backup roll of a roll pair wherein a four bar linkage is provided. The backup roll is mounted at one end of a first arm and bears against a mating roll positioned in a stationary location. The first arm extends to a pivot point around which the backup roll rotates to engage the mating roll. A second arm is rigidly connected to the first arm at the pivot point and extends to an end point. A third arm, comprised of a coil spring with a coupler threaded thereto, extends from the end point of the second arm to a stationary point. The fourth arm of the four bar linkage is the ground extending between the stationary points to which the first and third arms are attached. By adjusting the coupler, the number of active coils in the third arm is adjusted thereby adjusting the normal force between rolls to a desired value.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for registering flexible sheets has a first conveyor belt with a smooth sheet contacting surface movably mounted to a frame. A movable abutment belt is mounted to said frame and juxtaposed with said conveyor belt. The conveyor belt and the abutment belt move at the same rate of speed so that a sheet deposited on said conveyor belt is engaged by and aligned with said abutment belt and is thereby registered during advancement between said inlet end and said outlet end.

Abstract: A device for conveying a sheet along a conveying path while bringing and/or holding an edge of the sheet against an abutment strip at one side of the conveying path comprises a friction member that rotates about an axis extending transversely over the conveying path and has flexible fingers each extending in a direction that is the resultant of an axial component directed toward the abutment strip and a tangential component in the direction of rotation of the friction member. A rotating finger contacting a sheet in the path will bend in such a way that its end is displaced in the sheet conveying plane in the direction toward the abutment strip to position the sheet against that strip, and then will bend so as to move its end off the sheet.

Abstract: A transfer device to transport a film card from a film platform of a microfilm reading machine to a cassette and in the reverse direction has a transport device which has two mutually opposite rotary disks which are approachable towards each other like the jaws of tongs. This transport device is capable of moving towards the film card, so that the film card passes between the disks. One of the disks is driven so that the film card is transported as soon as it passes between the disks. Due to the arrangement of a pair of disks, the transport device is extremely flat so that it can withdraw a film card from a cassette without the need for it to be slid into the induction region of the transport device by means of, for example, a ram.

Abstract: A slitter feeds paper sheets one-at-a-time from a stack onto an alignment table and against a guide surface. A quick and accurate adjustment for the guide surface enables the orientation of the guide surface and thus of the sheets to be adjusted. The sheets are fed to a cutter and are cut into segments. The cutters include radially overlapping cutting edges which are freely separable, against a spring-bias, to accommodate the simultaneous passage of more than one sheet. The cut segments are discharged onto conveyor assemblies and fanned-out in divergent directions for collection. The conveyor assemblies support the segments along laterally spaced lines and frictionally engage the segments with a drive belt intermediate the lines of support. A quick-release clutch enables the drive to the sheet feeding mechanism to be interrupted.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing the direction of motion of rectangular pieces of mail from a path parallel to a long edge of the pieces of mail to a path parallel to the short edge thereof, comprises a first conveying segment having an end section which moves the pieces of mail in a direction parallel to their long edge but displaceable so that the pieces of mail can be moved in addition by another mechanism. At the end of the first conveying segment, a first deflecting device is provided for engaging a leading edge of the pieces of mail and deflecting them for movement into a second direction but, at the same time, holding the pieces of mail so their edges remain parallel throughout the operation. A second conveying segment is provided for receiving the pieces of mail from the first deflecting device and conducting the pieces of mail along the second direction to a second deflecting device.

Abstract: A sheet moving apparatus comprising: a track having first and second spaced side walls and a third wall therebetween to form a sheet receiving space therebetween; and a sheet feeder for moving a sheet towards the third wall and thereafter moving the sheet in a downstream direction along the track. The sheet feeder comprises a rotatable member having a surface positioned in the sheet receiving space and a rotary drive enabling the rotatable member and its surface to be rotated. The sheet feeder also includes a rotatable or pivotal member moveable between first and second positions with regard to the rotatable member, with the pivotal member having a roller member to cooperate with the surface of the rotatable member to move a sheet towards the third wall when the pivotal member is in the first position, and the rotatable member and its surface are rotated.

Abstract: The device for feeding card-type data supports in a processing equipment includes a guiding path having at least one lateral abutment edge for aligning the data support during travelling from an introduction slot towards a processing position within the equipment. The data support being correctly aligned during its travel along the guiding path, it may be processed during such travel by reading and/or writing data thereon. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the automatic feeding and alignment of the data support is achieved by a frictional guiding wheel secured on a driving shaft which in turn may be pivoted about an axis normal to the plane of the data support card.

Abstract: A high speed slitter for slitting large sheets (3) of thin metal into rectangular strips has pairs of rollers (10, 10') mounted on parallel, driven shafts (12, 13). Each roller has a hub (98, 98') carrying a cutter ring (100, 100') with a circular cutting edge (112). A draw ring (92, 92'), cooperating with the opposite cutting ring (100', 100) to draw the sheet between the rollers, consists of a resilient ring (94, 94'), gripping the hub but capable of slipping around it when subjected to sufficient appropriate force, and a steel tire (96, 96'), carried only by the resilient ring and engaging the sheet. The tire can be deflected radially by virtue of the resilient ring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a suction device for securely holding printing plates in a processing position by sub-atmospheric pressure. The suction device comprises a turnstile arrangement with four suction tables in two mutually perpendicular planes and is connected to a motor which rotates the turnstile arrangement in 90.degree. steps. Four suction chambers are located in a hub part of the turnstile arrangement, these chambers being connected, via pressure lines, to a vacuum source for generating sub-atmospheric pressure. The supporting surface of each suction table comprises suction slots, which communicate in pairs, each of these communicating pairs of suction slots being connected to the associated suction chamber via a common suction passage. Each suction chamber comprises a piston with its piston rod being guided outwardly through an end face of the hub part and carrying a circular plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for discharging sheets of paper from a copying machine, printing machine, or the like. The apparatus has a plurality of spaced parallel belt supporting rollers with a belt member reeved around them and having at least one run extending from a first to a second one of the belt supporting rollers. The belt member is positioned to receive sheets on the outer peripheral surface at the end of the run adjacent the first belt supporting roller. An offset roller is positioned in rolling contact with the outer peripheral surface of the belt member at a position downstream of the first belt supporting roller and a solenoid or spring device is connected to the offset roller for changing the position of the offset roller between a position in which the axis of rotation thereof is parallel to the axis of rotation of the belt supporting rollers and a position in which the axis of rotation thereof is skew to the axis of rotation of the belt supporting rollers.

Abstract: Methods of a human operator processing first and second interrelated documents in pairs relative to a processing station provide a first document entry station for receiving a first document from the human operator, and a second document entry station for receiving a second document from the human operator. The human operator separates the interrelated first and second documents from each other and deposits the first document in the first document entry station while depositing the second document in the second document entry station. The deposited first document is transported from the first document entry station relative to the processing station, and the second document is transferred from the second to the first document entry station, for subsequent transport from such first station relative to the processing station.

Abstract: A sheet arranging system for use with a sorter, collator, etc., providing a sheet arranging section defined by receiving rollers, delivery rollers and a forward reference edge, wherein sheets fed on the basis of rearward reference are moved toward a forward reference. The sheet arranging section has sheet obliquely moving means located therein for obliquely moving toward the delivery rollers and the forward reference edge the sheet released from the receiving rollers in accordance with the rearward reference irrespective of the size of the sheet, while so rotating the sheet that a corner of the leading edge of the sheet near to the operator is moved away from the forward reference edge.

Abstract: A document feeder for automatically inverting a duplexed original so that the second side may be copied. The inverting mechanism is a turnaround roll located at the exit of the copy station. The inverting mechanism cooperates with rollers located above the document glass for moving documents thereacross. The rollers are inclined at an angle to the direction of paper movement in order to position paper against a side reference edge. When receiving a document from the turnaround roll and moving it in the reverse direction, the inclination of the rollers is removed or altered to a minus angle. Alternatively, a second set of rollers, inclined at a minus angle, are brought into active use when documents are moved in the reverse direction.

Abstract: A front feed system that includes powered rollers for feeding sheet metal into the front of a shear. In one embodiment, the system uses ball transfer apparatus for facilitating feeding the sheet metal at various angles to the shear blade as desired by the operator. The transfer apparatus may then be lowered to rest the oriented sheet metal on the rollers for delivery to the shear. In a second embodiment, a turntable is positioned proximate the shear to further facilitate final orientation of the sheet material to be sheared. In a third embodiment, the sheet metal is automatically forced against a squaring arm on the shear to assure cuts perpendicular to the edge of the sheet metal, whether the sheet is positioned on the ball transfer apparatus or on the rollers through inclination of portions of the conveyor and/or the ball transfer apparatus.

Abstract: A duplex tray is provided for an automatic duplex copying machine, or the like, for receiving and stacking thereon one-side-copied and for re-feeding those sheets into the machine in order to perform printing on the other side of each sheet, having, a gate for switching the sheet transportation directions from a sheet path for discharging sheets outside the machine to a sheet path for discharging sheets onto the duplex tray, and vice versa; a tray pressure application member means for moving the tray between (i) a reference position and (ii) a position deviated outwards from the reference position; an inclined roller which is movable upwards and downwards and can line up the sheets discharged onto the tray; whereby, at the time of sheet discharging, the gate is moved to the side of the sheet discharging path of the tray, and the tray pressure application member is moved to a non-pressure application position, and the tray is moved to a position deviated from the reference position and the inclined roller is m

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a platen cover for a copying machine in which the bound volume copying platen is not used for sheet document copying. The cover includes a sheet document transport and handling mechanism with the cover having an independently liftable lid to provide access to the transport and handling mechanism. Substantially uniform counter-balancing of the cover, containing the transport and handling mechanism, or the lid alone, from the closed hold-down position to the raised stay-open position, is provided by a torsional helix spring positioned about the pivotal axis of the lid counterbalancing the lid, and a gas spring acting on the transport and handling mechanism through a lever arm about the same axis, counterbalancing the mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet registration device for receiving a sheet from a sheet input and delivering the sheet to a sheet output, while laterally aligning the sheet prior to delivery to the sheet output, includes an endless belt conveyor which extends between the sheet input and the sheet output, and an alignment surface extending generally parallel to and to one side of the conveyor. An alignment arrangement, including a plurality of parallel vacuum belts and a cooperating plenum, is positioned adjacent the conveyor and is skewed with respect to the conveyor. The alignment arrangement engages a sheet as it is carried by the conveyor and transports the sheet laterally such that a lateral edge of the sheet contacts the alignment surface. The vacuum belts define relatively large openings through which the partial vacuum from the plenum is applied, such that the vacuum belts effectively engage a sheet only during periods in which substantially all of the openings are covered by the sheet.

Abstract: A device for preventing a sheet-like original, when conveyed to a position for reading the image information of the original, from being conveyed to the reading position in an oblique condition with respect to a proper direction. When the original 14, 25, 81 is conveyed along a guide surface 5 while being held between a ball, 8, 23, 33, 44, 51, 71, 75 and an opposed member 6, 22, 29, 31, 50, 70, 76, this device conveys the original at a certain angle with respect to the guide surface, thereby automatically correcting to a proper direction the original being obliquely fed.

Abstract: A sheet feeder comprises a support adapted to hold a stack of sheets, and a straight guide rail extending from the stack parallel to a transport direction and defining a transport path extending in this direction. A generally cylindrical sheet-lifting roller is provided above the support and is vertically engageable with the topmost sheet of the stack, this lifting roller being centered on and rotatable about an axis inclined to the transport direction and rail. This lifting roller can be rotated about the respective axis while in contact with the topmost sheet of the stack for displacing the topmost sheet in the transport direction and toward the rail. Feed rollers downstream of the lift roller are rotated to advance a sheet engaged thereby along the transport path in the transport direction.

Abstract: A document feed device, illustrated with a copier machine, for recirculating documents through a processing station. A movable portion of the document feed device is mounted for pivoting movement to expose a lower document feed path. The movable portion contains several document moving rollers but no prime movers, gears or belts; these rolls are driven by frictional contact with each other and ultimately by contact with a set of driven rollers located in the nonmoving portion of the document feed device. The rollers comprising a document moving nip are oppositely skewed relative to the direction of document travel in order to move documents gently toward a reference edge and coefficients of friction of roller materials are chosen to insure correct document alignment.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling mailpieces is provided, including a feed deck, having an upright wall, and including instrumentalities for successively feeding mailpieces downstream on said feed deck. The feeding instrumentalities include a device for engaging the lower major surface of respective mailpieces and a directional feed roller assembly; the latter including a roller and a flexible shaft. The roller extends from the flexible shaft for disposition in engagement with the upper major surfaces of respective mailpieces and cooperates with the mailpiece engaging device for urging the mailpieces against the upright wall for edge registration. The apparatus also includes instrumentalities for selectively gating mailpieces from the feed deck and for stacking the gated mailpieces on edge at a receiving station.

Abstract: A sheet paper transporting and aligning apparatus is provided with a sideline reference wall for aligning one side edge of a paper sheet before transporting it to a desired position. The apparatus is further provided with rollers which bring the paper sheet in contact with the reference wall. The apparatus is characterized by conveying the paper sheet in the direction away from the reference wall with a predetermined angle prior to engagement between the paper sheet and the rollers. This insures faultless paper sheet aligning operation and prevents occurrence of paper jamming.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus of the pressure fixing type having a toner image formed on a recording sheet fixed by applying pressure, including a tension imparting device for imparting to the recording sheet a tension oriented in the direction of travel of the recording sheet and a tension oriented in a direction perpendicular to the direction of its travel, and a regulating device for regulating the angle and posture of the recording sheet located in the path of movement of the recording sheet immediately before a pressure fixing roller device. The recording sheet is kept in taut condition as it is fed to the pressure fixing roller device to enable wrinkling, jamming and skewing of the recording sheet to be avoided.

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: An information distributor has an entry tray for receiving document originals to be copied and also receives magnetic cards carrying indicia representing information to be reproduced. Copies emerge from a copying mechanism and enter an aligner which physically offsets selected sheets relative to nonselected sheets for stacking in a copy exit pocket. In the aligner, a fixed reference edge deflects incoming sheets along a reference line. A movable reference edge may be selectively lowered between the fixed reference edge and incoming sheets to deflect sheets along another line parallel to, but not coincident with, the reference line.

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: A document feeder having multiple feed members biased into contact with a document to be fed which members are mounted in a manner affording their independent angular adjustment with respect to each other and with respect to the document path, and affording an equalization of the total bias force exerted against the document amongst each of the feed members.

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. A variable or ramped force and/or a variable velocity is applied to the shingler. The force and/or velocity begins at a relatively low value and increases until a sheet is sensed downstream from the stack. This enables the feeding of a wide range of paper types and weights.

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: 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: Apparatus for picking, transportation and depositing of sheeted and/or folded material from different bundles or bunches of material comprises a conveyor module for transport and registration of the sheeted material, the conveyor module including a control device for controlling and registering the material to be transported by the conveyor in a desired direction of transport, at least one conveyor belt, chain or the like driving the material along the conveyor module, a motor coupled to drive the at least one belt, chain or the like, the direction of travel of the belt, chain or the like being placed at a sharp angle in relation to the control device. Also disclosed is an inserter which can pick different sheets of material by means of suction from a raised or a lying position and to transport the sheets in a desired position, such as on the conveyor. Still further, apparatus and a method of calibration and adjustment of the inserter is provided.

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.