Abstract: In an electrostatographic copier wherein the fuser rolls are positioned closer than the dimensions of the copy sheet from the image transfer area, speed mismatch compensation between the fuser roll nip and the initial image support surface is provided by intentionally driving the fuser roll nip at a different velocity to form a buckle in the intermediate portion of the copy sheet controlled by selective cyclic reductions in the vacuum applied to a configured manifold guide surface. The guide surface may be divided into segments, through one of which the vacuum is continuously maintained.

Abstract: In an electrostatographic copier wherein the fuser rolls are positioned closer than the dimensions of the copy sheet from the image transfer area, speed mismatch compensation between the fuser roll nip and the initial image support surface is provided by intentionally driving the fuser roll nip at a different pre-set velocity to form a buckle in the intermediate portion of the copy sheet controlled by selective cyclic reductions in the vacuum applied to a vacuum chamber sheet guide surface between the fuser nip and the initial image support surface, wherein the vacuum guide is in two areas, one of which is provided with a vacuum by the other, but is cyclically atmospherically vented.

Abstract: A document encoding system transmits an incoming document at a high transport speed. When the document is received at an encoding station it is first stopped and registered and then retransmitted for encoding at a relatively low speed, the exact value being dependent on whether MICR or OCR encoding is used. After characters are encoded on the document the trailing edge is detected and the document is caused to accelerate to the high transport speed where it is transmitted for further processing.In a second alternative embodiment, information relating to character field positions is used to transmit the document at the relatively low speed when encoding and at a heightened speed when otherwise in the encoding station but not encoding.In a third alternative embodiment, the document is received by the encoding station on the fly at the high transport speed. It is advanced at that speed until decelerated to the relatively low speed at the first encoding position.

Abstract: Collision between the tail and head ends of successive singly fed sheets to be overlapped is avoided by ejecting air along a frame sloped downwardly away from the line of feed of the sheets. The tail end of a preceding sheet is thus drawn down out of the path of the head end of a succeeding sheet which is to overlap the preceding sheet.

Abstract: A device for transporting a flexible sheet from one device wherein the sheet is processed at one speed to another device wherein the sheet is processed at another speed. The device comprises two pairs of rollers, one pair of rollers disposed on the downstream side of the path of movement of the sheet and adapted to rotate at a rate higher than the rate of rotation of the other pair of rollers disposed on the upstream side thereof. The rotation of the pair of rollers disposed on the downstream side is temporarily initiated to cause the leading end portion of the sheet to be nipped thereby and then held for a time interval, so as to permit the portion of the sheet interposed between the two pairs of rollers to buckle up and form a loop before transporting at the higher rate is begun by reactivation of the downstream pair of rollers.

Abstract: A rotary printing press for printing single sheets has a transfer drum for conveying sheets singly from a feeder table to the periphery of a printing drum rotating at a constant velocity. To make up for the lag introduced between the tail end of each sheet and the leading edge of the next following sheet as the latter is picked up from the feeder table, the transfer drum in carrying the sheet to the printing drum accelerates the sheet to a speed greater than the peripheral speed of the printing drum before slowing the sheet down to the peripheral speed of the printing drum prior to transfer of the sheet to the latter.