Abstract: A document separating mechanism for an automatic document feeder for separating and feeding the bottommost document of documents laid on document bearing means. A separating roller mechanism has a plurality of rollers provided at spaced locations in an axial direction, and a separating belt mechanism is disposed opposite and above the separating roller mechanism. The separating belt mechanism is composed of a driving roller and a driven roller disposed in parallel at spaced locations, a wide separating belt looped over the driving roller and the driven roller and pressed against the separating roller, and a tension imparting mechanism for exerting tension on the separating belt.

Abstract: A thickness detector is provided for detecting the thickness of envelopes containing documents. The thickness detector detects the thickness of the envelopes at a plurality of points along the length of the envelopes as the envelopes are conveyed along a transport path. The thickness detector includes a fixed roller and a follower roller forming a nip. The follower roller is rotatably mounted on a follower arm that is pivotable relative to the fixed roller. A semi-rigid connecting rod connects the follower arm to a damper that dampens the reciprocal movement of the follower arm.

Abstract: A printer having a facility for manually directing a printing medium along a printing medium path. The printer includes an external housing, a drive roller arranged about an axis of rotation for feeding a printing medium through a processing zone of the printer, a control member arranged about an axis of rotation, and movable between a first axial position in which the control member protrudes from said external housing so as to be manually actuable, and a second axial position in which the control member is retracted relative to the first axial position, and a coupling mechanism selectively coupling the control member and the feed roller to translate rotational movement of the control member into rotational movement of the feed roller, said coupling mechanism being engaged when the control member is in the first axial position and disengaged when the control member is in the second axial position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aligning device (10) for individual sheet (12) alignment. The alignment device (10) comprises a sensor device (22, 24, 26, 28), a delivery device (18), and a transport device (14) located downstream from the delivery device in the direction of conveyance of the sheet (12). In order to align the sheet (12) the sensor device (22, 24, 26, 28) detects the side end of the sheet so that its position can be determined in relation to a desired printing position. The transport device (14) holding the sheet (12) is shifted in relation to the direction (16) in which the sheet (12) is conveyed so that the sheet (12) can be moved into the desired printing position. Before the sheet (12) is aligned the delivery device (18), which feeds the sheet (12) to the transport device (14), is opened.

Abstract: A feed roll has a plurality of equiangularly spaced flat faces thereon for engaging a restraint roll to form a nip therebetween through which the lowermost envelope in a stack of envelopes is fed. A spring continuously urges the restraint roll into engagement with the feed roll. In one embodiment, curved portions connect the flat faces to each other. In another embodiment, the adjacent flat faces intersect each other to form comers on the periphery of the feed roll.

Abstract: A banknote validator comprises a banknote transport path divided in multiple transport sub-systems. Each sub-system is easy to maintain because the axes of a sub-system are in reduced number, and easily removable for maintenance of the sub-system. The validator allows continuous frictional engagement of a banknote in the transport path, including between sub-systems.

Abstract: First bearing position 22 and second bearing position 23 are formed on bearing member 14 that supports rotational shaft 32 of driving conveyance roller 12 while being subjected to pressure from bearing spring 15. Normally, rotational shaft 32 is supported by first bearing position 22, and driving conveyance roller 12 is kept in pressure contact with the driven conveyance roller via the force from bearing spring 15. Conveyance of sheets is performed in this state. When the apparatus is stopped due to a paper jam and the user pulls out the jammed sheet, the force of the pulling causes rotational shaft 32 to detach from first bearing position 22 and move to second bearing position 23 and driving conveyance roller 12 loses pressure contact with the driven conveyance roller. Therefore, the sheet may be easily pulled out, and the apparatus may be reset for continued use.

Abstract: A shaft portion of a retard roller is supported by a pair of supporting members so that the retard roller can be assuredly supported and easily detached. One of the pair of supporting members is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction of the shaft portion. By moving the movable supporting member in a direction of separating from the shaft portion, the retard roller can be detached. A regulation device regulates movement of the movable supporting member in the direction of separating from the shaft portion at a position where the pair of supporting members engage with the shaft portion and is provided on a guide cover for blocking an opening for mounting/detaching the retard roller.

Abstract: A job offset assembly to separate into multiple stacks the output from a copier, printer or the like, includes a platform upon which a plurality of offset assemblies are rotatably mounted, each offset assembly including a skew roller which turns about an axis that, when the offset assemblies are rotated, is not parallel to the axis about which a drive roller associated with the skew roller turns. A gear or rack-and-pinion type offset actuation system enables the offset assemblies to rotate repeatedly back and forth between predetermined positions, so that as media encounters the skew rollers it is directed against a reference edge and into an output stack associated with the offset assembly position.

Abstract: A sheet feed/discharge roller mechanism that includes a plurality of driving rollers and a driven roller shaft disposed in the roller mechanism that is freely displaceable to the driving rollers. A plurality of driven rollers are mounted on the driven roller shaft in facing relationship with the driving rollers. A plurality of roller supporting members apply forces to the driven roller shaft for biasing the driven rollers towards the driving rollers. The forces applied to at least one of the driven rollers is greater than the forces applied to at least a second driven roller.

Abstract: A document feed array comprising a pinch-roll mounted to rotate about its center to engage documents, being mounted on a cantilever-arm pivoted at a point distal from the roll-center and including an elastomeric sleeve which, alone, couples the arm to its pivot point (in operation), the sleeve comprising high-damping, durable elastomeric material adapted to accommodate thickness anomalies in the documents, yet to maximize driving contact therewith.

Abstract: A self adjusting jam prevention guide and jam clearance baffle for a printing machine. A moveable guide is attached to a machine subsystem module and is moveable from a first position to a second position. In the first position the guide bridges a gap between the machine subsystem module and a preceding subsystem module. In the second position, the guide is retracted from the gap to allow easy removal of one of the subsystem modules. The moveable guide is preferably self actuated by the use of a biasing device and a ramped section so that the movement of one of the adjacent subsystem modules causes extension and retraction of the guide. A jam clearance aid is further attached to the exit of the machine subsystem module. The clearance aid uses a J-shaped channel to cause a sheet fed into a jammed sheet to buckle and cause both the first jammed sheet and subsequent sheets to be partially ejected from the paper path for easy removal therefrom.

Abstract: A system can detect leading and trailing edges of documents, and document thickness with a single transducer. The transducer operates to measure the displacement of an idler pinch roller by a passing document.

Abstract: In combination, an inline delivery vehicle for substantially improving performance of a first stage printing press delivery table, for substantially eliminating paper jamming, and for substantially increasing safety of operations. The first stage printing press delivery table has a plurality of driven rollers for increasing the advancing speed of a paper and an upwardly adjustable bracket structure extending above the plurality of driven rollers. The inline delivery vehicle comprises: a first vehicle side positioned perpendicular and proximate the plurality of driven rollers and a second vehicle side positioned perpendicular and proximate the plurality of driven rollers and adjacent the first vehicle side. The first vehicle side and the second vehicle side are removably connected to the upwardly adjustable bracket structure.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a feed roller and pressure rollers for feeding a sheet of paper through the nips each between the feed roller and one of the pressure rollers. The feeder also includes a sheet passage for feeding a sheet of paper through it with an edge of the sheet guided along a side edge of the passage. Each of the pressure rollers is urged against the feed roller by an urging member. The guide edge of the passage is spaced from the adjacent end of the feed roller. Fitted between the edge and the end is a detector for detecting the presence of a sheet of paper. The urging member nearest to the guide edge of the passage is greater in urging force than any other urging member. Therefore, the feeder can feed a sheet of paper without inclining it.

Abstract: A sheet transporting device includes a drive roller including a high rigidity roller having a surface coated with ceramic particles and a follower roller including an elastic roller having a surface coated with a low friction material. A sheet of printing medium is nipped and fed by the drive roller and the transporting roller.

Abstract: A weft yarn feeding device includes a feed roller which rotates at a circumferential speed equal to a running speed of a weft and a pinch roller which moves in and out of contact with the circumference of the feed roller with the weft in between. The rollers are provided between a length measuring device and a main nozzle for injecting a fluid. Upon commencement of feeding of the weft, the feed roller and the pinch roller are brought into mutual pressure contact to positively feed the weft toward the main nozzle. Further, the feed roller surface has a large frictional coefficient and the pinch roller surface has a very small frictional coefficient.

Abstract: A paper guide mechanism for guiding a movement of a paper in a printer includes a frame body having a lower roller and mounted in the printer, and a paper guide having an upper roller cooperating with the lower roller for guiding therebetween the paper, in which the upper roller is parallelly displaced with respect to the lower roller for biasing the paper in order that the paper can be guided through the paper guide smoothly. The paper guide further has an elastic rod being integrally formed with the paper guide and the elastic rod includes a retaining part to rotatably retain a shaft of the upper roller. The retaining part can have a retaining channel having an opening through which the shaft of the upper roller is received in the channel.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer includes a feed roller, a pressure roller, a first guide and a second guide. The guides define a traveling passage between them for a sheet of paper to be sent to the nip between the rollers. The guides are positioned in such a manner that the passage narrows toward the nip. Even if a sheet of paper is wavy widthwise, it is flattened when sent to the nip. At least a front end portion of the second guide is made of material which can elastically deform toward the nip. The front end portion extends to a position very near to the nip. Even if the direction in which a sheet of paper is conveyed changes at a sharp angle just before the sheet reaches the nip, the elastic portion makes the sheet turn or bend gently, preventing it from turning or bending sharply.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus comprising a separating mechanism and a conveying mechanism. The separating mechanism separates a plurality of sheets to convey it one by one. The separating mechanism applies a friction force to the sheet to be conveyed in a direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction. The separating mechanism has a plurality of separating members disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The conveying mechanism receives and conveys the sheet separated by the separating mechanism. The conveying mechanism has a plurality of conveying rollers disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. An outermost profile width of the conveying rollers in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction is smaller than that of the separating rollers.

Abstract: A drive linkage arrangement for a bill validator maintains driver rollers in synchronization as a bill is driven along a predetermined path for scanning thereof. The drive linkage is a parallelogram linkage with three nodes of the linkage driving drive rollers. The fourth node of the linkage is connected to the output of a gear box driven by a drive motor. The linkage is a cost effective reliable approach for distributing power of a single motor to the spaced drive rollers.

Abstract: A document registration apparatus for use with a conveying device for transporting a document along a path from an upstream position to a downstream position through a document registration position, the document registration apparatus including an urge roller positioned adjacent to the path, the urge roller being moveable between a first urge roller position contacting the document and a second urge roller position out of contact with the document; apparatus for biasing the urge roller toward the conveying device; and a registration stop positioned adjacent to the urge roller and the path, the registration stop being moveable between a first registration stop position where the registration stop blocks transport of the document along the path and a second registration stop position away from the path where the registration stop does not block transport of the document along the path; wherein at times when the urge roller is in the first urge roller position and the registration stop is in the first registrat

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically feeding sheets to an image forming device such as a copying machine is provided with a sheet register means formed of one or more outside rollers movable into and out of contact with one or more feed rollers in rotation and one or more inside rollers located side by side with the feed rollers, so that the outside rollers rotate when being in touch with the feed rollers to forward the sheet. The outside and inside rollers are rockingly moved by shifting means, so that, when the sheet is given from a sheet supply unit, the outside rollers is separated from the feed rollers to rest the outside and inside rollers so as to bring the sheet into collision with the resting outside and inside rollers to slightly bend the leading portion of the sheet, consequently fulfilling a registering function of correcting the orientation of the sheet with relation to a feeding direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus with a pair convey rollers arranged upstream of a registration mechanism for correcting a skew-feed of a sheet in a sheet conveying direction that can be abutted against or separated from each other, or can be shifted in accordance with a length of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction. As the result, when the skew-feed of the sheet is corrected by the registration mechanism, a trailing end of the sheet is not restrained.

Abstract: This invention relates to a copy sheet guide structure for use in an image forming apparatus. Plural copy sheet guide structures constitute a transport path along which a copy sheet is to be transported. At least one guide structure has a pair of guide members formed into such a shape to form a one piece unit when engageably assembled to each other. With this arrangement, fastening means for constructing the guide structure is not necessary. Further, sheet guiding ability of the copy sheet guide structure can be improved because the guide members are assembled to each other with high positional accuracy.

Abstract: In the present invention, a U-turn path is formed by facing an outer guide surface of a guide member to an outer peripheral surface of a convey roller. A terminal edge of the outer guide surface forming a part of an outlet of the U-turn path is configured not to coincide with a straight line but is tapered to be convex at a central portion. When a thick sheet is conveyed through the U-turn path, a trail end of the thick sheet is shifted to the terminal edge while rubbing the outer guide surface. Then, the trail end of the sheet leaves the terminal edge. Since the terminal edge has the tapered configuration, the trail end of the sheet is gradually disengaged from the terminal edge, thereby preventing the snapping restoring action of the trail end to weaken the shock.

Abstract: A sheet guidance channel includes a pair of opposite surfaces (2a, 2b) in which are formed elongated raised beads (12) extending in the transport direction (A--A). The elongated raised beads (12) are arranged on the two surfaces (2a, 2b) such that they are arranged in pairs opposite to one another, restricting the height of the sheet guidance channel. Relative to the central axis (M) of the surfaces (2a, 2b), the elongated raised beads (12) are inclined by an angle .alpha. in the transport direction and the elongated raised beads (12) extend in the transport direction (A--A) only over partial areas of the surfaces (2a, 2b).

Abstract: In a sheet handling system with a supporting frame, a sheets compiling tray, and a sheets ejection system including an drive shaft with plural sheet drive rollers and a pivotal mounting system for pivoting the drive shaft between a first position for sheets ejection and a raised second position, the pivotal mounting system provides vertical freedom of movement of at least one end of the shaft in the first position to provide a self-leveling more uniform sheet engagement force, yet also provides a positive accurately centered constrained position of the shaft in the second position. The illustrated pivotal mounting system includes a pivot pin vertically movable within a mounting slot in the supporting frame in the first position and spaced apart limited length mounting slots providing end stops engaging mounting pins in the second position to automatically center the pivot pin.

Abstract: A paper feeder feeds a sheet of paper while interposing the sheet of paper between a pressure roller and a feed roller. The pressure roller is rotatably supported at its both ends by a pair of arms which are independently swingable about a fixed shaft. A plurality sets of such pressure rollers and arms are disposed along an axial direction of the feed roller. The respective arms independently make swinging movement, and the pressure rollers press the sheet of paper while making inclination respectively even when the feed roller and the sheet of paper have irregularities. Thus, the frictional force is generated over the entire sheet of paper, and the sheet of paper is fed without any inclination.

Abstract: A device for smoothly eliminating jammed papers by the operation of a control lever in an ink-jet printer, for example, where a number of the papers are conveyed one by one from a feed cassette to a printer head, the device being installed so as to be interlocked with a paper guide member rotatably centered around a hinge axis and including a control lever and a shaft disposed in a unitary format, the operation of the lever eliminating the jammed papers caused upon the papers passing from the feed cassette to a feed roller opposing a friction roller via a paper feed path by enlarging a space between the friction roller and the feed roller.

Abstract: For decelerating, accelerating and/or deflecting conveyed printed products (3), pressing elements (1, 2) act on the printed products (3) with normal forces (F.sub.N). The action is carried out in a resilient manner by contact elements (4) fixed to spring elements (5) such that the time of the action on the printed product (3) is made longer. Thus an improved deceleration or acceleration effect is achieved by means of friction forces and/or a deflecting effect is achieved by means of a momentum.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprising:a main unit including an image formation section;a sheet storage section being disposed in said main unit for storing a large number of stacked sheets;feed means for giving a transport force to the sheets in said sheet storage section in a predetermined direction from said sheet storage section;a friction member being placed facing said feed means so that it comes in elastic contact with said feed means for forming a nip portion for separating sheets transported in overlapped relation; anda support member for forming said friction member with a projection projecting from said nip portion in either one direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet for said feed means and supporting said friction member.

Abstract: A combination printer and scanner comprises a frame, rollers mounted in the frame for defining a single paper path therethrough, an automatic sheet feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing to the single paper path clean paper print sheets, and an automatic document feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing to the single paper path documents having text and/or graphics printed thereon to be scanned. The combination printer and scanner further comprises a scanner station mounted in the frame for scanning documents conveyed through the single paper path and a printer station mounted in the frame for printing text and/or graphics on print sheets conveyed through the single paper path. A document feeder cartridge is normally positioned adjacent a scanner window of the scanner station to partially define a segment of the single paper path adjacent the scanner station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for guiding a sheet in a folding device of a printing machine includes a belt conveyor system and a bucket wheel conveyor system including a bucket wheel. The belt conveyor system includes two belts rotated by a plurality of rollers. Two of the rollers are disposed at a delivery area near the bucket wheel. The two rollers include a ridge imparting mechanism for introducing a ridge or corrugation to a sheet being fed between the belts and between the rollers. The two rollers are disposed in a common horizontal plane and are spaced at a substantially equal distance from the bucket wheel in a vertical direction relative to the bucket wheel. At least one of the two rollers is adjustable relative to the other roller so as to adjustably increase or decrease a degree or depth of ridge that is applied to the sheet. A guide member is disposed between the two rollers and the bucket wheel to prevent a sheet from being diverted from the bucket wheel.

Abstract: A sheet is fed to a printing zone of a printhead by a feed roller and a pressure roller. An elastic sheet guide plate is joined to a lever supporting the pressure roller. The guide plate comes into contact with the feed roller upstream from a nip defined by the feed roller and the pressure roller. A nip between the conveying roller and the guide plate allows to register the sheet. The sheet, after having passed through the nip formed between the conveying roller and the guide plate, is directed to the printing zone of the printhead by the guide plate. As the guide plate extends from the printhead side end portion of the lever to a position just before the printhead, the sheet trailing edge is prevented from interfering with the printhead. Ink will not soil the sheet trailing edge, and, it is possible to achieve a high quality printing to a position extremely nearby the sheet trailing edge by using the guide plate.

Abstract: A lift and interlock actuator mechanism for installing a CRU in a printing machine. There is provided a lift and interlock actuator mechanism which has a sliding planar member which is moved from a first position to a second position to remove and/or install a feed head CRU in a printing machine. The planar member creates an interlock which prevents the CRU from being removed or installed when the corresponding drive components are in the wrong position. Sliding of the planar member disengages a drive coupling from the CRU and also causes a lift mechanism to pivot the CRU about the drive shaft causing the CRU to be moved to a position for easy removal. To install the CRU the planar member is slid to the second position the CRU is placed into position and rotated down, allowing the planar member to slide back to the first position. This sliding allows the drive coupling to mesh and allows the CRU to rrotate into the home position.

Abstract: A drive device for driving items of mail along a conveyor path of a postage meter base, the device being disposed upstream from a print mechanism and including first and second motorized feed rollers cooperating with associated moving backing-rollers mounted on hinged means which can pivot about a common hinge axis against return springs fixed to support means, at least one of the backing-rollers comprising a middle backing-wheel mounted on a lever hinged about the common axis and disposed between twin outer backing-wheels each mounted on a respective lever also hinged about a common axis, such that mail items inserted on the conveyor path come into contact with one only of the outer backing-wheels and the middle backing-wheel, or else with all three backing-wheels, depending respectively on whether or not the items are thinner or thicker than a predetermined thickness.

Abstract: Guide passages I for guiding bills S to a main transport passage M are formed. An endless belt 25 coming in contact with one face of each bill S is placed in the main transport passage M. Feed rollers 70 coming in contact with one face of each bill entering the guide passages, swing arms 74 swingably attached to a rotating shaft 73 of the feed roller, pressure rollers 27 rotatably attached to the swing arms so as to come in contact with the feed rollers 70, and coil springs 75 for urging the swing arms 74 in a direction approaching the endless belt 25 are provided upstream of the main transport passage when the guide passage I is considered to be the center of the main transport passage M. The feed roller 70 comes in contact with the pressure roller 27 rotated by motion of the endless belt 25 and is rotated by rotation of the pressure roller for transporting bills in the guide passage.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a collecting device for sheets 3 for forming stacks of sheets 6 from individual sheets 3 fed in at a stop 26, as well as with a removing device 28 for the stacks 6 formed. To remove the stacks of sheets 6 with a high reliability of operation, the present invention provides for a movable stop 26 and a driven roller arrangement 29, 30, 31, which is mounted such that it can be fed to the stack of sheets 6. On the other hand, the present invention discloses a special, elastic conveying means 8, 11, which guides the sheets 3 onto the stack of sheets 6 along a transport path 7 and over a deflector 16. Both measures can be embodied both as a combination and separately.

Abstract: A folder apparatus includes at least one lead-in mechanism, having a left lead-in tape and a left exit roller and a corresponding right lead-in tape and a right exit roller, the right and left lead-in tapes forming a signature passage for delivery of signatures. The right exit rollers rotate about a first axis, the left exit rollers rotate about a second axis. Spring means are assigned to at least on of the lead-in tapes above the corresponding lead-in tape rollers for biasing the tapes.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in feeding sheet material assemblages includes rollers which define a nip through which the sheet material assemblages are moved. Nip adjustment mechanisms are operable to adjust the width and configuration of the nip. When sheet material assemblages which are relatively thick at one end portion are to be fed through the nip, the nip adjustment mechanisms are operated so that the thick portion of the sheet material assemblage is fed through a wide portion of the nip. A gate assembly is provided to direct the sheet material assemblages toward either a reject tray or a trimmer mechanism. The size of the nip can be changed without varying the setting of the gate assembly. Similarly, the setting of the gate assembly can be changed without varying the size of the nip. When the size of the nip is varied, the reject tray is moved with rollers which define one side of the nip.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus has a read roller having a flexible shaft a deformation of which in a particular direction is prevented so as to prevent a displacement of the read roller. The image reading apparatus reads an image on an original sheet while the original sheet is fed along a reading surface. A roller is pressed against the reading surface so that the original sheet interposed between the roller and the reading surface is fed by a rotation of the roller. A shaft extends from opposite ends of the roller so as to support the roller and transmit a rotational force to the roller. The shaft is rotatably supported, and is capable of being elastically deformed. A deformation of the shaft in a direction perpendicular to a rotational axis of the shaft and parallel to the reading surface is restricted by projecting members contacting the shaft on each side of the roller.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that describes utilizing a corrugation slip nip system, including a variable force idler that encompasses three stages, to prevent buckling of copy sheets traveling at a high rate of speed upon exiting from a high speed printing machine to the exit tray for stacking. Buckling concerns are eliminated by allowing the sheet, driven by a high speed positive drive nip, to slip through the slower speed corrugation nip, yet still having enough drive force in the slip nip to drive the sheet into the exit tray. In order to vary the normal force on the sheet, a three stage variable force idler is used. The first stage oversizes the inner diameter of the idler rollers on the idler shaft. The second stage uses a slot in the spring which allows the idler shaft to move upward without deflecting the spring. These first two stages are particularly adapted for light weight paper.

Abstract: Apparatus for receiving multiple first documents cut from a single sheet that are being fed side by side in a first direction and individually guiding and controlling the first documents through a right angle turn includes a plurality of right angle turn over modules. Each of such modules includes a lower plate having input structure at one end for receiving the first documents conveyed thereto in a first direction and an upper plate mounted a fixed distance above the lower plate. The upper plate includes a turn over section adjacent to a downstream end of the input structure and angled at 45.degree. to the first direction. The upper plate also includes a plurality of output rollers rotatably mounted in the top of the upper plate and oriented for moving the first documents at a direction orthogonal to the first direction.

Abstract: A document feed array comprising a pinch-roll mounted to rotate about its center to engage documents, being mounted on a cantilever-arm pivoted at a point distal from said roll-center and including an elastomeric sleeve which, alone, couples the arm to its pivot point (in operation), the sleeve comprising high-damping, durable elastomeric material adapted to accommodate thickness anomalies in said documents, yet to maximize driving contact therewith.

Abstract: A conveying belt is deflected around a stationary deflection roller and loops around the bottom of a deflection wheel. The deflection wheel is freely rotatably mounted on a lever and is prestressed in the direction towards the deflection roller by a spring element. The conveying belt, driven by a stepping motor, and the deflection wheel form a conveying gap for the products, which are arranged in an imbricated formation. In this formation each product, as seen in the feed direction, bears on the preceding product, with almost complete overlapping. The products form a stack-like supply and are conveyed to the discharge location, with the result that a product is always available there for discharge.

Abstract: An auxiliary device for transporting of sheets of paper or cardboard arranged in a tilewise stream from a feeding station of a die-cutting press to the die-cutting station of the press includes a driving roller coupled with a rotary brush making up an assembly arranged between the lower section and the upper section of the feed table. The assembly has a pressure arrangement designed to apply the assembly on the upper surface of the stream of sheets. The drive of the rotary brush is obtained from the rotation of the driving roller by means of a toric ring mounted on a circumference of a cylindrical head of an axle for the rotary brush being received on a cylindrical surface formed in a recess of the driving roller. The amount of torque being transferred is obtained by adjusting the position of the rotary brush relative to the driving roller.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeder of a document input device includes a pick roller 20, separator pads 68 that come into contact with the pick roller 20, a first pair of pick springs 58, and a second pick spring 60. The first pick springs 58 are disposed on the upstream side of the second pick spring 60 in the direction of conveying the paper. The first pick springs 58 are disposed on the regions on both outer sides of the width of the separator pads 68 in the axial direction of the roller, and the second pick spring 60 is disposed at a central position in the width of the separator pad 68. The first and second pick springs 58 and 60 are integrally formed as a spring unit using a single metal plate, and a force of contact of the first pick springs 58 upon the pick roller 20 on the upstream side is smaller than a force of contact of the second pick spring 60 upon the pick roller 20 on the downstream side. The separator pad 68 is formed by branching a web 70 of a rubber sheet into fork-like pad units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus with a convey roller for conveying a sheet; a plurality of pinch rollers arranged along the convey roller and adapted to urge the sheet against the convey roller; a pinch roller holder formed as one piece for supporting the plurality of pinch rollers, the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a sheet conveying direction being greater than the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a biasing device for acting on the pinch roller holder to urge the pinch rollers against the convey roller.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet includes a rotatable member, a spur provide in opposed relationship with the rotatable member, and a resilient member supporting the spur and provided in a curved state so as to press the spur against the rotatable member. The resilient member is in the form of a closely wound tension coil spring.