Abstract: A pick-and-place glue applicator is disclosed having a drive shaft mounted on a frame member for rotation about a primary axis of rotation. A support shaft is mounted on the frame member for rotation about a secondary axis of rotation which is parallel to and spaced from the primary axis. Planetary gearing causes the support shaft to orbit the primary axis and rotate about the secondary axis in a direction opposite the direction of the orbit. A suction cup is secured to the support shaft and extends radially therefrom to a suction end. The suction cup moves in a generally hypotrochoidal path. The hypotrochoidal path includes three positions where the suction cup is facing outwardly away from the primary axis. The three outwardly projecting positions are connected by connecting paths where the suction cups face inwardly toward the axis.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying labels in the molds of a plastic blow molding machine of the type wherein a plurality of sets of molds are mounted on a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis and the molds are moved toward and away from one another to enclose a parison and the parison is then blown to the confines of the cavity between the mold sections which comprises removing labels successively from one or more magazines, depositing the labels on an endless conveyor which transports the labels to a position adjacent an open mold and laterally transferring the labels from the conveyor to a position within the molds such that when a mold closes about a plastic parison and the parison is blown, the labels become adhered to the blown plastic bottle.

Abstract: In a suction roller for a paper processing machine of the type having at st one supply passage leading to a control head disposed at an end face, the improvement which includes the suction opening being a suction slit. The suction roller may have an insert disposed in a recess at the periphery of the roller, the insert having a side surface cooperating with the recess to define a suction slit.

Abstract: A vacuum media capturing and retention system for a drum type printer or recorder is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vacuum drum with two regions of vacuum passages, one for capturing the leading edge of the media and the second for retaining the trailing edge of the media. When the leading edge of the media is initially captured the vacuum level in the drum is at one level. After the leading edge of the media is captured the vacuum level is dropped to a lower level until the trailing edge of the media is captured. Following the capture of the media trailing edge, the vacuum level within the drum is again increased to retain the media thereto during the copying or recording operation of the overall device.

Abstract: A vacuum feed mechanism for precision feeding a printed continuous double-backed corrugated paper board web to a platen die cutter for producing printed foldable box blanks. The feeder has several adjacent horizontal endless belts, with each belt having spaced cleats extending over the width of the belt facing outward and a row of holes between each cleat. A vacuum plenum extends through each belt with a lower wall containing longitudinal slots in registration with the belt holes. A suction fan removes air from the vacuum plenum producing air flow from the edges of the belts between adjacent cleats, through the belts and into the vacuum chamber to draw the belt into contact with the plenum chamber wall and the web in contact with the belt cleats, holding the web without slippage while the web is intermittently fed to the platen die cutter.

Abstract: A sheet is disposed around the outer peripheral surface of a drum. The drum is provided with sheet suction holes for attracting the sheet against the drum surface. The sheet suction holes extend through the drum from the interior to the exterior thereof, and are disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows. Each of the rows includes a plurality of sheet suction holes and is connected to suction means, which is operable to withdraw air outside the drum into the interior thereof through the row of suction holes. At least the leading edge of the sheet is retained by a sheet seizing claw which is movable toward or away from the drum surface. The claw is urged into abutment against the drum surface under the influence of a centrifugal force as the drum rotates.

Abstract: In a paper transport conveyor from a sheet feeder to a printing machine, the sheets are underlapped for speed reasons and for this purpose, the sheets are held and transported in a defined position using a conveyor table to which a vacuum is applied. In order to optimize the feed register in the printing machine in all states of operation, an additional conveyor device holds the sheets at the front gauges and aligns them. The vacuum at the conveyor table is quantitatively variable and the vacuum is so controlled according to operation as to be applied when sheets are required to be held on the conveyor table but interrupted when its action would obstruct the sheet alignment on the conveyor table.

Abstract: A conveyorized vacuum table comprises a conveyor for feeding and supporting limp sheet material and a vacuum system which applies vacuum to the sheet material while it is being fed and/or worked upon. The conveyor comprises a penetrable support bed and a plurality of vacuum chambers which move with the support bed and communicate with it. Means are also provided to apply vacuum to the vacuum chambers to cause the conveyor to hold the sheet material for cutting or other work operations.

Abstract: A conveyor for sheets fed to or from a printing press in an overlapped stream, the table having longitudinal slots formed therein laterally spaced from one another. A perforated endless conveyor belt is trained over the table. An enclosed chamber extending substantially the length of the table communicates directly with the slots, the chamber being convergently shaped terminating at its lower end in a throat. An axial flow fan in the throat draws air through the perforations so that a stream of overlapped sheets on the belt will be held in contact therewith for transport from one end of the table to the other. The fan is chosen to have a flow characteristic such as to maintain the pressure differential across the fan approximately constant notwithstanding variations in the rate of air flow resulting from gaps in the stream. The belt is in two narrow, laterally spaced sections dimensioned to fit into the slots.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a suction-lifting conveyor for the transfer of sheet-shaped objects, in particular of sheets of plywood veneer (4), one by one from a stack to further processing or to another stack. The device comprises a box-shaped suction-channel equipment (1) extending substantially over the entire length and width of the conveyor, blower means (2) for maintaining a negative pressure in the suction-channel system, endless belts (3) performing the transfer of the sheets and running substantially horizontally above the stacks of sheets, the said belts being arranged so that during their transfer movement they run against the outside of the bottom face of the suction-channel system, being subject to the effect of the negative pressure in the suction-channel system, and that during their return movement they run in the suction-channel system.

Abstract: A machine design is taught for automatically applying adhesive coated labels to folded cartons at a precisely adjusted location on a carton. Both labels and cartons are supplied singularly from bottom feed magazines. A cam oscillated vacuum picker curls one end of a label out of the magazine to be vacuum gripped to the peripheral surface of a rotating transfer drum. Continued rotation of the drum withdraws the remainder of the label from the magazine stack bottom and lays it to the drum periphery surface. A singular carton is slidably removed from the bottom of a respective magazine stack by a lugged conveyor belt and pushed into a timed nip proximity with the label carrying transfer drum. Between the label receiving and delivery positions, the label is carried past a fountain roll for surface coating of water or adhesive.

Abstract: In a document feeder for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier, with a vacuum belt platen transport system, into registration means for stopping the document sheet at an imaging position on the platen, wherein the vacuum belt platen transport system comprises plural belts moving under a white vacuum plenum backing surface overlying the platen, and includes a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported by the moving belts, the improvement wherein: the vacuum belt platen transport system belts are transparent or highly translucent thin, low-frictional, non-elastomeric, plastic belts; the transparent or highly translucent belts being unapertured and the vacuum plenum backing surface being unapertured in the imaging position, so that the vacuum belt transport system is effectively invisible through a document sheet to the copier.

Abstract: A banding and labeling system for containers includes a central drum which is heated for activation of adhesive coating provided on bands and labels which are to be secured to containers. The drum is provided with carrying elements employing suction, referred to as mouthpieces, which include pockets for holding literature and support bands in appropriate positions for securing the literature to containers. Dispensers are mounted peripherally around the drum at successive work stations for transference of banding materials, labeling materials, and literature packets to the mouthpieces as the drum rotates. At a final work station, a conveyor transports the containers to the drum whereupon the banding and labeling materials are secured to the containers during rotation of the containers between the drum and pressure pads which engage the adhesive coatings to the outer surfaces of the containers.

Abstract: In a document feeder with a vacuum belt platen transport system for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier under a vacuum plenum backing surface closely overlying the platen and into a registration position for imaging the document sheet, with a registration system for stopping the document sheet at the registration position, the platen transport system including a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported sufficient to provide transport of the document sheet with movement of the belt transport into the registration system, and a system for automatically reducing the level of the partial vacuum in the vacuum plenum sufficiently to allow slippage of a document sheet relative to the belt transport at the registration system, and wherein the registration system comprises document engaging registration fingers movable into and out of the path of a document sheet being transported by the vacuum belt platen transport system, the improvement wherein the syste

Abstract: In a document feeder with a vacuum belt platen transport system for transporting document sheets over the platen of a copier under a white vacuum plenum backing surface closely overlying the platen and into a registration position for imaging the document sheet, with a registration system for stopping the document sheet at the registration position, the platen transport system including a vacuum source for applying a partial vacuum to a document sheet being transported sufficient to provide transport of the document sheet with movement of the belt transport into the registration system, and a system for automatically reducing the level of the partial vacuum in the vacuum plenum sufficiently to allow slippage of a document sheet relative to the belt transport at the registration system and to avoid damage to the document sheet by the registration system; the improvement comprising a system for prior detection of a document sheet of greater than a predetermined size to be registered by the registration system.

Abstract: A device for controlling the vacuum at a rotating vacuum cylinder in a high peed paper converting machine by means of a control head having a conical shape which is supported coaxially therewith and which is secured against rotation. The conically shaped control head is telescoped into a complementarily shaped opening in the vacuum cylinder with an exact fit. The two cooperating control surfaces lie on the outer cone surface of the control head and on the inner cone surface of the vacuum cylinder.

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: Apparatus for use in an electrographic copier having a plurality of electrographic process stations for forming visible images on the surfaces of discrete dielectric sheets. Such apparatus establishes a predetermined operative interface between a discrete dielectric sheet and an electrographic process station so that the function of such process station is uniformly applied to the surface of such dielectric sheet. The apparatus includes a member for supporting a dielectric sheet, such member having a sheet supporting surface mounted for movement along a path from a location remote from a process station to a location which is a predetermined distance from such station and then away from such station.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus has an electrically charged toner of one polarity which is transformed from an oppositely electrically charged surface of a photoconductive drum to the front side of a blank sheet where the front side of the blank sheet is intended to be a copy. The back side of the blank sheet engages the outer surface of a transfer drum which is positioned adjacent to the photoconductive drum. The transfer of the toner occurs within a nip defined by the photoconductive drum and the transfer drum. A cam rotates in a timed sequence relative to the transfer drum and with a vacuum pump located adjacent to the transfer drum the cam is in communication with the surface of the transfer drum so that a vacuum is created at the back side of the blank sheet resulting in the blank sheet being held to the surface of the transfer drum by ambient air pressure and the vacuum thus overcoming the electrostatic attraction of the blank sheet to the photoconductive drum.

Abstract: A recorder contains a rotatably mounted drum which is structured as a vacuum or negative pressure-hollow cylinder. At the cylindrical circumferential surface of the drum body there is arranged at least one clamping or supporting region for the retention of a sheet-shaped record carrier or medium, each clamping or supporting region containing a closed channel system. Each individual channel system comprises a number of channels of a first group of channels which are arranged in the lengthwise axial direction of the drum and essentially parallel to a clamping portion and a number of channels of a second group of channels arranged essentially transversely with respect to the first group of channels. In order to obtain a stable smooth contact or support of the record carrier or medium at the drum there is provided in the last channel of the related clamping or supporting region, which is arranged parallel to the clamping portion, an opening which penetrates through the drum body.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a rotatable hollow sheet transport drum with a plurality of openings extending therethrough, a vacuum supply for supplying a partial vacuum to the interior of the drum, a drive for rotating the drum, and a stationary deflection plate disposed adjacent the outer drum surface. A vacuum shield is mounted within the drum and is movable from a first position, remote from the inner wall of the drum, to a second position, adjacent the wall. The shield, when in its second position, prevents the partial vacuum from being applied to the leading portion of a sheet on the drum so as to permit the leading edge of the sheet to deflect outwardly from the drum and strike the deflection plate.

Abstract: A copying system for copying either duplex or simplex original document sets as pre-collated copy sets, utilizing a document handling system providing selective automatic recirculative pre-collation copying of either duplex or simplex document sheets, with selective automatic sheet inversion. Also described is an integral sheet stack normal force/jogger unit for continuous and simultaneous top loading and bottom feeding from either opposite or common directions from a stack of document or copy sheets.

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 low inertia rotary drum supports flexible sheets of different sizes for transport and processing. A plurality of slots are disposed on the surface of the drum. The slots are configured in spaced relation along the longitudinal and circumferential dimension of the drum. A plurality of holes or communicating ports are disposed in the slots. The holes interconnect the interior of the drum with the surface. The number of holes varies circumferentially and longitudinally. A vacuum system having a relatively low vacuum and a relatively high flow rate is coupled to the interior of the drum. Sheets are loaded onto the drum so that a minimum number of holes are vented to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A document feeder defines a sheet path along which a document sheet is fed across a platen of a copier/duplicator, for example, in order to copy the sheet. An oscillating vacuum tube feeds sheets from a supply into the sheet path. The feeder includes a platen vacuum transport having vacuum belts that move the sheet across the platen. The vacuum transport has a first vacuum plenum and a second vacuum plenum located along the sheet path. The first vacuum plenum has a relatively high level of vacuum to insure lifting of the sheet onto the vacuum belts. The sheet is then transported into the area where it comes under the influence of the second vacuum plenum. The second vacuum plenum has a somewhat lower level of vacuum, but it is sufficient to retain the sheet on the belts as the belts drive the sheet into engagement with a registration member. The lower level of vacuum applied at the time the sheet engages the registration member voids damage to the leading edge of the sheet.

Abstract: A vacuum document feeder which transports a document page in juxtaposition to an illumination platen of a reproduction apparatus where such page is illuminated for copying. The feeder includes a vacuum plenum having a reflective wall formed with a plurality of spaced ports overlying the exposure platen. A ported transport belt is moved in contact with the plenum wall to feed a document page to the platen for copying. The moving belt is positioned on the plenum wall so that the belt ports are maintained in spaced relation to the wall ports. Further, the wall ports and the belt ports are fluidically inter-connected so that vacuum within the plenum is effective to tack a document page to the moving belt for movement to the exposure platen. This structural arrangement prevents light trapping by the wall ports during illumination of such document page.

Abstract: The invention relates to conveyor apparatus comprising substantially parallel conveyor belts, and seeks to provide such apparatus with means for reliably holding pieces of material fed seriatim to the apparatus on the conveyor belts. According to the invention, the belts (6) extend over a casing (10) which is formed with openings (12) forming elongate slits extending between the belts (6). In use, the negative pressure is created in the casing (10), and suction holds the pieces of material to the belts. The openings may be selectively closed by shutters (16) to adapt the effective suction area in accordance with the pieces (3) of material on the belts (6).

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring seriatim related transferable images from sequentially spaced image-receiving areas on the member onto a surface of a moving receiver sheet. The transfer apparatus includes a mechanism which captures the lead and trail edges of a receiver sheet. A portion of the sheet intermediate the lead and trail edges is self-supporting. The mechanism moves to repetitively circulate a captured sheet along a path through a position at which such sheet is in transfer relation to a transferable image on the member. A charger is located adjacent to such position on the opposite side of the sheet from the member to effect transfer of the transferable images. The movement of the mechanism is synchronized with the image-receiving areas on the member to sequentially register the captured sheet accurately with the related transferable images at such position so that the images are transferred to such sheet in accurate superimposed register.

Abstract: An improved receiver sheet transport for use in apparatus for transferring related transferable marking particle images seriatim, from spaced areas on a member onto a receiver sheet. The apparatus moves a receiver sheet successively into transfer relation with the related transferable images on the member. The receiver sheet is attached to the apparatus with a portion of such sheet intermediate the lead and trail edges being self-supporting. An aligning mechanism engages the lead edge of the receiver sheet so that the sheet is aligned with an area on the member. A guiding member guides the receiver sheet into engagement with the aligning mechanism. Transfer of such related images onto the sheet in accurate superimposed register is effected when such self-supporting portion is in transfer relation with related transferable images on the image-carrying member.

Abstract: An improved receiver sheet transport in apparatus for transferring related transferable marking particle images seriatim, from spaced areas on a member, onto a receiver sheet. The apparatus successively moves a receiver sheet into transfer relation with each of the related transferable images on the member. The receiver sheet is attached to the apparatus so that a portion of the receiver sheet intermediate the lead and trail edges is self-supporting. When such self-supporting portion of the receiver sheet is in transfer relation with the related transferable images on the member, transfer of such related images onto the receiver sheet in accurate superimposed register is effected. The apparatus includes a sheet positioning member, operatively associated with an area on the member, for positioning such lead edge of the receiver sheet relative to such area to accurately align the receiver sheet with such area during image transfer.

Abstract: Sheet transport drum assembly in a rotary printing press wherein a sheet being transported rests upon an air cushion formed by blowing air between the jacket of a rotatable transport drum and the sheet, including air nozzle means for producing the air cushion, and sealing strips disposed on the drum jacket for limiting the air cushion at a location of the drum jacket underlying the leading edge and the two lateral edges of the sheet.

Abstract: A device for seating and spreading a conveyed sheet evenly on an impression cylinder of a printing press thereby to prevent fluttering which includes a pair of pipes arranged parallel to one another in axially extending position above the cylinder. The pipes are bridged by a top wall and end walls to enclose the space between them to form a plenum chamber adjacent the surface of the cylinder, the under surfaces of the pipes defining, with the surface of the cylinder, an air gap of constant width.

Abstract: A single facer machine for making a corrugated web is provided with a vacuum means for retaining a corrugated medium on one of the corrugating rolls. Said one corrugating roll has a core through which a heated fluid may flow. The core is surrounded by a sleeve which contains peripheral longitudinally extending flutes and valleys meshed with corresponding flutes and valleys on the other corrugating roll. A suction housing is juxtaposed to the outer periphery of said sleeve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for exposing the contents of an envelope which has two opposing panels wherein the panels have been separated from each other along all but one edge portion where the panels remain connected. The envelope is gripped on one of the panels and then the envelope is oriented so that at least the contents of the envelope fall away from the gripped panel to thereby expose the envelope contents.

Abstract: A drum (13) is provided with vacuum openings (14), (16), for suckingly holding a sheet (19) thereto for printing or the like. A sheet feed failure is detected by sensing for a drop in the level of vacuum at a vacuum source (12) below a predetermined value. Several regulators (36), (37), (38), (39) are provided for regulation to selected levels of vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus in which documents are moved in a recirculating path from a stack to an imaging station. Successive bottommost documents are fed from the stack to the imaging station with one side of the document being facedown for imaging. The document is transported from the imaging station simultaneously with the next successive document being fed thereto. After leaving the imaging station, the document returns to the top of the stack along one of two paths. One path returns the document to the top of the stack with the image side facedown. The other path returns the document to the top of the stack with the image side face up.

Abstract: The corrugated boards contained in a hopper are individually kicked out onto conveyor belts on which each board firmly sticks thereto under suction from below, and are fed to a subsequent processing station, such as a printing station, thereby enabling the individual boards be fed in their right posture to a right place in the processing station.

Abstract: A document feeder defines a sheet path along which a document sheet is fed across a platen of a copier/duplicator, for example, in order to copy the sheet. An oscillating vacuum tube feeds sheets from a supply into the sheet path. The feeder includes a platen vacuum transport having vacuum belts that move the sheet across the platen. The vacuum transport has a first vacuum plenum and a second vacuum plenum located along the sheet path. The first vacuum plenum has a relatively high level of vacuum to insure lifting of the sheet onto the vacuum belts. The sheet is then transported into the area where it comes under the influence of the second vacuum plenum. The second vacuum plenum has a somewhat lower level of vacuum, but it is sufficient to retain the sheet on the belts as the belts drive the sheet into engagement with a registration member. One vacuum blower is used to establish a vacuum in the vacuum tube and in the two plenums.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for groups of operating elements arranged in a rotary sheet guiding cylinder of a sheet-fed printing machine includes a pair of control shafts arranged in the guiding cylinder parallel to its axis of rotation and being driven by transmission gears arranged in the cylinder, two sets of cams, each supported on an assigned control shaft for activating a group of operating elements in a selected operational mode of the machine, and clutch means provided between the transmission gears and the shafts and operated from one point to actuate one control shaft and deactivate the other control shaft.

Abstract: A feed plate for sequentially supplying paper sheets to a printing press is provided with an upwardly inclined air passage and an air suction passage obliquely intersecting the upwardly inclined air passage at an intermediate point thereof. A guide plate is provided to extend through the upwardly inclined air passage to confront inner opening of the air suction passage.

Abstract: Sheet feeding apparatus including a cylindrical tube mounted above a stack of documents for separating individual documents from the stack. The cylindrical tube houses a rotatably mounted shaft to which are secured a series of spaced beater and turbine blades respectively. The cylindrical tube defines a series of apertures along its bottom surface which are aligned with the beater blades and allow the beater blades to extend outwardly into contact with a separated sheet. At one end of this cylindrical tube is coupled a vacuum source which when energized rotates the turbine blades and reduces the pressure inside the tube. Accordingly, a single sheet is first separated from the top of the stack by attraction toward the reduced pressure inside the tube and once separated is driven away from the stack by the beater blades mounted to the rotating shaft.

Abstract: The control device for a suction gripper on a guiding cylinder of a sheet fed rotary press comprises a tumbler shaft mounted on the sheet guiding cylinder and a suction unit swingable about a pivot point which is supported for movement about the tumbler shaft. The suction unit is either positively driven by a cam drive or self-adjustable by means of a tension spring between the unit and the tumbler shaft.

Abstract: In a document handling apparatus for moving successive individual document sheets on the imaging surface of a movable vacuum belt into a copier imaging station, the vacuum belt has all its vacuum apertures limited to minor areas of the belt underlying the smallest document to be copied to avoid being exposed for imaging, but these apertures are pneumatically connected to a pattern of elongated airflow restrictive vacuum grooves which extend unapertured under and beyond the document edge over a much greater area of the belt surface. The grooves provide document vacuum retention in the unapertured belt areas from vacuum apertures opening recessed in selected minor areas of the grooves, and with reduced airflow requirements. These grooves have gently sloped walls and are otherwise designed to avoid reproducible shadows even where exposed.

Abstract: An extractor for removing contents from pre-opened envelopes which have two panels connected along three side edges and contents disposed in juxtaposition therebetween comprises an envelope magazine, a vacuum feed mechanism for sequentially withdrawing envelopes from the magazine and feeding the envelopes to cutter assemblies, which severs each successive envelope along opposite side edges to separate the panels thereof along said opposite side edges. The cutter assemblies feed the envelope into a separating mechanism which includes a rotatable vacuum drum. One panel of the envelope is gripped by and moves with the rotating drum whereas the other envelope panel and the envelope contents move away from the drum in a direction generally tangent to the drum.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a rotatable support for supporting a sheet of paper, a rotary drive for rotating the support, and an ink jet print head mounted adjacent the support for printing on a sheet of paper supported thereon during a plurality of successive rotations of the support. A paper supply loads a sheet of paper onto the support such that the sheet of paper is supported thereby. A paper ejector removes a sheet of paper from the support. A control is provided which controls operation of the paper supply and the paper ejector such that as a sheet of paper is removed, after a plurality of rotations on the support, another sheet is concurrently loaded onto the support, whereby the time required for loading and unloading a sheet of paper is minimized and the overall speed of the printer enhanced.

Abstract: A recording medium is directed onto a cyclically moving support cylinder and information is recorded on the recording medium as it is sucked onto the support cylinder, whereafter upon termination of the recording, the suction force is controlled to permit the recording medium to be discharged out of the circulatory moving path of the support cylinder.

Abstract: A stacker apparatus for flat sheet material has a suction drum rotating on a stator. The suction drum grips the flat sheet material at one tangential position, arcuately moves it, and releases it on a stack at a second tangential position. The suction drum has a section containing a plurality of suction openings for gripping the sheet material. A plurality of peripheral suction channels on the stator communicate with the suction openings. The width of the suction channels decreases step-wise along their length so that the suction openings are initially in full communication with the channels, thereafter the suction openings are partially closed, and finally, selected ones of the suction openings are completely closed as the drum rotates.

Abstract: Flat material sheets are separated by a separating drum rotating on a supporting plate that pulls the sheets separately one after another off a pile and directs the separated sheets toward a subsequent transporting system. The separating drum comprises a stator with sectorial suction channels extending circumferentially and a rotor with suction openings communicating with the suction channels. The communication between the suction openings and suction channels is made in such a way that the sheet material adjacent to the edge running on the supporting plate is attached to the drum by the action of the vacuum earlier than in other areas. This area may be released later than the other areas.

Abstract: A low inertia rotary drum transport for flexible sheets, the drum rotating at a relatively low speed for loading a sheet, rapidly accelerating to a relatively high speed for processing the sheet, then rapidly decelerating to the relatively low speed for unloading the sheet. A gate and conveyor are controlled to supply the sheet to the drum in precise registration. Vacuum apparatus and a charge corona are provided for attaching the sheet to the drum, the vacuum attaching the leading portion of the sheet, the corona charging the middle portion of the sheet to hold the sheet to the drum by electrostatic attraction, and the vacuum attaching the trailing portion of the sheet. Air pressure apparatus detaches the leading portion of the sheet for unloading.

Abstract: A system for presenting documents to a slit-scan xerographic exposure station includes a fluidic storage station having 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 fluid stream is used to move a document in a pocket aligned with the opening out of the storage apparatus and into engagement with transport apparatus. The transport apparatus includes a vacuum document drum which moves a document past the exposure station and, in one mode of operation, inverts the document prior to its return to a pocket at the station. In another mode of operation, the direction of travel of the drum is reversed after the document has been exposed and the document is returned without inversion.