Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet feed cassette, an air blowing device, and an air blowing control portion. The air blowing device blows warm air to a sheet stack in the sheet feed cassette. The air blowing control portion controls the air blowing device to adjust an air volume and a temperature of the warm air. The air blowing control portion adjusts the air volume and the temperature of the warm air in accordance with the amount of sheets in the sheet feed cassette.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a first sheet feeding portion including a first belt portion for forming a first feeding surface, a second sheet feeding portion including a second belt portion for forming a second feeding surface, a height detecting portion for outputting a signal depending on a height of a sheet from the first feeding surface at a detecting position, and a controller for receiving the signal outputted from the height detecting portion and for controlling the fixing portion.

Abstract: A detaching method of sheets from a stack of sheets from a stack of sheets and a relative detaching apparatus is disclosed, including at least a gripping head of a handling device of sheets and a nozzle assembly apt to eject an air flow to a lateral edge of a stack of sheets, furthermore including: a storage assembly of pressurised air provided at least with a compressed-air tank equipped with a pressure multiplier and a relative first pressure adjuster; and a high-pressure pipe between the nozzle assembly and the storage assembly intercepted by a fast-opening electrovalve. The nozzle assembly is provided with a nozzle, supplied through the electrovalve, configured as a convergent/divergent spout.

Abstract: The corrugated paperboard sheet feeding apparatus comprises: a sheet feeding table; a front guide for regulating a front end of a corrugated paperboard sheet; a back guide for regulating a rear end of the corrugated paperboard sheet; and a guide element for separating the corrugated paperboard sheets so as to form a plurality of separate groups, wherein the guide element includes: a first guide element formed in the front guide to have a first separation guide surface; and a second guide element formed in the back guide to have a cutout portion, and a second separation guide surface, and wherein the cutout portion of the second guide element is formed in such a manner that an amount of concavity thereof is greater than an amount of protrusion of the lower edge of the first separation guide surface of the first guide element.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device having: a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow, and disposed so as to see through an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward.

Abstract: In the present invention, when a status of clogging a paper due to some cause occurs, controls of inverting a conveyance roller and returning the jammed paper in a paper feeding tray is performed. At this time, the position of a paper damming up member is lowered by an actuator when the jammed paper is returned to the paper feeding tray and the conveyance roller is inverted so as to avoid a state in which the paper damming up member 33 hinders the returning of the paper and the paper cannot be returned to the paper feeding tray. The paper damming up member is lowered to a position that is lower than a conveyance guide plate at a downstream side in a paper conveying direction. Then, the paper is returned to the paper feeding tray without damage. The returned paper can be reused.

Abstract: A paper feed device includes a paper stacking shelf, a paper trailing edge guide that regulates a position of a paper bundle, a contact member that is disposed on the paper trailing edge guide, and a position switch portion that moves the contact member to either a withdrawn away position or a contact position with respect to an upper face of the paper bundle. The position switch portion is provided with a rod that is moved in conjunction with an operation for causing the paper feed device to be pulled out from and pushed into the accommodation space, and a rotatable member that is rotated in conjunction with the movement of the rod. The position switch portion supports the contact member, and causes the contact member to be rotationally moved to either the withdrawn away position or the contact position in conjunction with the rotation of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus capable of reliably feeding a sheet even when a gap is formed between the sheet and a regulating portion, and an image forming apparatus are provided. A tail end regulating plate 13 regulates a movement of a sheet supported by a tray supporting the sheet so as to be lifted or lowered, and when a gap is formed between the tail end regulating plate 13 and the sheet supported by the tray, tail end regulating projections 18H and 18I which are provided so as to protrude to the gap regulate the movement of the sheet toward the tail end regulating plate 13.

Abstract: A medium feed device includes a suction member that sucks a medium on a stack member, a surrounding member supported movably in directions toward and away from the stack member together with the medium by suction, a stack-member moving mechanism, a suction-member moving mechanism, a transport member that transports the medium, a detected part associated with the surrounding member, a detecting part that is supported at the suction-member body and detects the detected part, a detector that detects a medium surface position based on a detection result of the detected part detected by the detecting part if the surrounding member moves toward the suction-member body from a state in which the medium contacts the surrounding member. The stack-member moving mechanism moves the stack member based on the medium surface position.

Abstract: A recording medium supplying device includes a recording medium mounting portion on which sheet-like recording media are capable of being mounted in a stacked state, an air discharging unit that blows air to the recording media in the stacked state so as to make recording medium at an uppermost position float, a conveying unit that adsorbs and conveys the floating recording medium at the uppermost position, an upper surface position detecting unit that makes contact with an uppermost surface of the recording media in the stacked state and detects a height position of the uppermost surface, and a pressing force varying mechanism that makes a pressing force of the upper surface position detecting unit on the uppermost surface of the recording media variable.

Abstract: A transport device includes a set section, a sheet sensor, and a feeding member. When a detection member does not retract, the sheet sensor outputs an OFF-detection signal. The feeding member is displaced between a feed position and a non-feed position on the basis of the detection signal. At the feed position, the feeding member comes in contact with the sheet set in the set section from above and feeds the sheet toward the downstream side on a transport path. At the non-feed position, the feeding member is separated upward from the feed position. A method, which detects a sheet in the transport device, includes displacing the feeding member from the non-feed position to the feed position, and detecting that the sheet does not exist in the set section when an OFF-detection signal is output from the sheet sensor while the feeding member is positioned at the feed position.

Abstract: A recording medium supplying device includes: a recording medium mounting portion on which sheet-like recording media are capable of being mounted in a stacked state; an air discharging unit that blows air to the recording media in the stacked state so as to make recording medium at an uppermost position float; a conveying unit that adsorbs and conveys the floating recording medium at the uppermost position; an upper surface position detecting unit that makes contact with an uppermost surface of the recording media in the stacked state and detects a height position of the uppermost surface; and a pressing force varying mechanism that makes a pressing force of the upper surface position detecting unit on the uppermost surface of the recording media variable.

Abstract: Even if a sheet surface detection mechanism outputs a signal indicating that an uppermost sheet among blown-up sheets is within a conveyance range, if a trailing edge sheet surface sensor outputs a signal indicating that the uppermost sheet among the blown-up sheets is lower than the conveyance range when the conveyed uppermost sheet passes by the trailing edge sheet surface sensor, a lifting and lowering portion is controlled to lift the tray so that the uppermost sheet is positioned within the conveyance range.

Abstract: A mechanism for detecting an amount of remaining sheets, includes: a sheet feeding tray to be accommodated in an apparatus main body such that the sheet feeding tray can be inserted into and withdrawn from the apparatus main body, in which sheets can be loaded in an inside of the sheet feeding tray; a tilting plate that is tiltably provided in the sheet feeding tray so as to tilt in accordance with an amount of remaining sheets in the sheet feeding tray; a rotating member that rotates between a starting end position and a final end position of rotation of the rotating member in association with the tilting of the tilting plate; and a locking mechanism that locks the rotation of the rotating member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an air separating unit includes a floating air blowing unit and a separating air blowing unit that blow air to leading edges of a bundle of sheets in a paper feeding direction to float and separate upper sheets, and a side air blowing unit that blows air to both side edges of the sheet bundle to separate each of the sheets in the bundle, an air suctioning unit that suctions the air to suction a top sheet thus separated, a sheet feeding unit that feeds the sheet thus suctioned and retained, and a control unit that controls to blow floating air, to blow separating air, to blow side air, and to suction the air all at different operational timings.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet storing unit in which sheets are stacked; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the sheets; an air blowing unit that blows air to an end faces of the stacked sheets; a feeding roller that is pressed against an upper surface of an uppermost sheet of the sheets and feeds the uppermost sheet by rotating; and a supplying roller that supplies the uppermost sheet, wherein the lifting unit is driven so that height of the uppermost sheet, which is fed by the feeding roller while air is blown by the air blowing unit, is set to be lower than height of the uppermost sheet, which is fed by the feeding roller while air is not blown by the air blowing unit.

Abstract: A remaining sheet volume detecting apparatus includes a loading unit that loads a sheet; a driving unit that lifts up the loading unit to a feed position of a loaded sheet; a feeding unit that feeds a sheet from the loading unit that has reached the feed position; a load thickness detecting unit that detects a load thickness of sheets within the loading unit based on a movement amount of the loading unit until the loading unit reaches the sheet feed position; a sheet thickness detecting unit that detects a thickness of a sheet fed by the feeding unit from the loading unit that has reached the feed position; and a remaining sheet volume calculating unit that calculates remaining sheet volume within the loading unit.

Abstract: A push-up member of this image generating apparatus includes a first push-up member integrally having a first assembly engaging portion provided between a first spring clip portion and a first engaging portion and a second push-up member integrally having a second assembly engaging portion rotatably engaging with the first assembly engaging portion, and the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with each other in assembling by engaging the first assembly engaging portion and the second assembly engaging portion with each other while mounting first and second ends of a spring member on the first push-up member and the second push-up member respectively and rotating the second push-up member about the engaging position between the first assembly engaging portion and the second assembly engaging portion against urging force of the spring member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device blows air on a sheet stack supported on a tray, raises several sheets, attracts an uppermost sheet to an attraction conveying belt, and conveys the attracted sheet. The sheet feeding device includes a next-sheet detection mechanism for detecting the height of a second sheet subsequent to the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: An air blowing portion blows air to the end of sheets supported by a lifting and lowering tray. The sheets blown up by the air from the air blowing portion are sucked and conveyed by a sucking and conveying portion. The sheets are preliminarily blown up above the suckable rang. Then, the sheets are lowered to the suckable range before a sucking and conveying operation is started. In the above operation, the tray is lifted, and thereafter the tray is lowered until the sheets reach the suckable range while repeating a step operation of performing a lowering operation and a stop operation based on detection of the upper surface of the sheets by a sheet detecting mechanism.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a sheet feeder including; an air blowing unit floating and separating an upper portion of sheet of paper laid on a tray; and a transfer belt adsorbing and transferring uppermost sheet of paper laid on the tray; an optical analog sensor sensing an upper face of the uppermost sheet of paper and comprising a sensing face including a light receiving surface; a shield plate movable with the sheet, the shield plate detecting a position of upper face of the sheet of paper so as to keep a position of the uppermost sheet at a constant position and comprising; an elastic shield member having a C-character shape, a surface of the elastic shield member where the elastic shield member is contact with the light receiving surface of the optical analog sensor being in the same plane of a surface of the elastic shield member where the elastic shield member is contact with the shield-plate.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a tray for holding one or more document sheets and a first flag disposed adjacent to the tray so as to engage a document sheet in the tray. A second flag is disposed adjacent to the tray to engage the document sheet so that the first and second flags produce balanced amounts of friction on the document sheet.

Abstract: A magazine pressure control is provided with pressure control wheels that are designed to regulate pressure on carton blanks being fed to a folder/gluer in a carton forming operation. These wheels are disposed around the periphery of the carton blank to urge the edges of the cartons forward and to straighten misaligned cartons. A separately controlled motor operates each half of the magazine pressure control. Each motor is controlled by a pressure sensor assembly and regulates the progression of the carton blanks through the magazine pressure control to equalize the pressure around the periphery of the carton blanks as they are presented to the pick face of the folder/gluer.

Abstract: When a top sheet of a sheet stack stacked on a sheet tray capable of moving up and down is fed by sheet feeding device, air is blown to the end face of the sheet stack by air blowing device for improving a separation characteristic. The quantity of blown air for the top sheet to rise by a specified amount is determined based on a signal from rising sheet detecting device for detecting the top sheet rising by air blown by the air blowing device, and air is blown based on the determined air quantity when the sheet is fed by the sheet feeding device.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet feeding device in which a sheet is discriminated at preliminary loosening before feeding, and is set to be controlled according to the type of the sheet by a simple configuration without requiring a special configuration. In the sheet feeding device in which air is blown onto a sheet stack, and a sheet floating at the uppermost level by the blowing is absorbed and conveyed, a sheet type is discriminated, based on a moving amount of the tray, at preliminary loosening before sheet feeding after setting the sheet in a tray.

Abstract: A sheet feeder assembly for acquiring and conveying a sheet comprises a plenum connectable to a vacuum source and having an opening facing the sheet to be conveyed, and a slide plate covering the opening. The slide plate has an acquisition surface facing the sheet to be conveyed and defining apertures in communication with the plenum. A drive mechanism is connected to the slide plate and supported within the plenum, and is operable to translate the slide plate relative to the plenum to convey the acquired sheet while maintaining the vacuum through the apertures. The drive mechanism includes a motor and eccentrically driven link connected to a carriage supporting the slide plate. The motor is coupled to a cam element that drives a flapper valve disposed between the plenum and a vacuum duct. The cam element also drives a height sensing arm supported to contact the top of the stack.

Abstract: A safe tiltable sheet feeding apparatus including a tiltable sheet support tray having a lead edge and a trail edge, for supporting a stack of sheets to be fed lead edge first from the stack. The tiltable sheet feeding apparatus also includes a feed head adjacent the sheet support tray for feeding a top sheet of the stack from the stack and an elevator assembly for independently raising, lowering and tilting the trail edge of the sheet support tray. The elevator assembly includes elevator drive motors, a controller, side frames defining lead edge elevator slots, and trail edge elevator slots. Importantly, the tiltable sheet feeding apparatus includes an overtilt safety sensor device mounted within the trail edge elevator slots and connected to the controller, for sensing overtilt of the trail edge of the sheet support tray, and for preventing resulting damage to the tiltable sheet feeding apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeder feeds sheets separated from a stack to a feed head which is translatable toward take away nip rolls. The sheets are separated from the stack by fluffers and acquired by an acquisition surface of the feed head which is in communication with a vacuum pressure. An air knife is used, in conjunction with a corrugation surface, to separate any secondarily acquired sheets from the acquisition surface. The time for acquiring the sheet is determined from the opening of a vacuum valve in communication with the feed head to the acquiring of the sheet by the acquisition surface. The time for acquiring the sheets is dependent on the sheet characteristics.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding blanks on a packing machine, whereby a conveyor feeds along a horizontal path a succession of blanks positioned perpendicular to the path; the path terminating at a pickup station having a stop surface defined by a frame, which has a withdrawal opening closed partly by fixed teeth and is moved in a direction substantially parallel to the path by the thrust exerted by the blanks and in opposition to a sensor for regulating a traveling speed of the conveyor to keep the thrust exerted by the blanks on the frame constant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the steady feeding of flat items for separation by suction of material input into a distribution unit by using a feeding device, preferably comprising a separating blade and a conveyor belt underneath it. In accordance with the invention, the thickness of the pulled-off items is measured within a main control circuit (HR). The feeding device conveys the item stack (SS) by the amount of this thickness in the direction of the suction separation system. In a static correction control circuit (KR), the stack pressure is measured outside of the suction separation system and is adjusted via the movement of the feeding device within the limits of the permissible stack pressure range.

Abstract: Apparatus for sheet singling and alignment on a top side of a sheet pile of a rotary printing press includes a suction device extending transversely to sheet transport direction in the vicinity of the leading edge of the sheet pile, the suction device being intermittently activatable with suction air, a scanning device for controlling a lifting motion of the sheet pile, the scanning device extending across the entire width of the pile and having a member movable towards and away from the top side of the pile for scanning the height thereof, swivelable levers adjacent the pile-height scanning member, an element for laterally aligning single sheets of the sheet pile axially displaceably mounted on the swivelable levers, and a device for directing an air stream onto the leading edge of the sheet pile so as to lift off a leading-edge region of the respective single sheets from the pile.

Abstract: A printing assembly (10) having a printer (30) and a single sheet transport mechanism (22) for automatically transporting discrete sheets seriatim from within a tray held in a tray receptacle (32) to the printer and a discrete sheet load enhancement apparatus with a holder (24) of an auxiliary supply of printable stock (18), a removable open tray (20) with a feed opening (40) accessible for receipt of discrete sheets (14) of printable stock fed within the feed opening while releasably mounted within the tray receptacle and a continuous discrete sheet feeder and producer (16) for automatically feeding the sheets (14) seriatim from the separate supply of printable stock (18) through the feed opening (40) into the removable open tray (20).

Abstract: A multi-stage, serpentine-shaped buffer has an entry area for receiving documents, a first level comprising a first plurality of document stages, a first turn-around for substantially reversing the direction of document travel following said first plurality of stages, a second level vertically adjacent to said first level, said second level comprising a second plurality of document stages, a second turn-around for substantially reversing the direction of document travel, and a third level vertically adjacent to said second level, said third level comprising a third plurality of document stages.

Abstract: Auxiliary device for assisting in singling or separating sheets in an upper region of a sheet pile provided for single-sheet transport in a sheet transport direction within a sheet processing machine, a respective top sheet of the sheet pile being removable therefrom at a given time by at least one singling or separating device including at least one sheet trailing edge blasting or blowing device for feeding the sheet to the sheet processing machine, includes at least one feeler rod disposed at a location transverse to the sheet transport direction for measuring the height of the sheet pile, and respective fanning or loosening blowers disposed laterally of the sheet pile upstream of the feeler rod, as viewed in the sheet transport direction.

Abstract: The label applicator for applying a label to an article. The label includes a first side having printed matter visible thereon and including a second side having a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon. The label applicator includes plasma coated tray the defines a label support structure for supporting the label with the second side of the label resting on the label support structure. A label transfer pad structure is provided with an array of openings thereon that have a vacuum source communicating therewith for gripping the first side of the label, picking up the label from the plasma coated tray, and for pressing the label onto the article. The plasma coated tray gives a non stick surface that will not readily retain the adhesive side of the label. The label transfer pad has a suction cup portion for insuring complete separation of the label and any release liner.

Abstract: The collating machine comprises a frame (10), a plurality of superposed trays (20) in the frame in order to be loaded with stacks of paper (28), each tray (20) being fitted with an individual sheet ejection device and a transfer device, and a vertical conveyor (26) adjacent to the transfer devices of the trays (20) to receive, by the intermediary of the transfer devices, sheets ejected from their trays and to move the same to a collating station. The ejection device comprises several endless perforated tapes (34) carried on two spaced bend rolls (36 and 38) and a vacuum chamber (46) surrounded by the tapes (34) and having apertures, for the passage of air, distributed in its lower wall which is adjacent to the internal surface of the lower run (34a) of the tape (34).

Abstract: Governor foot assembly for cyclically sensing the height of a feeder sheet pile of a sheet-fed printing press includes a governor foot mounted above the sheet pile so as to be variable in height and so as to be swingable out of the vicinity of the sheet pile and back into the vicinity thereof, a drive system for cyclically swinging the governor foot, after the height of the sheet pile has been sensed, out of a region above the sheet pile and, before the height of the sheet pile is sensed, again into the region above the sheet pile, and for cyclically lifting the governor foot after measuring the height of the sheet pile and again for lowering the governor foot before measuring the height of the sheet pile, respectively, a spring device having an adjustable spring tension, the spring device connecting the governor foot to the drive system, and a device provided on the governor foot for adjusting the spring tension of the spring device.

Abstract: A label applicator for applying a label to an article. The label includes a first side having printed matter visible thereon and including a second side having a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon. The label applicator includes label support structure for supporting the label with the second side of the label resting on the label support structure; and label transfer structure for griping the first side of the label, for picking-up the label from the label support structure, and for pressing the label onto the article.

Abstract: A deposit processing module comprising a first transport having a first end for receiving envelopes and single document deposits and a second end from which the deposits are discharged, and a second transport operatively positioned for receiving and returning single document deposits to and from the first transport. A printing device is provided for printing deposit information on the deposits, a magnetic charge/read head is provided for charging and reading magnetic information on the single document deposits and an imager is provided for imaging one side of the single document deposits. A gate mechanism associated with the second end of the first transport is movable between a first position wherein envelopes and single document deposits may be discharged from the module and a second position wherein single document deposits may be transported between the first transport to the second transport.

Abstract: Apparatus for the separate supply of film bags to a filling machine, with a belt conveyor receiving the film bags as an oblique, fanned out stack. A drive acts on the belt conveyor. A separating wheel is positioned adjacent to the delivery section of the belt conveyor and rests on the top film bag brought in by the belt conveyor. A lever vertically supports the separating wheel and a drive moves the separating wheel. A sensor determines the height of the separating wheel above the belt conveyor. Such sensor controls the drive for the belt conveyor (12). A linear unit supplies a bag to the filling machine.

Abstract: In the method of the invention for sequencing parcels in mail-sorting facilities having rows of stacking compartments, a sorting plan is used for sorting the parcels in which an overfilling of the individual stacking compartments is avoided so that, during one sorting procedure, the stacking compartments are not emptied, and that, after a sorting procedure has ended, an in-sequence transfer of the parcels is effected from the stacking compartments into a conveying device disposed opposite the stacking compartments or into containers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an endless belt which is postioned to be adjacent to a rear part of a sheet stand on which trailing edges of a pile of sheets are loaded. The endless belt includes a holding member to hold a leading edge of a sheet that is being returned to the sheet stand so that the endless belt conveys the sheet together with the holding member and inserts the sheet being returned to the sheet stand under the pile of sheets. A single stopper is provided on the sheet stand to align the sheets of the pile as well as the sheets inserted under the pile.

Abstract: A control arrangement for an apparatus for delivering printing products (2) to a further processing point has a sensor (LS1) for registering a predetermined height of the upper side (29a) of an intermediate stack (29), which has been formed against a stop (11) from printing products fed in a series formation (S) by means of a first conveying device (1), and acts on a drive (M2) of a rocker (5), which carries this intermediate stack (29), such that the rocker is lowered and raised in order to keep the upper side (29a) of the intermediate stack (29) essentially at the predetermined height. A first controller (R1) drives the drive (M2) of the rocker (5) at adjustable speed in a range between two lifting limits of the rocker (5). A second controller (R2) forms with a set value (n3.sub.s) , dependent on the registered lifting movement, a manipulated variable (n3.sub.

Abstract: Groups of differently printed advertising inserts are collated into stacks of at least two inserts each, and the stacks are advanced along a main predetermined path for feeding to a host machine having continuously moving pockets which contain newspaper jackets and which receive the collated stacks of inserts in order to marry the inserts and the jackets. Initially, at least two relatively tall stacked bundles of inserts are located above and are spaced laterally from the main path. Inserts are stripped from the tall bundles, are advanced laterally toward the main path and are stacked in two relatively short queues located above and spaced along the path. A first vacuum belt strips inserts from the upstream queue and advances such inserts in an upstream direction as a running shingle, which then reverses directions and proceeds downstream. As an incident thereto, successive leading inserts are stripped from the shingle and are advanced in spaced relation along the main path toward the host machine.

Abstract: A singulator of the friction belt type capable of synchronous or asynchronous modes of operation is described. The singulator includes a buffer assembly for accepting a shingled stream of documents, a feeder pinch belt for extracting the first document from the buffer and a scanner for scanning the document as it passes through the feeder into an accelerator which is also a pinch belt. The accelerator accelerates the document to a constant speed leaving the singulator. A control means is provided which operates coupled to the feeder drive and the scanner so that the next upstream document is extracted a predetermine time after the first document leaves the accelerator.

Abstract: A time required for a copying operation is shortened in making duplex copies from simplex documents. In a copying machine provided with a recirculating document feeder for feeding documents one by one from a document container to an exposure region and returning the exposed documents to the document container, when the documents are circulated prior to the copying operation so as to count the number thereof, the copying operation is started immediately in the case where the number of the documents is detected before a first document passes the exposure region.

Abstract: A continuous paper feeder for supplying sheets of paper to a receiving machine from a top of a first stack of paper while being resupplied to a bottom of the first stack of paper with sheets of paper from a top of a second stack of paper. A concave paper hopper maintains a generally constant angle of incidence of a leading edge of sheets of paper from the top of the first stack of paper to a picker of the receiving machine. Sheet feed belts transfer paper from the top of the second stack of paper to the bottom of the first stack of paper while sheets of paper are continually removed from the top of the first stack to the receiving machine by the picker.

Abstract: By a first conveying device printing products are fed in an imbricated formation (S), in which each printing product rests on the following one, the fold edge of the folded products forming the trailing edge. The printing products are pushed into an intermediate stack from below. The respectively uppermost product of this intermediate stack is seized in the region of the fold edge by at least one sucker of a sucker arrangement, raised upward and brought into the conveying region (F) of a second conveying device. The latter has individually controllable grippers which are arranged at regular intervals, circulate along a closed path, seize the fold edges delivered by the sucker arrangement and convey away the printing products thus seized. By forming an intermediate stack, from which the printing products are then raised by the sucker arrangement at the desired rate and fed to the grippers, even imbricated formations (S) occurring with irregularities can be processed satisfactorily.

Abstract: A retard feeder system having a noise suppression device which feeds sheets from a stack of sheets to a sheet transport path. The device includes a sheet feeding friction device for engaging and moving sheets in a direction toward the path, a retard pad positioned adjacent said sheet feeding device to form a retard nip to permit selective feeding of individual sheets through the retard nip to the path, and a raised portion in the path for corrugating the sheet as portions of the sheet are engaged in the retard nip. The corrugation of the sheet helps to minimize the sheet flutter and vibration while it is within the retard nip by increasing the beam strength of the sheet and thereby decreases the audible noise created by the vibrating sheet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing printed paper in a cut-sheet feed rotary press comprising receiving printed sheets from a printing press on a receiving device at a paper discharge, one sheet at a time, and stacking such received sheets, one on the other, withdrawing and transferring the stacked sheets to a further processing station, the apparatus comprising a printing press having a paper discharge, a paper-receiving device at the paper discharge for receiving the discharged paper, and a conveyer for conveying the paper-receiving device with the discharged paper thereon, from the paper discharge to a further processing station for the discharge of paper therefrom and for returning the paper-receiving device to the paper discharge after the printed paper thereon have been discharged therefrom at the further processing station.