Abstract: In a mail handling machine, mail thickness measuring apparatus associated with a singulator mechanism for measuring mail thickness as soon as individual mail pieces are separated by the singulator from a stack of mail pieces.

Abstract: A document feeding apparatus having both an automatic and manual feed mode. the apparatus includes a paper feeding belt for feeding documents from a stack set on a document stacker, wherein the lowermost document in the stack is fed, and a stop roller placed in contact with an upper surface of the paper feeding belt to prevent the overlapped feed of documents. Documents are fed through a common paper path in both modes. The belt and roller are commonly used in both the automatic and manual document feed modes. In the automatic document feed mode, the belt is driven while the roller is held in a non-rotational state. In the manual document feed mode, the belt is driven and the roller is driven by the belt.

Abstract: Two stacks of sheets are supported by a tray, one stack resting directly on the tray and the other stack being on top of the first stack. The two stacks of sheets are separated by a stack separation roller that rests on the top of the first stack of sheets and is engageable by an edge of the second stack of sheets to thereby offset the stacks of sheets. Sheets are fed seriatim from the bottom of the first stack until all sheets of the first stack are removed. When the first stack of sheets has been fed from the tray, the separation roller is raised and the second stack of sheets is moved to the position previously occupied by the first stack. Then the second stack of sheets is fed seriatim from the tray.

Abstract: A method for making a lead edge feeder for feeding corrugated paperboard is described which eliminates the need for a complex indexing transmission. The method includes connecting a rocker shaft to a rocker gear so that the rocker gear rotates in a feed direction and then in a direction opposite the feed direction. Feed wheels in turn rotate in a feed direction and then in a direction opposite the feed direction. The stack of paperboard to be fed intermittently moves relative to the feed wheels so that initial contact between the lowermost sheet to be fed initially contacts the feed wheels when the feed wheels are moving in a direction opposite the feed direction.

Abstract: High speed sheet feeders receive blocks or bricks of paper sheets, cards or folders stacked edgewise on a downsloping supply ramp, and singulate these for edgewise feeding in rapid succession. The frontmost sheets ready for feeding are buckled and fanned at their upper edges, and their lower edges are arched forward to form a dimple or ridge-shaped pocket by an underlying central traction singulator. A pair of ganged or synchronized feed belts engage the frontmost sheet and propel it rapidly downward edgewise, and a slanting discharge belt receives and diverts the sheet at even higher speed between the discharge belt and a tractive pinch roller. A transfer assembly beneath the discharge belt may receive sheets from an adjacent feeder and interleave them upon command with sheets delivered by the discharge belt.

Abstract: This paper feeding mechanism comprises a first spring for biasing a stack of paper against a belt for driving one or two sheets of paper from the stack toward a gap which is slightly larger than the width of one sheet of paper, and a second spring for flattening the selected sheet or sheets against the belt just prior to entering the gap. The belt is held solidly in position by a backing Teflon block to form one side of the gap, and a sharp edge that is positionally adjustable forms the other side. The sharp edge is rounded slightly to compensate for the possibility of mechanical inaccuracies, and the second spring presses the paper against the belt just prior to the knife edge for more reliable operation with stiff paper.

Abstract: An envelope (12) which is the lowest in a stack is grasped at the edge of its flap part (26) by a carrier tooth (24) arranged on a conveying belt (18) for separating it from a stacking magazine (10). The envelope is fed directly to an office machine in a feed direction (14). Due to the arrangement of the conveying belt (18) on the removal side (28) of the magazine (10), the separation and feed are effected in one step by the single conveying member.

Abstract: Singulating apparatus for singulating mail pieces of varying sizes and thickness comprises reversely-driven belts mounted in a four-bar linkage that pivots upwardly to allow bottom most mail pieces through while driving backward overlying mail pieces.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing signatures from a hopper includes a rotatable drum. A first feeder mounted within the drum removes a first signature from the hopper during rotation of the drum through a predetermined acruate distance. A second feeder mounted within the drum partially removes a second signature from the hopper during rotation of the drum through the predetermined arcuate distance before the feeding of the first signature from the hopper is completed. The second feeder engages the second signature and starts removal of the second signature from the hopper while the first feeder is finishing removal of the first signature from the hopper.

Abstract: A feeder for paperboard blanks includes a transport, vertical relationship changing structure to alternately provide active and passive positions for the transport, a suction device, and a transmission with input and output shafts operatively connected so that the output shaft undergoes controlled acceleration during an initial portion of each revolution of the input shaft, whereby the transport engages and grips a blank by static friction and moves accelerates that blank to nip rolls without slippage occurring and so that each blank enters the nip rolls in register whereupon the blank is disengaged from the transport.

Abstract: A device for isolating stacked blanks with at least one blank stop and at least one conveyor belt. The object of the invention is to ensure as complete a contact as possible between even a curved blank and the conveyor belt. An auxiliary suction component, which can be telescoping, is accordingly positioned next to and extending over the conveyor belt and intercepts the undermost blank.

Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus for taking out sheets one by one from a stacker including a feed roller for feeding sheets one by one by engaging with the surface of the sheet in the stacker, one or more take-out rollers having at least one groove extending circumferentially on the peripheral surface thereof, the take-out roller being disposed downstream of the feed roller with respect to the direction of the feeding of sheets and rotated synchronously with the rotation of the feed roller, a plurality of pulleys disposed so as to face the one groove and rotated in the opposite direction to that of the sheet feeding, and one or more endless belt made of frictional material, the endless belt being mounted on a plurality of the pulleys so that a part of the endless belt is positioned in the groove and moved in the direction opposite to that of the sheet feeding, the sheets being fed by being held between the peripheral surface of the take-out roller and the endless belt.

Abstract: Sheet feeding apparatus, particularly for feeding corrugated paperboard sheets to container blank processing machinery, has an indexing transmission for cyclically accelerating and decelerating belts or the like for frictionally engaging and feeding sheets from an end of a stack of sheets. A cam arrangement cyclically shifts the feed belts or the like relative to a stack support surface between an operative position for feeding and an inoperative position. The accelerating and decelerating cycle of the belts occurs twice per machine cycle. The cam arrangement preferably comprises a single lobe cam and a double lobe cam, either of which can be selectively chosen for shifting the belts. When feeding one sheet per machine cycle of the downstream machinery, the single lobe cam is employed to shift the belts into the operative mode only once per machine cycle.

Abstract: A device for feeding blanks from a pile into an infeed arrangement for a blank processing machine, such as a folder or gluer, characterized by a frame having a plurality of conveyor units with an arrangement for laterally positioning the units in the frame depending on the width of the blank being processed, an arrangement for driving each of the units utilizing a single drive shaft and an arrangement for driving each of the conveyor units for a selected period of time during each feed cycle.

Abstract: A scuff separating device capable of feeding document sheets from the bottom of a stack includes a feed belt below and contacting the bottom of the stack. A retard roller rests on the belt and prevents double feeds. The retard roller and belt both have high coefficients of friction. A brake on the retard roller prevents rotation when more than one sheet is in the nip but permits rotation when one or no sheets are in the nip.

Abstract: A system in which an easily replaceable cartridge containing conveyor mechanisms such as wheels and belts, and a base for mounting the cartridge transports documents. The cartridge includes a carcass having a plurality of recesses in which respective wheels are disposed. When the cartridge is not mounted on the base, the wheels are retained within the recesses in contact with the carcass by belts which encircle the carcass. The base includes a plurality of bearing members of like member to the wheels. When the cartridge is mounted on the base, the wheels are engaged by the bearing members. The base is provided with a tensioning device which, when operated, tensions the belt and spaces the wheels away from the carcass, permitting them to rotate freely about their associated bearing members. At least one of the wheels is retained upon a hub assembly by a click-on, click-off mechanism requiring only single handed operation.

Abstract: A feeder for paperboard blanks includes a transport, vertical relationship changing structure to alternately provide action and passive positions for the transport, a suction device, and a transmission with input and output shafts operatively connected so that the output shaft undergoes controlled acceleration during an initial portion of each revolution of the input shaft and is stationary during a last portion of each revolution of the input shaft, whereby the transport engages and grips a blank by static friction and moves and accelerates that blank to nip rolls without slippage occurring and so that each blank enters the nip rolls in register whereupon the blank is disengaged from the transport.

Abstract: A sheet separating device for a stack of sheets having feed and retard means forming a nip includes an insert held against the free end of the stack. The insert is moved into contact with the retard means to release its force on the last sheet, facilitating feeding of the last sheet.

Abstract: A shredder has two intake sections through which paper to be shredded can be fed through cutting rollers. Detectors for detecting presence or absence of paper in each sections are provided such that the maximum number of sheets of paper that can be transported through the first intake section to the cutting rollers is changed, depending on whether presence of paper is detected also in the second intake section or not.

Abstract: In a sheet feed bench with two parallel sheet feed rails that are adjustable relative to one another and with each having blowing jets on their surfaces facing one another directly above the level of the bench, connected to a common source of compressed air, the sheet feed rails resting on the bench surface are provided with groove-like or notch-like enlargements at the level of the blowing jets. Each of these extend over the entire length of the sheet feeder rails. These enlargements make it possible to position the inner surfaces of the sheet feeder rails so closely and tightly against the longitudinal edges of the stack of sheets that only small amounts of compressed air can escape upward. The formation of an air cushion is improved by this in such a way that the stack height can be more than double without adversely affecting the single-sheet separation.

Abstract: Apparatus which takes stacks of pre-formed, stored printed signatures and forms them into a uniform shingle, running at extremely high velocity, for transport into a processing device such as a rotary trimmer or quarter folder. The apparatus, in certain major aspects, includes an input conveyor and a support table creating a vertical queue stack of signatures which is maintained at very low but essentially constant weight and height by photocell control of the speed of a conveyor which adds signatures to the top of the stack, a conveyor belt running beneath the bottom of the stack in a cut-out region of the stack-supporting table, with sequential vacuum clutching to the tail portions of successive signatures caused by spaced rows of holes extending across that belt and registerable with longitudinal slots in a vacuum shoe beneath the belt.

Abstract: A mechanism for feeding sheets having a feed belt on front and rear rollers. A singulator assembly overlying and in contact with the feed belt. An auxiliary roller interposed between said front and rear rollers, with the singulation assembly in contact with the feed belt at a point between the front roller and the auxiliary roller. The singulator having a pair of spaced side frame members, central pressure means between the spaced frame members, a roller rotatably mounted on each end of the frame members, and a belt surrounding the rollers and the central pressure means, so that sheets on said feed belt are fed one by one between the singulator assembly and the feed belt.

Abstract: A mailing system for metering batches of mixed weight mail. The system includes a demand feed for singulating mailpieces, a weighing module for weighing the singulated mailpieces and determining the appropriate postage amount and a postage meter responsive to the weighing module for metering each singulated mailpiece with the appropriate postage amount. A transport system sequentially transports singulated mailpieces from the feeder to the weighing module when the postage meter is set then stops during the weighing period. The postage meter is set for the next sequential mailpiece only after weighing and metering are both completed. In another embodiment a mechanical buffer is provided between the weighing module and the meter to allow overlapping of weighing time with meter setting time.

Abstract: An original handling apparatus has an original table for stacking originals thereon, rollers and belts for feeding each original to an exposure position, a partition arm set on the originals on the tables and detected when all the originals on the table are exposed once, and a CPU for controlling the operation of the overall apparatus. The originals can be reliably fed, exposed and returned.

Abstract: A conveyor for removing stock items from the bottom of a stack comprising an intermittently operable roller member having conveying and lifting portions movable in an orbit, the conveying portions being operative during their operative periods to drag against the lowermost item of the stack seated thereon and enter one end of the item into a metering device which is operative during the same intervals to enter the leading end of each article into a pair of pullout rollers, the roller member cycling to dispose the lifting portions in lifting positions to the stack and providing smooth surfaced areas releasing the partially withdrawn items from under the stack during this interval.

Abstract: A feeder for paperboard blanks includes a transport, vertical relationship changing structure to alternately provide active and passive positions for the transport a suction device, and a transmission with input and output shafts operatively connected so that the output shaft undergoes controlled acceleration during an initial portion of each revolution of the input shaft and is stationary during a last portion of each revolution of the input shaft, whereby the transport engages and grips a blank by static friction and moves and accelerates that blank to nip rolls without slippage occurring and so that each blank enters the nip rolls in register whereupon the blank is disengaged from the transport.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for feeding documents individually to a document scanning surface of a copying machine from a pile of documents on a document tray.

Abstract: Loader for signatures and the like, comprises, between the signature feeding path and the signature raising path, a step capable of breaking and dividing the signature pack, so as to form a stack portion of very reduced weight. The adhesion of the signatures to be conveyed on the raising path is improved by applying a negative pressure. There is further provided a sensor for detecting the presence of signatures on the raising path which sensor is swingably supported and is capable of acting as an abutment for the signatures forming the pack portion.

Abstract: A self-contained conveyor is adapted to be seated or bodily removed with respect to a support of an associated press. The conveyor has a gravity feed section for receiving a pile of stock items imbricately arranged thereon and delivering the items onto a pile fragmentizing roller assembly. The roller assembly separates the piled items by transporting the items over it and feeds items onto a belt conveyor which in turn delivers the items against a fanning mechanism. The bottom item is delivered into a metering nip defined between a retard and cooperating feed roller assembly which delivers each item to a pickup station of a press beneath a sensing finger switch. As long as each item remains on the station, it prevents the finger from dropping to close the switch and actuate a circuit which operates the belt conveyor and feed roller to deliver the next bottom item to the station.

Abstract: An elongated, cylindrical roll, having a surface machined to a predetermined microfinish, is mounted in place of the conventional chromium plated fixed gate in a known type of blank feeder. In such feeders, the upper stretch of the conveyor advances blanks from a high stack, in a bottom feed magazine, along a path, in shingled formation to continuously resupply a low stack in the hopper of a folder-gluer. The elongated roll is reversely rotated, at a surface speed equal to the speed of the upper stretch. The leading edges of the lower most blanks in the high stack are barred by leaf springs from contacting the rear surface of the reversely rotating roll except for an arcuate area, in the lower rear quadrant, defined by an angle of 30.degree. rearwardly from the bottom longitudinal center line of the roll.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a combination of feeding roller and paper separating member for feeding a plurality of papers on the paper holding board one by one and a combination of transferring roller and thrusting member for receiving paper from the combination of feeding roller and paper separating member and transferring it further. To separate the foregoing paper away from the subsequent one the peripheral speed of the transferring roller is determined higher than that of the paper feeding roller. Both the paper feeding roller and the transferring roller are arranged on a single shaft and thereby the apparatus is constructed in smaller dimensions.

Abstract: A method and a device for controlling the issuance of cards or like paper stock singly from a card feeder having a friction wheel which is positioned above a movable platform to feed the cards singly from the bottom of a stock. The friction wheel is rotated sequentially through preselectable arcs, intermittently if desired, whereby the issuing cards are optimally spaced apart. An auxiliary feed mechanism operating at a preselected speed and intermittently if desired may assist feeding the bottom cards of the stack as they are moved towards the nip between the friction wheel and the feeder platform. An advancer mechanism may assist movement of the stack towards the feeder platform, the stack advancer being movable sequentially at a preselected amount and preferably intermittently.

Abstract: A system for measuring the friction between the bottom two sheets of the stack. The bottom-most sheet is held to a vacuum corrugation feeder tray by any suitable means such as a vacuum and moves with the tray. The vacuum corrugation feeder tray is mounted on compliant supports and driven near or at its resonant frequency by an electromechanical driver. At low or zero air knife pressure, the paper stack is mechanically coupled to the tray and moves with the tray, possibly slipping at some point during the vibration cycle. As the air knife pressure increases, the mechanical coupling decreases, and a point is reached at which the stack remains stationary. Prior to the point where stack motion ceases, the resonance of the tray is modified and it is possible to estimate the weight of the stack. When the stack motion ceases, the frictional force F can be estimated from the driving force required to maintain a given vibrational amplitude.

Abstract: Document counter with discharge means comprising a support for a wad of documents, an endless conveyor belt which can be moved about a rotational axis, means for guiding the conveyor belt in the plane of the support to engage the lowermost document on the support, and collecting means comprising a flap wheel system which can be rotated about a rotational axis which is parallel to the rotational axis of the conveyor belt, flaps extending from the periphery of the flap wheel system, said flaps forming pockets mutually spaced circumferentially, which open in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the flap wheel system, and a receptacle located at the moving path of the flaps for receiving the documents from the pockets of the flap wheel system.

Abstract: A method for the distribution of sheets, especially glued together sheets of paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard and the like, from individual small sheet stacks. The method provides for alternating ones of small sheet stacks proceeding from a machine to be turned over one hundred and eighty degrees and returned to a conveyor belt. Thereafter, individual sheets of sequentially arriving small sheet stacks are delivered to a final loading station. The installation for performing the method comprises an endless conveyor belt having an endless loop formed in its top portion by three deflection rollers disposed between the front and rear guide rollers of the conveyor belt, one of the deflection rollers protruding upwardly through the feed plane of the conveyor belt. At the end of the conveyor belt a back-up rail is disposed thereabove to form an outlet slot therebetween, the width of which slot is controllable to provide stacking of individual sheets at the final station.

Abstract: A bottom feeder for copy paper feeding has means for imparting a curvature to the sheets, the curvature being in the direction the sheets will be withdrawn. The curvature provides transverse rigidity to permit lifting weight of stack off the bottom sheet. This facilitates withdrawing the sheets one at a time from the bottom of the stack.A curved paper tray imparts a curvature to the paper. A pair of holding clamps are provided, one on either side of the stack of paper, which are partially withdrawn from the sides of the paper stack so that paper may be added to the stack. When sheets are to be fed, the clamps which comprise a pair of plates having a friction material on the paper facing side thereof are moved in to engage the sides of the stack of paper. An arrangement is provided to thereafter lower the paper tray slightly from the bottom of the stack, or lift the clamps and the curved paper stack. In either event, the pressure of the stack weight is now removed from the bottom sheet.

Abstract: A delivery device in which an endless belt rotatably driven is brought into contact with the foremost sheet of a stack of sheets of paper stored in a registered relationship with each other and the sheets of paper are delivered one at a time by the endless belt through a gate gap defined by a rotary member which guides the endless belt and a gate forming member disposed in opposed relationship with the rotary member. The sheets of paper can be delivered one at a time in a predetermined spaced apart relationship by utilizing the slack of the endless belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for feeding single sheets of paper from the bottom of a stack of paper sheets. The device includes a feed tray angled at approximately 60.degree. with the horizontal and a substantially rigid paper drive member cooperating with a plurality of differentially yieldable retard members. By successively increasing the normal pressure on the members or by changing their coefficients of friction, increments of increasing or decreasing retarding force are provided. Uniform frictional forces between individual sheets are provided by a bail weight.

Abstract: A bottom level sheet feeding apparatus having a tray for receiving a stock of sheets, an endless belt conveyor having an upper run which extends into the tray, a lead surface superposed to the upper run of the conveyor downstream of the tray and inclined downwardly and terminating above the upper run to form a pinch point therewith, an idler roller positioned to support the upper run at the pinch point, and a retard strip superposed to the belt downstream of the lead surface. The lead surface has a relatively low coefficient of friction with the sheets to be conveyed, the upper run has a relatively high coefficient of friction with the sheets and the retard strip has a coefficient of friction with the sheets intermediate those of the lead surface and conveyor belt.

Abstract: A document sheet handler/copy sheet feeder employing a vacuum belt feeder having an air knife to aid in sheet separation. The quantity of air discharged from the air knife is varied in accordance with the weight or pressure of sheets placed in the document sheet handler/copy sheet feeder and actuating a valve having four flow settings: Off, Low, Medium, and High. The valve includes two concentrically arranged and individually rotatable cylindrical valve elements having various sized openings formed thereon. Selective rotation of the valve elements align various combination of the openings to provide the four flow settings.

Abstract: A bottom level sheet feeding apparatus having a tray for receiving a stack of sheets, a driven endless belt conveyor with an upstream end extending into the tray, a lead surface plate over a fixed-height idler roller to form a pinch point between the belt conveyor and the lower edge of the lead surface plate, a retard strip, and a pair of puller rolls for transporting fed sheets from the extreme downstream end of the belt conveyor to an appropriate copying mechanism. Both the upstream end of the belt conveyor and the downstream end of the belt conveyor may be lowered and raised relative to the fixed height idler roller. A solenoid or hydraulic piston arrangement is disclosed for lowering or raising the upstream and downstream ends of the belt conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for collating folded signatures which are removed from a stack of signatures and placed in parallel side-by-side relationship on saddle members. The saddle members move in a direction transverse to the folds in the signature, and thus spacing of the saddle members is close together and the entire apparatus and process can be performed at a high speed, in that arrangement. A signature pickup device is employed for removing the signatures from the stack in a stream relationship and delivering them directly to a collector where a flap opener can be employed for positioning the signature flaps on opposite sides of the collector saddle members.

Abstract: A sheet dispenser in which sheets are delivered from cassettes to a collector and held thereon. The collector is mounted on a moveable support, and the collector and bills thereon are moved to either left or right delivery areas of the terminal in response to a request entered on an input terminal. Closures normally close the left and right delivery areas; however, these closures are opened to permit the sheets held on the collector to extend out of the dispenser to be grasped by an operator.

Abstract: Sheets being advanced on a driven conveyor with one sheet at least partially overlapped by another are separated in the transport path, so that only one sheet is fed at a time, by the action of a friction member such as a roller which is mounted for swinging movement relative to a line of contact with the sheets for pressing the sheets against the conveyor and is biased by a spring and/or its own weight in the direction opposite to the transport direction. The axis of swinging movement is parallel to the line of contact and so located that a plane through the swing axis and the plane of the transport path at that line, as viewed in the transport direction, forms an angle of between about 70.degree. and 90.degree.. The friction member preferably is a roller which is rotated at a relatively low speed so as to move its peripheral surface in the direction opposite to the transport direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding sheets one by one from a group of at least partially overlapping sheets, in which a conveyor belt in contact with the lowermost sheet is driven to feed that sheet in the desired transport direction while a sheet separating roller forming a nip with the belt is driven so as to move the surface of the roller through the nip in the opposite direction, thus holding back of the nip sheets lying on the lowermost sheet, is provided with a displaceable member, for example a flat end portion of a leaf spring wound into a spiral, which has a smooth underside to receive under this member and press on the sheets approaching the nip and has a forward end edge slidably engaged with the surface of the roller immediately adjacent to the location where the sheets contact the roller. The displaceable member prevents the sheets from curling up or buckling in the vicinity of the roller, irrespective of the number of sheets and irrespective of variations of the position of the separating roller.

Abstract: An automatic document handler adapted to receive a stack of documents to be copied, feed the documents seriatim to the platen of a reproduction machine and return the documents to the stack. The combination of a vacuum-belt document corrugator/feed assembly and dual air knives is provided to assure positive feeding of each document to the platen without misfeeds or multifeeds.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed that can be selectively operated with equal advantage to strip sheet material from either the top or the bottom of a stack. A translatable member having a generally planar surface formed of an electrically insulative material is disposed proximate to either the top or bottom of a stack of sheet material. A pair of electrodes in the form of an electronic grid is secured to the planar surface. A DC voltage is applied to the electrodes selectively to effect a highly intense electric field only close to the surface of the member. The intensity of the electric field can be varied in predetermined relation to the applied DC voltage so as to determine the number of sheets simultaneously removed from the stack. The electric field exerts an attractive force only on the end-most sheet or sheets of the stack so that said end-most sheet or sheets only will be stripped from the stack.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheets of paper to be interleaved with a stack of meat patties includes a vertical push rod within a tube which is slidable in a hole in one end of a feed arm. The feed arm is connected at the other end to a vertically oscillating shaft which moves up and down in conjunction with a meat patty ejection arm. The upper surface of the feed arm also supports a pivoting lock plate having one end mounted on a vertical post. The other end of the lock plate includes a hole accommodating the slidable tube. The lower end of the push rod includes a pressure foot which rests on top of a stack of paper sheets. A spring is positioned around the push rod between the pressure foot and the lower end of the slidable tube. When the oscillating shaft moves down, the lock plate pivots to an angular position which causes the slidable tube to be gripped within the hole in the lock plate.

Abstract: A device for pressing a pile of sheets in a feeding unit or station including a vertically movable pressing carriage with a pressing device being guided in a vertical path formed by rails and a groove provided in a front surface of a gauge of the feeding unit. The pressing device includes a sensing arrangement acting on a switch connected in a control circuit for a pneumatic drive so that when introducing an additional batch of sheets into the feeding station the sensing device actuates the pneumatic piston to retract the pressing device to provide clearance for the additional batch.

Abstract: A document separation device for separating documents in a stack employs counter-rotating feed drum and friction belt members to strip away and hold back more than a single document trying to pass between them. The structure employs a pair of stripper idlers mounted for free-wheeling rotation adjacent the feed drum. The stripper idlers are constructed and arranged so as to be controlled by the documents passing between them and the adjacent feed drum so as to automatically speed up or slow down when required. The stripper idlers are designed to maintain the proper force against the drum or a document passing therebetween to feed the documents in the desired path through the apparatus and to straighten out severely curled leading edges of the documents to avoid jamming, tearing or skewing of the documents. In addition, the idler strippers serve to fan out the documents to hold them in a desirable condition for ease of separation.