Abstract: A routing device that allows two incoming streams of flat objects on two upstream conveyors to converge symmetrically at a small angle toward a downstream conveyor and be grouped into a single stream of flat objects, such that the two upstream conveyors paths form a Y-shaped structure with the conveying path defined by the downstream conveyor. The upstream conveyors each have a press belt (7; 7′) stretched over elastically deformable wheels (10, 11, 12, 10′, 11′, 12′) with fixed axles and a backing belt (4; 4′) against which the press belt presses to convey the flat objects. The press belts (7, 7′) of the upstream conveyors meet at a gripping point constituting the entry to the downstream conveyor and are pressed against one another downstream of the gripping point by two elastically deformable wheels (11, 11′) with fixed axles for defining the path of the downstream conveyor.

Abstract: A paper feeder includes: a multiple number of paper feed cassettes arranged abreast at approximately the same level in the sheet feed direction. These paper feed cassettes are formed into a unibody structure so that they can be pulled out altogether. The more upstream a paper feed cassette is located with respect to the sheet feed direction, the higher the level of the upper surface of the paper feed cassette is arranged. This arrangement affords a space over the downstream paper feed cassette, in which a feed path for recording paper picked up from a paper feed cassette located on the upstream side can be arranged.

Abstract: A conveyor system for synchronously combining the conveying paths of at least two asynchronously operated upstream conveyors for synchronized merger into at least one downstream conveyor comprises a synchronizing conveyor belt disposed upstream of the merger point of the at least two upstream asynchronously operated conveyors. When articles, such as, for example, postal mail pieces being conveyed along the at least two upstream asynchronously operated conveyors are detected as being likely to undergo a collision or overlap at the merge point of the at least two upstream asynchronously operated conveyors, the synchronizing conveyor belt is appropriately sped up or slowed down so as to not only avoid such interference, collision, or overlap of the postal mail pieces, but in addition, to provide sufficient spacing of the same upon the at least one downstream conveyor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for arranging at least two sheets in a shingled mode of arrangement, wherein a first sheet is moved in a paper travelling direction, and a second sheet is simultaneously moved in a direction at an angle relative to the paper travelling direction in such a way that the at least two sheets are slid one on top of the other. Alternatively, the first and the second sheet are moved in a first and in a second direction at respective different angles relative to a paper travelling direction. Another alternative is to move the two sheets in a first and in a second direction at different speeds but at identical angles relative to the paper travelling direction.

Abstract: A right-angle sheet stager apparatus for merging multiple input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface. Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface and the staging surface. Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface. The output channel includes an output surface, and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect to the input channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus permits a sheet from the transport surface to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Abstract: A registration roller 30 is preferably interposed between a first tangent line L1 passing through a handling portion between a first sheet feed roller 38 and a first handling member 42, and a second tangent line L2 passing through a handling portion between a second sheet feed roller 40 and a second handling member 44 (or the registration roller 30 may also be disposed so as to project out slightly from this range), and also the registration roller 30 may be preferably disposed downwardly of a horizontal line L3 passing through an upper end of the first sheet feed roller 38. In case where the first sheet feed roller 38, the second sheet feed roller 40 and the registration roller 30 are disposed so as to be as close as possible to one another, the height dimensions of a sheet feed apparatus 28 can be reduced to a minimum.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus comprises a vertical type paper feed unit which feed paper into a printing unit, and a discharge unit which contains the paper discharged from the printing unit. The paper feed unit and the discharged unit are arranged in a vertical direction to the printing unit, which will allow the floor surface projection area to be reduced. Further, the paper is conveyed into one of discharge trays in accordance with its paper size. Thereby, the larger size paper is discharged underside the smaller size paper, accordingly, it does not occur for the paper discharged to the upper discharge tray to shield the paper on the lower stage discharge tray from the visual angle. Also, the confirmation of paper discharge and taking out can be easily carried out irrespective of the paper size.

Abstract: A right-angle sheet stager apparatus for merging multiple input sheet streams into a single output sheet stream includes one or more input channels and an output channel. Each input channel includes a transport surface and a staging surface. Each transport surface communicates with its corresponding staging surface at a transitional member interposed between the transport surface and the staging surface. Each transitional member includes an upper surface disposed at an elevation greater than an elevation of the corresponding staging surface. The output channel includes an output surface, and is oriented in a right-angle relation with respect to the input channels and communicates with the input channels at a merger location. The stager apparatus permits a sheet from the transport surface to enter the staging surface and overlap with a preceding sheet already present on that staging surface, prior to the preceding sheet's complete exit from the staging surface.

Abstract: A dynamic sequencer (17) for sheets printed two-up and slalom on continuous forms comprising an input section (22) for two sheets (19-a and 19-b) in a plane flanking relationship with respect to a longitudinal axis (27) and a collecting station (24) for the superposed sheets. Overlapping device (23) moves the sheets from the input section (22) to the collecting station (24) along two respective trajectories (28, 29) maintaining a constant transversal trim. The trajectories (28, 29) include divergent portions (31, 32) divergent in height from the input section, approaching portions (33, 34) approaching the sheets toward the longitudinal axis (27) and concurrent portions (36, 37) concurrent in height toward the collecting station (24).

Abstract: Featured is a sheet feed unit including a first transport path in which is transported a first sheet, a second transport path and a protrusion. A second sheet is transported in the second transport path and guided at a prescribed angle relative to the first transport path. The protrusion is located or fixed at a confluence of the first transport path and the second transport path. The protrusion also has a guide surface that is placed to allow the second sheet to be guided along the first transport path.

Abstract: A printer or copier has a paper feeder provided with a plurality of compartments which hold paper for feeding the paper to the printer and a circuit to control conveying of the paper to the printer. The paper feeder includes a drive to move the paper from the paper compartments to a conveying path where it is carried to the printer. A branching portion is provided in the conveying path. Further paper feeders may be connected in series to the first paper feeder, each paper feeder having a plurality of paper compartments and feeding the paper out of a lower paper feed path to the next paper feeder device.

Abstract: A paper feeder is able to properly separate and convey the uppermost sheet of paper from sheets stacked beneath it in a paper bin while effectively preventing multiple paper sheet feeds and other paper feed problems. The paper feeder includes a paper separator for lifting upper sheets, and separating the uppermost sheet from the sheet immediately beneath it by blowing air against an upper-forward end of a stack of paper loaded in a paper bin, and a vacuum paper carrier for holding the uppermost sheet by suction and carrying it. The paper separator has lifting nozzles for lifting side ends of the upper sheets, by blowing air toward side portions, excluding a central portion, of the stack of paper loaded in the paper bin.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a plurality of sheet containers, a plurality of sheet feeding units and a plurality of curving conveying routes for guiding the sheets to a common conveying route. One of the sheet containers is adapted to hold envelopes and other sheets of high rigidity, and the sheet feeding apparatus is constructed such that a radius of curvature of the curving conveying route for the envelope and other sheets of high rigidity is made larger than a radius of curvature of a second curving portion of another conveying route.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for mounting a lower envelope transport onto a chassis of an envelope insertion station. The mounting assembly includes mechanisms for a three-plane adjustment in XYZ directions so that the positioning relationship between the lower envelope transport and the envelope staging area in the envelope insertion station can be adjusted to achieve a desired distance at the hand-over point. Furthermore, the mounting assembly allows the lower envelope transport to be removed from the chassis for jam access, maintenance or shipping purposes. The lower envelope transport can be remounted onto the envelope insertion station without the need for readjusting its position to achieve the desired distance in the XYZ directions at the hand-over point.

Abstract: A method for supplying envelopes to an inserter system, including the steps of providing an envelope supply structure having an exit point, providing at least first and second supply paths from the exit point of the envelope supply structure and providing a common path from the at least first and second supply paths. Individual envelopes are fed from the envelope supply structure to a selected one of the at least first and second supply paths wherein the envelope is conveyed to a holding area in the selected supply path and from the holding area of the selected supply path it is conveyed to the common path. The envelope then travels from the common path to an envelope insertion area wherein prearranged documents are caused to be inserted into the envelope.

Abstract: An envelope transport system, for transporting envelopes, flaps opened, along a final common path in a direction at ninety degrees from a feed direction along which the envelopes are provided in two parallel paths.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that may be constructed using a first tray mounted in a frame and biased by an elastic member to bring the paper stacked on the first tray into engagement with a pickup roller. A finger is pivotally attached to the frame to force the paper loaded from the first tray to be loaded sequentially. A second tray is attached to the frame and has an end that forms a document guide that is interposed between the finger and the pickup roller. Alternatively, the second tray can end before the pickup roller and a film can be attached to the second tray to form a document guide that extends between the pickup roller and the finger. Regardless of the method used to form a document guide, the document guide allows a user to intersperse a manually fed document between documents that are being loaded from a separate tray using an automatic document loading process.

Abstract: A turnover mechanism for handling sheets having a pair of belts, said belts are spaced one above the other, sheet turnover tubes interposed between the two belts, one of the turnover tubes facing in a direction opposite to the other turnover tubes, the sheets being fed to one of the belts, the belt moving the sheets to a turnover tube whereby the turnover tube inverts the sheets and transfers the sheets from one belt to the other belt. The belts and turnover tubes are mounted in an invertable module.

Abstract: A device for collating sheets of paper into a stack includes an elongated chute and at least one feeder. The chute has a transverse shape approximating the size of the sheets of paper to be fed into the chute. Each feeder feeds a sheet of paper into the chute so that the plane of the paper extends generally transverse to a vertical axis of the chute. The sheets of paper thus fed into the chute may then float downwardly on a cushion of air coming to rest in a bottom area of the chute.

Abstract: A sheet dispensing apparatus includes at least one pair of sheet stores, and a transport system for transporting sheets from the stores to a dispense position. The transport system includes, for each pair of sheet stores, a common feed member which, upon relative movement between the common feed member and the stores, can be moved between a pair of feed positions in each of which it engages a sheet in a respective one of the pair of stores so as to enable sheet(s) to be withdrawn from the corresponding store. The common feed member is able to take up also a neutral position in which, even if actuated, no sheets are fed from either store.

Abstract: A method and unit for feeding blanks to a user machine, whereby at least two synchronized pickup heads withdraw the blanks from respective hoppers and feed them to respective conveying pockets moving continuously along a user path of the machine; each blank adheres by suction to a flat conveying surface of the respective pickup head, with a first lateral edge projecting outwards of the flat conveying surface and with a second edge contacting a push tooth projecting from the respective flat conveying surface, and is so inserted inside the respective conveying pocket as to be maintained in a flat configuration between the push tooth and a stop element moving together with the conveying pocket.