Abstract:
The envelope drop stacking apparatus receives envelopes ejected from a mailing machine in a seriatim manner to the stacker. The mailing machine ejects envelopes from an exist along an exist plane to which the drop stacker entrance is aligned. The stacker has an elongated deck extending generally parallel to and vertically below the exist plane and an elongated registration wall extending vertically from the deck and lateral to the exist. A bi-sectional deflector strip has at one end pivotally mounted to the registration wall vertically elevated above the exist plane. A skew section translates the first section of the deflector section to the second section to produce a negative skew of the second section relative to the exist plane. The deflector strip is located to cause the deflector strip's second section to encounter an ejected envelope's leading edge and thereby produces a negatively skewed envelope trajectory. This trajectory is calculated to cause the envelope to be registered against the registration wall.
Abstract:
A mailing machine comprised of a plurality of modules, each of the modules a particular process function on a delivered envelope. The modules are arranged with in a single process station. The comprising modules include a load cell type scale module having means for weighing a envelope, a transport module having means for positioning the envelope in the process station and ejecting the envelope from the process station, a meter module having printing means for imprinting an indicia on the envelope, a platen module having means for causing the envelope to contact the printing means of the meter module, and a inking module having means for causing printing ink to be deposited on the printing means of the meter module. The modules operate in a manner functionally independent of any other module and in a manner. A tape module is included having means for positioning a tape for indicia printing between the meter module. A cutter module is further included having means for cutting the tape porting subsequent to indicia printing thereon.
Abstract:
Sheet stack loader and sheet stack unloader arrangements provide load-while-run or unload-while-run capabilities. In a stack loader, a pusher element laterally pushes a stack or receiver into a sheet feed receiver. In a stack unloader, the pusher element pushes a finished stack from a stacking receiver to a removal receiver. By employing smooth paper support surfaces in the receivers, with close side-by-side positioning and an unobstructed path of movement, stacks of sheets of paper can be moved laterally by the pusher mechanism, which engages a side surface of the stack to be moved. Compact drive systems utilizing toggle drives and lead screws are utilized to minimize space requirements. Continuous run capabilities can be provided by auxiliary supply or stacking trays which are operative during the stack transfer sequence.
Abstract:
A top vacuum corrugation feeder is disclosed that employs a moveable air blocking vane capable of redirecting the flow of air from an air knife. The moveable vane when in a first position allows air to exit the air knife toward a stack of sheets uninterrupted. Alternatively, when the vane is moved to a second position, air flow from the air knife is interrupted to thereby allow an increased vacuum in a vacuum means adapted to lift the top sheet off the stack for feeding.
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 system for automatically reducing the level of the partial vacuum in the vacuum plenum comprises a valve system directly actuated by the registration system by mechanical connection to the movable registration fingers to automatically reduce the vacuum level in the vacuum plenum in direct response to the movement of the registration fingers into the path of a document sheet.
Abstract:
An apparatus in which a hinge is formed in successive sheets to permit the sheets to lay substantially flat after being opened when bound to one another in a booklet. The stiffness of successive advancing sheets in a marginal region along a line substantially parallel to an edge of the sheet is reduced to facilitate bending of the sheet. The line of reduced stiffness for successive sheets is offset from one another so as to enable bending of the sheets therealong permitting the open sheets of a booklet of sheets to lay substantially flat.
Abstract:
An apparatus in which sheets are separated and fed, in seriatim, from a stack with a flow of pressurized fluid being directed between the stack and support thereof. The pressurized fluid produces a gap between the stack and support which is detected. The pressure of the fluid is controlled in response to the detected gap.
Abstract:
In a system of plurally recirculating a set of document sheets for precollated copying wherein the document sheets are repeatedly individually fed seriatim from the bottom of an overlying stack thereof for copying with registration and returned to the top of the stack for restacking, the improvement comprising individually acquiring, and individually urging laterally into contact with an elongated lateral registration edge, with a movable vacuum member each document sheet when it is the bottom sheet of the stack of document sheets, releasing the bottom sheet, and feeding the bottom sheet out from said stack transverse said lateral registration edge by separate sheet feeding apparatus only after it has been so laterally registered and released. Preferably this individual lateral registration of the bottom sheet in the stack is assisted by simultaneously blowing air at said stack from one edge thereof to aid the movement between the bottom sheet and the overlying sheets in said stack.
Abstract:
An automatic document handler adapted to receive a stack of documents to be copied for feeding the documents seriatim to the platen of a copy machine and returning the copied documents to the stack. A combination vacuum-document separator in conjunction with an air knife and a document tray having a "U" shaped pocket therein is provided to assure positive feeding of each document to the platen without misfeeds or multifeeds.
Abstract:
An apparatus which prevents lateral movement of a belt moving in a pre-determined path. The apparatus includes a readily deformable surface which moves the belt in the pre-determined path and a support for preventing lateral movement. Strains induced in the belt by preventing the lateral movement thereof distort the deformable surface which, in turn, cause the belt to return to the pre-determined path.