Importance

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Abstract

Sheet handling and counting apparatus comprising cooperating stripper shoes and feed rollers forming a feed nip which strips multiple fed sheets causing sheets to be delivered from a feed nip one at a time toward an acceleration nip. The orientation of the stripper shoe relative to the feed roller and the input tray provides excellent stripping action while preventing damage to the sheets being handled. The acceleration nip is formed by cooperating acceleration idlers and O-rings supported by acceleration rollers for accelerating sheets entering the acceleration nip to form a gap between adjacent sheets which aids in the counting of sheets. The stripper shoe is mounted within a clip which also serves to protect the forward end surface of the stripper shoe as well as providing a low friction guide surface engaged by the leading edges of sheets approaching the feed nip. The acceleration rollers drive freewheeling acceleration idlers provided on a common shaft with the feed roller by way of O-rings which further cooperate with dancer rollers to facilitate the feeding of light, thin documents into the feed nip. The O-rings increase the path length between the feed and acceleration nips facilitating the handling of sheets over a broad range of sheet length, measured in the feed direction. Feed idlers cooperate with the feed roller to provide an additional driving nip for directing sheets leaving the curved path leading out of the feed nip toward the acceleration nip. The O-rings provide a greater path length between the feed and acceleration nips to permit the handling of a wide range of sheet sizes with the need for any mechanical adjustment. Sheet feeding is accomplished without the need for an electromagnetic brake and clutch which devices are required in conventional apparatus.

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First Claim