Inventors:
Daniel D. Alper - Ypsilanti MI
Assignee:
Burroughs Corp. - Detroit MI
International Classification:
B65H 352
B65H 534
Abstract:
An improved document feeder employs sets of rollers between which it feeds documents of different lengths to generate and maintain gaps of equal length between the documents while transporting them at a constant speed. A first group of rollers separate stacked documents and start the documents moving at a low speed along the track. A second group of rollers, operated at a higher speed, receive documents from the first group of rollers and increase the speed of the first document relative to a second document, still in contact with the first group of rollers, thereby providing an initial gap which continues to lengthen until the second document reaches the second group of rollers. A third group of rollers receives the documents after they leave the second group, imparting a constant system transport speed to them. The first and second groups of rollers are then able to further adjust the gap by changing the speed of a second document, and after the desired gap has been established, reverting to transport speed before transferring the second document to the third group of rollers.