An automatic stack feeder having a moveable stack or product guide is disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may be configured to receive a stack of articles and a container enclosing a stack of articles. To ensure the stack of articles is properly supported following unloading from the container, the stack guide is moveable between a first and a second position, wherein the stack guide is in contact with the stack of articles while in the first position, and not in contact with the stack when in the second position.

Sheet transport device including: first tray having receiving area receiving sheets ejected in first direction; second tray in second direction intersecting first direction with respect to first tray; transporter causing pushing member to move between first and second positions at respective sides of receiving area along second direction, second position closer to second tray than first position, transporter transporting first sheet set to second tray by putting pushing member in contact with end of first sheet set facing first position and causing pushing member to move from first to second position when first sheet set is ejected onto first tray; and direction changer causing guide member to guide, in subsequent second sheet set, at least sheet ejected while pushing member moves across receiving area and to change sheet traveling direction to upward direction over pushing member by putting guide member in predetermined angle with respect to horizontal direction.

Sheet transport device including: first tray having receiving area receiving sheets ejected in first direction; second tray in second direction intersecting first direction with respect to first tray; transporter causing pushing member to move between first and second positions at respective sides of receiving area along second direction, second position closer to second tray than first position, transporter transporting first sheet set to second tray by putting pushing member in contact with end of first sheet set facing first position and causing pushing member to move from first to second position when first sheet set is ejected onto first tray; and direction changer causing guide member to guide, in subsequent second sheet set, at least sheet ejected while pushing member moves across receiving area and to change sheet traveling direction to upward direction over pushing member by putting guide member in predetermined angle with respect to horizontal direction.

Postal sorting equipment for sorting flat mailpieces comprises a postal sorting machine, a storage-tray conveyor for conveying open-topped storage trays filled with mailpieces stacked flat, a shuttle-tray conveyor for conveying substantially L-shaped open-fronted shuttle trays, and in which the mailpieces are placed on-edge in stacks, and a tray interchanger suitable for automatically transferring the mailpieces stored flat in an open-topped storage tray to an open-fronted shuttle tray, the feed inlet comprising an unstacker with a fork-shaped magazine with tines, each of which is constituted by a motor-driven belt, the shuttle tray and the fork-shaped magazine being designed so that, by advancing towards the unstacker, the shuttle tray is engaged by the motor-driven belts of the unstacker magazine that come to be inserted under the mailpiece stack disposed on-edge in the shuttle tray, the unstacker magazine including a conveyor section that is mounted to move in elevation under the magazine tines.

A system includes a sheet holder configured to hold a sheet of blanks, the sheet of blanks including a first blank and a second blank attached to the first blank. A conveyor mechanism is configured to transport the sheet of blanks from the sheet holder to a separator mechanism. The separator mechanism is configured to apply a pulling force to the first blank. A resistance component is configured to apply a resistance force to the second blank to resist the pulling force. The pulling force and the resistance force are configured to separate the first blank from the second blank.

A system includes a sheet holder configured to hold a sheet of blanks, the sheet of blanks including a first blank and a second blank attached to the first blank. A conveyor mechanism is configured to transport the sheet of blanks from the sheet holder to a separator mechanism. The separator mechanism is configured to apply a pulling force to the first blank. A resistance component is configured to apply a resistance force to the second blank to resist the pulling force. The pulling force and the resistance force are configured to separate the first blank from the second blank.

Postal sorting equipment comprises a sorting machine with an unstacking member (5) and a feed magazine (7). The equipment further comprises storage trays (4) for storing mailpieces (3) and for bringing them into the feed magazine. The magazine has a deck with a first deck portion (22) that is superposed above a second deck portion (23). Each tray (4) has a bottom (26) provided with a groove that is open to the front and to the top of the tray. The first deck portion and the groove of each tray are designed to fit together so that when a tray filled with mailpieces in a stack and on edge is standing on the second deck portion, the first deck portion comes to fit into the groove in the tray under the stack of mailpieces, thereby enabling the mailpieces to be unloaded automatically from the tray.

Postal sorting equipment comprises a sorting machine with an unstacking member (5) and a feed magazine (7). The equipment further comprises storage trays (4) for storing mailpieces (3) and for bringing them into the feed magazine. The magazine has a deck with a first deck portion (22) that is superposed above a second deck portion (23). Each tray (4) has a bottom (26) provided with a groove that is open to the front and to the top of the tray. The first deck portion and the groove of each tray are designed to fit together so that when a tray filled with mailpieces in a stack and on edge is standing on the second deck portion, the first deck portion comes to fit into the groove in the tray under the stack of mailpieces, thereby enabling the mailpieces to be unloaded automatically from the tray.

A sheet feeding apparatus which is able to make it known that a first containing area for feeding cannot be replenished with sheets in a second containing area for replenishing. A sheet feeding cassette has the first containing area in which sheets to be fed are contained, the second containing area that is adjacent to the first containing area and in which sheets for replenishing are contained, and a sheet mover that transfers the sheets contained in the second containing area to the first containing area. A first detector detects whether or not the sheet mover is at a standby position. When the first detector detects that the sheet mover is not at the standby position, a warning is issued to prompt return of the sheet mover to the standby position.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first tray on which sheets are stacked, a sheet feeder, a second tray on which sheets to be supplied to the first tray are stacked, wherein the second tray is disposed adjacently to the first tray, a sheet mover, an abnormality detector, and a controller. The sheet feeder feeds the sheets stacked on the first tray. The sheet mover moves the sheets stacked on the second tray. The sheet mover is movable between a first position for stacking sheets on the second tray and a second position for supplying the sheets stacked on the second tray to the first tray. The abnormality detector may detect an abnormality in the sheet mover. When the abnormality detector detects an abnormality in the sheet mover, the controller inhibits the sheet mover from operating and permits the sheet feeder to feed a sheet.