A system for gathering one or more mail items. The system includes a first gathering mechanism configured to press against a first of the mail or other articles, wherein the first gathering mechanism is configured to expand from a compact state to an expanded state. The area of surface contact between a first one of the one or more mail items and the first gathering mechanism increases when the first holder mechanism is in the expanded state.

A paper stack press machine comprises a base 1 with a press surface 2, a pressing plate 5, and a pressing plate drive mechanism 6 moving the pressing plate between a standby position at which the pressing plate separates from a paper stack S on the press surface and a press position at which the pressing plate presses the paper stack against the press surface. A surface of the pressing plate facing the press surface is elastically deformable. A pushing bar 11a is arranged at the second side of the pressing plate so as to be movable in an axial direction thereof between a retracted position at which the pushing bar separates from the paper stack and an advanced position at which the pushing bar pushes the paper stack against the press surface.

The provided containers (100, 200) and methods provide for gravitational alignment of a plurality of stacked articles (120), in which at least two edges (140, 142) of each article align along inner walls (108, 114, 208, 214) of a respective container. The aligning walls of the container are provided with low-friction surfaces to facilitate sliding and alignment of the articles. By aligning the stack of articles along two edges, the articles can be registered relative to not only each other but the container itself, thereby facilitating loading, unloading, and conversion of articles in the stack. Optionally, a compressible layer (147) opposing one or both of the aligning walls conforms and distributes stress along the non-aligning edges, thereby preserving registration of the articles relative to each other when the container is transported.

According to one embodiment, a delivery accumulating apparatus includes a collection base which is capable of accumulating a plurality of deliveries to be sequentially overlapped in a standing state in an accumulating direction on a surface thereof; an accumulating paddle which is capable of supporting a plurality of the deliveries accumulated on the collection base from an opposite direction of the accumulating direction, the accumulation paddle being arranged from above the collection base so that evacuation is possible; and an accommodation box which is arranged below the collection base, and is capable of accommodating a plurality of the deliveries.

The repositioning station (200) allows a continuous shingled stream (120) of overlapping semirigid planar articles (100) to be transported on an incoming conveyor (122) along a transport circuit (204) onto an outgoing conveyor (302) so as to form a stack that can be carried away upon the outgoing conveyor (302). The repositioning station (200) includes a lateral deviation assembly (210) and may also include a final positioning assembly (212). The transport circuit (204) within the lateral deviation assembly (210) follows a generally ellipsoidal deviation path to veer the shingled stream (120) and also to pivot the articles (100) therein about a curvilinear axis (206) from a facedown position to an upright position. The outgoing conveyor (302) can carry the cartons (100) in a direction that is parallel to that of the incoming conveyor (122).

A paper money processing device is provided with: a storage unit for forming a storage space in which paper money is layered and stored; a conveyance mechanism for conveying paper money to the storage unit; and a movable piece capable of emerging and sinking the storage space, the movable piece being provided in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper money conveyed by the conveyance mechanism. Conveyance is stopped in a position where the trailing end part of the paper money to be conveyed to the storage unit by the conveyance mechanism is facing the moveable piece, the trailing end part of the paper money in a position facing the moveable piece is thereafter moved to the storage space side and the paper money is layered and stored in the storage space by the emerging/sinking operation of the movable piece.

A paper sheet conveyance device for generating an airstream in a conveyance duct and for conveying a paper sheet inserted into the conveyance duct by being pushed from behind by a conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance duct by receiving the airstream. The paper sheet conveyance device includes an air volume adjustment unit that adjusts a strength of the airstream according to a position of the conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance path.

A paper sheet S is intermittently transported by a transport mechanism 6 and each processing unit 7, 8 operates while the transport mechanism pauses the transport operation. An information acquisition unit 9 obtains paper information from the paper sheet. A control unit 10 stores the paper information of the paper sheet to be processed for each processing unit, updates the data of the memory in a manner such that the paper information of the paper sheet associated with the previous processing unit is associated with the next processing unit every time the transport mechanism transports, and configures the settings of each processing unit for the next processing operation based on the paper information every time the processing operation of the processing unit is completed.

A feeding device for feeding stacks of standing flat-folded cartons to a receiving station, comprising a conveyor track having a flat bearing plane adapted to support the stacks, where the conveyor track comprises at least two rows of teeth where each row of teeth comprises a plurality of spaced apart teeth adapted to support the stacks of flat-folded cartons, where the teeth can be positioned in either an erected position or in a folded position, and where the feeding device comprises a guide track arranged along the bearing plane adapted to hold the teeth in the selected position, and where the guide track ends at an end region of the conveyor track, such that the teeth are unsupported at the end region. The advantage of the invention is that stacks of flat-folded cartons can be merged continuously at an outfeed region.

Embodiments of a system and method for shingulating, singulating, and synchronizing articles in an article feeder system are disclosed. The article feeder system may include a shingulating device configured to receive a stack of articles and to produce a positively lapped stack of articles, a plurality of picking devices configured to pick one or more articles from the positively lapped stack of articles and to produce one or more singulated articles, and one or more synchronization devices configured to deliver the one or more singulated articles to one or more sorter windows.