Feeder for feeding document to document imaging system and method for feeding documents

An apparatus for processing groups of documents each document having upper and lower faces and edges, the documents of each respective group to be processed being stacked in overlapping relation with the lower faces of the documents facing downward to form a corresponding packet and, comprising:

• a horizontal transport defining a surface dimensioned and arranged to receive each respective group of documents dropped thereon from above and support the bottom face of a lowermost document of the corresponding packet, the surface of the horizontal transport being oriented and configured to convey the corresponding packet in a direction of travel and to maintain the documents of the corresponding packet in overlapping relation one atop another as the corresponding packet is conveyed,
• a feeder operable to receive the corresponding packet from the horizontal transport and to separate the documents of the corresponding packet to serially feed the documents away from the feeder, and to maintain respective lower faces of the separated documents in a generally horizontal orientation in preparation for scanning;
• an imaging station configured to receive the documents from the feeder and scan the documents to obtain image data for the documents;
• a sensor for detecting a characteristic indicative of distinguishing a packet of two or more documents from a thick packet of documents having a number of documents that exceeds a predetermined threshold;
• and
• a controller configured to control operation of the generally horizontal transport in response to signals received from the sensor;
• wherein in response to the sensor detecting a characteristic indicative of the packet being a thick packet thicker than the packet of two or more documents, the controller controls the horizontal transport to reduce the speed of the horizontal transport.