Method for reversing the direction of travel of a sheet

A method for reversing the direction of movement of sheets of paper of varying dimensions comprising the steps of:

• providing a substantially enclosed pneumatic pocket having greater dimensions than said sheets for receiving said sheets and containing said sheets fully within said pocket;
• mechanically inserting a paper sheet into an open side of said pocket in a first direction of movement with a first continuously operating mechanical sheet transport;
• releasing said sheet inside said pocket from said first mechanical sheet transport;
• applying a reversing fluid stream through said pocket, after said sheet has been released inside said pocket, in a second direction opposite from said first direction of movement of said sheet, to reverse the direction of movement of said sheet and to move said sheet back out of the same open side of said pocket into a second continuously operating mechanical sheet transport;
• wherein said reversing fluid stream is actuated for a pre-determined time interval in response to the sensing of the presence of the lead edge of said sheet at a known position inside said pocket by sheet detection means, after said sheet has been released by said first mechanical sheet transport;
• aligning said sheet in said pocket by applying a transverse fluid stream in said pocket after said sheet is released by said first mechanical sheet transport, said transverse fluid stream being applied in a direction transverse said second direction of said reversing fluid stream to bias said sheet against a side wall of said pocket to align said sheet as it is moved out by said pocket to said second mechanical sheet transport by said reversing fluid stream;
• and
• transporting said sheet away from said pocket with said second mechanical sheet transport in said second direction of movement.