Mechanism for the handling and singulating of flat materials

A mechanism for the handling and top-feed singulating of a plurality of aligned and substantially flat materials comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• an input conveyor assembly removably attached to said frame, said input conveyor assembly comprising a means for supporting said flat materials, at least one jogger belt being appropriately positioned relative to said means for supporting said flat materials to be in contact with a bottom surface of said flat materials said at least one jogger belt extending from about an input end to about an output end of said input conveyor assembly, means for causing said at least one jogger belt to pulsatingly and incrementally jog a controlled unidirectional distance and at a controlled variable speed toward said output end causing said flat materials to controllably flow toward said input conveyor assembly output end;
• a first singulator assembly in synchronous material flow communication with said conveyor assembly to cause said plurality of flat material to be top-fed and to be first singulated;
• and
• means for achieving said synchronous material flow and controlling a material flow rate through said mechanism.

A mechanism for the handling and top-feed singulating of a plurality of aligned and substantially flat pieces of paper comprising:

• an input conveyor assembly said input conveyor assembly comprising a means for supporting said flat pieces of paper, two jogger belts being appropriately positioned relative to said means for supporting said flat pieces of paper to be in contact with a bottom surface of said flat pieces of paper said two jogger belts extending from about an input end to about an output end of said input conveyor assembly, means for causing said two jogger belts to pulsatingly and incrementally jog a controlled unidirectional distance and at a controlled variable speed toward said output end causing said flat pieces of paper to controllably flow toward said input conveyor assembly output end;
• a first singulator assembly in synchronous paper flow communication with said conveyor assembly to cause said plurality of flat pieces of paper to be top-fed and to be first singulated;
• and
• means for achieving said synchronous paper flow and controlling a paper flow rate through said mechanism.

In an improved mechanism for the handling and singulating of a plurality of aligned and substantially flat pieces of paper having an input conveyor assembly said input conveyor assembly having a means for supporting said flat pieces of paper, two feeder belts being appropriately positioned relative to said means for supporting said flat pieces of paper to be in contact with a bottom surface of said flat pieces of paper, a first singulator assembly in synchronous paper flow communication with said conveyor assembly to cause said plurality of flat pieces of paper to be first singulated and means for achieving said synchronous paper flow and controlling a paper flow rate through said mechanism, a first singulator assembly in synchronous paper flow communication with said conveyor assembly to cause said plurality of flat pieces of paper to be first singulated and means for achieving said synchronous paper flow and controlling a paper flow rate through said mechanism said improvement comprising:

• means for causing said two feeder belts to jog a controlled unidirectional distance and at a controlled variable speed toward said output end causing said flat pieces of paper to controllably flow toward said input conveyor assembly output end;
• a second singulator assembly in synchronous paper flow communication with said first singulator assembly to cause said plurality of flat pieces of paper to be finally singulated and wherein said first singulator assembly further comprises:
• two triangular frame members each having rotatably attached thereto at a rear portion thereof a rear pulley, at a vertex portion thereof a vertex pulley and at a throw-out portion thereof a throw-out pulley, said two triangular frame members pivotably attached between two side frame members;
• two first singulator belts above and proximate to and cooperating with said two jogger belts, thereby defining a variable dimensioned first space therebetween, assembled onto said triangular frame pulleys, said two singulator belts each having a rear section contiguous with a vertex section, said vertex section contiguous with a throw-out section and a return section contiguous with said throw-out section and said two first singulator belts sections each being defined by said at least one rear pulley, said at least one vertex pulley and said at least one throw-out pulley said pulleys being rotatably attached to said two triangular frame members and wherein said means for achieving said synchronous paper flow and control of said paper flow rate, is a means for causing each of said rear section, said vertex section and said throw-out section of each of said two singulator belts to advance synchronously with said second singulator assembly paper flow.