Method and apparatus for shingling documents

Apparatus for shingling a plurality of documents disposed in stacked relation so that the stack extends successively from a first end to a second end, and wherein the stack has at least one boundary defined by substantially coplanar marginal edges of the documents, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

• means for advancing said stack of documents along a predetermined path, and drive means for engaging said marginal edges of said documents as they are advanced along said predetermined path, said drive means being operative to impart differential velocity components to the marginal edges of said documents so as to effect relative lateral movement between said documents and establish said documents in a shingled array, wherein said document advancing means includes means to advance a stack of upstanding on-edge documents along said predetermined path with lower marginal edges of said documents substantially coplanar and transverse to said path, said drive means including at least one rotating disc member having a conical drive surface operative to engage said marginal edges of said documents in point contact as said documents advance along said predetermined path, said conical drive surface being operative to impart velocity components of increasing magnitude to said marginal edges so as to move said documents laterally in shingled relation to each other;
• guide means disposed adjacent an outer periphery of said rotating disc member so that successive leading documents in said stack contact said guide means as said documents traverse said conical drive surface;
• and
• said guide means including a generally cylindrical roller adapted to be engaged by the forward surface of each successive document traversing said conical drive surface, said roller being operative to guide said documents during said lateral movement thereof.

Apparatus for shingling a plurality of documents disposed in stacked relation so that the stack extends successively from a first end to a second end, and wherein the stack has at least one boundary defined by substantially coplanar marginal edges of the documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means for advancing said stack of documents along a predetermined path;
• and drive means for engaging said marginal edges of said documents as they are advanced along said predetermined path, said drive means being operative to impart differential velocity components to the marginal edges of said documents so as to effect relative lateral movement between said documents and establish said documents in a shingled array, wherein said document advancing means includes means to advance a stack of upstanding on-edge documents along said predetermined path with lower marginal edges of said documents substantially coplanar and transverse to said path, said drive means including at least one rotating member wherein said rotating member defines a generally frustoconical outer peripheral drive surface and is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said frustoconical drive surface being operative to engage the lower marginal edges of said documents in point contact and impart velocity components of progressively increasing magnitude to said marginal edges as said documents are advanced along said path.

Apparatus for shingling a plurality of documents disposed in stacked relation so that the stack extends successively from a first end to a second end, and wherein the stack has at least one boundary defined by substantially coplanar marginal edges of the documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means for advancing said stack of documents along a predetermined path, and drive means for engaging said marginal edges of said documents as they are advanced along said predetermined path, said drive means being operative to impart differential velocity components to the marginal edges of said documents so as to effect relative lateral movement between said documents and establish said documents in a shingled array, wherein said document advancing means includes means to advance a stack of upstanding on-edge documents along said predetermined path with lower marginal edges of said documents substantially coplanar and transverse to said path, said drive means including at least one rotating disc member having a conical drive surface operative to engage said marginal edges of said documents in point contact as said documents advance along said predetermined path, said conical drive surface being operative to impart velocity components of increasing magnitude to said marginal edges so as to move said documents laterally in shingled relation to each other, wherein said drive means includes a plurality of said rotating disc members disposed in transversely aligned relation to said predetermined path so that the lower marginal edge of each document is engaged by a plurality of conical surfaces as the document is advanced along said path;
• and including a generally cylindrical guide roller disposed adjacent a periphery of each of said conical drive surfaces for engagement with each successive leading document in the stack, each of said guide rollers being rotatably driven in a manner to assist in moving said documents laterally in shingled relation.