Leveling device for removing valleys in stacked objects

A leveling device for a stacking tray that compensates for end-to-end thickness variations in a stack of non-uniform thickness media and reduces a valley in the stack, comprising:

• a pivoting stack tray that receives the stack of non-uniform thickness media thereon, one end of the tray configured to receive and contact a thicker end of the stack and being pivoted relative to an opposite end thereof between full tray and empty tray positions to provide level top ends of the stack;
• a valley removal mechanism mounted to the pivoting stack tray, the valley removal mechanism including:
• a media support surface positioned above the pivoting stack tray intermediate ends of the pivoting stack tray and below the stack, the media support surface supporting at least a portion of an intermediate section of the stack and being pivotally movable relative to the pivoting stack tray;
• a ramp surface having a predefined profile;
• and
• at least one lever arm operably connected between the media support surface and at least one ramp follower to move the media support surface relative to the pivoting stack tray in accordance with the ramp surface profile and in proportion to the height of the stack to offset a valley formed intermediate ends of the stack and provide a top media in the stack with a substantially flat top surface profile;
• and
• at least one adjustment device that provides fine tuning adjustment of the static position of the media support surface relative to the pivoting tray.

A feeder assembly for feeding a stack of non-uniform thickness media, comprising:

• a pivoting stack tray that receives the stack of non-uniform thickness media thereon, one end of the tray configured to receive and contact a thicker end of the stack and being pivoted relative to an opposite end thereof between full tray and empty tray positions to provide level top ends of the stack;
• a valley removal mechanism mounted to the pivoting stack tray, the valley removal mechanism including:
• a media support surface positioned above the pivoting stack tray intermediate ends of the pivoting stack tray and below the stack, the media support surface supporting at least a portion of an intermediate section of the stack and being pivotally movable relative to the pivoting stack tray;
• a ramp surface having a predefined profile;
• and
• at least one lever arm operably connected between the media support surface and at least one ramp follower to move the media support surface relative to the pivoting stack tray in accordance with the ramp surface profile and in proportion to the height of the stack to offset a valley formed intermediate ends of the stack and provide a top media in the stack with a substantially flat top surface profile;
• and
• a feeder positioned directly above the top media in the stack, the feeder having a media contact surface,
• wherein the combination of the pivoting stack tray and valley removal mechanism position a top media in the stack substantially parallel with the media contact surface of the feeder at all travel positions of the pivoting stack tray between the full tray and empty tray positions, the pivoting stack tray moves with a combination of pivoting and translatory movement between the full tray and empty tray positions, and the ramp profile guides the media support surface to compensate for the combination movement of the pivoting stack tray.

A feeder assembly for feeding a stack of non-uniform thickness media, comprising:

• a pivoting stack tray that receives the stack of non-uniform thickness media thereon, one end of the tray configured to receive and contact a thicker end of the stack and being pivoted relative to an opposite end thereof between full tray and empty tray positions to provide level top ends of the stack;
• a valley removal mechanism mounted to the pivoting stack tray, the valley removal mechanism including:
• a media support surface positioned above the pivoting stack tray intermediate ends of the pivoting stack tray and below the stack, the media support surface supporting at least a portion of an intermediate section of the stack and being pivotally movable relative to the pivoting stack tray;
• a ramp surface having a predefined profile;
• and
• at least one lever arm operably connected between the media support surface and at least one ramp follower to move the media support surface relative to the pivoting stack tray in accordance with the ramp surface profile and in proportion to the height of the stack to offset a valley formed intermediate ends of the stack and provide a top media in the stack with a substantially flat top surface profile;
• a feeder positioned directly above the top media in the stack, the feeder having a media contact surface;
• and
• at least one adjustment device that provides fine tuning adjustment of the static position of the media support surface,
• wherein the combination of the pivoting stack tray and valley removal mechanism position a top media in the stack substantially parallel with the media contact surface of the feeder at all travel positions of the pivoting stack tray between the full tray and empty tray positions.