Universal signature feeder/conveyor

摘要

A signature feeder/conveyor for converting tightly packed signatures into a succession of discrete signatures stacked on edge while moving the signatures while on edge to an end station for delivery thereto upon demand. The feeder/conveyor involves successive stages of walking the signatures on edge in steps to compact the stream of signatures, then loosen the stream, and then substantially sliding the loosened signatures on edge without walking for delivery to the end station. A sensor detects the pressure of loosened signatures approaching the end station for controlling the successive stages of walking the signatures.