Sheet-separating and feeding means for addressing machines

Claim 1

IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE, A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR A STACK OF SHEET-LIKE ELEMENTS DISPOSED ON EDGE ON SAID SUPPORT, A WALL NORMAL TO SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE SPACED THEREABOVE, THE STACK BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN FLATWISE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WALL, MEANS IMPOSING A RESILIENT BIAS ON SAID STACK IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE WALL, A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SLOPING LIP ON THE SUPPORT BELOW SAID WALL EDGE, A BEND BEING DEFINED WHERE THE LIP JOINS THE SUPPORT, SAID WALL HAVING AN OPENING, AND MEANS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THAT ELEMENT OF SAID STACK THAT IS IN FLATWISE CONTACT WITH THE WALL TO FRICTIONALLY FORCE SAID ELEMENT TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE LIP TO CAUSE THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID ELEMENT TO BE FLEXED INWARDLY BY THE LIP BEYOND THE BEND THEREOF DURING SUCH MOVEMENT AND, THEREBY, TO FEED SAID ELEMENT EDGEWISE FROM THE STACK BETWEEN SAID WALL EDGE AND SAID LIP, SAID LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A DRIVEN FEED WHEEL THAT PROJECTS PARTLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND ROTATES IN A DIRECTION TO FORCE THE ELEMENT DOWNWARDLY, MEANS TO MOVE SAID WHEEL TOWARD AND FROM ELEMENT-FEEDING POSITION TO REGULATE THE FEED OF SUCCESSIVE ELEMENTS FROM THE STACK, A SECOND HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR A SECOND STACK OF SHEET-LIKE ELEMENTS DISPOSED ON EDGE ON SAID SUPPORT, A SECOND WALL PARALLEL TO THE FIRST WALL AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE SPACED ABOVE SAID SECOND SUPPORT, SAID SECOND