Mechanism for removing blanks or sheets from a stack

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ENVELOPE BLANKS IN CONSECUTIVE ORDER FROM THE BOTTOM OF A STACK OF SAID BLANKS, MEANS SUPPORTING THE STACK OF BLANKS WITH THE FACE OF ONE BLANK BEARING UPON THE FACE OF THE NEXT LOWER BLANK WITH A PORTION OF THE STACK PROJECTING BEYOND SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS BELOW THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE STACK FOR WITHDRAWING THE BLANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK, A SUCTION NOZZLE HAVING A HEAD PROVIDED WITH A RECESS HAVING A TRANSVERSELY CONCAVED BOTTOM AND HAVING A SUCTION PORT IN SAID BOTTOM OF THE RECESS, MEANS SUPPORTING THE SUCTION NOZZLE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ON A HORIZONTALLY TRANSVERSE AXIS TO BRING THE CONCAVE FACE OF SAID NOZZLE INTO CONTACT WITH A MARGIN OF THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST BLANK TO CUP SAID MARGIN INTO SAID RECESS RESPONSIVE TO SUCTION THROUGH THE SUCTION PORT FOR OPENING UP A SPACE BETWEEN SAID MARGIN OF THE LOWERMOST BLANK AND THE MARGIN OF THE NEXT UPPER BLANK IN THE STACK AND FOR GRIPPING SAID LOWERMOST BLANK TO CARRY THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST BLANK DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK TO THE BLANK WITHDRAWAL MEANS WHEN THE SUCTION NOZZLE SWINGS AWAY FROM THE STACK, A BLANK SEPARATOR HAVING A LATERALLY PROJECTING TONGUE PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED JET OPENING NEAR THE END PORTION OF SAID TONGUE FOR DISCHARGING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED AIR JET, AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE BLANK SEPARATOR FOR RECIPROCATION DIRECTLY OVER AND IN PLANE WITH THE PATH OF THE SUCTION NOZZLE HEAD AND FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID TONGUE INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST BLANK CUPPED INTO THE CONCAVE FACE OF THE NOZZLE HEAD AND THE NEXT UPPER BLANK TO CAUSE THE DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED JET TO SEAT THE CUPPED PORTION OF THE BLANK POSITIVELY AGAINST THE CONCAVED BOTTOM OF THE RECESS IN THE NOZZLE HEAD AS THE TONGUE MOVES INTO POSITION UNDER THE MARGIN OF SAID NEXT UPPER BLANK TO SUPPORT THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE STACK WHEN THE SUCTION NOZZLE CARRIES THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST BLANK INTO THE BLANK WITHDRAWING MEANS.