Sheet-feeding device

Claim 1

A SHEET-FEEDING DEVICE FOR SHEET PROCESSING MACHINES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A MAIN CONVEYOR MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS PLACED THEREUPON ALONG A FEED PATH, MARKER MEANS AT THE END OF SAID FEED PATH SPACED THEREFROM BY A GAP, AN AUXILIARY CONVEYOR MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID GAP FOR FEEDING SHEETS FROM THE END OF SAID FEED PATH TOWARD ABUTMENT WITH SAID MARKER MEANS, SAID AUXILIARY CONVEYOR MEANS FEEDING SHEETS PLACED THEREUPON AT A LOWER RATE OF FEED THAN SAID MAIN CONVYOR MEANS, AN ALIGNING MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID GAP, SAID ALIGNING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF NORMALLY ACTUATED BUT RELEASABLE SHEET GRIPPING MEANS DISPOSED SPACED APART TRANSVERSE OF THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE SHEETS ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, AND A CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A RELEASE MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID GRIPPING MEANS, SAID RELEASE MEANS BEING DISPOSED TRANSVESELY SPACED APART ANTERIOR OF THE MARKER MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FOREMOST SHEET, ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LEADING EDGE WITH BOTH RELEASE MEANS EFFECTING RELEASE OF BOTH GRIPPING MEANS AND ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LEADING EDGE WITH ONE RELEASE MEANS DUE TO MISALIGNMENT OF THE SHEET EFFECTING RELEASE OF THE RESPECT GRIPPING MEANS ONLY, WHEREBY THE MISALIGNED SHEET IS CAUSED TO TURN ABOUT THE STILL ACTUATED GRIPPING MEANS AS FULCRUM INTO A POSITION OF ALIGNMENT IN WHICH THE SECOND RELEASE MEANS IS ALSO ENGAGED FOR EFFECTING RELEASE OF SAID STILL ACTUATED GRIPPING MEANS.