Aerodynamic document handling apparatus

Claim 1

AN AERODYNAMICALLY OPERATED DOCUMENT SEPARATING AND FEEDING DEVICE: COMPRISING DOCUMENT RETAINING MEANS FOR RETAINING A STACK OF DOCUMENTS; A DOCUMENT GUIDE TRACK EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID RETAINING MEANS AND HAVING A DOCUMENT GUIDE SURFACE FORMED THEREON; AIR JET MEANS FOR AERODYNAMICALLY FEEDING THE LEADING DOCUMENT IN SAID STACK ALONG SAID GUIDE SURFACE; A SECOND DOCUMENT GUIDE TRACK EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID DOCUMENT RETAINING MEANS AND HAVING FORMED THEREON A SECOND DOCUMENT GUIDE SURFACE WHICH FACES A PORTION OF THE FIRST MENTIONED GUIDE SURFACE; AND AIR JET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND DOCUMENT GUIDE TRACK AND OPERATIVELY ARRANGED TO AN ACUTE ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND GUIDE SURFACE TO DIRECT AT LEAST ONE JET OF AIR LONG SAID SECOND DOCUMENT GUIDE SURFACE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DOCUMENT FEED DIRECTION WHEREBY ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT THAT IS TRAVELLING WITH A LEAD DOCUMENT MAY BE AERODYNAMICALLY BRAKED AND REVERSELY DRIVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE ASSOCIATED LEAD DOCUMENT.