Apparatus for dividing a stream of copies of folded newspapers, periodicals or othersimilar commodities continuously following one another in succession

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING INTO COUNTED GROUPS A STREAM OF COMMODITIES CONTINUOUSLY FOLLOWING ONE ANOTHER IN SUCCESSION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SEPARATION LEVER MOUNTED FOR DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN A STARTING POSITION AND A SEPARATION POSITION, SAID LEVER IN THE LATTER POSITION BEING INSERTED INTO THE PATH OF THE STREAM OF COMMODITIES TO INTERRUPT PASSAGE OF THE ARRIVING COMMODITIES AND TO PERMIT CONTINUED PASSAGE OF A DIVIDED NUMBER OF COMMODITIES CONSTITUTING A COUNTED GROUP, COUNTER MEANS FOR COUNTING THE COMMODITIES IN SAID STREAM AND UPON HAVING REACHED A COUNT CORRESPONDING TO A GIVEN NUMBER OF COMMODITIES DEFINING A GROUP DELIVERING A CONTROL PULSE, SAID COUNTER MEANS BEING ARRANGED UPSTREAM OF THE SEPARATION LEVER WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE STREAM OF COMMODITIES, ADJUSTABLE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID CONTROL PULSE FOR OPERATING SAID SEPARATION LEVER, SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS BEING DISPOSED DOWNSTREAM OF THE COUNTER MEANS WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID STREAM OF COMMODITIES, SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR DELAYING THE OPERATION OF SAID SEPARATION LEVER UNTIL THE LAST COMMODITIES OF A COUNTED GROUP HAS PASSED THE SEPARATION POSITION SO THAT THE SEPARATION LEVER UPON ATTAINING SAID SEPARATION WILL ARREST THE FIRST COMMODITY FOLLOWING SAID COUNTED GROUP, MEANS FOR ARRESTING THE SEPARATION LEVER IN THE SEPARATION POSITION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN INTERVAL BETWEEN THE COUNTED GROUP AND THE SUCCESSIVELY FOLLOWING STREAM OF COMMODITIES, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING THE ARRESTING ACTION OF SAID SEPARATION LEVER TO PERMIT THE LATTER TO RETURN TO ITS STARTING POSITION.