Document-handling apparatus

Claim 1

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CYLINDER SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION HAVING TINY APERTURES FORMED OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SURFACE THEREOF, DRIVE MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION TO SAID CYLINDER, A PLATE MEMBER EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER AND AFFIXED THERETO AND SUBTENDING AN ARC THEREOF TO DEFINE A CHORDAL CHAMBER, SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART ORIFICES FORMED THEREIN, STOP MEANS LOCATED ON SAID ARC TO POSITION A DOCUMENT WITH ITS LEADING EDGE IN OVERLYING RELATION WITH SAID CHORDAL CHAMBER, A SOURCE OF VACUUM, FIRST CONDIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE OF VACUUM AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID CYLINDER TO EXERT A VACUUM PULL ALONG THE PERIPHERY THEREOF FOR WRAPPING A DOCUMENT THEREAROUND, AIR SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SHORT DURATION PUFF OF COMPRESSED AIR IN RESPONSE TO A DISCRETE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID AIR SUPPLY MEANS AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHORDAL CHAMBER, AND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR EMITTING A DISCRETE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO SAID AIR SUPPLY MEANS TO MOMENTARILY BREAK THE VACUUM PULL EXERTED IN THE VICINITY OF SAID ARC AFTER A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL.