Document feeder for document-handling machine

Claim 1

Document-feeding apparatus comprising a tray for supporting a stack of documents for processing, said tray having a top surface and a bottom surface and a long axis, a first roller disposed adjacent to the top surface of said tray, and a second roller disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of said tray, said rollers being mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to said long axis, said rollers being mounted in operative relation with each other and positioned so that, over at least a portion of their paths of rotation, they contact each other through an opening in said tray, the surface of said second roller having a greater coefficient of friction than the surface of said first roller whereby, when said rollers contact each other, said second roller causes the document at the bottom of the stack to feed between the rollers to an operating station, said first roller being part of an assembly which includes support means freely rotatable on a first shaft disposed transverse to said tray, said first roller being coupled to and rotated by said shaft, a generally U-shaped bracket mounted adjacent to said first roller assembly, and a shock absorber comprising a rubber strip securely seated in said U-shaped bracket and having an end secured to said assembly whereby any mechanical shocks suffered by said assembly are absorbed by said rubber strip.