Paper delivery apparatus for use in rotary printing presses

Claim 1

For use in a printing press of the type wherein a printed paper web is subdivided by a cutter into sheets of a predetermined uniform length and the sheets are accumulated in a pile on a vertically adjustable elevator, the improvement comprising: endless guide belts overlying said elevator and having their lower runs running in a sheet delivery direction; means for receiving said sheets from said cutter and for conveying the same in said sheet delivery direction for discharge beneath the lower runs of said guide belts; means for directing a flow of air upwardly towards the lower runs of said guide belts to urge said sheets into contact therewith, whereupon said sheets continue to be conveyed by the lower runs of said guide belts in said sheet delivery direction; a vertical aligner at one side of said elevator, said aligner being positioned to be encountered by the leading edges of the sheets being conveyed by the lower runs of said guide belts and to thereby stop further movement of said sheets in said sheet delivery direction, the thus stopped sheets being thereafter free to drop towards said elevator; a first brush roller having bristles arranged to contact the leading edges of the sheets being conveyed by the lower runs of said guide belts, said first brush roller being driven in a direction causing its bristles to eliminate upward curl of the leading edges; and a second freely rotatable brush roller having bristles arranged to contact and to eliminate and downward curl of the leading edges of sheets accumulating on said elevator.