Method and apparatus for document processors

Claim 1

Apparatus for processing remittance and remittance advice documents, comprising: (a) reader means disposed at a reading station for reading information disposed on the front face of said remittance and remittance advice documents, said reader means including discriminating means responsive to the so-read information for determining which of said documents are first type remittance documents requiring operator intervention and which of said documents are second type remittance advice documents not requiring operator intervention; (b) encoder means disposed at an encoding station for encoding data on selected ones of said documents; (c) an operator viewing station disposed between said reader means and said encoder means; (d) document transport means for transporting said documents past said reader means to said operator viewing station, for halting both said first and second type documents at said operator viewing station, and for thereafter transporting said documents from said viewing station to said encoding station; (e) means disposed at said operator viewing station defining respective front and rear parallel transport paths; and (f) diverter means responsive to said discriminating means for always directing said first type remittance documents entering said operator viewing station and requiring operator intervention to said front transport path, and for always directing said second type remittance advice documents entering said operator viewing station and not requiring operator intervention, as determined by the said information read by said reader means, to said rear transport path.