Thick product feeder

Abstract

An apparatus feeds paper inserts or other flat products from one area to another. The apparatus is particularly useful for use with newspaper insert machines. A first rotating disk presses against a first roller, and a second rotating disk presses against a second roller. Each roller is arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation that is movable with respect its opposing disk. Moving each roller toward its opposing disk permits thin products to be fed through the apparatus, and moving each roller away from its associated disk permits thick products to be fed through the apparatus.

1 . A feeder for feeding flat products, comprising:
 a housing having a tray for receiving flat products in a stationary stack;   a first roller mounted within the housing and biased against a first disk; and   a second roller mounted within the housing and biased against a second disk;   whereby each roller is arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation that is movable either toward or away from the first and second disks respectively, to allow products of different thicknesses to be fed from the stack, between the first roller and first disk, and between the second roller and the second disk.   
   
   
       2 . The feeder of  claim 1 , in which the first roller is biased against the first disk by a first spring, and the second backup roller is biased against the second disk by a second spring. 
   
   
       3 . The feeder of  claim 1 , in which the first roller can be adjusted to a preset gage position relative to the first disk. 
   
   
       4 . The feeder of  claim 1 , in which the first roller can be adjusted to one of three preset gage positions relative to the first disk. 
   
   
       5 . The feeder of  claim 2  in which the biasing force in each spring is adjustable by a pneumatically-driven adjustment assembly. 
   
   
       6 . An apparatus for feeding flat paper products, comprising:
 a housing having a tray for receiving flat products in a stationary stack;   a first rotatable backup roller mounted within the housing and biased against a segmented rotating pusher disk, the first backup roller being arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation that is pivotable either toward or away from the pusher disk; and   a second rotatable backup roller mounted within the housing and biased against a second disk, the second backup roller being arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation that is pivotable either toward or away from the second disk;   whereby the distance between the first backup roller and the pusher disk, and the distance between the second backup roller and the second disk, may be adjusted to permit products of different thicknesses to be fed from the bottom of the stack and between the first backup roller and the pusher disk, and between the second backup roller and the second disk, respectively.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , in which the first backup roller is biased against the pusher disk by a first spring maintaining a biasing force against the first backup roller, and the second backup roller is biased against the second disk by a second spring maintaining a biasing force against the second backup roller. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  in which the biasing force in each spring is adjustable by a pneumatically-driven adjustment assembly.