(19)
(11) EP 1 862 414 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
19.12.2007 Bulletin 2007/51

(43) Date of publication A2:
05.12.2007 Bulletin 2007/49

(21) Application number: 07114993.4

(22) Date of filing: 06.06.2005
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B65H 5/00(2006.01)
 B65H 7/00(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR LV MK YU

(30) Priority: 04.06.2004 US 576629 P
29.11.2004 US 631160 P

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
05747312.6 / 1751043

(71) Applicant: De La Rue International Limited
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG22 4BS (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Calverley, Simon
    Horndean, Hampshire PO8 9PJ (GB)
  • Skinner, John Alan
    Havant, Hampshire PO7 7JG (GB)
  • Hosking, Steven Michael
    Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 7JG (GB)
  • Leonard, Antony John
    Gosport, Hampshire PO12 4ER (GB)

(74) Representative: Skone James, Robert Edmund 
Gill Jennings & Every LLP Broadgate House 7 Eldon Street
London EC2M 7LH
London EC2M 7LH (GB)

   


(54) Document sorting machine


(57) A document feeder system for use in a document sorting apparatus is disclosed. The document feeder system comprises upper and lower portions disposed on opposite sides of a document path, the upper and lower portions being movable relative to one another between a feeding position and a jam clearance position. The feeder system further comprises a sensor system for detecting the passage of documents along the document path, the sensor system having an emitter (128) being adapted to emit visible light which impinges on a first region of the document path including the receiver (127) when the upper and lower portions of the feeder system are in the feeding position and no document is present in the first region, and which impinges on a second region of the document path when the upper and lower portions of the feeder system are in the jam clearance position. The sensor system further comprises a controller connected to the emitter and receiver and adapted to adjust the intensity of light emitted by the emitter in accordance with the intensity of light received by the receiver such that when the upper and lower portions of the feeder system are in the jam clearance position the second region of the document path is illuminated by the light emitted from the emitter.







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