Bell + Howell Company

Bell & Howell Document Management Products Company

Dale Plum

Kenneth L Hendrickson

Thomas R Wells

Duane R Patuszynski

Merv LaRue

John Overman

David Briggs

Paul Friedrich

Larry Turner

Leo DaPrato

Stuart Schwalb

Dan Solomon

Herb Hausmann

Al Rabin

A document processing system for performing multiple document processing tasks while the documents travel in a straight line document path is provided. The document processing system may include a transport system for transporting the documents in a straight line path, a sensing system for sensing the presence of the document, an optical system for projecting the image of the document, a camera module for receiving the projected image and storing it onto film, a film marking system for placing blips on the film adjacent the document image, a film numbering system for placing alphanumeric characters on the film adjacent the document image, an endorsing system for placing a printed endorsement on one side of the document, an electro-optical scanning system for scanning the image of the document processing the signal into a bit mapped image or for use with external communications devices, scanning for bar code symbology, and imprinting characters on the documents. A machine having a transport system to serially move documents in a straight line path and having one or more of the systems is provided and can be serially linked to another like machine so that the exit of a first machine is the inlet to the second machine.

Document processing system having a straight line document path

A deskewing document transport device delivers individual documents one at a time into the nip of a pair of pickup rollers. The documents are gravity fed from an angled panel into the nip. A curved guide finger is positioned near the bottom of the angled panel and confronting one of the pickup rollers in order to form a curved gap which causes the documents to curl slightly as they approach the nip. A horizontal table is positioned under the curved gap so that, if the document is skewed, the leading edge of the curled document is lightly pressed against the table for deskewing the document as it passes through the gap. The inventive transport device is particularly well-suited for use with a microfilming camera.

Deskewing document feed tray

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Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

Dale Plum