Pivotal tray unloading apparatus

Abstract

A pivotal tray unloading apparatus is directed to unloading a plurality of generally rectangular documents onto a feed ramp where the documents are disposed in a generally rectangular container. The container has a bottom surface, upstanding sidewalls and forward and rear endwalls. The apparatus has a primary axis defined to be coaxial with the common edge of the bottom surface and the rear endwall of the container. The apparatus includes a first generally planar reference surface, a second generally planar reference surface fixedly attached to the first reference surface at a substantially right angle, where the second reference surface has a support paddle operatively coupled thereto. The first and second reference surfaces are configured to pivot forwardly and backwardly about the primary axis. The backward pivoting of the reference surfaces effects registration of the plurality of documents toward the first reference surface. The reference surfaces are configured to rotate leftwardly and rightwardly about a longitudinal axis where the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the primary axis. The leftward rotation of the reference surfaces and the container, simultaneously, effects registration of the plurality of documents toward the second reference surface. Rightward rotation of the reference surfaces and the container, simultaneously, effects positioning the documents in an on-edge orientation in a generally coplanar relationship with the feed ramp.