GB2064489A - Form guiding device - Google Patents

Abstract

In apparatus for guiding single forms from a form severing device having a reading device to the folding or inserting machine of a mail processing device, and comprising a paper take-off device (7) which takes forms (6) from the severing device and a receiving device (8) for collecting forms from the take-off device and conveying them to the mail processing device by means of fingers (38, 38') on endless chains movable in dependence on control signals from the reading device, the paper take-off device has a rejecting device (11) controlled by the reading device for diverting unwanted forms into a separate tray and is formed separately from the receiving device so as to be positioned either at one end or one side of the receiving device depending upon the format of the forms to be processed and the receiving device comprises a collecting box (33) provided with the endless chains on which the fingers are pivotally mounted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Form guiding device The invention relates to a form guiding device for single forms which are delivered through a form severing device having a reading device and conveyed to a following mail processing device, for instance, a folding and/or inserting machine of a mail processing installation, comprising a paper taking device which takes over the forms severed by the form severing deyice, for instance, a bursting or cutting machine, and a receiving device, for collecting and conveying the forms fed from the paper taking device, through which they are conveyed to the mail processing device by means of fingers arranged on an endless chain moved in dependence on control signals delivered by the reading device.

A guiding device of such a kinds has already been developed earlier by the applicant -- allows processing only of forms which come from a roll of forms having a determined width and which are delivered from the preceding form severing device in a predetermined format position, preferably, in an upright format position. Forms of the same size but coming from a wider form roll to be separated by the severing device can be processed only by another guiding device having corresponding dimensions. Although a guiding device of the known kind is relatively bulky, there is no possibility to comply with the requirements of the practice to automatically sort out some of the arriving forms, thereby preventing their conveyance to the following mail processing device.

It is the object of the invention to provide an especially compact, low-noise, safe to operate fully-automatic form guiding device for single forms by means of which forms of any format position and having different sizes which have been printed in an electronic data processing device can be processed more rapidly and wherein forms, which are not to be conveyed to the mail processing device can be sorted out.

The device according to the invention by means of which this problem is solved, is essentially characterized in that the paper taking device is provided with a rejecting device which is controlled by the reading device of the form severing device following the electronic data processing installation for rejecting the forms which are not to be conveyed to the mail processing device into a special filing tray, and that it is constructed as a separate unit from the receiving device - and fixable, depending on the format position of the to be processed forms at one transverse side or, turned about 900, at one of the longitudinal sides of the receiving device, and that the receiving device comprises a collecting box having at least two driveable and guided endless chains moving parallel to each other and controlled by the reading device and which are each provided with at least two fingers which can be pivoted against the force of a spring.

Such a form guiding device, which in spite of its sturdy construction needs very little space, can be universally used, for it enables sorting out of the forms which are not to be conveyed to the mail processing device and, moreover, the forms can be processed regardless of whether they are transversely or longitudinally orientated when delivered from the form severing device. When the forms are fed in a longitudinal direction, the fingers, arrested at a suitable position, serve as stops for the forms which are to be collected within the collecting box. When the forms are fed in a transverse direction and the paper taking device has been turned about 900, then the fingers can be adjusted as side guides and one of the normal side guides serves as an end stop for the alignment of the forms fed one after and above the other.In both said cases, the fingers, which are also controlled by the reading device, serve to convey one or more forms, which have been collected in the collecting box corresponding to the marks printed thereon in the data processing device and scanned by the reading device, to the following mail processing device.

It has been proved very advantageous from a structural point of view that the paper taking device comprises a take over roll provided with a drive, in front of which a guiding element is arranged which can be moved out of a first operating position, in which it serves as a feeding element to feed the forms to the take over roll, into a second operating position, in which it serves as a rejecting element to lead the forms delivered from the form severing device downwards into a filing tray.

Herein, it is especially suitable that the guiding element is pivotally mounted on a shaft which extends axially parallel to the take over roll.

A very simple construction, with respect to manufacturing, results when the guiding element comprises a feeding strip, which is active only in the first operating position and one edge of which is connected to the pivot shaft, and a rejecting strip, which is active only in the second operating position and which is connected to the free edge of the feeding strip and the plane of which together with that of the feeding strip forms an acute angle.

For pivoting the guiding sheet, drives of various kinds could be used, for example, a pneumatic pivoting mechanism. However, it is particularly suitable when the guiding element is moved out of its one operating position into the other by a preferably electromagnetically controlled lever.

An embodiment which is also, with regard to the collecting of the rejected forms, very compact and sturdy is characterized in that the filing tray is arranged beneath the collecting box and that the paper taking device is associated with a guiding slide following the guiding element for diverting the rejected forms into the filing tray.

Moreover, the guiding device according to the invention posseses very advantageous characteristics for ensuring an exact taking over of the forms delivered from the form severing device in that a special take over roll associated with take over rollers is provided.

In order to attain an especially compact embodiment in which a flat construction of the receiving and collecting device is ensured it has proved to be advantageous that the fingers, which serve as a form stop for feeding the forms and conveying them out of the collecting box, are pivotable from a vertical position for feeding the forms into a position in which they are located virtually in the plane of the chain path.

A structurally simpler embodiment results when the chains which carry the fingers are arranged in chain channels which serve for their guidance.

For pivoting the fingers into the plane of the chain channel, control devices of various structural kinds are possible. A very suitable structural and functional embodiment results when at each front side at the position where the chain passes from the upper chain channel section to the lower, one of the chain channels is associated with a controlling track for turning the fingers into the plane of the chain channel and at the respective positions, where it passes from the lower to the upper chain channel section, with a similar controlling track which enables pivoting of the fingers out of the plane of the chain channel. By means of this construction, it is ensured in a simple manner that the fingers, when they arrive at the transition positions, can be pivoted gradually and, therefore with low noise, in the one sense as well as in the other.

Appropriately, a bearing block, which laterally extends the chain, is provided for each finger as a holding means. It has proved to be useful when the bearing block is connected to the chain through two shafts which connect adjoining links of the chain. A very small but reliable embodiment results when the finger is pivotably mounted on one of the shafts which penetrate both the arms of the U-shaped bearing block and that the spring which acts on it is a torsion spring which is located on the shaft between the arms of the bearing block.

In order to predetermine the position in which the drive for the chain with the fingers, triggered by the reading device, has to be stopped again, in a very advantageous manner on one of the longitudinal sides of the collecting box an adjusting carriage is shiftably and fixably arranged and provided with a micro switch in the control circuit for the chain drive which can be actuated by a lateral projection which is moved together with the chain. A very simple construction is attained in that the projection is that one of both the shafts, which serve to fix the bearing block to the chain, which extends the bearing block.

Further details, advantages and characteristics of the invention are apparent from the following description and the drawing which is explicitly referred to with respect to all the details not further described.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the form guiding device according to the invention and its arrangement between a form severing device and a mail processing device; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the form guiding device according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the guidance of the chain within a chain channel and the controlling track provided at one end of the channel at the transition position; Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the different positions of a finger fixed to the moving chain while passing through the other transition position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of some links of the chain with the associated finger holding device; and Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the essential driving means of the form guiding device according to the invention.

As it is apparent from Fig. 1 , the form guiding device 1 of the present invention is interposed between a form severing device 2 and a mail processing device 3. The forms, connected together in an endless form strip 4, are fed to the form severing device 2 and pass through a reading device 5 for scanning the control signals on the form 6 to be evaluated, as will be described in detail hereinafter, and then, through a cutting machine (not further described) for subsequently severing the forms from each other.

The form guiding device 1 comprises a paper taking device 7 and a receiving device 8 for collecting the forms 6 fed from the paper taking device 7. The following mail processing device 3 comprises a folding machine 9 and an inserting machine 10- both known per se.

The paper taking device 7 is provided with a rejecting device 11 (in Fig. 1 only schematically indicated) for diverting the forms 6, which are not to-be fed to the mail processing device 3, into a separate filing tray 12. The particular way of construction and functioning of this rejecting device 11, which is controlled by the reading device 5, is described hereinunder with respect to Fig. 2.

It is apparent from Fig. 1, that the form guiding device 1 , the paper taking device 7 and the receiving device 8 are especially small and compact structural elements which can be easily put on a table 13 towards which the form severing device 2 can be moved. The mail processing device 3 is, partially, also provided on the table 1 3 and, partially, supported on a further table 14.

Moreover, Fig. 1 shows that the receiving device 8 rests on legs 1 5 which are adjustable as to their heights.

The paper taking device 7 of the form guiding device 1 is formed as a separate unit, which, depending on the format position of the respective form 6 to be processed, can be fixed at a short side of the receiving device 8 - as illustrated in Fig. 2 or, turned around 900, at one of the longitudinal sides of the receiving device 8.

Additionally, Fig. 2 illustrates that the paper taking device 7 comprises a take over roll 1 6 associated with coaxial takeover rollers 17, 17' supported on it. These take over rollers 1 7, 1 7' are mounted on a common shaft 18 at the rear side of a cover 19 which is provided with bearing blocks 20. The cover 1 9 is pivotable around a shaft 21 -- indicated only schematically in Fig.

which extends parallel to the shaft 1 8 of the take over rollers but is laterally staggered with respect to it. Thus, the take over rollers 1 7, 1 7' engage the take over roll 1 6 under their own weight and the weight of the cover 1 9. As shown in Fig. 2, the cover 19, which is made out of lucid acrylic glass, extends over the receiving device 8 which adjoins the paper taking device 7. In this manner the cover helps to increase the contact pressure of the take over rollers 17, 17' on the take over roll 1 6.

The unit comprising the take over roll 1 6 and the take over rollers 1 7, 1 7' serves to-accurately engage the forms 6 delivered through the preceding form severing device 2. It is a prerequisite for the forms 6 to be fed into the effective area of the take over cylinder 1 6, that the rejecting device 11 does not cause the forms to be diverted. This rejecting device 11 is, essentially, formed by a, guiding sheet 22, which comprises a feeding strip 23 and a rejecting strip 24 which is connected to one of the edges of this strip 23 and the plane of which together with that of the feeding strip 23 forms an acute angle.The guiding sheet 22 is moveable out of a first operating position (as illustrated in Fig. 2), in which it serves as a feeding sheet to feed the forms 6 to the take over cylinder 16, into a second operating position, in which it serves with its rejecting strip 24 as a rejecting element. In this case it diverts the forms 6, delivered through the form severing device 2, downwards into the filing tray 12, which is not illustrated in Fig. 2 but is apparent from Fig. 1. For this purpose the guiding sheet 22 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 25 which extends parallel to the shaft of the take over roll 1 6.The edge of the feeding strip 23 of the guiding sheet 22 is indirectly connected to the swivel shaft 25 through an angle lever 26, the free end of which is coupled, through a pin-slot-connection 29, to a deflecting lever 27 pivotally mounted on a shaft 28 which is fixed on the housing. At the free end of the deflecting lever 27 the armature of an electromagnet 30 is hinged through a forked lever 31.

When the electromagnet 30 is energized through the reading device 5 of the form severing device 2, pivoting of the deflecting lever 27 and thus, of the angle lever 26 urges the guiding element 22 in the direction of the arrow 32. Based on that, the guiding element 22 together with its rejecting strip 24 moves into the path of the form 6 which, consequently, is diverted downwards into the filing tray 12.

The receiving device 8 comprises, essentially, a collecting box 33 provided with a rail-like paper guide 34 for one longitudinal side of the form 6 and a corresponding paper guide 35 for the other longitudinal side of the form. The paper guide 35 is, like the paper guide 34, adjustabie by means of an adjustment screw 37 which can be moved in a transverse slot 36.

For limiting the movement of the forms within the collecting box, fingers 38 and 38' are provided which project upwards through the slots 39, 39' of the intermediate bottom 40 of the collecting box. In the collecting box 33 beneath both these slots 39, 39' chain channels 41 are arranged -- see Fig. 3 - for receiving chains 42, each carrying one or more fingers 38, 38'. Each chain channel 41 comprises an upper chain channel section 43 and a lower chain channel section 44, serving each to guide the upper or lower section of the chain 42.

For holding the fingers 38, 38', each finger is associated with a bearing block 45 which projects laterally from the chain 42. This bearing block 45 is, as especially illustrated in Fig. 5, connected to the chain through two shafts 46, 47, which connect the directly adjoining links 48, 48' of the chain 42. The finger 38, 38' is pivotally mounted on one of the shafts, namely, on the shaft 46 which penetrates both the arms 49, 49' of the U-shaped bearing block 45.On that shaft 46, additionally, a spring 50 is arranged, against the force of which, finger 38, 38' is pivotable about 900 in the direction of the arrow 51 out of the illustrated position, in which it extends in a direction transverse to the direction of the chain 42 and in which it projects out of the slot 39, 39' of the intermediate bottom 40 of the collecting box, into a position, in which it is located virtually in the plane of the chain path.

As is apparent from the Figs. 3 and 4, at the front, each chain channel 41 is associated with a chain channel end member 41' provided with a controlling track 52 for pivoting the finger 38, 38' at the transition of the chain from the upper chain channel section 43 into the lower chain channel section 44, and with a chain channel end member 41" with an analogous controlling track 53, at the transition from the lower chain channel section 44 to the upper channel section 43, which enables the fingers 38, 38' to be moved out of the plane of the chain channel into the operating position as shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 4, the first controlling track 52 is provided with a curve which, with respect to the shaft of the sprocket wheel 54, is eccentricaliy shaped in such a manner that the gap 55 between the sprocket wheel 54 and the controlling track 52 is gradually descreased, so that when the fingers 38, 38' enter the gap 55, they can be gradually pivoted in a backward direction against the force of the spring 50. The phases I to VI of that gradual pivoting are schematically illustrated in Fig. 4. The lower chain channel section 44 is so dimensioned with respect to the width of the chain 42 and the laterally following bearing block 45, that the fingers 38, 38' will remain in their pivoted position during passage through lower chain channel section 44 until they arrive at the controlling track 53 where the gap 56 between the sprocket wheel 57 and the controlling track 53 is increased in the upward direction, so that the fingers 38, 38' can be pivoted, in a manner analogous to one of the phases I to VI of the Fig. 4, again into their upwards extending position releasing the spring 50.

Based on the fact that the fingers are pivotably mounted, it is not only possible to attain a compact construction but, additionally, to attain protection against unintended touching by the operator, so that no further security means has to be provided for a cover release.

As is apparent from Fig. 2, one of the longitudinal sides of the collecting box 33 is provided with a longitudinal slot 58, through which the adjustment screw 59 of an adjusting carriage 60 projects (see Fig. 6) which relative to the collecting box, is moveable in a longitudinal direction. Said adjusting carriage 60 carries a micro switch 61 which is arranged in the circuit of the chain drive in a manner not further illustrated.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a bevel-drive 63 for the sprocket wheels 57, 57' associated with the controlling track 53, 53' and mounted on a common shaft 62, which is driven by an electromotor 64 through a cardan shaft 65, gearing 66, and a sliding clutch 67. From Fig. 6 taken with Figs. 3 and 5, it is apparent that when the chains 42,42' are moved, the fingers 38, 38' are taken along by the bearing blocks 45, 45' fixed to the chains and engage the forms located on the intermediate bottom 40 of the collecting box to move these towards the controlling tracks 52, 52' where the forms are guided over them into the effective area of the feeding rollers 68, 68' which are located on a shaft 70 driven through a round belt 69.

In order to avoid, or at least to highly reduce, the sliding noise of the chains 42, 42' with the fingers 38, 38' in the chain channels -- only one of which, the channel 41, is shown the upper chain channel sections 43, each formed by the upper guide(rail) 43' and the lower guide 43", and the lower chain channel sections 44, each formed by the upper guide 44' and and the lower guide (rail) 44", as well as the respective chain channel end members 41 41" are made out of plastics material. The upper guides (rails) 43' are fixed to the rear end of the intermediate bottom 40 and the lower guide(s) (rails) 44" are fixed to the collecting box bottom.

By means of the positive guidance of the fingers in the end positions, the noise of finger abutment on the edges of the chain channel end members 41 41" and of the bearing blocks 45, 45' is avoided. Above all, scoring of the material caused by the fingers, is prevented, which scoring could otherwise, lead to disturbances in the adjustment of the fingers so that an exact upright position of the fingers, when extending again in the upward direction, would not be ensured, and, additionally, to damage to the material of the bearing blocks 45.In order to enable the drive to be interrupted at the desired position of the fingers 38, 38', the adjusting carriage 60, moveable along the collecting box, is provided with a contact piece 72, pivotably mounted on it, which contact piece, under the force of a spring 73 keeps the contact of the micro switch 61 closed until moved against the action of the spring to open the control circuit for the chain-drive through the micro switch 61.

For this purpose, the contact piece 72 extends into the path of a lateral projection on the chain 42 movable together with the fingers 38, 38' and as particularly illustrated in Fig. 5, formed by one of the pins serving to fix each bearing block 45 to the chain 42, namely, by the somewhat longer pin 47, which projects laterally from the bearing block 45.;; From the above description of the structure and the functioning of the single elements of the device according to the invention it is apparent, that, when the paper takeoff device 7 is arranged in the manner as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the forms 6 are engaged by the take over roll 16 and the take over rollers 17, 17' and guided into the collecting box 33 in which they slide along the surface of the intermediate bottom 40 of the collecting box, guided at their sides by the paper guides 34 and 35, until they abut the fingers 38, 38'. The position of these fingers 38, 38' has been predetermined by shifting and fixing the adjusting carriage 60.As soon as the reading device 5 delivers a respective control signal, the electromotor 64 starts the chain 42, 42'. The fingers 38, 38'. illustrated at the right in Fig. 2, are taken along in the slots 39, 39' to the right and, as described with reference to the Figs 3 and 4, pivoted and guided downwards into the lower chain channel section 44 in which they are moved back while the other fingers, not shown in Fig. 2, appear in the respective slots at the left and take along the collected forms, which are then engaged by the feeding rollers 68, 68' and forwarded to the following mail processing device 3.Based on the fact that two or more fingers are distributed along the circumference of each chain, a faster form processing is possible because, whilst the forms are fed out of the collecting box, some of the fingers, not in use, are moved back in the lower chain channel section. As soon as these fingers, which forward the forms, are moved again into the' position illustrated in Fig. 2, the lateral projection on the associated bearing block 45, formed by pin 47, engages the contact piece 72 of the adjusting.

carriage 60 and causes opening of the control circuit for the electromotor 64 through the operation of the micro switch 61. The fingers 38, 38' again serve as stop means for the next following forms forwarded through the paper taking device.

A similar manner of functioning of the form guiding device according to the invention is ensured also in the case when a form strip is processed by the form severing device 2 the width of which corresponds to the height of the form, when severed. In that case it is only necessary to release the paper take-off device 7 from the receiving device 8 and take it out of the position, illustrated in the Fig. 1 at the short side of the receiving device 8, in order to connect it to its longitudinal side, for instance, to that longitudinal side to which the leading line of the reference number 1 points in Fig. 2. Of course, for such a conversion, the form severing device 2 has to be moved with respect to the receiving device 8, in order to ensure the correct engagement of the severed forms by the paper take-off device 7.In this case the fingers 38, 38' have to be moved out of their rest position further to the right, so that they are not positioned within the path of the entering forms 6, coming now from the longitudinal side of the collecting box 33, and cannot hinder the correct collection. The forms can then slide over the paper guide 34 to the paper guide 35. In this case, it is possible to choose the rest position of the fingers 38, 38', so that they serve as side guides for the forms entering the collecting box 33. Also for this kind of transverse feeding of the forms, conveying is performed in the already described manner by means of the fingers, not shown in Fig. 2, when the chain drive is tripped by a corresponding control impulse of the reading device 5.

In both cases only those forms 6 arrive in the collecting box 33 and are forwarded to the mail processing device 3, which are guided over the feeding strip 23 to the take over roll 1 6 and the take over rollers 1 7, 1 7' resting on it. The forms, which are not to be fed to the mail processing device 3, are evaluated by the reading device and rejected and diverted into the filing tray 12 by means of a corresponding impulse delivered to the electromagnet 30 which lifts the guiding element 22 with the rejecting strip 24 in the path of the forms.

Of course, the form guiding device according to the invention will allow not only forms of'the same size to be fed -- depending on the format of the forms from the short side or from the long side - to the collecting box 33, but it is also possible, in the described manner, to process forms having different sizes, by means of the form guiding device 1. In this case, there has only to be taken care of the most suitable manner of feeding to the collecting box and the most suitable position of the paper guides 34, 35 relative to each other or the fingers 38, 38'.

Claims (17)

1. Apparatus for guiding single forms delivered through a form severing device provided with a reading device and conveyed to a mail processing device e.g. a folding and/or inserting machine, said apparatus comprising a paper take-off device which takes the forms severed by the form severing device, and a receiving device for collecting the forms fed from the paper take-off device and conveying them to the mail processing device by means of fingers arranged on an endless chain movable in dependence on control signals delivered by the reading device, characterised in that the paper take-off device is provided with a rejecting device controlled by the reading device, for diverting forms which are not to be conveyed to the mail processing device into a separate filing tray and that said take-off device is constructed as a unit separate from the receiving device and fixable at one transverse side or, turned through 900, at one of the longitudinal sides of the receiving device depending on the format position of the forms to be processed and that the receiving device comprises a collecting box having at least two driveable and guided endless chains movable parallel to each other, controlled by the reading device of the form severing device and each provided with at least two fingers which are pivotable against the action of a spring.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that the paper take-off device comprises a take-off roll provided with a drive and a guide element in front of said take-off roll and movable out of a first operating position, in which it serves to feed the forms to the take-off roli, into a second operating position, in which it serves to lead forms to be rejected, from the form severing device downwards into a filing tray.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterised in that the guide element is pivotably mounted on a shaft which extends parallel to the axis of the take over roll.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised in that the guide element comprises a feeding strip which is active oniy in the first operating position of the element and has one edge connected to said shaft, and a rejecting strip which is active only in the second operating position of the element and is connected to the free edge of the feeding strip, said rejecting strip extending at an acute angle to the feeding strip.

5. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the guide element is movable out of the one operating position into the other by means of a lever which is preferably electromagnetically controlled.

6. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the filing tray is located beneath the collecting box and that the paper take-off device is associated with a slide following the guide element for diverting the rejected forms into the filing tray.

7. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the take-off roll is associated with the take-off rollers which are coaxial therewith and supported thereon.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterised in that a common shaft which carries the take-off rollers is mounted at the rear of a cover which is pivotable about a shaft extending parallel with but laterally staggered with respect to the shaft of the take-off rollers.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, characterised in that the cover projects over the collecting box which adjoins the paper take-off device and assists in increasing the pressure with which the take-off rollers contact the take-off roll.

10. Apparatus according to any one of Claim 1 to 9, characterised in that the fingers which, when fed forwards serve as a stop for the form and for conveying the forms out of the collecting box, are pivotable out of a vertical paper driving position into a position in which they are vitually located in the plane of the chain path.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 10, characterised in that the chains which carry the fingers are each arranged within a chain channel serving for their guidance.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, characterised in that the front end of each chain channel is associated with a control track at a transition point at which the chain moves from the upper section of the chain channel into the lower section of the chain channel, for pivoting the fingers into the plane of the chain channel, and with a similar control track at a transition point at which the chain moves from the lower chain channel section into the upper one, for pivoting the fingers out of the plane of the chain channel.

13. Apparatus according to Claim 12, characterised in that each finger is associated with a bearing block projecting laterally from the chain.

14. Apparatus according to Claim 13, characterised in that each bearing block is connected to the chain through two pins which connect two directly adjoining links of the chain.

15. Apparatus according to Claim 14, characterised in that each bearing block is of Ushape with its legs bridged by one of said pins and the associated finger is pivotally mounted on said one pin and acted upon by a torsion spring arranged on said pin between the legs of said bearing block.

1 6. Apparatus according to Claim 15, characterised in that a carriage is arranged at one longitudinally extending side of the collecting box, which carriage is longitudinally shiftable and fixable and provided with a micro switch in a control circuit for the chain drive, said switch being operable by a lateral projection which moves with the chain.

17. Apparatus according to Claim 16, characterised in that said projection is the other of said pins which serve to fix a bearing block to the chain and project laterally from the bearing block.

1 8. Apparatus for guiding single forms delivered through a form severing device and conveyed to a mail processing device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.