Patent ID: 7604226

Claim:
A waste sheet removal mechanism for removing waste sheets from a prefeeder, the waste sheet removal mechanism comprising a tilting mechanism for tilting the waste sheets to an on-end orientation such that they may be removed from the prefeeder in the on-end orientation and an exit conveyor configured to convey the waste sheets at least partially out of the prefeeder in the on-end orientation, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises a waste sheet tray having a generally horizontal orientation for accumulating the waste sheets and a generally vertical orientation for dumping any accumulated waste sheets onto the exit conveyor in the on-end orientation, and an actuator for moving the waste sheet tray between the generally horizontal orientation and the generally vertical orientation about a pivot axis, wherein the exit conveyor is located below and adjacent to the pivot axis, such that when the waste sheet tray is pivoted to the substantially vertical orientation, any accumulated waste sheets are dumped on to the exit conveyor in an on-end orientation.