Patent ID: 7887040

Claim:
A sheet deceleration apparatus for reducing the speed of a sheet of material moving along a travel path at a first speed, the apparatus comprising: a first rotatable roller being rotatable about a first axis, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the travel path and the first roller being positioned on one side of the travel path; a second rotatable roller being rotatable about a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the travel path and the second roller being positioned on the other side of the travel path and spaced from the first roller so that the sheet of material can pass between the first and second rollers; at least one of the first and second rollers being moveable relative to and toward the other of the first and second rollers to nip the sheet between the first and second rollers during at least a portion of the travel of the sheet past the first and second rollers to reduce the speed of the sheet; a vacuum conveyor along the travel path subsequent the first and second rollers; and a third rotatable roller along the travel path subsequent the first and second rollers, the third roller moveable between a retracted position in which the third roller is sufficiently spaced from the sheet of material so as to not push the sheet away from the vacuum conveyor and an extended position in which the third roller is moved toward, and in contact with, the sheet of material at substantially the same time that the first and second rollers nip the sheet of material to reduce the speed of the sheet, so as to push the sheet away from the vacuum conveyor.