Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – By endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2002-01-15
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
By endless conveyor
C271S183000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06338482
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for transporting and otherwise treating sheets of paper or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for converting a file of successive non-overlapping sheets into a stream of sheets wherein the leading portion or section of each next-following sheet overlaps with the trailing portion of the immediately preceding sheet.
Apparatus of the above outlined character can be uti- lized with advantage in paper processing plants wherein large panels are severed lengthwise and/or crosswise to yield sheets of a desired size and shape, and wherein the sheets are thereupon stacked into accumulations (e.g., those known as reams) which contain predetermined numbers of fully overlapping sheets. The thus obtained accumulations are thereupon wrapped and crated or boxed prior to shipment into storage or to the purchasers.
In order to properly stack successive sheets of a file of rapidly advancing sheets, it is necessary to re- duce the speed of successive oncoming sheets in a selected portion of the path for the file so that the trailing section of the braked sheet can be caused to predictably overlap with the leading section of the immediately following sheet. This is accomplished by diverting the trailing section of the braked sheet from the path of the leading section of the immediately following sheet (i.e., of the sheet which is about to be braked) and/or vice versa. As a rule, the trailing section of the freshly braked sheet is flexed downwardly so that the leading section of the next-following sheet can slide over and thus overlie the downwardly flexed trailing section of the immediately preceding sheet. The thus obtained stream of partially overlapping sheets is transported lengthwise to a stacking station where the sheets are gathered into reams or other suitable accumulations or piles.
An apparatus of the just described character is disclosed in German patent No. 26 01 081 A1. The patented apparatus employs a first endless belt conveyor for advancement of successive sheets of the file to a converting station where the oncoming sheets are braked to be properly overlapped by the leading sections of the next-following sheets, a second endless belt conveyor which transports the stream of partially overlapping sheets from the converting station, and a third conveyor which overlies portions of the first and second conveyors at the converting station to thus establish predictable paths for advancement of non-overlapping sheets to and for advancement of partially overlapping sheets from such station. The patented apparatus further comprises a suction-operated deflecting device which causes the trailing sections of successive sheets at the converting station to flex downwardly and to thus provide room for unimpeded advancement of the leading section of the next-following sheet over the thus flexed trailing section. The flow of air which is generated by the suction-operated deflecting device can further serve to flex the leading sections of successive oncoming sheets of the file upwardly and to thus further reduce the likelihood of collision between the trailing sections of preceding sheets and the leading sections of the immediately following sheets.
A drawback of the just described patented apparatus is that its operation is reliable, predictable and econo- mical under certain circumstances, and that such apparatus cannot automatically and/or reliably alter its mode of operation when an alteration is desirable, required or absolutely necessary. This can entail the turning out of large numbers of rejects and can affect the output or outputs of one or more machines which receives or receive partially overlapping sheets from the patented apparatus and/or which supply sheets to such apparatus.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can convert a file of successive sheets into a stream of partially overlapping sheets with a degree of reliability which is higher than that of heretofore known apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above outlined character which is more versatile than conventional apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of ensuring that the above out-lined apparatus can operate in a predictable and optimum manner under circumstances which are likely to change for any one of a host of different related and/or unrelated reasons.
An additional object of the invention is to provide the above outlined apparatus with novel and improved means for controlling the treatment of trailing sections of preceding sheets and/or of leading sections of next-following sheets at the station where such sheets are caused to partially overlap with each other.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus the operation of which is more economical than that of presently known and utilized apparatus because it turns out fewer rejects than such presently known apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can be utilized as a superior substitute for presently used apparatus serving to convert a file of successive sheets into a stream of partially overlapping sheets.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can carry out necessary adjustments in response to departures of the characteristics of sheets from anticipated characteristics and/or in response to changes in the mode of operation of the sheet advancing, braking and/or flexing means.
An additional object of the invention is to provide the above outlined apparatus with novel and improved means for reliably maintaining non-overlapping as well as partially overlapping sheets in their respective paths toward and away from the converting station.
Still another object of the invention is to provide the improved apparatus with novel and improved means for regulating the force which is being applied at the converting station in order to avoid collision between the trailing sections of successive last sheets of the stream and the leading sections of successive foremost sheets of the file of non-overlapping sheets.
A further object of the invention is to provide a production line which employs one or more apparatus of the above outlined character and the mode of operation of which can influence the operation of the apparatus in a sense to reduce the number of rejects (such as stacks containing improperly stacked sheets) and/or to increase the output.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for delivering successive flexible sheets of a file of non-overlapping sheets in a pre-determined direction along a first path wherein a trailing portion or section of each preceding sheet is located ahead of a leading portion or section of the next-following sheet to a file-converting station (also known as scalloping station) where the trailing sections of successive preceding sheets of the file are caused to overlap with the leading sections of the respective next-following sheets. The improved apparatus comprises means for supplying successive sheets of the file in the predetermined direction along the first path to the converting station at a first speed, means for removing successive sheets of the file from the converting station along a second path at a different second speed which is less than the first speed so that the leading sections of the sheets arriving at the converting station overlap with the trailing sections of the respective preceding sheets, means for deflecting at the converting station—with a variable force—at least one of each pair of sections including the trailing section of a preceding sheet and the leading section of the respective next-following sheet so that the sections of such pairs of sections can overlap each other, as a result of the difference between the first and second speeds, and means for varying the aforementioned variable force as
Geske Matthias
Höpner Bernd
E.C.H. Will GmbH
Kinberg Robert
Skaggs H. Grant
Venable
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