Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into – within,... – Unstacking apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-01-30
Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...
Unstacking apparatus
C271S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179550
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for separating postal matter that is present in the form of flat, rectangular, particularly letter-like piece goods or articles (
1
) from a stack of a stacking magazine (
2
), using a pulling-off means (for example,
4
) that includes a pulling-off organ or member (for example,
3
) for the piece goods (
1
) to be respectively taken that can be moved transversely to the direction of stacking, wherein the stacking direction includes a vertical component, wherein the pulling-off member is arranged at the underside of the stack, wherein at least one detent (
13
) projecting into the stack region is provided at the underside of the stacking magazine (
2
) to the side of the pulling-off member for limiting the sliding motion of the stacked piece goods (
1
), and whereby pulling-off member, and wherein a seating surface of the pulling-off member is variable in its height position in the stack direction matched in time with the pull-off event.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A similar apparatus has been disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,859 (“the '859 patent”). In the '859 patent a paper stack can be placed into a container whose floor includes a window-like clearance under which a partially circle-shaped drive roller is arranged. The outside contour thereof is fashioned and arranged such in the manner of a cam plate that it is located under the floor in the quiescent condition. In order to pull the lowest sheet from the stack, the drive roller is turned and thereby has its enlarged section engaging into the stack region and, as a result the bottom sheet is displaced in the rotational sense. The transition to the expanded section is angularly fashioned, so that a motion pulse acting in the stack direction derives during the rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,936 also discloses a separating mechanism for letters wherein the piece goods are lifted off from the upper side of a stack with a suction grab and are carried off with circulating belts.
Another apparatus for separating flat postal matter is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,936. According to this reference, stacked letters are separated using a conveyor belt that, with the aid of a suction opening, suctions the respective next letter and draws it out from the stack. Here the subsequent letter presses on the one that is to be drawn out, which makes the pulling off more difficult. In the case of thin letters in particular, it is possible for the subsequent letter to be drawn along due to adhesive friction, especially if the first letter has been partially drawn out and the next one is pressed against the conveyor belt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of increasing functional reliability in the separation of the piece goods.
Given the stacking magazine with a vertical component, the problem derives that the stack pressure can be very high given a great stack height. Due to the impulse exerted on the stack, this pressure is at least partially reduced, and an adhesive-type sticking together of the two lower piece goods is avoided. At the same time, the lowest piece good is grasped by pulling-off member, and is set into motion transverse to the stacking direction.
The risk that the next piece good will be entrained is thus substantially reduced. As a result of the narrow stop surfaces at the back side, the bottom piece good can be removed from the region thereof in a short time before the full stack pressure is built up again on the remaining piece goods that slide in. Since the stop can then already be arranged above the seating surface of the pulling-off member again, it is possible to hold the remaining stack back at a distance until the bottom piece good has been moved out of the stack region without pressure.
What is achieved by the diagonal haul-off is that piece goods of different sizes are also reliably seized by the conveyor belt. Here this belt is arranged in such a way that the center of gravity of the piece goods is located approximately in the center of the conveyor belt. The lateral stops grasp the piece goods at least in the region of the other diagonals. This region likewise covers the center of gravity of the piece good, so that this piece good is securely held back during the folding down of the conveyor belt.
What is also achieved by the diagonal attitude of the piece goods is that the piece goods lie at the narrow stop along two back edges and can be reliably held without the distance until leaving the stop region becoming too great.
The pulling-off mechanism can for example be fashioned as a pulling-off drum in which the pulling-off member includes a rotating suction roller. The pulling-off mechanism can for example be mounted in resiliently flexible fashion, and can be moved in the stacking direction by a correspondingly controlled drive.
In an embodiment, the stacking magazine includes a slanting stacking direction that is inclined relative to the pulling-off direction such that the slide-in speed of the piece goods can be set to a suitable size. As a result of the force of gravity, the slant facilitates the alignment of the back edges of the piece goods relative to the pulling-off direction at the corresponding sidewalls of the stack magazine. In particular, piece goods of greatly varying size can also be guided in the stack in a defined manner and seized by the stop surfaces. The gradient of the stacking magazine can be kept small enough that the postal material can be inserted in an ergonomically advantageous manner.
The slant of the stacking magazine yields a pulling off direction directed obliquely upwards that uses the effect of gravity to improve the pulling-off process. Moreover, it is possible to position the magazine correspondingly lower, so that it can more easily be refilled and operated manually.
Due to the impulse-type motion at least the lowest piece goods can be moved, that is, compressed, upwards. In the upper dead center of the motion, the pulling-off member is actuated in the direction of pulling off, and is simultaneously moved downward. At the same time, for example the pulling-off member is connected to a suction source, by which mechanism the lowest piece good is suctioned on and is set into motion before the other piece goods can slide back.
In an embodiment, the conveyor belt includes a planar seating surface that facilitates the removal of the piece goods and the defined alignment relative to the stop surfaces.
In an embodiment, due to the movable pulling-off member, the relieving pulse can act on large-area on the stack, wherein the piece goods are only slightly deformed. The pulling-off member always remains in contact with the lowest piece good during the motion, so that the pulling-off motion can begin immediately when the upper dead center is reached. The motion of the pulling-off organ can be generated in a simple way on the basis of a motion of the entire haul-off means.
The pivotable motion of the circulating conveyor belt can be produced in particularly simple and precise fashion. The deflection roller can thereby serve as drive roller, as a result whereof the coupling of the drive motor for the conveyor belt is facilitated.
In an embodiment, due to the arrangement, in the pivoting of the conveyor belt away from the stack the pulling-off side is opened particularly wide, so that the piece good can be guided out freely.
In an embodiment, the stops make it possible to pivot the conveyor belt away from the magazine so far that the piece good to be drawn out can no longer be reached by the subsequent one. The pivot motion can be continued far enough that a suitable transport angle for the transfer of the piece good e.g. to a following belt can be set. Due to the wide-angled folding capacity, in particular, it is possible to decouple the incline of the magazine from the conditions of the transfer, and to set it for optimal sliding back and stopping conditions. The desired motion profile of the linear conveyor can be set in a simple
Raschke Josef
Rombauer Theodoro
Schuster Rudolf
Krizek Janice L.
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
LandOfFree
Device for individually separating flat articles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for individually separating flat articles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for individually separating flat articles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2488134