Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-25
2001-05-15
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
C271S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231041
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to business forms and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for separating sheets that are arranged one atop the other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Job sorting the 2-wide output from a continuous web printer after cutting (or bursting) requires the sheets to be separated to eliminate the need for blank pages. The sheets in need of separation comprise an upper and lower sheet, overlapping and usually, but not always, coincident with one another. Usually, but not necessarily, the sheets are of identical dimensions. “Separation” of the sheets means to separate the overlapping sheets and arrange the separate sheets end to end, beside or adjacent one another, although separation can also mean disturbing the coincidence of the sheets and causing them to overlap instead.
Surprisingly, the prior art is void of an acknowledgment of the problem solved by the present invention, much less a solution. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,464 (Gämmerler), for example, a method and apparatus is disclosed for uniting at least two streams of shingled laid out products (particularly folded products), almost exactly the opposite of the present invention.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,466 (Tranquilla) discloses a means of adjusting the gap size between sheets fed by a sheet feeder. But this invention is used to adjust the gap between sheets that have already been separated, as opposed to a device that separates overlapping, coincident sheets.
Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for separating overlapping, coincident sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention broadly comprises an apparatus for separating an upper sheet arranged overlapping and substantially coincident with a lower sheet. The apparatus includes a first roller having an axis of rotation and a sheet engaging surface arranged to frictionally engage the upper sheet, a second roller having an axis of rotation arranged in spaced relation to the axis of rotation of the first roller, the second roller having a sheet engaging surface arranged to frictionally engage the lower sheet, and, drive means for rotating the first and second rollers about their respective axes of rotation to produce different surface speeds at the sheet engaging surfaces of the first and second rollers, whereby the upper and lower sheets are separated into a non-coincident configuration by respective frictional engagement with the first and second rollers. The invention also comprises a method for separating the aforementioned upper and lower sheets.
A general object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for separating sheets arranged in overlapping and coincident orientation with respect to one another.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for the aforementioned separation to be implemented as a part of a web process, i.e., as the sheets travel along a conveyor.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in view of the drawings and appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4696464 (1987-09-01), Gammerler
patent: 5575466 (1996-11-01), Tranquilla
patent: 5582399 (1996-12-01), Sugiura
patent: 61-273445 (1986-12-01), None
patent: 1-117143 (1989-05-01), None
Bollinger David H.
Moore U.S.A. Inc.
Simpson Simpson & Snyder LLP
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