Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Patent
1991-04-16
1992-01-28
Skaggs, H. Grant
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
271 92, 271 98, 271103, 271106, B65H 330
Patent
active
050837630
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a method of the kind referred to in the preamble to claim 1, and an apparatus of the kind referred to in the preamble to claim 7, for picking up sheets of paper, cardboard or similar, especially porous material, one at a time from a pile for onward transfer, using a gripping apparatus fitted with a gripping means.
When picking up sheets of porous material such as paper or cardboard, which are stored in piles, the problem is to pick up only a single sheet from the top of the pile, so that the next sheet does not stick to it or several sheets come with it. The problem is worse when the pile is higher because the sheets at the bottom of the pile usually "stick" together as a result of the weight on top of them. On the other hand the sheets can be rather large in diameter, for example 600 mm-1500 mm, of such a size that the rapid transport of flexible and porous paper type material from the pile to the place of use using a gripping device can be problematic owing to air resistance.
Earlier solutions are usually based on level suction cup devices without special movements for separating the sheets. Particularly when dealing with the gripping of porous materials, it is very easy that more than one sheet will come away together. Methods for separating these additional sheets have been developed, for example a means by which brushes are arranged at the edge of the pile to prevent the second sheet coming away with the top one. This solution is in practice unreliable and also limits the height of the pile which, according to known technique, can be only up to some 300 mm.
The patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,485 shows a solution according to which the pile of sheets is pressed on top of it at the central region thereof and the gripping means are moved on either side of the central region. In order to separate the topmost sheet from the pile at first only one of the gripping means is lifted. All the lifting movements of the gripping means take place right upwards from the pile and, thus, include no further movements to forward said separation so as to make sure that only one sheet is moved at a time. As a consequence this solution is in practice applicable only for relatively stiff sheet materials.
The solution shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,388 on the other hand includes separate members for bending the topmost sheet from its central region upwards so as to separate it from the pile of sheets, for gripping it for transport and for pressing the next sheet in the pile on the edge parts thereof against the pile to prevent its movement. This solution is applicable in the first place only for sheets of relatively thin and flexible material. These both known solutions provide poor support for the sheet being transported, which may pose problems particularly when moving large sheets of thin material from the pile to the required place.
The aim of the invention is to achieve a new and improved method and apparatus, with the help of which the drawbacks of the known art may be eliminated. The aim of the invention is to develop a solution, by means of which differing sized sheets of porous and flexible material may be picked up one at a time from a pile, so that the next sheet is not moved in the pile, for quick and secure transport onward to the required place. A further aim is to be able to pick up and handle thin and flexible sheets like those made of paper as well as sheets of relatively stiff material like cardboard by making use of the same apparatus.
The aims of the invention are achieved in the way described in claims 1 and 7. Additional features of the invention become clear from the subclaims.
The invention is essentially based on the idea that by pressing on the centre of the pile and simultaneously by making use of the movement of a gripping means towards the central part of the pile the top sheet of the pile is caused to be partly bent away from the next sheet on the pile. Then raising the gripping means up, while still pressing on the centre of the pile, will ensure that the top sheet
REFERENCES:
patent: 2225006 (1940-12-01), Gudger et al.
patent: 3322301 (1967-05-01), Bliss
patent: 3809388 (1974-05-01), Downing
patent: 3826485 (1974-07-01), Shindo
patent: 4311304 (1982-01-01), Hamada et al.
patent: 4601463 (1986-07-01), Goto et al.
Cimcorp Oy
Druzbick Carol Lynn
Skaggs H. Grant
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