Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
Patent
1981-02-13
1984-10-23
Schacher, Richard A.
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
271218, 414 54, B65H 2934
Patent
active
044784031
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for forming a stack from a succession of sheets of, for example, paper.
It is usual for sheets to be formed into large stacks either by a delivery unit which is raised in unison with the growing stack or more usually the sheets are collected on a platform or table which descends at the growing rate of the stack. These stacks are often required to be separated into smaller batches (e.g. a ream of 500 sheets) for feeding to machines for carrying out further operations such as wrapping the reams in an outer wrapper.
The individual batches contained in a stack are commonly marked by inserting paper tabs at appropriate positions. These stacks are then separated into the required batches manually, which is rather time consuming. A disadvantage of the tab system is that the tabs can become disturbed and the benefit of marking the batches is lost. Where other more substantial devices are used to mark the stack e.g. angle strips, then these must be moved around the factory either manually or automatically.
It is also known to divide a stack as it is being formed into batches and remove the lowermost batch, whilst the rest of the stack is being supported by an auxiliary support, for feeding to apparatus for carrying out further operations on each batch.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for forming a stack from a succession of sheets, said stack consisting of at least two portions each containing a desired number of sheets, including support means on which said stack is formed, means for feeding said sheets in succession onto said support means, at least one of said feeding means and said support means being movable to alter the relative positions of said feeding means and said support means, and means for moving at least one of said feeding means and said support means at intervals corresponding to the times taken to form successive portions of said stack, so that at least two edges of each portion of said stack are displaced from alignment with the corresponding edges of an adjacent portion.
In one form the apparatus further includes divider means for dividing the stack as it is formed into said portions, auxiliary support means which moves between an operative support position and an inoperative position clear of the stack, means for operating said divider means to create an opening between successive portions of said stack to enable said auxiliary support means to enter the stack at said opening, and means for moving the part of said stack below said auxiliary support means, when the latter is in its operative position, so that at least two of the edges of said part adjacent said one side are displaced from alignment with the corresponding edges of the part of said stack positioned above said auxiliary support means.
Conveniently the support means may be mounted on wheels so that after each movement of said auxiliary support means to its operative support position the support means may be moved by any suitable means a distance equal to the distance by which it is desired that successive portions of said stack are to be displaced relative to each other.
Alternatively the support means may be provided with conveyor bands which may be driven at the appropriate times to move the stacks supported thereon the desired distance.
In another form of apparatus the required displacement of each successive portion of said stack may be obtained by moving the delivery means the required distance relative to the support means, after each time that a desired number of sheets to form a portion of the stack have been fed to said support means.
Another type of machine produces, instead of stacks, individual packs or reams at one or more delivery units. These are ideal if the next process is directly coupled to the stacking machine. There can, however, be problems if either the machine producing the stacks or any machine for carrying out further operations gives trouble. Inevitably the whole system must be stopped to clear the problem with
REFERENCES:
patent: 3205794 (1965-09-01), Califano
patent: 3964741 (1976-06-01), Kroeker
patent: 4015842 (1977-04-01), Perry
patent: 4017066 (1977-04-01), Lasher
patent: 4139191 (1979-02-01), Muller
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