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US 2003/0165214 A1Published application
Counting and tabbing apparatus
AssigneeVacuumatic Limited
InventorEdward Colvill
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AssigneeVacuumatic Limited
InventorEdward Colvill
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for counting sheets in stack (17) thereof and inserting tabs (27) between the sheets at predetermined counts, as well as a tabbing method, uses a rotatable counting disc (10) engageable with an edge region of the stack and including a sheet transfer slot (12) to transfer the next sheet to be counted from one face of the disc to the opposed face, upon rotation of the disc. There are means (30) to count the number of sheets transferred and also to advance the disc relative to the stack, as the counting progresses. A tabber (31) is arranged to insert a tab (27) between two sheets of the stack (17) when a predetermined sheet count has been achieved, which tabber (31) projects a tab in a generally radially outward direction with respect to the disc (10), immediately adjacent one face (13) of the disc and in a timed relationship to the rotation thereof. The disc includes a tabbing recess (20) in its one face (13) and into which a projected tab 2C is received for insertion between the last and next sheets to be counted, at the moment of projection of the tab.
Counting apparatus for counting sheets in a stack thereof, which apparatus comprises a rotatable counting disc engageable with an edge region of the stack and including a sheet transfer slot to transfer the next sheet to be counted from one face of the disc to the opposed face on rotation of the disc, means to count the number of sheets transferred from one face to the other, advancing means to effect relative movement between the disc and the stack along the length of the stack as the sheets are counted, and a tabber arranged to insert a tab into the stack between two sheets when the count means achieves a predetermined sheet count value which tabber is arranged to project a tab in a generally radially-outward direction with respect to the disc, immediately adjacent one face of the disc and in a timed relationship to the rotation thereof, and the disc includes a tabbing recess in said one face and into which a projected tab is received for insertion between the last and next sheets to be counted at the moment of projection of the tab.
Counting apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the disc has a plurality of transfer slots spaced therearound and between each pair of transfer slots, there is a tabbing recess in said one face of the disc.
Counting apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tabber includes a source of tape for forming tabs, a tape drive mechanism and a guillotine arranged to cut from the tape a length thereof projected from the tabber by said drive mechanism.
Counting apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein operation of the drive mechanism is triggered by an output from a sensor associated with the disc to detect disc rotation or the count signal from the count means.
Counting apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a frame which supports the disc for rotation, and means to hold a stack of sheets to be counted, which holding means is adapted to present a corner region of the stack of sheets to the disc, for counting thereby.
Counting apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said one face of the disc and which contacts the last sheet to be counted is of shallow conical form, and the opposed face of the disc and which contacts the next sheet to be counted is of generally planar form and lies substantiality in a radial plane.
A method of tabbing sheets in a stack thereof using a rotatable counting disc engageable with an edge region of the stack and including a sheet transfer slot through which the next sheet to be counted is transferred from one face of the disc to the opposed face on rotation of the disc, the count being incremented each time a sheet is transferred from one face to the other and the disc being advanced along the length of the stack as the sheets are counted, in which method a tabber is arranged to insert a tab into the stack between two sheets when the count achieves a predetermined sheet count value which tabber projects a tab in a generally radially-outward direction with respect to the disc immediately adjacent one face of the disc and in a timed relationship to the rotation thereof, the tab being projected into a tabbing recess provided in said one face of the disc to be inserted between the last and next sheets to be counted at the moment of projection of the tab.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.