Workpiece feeding device
AssigneeLockheed Electronics Co., Inc.
InventorHenry C. Kyhl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for feeding letter mail and the like from a stack of such non-uniform sheet-like articles for individual workpiece processing wherein a plurality of friction feeders define a path for the transfer of mail from the stack and are driven in a pulsing mode interdependently under the control of photoelectric cells to facilitate the automatic separation of workpiece doubles.
Claims16
A device for removing workpieces from a stack of workpieces for individual processing comprising, a plurality of feeders collectively from said stack of workpieces, at least one but not all of said plurality of feeders being arranged to engage said stack and remove workpieces therefrom on command, drive means for actuating said feeders to separate said workpieces as they are moved along said path, and sensor means to interdependently control the operation of said feeders, said sensor means including first detector means for sensing the presence of a workpiece at one feeder to inhibit actuation of a second feeder, and second detector means for sensing the absence of a workpiece between feeders to override said first detector means and command actuation of said second feeder.
A device for removing workpieces from a stack of workpieces for individual processing comprising, a frame, first feeder means rotatably carried on said frame, drive means, first clutch means coupling said first feeder means to said drive means for rotating said first feeder means, said first feeder means being arranged to engage said stack for removing workpieces therefrom only on actuation of said first clutch means, second feeder means rotatably carried on said frame and arranged to receive workpieces removed from said stack by said first feeder means, second clutch means interposed between said drive means and said second feeder means for operatively coupling said drive means to rotate said second feeder means, clutch control means energizable for intermittently actuating said second clutch means to impart a pulsating motion to said second feeder means for separating multiple workpieces, detector means for sensing the presence of a workpiece at said second feeder means and inhibiting actuation of said first clutch means so long as there is a workpiece remaining in said second feeder means, and switch means for energizing said clutch control means on command of an operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.