Flat article handling system

A system for stacking flat articles into containers having aligned slots in the ends thereof with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a stacking conveyor including cooperating pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from a source thereof and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container of said container conveyor and including one of said pinch belts extending into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof, mechanism for shifting said delivery end rapidly from the rear of the just filled container to the front of the next empty container and through the aligned slots in the containers and thereafter slowly returning said delivery end to the original position thereof, and a following roller engaging the side of the shingled stream disposed away from said one pinch belt and resiliently urging the shingled stream against said one pinch belt during the shifting of the delivery end between containers, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a stacking conveyor including cooperating pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from a source thereof and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor, mechanism for shifting said delivery end and the containers with respect to each other following the filling of a container to place the delivery end at the front of the next empty container, stack support structure associated with said delivery end and including one of said pinch belts extending into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof to support the forming stack of flat articles therein, a following roller engaging the side of the shingled stream disposed away from said one pinch belt and resiliently urging the shingled stream against said one pinch belt during the relative shifting of the delivery end and the containers, and sensing mechanism disposed adjacent to said container conveyor for sensing a movement corresponding to the completion of the stacking of flat articles in one container to actuate said shifting mechanism, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers having aligned slots in the ends thereof with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a stacking conveyor including cooperating pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from a source thereof and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor and including one of said pinch belts extending into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof, mechanism for shifting said delivery end rapidly from the rear of the just filled container of the front of the next empty container and through the aligned slots in the containers and thereafter slowly returning said delivery end to the original position thereof, a following roller engaging the side of the shingled stream disposed away from said one pinch belt and resiliently urging the shingled stream against said one pinch belt during the shifting of the delivery end between containers, and sensing mechanism disposed adjacent to said container conveyor for sensing movement corresponding to the completion of the stacking of flat articles in one conveyor to actuate said shifting mechanism, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predetermined path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon ad engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predetermined path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a leaflet, mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream of flat articles, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream and including an input end for receiving flat articles from said second set of pinch belts and a delivery end, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor, and a control mechanism for said shifting mechanism to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end upon the filling of the container, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into the successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers having aligned slots in the ends thereof with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predetermined path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predetermined path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a flat article, first mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream and including an input end for receiving flat articles from said gap generating member and a delivery end, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor and extending downwardly into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof, second mechanism for shifting said delivery end rapidly from the rear of the just filled container to the front of the next empty container and through the aligned slots in the containers, and a control mechanism for said first and second shifting mechanisms to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end when said delivery end shifting mechanism is operated, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into the successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predetermined path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predeterming path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a flat article, mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream of flat articles, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream and including an input end for receiving flat articles from said second set of pinch belts and a delivery end, one of the pinch belts of said third set being in two sections with a space therebetween to provide a diverting station between said input end and said delivery end, a diverting conveyor having its input end adjacent to said diverting station and including a fourth cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a shingled stream, diverting mechanism mounted adjacent to said diverting station and operative in a first condition to feed the stream of flat articles to said delivery end and operative in a second condition to divert the stream of flat articles to said diverting conveyor and from said delivery end, a container container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor, and a control mechanism for said shifting mechanism to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said diverting station when it is desired to redivert the shingled stream from said diverting conveyor to said delivery end, whereby when said diverting mechanism is in its first condition the stream of flat articles is fed to said delivery end which serves to feed the stream of flat articles into the associated container to stack the flat articles therein and when said diverting mechanism is in its second condition the stream of flat articles is fed to said diverting conveyor.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a stacking conveyor including a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from a source thereof and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, one of the pinch belts of said first set being in two sections with a space therebetween to provide a diverting station between said input end and said delivery end, a diverting conveyor pivotally mounted adjacent to said diverting station and including a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a shingled stream, means for pivoting said diverting conveyor between a first position wherein its input end is spaced away from said diverting station and a second position wherein its input end is disposed at said diverting station, diverting mechanism mounted adjacent to said diverting station and operative in a first condition and when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its first position to feed the stream of flat articles to said delivery end and operative in a second condition when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its second position to divert the stream of flat articles to said diverting conveyor and from said delivery end, and a container conveyor disposed adjacent to such stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past said delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor, whereby when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its first position and said diverting mechanism is in its first condition the stream of flat articles is fed to said delivery end which serves to feed the stream of flat articles into the associated container to stack the flat articles therein, and whereby when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its second position and said diverting mechanism is in its second condition the stream of flat articles is fed to said diverting conveyor.

A system for stacking into containers having aligned slots in the ends thereof flat articles with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predeterming path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predetermined path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a leaflet, first mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream including a shingled stream with the gap therein provided by said gap generating member, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from said second set of pinch belts and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, one of the pinch belts of said third set being in two sections with a space therebetween to provide a diverting station along said stacking conveyor between said input end and said delivery end, a diverting conveyor having its input end adjacent to said diverting station and including a fourth cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a shingled stream, diverting mechanism adjacent to said diverting station and operative in a first condition to feed the stream of flat articles to said delivery end and operative in a second condition to divert the stream of flat articles to said diverting conveyor and from said delivery end, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking container for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor and extending downwardly into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof, second mechanism for shifting said delivery end and the containers with respect to each other following the filling of a container and through the aligned slots in the containers to place said delivery end at the front of the next empty container, and a control mechanism for said first and second shifting mechanisms and for said diverting mechanism to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said diverting station as said diverting mechanism is shifted from the second condition thereof to the first condition thereof and to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end when said second shifting mechanism is operated, whereby said diverting conveyor may be utilized selectively to divert a portion of the continuous shingled stream and subsequently have the shingled stream returned to feed said delivery end, and whereby said gap generating member at the appropriate time creates a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end when said second shifting mechanism is operated thereby to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into the successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers having aligned slots in the ends thereof with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predetermined path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predetermined path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a flat article, first mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the leaflets in a shingled stream including a shingled stream with the gap therein provided by said gap generating member, said stacking conveyor having an input end for receiving flat articles from said second set of pinch belts and a delivery end for feeding the shingled stream of flat articles from said stacking conveyor, one of the pinch belts of said third set being in two sections with a space therebetween to provide a diverting station along said stacking conveyor between said input end and said delivery end, a diverting conveyor pivotally mounted adjacent to said diverting station and including a fourth cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a shingled stream, means for pivoting said diverting conveyor between a first position wherein its input end is spaced away from said diverting station and a second position wherein its input end is disposed at said diverting station, diverting mechanism mounted adjacent to said diverting station and operative in a first condition and when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its first position to feed the stream of flat articles to said delivery end and operative in a second condition when said diverting conveyor is pivoted to its second position to divert the stream of flat articles to said diverting conveyor and from said delivery end, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking container for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor and extending downwardly into the associated container and terminating a short distance from the bottom thereof, a second mechanism for shifting said delivery end rapidly from the rear of the just filled container to the front of the next empty container and through the aligned slots in the containers, and a control mechanism for said first and second shifting mechanisms and for said pivoting means and for said diverting mechanism to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said diverting station as said diverting mechanism is shifted from the second condition thereof to the first condition thereof and to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end when said second shifting mechanism is operative, whereby said diverting conveyor may be utilized selectively to divert a portion of the continuous shingled stream and subsequently have the shingled stream returned to feed said delivery end, and whereby said gap generating member at the appropriate time creates a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end when said second shifting mechanism is operated thereby to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into the successive containers to stack the flat articles without interruption.

A system for stacking flat articles into containers with the flat articles disposed essentially normal to the bottoms of the containers, said system comprising a first cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream and along a predetermined path at a first predetermined speed, a second cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying flat articles in a continuous shingled stream along said predetermined path downstream with respect to said first set of pinch belts and at a second and greater predetermined speed, a gap generating member having a first set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said first set of pinch belts for diverting them away from said predetermined path and having a second set of rollers mounted thereon and engaging said second set of pinch belts for diverting them into said predetermined path at a point spaced along said predetermined path from said first set of rollers a distance at least equal to the length of a leaflet, mechanism for shifting said gap generating member along said predetermined path at a third speed in the range from about said first speed to about said second speed to generate a gap in the shingled stream of flat articles, a stacking conveyor including a third cooperating set of pinch belts for conveying the flat articles in a shingled stream and including an input end for receiving flat articles from said second set of pinch belts and a delivery end, said input end feeding the shingled stream along a predetermined path and said delivery end changing the predetermined path and twisting the shingled stream 180.degree. about the axis of the path of travel thereof, a container conveyor disposed adjacent to said stacking conveyor for conveying containers in a continuous manner past the delivery end of said stacking conveyor in the same general direction as said input end feeds the shingled stream of flat articles, said delivery end being oriented essentially normal to the bottom of a container on said container conveyor, and a control mechanism for said shifting mechanism to cause said gap generating member to create a gap in the continuous shingled stream that will arrive at said delivery end upon the filling of the container, whereby said delivery end serves to feed the shingled stream of flat articles into the successive containers to stack the flat articles therein without interruption with said stacking conveyor feeding the shingled stream in the same general direction that said container conveyor feeds the containers to said delivery end.