Singler device
AssigneeInternational Standard Electric Corporation
InventorsWilly A. Mens Franciscus, Ludovicus Van Dorst
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A singler device which includes an input position with a first and second suction means mounted along one face of a traveling suction belt, a passage, and a delivery position with first and second detector members. The second detector member operates the first or second suction means depending on the first detector member being in its non-operated or operated condition, respectively. The use of this device permits flat articles to be separated from a stack in the correct order even when they are misaligned to a certain extent.
Claims7
A singler device for flat articles having an input stage for storing a plurality of articles to be singulated and a delivery stage for accepting articles from said input stage and feeding singulated articles to an output, the device comprising:
- a movable drive belt for carrying said articles from said input stage to said delivery stage;
- first holding means in said input stage for holding an article on said moving drive belt when said first holding means is activated;
- second holding means spaced downstream from said first holding means along the direction of travel of said drive belt for holding an article on said moving drive belt when said second holding means is activated;
- first and second sensor means in said delivery stage for providing a signal upon detection of the presence or absence of an article on said belt, wherein said first sensor means is spaced upstream from said second sensor means along the direction of travel of said belt;
- delivery means for feeding singulated articles that reach said second sensor means to an output;
- separator means for inhibiting the transfer of more than one article at a time into said delivery stage from said input stage and for holding at said first sensor means all but one article that enters said delivery stage;
- and
- control means for selectively operating said holding means in response to signals from said sensor means, saic control means operating in a cycle beginning at time=0, defined as the time said second sensor means detects the absence of an article on said belt, wherein:
- (a) if said first sensor means detects the absence of an article at time=0, said control means activates said first holding means at time=T1 for delivery of at least one article into said delivery stage to said first sensor means to cause said control means to deactivate said first holding means and activate said second holding means for delivery of a singulated one of said at least one article to said second sensor means, or, if said first sensor means detects the presence of an article at time=0, said control means activates said second holding means at time=T2 for delivery to said second sensor means of said article at said first sensor means to singulate said article, and (b) said control means deactivates said second holding means when said second sensor means detects said singulated article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.