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US 4,369,959 AGranted
Sheet feed machine
OwnerWilliam M. Hornbuckleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheet feed machine comprising guides for holding sheets in a stack at a sheet input station, a first conveyor for successively feeding sheets from the bottom of the stack at the sheet input station into a stream with adjacent sheets in an overlapped configuration, and an inverter for inverting the stream of sheets at a sheet inversion station. A stop is located at a sheet output station for stopping the stream and accumulating sheets in a stack, and a second conveyor is provided for conveying the stream of sheets from the inversion station to the sheet output station.
Claims15
An improved sheet material processing apparatus for feeding successive sheets of said sheet material to a printer of the type having a suction arm over a printer elevator of said printer, said suction arm removing successive top sheets from a stack of sheets therebelow, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
- (a) a portable self contained frame supporting structure including an upstanding stanchion member with its lower end adapted to be supported on the floor which supports said printer, a frame having an input end and an output end, said frame being mounted to the upper end of said stanchion member by its input end, said frame protruding in cantilever fashion from said stanchion member, said stanchion member supporting said frame at a height such that the output end will protrude into a position vertically between said elevator and said suction arm and said input end is vertically outwardly of said printer when said stanchion member is positioned on the floor adjacent to the end of said printer;
- (b) a sheet material input station spaced from said output end and mounted on said input end of said frame, with said input station detailed to permit sheet material being processed to be successively added to one portion of said input station while being simultaneously removed from another portion of said station;
- (c) a sheet material output station mounted on said output end of said frame, with said output station detailed to permit sheet material being processed to produce a stack of sheets such sheet material at said output station and below said suction arm and also to permit successive sheets of said sheet material to be progressively fed to the bottom of the stack of sheets of sheet material and for permitting said suction arm to successively remove the topmost sheet from said stack of sheet material at said output station while sheets of said sheet material are being simultaneously added to the bottom of said stack in said output station;
- (d) sheet material transfer means supported on said frame and operable for effecting a transfer of sheets of said sheet material from said other portion of said input station to said output station for progressively replenishing said stack;
- (e) control means on said frame structure operable for sensing a predetermined accumulation of sheets of said sheet material in said output station and operable for initiating operation of said transfer means when the sheet accumulation in said stack drops below a predetermined amount and stopping operation of said transfer means in response to the accumulation of a predetermined amount;
- and
- (f) means for removeably securing said apparatus to the end of said printer in a position in which said output station is disposed below said suction arm and over said printer elevator.
4 more elements
A sheet feed machine for positioning sheets in a position to be received by a printer comprising:
- (a) a platform;
- (b) an upstanding external stanchion assembly secured by its lower end to said platform;
- (c) a frame carried by the upper end portion of said stanchion assembly, said frame having a sheet material input portion above said stanchion assembly and a sheet material output portion connected by its inner end to the upper end portion of said stanchion assembly, said output portion protruding in cantilever fashion from said stanchion assembly over said platform, the outer end portion of said output portion being of a height to extend over the end portion of said printer;
- (d) a front leg extending downwardly from the outer end portion of said output portion for being received by its lower end portion on said printer;
- (e) said sheet material input portion having an endless feed belt with an upper flight and a lower flight, roller means for supporting and driving said feed belt, a generally upright retaining plate carried by said frame for maintaining a plurality of sheets in a stack over the upper flight of said feed belt, the lower end portion of said plate terminating immediately above the upper flight of said belt in spaced relationship thereto, means for moving said plate toward and away from said belt to vary the space between said belt and lower end of said plate for enabling said belt to feed said sheets successively from the bottom portion of the stack, and a second endless belt having an inner portion tangentially around the end portion of said feed belt and around a portion of one of its roller means for guiding said sheets successively around the end portion of said feed belt;
- (f) a third endless belt carried by said frame in said output portion and having an upper flight disposed generally horizontally with its inner end below said feed belt for receiving said sheets from said feed belt and for moving said sheets toward the outer end of said third belt;
- and
- (g) control means for sensing an accumulation of said sheets on said belt for stopping the operation of the aforesaid belts.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.