Gripper arrangement for sheet-machining installations

Abstract

In a gripping equipment for sheet-processing machines wherein sheets are engaged by grippers moved along by driven chains and are forwarded intermittently from one station to the next, wherein the grippers are carried by a gripper shaft and are supported at their ends for swivelling movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gripping equipment, the improvement wherein the gripping equipment comprises a carriage having fixedly-supported rollers at the one end and resiliently-supported rollers at the other end for rolling on guideways at the stations to effect guidance transverse to the course direction of the carriage. Each of the leading ends of the gripper carriage is supported on one chain link for rotation about an axis parallel to the gripper shaft and counter to spring resilience. The carriage is guided by a roller and a roller guideway independent of the chain track. A stop surface near each of the ends of the gripper carriage is engageable with a stop at each station which is pivotable into the path of travel of the gripper carriage for effecting alignment of the gripper carriage in the direction of travel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.