Loading patent…
AssigneeWatkiss Automation Limited
InventorsChristopher R. Watkiss, Michael C. Watkiss
Estimating the term…
In a rotary collating and/or inserting machine where individual sheets are peeled from the bottom of a plurality of stacks of sheets arranged spaced around a circle on a table and are moved down through one or more radial slots in the table, the separation of the bottom sheet of each stack, preferably at a corner, is initiated by creating changes in air pressure in a cyclically controlled manner at or adjacent to the upper region of at least one slot. This can be accomplished by the provision of suction holes along the length of at least one slot or by changing the contour of the table surface, such as by incorporating a bellows. To aid onward movement of a sheet into a slot after initial separation from the stack, the initial suction effect which either acts directly on the sheet or changes the contour of the table surface is shut off or reversed as the bottom sheet passes down through the slot. Cyclically controlled suction devices are preferably provided at or adjacent to the lower region of each slot.
A method of collating and/or inserting into one another individual sheets from a plurality of stacks of sheets of material arranged spaced around the center of a circle on a table, in which the table is provided with at least one substantially radial slot down through which the sheets are arranged to pass as they are separated from the bottom of the respective stacks, said table including at least one table section having an at least semi-rigid terminal wall portion adjoining said at least one slot, comprising effecting relative rotational movement between the table and the stacks, initiating separation of the bottom sheet of a stack at least partially by generating a suction effect in a cyclically controlled manner within said terminal wall portion of said table section at the upper trailing edge region of said terminal wall portion and aiding onward movement of the bottom sheet down into and through said slot by terminating the suction effect after the bottom sheet has been diverted into the slot.
A rotary machine comprising a table for receiving a plurality of stacks of sheets of material spaced at intervals around a circle centered on the axis of rotation of the machine, means providing for relative rotational movement between the table and the stacks, the table defining at least one substantially radial slot down through which sheets separated from the bottom of the respective stacks are arranged to pass, suction means provided within the contour of a table section to create changes in air pressure at the upper trailing edge region of the table section to exert a suction effect on the bottom sheet of each stack, control means for said suction means operative to cause cyclic variations in the suction effect generated by said suction means on the sheets during the period from initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack to completion of the movement of the sheet down through a slot whereby the suction effect is terminated after initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack and before completion of movement of the sheet down through the slot.
A rotary machine comprising a table for receiving a plurality of stacks of sheets of material spaced at intervals around a circle centered on the axis of rotation of the machine, the table being provided with at least one substantially radial slot down through which sheets separated from the bottom of the respective stacks are arranged to pass, suction means within the contour of the table to create changes in air pressure in a zone including the upper region of the slot and the region adjacent to the slot, control means for said suction means operative to cause cyclic variations in the effect generated by said suction means on the sheets during the period from initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack to movement of said sheet down through a slot, and further suction means located in a zone including the lower region of the slot and the region adajacent to the slot.
A rotary machine comprising a table for receiving a plurality of stacks of sheets of material spaced at intervals around a circle centered on the axis of rotation of the machine, the table being provided with at least one substantially radial slot down through which sheets separated from the bottom of the respective stacks are arranged to pass, suction means within the contour of the table to create changes in air pressure located in a zone including the upper region of the slot and the region adjacent to the slot, control means for said suction means operative to cause cyclic variations in the effect generated by said suction means on the sheets during the period from initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack to movement of said sheet down through a slot, and a separator blade associated with each stack of sheets and underlying a leading corner of the stack, the blade being pivotable and riding on the surface of the table so as to tilt downwards as said blade passes over the slot to aid separation of the leading corner of the bottommost sheet.
A rotary machine comprising a table for receiving a plurality of stacks of sheets of material spaced at intervals around a circle centered on the axis of rotation of the machine, the table being provided with at least one substantially radial slot down through which sheets separated from the bottom of the respective stacks are arranged to pass, suction means within the contour of the table to create changes in air pressure located in a zone including the upper region of the slot and the region adjacent to the slot, control means for said suction means operative to cause cyclic variations in effect generated by said suction means on the sheets during the period from initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack to movement of said sheet down through a slot, and adjustable clamp means to locate each stack of sheets in place on the table, said clamp means comprising abutment means which, as relative rotation occurs between the table and the stacks, actuate valve means which control said suction means in synchronism with the rotary movement.
A rotary machine comprising a table for receiving a plurality of stacks of sheets of material spaced at intervals around a circle centered on the axis of rotation of the machine, the table being provided with at least one substantially radial slot down through which sheets separated from the bottom of the respective stacks are arranged to pass, suction means within the contour of the table to create changes in air pressure located in a zone including the upper region of the slot and the region adjacent to the slot, and control means for said suction means operative to cause cyclic variations in the effect generated by said suction means on the sheets during the period from initial separation of a bottom sheet from a stack to movement of said sheet down through a slot, the table comprising at least one perforated upper plate and at least one ribbed lower plate, the upstanding rib portion serving as support means for a ball check valve associated with the perforations, whereby air can pass up through the perforations when the check valve is opened by the weight of sheets thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.