Compact high speed stacker
AssigneeSew Simple Systems, Inc.
InventorCharles E. Brocklehurst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Sheet material 10 is advanced from a reel 11, cut by cutter 14 and then each segment is moved parallel to its cut edges through sewing machines 22, 23 so as to sew the hems of the work product. The finished product is advanced rapidly in its direction of movement to transfer roll 85, one end 18 of the work product is pulled over a conveyor while the trailing end is urged against the high speed transfer roll 85 which rapidly pulls the trailing portion 19 of the work product out of the way of the next oncoming work product and directs the trailing portion of the work product downwardly to the near side of the conveyor. Each bundle 28 of work products is advanced out of the way so as to make room for accumulating a subsequent bundle on the conveyor.
Claims9
A method of progressively stacking elongated sheets of textile material and the like which are received in spaced series moving at a substantially constant velocity in a direction extending across their lengths from a sheet treating operation or the like, comprising the steps of:
- continuing the movement of each sheet in a direction extending across its length at a speed substantially the same as the speed of the sheets moving through the sheet treating operation until the sheet has cleared the sheet treating operation;
- after each sheet has cleared the sheet treating operating advancing each sheet further away from the sheet treating operation in a direction extending across the length of the sheet at a greater speed so as to increase the space between the sheet and the next oncoming sheet until the sheet reaches a stacker in-feed position;
- after each sheet has reached the stacker in-feed position grasping one end portion of each sheet and pulling the one end portion of the sheet at a first speed along the length of the sheet in a lateral direction over a surface conveyor,
- urging the trailing portion of the sheet toward the surface conveyor at a greater speed than said first speed while deflecting the trailing portion of the sheet downwardly until the sheet material clears the stacker in-feed position, and
- releasing the one end portion of the sheet to allow the sheet to fall onto the conveyor.
A method of stacking elongated flat textile work products as the work products are received in approximately equally spaced series from a prior work station in which the work products are advanced with one edge portion of each work product extending parallel to its direction of movement, comprising the steps of:
- continuing to advance each work product in series along a path away from the prior work station with said one edge portion of the work product extending parallel to the direction of movement until said work product extends across the surface of a transfer roll,
- pulling the one edge portion of the work product in a direction extending at a right angle to said one edge portion laterally until the work product is over a stacking position,
- as the work product is being pulled toward the stacking position, moving a deflection plate toward the work product and the transfer roll to urge the work product into engagement with the transfer roll and rotating the transfer roll so as to urge the trailing portion of the work product along the length of the work product and simultaneously direct the trailing portion of the work product downwardly to the stacking position,
- releasing said one edge portion of the work product and allowing the work product to drop to the stacking position.
Apparatus for stacking sheets of flexible textile material or the like received from a sheet treating apparatus in which elongated sheets are moved in spaced series in a direction extending across the lengths of the sheets, said apparatus comprising
- a surface conveyor belt system including a conveyor belt aligned with one end portion of the sheets as the sheets move from the sheet treating apparatus for continuing the movement of the sheets away from the sheet treating apparatus,
- detector means for detecting the movement of the trailing portions of the sheets away from the sheet treating apparatus,
- a transfer roll having its axis of rotation oriented approximately parallel to said conveyor belt,
- clamp means movable in lateral directions toward and away from said transfer roll for grasping and pulling one end portion of the sheet away from said transfer roll and over a surface conveyor or the like,
- motor means for rotating said transfer roll as said sheet is being moved by said clamp means at a surface speed greater than the speed at which said clamp means moves away from said transfer roll,
- deflector means movable toward and away from said transfer roll for urging the sheet into frictional contact with said transfer roll and to guide the sheet downwardly away from said transfer roll, whereby the transfer roll urges the other end of the sheet away from the transfer roll while the deflector means deflects the other end of the sheet downwardly toward the surface conveyor or the like as said one end portion is pulled by said clamp means, said clamp means being adapted to release the one end portion after the deflection of the other end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.