Method of unstacking metal sheets
AssigneePrima Industrie S.p.A.
InventorFranco Sartorio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method whereby a pack of metal sheets adhering to one another is suspended on upper gripping elements of an upper vertically-mobile element beneath which is fed forward a lower transversely-mobile element having lower gripping elements. The upper and lower gripping elements are caused to interact in such a manner as to divide the pack into two parts by raising the upper element; and the lower element is backed up so as to feed on to a production line the part of the pack consisting of a single sheet, and/or to feed on to a reject bed the part of the pack consisting of a number of inseparable sheets.
Claims13
A method of unstacking metal sheets, characterized by the fact that it comprises stages consisting in:
- removing a pack of the said sheets off the said stack;
- feeding the said pack, comprising at least one said sheet, between an upper and lower element having respective de-activatable upper and lower gripping means designed to cooperate respectively with a top and bottom sheet in the said pack;
- performing at least one separating cycle comprising at least a first stage consisting in bringing together the said upper and lower elements in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the said sheets, so as to cause the said upper and lower gripping means to cooperate actively with the said top and bottom sheets;
- and at least a second stage consisting in parting the said upper and lower elements in the said first direction, while at the same time maintaining the said gripping means in the said active condition, so as to divide the said pack into a first part connected to the said upper element, and a second part connected to the said lower element;
- de-activating the said gripping means on the said lower element;
- performing a first unloading cycle consisting in unloading the said second part of the said pack off the said lower element;
- bringing together the said upper and lower elements so as to release the said first part of the said pack on to the said lower element, after first de-activating the said upper gripping means;
- and
- performing a second unloading cycle consisting in unloading the said first part of the said pack off the said lower element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.