Magazine for storing and feeding flat articles to be unstacked
AssigneeCompagnie Generale d'Automatisme CGA-HBS
InventorsBernard Constant, Gilbert Del Fabro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The magazine has slats for advancing flat articles to an unstacking head. The magazine comprises a first zone into which articles are loaded and along which they are advanced by removable slats, which slats are individually mounted in the first zone, being held and guided therein and also being driven therealong. The magazine also includes a second zone for stocking slats that are not in use, with the second zone being formed adjacent to the unstacking terminal portion of the first zone and being equipped for removing the slats form the first zone, and for transferring the removed slats into a stock of slats. The invention is applicable to separating postal items one by one.
Claims20
A magazine for storing and feeding flat articles to be unstacked, the magazine comprising:
- a first base plate on which the articles are stood edgeon, and a rear side wall, thereby defining a first zone in which articles are loaded and caused to advance up to an unstacking head;
- slats each having a substantially vertical thrust plate for holding articles on said first base plate;
- drive means mounted along said first base plate for moving said slats along said first base plate;
- means for coupling the slats to said drive means;
- means for holding and guiding the slats along said first base plate;
- and
- means for retracting successive ones of said slats when detected at the unstacking head;
- wherein each of said slats is removable from said first base plate, and further includes a substantially horizontal flat finger connected to its said thrust plate and extending at a distance therefrom adjacent to the bottom edge of said thrust plate, the finger being suitable for insertion beneath said first base plate when the slat is mounted on said first base plate, thereby defining said means for holding and guiding the slat along said first base plate, a terminal portion of the finger being fitted with said coupling means for engaging said drive means when the slat is put into place on said first base plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.