Back to results
US 5,100,118 AGranted
Sheet material handling apparatus
AssigneeAM International, Inc.
InventorsJohn N. Hobbs, Robert A. Bryson, Sr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeAM International, Inc.
InventorsJohn N. Hobbs, Robert A. Bryson, Sr.
Estimating the term…
An improved sheet material handling apparatus includes a pair of saddle conveyors. An extractor drum sequentially grips folded edge portions of signatures in hoppers and moves the signatures along an arcuate path. During rotation of the extractor drum to move the signatures along the arcuate path, a first signature engages a first stop member and is transferred to a first saddle conveyor. The first stop member is then retracted and the next signature moves past the first stop member into engagement with a second stop member. The second signatures is then transferred to a second saddle conveyor. A single stitcher assembly is provided to stitch signatures in first and second spaced apart streams of signatures being conveyed by the two saddle conveyors. In addition, a single trimmer assembly is provided to trim the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second spaced apart conveyor means for conveying first and second streams of signatures, and feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means, said feed means including extractor means for sequentially gripping signatures which are at least partially disposed in said hopper means and for sequentially moving the gripped signatures away from said hopper means along an arcuate path, first stop means disposed at a first location along the arcuate path, said first stop means being movable between an extended position extending into the path of movement of a leading edge portion of a signature being moved by said extractor means and a retracted position in which said first stop means is out of the path of movement of the leading edge portion of a signature, second stop means disposed at a second location which is further along the arcuate path from said hopper means than the first location, means for moving said first stop means between the extended and retracted positions during operation of said feed means to enable some of the signatures to engage said first stop means when said first stop means is in the extended position and to enable other of the signatures to move past said first stop means into engagement with said second stop means when said first stop means is in the retracted position, first transfer means for transferring onto said first conveyor means signatures which engage said first stop means when said first stop means is in the extended position, and second transfer means for transferring onto said second conveyor means signatures which engage said second stop means.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures away from said hopper means, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means to form the first and second streams of signatures, and a single stitcher assembly for stitching signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said stitcher assembly including a first stitcher head for stitching signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second stitcher head for stitching signatures in the second stream of signatures, and a single drive assembly connected with said first and second stitcher heads for effecting operation of said first and second stitcher heads to stitch the first and second streams of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and a single trimmer assembly for receiving the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and for trimming the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said trimmer assembly including a front knife which extends across the first and second streams of signatures and means for reciprocating said front knife to simultaneously trim signatures in the first stream of signatures and signatures in the second stream of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures away from said hopper means, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means to form the first and second streams of signatures, and a single stitcher assembly for stitching signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said stitcher assembly including a first stitcher head for stitching signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second stitcher head for stitching signatures in the second stream of signatures, and a single drive assembly connected with said first and second stitcher heads for effecting operation of said first and second stitcher heads to stitch the first and second streams of signatures, said feed means being operable to feed signatures from said hopper means at a first rate, said first and second stitcher heads being operable by said single drive assembly to stitch signatures at a second rate, said second rate being one half of said first rate.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures away from said hopper means, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means to form the first and second streams of signatures, and a single stitcher assembly for stitching signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said stitcher assembly including a first stitcher head for stitching signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second stitcher head for stitching signatures in the second stream of signatures, and a single drive assembly connected with said first and second stitcher heads for effecting operation of said first and second stitcher heads to stitch the first and second streams of signatures, said first and second conveyor means extend through said single stitcher assembly, said first stitcher head being operable to stitch signatures being conveyed by said first conveyor means, said second stitcher head being operable to stitch signatures being conveyed by said second conveyor means.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures away from said hopper means, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means to form the first and second streams of signatures, and a single stitcher assembly for stitching signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said stitcher assembly including a first stitcher head for stitching signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second stitcher head for stitching signatures in the second stream of signatures, and a single drive assembly connected with said first and second stitcher heads for effecting operation of said first and second stitcher heads to stitch the first and second streams of signatures, said first stitcher head being disposed adjacent to said first conveyor means and the first stream of signatures, said second stitcher head being disposed adjacent to said second conveyor means and the second stream of signatures, said single drive assembly including means connected with said first stitcher head and with said second stitcher head for reciprocating said first and second stitcher heads in unison along the paths of movement of the first and second streams of signatures through said stitcher assembly.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures away from said hopper means, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper to said first and second conveyor means to form the first and second streams of signatures, and a single stitcher assembly for stitching signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said stitcher assembly including a first stitcher head for stitching signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second stitcher head for stitching signatures in the second stream of signatures, and a single drive assembly connected with said first and second stitcher heads for effecting operation of said first and second stitcher heads to stitch the first and second streams of signatures, and a single trimmer assembly for trimming signatures transported from said stitcher assembly while the signatures remain in two spaced apart streams of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising hopper means for holding a plurality of signatures, first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, feed means for feeding signatures from said hopper means to said first and second conveyor means, said feed means including extractor means for sequentially gripping edge portions of signatures which are at least partially disposed in said hopper means and for sequentially moving the gripped signatures away from said hopper means along an arcuate path with the gripped edge portions of the signatures leading, first stop means at a first location along the arcuate path, said first stop means being movable between an extended position extending into the path of movement of the leading edge portion of a signature being moved by said extractor means and a retracted position in which said first stop means is out of the path of movement of the leading edge portion of a signature, second stop means disposed at a second location which is further along the arcuate path from said hopper means than the first location, first transfer means for transferring onto said first conveyor means signatures which engage said first stop means when said first stop means is in the extended position, and second transfer means for transferring onto said second conveyor means signatures which engage said second stop means, and a single trimmer assembly for receiving the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and for trimming the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said trimmer assembly including a front knife which extends across the first and second streams of signatures and means for reciprocating said front knife to simultaneously trim signatures in the first stream of signatures and signatures in the second stream of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and a signal trimmer assembly for receiving the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and for trimming the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said trimmer assembly including a front knife which extends across the first and second streams of signatures, means for reciprocating said front knife to simultaneously trim signatures in the first stream of signatures and signatures in the second stream of signatures, a first side knife which is disposed adjacent to the first stream of signatures, means for reciprocating said first side knife to trim edge portions of signatures in the first stream of signatures, a second side knife which is disposed adjacent to the second stream of signatures, and means for reciprocating said second side knife to trim edge portions of signatures in the second stream of signatures.
A sheet material handling apparatus comprising first and second conveyor means for conveying first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and a single trimmer assembly for receiving the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures and for trimming the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures, said trimmer assembly including a front knife which extends across the first and second streams of signatures, means for reciprocating said front knife to simultaneously trim signatures in the first stream of signatures and signatures in the second stream of signatures, a first side knife which is disposed adjacent to the first stream of signatures at a first location spaced a first distance from said front knife along the path of movement of the first stream of signatures through said trimmer assembly, and a second side knife which is disposed adjacent to the second stream of signatures at a second location spaced a second distance from said front knife along the path of movement of the second stream of signatures through said trimmer assembly, said second distance being greater than said first distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.