Apparatus for collecting and transporting groups of paper sheets
OwnerWalter Suterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Paper sheets are fed in a first direction until the sheets abut a stop plate and fall downwardly to form a stack. A sensor detects a sign on a last sheet in a group and when that sheet falls on the stack, the entire group of sheets is transported away in a first direction generally perpendicular to the feed direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction. To aid in the transportation away, two pairs of drive rollers are mounted on either side of the transport which grasp the stack of sheets and transports them away from the stacking area.
Claims8
An apparatus for collecting individual rectangular sheets of paper having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, to form a group of sheets and for transporting said group of sheets, comprising:
- a feeder for feeding said individual sheets in a first plane in a first direction with a leading edge of said sheets extending perpendicular to said first direction and with printed lines on said sheets oriented parallel to said first direction;
- a stop against which said leading edge abuts and which stops a movement of said sheets;
- a support on a second plane below said first plane, on which support said group is formed;
- conveyor means movable parallel to said second plane in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction and in an opposite direction opposite said second direction;
- reversible motor means for moving said conveyor means in said second direction and in said opposite direction;
- pusher means mounted on said conveyor means, spaced apart in said second direction, and projecting above said second plane, wherein said group of sheets is formed between said pusher means, and
- a pair of drive means each mounted on either side of said support in said second direction and in said opposite direction for grasping and further transporting said group of sheets pushed by said pusher means in one of said second and said opposite directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.