Apparatus for expelling air from stacks of superimposed sheets

Abstract

Apparatus for expelling air from between the sheets of stacks of superimposed sheets has a conveyor which advances successive stacks of a series of stacks along a horizontal first path from a stack assembling first station toward a second station. The conveyor employs a reciprocable carriage for one or more tongs which engage the front end portion of fresh stack at the first station and entrain the stack toward the second station. A roller is mounted in a conveyance for repeated movement with the conveyance along a downwardly sloping second path from a raised position above and away from the first path to a lowered position of engagement with successive stacks which are being advanced toward the second station. The conveyance is provided with a follower which tracks a vertical guide on the carriage to ensure that the roller moves vertically downwardly into engagement with a freshly gathered stack immediately behind the tongs irrespective of the height of the sack to thus ensure at least substantially complete expulsion of entrapped air (if any) when the conveyance is arrested as soon as the roller engages an advancing stack but the thus engaged stack continues to advance toward its second position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.