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US 6,055,896 AGranted
Stacking machine and method
AssigneeElsner Engineering Works, Inc.
InventorRobert E. Molison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a stacking machine which cuts a multiply rope into bundles, clamps the lead ends of the bundles against a conveyor which moves the bundles to stacking stations where the bundles are collected in stacks. Completed stacks are transferred to a takeaway conveyor.
Claims15
A method of forming a stack of multiply articles from a multiply rope, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) repetitively feeding an end of a multiply rope downstream between a support member and an upstream end of a downwardly facing endless conveyor belt to grip a leading portion of the rope between the support member and the conveyor belt;
- (b) cutting each leading portion of the rope from the remainder of the rope at a location upstream of the support member to deliver a succession of multiply articles to the conveyor belt;
- (c) conveying each article downstream with the conveyor belt;
- (d) clamping a downstream portion of each article up and against the conveyor belt before an upstream portion of the article is released from between the support member and the conveyor belt;
- (e) moving the clamped articles downstream with the conveyor belt to a stacking station, and unclamping each clamped article from the conveyor belt at the stacking station;
- and
- (f) collecting the unclamped articles at the stacking station to form a stack of multiply articles.
4 more elements
A method of forming stacks of segments cut from the lead end of a web, comprising the steps of:
- (a) repetitively feeding the end of a web downstream between a holding member and a downstream moving and downwardly facing conveyor to hold an end segment of the web up against the conveyor;
- (b) cutting each held end segment of the web from the remainder of the web at a location upstream from the holding member to form a succession of web segments on the conveyor;
- (c) moving each web segment downstream on the conveyor;
- (d) clamping each web segment up against the conveyor at a location downstream from the holding member before the web segment moves past the holding member;
- (e) moving each clamped web segment downstream with the conveyor to a stacking station, and unclamping the web segment from the conveyor at the stacking station;
- and
- (f) collecting unclamped web segments in a stack at the stacking station.
4 more elements
A method of forming a stack of elongate articles comprising the steps of:
- (a) repetitively feeding elongate articles in a downstream direction to move the articles between first and second holding members;
- (b) clamping the leading portion of each article up against the lower surface of a downstream moving conveyor before the trailing portion of each article is released from the holding members and then releasing the trailing portion of each article from between the holding members;
- (c) conveying each clamped article downstream along the conveyor to a stacking station and unclamping the article from the conveyor at the stacking station;
- and
- (d) stacking the articles at the stacking station.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.