US 7,404,556 B2Granted

Automatic angle adjustment mechanism for stacking apparatus

AssigneeA. G. Stacker Inc.

InventorsClarence C. Allen, Jr., Walter R. Dent, Joseph W. Bush, Jr., Sharon L. Myers

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Abstract

A device for stacking sheets includes a layboy, a transfer conveyor, a main conveyor, a diverting apparatus, and an accumulator. The main conveyor is pivotably mounted to a base to that it may be pivoted between an upper position and a lower position. The diverting apparatus has a plurality of diverting slats pivotably mounted to a support shaft so that the slats may be raised and lowered. When the main conveyor is in the upper position, the diverting slats are not activated, that is, they are not raised. Accordingly, when sheets are transferred along and discharged from the main conveyor, the trajectory of the sheets is basically the same as the angle of the conveyor. In contrast, when the main conveyor is in a lower position, the slats are raised. Accordingly, discharged sheets are diverted so that the trajectory of the sheets is different than the angle of the conveyor. The slats may be placed at any chosen angle. By adjusting the angle of discharge of sheets with respect to the main conveyor, interlock jamming is minimized in the accumulator. The sheet stacking device, including the diverting apparatus, is controlled by a programmable logic controller interfaced with a touch screen.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A rotary die cut stacker for stacking sheets, comprising:

a layboy section for receiving sheets from a rotary die cut machine and for aligning the sheets;
a base;
a first frame member pivotably mounted to the base;
a conveyor, pivotably mounted to the first frame member, for receiving the sheets at an intake end, transporting the sheets, and discharging the sheets from a discharge end, the intake and discharge ends being non-rotatively fixed with respect to each other, the conveyor forming an acute angle θa with respect to horizontal, wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of belts, each of the plurality of belts extending from the intake end to the discharge end such that a space is formed between each of the plurality of belts;
and
a plurality of pivotable slats located between the intake and discharge ends of the conveyor for adjusting the angle of discharge of discharged sheets, the plurality of pivotable slats pivoting about a horizontal axis to form an acute angle θb with respect to the top of the conveyer, wherein the angles θa and θb are inversely proportional so that as the angle θa is increased, the angle θb is decreased, wherein each of the plurality of pivotable slats includes a first lateral end and a second lateral end such that the first lateral end is a further distance from the intake end of the conveyor than is the second lateral end and such that the first lateral end of each slat is closer to the intake end of the conveyor than the discharge end of the conveyor is to the intake end of the conveyor and further wherein the plurality of pivotable slats is configured in an alternative manner with the plurality of belts such that each of the pivotable slats is respectively located in a space between each of the plurality of belts.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/117,653Filed 29 Apr 2005
Published: US 2006/0244205 A12 Nov 2006
Granted: 29 Jul 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65H 31/10
The articles being piled one above another: and applied at the top of the pile
B65H 29/16
Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles: by contact of one face only with moving tapes, bands, or chains
B65H 29/36
By dropping the articles: from tapes, bands, or rollers rolled from under the articles
B65H 29/50
Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles: piling apparatus of which the discharge point moves in…