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US 8,366,376 B2Granted
Multiple articulating elevator and stacker support system
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDouglas K. Herrmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This is a paper-stacking support with segmented shelves that can support paper and can also fold upon being rotated around rollers by a driver belt. Once an upper shelf is fully loaded, it is moved downwardly by the drive belt and another shelf is moved into an upper loading position by the drive belt. This allows for a continuous running of the stacking operation without an interruption during the unloading of the stacked paper.
Claims19
A stack support configured to support a stack of paper which comprises:
- at least two stacking shelves attached to two vertically rotating belt drives, the two vertically rotating belt drives located on opposite sides of the stack support,
- said at least two shelves each comprising a plurality of foldable segments, at least two of the plurality of foldable segments located on opposite sides of the stack support movably connected by pin-hinges,
- said shelves when loaded with a stack of paper being rigid and configured to securely support said stack of paper and moveable in a downward direction,
- said shelves when not supporting said stack of paper being movable along a path of said belt drives in an upward direction on an opposite side of each belt drive from the shelves being moved in a downward direction and foldable along said pin-hinges,
- said stack support configured to provide a lower shelf with a stack of papers ready to be unloaded while at substantially the same time providing an upper shelf ready to accept a new load of a paper stack,
- said lower shelf configured to be slid away from said stack support to provide thereby easy unloading of said lower shelf,
- said stack support configured to continuously stack paper throughout a stacking operation,
- wherein a sensor indicates when a pre-fixed volume of paper is stacked on said lower shelf and when said upper shelf is ready to accept a new load of a paper stack.
5 more elements
A stack support configured to support a stack of paper which comprises:
- at least two stacking shelves attached to two vertically rotating belt drives, the two vertically rotating belt drives located on opposite sides of the stack support,
- said at least two shelves each comprising a plurality of foldable segments, at least two of the plurality of foldable segments located on opposite sides of the stack support movably connected by pin-hinges,
- said shelves when loaded with a stack of paper being rigid and configured to securely support said stack of paper and moveable in a downward direction,
- said shelves when not supporting said stack of paper being movable and foldable along said pin-hinges along a path of said belt drives in an upward direction on an opposite side of each belt drive from the shelves being moved in a downward direction,
- said stack support configured to provide a lower shelf with a stack of papers ready to be unloaded while at substantially the same time providing an upper self ready to accept a new load of a paper stack,
- said stack support having at least one controller, sensor and motor electrically connected to and controlling said rotating belt drive,
- said lower shelf configured to be slid away from said stack support to provide thereby easy unloading of said lower shelf,
- said stack support configured to stack paper continuously until an end of a stacking operation,
- wherein a sensor indicates when a pre-fixed volume of paper is stacked on said lower shelf and when said upper shelf is ready to accept a new load of a paper stack.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.