Stacking machine and method of using
AssigneePERM Machine & Tool Co., Inc.
InventorLee J. Milazzo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Stacking machines, delivery units, and methods suitable for handling and stacking sheets of material, and particularly sheets of magnetizable materials that are relatively heavy and susceptible to damage during a stacking operation. Such a stacking machine includes at least one delivery unit equipped with a belt and a magnetic unit. The belt and magnetic unit are adapted to operate in cooperation with each other to magnetically carry individual sheets of a magnetizable material from one side of the machine to another. The delivery unit may be part of a kit that can be installed as a unit on an existing stacking machine.
Claims17
A stacking machine for stacking individual sheets of a magnetizable material, the machine comprising:
- a carriage comprising beams that are adapted to move laterally within the carriage;
- delivery units supported by the beams, the delivery units comprising outer delivery units and interior delivery units that are located interiorly of the outer delivery units, each of the delivery units comprising a belt and a magnetic means, the belt and the magnetic means being adapted to operate in cooperation with each other to magnetically carry the individual sheets of a magnetizable material from one side of the machine to another side of the machine;
- a power screw assembly engaged with the beams supporting the outer delivery units to move the outer delivery units laterally to adjust lateral positions of the outer delivery units relative to the interior delivery units;
- and
- means for selectively turning the magnetic means on and off and selectively starting and stopping the belt of each of the delivery units in order to magnetically pick up one of the individual sheets on the one side of the machine and then release the sheet on the other side of the machine;
- wherein the carriage comprises a drive shaft engaged with the belt of each of the delivery units, each of the deliver units comprises a fork that defines a recess that accommodates the drive shaft, and the belt engages a side of the drive shaft but does not surround the drive shaft to enable the delivery unit to be installed and removed from the machine without removing the drive shaft from the machine.
A method of retrofitting a stacking machine having a frame, a carriage, a drive shaft, and a delivery mechanism mounted to the carriage and driven by the drive shaft, the method comprising:
- removing the delivery mechanism from the carriage;
- installing delivery units supported by the carriage, each of the delivery units comprising a magnetic means and a belt engaged with the drive shaft so as to be driven by the drive shaft, the belt and the magnetic means being adapted to operate in cooperation with each other to magnetically carry individual sheets of a magnetizable material from one side of the machine to another side of the machine:
- causing outer delivery units of the deliver units to move laterally to adjust lateral positions of the outer delivery units relative to interior delivery units of the deliver units;
- and
- stacking the individual sheets on top of each other at the other side of the machine by selectively turning the magnetic means on and selectively starting the belt of each of the delivery units to magnetically pick up the individual sheets on the one side of the machine and then releasing the individual sheets on the other side of the machine by selectively turning the magnetic means off and selectively stopping the belt of each of the delivery units;
- wherein each of the deliver units comprises a fork that defines a recess that accommodates the drive shaft, and the method further comprises installing and removing the delivery unit from the machine without removing the drive shaft from the machine by the belt engaging a side of the drive shaft but not surrounding the drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.