GB775937A - Improvements in and relating to stacking apparatus for sheet formed articles - Google Patents

Abstract

775,937. Endless belt conveyers. EGGE, T. May 31, 1955 [June 1, 1954], No. 15624/55. Class 78 (1). In apparatus for stacking sheets of the kind in which the sheets are conveyed to the stacking point 16, Fig. 1, by a series of belts 7, 8, 9, the delivery end of which is mounted on vertically movable carriages 17, the raising movement is effected by the piston of a fluid-pressure apparatus, the supply of fluid to which is controlled by valves actuated in dependence on a feeler member which measures the increase in stack height. The belts 7, 8, 9 are pivotally connected to each other. The shaft 13b common to the belts 7, 8 is mounted in the upper ends of pivoted pillars 3 and the shaft 13a at the receiving end of the belt 7 is supported by guide bars 2. Rollers 18 on the carriages 17 run in vertical guides 4. The sheets leaving the belt 9 pass beneath belts 10 on to the stack. Each belt 10 passes round rollers 19, 21, the former of which is fast on a driving shaft 15. Members 22, Fig. 5, free on the shaft 15 have arms 201, 23 and 24. The arms 23 carry bearing boxes 221 for the rollers 21 and the arms 24 are connected by links 25 to a part 27 of a guide member which encloses a square shaft 28. The arms 201 carry a roller 20 and are adjustable to suit different thicknesses of sheet. As the height of the stack increases, the pulleys 21 are raised and the members 22 are turned about the shaft 15 thereby turning the shaft 28. The movement of the shaft 28 is transmitted to a vertical shaft 34, Fig. 8, mounted in bearings at the top and bottom of the guide 4 and carrying an arm 35. The movement of this arm actuates a pivoted arm 36 to move the spindle 38 of a valve 39 to open it. This valve controls the supply of oil from a pump 40, Fig. 3, driven by a continuously-running electric motor to a pressure cylinder 42. The piston 43 of this cylinder carries a wheel 44 around which passes a chain or rope 45. One end of the rope is anchored at 45<SP>1</SP> to the framework and the other end is secured at 46 to one of the carriages 17. In order that the two carriages shall move upwards at the same rate, another rope or chain 48 anchored to the framework is passed downwards to a wheel 47 which directs it into the hollow shaft 13d. After passing through the shaft the rope is passed over a wheel 47 to an anchorage on the guide 4. The casing 50, Fig. 9, of the valve 39 has bores 51, 59 ending in valve seatings against which bear spring-loaded ball valves 57, 61. Extensions 62, 56 of the spindles 38, 38B are formed with channels through which oil passes from the supply conduit 55 to the bores. A conduit 54 connects the bore 51 to the cylinder 42. When the carriages 17 are stationary, the arm 35 is in such a position that the arm 36 has opened the valve 39 and the pump is circulating oil through the return conduit 63. When the belt 10 is raised by the passage of sheets, the arm 35 is swung to allow clockwise movement of the arm 36. The valve 39 is then closed by spring action and oil passes to the hoisting cylinder and the carriages are raised. Manually actuated means may be provided to interrupt a raising movement and to initiate a lowering movement of the carriages. A pivoted abutment 26, which moves with the carriage, is tilted upwardly out of engagement with the sheets when the carriage reaches its highest position, so that if the feed is not stopped, any further sheets will be pushed completely across the stack 16.