US1563747A - Method and apparatus for use in sorting paper - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1,1925

G. F. HOSMER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN SORTING PAPER Filed Dee! 1924 INVENTEI F= .MM

@371, ATT RN Y5- Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES GUY F. HOSMER, RUMFORD, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO OXFORD PAPER COMPANY, 01!

1,563,747 PATENT OFFICE.

RUMFORD, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IITSORT ING PAPER.

Application filed December 1, 1924. Serial No. 753,397.

and sorting of sheets of paper and has for its general object to provide a method and apparatus whereby the sheets may be conveniently handled in such .a mannerthat the operation in question can be carried on speedily and effi'ciently without danger of damage to the sheets.

In accordance with the practice heretofore followed, a stack of paper sheets to be inspected and sorted is supplied to the inspector upon a suitable platform on the opposite sides of which are placed suitable trucksto receive the accepted and rejected sheets respectively. The inspector, starting at the top of the stack of unsorted paper, lifts the sheets one by one, placing the perfect or accepted sheets upon the truck at one side of the stack and the imperfect or' rejected sheets upon the truck at the op posite side. As the sheets are relatively large, it is desirable that they be moved from the stack of unsorted paper to the stack of accepted paper with minimum effort, and to this end it is necessary that the level of the top of the stack of unsorted paper" be approximately the same as, or only slightly above that of-the top of the stack of accepted paper. As the operation proceeds, the height of the stack of unsorted paper diminishes, while that of the stack of accepted paper increases thereby varying the relative elevation of the tops of the two stacks. When this difference in elevation becomes considerable, there is difiiculty in point has resulted in considerable loss in damaged paper.

In accordance with the present invention the vertical positions of the support for the unsorted paper and of the truck for receiving the accepted paper are so controlled that thetops of the two stacks may be maintained at the desired relative elevations irrespective of the heights of the stacks, so that )a stack of unsorted paper of substantially any height, Within practical limits, may be supplied at once to the inspector, and the operation of sorting carried on smoothly, efliciently and without interru tion, but without danger of damaging t e sheets when moving them from the unsorted paper stack to the accepted paper stack. To this end, the invention consists in a method of and apparatus for yarying the relative positions of thestacks of unsorted and accepted paper so as to maintain their tops at approximately the same elevation.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will best be understood from the following description of the construction, arrangement, and operation of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying .drawings. It will be understood however that the particular constructions and operations described and shown have been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise embodied and practiced without departure from the spirit v and scope thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation, partly inyertical section, of an apparatus con: structed and operating in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the. parts in different positions.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the hydraulic elevators.

At 10 is shown a suitable floor upon which the sorting is to take place, said floor being carried by suitable beams 11 an'd'having .thereon a support for the stack 12 of unsorted paper, said support oomprising a platform 13 carried by uprights 14 normally resting on the floor. The trucks 15 and 16 for the accepted and rejected paper respectively are provided with wheels 17 u on which they may be moved over the oor into and out of positions adjacent the platform or support 13, being preferably,

- 24 and 25 respectively. The head of the plunger 22 is adapted to engage the platform 13 and lift the same with its supportinguprights 14 from the floor 10: The head 21 of the plunger 23 is provided with blocks 26 to engage the axles 27 of the truck or support 15 for the stack-28 of accepted paper and lift said truck also from the The elevators 22, 24 and 23,. are substantially identical in construction, the former being shown in detail in Fig 3 and a description thereof being sufficient for both. The cylinder 24 is formed at its upper end with a flange 30 which, together with a spacing block 31', is secured by bolts 32 to a beam or stringer 33 supported 'by .the floor beams 11. Said upper end of the cylinder 24 is enlarged to accommodate a stuffing box surrounding the plunger 22 and comprising a suitable packing 34 and a gland 35 secured to the flange 30 by' cap screws 36. The plunger 22 is of an exterior diameter slightly less than the interior diameterof the cylinder 24 with which communicates a combined supply and exhaust pipe 37. In order to insure the necessary clearance between' the lower end of the plunger 22 and the bottom of the cylinder 24, when said plunger is in its lowest position, as well asto head '20 flush with the oor 10, the end of the cylinder is preferably provided with an adjustable abutment screw 38 upon which said plunger rests when in the position in question. installing the apparatus, to raise or lower the head 20 to make it'level with the floor, this can be done by adjusting the screw 38. In order to steady and guide the vertical movements of the elevator, the head 20 is provided with a depending guide rod 39 which is received and guided in suitable aligned openings in the flange 30, block 31 and beam '33. I

The combined supply and exhaust pipes 37 of the cylinders 24 and 25 are controlled by suitable valves 40 adapted to place said pipes in communication either with supply branches 41 leading from a supply header 42, or with exhaust branches 43 leading an exhaust header 44. The valves 40 are 10- rovide for -adjustably fixing said osition with the Should it become necessary, in

cated below the floor 10 but are provided with operating handles 45 extended through said, floor and operable above the latter.

- The exhaust header 44 leads to a supply tank 46 from which water, oil or other suitable liquid is drawn through a pipe 47 by a pump 48 and discharged through a pi e 49 into a pressure tank 50 with which t e supply header 42 communicates. The tank 50 may be located at an elevation in order to maintain a suitable hydrostatic head in the supply header 42, or, preferably and as herein shown, is located below the floor 10 and comprises a closed chamber enclosing a certain amount of air which is put under pressure by the liquid forced into said tank through the pipe 49 by the pump 48, thereby maintaining the desired pressure in the supply header 42.

n use, a stack-12 of unsorted aper is placed upon the support or plat 01m 13 whose uprights 14, as above stated, normally rest upon floor 10, as shown in Fig. 1. The stack 12 maybe-of any height within the limits for which the apparatus is designed. The valve 4O controlling the cylinder 25 is then operated by its handle 45 to admit pressure from the header 42' through the branch 41 to the pipe 37 to said cylinder, thereby causing the plunger 23 to rise, lifting the truck 15 from the floor until said.

truck is brought to an elevation sufliciently close to that'of the top of the stack 12. The operator then proceeds to sort the paper of the stack 12, placing the accepted sheets in a stack 28 on the truck 15 and the rejected sheets in a stack 29 on the truck 15. As the stack 12 diminishes and the stack 28 at the same time increases, the valve 40 controlling the cylinder 25 may from time to time be operated by. its handle 45 to lowerthe truck rOI' support 15., so as to maintain the elevation of the tops of the stacks 12 and 28 substantially equal. This operation is continued until the. plunger 23 has so far descended as to permit the wheels 17 of the which is immaterial, such mechanism isnot essential and is preferably omitted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a support for a stack of unsorted paper, supports for stacks of accepted and rejected paper disposed respectively adjacent said first named support, and mechanism for relatively mov-.

ing said unsorted paper and accepted paper supports in a vertical direction.

2. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a support forpaper, trucks movable over said floor into and out of positions adjacent said support, and mechanism for lifting said support from said floor and holding the same in an elevated position.

4. In. an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a floor, a support on said floor for a stack of unsorted pa er, trucks movable over said floor into an out of positions adjacent said support, and mechanism for lifting one of said trucks from said floor and holding the same in a position above said support.

5. lnan apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a floor, a support on said floor for a stack of unsorted paper, trucks movable over said floor into and out of positions adjacent said support, and mechanism for lifting either said support or one of said trucks from said floor and holding the same in a position above the other.

6. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a support for a stack of unsorted paper, supports for stacks of accepted and rejected paper disposed respectively adjacent said first named support, and hydraulic plungers for raising and lowering said unsorted paper and acce ted paper supports respectively.

2. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a floor, a support adjacent said floor for a stack of unsorted paper, trunks movable over said floor into and out of positions adjacent said support, and an elevator operating through said floor adjacent said support and adapted to engage and lift one of said trucks from said floor and hold the same in elevated position above said support.

8. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a floor, a support adjacent said floor for a stack of unsorted paper, trucks movable over said floor into and out of positions adjacent said support, an elevator for raising and lowering said support, and an elevator operating through said floor adjacent said support and adapted to engage andlift one of said trucks from said floor and hold the same in elevated position above said support.

9. In an apparatus for use in sorting paper sheets, in combination, a floor, a support on said floor for a stackof unsorted paper, supports on said floor-for stacks of accepted and rejected paper disposed respectively adjacent said first named support, hydraulic plungers for raising and lowering said unsorted paper and accepted paper and accepted paper supports respectively, valves located beneath said floor for controlling said plungers respectively, and means operable above said floor for operating said valves.

10. The herein described method of sorting paper sheets which consists in supplying the unsorted paper in a stack,transferring the accepted sheets successively from the top of said stack to the top of-an adjacent stack, and relatively lowering theaccepted paper stack and raising the unsorted paper stack as the operation progresses.

11. The herein described method of sorting paper sheets which consists in supplying the unsorted paper in a stack, transferring the accepted sheets successively from the top of said stack to the top of an adjacent stack, and progressively lowering the accepted paper stack and thereafter progressively raising the unsorted paper stack as the operation proceeds.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GUY HOSMER.

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