US3477711A - Apparatus and method for handling long sheets - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11, 1969 M. c. LYMAN 3,477,711

Filed April 25, 1967 ,2 Sheets-Sheet l I NVENTOR. MERTON C. LYMAN ATTORN EYS M. c. LYMAN 3,477,711

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING LONG SHEETS Nov. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25. 1967 United States Patent 3,477,711 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING LONG SHEETS Merton C. Lyman, Willimantic, Conn., assignor to Cameron Machine Company, Dover, N.J., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 633,555 Int. Cl. B65h 29/32 US. Cl. 271--74 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The apparatus of this invention includes a vacuum box and a continuously traveling endless tape having a lower run coacting with the vacuum box to advance a sheet along a path with the assistance of suction, and a stop terminating the advance of the leading edge of the sheet coterminous with the application of suction to the sheet. A method of delivering sheets in accordance with this invention includes stopping each sheet successively in a suction application zone, disabling the suction application to each arrested sheet during continued feeding of the following sheets, and then releasing in turn each arrested sheet to permit it to fall away from the suction application Zone under its own weight.

This invention generally relates to sheet handling equipment and includes as a primary object the provision of an improved apparatus particularly suited for smooth automatic handling of sheet material of extra long length.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved sheet handling apparatus capable of automatically arresting the advance of a long flexible sheet for precision stacking in a neat accurate pile.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved long sheet handling apparatus providing reliable performance on a continuous production basis under rugged operating conditions while requiring only a minimum number of moving parts and being virtually free of service requirements.

Still,another object of this invention is to provide an improved long sheet handling apparatus which is readily in corporated in both new and existing equipment to provide added flexibility in having sheet material of varying size.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of delivering long flexible sheet material.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view, partly in section and partly broken away, of a sheet handling apparatus embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section view, partly broken away, generally taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section view, partly broken away, generally taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse section view, partly broken away, generally taken along line 44 of FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 1, a conveyor of a machine incorporating this invention is shown having a feed roll 12 driven by an electric motor 14 which is desirably connected to a suitable variable speed drive, not shown, to provide a variation in the speed of delivered sheets 16, such as paper sheets, to a carrier apparatus 18 of this invention.

While the carrier apparatus 18 is usable with printing presses, sheeters and similar sheet handling equipment, it is particularly suited to provide smooth automatic handling of long paper sheets of lengths in the order of about 80 inches for delivery, e.g., to a platform 20 where the sheets 16 are to be stacked on a skid 22 in a neat accurate pile. It will be understood that suitable provision can be made for vibrating and automatically adjusting the stack at a constant level, if desired, for ensuring a high degree of jogged alignment of the sheets 16 as they are being stacked for subsequent removal.

For facile handling of normally troublesome extra long sheet material, the carrier apparatus 18 incorporates a rugged, dependable carrier unit having a minimal number of moving parts while providing significantly imroved handling of such sheets with the assistance of a suction force.

Specifically, a plurality of elongated H shaped vacuum boxes such as at 24 are shown mounted side by side between opposite side panels 30, 32 of a stationary frame 34. Considering only one of the vacuum boxes 24 (each of the vacuum boxes being of substantially identical construction), a pair of legs 36, 38 formed of rectangular tubing are provided with an interconnecting bridge 40 establishing communication between the legs 36, 38 and an upright suction head 42 which is connected to a suitable vacuum source, not shown. The legs 36 and 38 each have a flat bottom face 43 and 44 wherein a series of slots such as at 46 are formed throughout the length of the vacuum box 24.

A plurality of narrow endless carrier tapes 48 are supported at the upstream end of the vacuum boxes on a common tape roll 50, shown journaled for rotation on a pair of elongated support members 52, 54 respectively fixed to side panels 30, 32 of the frame 34, and extend longitudinally about the vacuum boxes 24 to pass over a plurality of free wheeling roller assemblies such as at 56 individually mounted on the downstream end of the legs 36, 38 of each vacuum box 24.

While in FIG. 1 only one carrier tape 48 is shown associated with each vacuum box leg 36, 38, the latter may be provided with a plurality of such tapes as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the specific illustrated embodiment, the tape roll 50 is driven off the powered feed roll 12 of the conveyor 10 by an endless drive belt 58 supported by an adjustable tensioner device 60 adapted to be suitably mounted on the frame 34 in accordance with conventional techniques for ensuring that each carrier tape 48 will be driven in synchronism with the conveyor 10. Properly controlled tension on the carrier tapes 48 is maintained by suitable tape tightening devices 62 for adjusting the tension of the tapes 48 passing over the individual roller assemblies 56.

T 0 provide maximum flexibility in handling sheets of diiferent size while at the same time ensuring quick and easy set up and disassembly, the above described carrier unit is preferably formed as an integral arrangement of parts which can be readily installed on the frame 34. The vacuum boxes 24 are each secured to a pair of support mounts 64, 66 for suspension below a pair of transversely extending rods 68, 70 fixed at their opposite ends to the previously noted side support members 52, 54. The support mounts 64, 66 are carried on the rods 68, 70 and adapted to be secured in laterally adjusted position thereon for suitably positioning the vacuum boxes in relation to one another. If desired, the carrier tapes 48 can then be installed and the entire carrier unit can be readily positioned and secured on the frame 34 so that the lower run 72 of each carrier tape 48 is disposed adjacent to and just above the downstream end of the conveyor 10.

In the specific illustrated embodiment, the sheets 16 are shown being successively delivered from the conveyor to the carrier apparatus 18 in head over tail lapping condition, and each carrier tape 48 is shown as being of perforated construction formed by a spaced series of holes 74 throughout the length of the tape. As each sheet 16 enters the carrier apparatus 18, the sheets leading edge is lifted into engagement with the lower run 72 of the continuously traveling carrier tapes 48 by a suction force applied through the holes 74 of the tapes 48 and through the slots 46 of the vacuum boxes 24, thereby removing any air cushion above the sheet 16 and advancing it along a path defined by the tapes 48 in synchronism with the conveyor 10.

Proper transfer of each sheet 16 from the carrier tapes 48 to a cooperating sheet handling element such as the illustrated stacking skid 22 is effected by a series of stop plates or doctor blades 76 shown for illustrative purposes as corresponding in number to the vacuum boxes 24. Each doctor blade 76 extends across the lower run 72 of each of its associated carrier tapes 48 and is mounted on a bracket 78 suitably fitted on the vacuum box legs 36, 38 for adjustment longitudinally thereof in accordance with the length of the sheets 16 which are being handled. Screws 80 are provided on opposite sides of the bracket 78 for clamping it into locking engagement with outside walls of the vacuum box legs 36, 38.

As each sheet 16 is carried forwardly, its leading edge is automatically stopped against the abutment provided by the doctor blades 76, causing slippage between the arrested sheet 16 and the tapes 48 while the following overlapped sheet continues to advance until it in turn engages the doctor blades 76. This renders the suction holding force applied to the preceding arrested sheet inoperable and effects a suction release within a zone of suction application provided by the vacuum boxes 24, thereby permitting the sheets 16 to successively drop under the force of gravity into a neatly stacked pile.

By virtue of the above-described structure, a carrier apparatus is provided which is simple in operation, requires relatively few moving parts and is virtually service free to provide eflicient automatic handling of extra long sheets of different size. In addition, the long sheet handling apparatus of this invention is quick and easy to set up for use with both new and existing sheet handling equipment for providing a significantly improved method of handling long sheet material.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure abovedescribed will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sheet handling apparatus including a frame and suction means supported thereon, a sheet arresting device comprising a carrier supported on the frame for continuous movement along a path including a suction application zone, the carrier coacting with the suction means in the suction application zone for applying a suction force to a sheet to advance it along the path in timed relation to the carrier, and an abutment disposed in the path within said suction application Zone and engageable with a leading edge of the sheet for automatically stopping the sheet in the suction application zone while permitting continued uninterrupted movement of the carrier.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the abutment terminates the advance of a leading edge of the sheet coterminous with the application of the suction force to the sheet.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the carrier is positioned below the suction means such that a suction force is applied to lift the sheet into engagement with the carrier.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the carrier comprises a continuously traveling endless tape mounted on the frame and having a lower run extending below the suction means which acts to remove any air cushion between the sheet and the lower run of the endless tape to effect engagement therebetween for advancing the sheet is timed relation to movement of the endless tape.

5. The device of claim 1 further including adjustment means for selectively positioning the abutment relative to said suction application zone in fixed relation to the frame.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein feeding means is positioned downstream of the carrier and operable in synchronism therewith for delivering a plurality of sheets thereto in head over tail lapping condition, and wherein the carrier comprises an endless tape at least in part positioned below the suction means whereby a suction force is applied to remove any air cushion between the endless tape and a leading end portion of each sheet for advancing it with the endless tape such that upon operation of the stop the suction force is rendered ineffective by the following sheet overlapping the preceding arrested sheet, causing its release from the endless tape.

7. The device of claim 6 further including stacking means positioned below the endless tape for receiving the released sheets in a stacked pile.

8. A method of delivering and stacking a plurality of sheets comprising the steps of feeding each sheet along a generally horizontal path with the assistance of a suction force applied to an upper surface of the sheet in a suction application zone within the path, providing a stop at a predetermined location in the path within the suction application zone, stopping the movement of a leading edge of each sheet at said predetermined location in the path within the suction application zone by engaging the leading edge of each sheet with the stop, continuing to apply suction force to said leading edge of each arrested sheet and feeding following sheets to said predetermined location in the path, and then releasing each arrested sheet in turn to fall under its own weight into a stacking device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sheets are being fed'during the feeding step in head over tail lapping condition, and wherein a further step is included of successively disabling the suction force applied to each stopped sheet responsive to its being overlapped by a following sheet whereby the application of suction to each arrested sheet is rendered inoperable to permit its release.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,880 12/1956 Garrett 271--74 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner

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