Patent ID: 6378751
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
An accumulator system for foldable sheet-like material, comprising:an accumulator bin having a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls, a bottom wall, and an open top; an infeed mechanism capable of conveying the material to the accumulator bin; a reciprocating chute capable of receiving the material from the infeed mechanism and guiding the material inside the chute, the chute capable of reciprocating such that the material is guided toward the bottom wall of the bin so that the material is folded endwise in alternating fashion; and, an outfeed mechanism capable of conveying the material to a downstream device; and, wherein the system alternates between a first steady-state condition where the reciprocating chute is stationary and the infeed mechanism and outfeed mechanism convey the material through the system to the downstream device and a second condition where the outfeed mechanism stops, the chute reciprocates, and the infeed mechanism continues to convey material so that the material is folded in the accumulator bin by the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating chute until the outfeed mechanism restarts.