Patent ID: 7445417
Filing Date: 2008-11-04
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A device for stacking flat products, such as folding boxes, the device comprising: a frame defining a stack shaft for receiving the flat products, said stack shaft having an upper region, a lower region, and means defining an inlet opening disposed between said upper region and said lower region; side flanks for lateral containment of the flat products; transport means disposed on each of said side flanks; means for conveying the flat products to pass through said inlet opening and into said stack shaft, said conveying means having a downward stacking configuration with which the flat products move downwardly into said lower region of said stack shaft past a forward end of said conveying means to form a downward stack of flat products, said downward stack thereby having a height which increases in a downward direction during top down stacking of the flat products, said conveying means having a upward stacking configuration in which the flat products seat on said conveying means during successive introduction of flat products beneath a vertically increasing upward stack of flat products extending into said upper region of said stack shaft, said upward stack thereby having a height which increases in an upward direction during bottom up stacking of the flat products; a tray projecting into said stack shaft to carry and guide the flat products, said transport means successively lowering said tray during said top down stacking procedure and said transport means raising said tray to lift a stack of flat products following completion of said bottom up stacking procedure; a pivot mechanism connected between said tray and said transport means, said pivot mechanism having a substantially horizontal pivot axis about which said tray pivots relative to said transport means; a pivot lever having a first end cooperating with said tray, said pivot lever extending in a substantially vertical direction in a non-pivoted, substantially horizontal position of said tray, said pivot lever having a second end disposed at a vertical separation from said tray and from said pivot mechanism; and a cam, said cam cooperating with said frame and having a cam surface which engages with said second end of said pivot lever to tilt said pivot lever away from a vertical orientation when said transport means move said tray and said pivot lever cast said cam, thereby causing said tray to tilt about said pivot axis.