Patent ID: 6575460
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A device for feeding metallic sheets which overlap in slats to a front edge stopper of a processing machine, the metallic sheets having a frontmost sheet with a front edge comprising:a first conveyor for carrying the metallic sheets, the first conveyor having a first speed and a holding device for holding the a sheet passing over the first conveyer; and a second conveyor disposed adjacent the first conveyor and between the first conveyor and the front edge stopper, the second conveyor forming a continuously rotatable run configured for receiving the front end of the frontmost metallic sheet from the first conveyor at the first speed corresponding to that of the first conveyor and slowing the object down a second speed, slower than the first speed and for feeding the object to the front edge stopper, the second conveyor having a holding device which magnetically or pneumatically holds the front end of the frontmost sheet to the second conveyor as the front most sheet decelerates, to thereby allow a next sheet of the front most sheet to advance under the frontmost sheet while the front end is being held by the holding device; and wherein the holding device of the first conveyor and the holding device of the second conveyor are at a distance less than the slat length of sheets passing thereover so that each sheet is remains held securely by either the holding device of the first conveyor or the holding device of the second conveyor.