Patent ID: 7470102
Filing Date: 2008-12-30
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for creating stacks of sheets discharged in a downstream direction from a starwheel assembly having a periphery thereof defining a cylindrical volume of the starweel assembly, wherein the starwheel assembly also defines sheet carrying slots therein with inner ends of the slots defining a portion of the starwheel inside of the slots smaller than the starwheel periphery, the apparatus comprising: a barrier extending at least partially within the cylindrical volume of the starwheel assembly to discharge sheets from the starwheel assembly; and a first separator finger operatively connected to the barrier and the starwheel assembly for insertion between successive first and second sheets carried by successive slots in the starwheel apparatus for separating the sheets carried in the slots into a completed stack disposed downstream from the first separator finger and a next stack disposed upstream from the first separator finger, in such a manner that the completed stack includes the first sheet as a final sheet of the first stack and also such that the next stack includes the second sheet as an initial sheet of the next stack; the first separator finger including a first portion and a second portion thereof which are pivotably coupled to one another in such a manner that, the first portion and the second portion are selectively movable with respect to one another between a closed position where the first and second portions are substantially aligned and an open position where distal ends of the first and second portions are separated by a greater relative distance than when in the closed position, with at least one of the first and second portions pivoting relative to the other portion to move the portions of the first separator finger between the closed and open positions thereof; the first separator finger being disposed substantially perpendicular to the barrier and operatively connected to the barrier and the starwheel assembly for movement along a path extending partially along the barrier between retracted and hand-off positions of the first separator finger; the first separator finger in the retracted position being at least partially disposed within the starwheel assembly with an upstream section of the first separator finger extending into the portion of the starwheel assembly inside of the inner ends of the sheet carrying slots upstream of the barrier and a downstream section of the first separator finger extending across the slots downstream from the barrier; the first separator finger in the hand-off position being disposed outside of and downstream from the starwheel assembly and extending across the barrier; the first and second portions of the first separator finger being disposed in the closed position when the first separator finger is in the retracted position within the starwheel assembly; the first separator finger being movable in a direction substantially along the barrier from the retracted toward the hand-off positions to intercept the first and second sheets within the starwheel assembly to retain the second sheet upstream of the first separator finger as the initial sheet of the next stack and to separate the first sheet from the second sheet such that the first sheet forms the final sheet in the completed stack downstream of the first separator finger; the first and second portions of the first separator finger being movable to the open position thereof to create a gap between the completed and next stacks.