SHEET REMOVAL DEVICE

Abstract: Ruler (3; 41; 56) for the removal of the lowermost sheet from a stack of sheets (5), having a top surface with first grooves (30; 44; 61) through which air can be blown to produce a static partical vacuum and second grooves (36, 37; 45; 64) each connected to a first groove outside the air stream. As a result of the air stream in the first grooves (30; 44; 61) the lowermost sheet is drawn against the top surface of the ruler (3; 41; 56) and air is sucked out of the second grooves (36, 37; 45; 64), the sheet more forcibly being sucked against the ruler. By moving the ruler (3; 41; 56) away from the stack the lowermost sheet is removed from the stack using only a small amount of blow air.

Description: This invention relates to a device for the removal of a sheet from a stack of sheets, comprising a removal element of which a surface facing the stack of sheets is provided with at least a first recess, means by which via a blow opening air can be blown through said recess as a result of which a static partial vacuum is produced and the sheet to be removed is drawn against said surface of the remo­ val element, and drive means for the displacement of the removal ele­ ment in order to remove the sheet firmly held thereon from the stack. A device of this kind is known from European Patent Application A 0032765. The device described therein contains a removal element, having several recesses, which can be used to feed sheets one by one from a stack to a printing or copying device. A disadvantage of that device is that in the said recesses a relatively large partial vacuum is necessary in order always to be able to separate sheets of dif­ ferent types reliably from the stack. In order to achieve said partial vacuum large quantities of air have to be blown at high speeds through the recesses. The air pump or compressor necessary for this purpose will have to have a large capacity and therefore be relatively expen­ sive. In addition the air blown out will cause considerable noise, which may be found to be troublesome. The object of the invention is to improve the known device in a manner such that a very reliable operation is achieved with a con­ siderable smaller displacement of air. This object is achieved by extending a device as meant in the preamble in a manner such that in the said surface at least a second recess is provided which near the blow opening, outside the air stream, is connected to the first recess. In a device so constructed, if a sheet is drawn by the partial vacuum in the first recess towards the surface while covering the second recess completely or partially, air will be sucked out of the second recess via the connection as a result of the jet pump action of the air emerging from the blow opening. In the second recess virtually the same partial vacuum is produced as in the first recess. Hence the sheet to be separated is not only drawn firmly against the surface parts in which the first recess is formed, but also against the sur­ face parts in which the second recess is formed. In comparison with the known device a much larger surface is thus obtained against which the sheet to be separated is drawn. It will be clear that in order to achieve the same separation force, the partial vacuum and consequently the amount of air blown out or the speed thereof, may be considerably smaller (for example, a half or a third) than in the known device. This effect only occurs if the second recess is connected to the first recess in a manner such that the air is not blown into the second recess. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the discription, following below, of a number of embodiments of a device according to the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a device according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a view of the removal element along line II-II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a section of the removal element along line III-III in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 shows a section as in Fig. 3 of another embodiment of the remo­ val element according to the invention, Fig. 5 shows a section along line IV-IV of the removal element shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 shows graphically the static partial vacuum as a function of the pressure of the blow air supplied, measured on the removal element shown in the Figs. 4 and 5, and Fig. 7 shows a view as in Fig. 2 of another embodiment of a removal element according to the invention. The device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a flat baseplate 1 which is arranged at an angle α of 60° to the horizontal. At the lowermost edge of the baseplate a wall plate 2 is attached which extends in a direction perpendicular to the baseplate 1. Above the uppermost edge of the baseplate 1 a ruler-shaped removal element 3 is arranged in line with the baseplate. A stack of sheets 5 can be placed in the tray 4 formed in this manner, the lowermost sheet of the stack 5 partly resting on the baseplate 1 and partly on the upper surface of the ruler 3. The ruler 3 extends transversely below the entire stack 5 and has, near the ends, specially shaped parts 6 and 7 which will be described later by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. On the underside of the ruler 3 a triangular plate 8 is arranged which extends in a plane perpendicular to the ruler 3. The plate 8 is pivotably linked in an angular section to the ruler 3 by means of a pin 9 which extends parallel to the bottom surface of the tray 4. In the other angular sections of the plate 8 an arm 10 and an arm 11 respectively are pivotably linked by one end to the plate 8 by means of pin 12 or pin 13 repectively. The other ends of the arms 10 and 11 are able to pivot respectively about pin 14 and pin 15 which are per­ manently linked to a frame (not shown) of the device. Arm 10 can be turned to and fro about pin 14 by means of drive means (not shown) between a starting position shown by full lines and a position shown by broken lines. The movement machanism formed by arms 10 and 11 and plate 8 converts a turning of arm 10 into a movement of the ruler 3 in its own plane between the starting position of the ruler shown by full lines and the uppermost position shown by broken lines. Above the tray 4 two pairs of conveyor rollers 20 are arranged next to each other (in Fig. 1 behind each other) which each form a nip which is situated in line with the bottom surface of the tray 4 and is so close to the ruler 3 that the latter, in the uppermost position, can extend past the nip. For this purpose the ruler 3 is provided with recesses 21 (see Fig. 2) into which the lowermost rollers 20 fit. The pairs of conveyor rollers 20 feed a sheet entrained by ruler 3 via conveyor path 22 to a sheet processing device 23 not shown further, for example the exposure platen of a copying device. A processed sheet can be fed back from there via conveyor path 24 by the pairs of con­ veyor rollers 25 to the tray 4, where it is pressed by the end of a resilient strip 26 slightly against the baseplate 1 or against the sheets of the stack 5 lying thereon. The ruler 3 shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 has a length which approximately corresponds to the dimension of a sheet perpendicular to the sheet removal direction. The ruler 3 is provided in each of the parts 6 and 7 with six first recesses situated with a short distance next to each other in the form of grooves 30 which are formed in the flat topside of the ruler and which extend parallel to the short side of the ruler from the middle of the ruler to an edge 3a. Each groove 30 has a length of 20 mm, a width of 5 mm and a depth of 2 mm. The end of each groove 30, in the middle of the ruler, is provided with a round opening 32 of 0.4 mm diameter, which opening 32 borders upon the bottom of the respective groove 30 and communicates with a chamber 33 formed in the ruler and common for the six grooves. Chamber 33 is con­ nected via a flexible hose 34 to an air pump (not shown) which via the opening 32 blows air through each groove 30. This air pump is discharged at the edge 3a of the ruler. In the upper surface of the ruler 3, in line with each groove 30, on the side where the opening 32 is located, a recess is disposed in the form of a groove 36 which is equally as wide as groove 30, but only 1 mm deep. In each case two grooves 36 situated next to each other debouch into an approximately square recess 37 having a size of approximatley 400 mm² which, like grooves 36, is 1 mm deep. Two grooves 36 situated next to each other form together with the associated recess 37 a second recess. In each of the recesses 37 there are disposed next to each other two strips 38 of frictional material, such as for example silicone rubber, each having a size op approximately 160 mm². The surface of these strips is situated 0.1 mm below the upper surface of the ruler. On the upper surface of the ruler 3 strips of frictional material 39 are disposed between the grooves 30. The outer surface of the strips 39 is situated 0.1 mm above the upper surface of the ruler 3. The operation of the ruler 3 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 used in the device shown in Fig. 1 is as follows. To separate the lowermost sheet of a stack of sheets 5 placed in tray 4, air with an effective pressure of 0.5 Bar is supplied to chamber 33 of ruler 3. The air supplied flows out via openings 32 at high speed through the lengthy recesses 30 to the environment. For continuous operation of the ruler the consumption is approximately 27 litres of air at 1 Bar and 20°C. As a result of this airflow a partial vacuum is produced in the recesses 30 as a result of which the lower­ most sheet, situated on ruler 3, of the stack 5 is drawn forcibly against the top surface of the ruler, firstly in particular against the strips 39 because of the speed effect of the air jets. As a result of the airflow in the lengthy recesses 30 air is also sucked out of the recesses 36 and 37 as a result of which the same partial vacuum is produced therein as in the recesses 30 and the sheet is also sucked forcibly against the strips 38 (jet jump effect of the air jets). After the lowermost sheet of the stack has been sucked against the ruler 3, the arm 10 is turned once to and fro. The ruler moves as a result virtually along a straight line from the starting position shown in full lines Fig. 1 to the working position shown in broken lines, and back. During this movement of the ruler the lowermost sheet of the stack 5 held firmly on the ruler is drawn away and the front edge of said sheet arrives in the nip between the rollers 20. When the sheet has been gripped by the rollers 20, the supply of air to the ruler is interrupted and the sheet is drawn away by the rollers 20 completely from beneath the stack 5. During this drawing away the ruler 3 moves back to the starting position. As result of the fric­ tion strips 38 disposed in a recessed position, a slight resistance is experienced. From tests made on this device it has appeared that for the separation of a sheet from a stack which comprises approximately 70 sheets of A4 size, each having a weight of 80 g/m², an effective pressure of the air supplied of 0.2 Bar mey be sufficient. If said sheets have a weight of 170 g/m², then air with an effective pressure of 0.5 Bar is necessary. Under these circumstances it was possible to separate A4 sheets at a speed of 0.5 m/s. In Figs. 4 and 5 a trial unit of a removal element according to the invention is shown. The element consists of a block 41 in which a chamber 42 is formed which can be connected to an airpump (not shown). Via a round discharge opening 43 this chamber is connected to a lengthy recess 44 in the upper surface of the block 41, which recess extends to the edge of the block. A second recess 45 in the upper sur­ face of the block 41 is situated in line with the recess 44 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. For test blocks of the type described above but having differing dimensions, the partial vacuum reached in the recesses 44 and 45 has been measured as a function of said dimensions by means of an air pressure recorder. It appears that for a width of the recesses 44 and 45 of 5 mm and a discharge opening 43 of 0.4 mm, a length of the recess 44 and 20 mm is amply sufficient. It also appears that the partial vacuum in the recess 45 reaches a value which is vir­ tually equal to the partial vacuum which is reached in the recess 44. The partial vacuum which is reached at various points in the recesses in the case of a test block in which the depth of the recess 44 is 4 mm and that of the recess 45 is 1 mm shown in Fig. 6. In the latter this path is shown by line 46 for an effective pressure of 6 Bar in the chamber 42, and this path is shown by line 47 for an effective pressure of 1 Bar. The path of the partial vacuum in the recesses at an effective pressure of 0.5 Bar in the chamber 42 is shown by line 48; line 48 is obtained by extrapolation of lines 46 and 47. Fig. 7 shows a tray 51 for receiving a stack of sheets, which comprises two parallel sideplates 52 and 53 which are respectively connected to a baseplate 54 and a baseplate 55. The baseplate 54 and 55 form, together with removal element 56, the base of the tray 51. The sideplates 52 and 53 are displaceable with respect to each other in order to enclose the stack between them with a play of 1 to 1.5 mm. The removal element 56 has an upper surface 60 which is smooth in order to facilitate the insertion of sheets. In the upper surface 60 eleven lengthy recesses 61 are disposed situated at regular distances from each other through wich, from openings 62, air is blown which, from a central supply channel 63 via a channel system not shown, is fed to the removal element. In dead-end recesses 64, which are con­ nected to the lengthy recesses 61, as islands strips of silicone rubber 65 are disposed which are situated 0.15 mm below the upper surface 60 of the removal element 56. In the sideplates 52 and 53, close to the junction with the baseplate, at regular distances twenty perforations 57 are formed, each having a diameter of 0.4 mm. If air with an effective pressure of 1 Bar is blown through these openings 57 into the tray 51, then for supply to the removal element 56 an effec­ tive pressure of 0.1 Bar is sufficient to separate a stack of 50 A4 sheets of 65 - 120 g/m² without malfunction. Tray 51 is in particular suitable for the separation of sheets of 170 g/m² if at least via the rearmost fifteen openings 57 air is blown between the sheets at an angle of 45° to the removal direction. For this purpose the respective openings are formed by holes drilled obliquely in the sideplates 52 and 53. The shape of the removal element 56 broadly divergent in the removal direction is beneficial because it provides space for a rela­ tively large number of lengthy recesses 61 through which air can be blown (requires a wide removal element), for a large surface with dead-end recesses out of which air can be sucked away (requires a remo­ val element having a large surface) and for a baseplate along which sufficient air from the sideplates can be blown into the tray (requires a narrow removal element). In the embodiment discussed the air fed through the first recesses does not need to be removed since the recesses extend to the edge of the removal element. Of course, it is not necessary for these recesses to extend to the edge. In alternative embodiments it is also possible to provide recesses which do not continue to an edge. In that case removal paths, for example channels through the material of the removal element, have to be provided to remove the air.

Claims: 1. Device for the removal of a sheet from a stack of sheets (5), comprising a removal element (3; 41; 56) of which a surface facing the stack of sheets is provided with at least a first recess (30; 44; 61), means by which via a blow opening air can be blown through said recess (30; 44; 61) as a result of which a static partial vacuum is produced and the sheet to be removed is drawn against said surface of the remo­ val element (3; 41; 56), and drive means (9-15) for the displacement of the removal element in order to remove the sheet firmly held thereon from the stack, characterized in that in the said surface at least a second recess (36, 37; 45; 64) is provided which near the blow opening, but outside the air stream, is connected to the first recess (30; 44; 61). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second recess (36, 37; 45; 64) comprises at least one surface part (38; 65) which is rough and comprises at least one surface part (36, 37; 64) which is recessed with respect to the rough part (38; 65). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the recessed surface part (37; 64) surrounds the rough surface part (38; 65). 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, charac­ terized in that the removal element (56) viewed in the removal direc­ tion, diverges in a V shape and that sidewalls (52, 53) are present whch are provided with openings (57) through which air can be blown against the side edges of the stack (5) in a direction opposite to the sheet removal direction.

Inventors: COUWENBERG, FRANCISCUS ADRIANUS CORNELIS MARIA
Applicants: OCE-NEDERLAND B.V.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: B65H83, B65H3, G03G15