A device for discharging sheets from the bottom of a stack

Abstract: A device by means of which sheets can be discharged one by one from the bottom of a stack from a holder, provided with a carrier and lateral supports. The carrier (1) has a downwardly bent shape transversely of the direction of conveyance of the sheets so that on its carrying side the carrier has a deepened part. In the vicinity of the deepened part, beneath at least one edge zone of a side of a stack of sheets to be accommodated in the holder, the carrier is formed with at least one aperture (10) in which a partial vacuum can be produced so that the bottom sheet is sucked against the carrier. The deepened part of the carrier (1) extending transversely of the direction of conveyance is provided with at least one elevated part (30) on the carrying side. Means are also provided to blow air against the side - as considered with respect to the direction of conveyance of the sheets - of the stack in order to produce a layer of air at least between the bottom sheet and the stack there above, said means being so disposed that the air stream is blown out in the vicinity of the deepened part of the carrier (1). The friction between the sheet which is to be discharged and the stack there above is thus reduced. At the instant that the air layer has formed between the bottom sheet and the stack there above the sheet is discharged through the agency of a transport means (16).

Description: This invention relates to a device for discharging sheets one by one from the bottom of a stack of sheets, comprising a holder to receive the stack of sheets, the holder being provided with a carrier and lateral supports, the carrier having a downwardly bent shape transversely of the direction of conveyance of the sheets so that the carrier has a deepened part on its carrying side, and which carrier in the vicinity of the deepened part is provided with at least one aperture beneath at least one edge area of a side - considered with respect to the direction of conveyance of the sheets - of a stack of sheets to be accommodated in the holder, in which aperture a partial vacuum can be produced using vacuum means, and means for blowing air over the deepened part against the said at least one side of the stack in order to create an air layer at least between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove, and transport means for discharging the bottom sheet. A device of this kind is known from Dutch Patent Application 8900754, which is not a prior publication. Since air is blown towards the side of the stack in the vicinity of the deepened part of the carrier in this known device, while at the same time the bottom sheet is sucked against the carrier, an air layer forms between said sheet and the stack thereabove and said stack is lifted from the bottom sheet, thus reducing the friction between the bottom sheet and the rest of the stack. As a result the bottom sheet can be conveyed. Although in this device generally there is pretty good separation between the bottom sheet and the rest of the stack, it has been found in practice that disturbances in separation and transport may occur when stacks of sheets are used with very different stack weights and stack heights, when use is made of sheets with different rigidities, and when the sheets used are very curled or have deformations due, for example, to stapling or perforating. The object of the invention is to provide a device according to the preamble in which the above disadvantages are greatly reduced. According to the invention, this object is attained in that the deepened part of the carrier extending transversely of the direction of conveyance is provided with at least one elevated part on the carrying side. It has been found that as a result of this the separation of the bottom sheet from the stack thereabove and the reliability of conveyance are greatly improved, for example in the case of different stack weights, different stack heights and different sheet rigidities. A first embodiment of a device according to the invention is characterised in that the elevated part comprises a rib extending over the carrier transversely of the direction of conveyance. An embodiment of this kind is simple to produce and inexpensive. Another embodiment is characterised in that the means for blowing air against one side comprise blowing apertures on either side of the elevated part as considered in the direction of the conveyance. As a result, when the air is blown the forces exerted by the air on the bottom of the stack are more uniformly distributed, thus improving the separation still further. In order still further to improve the separation of the bottom sheet from the stack thereabove, the blowing apertures are disposed on either side of the elevated part so as to diverge with respect to one another. When air is blown in over the carrier, an air layer forms at the front and rear sides between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove, so that the contact between the front and rear edges of the bottom sheet and the stack is reduced, thus preventing sheets lying above the bottom sheet from being simultaneously entrained during the discharge of the bottom sheet. In yet another embodiment, the blowing apertures are provided with means whereby the air blown towards the stack can be expanded in the direction perpendicular to the carrier. In this way the speed of separation of the bottom sheet from the stack is improved. Devices are also known in which air is blown into the stack at the front of the stack as considered in the direction of conveyance of the sheets. As compared with these devices the device according to the invention has the advantage that it can be made suitable for processing different formats simply by moving one or both lateral supports within certain limits. When the device according to the invention is used on an electrophotographic copying machine, for discharging a set of documents sheet by sheet repeatedly to the exposure window of the machine, whereafter the sheets are reproduced and then deposited again into the holder, this device additionally has the advantage that the deposition of the sheets does not take place against the air flow so that the sheets come to rest on the stack once again rapidly and well positioned. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the device according to the invention, Fig. 1a is a diagrammatic side elevation of part of the carrier of the device shown in Fig. 1 at the elevated part, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a side wall formed with two blowing apertures usable in a device according to the invention, Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the lifting of the stack by means of a device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic cross-section in the plane of the blowing apertures showing the disposition of the blowing apertures in a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, Figs. 5a to 5d each diagrammatically illustrate in side elevation another embodiment of the carrier, Figs. 6a to 6c each diagrammatically illustrate in cross-section on the line I-I another embodiment of the carrier, Fig. 7 diagrammatically illustrates in cross-section one embodiment of a blowing aperture, Fig. 8 diagrammatically illustrates in top plan view another embodiment of the carrier, and Figs 9a and 9b are respectively a diagrammatic side elevation and cross-section of one embodiment of a rear wall of a device according to the invention. The device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a holder for a stack of sheets having a downwardly bent carrier 1 and lateral supports in the form of side walls 2,5 to each of which there is secured an air supply duct (not shown) which can be connected to one or more air supply sources and which terminates in a blowing aperture 4 in the vicinity of the deepened part of the holder, through which aperture the air is blown towards a side of the stack perpendicularly to the direction of conveyance of the sheets and parallel to the carrier. The deepened part of the carrier 1 is provided with an elevated part 30 in the form of a projection or rib extending between the side walls 2,5 transversely of the direction of conveyance. The holder is also provided with a rear wall 6 formed with apertures 6a. As shown in side elevation in Fig. 1a, the rib has a triangular cross-section in the direction of conveyance. The corners of the triangle are rounded off to some extent in order to facilitate the transport of the sheet over the rib. The height of the rib is 2 mm. Other heights are also possible in practice. In the vicinity of the blowing apertures 4 the carrier 1 is formed with apertures 10 in which a partial vacuum can be created, whereby the bottom sheet can be sucked towards the carrier 1 at the blowing apertures 4. These apertures 10 are in the form of slots extending near the areas where air is effectively blown into the stack and are situated in the vicinity of the side edges of the sheet, thus preventing the air blown into the stack from being blown between the bottom sheet and the carrier 1. To create the partial vacuum the apertures 10 are connected to vacuum means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. In the embodiment of a side wall 2 shown in Fig. 2, the side wall is formed with two blowing apertures 14 on either side of the elevated part. As shown in Fig. 3, the blowing of air into the stack causes a layer 7 of air to form between the bottom sheet 8 sucked against the carrier 1 with the elevated part 30, and the rest of the stack 9. In a further embodiment of the device according to the invention as shown in Fig. 4, the blowing apertures 14 are arranged to be divergent with respect to one another on either side of the elevated part. In the vicinity of the elevated part and near the side walls the carrier is formed with a plurality of apertures 12 having the same function as the apertures 10 in the embodiment according to Fig. 1. The air is blown out in the directions A. In alternative embodiments of the device according to the invention, the elevated part may be formed differently. Some forms are shown in Figures 5a to 5d. It should be clear to the skilled addressee that a number of forms are useful in the device according to the invention and that the invention is not limited to the forms illustrated in the drawings. The elevated part may also form an integral part of the carrier or be secured thereto. The carrier may be formed in various ways. Some of the many possible forms are indicated in the above-mentioned Dutch Patent Application 8900754. The deepened part of the carrier 1 at the carrying side may be provided with one or more elevated parts which extend individually or jointly over the deepened part transversely of the direction of conveyance. A number of possible embodiments are illustrated diagrammatically in cross-section on the line I-I in Figures 6a-6c. It should be clear to the skilled addressee that many forms are suitable. Fig. 7 shows a blowing aperture 4 in cross-section. An air supply duct 3 is connected to the side wall 2 formed with an aperture 4. The air is blown out of the aperture 4 across the carrier 1. The form of the aperture is such that the air blown out expands in the direction perpendicular to the carrier. To this end, the aperture has a part 25 of the interior of side wall 2 extending gradually away from the carrier so that the blowing aperture is gradually widened in that direction. The same result can be achieved by fitting one or more small baffles in the vicinity of the blowing aperture. The embodiment of a carrier 1 shown in Fig. 8 is sagged in a deflected shape at the place indicated by line I-I, the angle between the front part of the plate and the rear part being 168°. The carrier has an elevated part 30 between the lines I-I and II-II. In this embodiment, the elevated part 30 is formed over its length with apertures 13 in which a partial vacuum can be produced. In other embodiments, apertures 13 are formed in the carrier in the vicinity of the elevated part. The carrier 1 also has a recess 15 for a transport means 16 used for discharging the bottom sheet. As considered in the direction of conveyance, the rear of the carrier also has an upwardly sloping part 31 formed with apertures 32 in which a partial vacuum can be produced. Sheets which are deformed at the rear edge, e.g. due to stapling or perforating, are thus separated from one another more easily at the deformed place. The apertures 6a in the rear wall 6 are used to discharge air blown into the stack. It is also possible to use a closed rear wall. This is in fact advantageous when thick stacks of very curled sheets are used. When use is made of a rear wall with apertures 6a and thick stacks of very curled sheets the air blown from the side into the stack disappears quickly and practically no layer of air, if any, is formed between the sheets. The closed rear wall also shuts off the stack of very curled sheets so that an air layer is formed. If, however, this rear wall 6 is used with stacks of just a few sheets, these sheets tend to creep up against the rear wall, and this renders separation and conveyance unreliable. To reduce the above problems, in one embodiment the rear wall is provided with a cavity 21 as shown in Figs. 9a and 9b. The air blown into a stack of just a few sheets can readily escape via this cavity 21, thus obviating creeping of the sheets up against the rear wall. In the case of thicker stacks of curled sheets, the stack above the cavity 21 adjoins the rear wall so that a good layer of air can be built up between the sheets. At the bottom the cavity 21 substantially adjoins the carrier 1 and its height perpendicular to the carrier 1 is 3 cm at most. This is an optimum height for very curled sheets of paper of A4 size and a weight of 110g/m2. For other materials having other weights and formats it may be advantageous to adjust the height. In another embodiment of the device according to the invention, the air flowing out of the rear side of the stack via the apertures 6a is conducted to the side of the stack via guides, e.g. in order to improve the lateral positioning. The transport means 16 as shown in Fig. 1 comprise a movable endless rubberised belt 17 formed with apertures 20 in which a partial vacuum can be produced. The rubberised belt 17 runs about two rollers 18 and about a suction box (not shown) provided within the periphery of the belt 17. The suction box is connected to a vacuum device (not shown) by which a partial vacuum can be produced in the apertures 20. To enable the bottom sheet to be discharged, the belt 17 must exert a force on the bottom sheet such that the friction of said sheet with, on the one hand, the carrier 1 and, on the other hand, the sheet directly above said sheet, is overcome. The force that the belt 17 exerts on the bottom sheet depends, inter alia, on the coefficient of friction between the belt 17 and the sheet to be transported, the partial vacuum in the suction box and the effective suction area. The effective suction area is the operative area where the partial vacuum is situated and depends, inter alia, on the roughness of the belt 17 and of the sheet to be transported, on the size of the apertures 20, and the hole pattern in the belt 17 and on the size of the suction box beneath the belt 17. It may be advantageous to make the apertures 20 in the belt 17 wider on the side facing the sheets than on the opposite side, so that the effective suction area is increased while retaining the firmness of the belt. Instead of the transport means 16, other transport means known for this purpose can be used. Inter alia, use may be made of a friction roller or a suction roller as disclosed in US-A-4 579 330, but in view of its larger effective suction area the transport means 16 according to Fig. 1 is preferred. The lateral supports need not consist of side walls extending along the entire side of the stack, as shown in Figs 1 and 2, but may, inter alia, be constructed as lateral abutments against a part of the stack or as locating pins, one or more air supply ducts being disposed near the part where the carrier is the deepest, such ducts leading into blowing apertures directed toward the stack. It is not necessary for the lateral supports to directly adjoin the stack. The means for blowing air against the side of the stack may also be positioned just at one side. In order to avoid electrostatic charges as much as possible, the carrier may be made from an antistatic plastic or be provided with a conductive layer. The device can be used in an electrophotographic copying machine for repeatedly discharging a set of documents sheet by sheet to the exposure window of the machine, whereafter the sheets are copied and then re-deposited into the holder. In order to promote good positioning of sheets to be deposited on the stack and good separation, it is desirable for the holder to be so positioned, as considered in the direction of conveyance, that the front edge of the carrier 1 is higher than the rear edge. By making one or two lateral supports movable, it is possible within certain limits to use the device for discharging sheets of different sizes. The rear wall can also be made movable for this purpose. The above-described device operates as follows: By creating a partial vacuum in the various apertures in the carrier 1 and the transport belt 17 and by blowing air against the side of the stack in the vicinity of the deepened part of the carrier, the bottom sheet is sucked against the carrier and, since the front and rear sides of the stack operate as seals because of the dead-weight of the stack, a layer of air or air chamber forms between said sheet and the stack thereabove. The pressure exerted by the air in this layer of air causes the stack situated above the bottom sheet to be lifted therefrom so that the friction between the bottom sheet and the rest of the stack is reduced. The or each elevated part extending over the carrier imparts a deformation to the bottom sheet in these conditions, and because of its greater rigidity the stack situated thereabove is less likely to follow such deformation. By blowing air against the side at the deformation the stack is reliably separated from the sheet therebeneath. The side and shape of the space forming between the bottom sheet and the rest of the stack during the blowing operation is influenced, inter alia, by the shape of the carrier, the place where the air is blown in, the number of blowing apertures 4, 14 in the side walls 2,5, the shape of said blowing apertures 4, 14, the direction in which the air is blown, the amount of air blown into the stack, the air velocity, and the presence of leakage apertures through which air can escape from the stack. Depending on the construction of the device, the skilled addressee can by simple experimentation arrive at the combination required between the air velocity, amount of air blown in, and blowing direction, to achieve good separation. At the instant that the air layer has formed between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove, the bottom sheet is discharged through the agency of the transport means 16. In these conditions it is particularly advantageous to pull the bottom sheet away from beneath the stack at high acceleration. The sheet situated directly above this bottom sheet then remains behind due to mass inertia. Good results can be obtained with an acceleration of about 30 m/s². If the deepened part of the carrier 1 situated in the vicinity of the elevated part 30, and/or the elevated part 30 is provided with apertures 13 transversely of the direction of conveyance, in which apertures a partial vacuum can be produced as shown in Fig. 8, then when the bottom sheet has been pulled away from these apertures 13 the air present between the sheet and the stack thereabove can be discharged so that the sheet situated directly above the said sheet is rapidly conveyed to the carrier 1, whereafter said sheet is sucked against the carrier at the location of the apertures 13 in which there is a partial vacuum. The presence of such apertures 13 on a carrier having one or more elevated parts, as shown in Figs 6a - 6c, is advantageous. The sheet sucked towards the carrier then receives an extra deformation, transversely of the direction of conveyance, and this improves the separation between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove. After the bottom sheet has been discharged from the holder, the drive to the transport means 16 is stopped. Some time is required before a new air layer forms between the next sheet sucked against the carrier and the stack and the next sheet can be transported. This time depends, inter alia, on the amount of air blown in, the air velocity and the rigidity of the sheets. It should be noted that the partial vacuum in the various apertures of the carrier, the partial vacuum in the suction box present within the periphery of the transport belt 17, and the air supply to the stack can be maintained during the discharge of the sheets one by one.

Claims: A device for discharging sheets one by one from the bottom of a stack of sheets, comprising a holder to receive the stack of sheets, the holder being provided with a carrier and lateral supports, the carrier having a downwardly bent shape transversely of the direction of conveyance of the sheets so that the carrier has a deepened part on its carrying side, and which carrier in the vicinity of the deepened part is provided with at least one aperture (10) beneath at least one edge area of a side - considered with respect to the direction of conveyance of the sheets - of a stack of sheets to be accommodated in the holder, in which aperture (10) a partial vacuum can be produced using vacuum means, and means for blowing air over the deepened part against the said at least one side of the stack in order to create an air layer at least between the bottom sheet and the stack thereabove, and transport means for discharging the bottom sheet, characterised in that the deepened part of the carrier (1) extending transversely of the direction of conveyance is provided with at least one elevated part (30) on the carrying side. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the elevated part comprises a rib (30) extending over the carrier (1) transversely of the direction of conveyance. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means for blowing air against the said at least one side comprise blowing apertures (4) through which air can be blown on either side of the elevated part (30). A device according to claim 3, characterised in that the blowing apertures (14) are disposed on either side of the elevated part so as to diverge with respect to one another. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims 3-4, characterised in that the blowing apertures (4, 14) are provided with means for allowing the air blown towards the stack to be expanded in the direction perpendicular to the carrier (1). A device according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterised in that either the deepened part of the carrier (1) situated in the vicinity of the elevated part (30), or the elevated part (30), or both, is formed, in the direction transversely of the direction of conveyance, with apertures (13) in which a partial vacuum can be created. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rear of the carrier (1) is provided with an upwardly sloping part (31) formed with apertures (32) in which a partial vacuum can be produced. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the holder comprises a rear wall, which rear wall is provided with a cavity (21) which, at its bottom, substantially adjoins the carrier (1) and has a height of 3 cm at most perpendicular to the carrier (1).

Inventors: SPOORENBERG CHRISTOPHORUS LAMB, SPOORENBERG, CHRISTOPHORUS LAMBERTUS
Applicants: OCE NEDERLAND BV, OCE-NEDERLAND B.V.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65H3
IPC codes: B65H1, B65H3