Abstract:
A reloading device for stacks of sheets of paper or plastic has at least one receptacle for receiving a stack and at least one support onto which the stack is placed. At least one peeling device is arranged at a bottom end of the at least one receptacle, wherein the peeling device is configured to move transversely to the stack and, when moving transversely to the stack, to peel in a peeling step at least one sheet from a bottom end of the stack. The peeling device is preferably a peeling blade.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention.  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a reloading device for stacks of sheets of paper, plastic material, or the like, comprising at least one receptacle for the stack that rests on at least one support. The invention further relates to a method for operating such a reloading device wherein sheets are removed from the bottom end of the stack and sheets are placed on top of the stack.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art.  
           [0004]    It is known in connection with feeding devices for folding devices, collecting devices, and the like to arrange a paper stack in a receptacle and to remove single sheets successively from the bottom end of the stack. The paper stack can have only a minimal height because the pressure on the bottom sheet becomes higher with increasing height of the stack. It is then difficult to properly remove the bottom sheet from the stack.  
           [0005]    It is also known to fan or spread the sheets of a stack and to then place the sheets onto the transport device. However, this requires a long reload path.  
           [0006]    It is also known to position the individual sheets at a slant and to reload them individually by means of a transport belt successively to the chute of a feeder.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to configure the reloading device of the aforementioned kind and the method of the aforementioned kind such that the sheets of the stack can be removed reliably and without problems.  
           [0008]    In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in connection with the device of the aforementioned kind in that in the lower area of the receptacle at least one peeling device is arranged which is movable transversely to the stack and peels at least one sheet from the lower end (bottom end) of the stack. In accordance with the present invention this is achieved in connection with the method of the aforementioned kind in that from the bottom end of the stack sheets are peeled off.  
           [0009]    According to the present invention, the sheet at the lower end (bottom end) of the stack is removed by means of a peeling device which can be guided transversely to the vertical extension of the stack through the lower stack end. The peeling device can be adjusted such that only one sheet is removed from the lower end of the stack. However, it is advantageous to remove several sheets from the lower end of the stack. The peeled-off portion of the stack then drops, for example, into the chute of a feeder arranged underneath the peeling device, and the sheets are then individually and sequentially supplied by the feeder in a way known in the art to further processing devices.  
           [0010]    Advantageously, the load which is exerted by the stack is transmitted from the support onto stationary parts so that the peeling device is not loaded by the stack. Accordingly, the stack can be very tall without the peeling process being negatively affected. In particular, in the reloading device according to the invention new sheets can be placed onto the stack during the peeling process. Since in connection with the device according to the invention and in connection with the method according to the invention at least the lowermost sheet of the stack is removed by means of the peeling device moving transversely to the vertical direction of the stack, the sheets can be supplied reliably to the unit arranged downstream, which is preferably a feeder. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a first phase of the process of peeling sheets from the bottom end of a paper stack in a reloading device according to the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 shows the second phase of peeling sheets from the bottom end of a paper stack.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 shows the third phase of peeling sheets from the bottom end of the paper stack.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a plan view onto a peeling device, in the form of a peeling blade, of the reloading device of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    The reloading device, used, for example, in connection with feeders, has a paper receptacle  1  in which a paper stack  2  can be arranged. The receptacle  1  is open at the top and has advantageously four sidewalls rectangularly positioned relative to one another. FIG. 1 shows two sidewalls  3  and  4 . In place of the sidewalls as lateral limiting devices for the fixation of the paper stack  2 , the receptacle  1  can have lateral limiting devices in the form of bars, rods or the like which are positioned at a spacing to one another and secure the paper stack  2 .  
         [0016]    The paper stack  2  is positioned on a support  5  which comprises rollers  6  as well as belts  7  positioned at a spacing to one another. Across the width of the paper stack  2  advantageously several parallel belts  7  are arranged adjacent to one another so that the paper stack  2  is provided with a proper support in the receiving duct  8 . Instead of the belts  7  it is also possible to employ a strap or band which has a corresponding width. The belts  7 , with the rollers  6  positioned therebetween, are endless and configured to circulate. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the support  5  extends underneath the receptacle  1 . On both sides of the receptacle  1 , the belts  7  are guided across deflection rollers (not illustrated). The paper stack  2  is supported by means of the rollers  6  on components of the reloading device.  
         [0017]    The support  5  is provided in the support area of the paper stack  2  with an interruption or through opening  10  which is located in an initial position of the reloading device adjacent to a sidewall  4  of the receptacle  1 . The sidewalls  3 ,  4  extends into close proximity of the support  5 . Underneath the support  5 , a downstream processing unit such as a feeder is arranged. This processing unit, preferably a feeder, has a bottom  9  and sidewalls  11 ,  12  which are advantageously aligned with the sidewalls  3 ,  4  and extend into close proximity of the support  5 . In the initial position illustrated in FIG. 1, the interruption (through opening)  10  of the support  5  extends to the sidewall  4 . Since the interruption  10  matches the width of the paper stack  2 , the paper stack  2  is not supported in this area. This has the result that the lower sheets or bottom sheets  13  of the paper stack  2  are slightly curved downwardly and are thus fanned or spread apart. Advantageously, the interruption  10  has such a width that even the greatest size of paper stack  2  is not supported in this area.  
         [0018]    A peeling device in the form of a peeling blade  14  is arranged on the support  5 . In the initial position according to FIG. 1, the peeling blade  14  is arranged such that it does not project into the chute  8  of the receptacle  1 . This peeling blade  14  can be fixedly connected to the belts  7  of the support  5  and projects past the belts  7  in the direction toward the paper stack  2 . It is also possible to secure the peeling blade  14  separately. The peeling blade  14  can be optimally supported on the belts  7 .  
         [0019]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, the plate-shaped peeling blade  14  is provided with a slanted edge  15  having a roof-shaped contour. It has ascending edge portions  19 ,  20  beginning at the opposed narrow sides  16 ,  17  and ascending in the peeling direction  18  such that at half the length of the peeling blade  14  they intercept one another at an obtuse angle and form a tip. The peeling blade  14  is advantageously thin so that during the peeling process to be described in the following it can easily move between the sheets  13  of the paper stack  2 . Advantageously, the edge  15  is beveled or chamfered such that a type of cutting edge  21  is formed with which the peeling blade  14  reliably engages between the sheets  13 .  
         [0020]    In order for the peeling blade  14  to move easily and without problems between the sheets  13 , in the area of the sidewalls  4 ,  12  at least one air nozzle  22  is arranged whose outlet opening is oriented toward the sheets  13  such that the air exiting from the air nozzle  22  optimally spreads apart or fans out the sheets  13 . Advantageously, several air nozzles  22  are arranged adjacent to one another across the width of the paper stack  2 .  
         [0021]    In order to peel off the sheets  13  in the lower (bottom) area of the paper stack  2 , the peeling blade  14  is moved to the left from the initial position according to FIG. 1. The support  5  is moved by the same amount and rolls on the underside of the paper stack  2  during the peeling process like a crawler-type track and securely supports the paper stack  2  in this way. The support  5  is supported in the device laterally outside of the paper stack  2  so that the load which is exerted by the paper stack  2  is diverted to the reloading device.  
         [0022]    At the beginning of the peeling process, the compressed air is blown through the air nozzle  22  in the direction toward the slightly downwardly projecting edges of the lower sheets  13  in the paper stack  2  so that the edges of the sheets  13  are spread apart or fanned out. The peeling blade  14  can move with its cutting edge  21  reliably between two sheets  13 . In order for the sheets  13  to be reliably peeled off in the downward direction through the interruption  10  of the support  5 , the interruption  10  has a sufficient width in the peeling direction  18  so that the sheets  13  can be removed from the lower stack end by peeling without there being the risk of damaging the sheets  13 .  
         [0023]    The beveled edge of the peeling blade  14  which extends at a slant downwardly and to the rear in the peeling direction  18  ensures that the peeled-off sheets are deflected reliably downwardly through the interruption  10 . During the peeling process the paper stack  2  is supported substantially across its entire length on the support  5  while the peeling blade  14  is substantially relieved of any load. The peeled-off sheets  13  which drop downwardly through the interruption (cutout)  10  fall onto the bottom  9  of the downstream unit and are then transported away from the bottom  9 . The peeling blade  14  is moved to such an extent until its edge  15  reaches the area between the sidewalls  3 ,  11  (FIG. 3). In this phase, the lower sheets  13  are completely removed from the lower or bottom end of the paper stack  2  and have dropped through the interruption (cutout)  10  downwardly onto the bottom  9 . From this position shown in FIG. 3, the peeling blade  14  and the support  5  are moved back into the initial position illustrated in FIG. 1. During this return movement, no sheets are removed from the lower end of the paper stack  2 .  
         [0024]    However, it is also possible to peel off sheets  13  at the lower end of the paper stack  2  during the return movement into the initial position off FIG. 1. In this case, the support  5  is provided with an additional peeling blade which relative to the peeling blade  14  is rotated by 180 degrees and arranged at the other edge of the interruption  10 .  
         [0025]    The number of sheets that can be removed from the lower end of the paper stack  2  depends on the spacing between the support side of the support  5 , measured in the vertical direction, and the edge  15  of the peeling blade  14 . The greater this distance, the more sheets can be removed at the lower end of the paper stack  2 .  
         [0026]    During peeling, the paper stack  2  remains stationary while the peeling blade  14  is moved in the described way relative to the paper stack  2 . Since the paper stack  2  is supported on the rollers  6  and the belts  7  of the support  5 , the peeling blade  14  is loaded only minimally so that the sheets  13  in the lower area of the paper stack  2  can be removed easily and effortlessly.  
         [0027]    Since the forward edge  15  of the peeling blade  14 , viewed in the peeling direction  18 , has edge portions  19 ,  20  that are slanted relative to one another in a roof shape, the peeling blade  14  does not move immediately with its entire length between the sheets  13  but gradually as the peeling process continues. In this way, the sheets  13  can be peeled from the lower end of the paper stack in a gentle way.  
         [0028]    Since the sheets  13  are removed at the lower end of the paper stack  2 , the receiving chute  8  itself can be reloaded from the top during the peeling process. The paper stack  2  can be tall because it is supported on the rollers  6  and the belts  7  and does not load the peeling blade  14 . The reloading device requires only a minimal space for its installation because of its small footprint resulting from the fact that the individual sheets  13  of the stack  2  are positioned on top one another (are vertically stacked or aligned).  
         [0029]    In the described way, it is also possible to stack large size sheets and to remove large size sheets at the lower end of the stack by peeling. In the case of such large size sheets, a simple reloading is possible even during the peeling process. It is advantageous to automatically reload the sheets in small stack units of, for example, 50 to 100 sheets from above so that in the receptacle chute  8  always the same conditions and a uniform removal of the sheets  13  are ensured. Since the sheets in the receptacle chute  8  and within the stack  2  are not moved, no friction occurs and thus also no static charging. The paper stack  2  must also not be spread apart or fanned so that a simple operation is ensured.  
         [0030]    At least the topside of the peeling blade  14  is comprised advantageously of a friction-reducing material, for example, poly tetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE).  
         [0031]    The support  5  must not be a circulating one. Since the support, as illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  3 , is only moved back and forth, it is also possible to operate the two parts of the support  5  illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  3  separately or to connect them at their ends facing away from the interruption  10  by push/pull means.  
         [0032]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.