Patent GB-1101715-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in sheet feeding
Inventor: HYDE RONALD WILLIAM
IPC: B65H1/14
Filed: 1964-02-18
Abstract: 1,101,715. Feeding sheets. COTTERELL & EITHER Ltd. 18 Feb., 1965 [18 Feb., 1964], No. 6787/64. Heading B6B. Pile tables; sheet separating.-Apparatus for feeding wooden sheet material from a pile located on a scissorlift 11 comprises a rotary feed roller 1 for frictionally engaging the top sheet and sliding it off the pile and meansfor preventing sheets underlying the-top sheet from being slid off the pile, the scissor lift being operable to raise the pile in steps equivalent to the sheet thickness, upward movement of the scissor lift being stopped by a limit switch each time the top sheet exerts pressure on the roller. As shown, a pile table 8, Fig. 1, supported by a scissor linkage 11, is raised automatically by hydraulic means to bring the top sheet of a pile 7 in contact with the separator roller 1, the vertical movement of which causes operation of a switch to stop the upward movement of the table. The roller 1 is carried in bearings 3, 4 on a cantilever beam 6 attached to a sleeve 13 movable vertically on a pillar 14 and capable of rotation about the pillar to move the roller 1 to inoperative position. An adjustable collar 15 determines the height of the sleeve. The pillar 14 may be adjustable along the side of the pile. A pillar 14 and sleeve 13 may be provided at each side of the pile to support the roller 1. A separate electric motor 19 or an hydraulic motor driven by the power unit of the table 8 and mounted on the beam 6 drives the roller 1 through a belt 18 which may be vertical, as shown, or horizontal. The two ends of the roller 1 have limited independent vertical movement so that the roller can accommodate itself to the surface of the sheets, and may be loaded by the weight of the roller itself or by adjustable springs. The roller 1 may be rotated continuously or the rear edge of a sheet leaving the pile may operate a trip switch to stop the roller rotation which is restarted by the engagement of the next sheet with the switch. Separator-roller construction.-The roller 1 may be of rubber or be rubber-covered with a tread or ribs, or may be of plastics or ribbed steel. A roller with spaced friction rings or covered with abrasive may be employed. Preventing feed of more than one sheet.-An adjustable stop-plate 21 prevents sheets below the top sheet from being fed. A freely-running roller may be mounted above the plate 21 to provide a space sufficient for one sheet to pass through, and serves to flatten out any waves in the sheets. The plate 21 may be replaced by or associated with a roller rotating in the same direction as the roller 1 and serving to move back to the pile an underlying sheet which is moved forward with the top sheet. Transverse registering.-For this purpose, in one arrangement, the pillar 14, Fig. 3, is moved to position the roller 1 some distance from the front edge of the pile, and the roller is axially reciprocated. Alternatively, the roller is obliquely arranged or has a helical tread so as to move the top sheet against a side gauge 22. Two rollers with these arrangements may be employed in tandem. Replenishing pile.-If sheets which are short in the direction of feed are employed, a number of piles thereof may be placed on a conveyer (24, Fig. 5), mounted on the table 8 so that when one pile is exhausted a switch causes the table to drop and the conveyer to move so as to position the next pile for feeding.