Patent GB-901816-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to machines for the gathering of paper sheets
IPC: B65H39/055
Filed: 1960-03-16
Abstract: 901,816. Sheet gatherers. MULLER, H. March 16, 1960 [Dec. 5, 1959], No. 9265/60. Class 100 (1). A rotatable segment carrying a gripper and mounted beneath a pile of sheets for separating a sheet therefrom at each revolution has a non-uniform rotational movement, imparted to it by means of a planet gearing in such a manner that the gripper is at a standstill as it grips a sheet and is then rotated with an accelerated motion until the sheet is released after half a revolution thereof. Carriers for piles Sa, Sb, Sc of sheets are disposed above a conveyer 1 on which are mounted pins 10. A sheet separator disposed between each pile and the conveyer deposits a sheet from each pile on top of the sheet deposited on the conveyer by the previous separator so that a pile P consisting of one sheet from each of the piles Sa, Sb, Sc is formed on the conveyer. A shaft 16 is mounted above and parallel to the conveyer and is driven in timed relation therewith. A suction pipe 23 is mounted below the piles Sa, Sb, Sc and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, suction heads 50 being mounted on the pipe 23. Adjacent to each pile of sheets the shaft 16 is journalled in a hub 32 secured to the machine frame and which is formed with gear teeth 33. A drum 37 is keyed to the shaft 16 and has a shaft 35 journalled therein at one end of which is mounted a planet gear 34 meshing with the teeth 33. A crank disc 38 is mounted at the the other end of the shaft 35 and carries a crank-pin 35 which engages a radial groove 40 in a disc 41 rotatably mounted on the shaft 16. The disc 41 carries on its periphery a part cylindrical member 410 having the same external radius as the drum 37 and has a gripper 43 pivoted thereto which co-operates with the leading edge of the member 410. The gripper 43 carries a follower roller 430 which is spring-biased into contact with a cam 44 fixed to the shaft 16. A flanged disc 45 is fixed to the shaft 16 adjacent to the cam 44 and has an external radius equal to that of the drum 37. A further cam 46 is mounted on the shaft 16 and engages a follower roller 47 carried by an arm 48 secured to the suction pipe 23. As the shaft 16 rotates the cam 46 causes the pipe 23 to oscillate whereby the suction heads 50 bend down the front edge of the bottom sheet B in the pile towards the assembly 37, 41, 45. The drive of the disc 41 is transmitted from the shaft 16 via the gears 33, 34, the shaft 35 and the crank-pin 39 so that the disc has a non-uniform peripheral velocity. The disc is stationary when in the Fig. 4 position at which the gripper 43 has just closed, under the control of the cam 44, on the bent-down edge of the sheet B. The disc is then rapidly accelerated until after rotating through 180 degrees it has attained twice the peripheral speed of the members 37, 45. At this point, the gripper 43 is opened and the sheet B drops on to a rake 6; the disc 41 is then retarded until it is again stationary in the Fig. 4 position. The rakes 6 are mounted so as to be vertically adjustable on an abutment wall 7 against which the edge of the sheet B which was gripped by the gripper abuts after its release. Strippers 71 help to separate the sheet from the part-cylindrical member 410. The fingers 10 on the conveyer 1 move the sheets off the rakes 6 and slide them along a transversely inclined ramp 70 to a delivery position. The vertical adjustments of the individual rakes 6 above the ramp 70 are selected in accordance with the height of the piles to be formed there.