Patent GB-711888-A (GB)
Title: Delivering and stacking sheets
IPC: B65H29/04
Filed: 1952-10-03
Abstract: 711,888. Sheet-delivery apparatus. JOHNSON & JOHNSON. Oct 3, 1952 [Oct. 26, 1951], No. 24884/52. Class 100 (1). [Also in Group XVII] General arrangement (Fig. 3).-A sheet delivery and stacking machine comprises an upper endless conveyer 15 running around sprockets 16 and 17, whereby sheets A, delivered from a station B are taken by cam operated grippers 25 on the conveyer chains for delivery to one of two stacking hoppers 27 and 28 each having an open top and a drop floor 30 and below which is an endless conveyer 31 for supporting cartons C and C1. In operation the sheets A are advanced around the conveyer 15 until a sheet reaches the field of action of a deflecting device 33, the sheet being then automatically released. This operation is repeated until a predetermined number of sheets have been stacked in the hopper 27. A counter mechanism acts as a control to render the device 33 inoperative at this time so that the sheets A then progress along the conveyer and are discharged into the hopper 28 by a deflecting device 34. In the meantime the drop floor 30 of the hopper 27 is opened to release the sheets into the carton C. The alternate filling of the hoppers continues until the carton C, which when the machine is started is half-full, is full. The carton C1 is then half-full and the conveyer 31 is moved a step forward so that the carton C may be removed. The carton C1 then occupies the place previously occupied by the carton C and a new carton is put into position under the hopper 28. Sheet conveyer and gripper mechanism (Figs. 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23).-The conveyer 15 is supported on a frame structure 44 and comprises two endless chains 45 supported by tracks 46 and 47. The chains comprise pivoted links 48, 49 and 50 and are joined by rods 51. The chains are driven through either of the sprocket wheels 16 and 17. The sheet gripping devices 25 each comprise a pair of chain links 50, U-shaped to straddle the ends of a bar 54 and secured thereto by pins 55. Secured to the bar 54 is a sheet gripping plate 57 and bearings 58 for a rock-shaft 60 to which are secured brackets 61 having a lug 62 carrying a cam following roller 64 and a lug 63 carrying a sheet engaging plate 67. A torsion spring 70 maintains the plates 57, 67 in sheet engaging relationship. In order to take a sheet from the station B, a fixed cam 83 hooked on the shaft 82 of the sprocket 16 is provided. To release the sheets A from the gripper device 25 as they move over the first hopper 27, there are provided two cams 132, on the side of the machine, mounted for movement in and out of the path of the cam follower rollers 64, but prevented from rotating by a pin 134 extending into a recess in the cams. The cams are moved by mechanism including a shaft 136 over each end of which is slid a sleeve 137 carrying the cam 132 at one end and a cam bar 138 having a cam surface 140 at the other. Secured to the shaft 136 is a collar 141 having an arm 142 carrying a roller 143 which runs on the cam surface 140. Rotation of the shaft 136 thus causes the sleeve 137 and cam 132 to slide into and out of operative position. The shaft 136 is rotated against the action of springs 144 by an air cylinder 150 and linkage 152, 153 ... 155 under the control of the counter mechanism. Fixed cams 160 are provided for releasing the sheets over the hopper 28. The sheets A are deflected into the hopper 27 by a movable deflector bar 170 which in active position extends across the top of the hopper 27 above the course of run of the sheets. The bar is supported on a shaft 171 and has a sheet deflecting surface 173 to deflect downwards the leading edge of a released sheet. Streams of air may act on the trailing edge of the sheet. When the hopper is not being filled the deflector 170 is rendered inoperative by rotating it in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6. To this end there is provided a solenoid 180 (Fig. 23) which is energized at the proper time by the counter mechanism so as to pull downwards its armature 181 and through links 182, 184, rotate the shaft 171. The shaft 171 is rotated in the opposite direction by a spring 187 and link 183. A fixed stop 188 engaging the offset end of an arm 189 limits anti-clockwise rotation of the shaft 171. For deflecting the sheets into the hopper 28 there is provided a fixed deflector bar 190. For deflecting faulty sheets into a tray 217 (Fig. 21) there is provided a cam 200 mounted on a shaft 201. The shaft 201 may be rotated in a manner similar to that by which the shaft 171 is rotated, energization of the solenoid being under manual control. The cam 200 is positioned so that the sheet is rejected before passing round the sprocket wheel 17. Energization of the solenoid operating the cam 200 renders the counter inoperative. Receivers (Figs. 10, 11).-The hoppers 27 and 28 correspond in shape to the sheet A and are provided with parallel walls 90, 91 the top of each hopper being open, and the bottoms having a drop floor 30 comprising two sections 93, 94 hinged near walls 90. The hinge connection comprises a shaft 95 supported in fixed bearings. The hinge shafts are operated from the sheet counter mechanism in opposite directions by means of a pneumatic cylinder 100 having a piston rod 101 secured to a bell-crank lever 102, in turn secured to an inclined link 104. The link 104 operates the shaft 95 to lower the sections 93, 94 through links 106, 105. To open the doors the cylinder 100 is energized so as to raise the piston 101. Between the bottom of each hopper and the top of its corresponding carton is a space to allow full downward swing of the floor section 93, 94 and in the space are provided guide walls 112 having side flanges 113, serving as !imit stops for the floor sections 93, 94. The cartons C and C1 are supported on the conveyer 31 and are held in position by lugs 115 on the conveyer chains, and by a rail 116 fixed to the frame piece 44. On the other side of the machine is a corresponding rail 117 which engages only the carton C so that fresh cartons C1 may be manually placed on the conveyer. The conveyer 31 is operated intermittently between stack dumping operations when the carton C has been filled and the carton C1 is half-filled. A shaft 118 which drives one of the sprockets 120 over which the conveyer chain passes, carries a one-revolution clutch 121 which is driven by a gear 122 meshing with a rack 123 secured to the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder 124. The conveyer is operated by actuating the cylinder piston rod at the appropriate time. This is achieved by the counter mechanism control. Delivering in counted batches (Fig. 24).-The counter 35 is controlled by a continuously rotating shaft 220 which drives the counter shaft 221 step by step through a pawl and ratchet device 224. The pawl and ratchet device is rendered inoperative when the faulty sheet cam is operated. The shaft 221 controls the energization of the various air cylinders and solenoids by means of cams 222, 222a, 222b operating micro-switch 223. For example, to control the air cylinder 100 there are provided two electrically operated valves 110, 111 controlling the air flow to the cylinder. Thus when the micro switch 223 is operated by the counter, the valves 110, 111 are energized so as to move the cylinder piston 101 in a direction to open the hopper floor section, whilst when the valves are not energized, the air flow is in the opposite direction.