Patent GB-869892-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for aligning bundles of sheet material
Inventor: KONINGSVELD DUDLEY VAN
IPC: B65H31/40
Filed: 1958-06-16
Abstract: 869,892. Delivering sheets; knocking-up devices. PUTNAM, E. Sept. 8, 1959 [June 16, 1958], No. 19202/58. Class 100(1) A knocking-up machine comprises a vibrator and a plurality of carriers each of which is designed to receive a bundle of sheet material, the carriers being movable in succession into operative association with the vibrator in a tilted position in relation to the horizontal, the vibrator serving to vibrate each carrier successively so as to align a bundle of sheet material placed therein on two lowermost sides of each tilted carrier. As shown the machine has a frame 18 and an outer casing 12. A shaft 20 rotatably mounted in the frame 18 carries a pair of sprocket wheels 22 which are aligned with another pair of sprocket wheels 29 mounted on a shaft 26, and round aligned wheels of each pair pass endless chains 50, 51 respectively. The shaft 26 is journalled in a second frame 25 which is slidably adjustable in a horizontal direction on the frame 18 for adjusting the tension of the chains 50, 51. A carrier 53 is pivoted at 55 (Fig. 5) to every other link 126 of the chain 50. Each carrier consists of a bottomless rectangular body 60 to which the lower end of a plate 61 is secured. The lower ends of two sheet metal cases 62, 63 are fitted into the body 60 and the cases are bolted to the plate 61 at 64, being capable of adjustment towards and away from each other so as to accommodate different sizes of sheet. The cases 62, 63 have rear and side walls 70, 71 and a base 72, the open sides of the cases being disposed opposite to each other. A shaft 75 is rotatably mounted on the body 60 and has arms 78, 79, 80 secured thereto which can project through holes 84, 85, 86 into the interior of the carrier, being biased towards this position by a spring 83. The arm 79 carries a roller 96 at its upper end while the arms 78, 80 carry transverse pins 90. The outer ends of the pins 90 engage in slots 91 formed by covers 92 mounted on gripping arms 93, which are pivoted to the plate 61 at 94. Normally the arms 93 and the roller 96 press against a bundle of sheets in the carrier. An arm 98 mounted on the shaft 75 has a trip arm 99 integral therewith and carries a roller 97. A roller 105 is carried by a stub shaft at the opposite side of the carrier to the pivot 55. The upper runs of the chains 50, 51 are supported by guides 39, 38 respectively, and the non- pivoted sides of the carriers rest initially on top of the chain 51, the body 60 of each being disposed between two bars 110 mounted on the chain and between which it is slidable. The shaft 26 is rotated intermittently by a motor and the carriers 53 are thereby moved intermittently by the chains 50, 51. As each carrier is stopped with its mouth in register with a hole in the casing 12 adjacent to the sprockets 29 the roller 97 engages a cam surface 149 whereby the gripping arms 93 and the roller 96 are moved out of the interior of the carrier and a bundle of sheets is placed therein by hand. As the carrier is moved away from the hole the roller 97 is released by the surface 149 and the sheets in the carrier are gripped by the arms 93 and the roller 96. The filled carrier is moved along the upper runs of the chains in a horizontal position until the roller 105 thereon engages between guides 40, 41 which raise that side of the carrier adjacent to the roller 105 off the chain 51 so that the carrier slides between the bars 110 on the chain 51 and assumes the tilted position shown in full line in Fig. 4. The intermittent drive is synchronized with the movement of the chains so that the roller 105 engages in a slight depression 113 in the guide 40 as the drive is interrupted. Spring-biased rollers 128 engage in depressions between the teeth of the sprockets 22 so as to ensure accurate register of the chains 50, 51 with the depression 113. At this point the roller 97 engages a cam surface 148 whereby the gripping arms 93 and the roller 96 are moved out of pressing engagement with the sheets in the carrier, and the base of the carrier rests on top of a framework 112 which transmits vibrations from a vibrator 111 mounted on the frame 18 to the carrier. In this way the bundle of sheets is squared up against the base and right-hand side of the carrier as seen in Fig. 4. As the carrier is moved off the framework 112 the roller 97 is released by the surface 148 so that the squared-up bundle is gripped by the arms 93 and roller 96. The guides 40, 41 return the carrier into a horizontal position and as it is carried round the sprocket wheels 22 and brought into register with a second opening in the casing 12 adjacent to these wheels the trip arm 99 actuates a valve controlling a hydraulic or pneumatic ram 135 mounted on the shaft 20 between the sprocket wheels. The outer end of the piston rod of the ram carries a blade 136 and a pusher 137. The blade 136 enters the bottom of the carrier first in the space between the bundle of sheets and the plate 61; it engages the roller 96 and thereby forces the arm 79 back. In this way the shaft 75 is rotated and pressure on the bundle is released. The pusher 137 then ejects the bundle through the hole in the casing on to the table of a trimming device (not shown). The blade and pusher are withdrawn from the empty carrier which is then moved along the lower run of the chains back to the loading position, the roller 105 engaging a guide track 42, 32 in order to hold the carrier in contact with the chain 51 while this is done. In order to assist in the knocking-up action of the machine the tilted ends of the carriers may be passed over a serrated track. The carriers may be mounted on rotatable wheels instead of on endless chains.