Patent GB-1022824-A (GB)
Title: A device for receiving irregularly supplied flat articles and discharging them one at a time
IPC: B65H3/46
Filed: 1963-04-26
Abstract: 1,022,824. Feeding sheets &c. TELEFUNKEN PATENTVERWERTUNGS GESELLSCHAFT. April 26, 1963 [April 28, 1962], No. 16518/63. Heading B6B. Envelopes, postcards or like flat articles are fed on edge in an irregular stack formation along a feed path from a conveying section to a separating section having a constricted crosssection at its discharge end where the articles are discharged one at a time to further conveying devices, the separator section including a suction belt for feeding articles past a gate, and beyond the gate means is provided for stripping off and retaining a second or third article which may have passed the gate. Sheet separators; pile supports.-In the construction shown in plan in Figs. 1 and 5, flat articles 1 rest on edge on a feed belt 3 in an irregular stack formation and are guided by side plates 5, 7 up to a front plate 6 which forms a throat or gate with a belt 11 supported on pulleys 12, 13, one of which is driven coutinuously. The belt 11 may be perforated, or may comprise a number of narrow spaced belts, and is supported by a wall 8 having therein a suction port 10 which leads to a suction chamber 9. Beyond the gate 6 are two suction strippers 18, 19, pivoted at 20, 21, respectively, and urged resiliently towards the belt 11. The force exerted by these suction strippers is not sufficient to retard the forward movement of a single article 1<SP>1</SP>, Fig, 5, on the belt 11, but will grip and retain a second article 1<SP>11</SP> until the first article 1<SP>1</SP> is fed past the gate 6. Similarly, if there are three superposed articles on the belt 11, the third article will be retained by the suction stripper 19. More than two strippers may be used, and their leading edges are formed as guides, as shown in Fig. 5. Each separated article is gripped by feed belts 16, 17 on rollers 14, 15, respectively, and fed to a discharge point. The distance a between the belts 16, 17 and the suction port 10 is smaller than the length of the shortest article 1, and the length b of the port 10 is calculated by a formula which includes the thickness of the thinnest article and the number of suction strippers 18, 19 &c. The stack of articles may be urged towards the belt 11 by guides, or by air-blasts. In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, articles 1 of mail resting on edge on a feed belt 3 and guided by side plates 5, 7 are fed as an irregular stack towards an inclined separator belt 24 mounted on pulleys 12, 13, and the feeding is assisted by an independently-driven rotary brush 23, a spring-urged guide plate 25, and. compressed-air from a nozzle 25<SP>1</SP>, whereby the articles are directed towards the belt 24. In the event of too great an accumulation of articles in the separator section, the stack depresses a two-armed lever 30, pivoted at 31, and this operates a switch 32 to stop the drive of the belt 3. The front stop wall 6, suction strippers 18, 19, guide wall 8 with suction port 10 and chamber 9 are substantially as in Fig. 1, but the belt 24 is perforated, and the guide wall 5 is extended and curved to cooperate with the wall 7. Additional means to urge the articles 1 towards the belt 24 and suction port 10 comprises a suction chamber 27, Figs. 6 and 7, having suction openings 26 arranged vertically above the port 10, and a compressed-air chamber 29 provided with nozzles 28, 28<SP>1</SP>. The air pressure from the lower nozzles 28<SP>1</SP> is less than that from the upper nozzles 28 in the chamber 29. Sheet forwarders and guides.-As shown in plan in Fig. 6, the articles 1 of mail are fed on edge on a feed belt 3 between side walls 5, 7 towards the inclined belt 24 where they are diverted, and feed is assisted by the rotating brush 23. The articles are guided towards the belt 24 by the spring-urged plate 25 and airblasts from a nozzle 25<SP>1</SP>. When the articles are separated one by one by the suction belt 24 and associated devices 18, 19, they are gripped by feed rollers 14, 15 and fed between belts 16, 17. These rollers and belts may feed the articles at the same speed as the belt 24, or at a faster rate to space out the articles.