Patent GB-920756-A (GB)
Title: Stacking and jogging machines
IPC: B65H31/38
Filed: 1961-04-18
Abstract: 920,756. Stacking sheets. BROOKHIRST IGRANIC Ltd. April 18, 1961 [May 5, 1960], No. 13935/61. Class 100 (1). A machine for stacking and jogging sheets comprises a stacking table, rotary members having portions arranged to contact opposite edges of sheets stacked on the table to advance and jog the sheets, and stop means against which the leading edges of the sheets engage. The stacking table consists of a number of spaced, parallel bars 21 mounted on a horizontal plate 13 secured to the upper end of a pistonrod 90 actuated by an air and oil cylinder 86. Folded signatures are delivered in an overlapped stream over a rubber toothed roller 10 which forms one of the end rollers of an endless conveyer comprising spaced endless wires 11. The signatures are deflected downwards on to the table by a series of fingers 12 pivotally mounted for movement between a raised, horizontal position and the position shown. Two pairs of rotatable paddles 14, 24 are mounted for rotation about inclined axes by a motor 16 and have vanes 19 which are resilient enough to flex as they engage the edges of the signatures. The peripheral speed of the paddles is about 10% greater than the velocity of the incoming signatures so that the latter are given a multiplicity of slight impacts on opposite edges. These impacts jog the signatures and move them forwards and downwards into contact with end abutments 27 whereby the edges of the stacked signatures are aligned. The height of the stack is detected by pivoted feelers 34 which actuate a switch to initiate lowering of the stacking table when the stack reaches a predetermined height. The table is lowered step-by-step until it engages the operating lever 42 of a limit switch 44. Actuation of the switch causes an intercepting blade 46 mounted in horizontal guides 47 to be slid to a position above the stacking table with its tip 48 adjacent to the right-hand end (Fig. 3) of the roller 10, whereupon a plate 54 is moved in horizontally from the side of the machine to cover the tip 48. The fingers 12 are then raised to their horizontal position and signatures are delivered on to the blade 46. As the stack of signatures begins to form on the blade 46 the stacking table is rapidly lowered to the level of a discharge conveyer 28, rollers 62 of which pass between the bars 21, lift the stack of signatures from the table and convey it out of the machine. As soon as the stack has cleared the machine the table is raised to signature-receiving position, the blade 46 is retracted to its Fig. 3 position, depositing the sitnatures that have been stacked thereon on the table, and the fingers 12 are returned to their Fig. 3 position to allow further signatures to be stacked on the table. The blade 46, the blade 54 and the fingers 12 are moved by means of air cylinders 118, 124, 102 respectively and their movements and the movements of the stacking table described above are effected automatically by means of a series of limit switches such as the switch 44. The embodiment described is suitable for stacking side-folded signatures, the plate 54 preventing insertion of the blade 46 between the leaves of a signature. If the signatures are folded at their leading edges the plate 54 may be omitted.