Patent GB-757688-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to device for handling or tranporting sheet material
IPC: B65H5/14
Filed: 1954-12-07
Abstract: 757,688. Sheet delivery apparatus folding paper. KIMBERLEY-CLARK CORPORATION. Dec. 7, 1954 [Jan. 4, 1954], No. 35422/54. Class 100 (1). A device for handling or traiisporting sheet material comprises a pair of relatively movable jaws for gripping material therebetween, a first support mounting the jaws for rotation about a first axis, and a second support carried by a supporting frame structure and mounting the first support and jaws for rotation about a second axis angularly disposed with respect to the first axis whereby the disposition of the material is altered whilst it is being transferred between spaced positions. Folding paper.-Webs 64 (Fig. 1) to be used for making packs of facial tissue are drawn between a pair of anvil rolls 66 cooperating with rotary transverse knives 68 so as to partially sever the webs. Slitter discs 80 serve to partially sever the webs longitudinally. A device 83 serves to cut marker strips from a web 82 and feed them, together with the webs 64, to rotary folding cylinders 70, 72. The folded webs, together with the marker sheets at predetermined intervals, are deposited in a stack 73 which is guided for movement through a shoot 74. Sheet delivery apparatus; gripper mechanism.- The shoot 74 (Fig. 2) terminates in a vertical section 84 to direct the stack to a pack separating mechanism 86. The mechanism 86 comprises a frame 88, a movable carriage structure 90, a pair of breaker jaws 92, and a drive mechanism 94, the latter comprising a motor for driving, through a one-revolution clutch 184 (Fig. 5), a cam shaft 176. The frame 88 includes a pair of posts 98 (Fig. 7) which support members 104 having stub shafts 108 thereon for supporting, from links 120, the carriage 90. Opposite sides of the carriage include vertically spaced parallel guide bars 112, 114, 116, 118 defining three tracks for supporting on rollers a pusher mechanism 124, a transfer plate 154 and a bond-breaking separator 166. The pusher mechanism 124 is supported by rollers 122 on the bars 112, 113 and includes an angle member 126, mounted on arms 127 rotatable about a cam shaft 128, and having a pair of pusher elements 130 fixed thereto which may be vertically adjusted by means of a knob 148 bearing against an upper part 134 of the pusher assembly. The part 134 includes a pair of arms 135 pivotally mounted at one end on the cam shaft 128, the other end of the arms 135 being provided with a roller 136 engaged in a track 138, which, at the forward end of the machine, curves upwardly. The transfer plate 154 is supported by rollers 156 on the bars 114, 116 and comprise a plate 158 positioned adjacent the upper end of the shoot 74 to receive a pack of tissues as they are moved across the shoot by the pusher 124. The leading edge of the plate 158 is also provided with a pair of overlying sections 165. The separator plate 166 is supported by rollers 168 on the bars 116 and 118 and comprises a thin plate 170 and depending spring members 174 for exerting pressure on the stack as the plate 170 moves to break the band between the upper sheet in the stack and the lower sheet in the pack being removed. On the shaft 176 are mounted cams 190, 216 and 240 which through linkage 194, 192, 196, 202, 200, 208 and 210 (Fig. 6), linkage 218, 220, 226, 228, 230 and 234 and linkage 242,244 and 248 serve to reciprocate respectively the pusher 124, the transfer plate 154 and the separator plate 166. A cam 258 on the shaft 176, through linkage 260, 262, 266 and 268, controls the swinging movement of the carriage 90. The breaker jaw mechanisms are supported on a subframe 100 by uprights 102 through which a vertical shaft 280 extends to the upper end of which is fixed a mounting plate 284 (Fig. 9) for a jaw-supporting frame 286 including three vertical members 288, 290 and 292 for supporting a shaft 294. Fixed to the shaft 294 is a pair of integrally formed webs 300 (Fig. 12) forming part of a lower-jaw portion 296 including a pack gripping flange 298 having longitudinal ribs 366. The upper-jaw portion 304 is provided with transverse serrations 370 and is mounted for vertical movement with respect to the lower-jaw portion by links 306, 308 pivotally mounted at one end on shafts 310 and 318 fixed on the web portion 300 and at the other end on shafts 314 and 322 respectively fixed to the upper-jaw portion 304. The upperjaw portion is spring-biased towards the lowerjaw portion. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 294 is a lever 348 adapted to engage a pin 300 on the link 308 to hold the jaws in open packreceiving position. When the pack is delivered to the jaws the pack engages a pin head 364 so that the lever 348 is disengaged from the pin 350 and the jaws close. At the same time a lever 324, carrying a cam follower 336 and a roller 338, pivoted on a shaft 334 on the link 306 moves from the full line position shown in Fig. 12 to the dotted line position owing to the action of the roller 338 on the shaft 294. When the jaws are rotated through 180 degrees by the shaft 294 the cam follower 336 engages a cam 326 on the plate 284 to again open the jaws and allow the lever 348 to re-engage the pin 350. The shaft 294 is provided with a bevel gear 392 meshing with a bevel gear 390 on a shaft 382 having at its other end a gear 386 meshing with a gear 386 non-rotatably mounted on the member 102. Rotation of the shaft 280 is effected by means of arms 372, fixed to the lower ends of the shafts 200, carrying rollers 374 which engage grooves 376 formed in the surface of cams 378 fixed to the cam shaft 176. Thus as the shaft 280 is rotated to rotate the jaw assembly horizontally through 90 degrees the gear 384 runs around the gear 386 to rotate the shaft 382 and consequently the shaft 294 to effect vertical rotation of the gripper jaws through 180 degrees. In operation, when the stack has attained a height sufficient to cause a spring 150 (Fig. 14) to actuate a switch 152 the cam shaft 176 begins to rotate and the cam 190 causes the pusher 124 to move to push a pack to the transfer plate 154. Separation of the stack occurs at one of the marker sheets 48 which are made of a paper having less frictional resistance to sliding movement than the folded web sections. When the pack has been deposited on the plate 154 the cam 258 causes the carriage 90 to be raised (Fig. 16) so that as cam 216 causes forward movement of the plate 154 enough room is left for the rearward, simultaneous movement of the separator plate 166 under the control of the cam 240. Simultaneous movement of the plate 154 and 166 in opposite directions causes a severence of the pack from the remainder of the stack in such a way that one edge of the marker sheet 48 (Fig. 16) is left slightly to the rear of the portions 165 of the plate 154. As the cam shaft 176 continues to rotate the pusher 124 is moved upwardly out of the way of the transfer plate 154 by the action of roller 136 in the upwardly inclined position of the track 138, the transfer plate 154 moves forwardly towards the breaker jaws 92, and the separator plate 166 moves back to its original position. At this time the cam 258 effects a lowering of the carriage 90 to align the transfer plate 154 with the breaker jaws 92. As the plate 154 delivers the pack to the jaws 92 the pin head 364 is actuated to close the jaws, the ribs 366 allowing retraction of the plate 154 (Fig. 18). As the plate 154 is withdrawn one edge of the marker sheet 48 is pulled out by the portions 165. The cam 378 now effect the horizontal and vertical rotation of the gripper jaws 92, the horizontal rotation of the jaws taking place in opposite directions so that the pack is separated or broken along its longitudinal perforations formed by the slitters 80 in the webs 64 before folding. As the gripper jaws reach the position shown in Fig. 5 the cams 326 and followers 336 operate to open the jaw portions 296 and 304 and a fourth cam 426 on the shaft 176 operates pusher plates 400 to remove the pack from the jaws. The plates 400 are movably supported alongside the frame member 104 on a strap member 406 by rollers 408 mounted on a plate 410 which is reciprocated by the cam 426 through linkage 412, 414, 416, 418 and cam follower 424. During the movement of the gripper jaws 92 the carriage 90 has been raised and lowered again to allow the plate 154 to return to its original pack-receiving position and the pusher plate 124 has returned to the position shown in Fig. 14. The pushers 400 are adapted to operate during the time the pusher plate 124 begins the separation of the next pack and the gripper jaws 92 are returned to pack-receiving position during the operation of the separator plate 166. The withdrawn portion of the marker sheet 48 becomes folded back at the top of the pack when the gripper jaws 92 release the pack and forms a starter sheet for the third pack of tissues, Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 731,410.