Improved Apparatus for Picking Up and Removing Single Sheets of Thin Material.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Picking Up and Removing Single Sheets of
Thin Material.
I, ADOLF WEIDENBUSCH Merchant of Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and
German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an apparatus for separately picking up through the agency
of frictional or static electricity single sheets of thin and light material such as paper,
light fabrics, tin foil and the like, in such a manner that each single sheet thus
removed may be subsequently taken up by hand or by machinery in order to be fed
further on.
The apparatus is preferably used in combination with mechanism serving
to lay down single sheets in printing presses and in envelope making, ruling, gumming
and other similar machines.
The
This apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which fig. 1 is a side
view thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus broken off and figs. 3 and 4 shew
various positions of the roller i. u is the frame of the apparatus carrying the driving
shaft W and the movable parts hereinafter more fully described. The roller c which
is covered with fur is rotated at a high speed by the motor shaft W with the aid of
the grooved wheels a and b. The grooved wheel e and the friction disc f, tightly
connected thereto are rotated in a contrary direction to that of the roller c by the
grooved wheel d of the motor shaft W and by means of a cross cord or rope.
shaft g upon which the friction disc h and the roller i connected thereto are keyed
is carried by the arm rocking up and down upon the pin k of the frame u.
The
roller i is formed of a substance which is a bad conductor of electricity. This arm
is alternately raised from or lowered upon the roller p by the draw rod n pivoting
at m and provided at its upper end with a fork o and a roller p, this motion being
carried out by the eccentric mounted on the shaft W. The apparatus operates in
the following manner :-
As soon as the shaft W is set in motion, the roller i is raised through the action of
the eccentric upon the draw rod n and the arm 1, while the friction disc / mounted
upon the shaft is pressed against the rotating friction disc ƒ (fig. 3.) in consequence
whereof motion is likewise imparted to the friction disc h and to the roller i connected
therewith. The raising of the arm causes the roller which, as before stated, is
covered with bad conducting material to be brought in close proximity to the roller c
covered with fur in such a manner that owing to the rollers c and i rotating in the
same direction indicated in fig. 3 by an arrow, an intense amount of friction is
developed between the said rollers whereby the roller is highly charged with
electricity. This roller i thus rendered electric sinks subsequently by reason of the
continued action of the eccentric r upon the draw rod n and the arm 1, upon the heap
or pile of paper sheets or of other material P and attracts the uppermost sheet
next sheet being at the same time repulsed in accordance with the well known action
of frictional or static electricity.
the
This uppermost sheet thus separated from the heap of paper sheets, of light fabric,
of tin foil or of other light material can then be easily fed forward. The roller i carries
this uppermost sheet with it in its upward stroke, until the latter is removed
therefrom as it strikes against the transverse rod s fixed to the frame u in the way of
the said sheet which now falls upon a plate or other similar contrivance inserted in
the meantime between the rod and the detached sheet in order to be taken up and
moved away to be subjected to further treatment. In order to ensure a constant
contact between the roller i and the paper heap when the former assumes its lowered
position and when the greatest number of the sheets have already been removed from

page_text: the latter, a spring t is arranged below the paper heap and tends constantly to press
the paper heap upwards against the roller i. This spring is so regulated as to act
gradually with more force as the weight of the paper heap resting thereon decreases
in consequence of the removal of the sheets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. An apparatus by means of which the raising and removal of thin material
arranged in superposed layers is effected through the agency of frictional or static
electricity.
2. In apparatus for removing or removing and raising thin material arranged in
superposed layers, the combination of a roller formed of bad conducting material and
capable of moving up and down with a roller covered with fur, felt or like substance
and means for rotating the said rollers.
3. In apparatus for removing or removing and raising thin material arranged in
superposed layers, the combination of a roller formed of bad conducting material and
capable of moving up and down, a roller covered with fur, felt or like substance
means for rotating the said rollers and a projection placed in the way of the raised
material.
4. In apparatus for removing or removing and raising thin material arranged in
superposed layers by means of frictional or static electricity, the employment of a
spring arranged below the pile for the purpose set forth.
5. The herein before described apparatus for removing or removing and raising thin
material arranged in superposed layers constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this First day of July 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.