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EP0060596A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Device for individually separating flat objects, especially postal correspondence and the like, and spacing them at constant distances apart
Assignee: Selex Elsag Datamat SpA
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Filing: 1982-03-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-03-05
Abstract
Abstract A separator-spacer device for flat objects, such as postal correspondence, in which the objects to be handled are fed into the V space formed by the opposing branches (25, 26) of two bands (27, 28), which are urged resiliently against each other, in order to define a first pinch point (38). One band (27) has a high coefficient of friction and moves in feed direction (16) of the objects, the other band (28) moves at a lower speed in opposite direction and has a lower coefficient of friction. Downstream of the bands (27, 28) there is provided a belt conveyor (41, 45) moving at a greater speed than the first band (27), and forming a second pinch point (51) spaced apart from the first by a distance less than the minimum length of the objects.
Inventors
- 👤 Mauro Levaro
- 👤 Renzo Rapetti
- 👤 Michele Scarnera
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:20
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H3/00; B65H3/02; B65H3/04; B65H3/042; B07; B07C; B07C1/00; B07C1/02; B07C1/04; B65H3/46; B65H3/52; B65H3/5246
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A device for individually separating flat objects, especially postal correspondence and the like, and spacing them at constant distances apart, charcaterized by comprising two endless motorized bands with their opposing branches forming an acute angle between them and resiliently kept in mutual contact at a vertex zone of said angle to form a first pinch point, means for feeding a plurality of flat objects to be handled into the V space defined by said opposing branches of the two bands, and, at a predetermined distance downstream of the contact zone of the opposing branches of the two bands, a conveyor constituted by a pair of motorized belts the opposing branches of which move in the same direction and at the same speed and are kept yieldably adhering to each other to form a second pinch point, one of said two bands being of a material of high coefficient of friction and being driven in such a manner that that branch thereof which opposes the branch of the second band moves in the same direction as, but at a smaller speed than, the opposing branches of the conveyor belts, whereas the other of the two bands is of a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first and is driven in such a manner that that branch thereof which opposes the branch of the first band moves in the opposite direction to, and at a smaller absolute speed than this latter.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
242 words
A device for individually separating flat objects, especially postal correspondence and the like, and spacing them at constant distances apart, charcaterized by comprising two endless motorized bands with their opposing branches forming an acute angle between them and resiliently kept in mutual contact at a vertex zone of said angle to form a first pinch point, means for feeding a plurality of flat objects to be handled into the V space defined by said opposing branches of the two bands, and, at a predetermined distance downstream of the contact zone of the opposing branches of the two bands, a conveyor constituted by a pair of motorized belts the opposing branches of which move in the same direction and at the same speed and are kept yieldably adhering to each other to form a second pinch point, one of said two bands being of a material of high coefficient of friction and being driven in such a manner that that branch thereof which opposes the branch of the second band moves in the same direction as, but at a smaller speed than, the opposing branches of the conveyor belts, whereas the other of the two bands is of a material having a lower coefficient of friction than the first and is driven in such a manner that that branch thereof which opposes the branch of the first band moves in the opposite direction to, and at a smaller absolute speed than this latter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the two pinch points formed by the two bands and by the belts of the downstream conveyor is less than the minimum length of the flat objects to be handled.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the band of material having the lower coefficient of friction is mounted on a swivel-mounted support subjected to the action of adjustable resilient means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a single drive motor is provided for operating said bands and said belts of the conveyor by way of transmission means, with a predetermined speed ratio and direction of movement.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that for feeding the objects into the V space defined by the opposing branches of the two bands there is provided a conveyor band with a support branch for the objects to be conveyed as far as the first pinch point.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a guide cooperates with said conveyor band and is spaced apart from said branch of the band in order to cause a limited number of flat objects to enter the V space.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a second conveyor band with a branch parallel to the first but disposed perpendicular thereto is associated with said conveyor band.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the branch of the first conveyor band is vertical and that of the second conveyor band is horizontal, and- an arrival table for the objects is provided which is coplanar with the branch of the second conveyor band and is disposed at a right angle thereto.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said table is stationary, and a pusher member is provided in order to move the objects towards the two conveyor bands.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as claimed in claim 9, characterized by a sensor for sensing the presence of objects at the two conveyor bands and for controlling said pusher member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said table is mobile or is constituted by a conveyor belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the branch of the second band is taut between two deviation rollers, and a tensioning roller acts on the opposing branch of the first band guided over two deviation rollers such that it urges this branch against the opposing branch of the second band in the vicinity of that deviation roller thereof which is disposed downstream in the feed direction of the objects.
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