A device for the automatic feeding of a stack of panels

Claim 1

1) A device for the automatic feeding of a stack (A) of a predetermined height of panels, particularly thin and flexible panels, to a machining line, by removing said stack (A) in one single action from the top of a pile (P), characterized by the fact that it comprises: - a carriage (1) reciprocatingly movable along a rectilinear guide (2) presenting such a length and positioned in such a manner as to consent to the carriage (1) to move to-and-fro between the pile (P) and a receiving station of the machining line to which the stack (A) of panels is to be fed; - a composite structure (3, 4, 5) carried by the said carriage (1)and capable of moving alternatingly, under the action of suitable control means (6), in vertical direction between a lifted and a lowered position; - at least one presser member (14) associated to the said composite structure (3, 4, 5) and controlled by a fluid operated jack (13) in such a manner that whenever the carriage (1) is located in operative position in proximity of the pile (P) and the said composite structure (3, 4, 5) is located in its lowered position, the said presser member (14) comes to be positioned above the pile (P) and at the side of the pile facing the receiving station of the machining line, pile lifting means being provided whereby, whenever the presser member (14) is in the above mentioned position, the pile (P) is lifted until the pile itself, abutting by means of its top panel against the presser member, comes to be pressed in a substantial manner in such a manner that the portion of superposed panels underlying the presser member is compelled to assume a condition of planarity and close mutual contact; - a wedge member (22) mounted on said composite structure (3, 4, 5) so as to be longitudinally movable thereon and having its upper surface arranged on a plane parallel to the plane containing the pressure surface of the presser member (14) in the pile pressing position, and further arranged with its longitudinal axis lying on the same vertical plane containing the axis of the presser member (14); whereby when the lifting of the pile (P) against the presser member (14) has been effected to the desired extent, the said wedge member (22) is inserted into the compressed portion of the pile (P) in such a manner that a stack (A) of a predetermined number of panels is comprised between the wedge member (22) and the overlying presser member (14); whereby, after the insertion of the wedge member (22), the jack (13) controlling the presser member (14) is actuated so that the presser member clamps the stack (A) comprised between the said wedge and the said presser member, and the composite carriage (3, 4, 5) is moved away from the pile (P) of panels so as to transfer the clamped stack onto the receiving station of the machining line, where the presser member and the wedge member are brought again to their rest position thus freeing the transferred stack, and finally the composite structure is moved clear of the transferred stack and back to its starting operative position.