EP0104923A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Positive control stacker
Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
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Filing: 1983-09-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-09-26
Abstract
Abstract @ A stacker for rigid and semi-rigid sheet or pad-like products forming individual stacks thereof of specific count and with the edges of the product in each stack aligned. The stacker comprises at least one pair of multi-thread screws, being mirror images of each other, rotating continuously at the same speed but in opposite directions, being so radially aligned that corresponding threads of the screws occupy corresponding positions, and being arranged in side-by-side relationship with their corresponding threads opposed. Products are continuously fed between the screws of the at least one pair, each product being supported by a set of corresponding threads of both screws. All corresponding sets of threads are so loaded and each product is shifted downwardly by its respective thread set while simultaneously being urged forwardly against a stop to align the front and rear edges thereof. The initial portion of the shaft of each multi-thread screw tapers downwardly and outwardly to align the side edges of the products. When all of the corresponding thread sets have been product filled, the corresponding thread sets terminate one-by-one so as to accumulate a stack from top to bottom, the last thread set to terminate depositing a stack of aligned products equal in number to the number of threads per screw. A single-thread, large pitch screw can be located beneath and coaxial with each of the multi-thread screws, the single-thread screws cooperating to convey or convey and accummulate product stacks formed by the multi-thread screws, depending on the rotational speed of the single-thread screws relative to the multi-thread screws.
Inventors
- 👤 Howard N. Watrous
- 👤 Walter Cash, Jr.
- 👤 Weldeon R. Dixon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:41
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/38; B65H29/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A stacker for rigid and flexible sheet and pad-like products forming individual stacks thereof of specific count, said stacker being characterized by at least one pair of stacker screws each having at least two helical threads, said stacker screws of said at least one pair having the same number of threads and being mirror images of each other, said stacker screws rotating at the same speed and in opposite directions, said stacker screws being so radially aligned that corresponding threads thereof occupy corresponding positions, said stacker screws of said at least one pair being arranged in side-by-side relationship with their corresponding threads opposed, means to continuously feed products between said screws of said at least one pair such that each product is supported by corresponding threads of said screws, said corresponding threads being so configured that each of said products is shifted downwardly thereby, said corresponding threads of said screws of said at least one pair terminate one-by-one such that a stack of said products is accumulated from top-to-bottom, the last of said corresponding threads to terminate depositing said product stack.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
A stacker for rigid and flexible sheet and pad-like products forming individual stacks thereof of specific count, said stacker being characterized by at least one pair of stacker screws each having at least two helical threads, said stacker screws of said at least one pair having the same number of threads and being mirror images of each other, said stacker screws rotating at the same speed and in opposite directions, said stacker screws being so radially aligned that corresponding threads thereof occupy corresponding positions, said stacker screws of said at least one pair being arranged in side-by-side relationship with their corresponding threads opposed, means to continuously feed products between said screws of said at least one pair such that each product is supported by corresponding threads of said screws, said corresponding threads being so configured that each of said products is shifted downwardly thereby, said corresponding threads of said screws of said at least one pair terminate one-by-one such that a stack of said products is accumulated from top-to-bottom, the last of said corresponding threads to terminate depositing said product stack.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A stacker according to claim 1 including at least two pairs of said stacker screws positioned one behind the other, said second pair being identical to the first pair in structure, direction of rotation, rotational speed, and thread alignment, said products being supported by corresponding threads of both pairs of said stacker screws.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A stacker according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the number of products per stack is equal to the number of threads per stacker screw.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
A stacker according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said means to continuously feed products between said stacker screws feeds clips of products, each clip containing more than one product, each stack of products containing a number of products equal to the number of threads per stacker screw times the number of products per clip.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
A stacker according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the axes of said stacker screws are equally tilted with respect to the vertical and away from said product feeding means to facilitate feeding of said products between said stacker screws.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
A stacker according to any of claims 1 to 5 including a step located adjacent the at least one or forwardmost pair of stacker screws, said step having at least one surface parallel to the axes of said at least one or forwardmost pair of stacker screws and against which said products are constantly urged by said rotation of said stacker screw threads whereby to align the front and rear edges of said products during stacking thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
A stacker according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein each of said stacker screws has a shank from which said threads extend, the upper portion of said shank above the first thread termination tapering downwardly and outwardly, the remainder of said shank being cylindrical, the cylindrical portions of the shanks of a stacker screw pair being spaced from each other by a distance substantially equal to the product width whereby the sides of said products are aligned.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
107 words
A stacker according to claim 6 or 7 including a wedge-shaped element in association with each thread of each of said stacker screws of the at least one or forwardmost pair, the wedge-shaped elements of said corresponding threads of said stacker screws being mirror images of each other, occupying corresponding positions and having downwardly and forwardly sloping surfaces so configured as to be contacted by said front edges of said products fed to said corresponding threads to urge each product downwardly against its respective supporting corresponding threads and to slow each product to the rotational speed of its corresponding supporting threads prior to contact with said stop.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A stacker according to claims 6 to 8 wherein said step comprises at least one endless belt, said planar surface comprising the exterior surface of one flight of said at least one endless belt, means to drive said belt such that said flight moves downwardly at a speed matched to the downward movement of said products.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
A stacker according to any of claims 1 to 9 including one or more pairs of single-thread large pitch screws, each single-thread screw located beneath and being coaxial with one of said stacker screws of each of said one or more pairs thereof, said single-thread screws of each said pair being mirror images of each other and rotating in the same direction as their respective stacker screws, all of said single-thread screws rotating at the same speed and being so radially aligned that their single threads occupy corresponding positions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A stacker according to claim 10 wherein said single-thread screws comprise conveying screws rotating at the same speed as said stacker screws.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A stacker according to claim 10 or 11 wherein said single-thread screws comprise stack accumulating screws rotating at a speed slower than that of said stacker screws.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
A stacker according to any of claims 10 to 12 including a stop located adjacent the forwardmost pair of single-thread screws, said stop having at least one surface parallel to the axes of said single-thread screws and against which said product stacks are constantly urged by said rotation of said single-thread screw threads whereby to maintain front and rear alignment of said products in said stack.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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