Device for overlapping sheets of paper, press board and other material

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR OVERLAPPING SHEETS OF PAPER. PRESSBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, FIRST CONVEYING MEANS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELTS SPACED IN PARALLEL RELATION AND HAVING TAUT PORTIONS, END ROLLERS GUIDING SAID BELTS, MEANS DRIVING SAID ROLLERS TO MOVE SAID BELTS AT A SPEED CORRESPONDING TO THE SPEED OF THE SHEETS ADVANCED TOWARD SAID CONVEYING MEANS, THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID SHEETS AND FORMING A FIRST GUIDE SURFACE FOR SAID SHEETS, SECOND CONVEYING MEANS DISPOSED BELOW SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS AND CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELTS SPACED IN PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER IN A POSITION BETWEEN ADJACENT CONVEYOR BELTS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS AND HAVING SECOND TAUT PORTIONS, SECOND END ROLLERS GUIDING SAID SECOND BELTS, MEANS DRIVING SAID SECOND ROLLERS AND SAID SECOND BELTS AT A LESSER SPEED THAN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BELTS FORMING A SECOND GUIDE SURFACE FOR SAID SHEETS, A FIRST SHAFT EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ABOVE THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, MEANS ROTATING SAID SHAFT WITH A SPEED PROPORTIONAL TO THAT OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, FINGERS MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SHAFT DIMENSIONED AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ENGAGE EACH SHEET MOVED PAST THEREBELOW AT THE REAR TOP END SO AS TO POSITIVELY URGE SAID REAR EDGE TO A LOWER PLANE, A SECOND SHAFT SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SHAFT EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID CONVEYOR BELTS AND FREELY ROTATABLE ABOVE THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ENGAGING THE LEADING EDGES OF SAID SHEETS URGING SAID SHEETS AGAINST SAID CONVEYOR MEANS MOVING AT A SLOWER SPEED THAN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS SO AS TO OVERLAP SUCCESSIVELY FED SHEETS, A PLURALITY OF IDLING ROLLERS EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID CONVEYOR BELTS DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SHAFTS AND ENGAGING THE TOP SIDE OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS PORTIONS FORMING SAID FIRST GUIDE SURFACE, A DRIVEN GEAR WHEEL JOURNALED ON A PIN DRIVABLY CONNECTED WITH SAID FIRST SHAFT, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID PIN ECCENTRICALLY TO SAID FIRST SHAFT WHEREBY THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPEED OF SAID FINGERS MAY BE ADJUSTED TO THE RATE OF TRAVEL OF SAID SHEETS WHILE THE TRAILING EDGE OF A SHEET IS POSITIVELY URGED DOWNWARDLY BY SAID FINGERS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR OVERLAPPING SHEETS OF PAPER. PRESSBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, FIRST CONVEYING MEANS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELTS SPACED IN PARALLEL RELATION AND HAVING TAUT PORTIONS, END ROLLERS GUIDING SAID BELTS, MEANS DRIVING SAID ROLLERS TO MOVE SAID BELTS AT A SPEED CORRESPONDING TO THE SPEED OF THE SHEETS ADVANCED TOWARD SAID CONVEYING MEANS, THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID SHEETS AND FORMING A FIRST GUIDE SURFACE FOR SAID SHEETS, SECOND CONVEYING MEANS DISPOSED BELOW SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS AND CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELTS SPACED IN PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER IN A POSITION BETWEEN ADJACENT CONVEYOR BELTS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS AND HAVING SECOND TAUT PORTIONS, SECOND END ROLLERS GUIDING SAID SECOND BELTS, MEANS DRIVING SAID SECOND ROLLERS AND SAID SECOND BELTS AT A LESSER SPEED THAN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BELTS FORMING A SECOND GUIDE SURFACE FOR SAID SHEETS, A FIRST SHAFT EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ABOVE THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, MEANS ROTATING SAID SHAFT WITH A SPEED PROPORTIONAL TO THAT OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, FINGERS MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SHAFT DIMENSIONED AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ENGAGE EACH SHEET MOVED PAST THEREBELOW AT THE REAR TOP END SO AS TO POSITIVELY URGE SAID REAR EDGE TO A LOWER PLANE, A SECOND SHAFT SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SHAFT EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID CONVEYOR BELTS AND FREELY ROTATABLE ABOVE THE TAUT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS, ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS AND ENGAGING THE LEADING EDGES OF SAID SHEETS URGING SAID SHEETS AGAINST SAID CONVEYOR MEANS MOVING AT A SLOWER SPEED THAN SAID FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS SO AS TO OVERLAP SUCCESSIVELY FED SHEETS, A PLURALITY OF IDLING ROLLERS EXTENDING NORMALLY TO SAID CONVEYOR BELTS DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SHAFTS AND ENGAGING THE TOP SIDE OF SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELTS PORTIONS FORMING SAID FIRST GUIDE SURFACE, A DRIVEN GEAR WHEEL JOURNALED ON A PIN DRIVABLY CONNECTED WITH SAID FIRST SHAFT, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID PIN ECCENTRICALLY TO SAID FIRST SHAFT WHEREBY THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPEED OF SAID FINGERS MAY BE ADJUSTED TO THE RATE OF TRAVEL OF SAID SHEETS WHILE THE TRAILING EDGE OF A SHEET IS POSITIVELY URGED DOWNWARDLY BY SAID FINGERS.