Apparatus for repetitively unstacking blocks of sheet material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE REPETITIVE UNSTACKING AND DELIVERY OF BLOCKS OF THIN, FLEXIBLE SHEETS OF MATERIAL SUCH AS PAPER OFF OF THE TOP OF A STACK OF SHEETS THAT COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF BLOCKS OF SHEETS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, INCOMBINATION, A HORIZONTAL TABLE MOUNTED AT A FIXED LEVEL AND LEADING TO A SUBSEQUENT BLOCK RECEIVING MEAANS, SAID TABLE HAVING A NEAR ON-SIDE AND A FAR OFF-SIDE, AN ELEVATOR ADJACENT THE ON-SIDE OF SAID TABLE, SAID ELEVATOR BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AND VERTICALLY MOVE SUCH A STACK OF SHEETS, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR INCLUDING AN ADJUSTABLE STOP MEANS FOR LIMITING EACH UPWARD MOVEMENT TO A STEP EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF A BLOCK OF SHEETS TO BE UNSTACKED, A HORIZONTAL GUIDEWAY EXTENDING ACROSS SAID ELEVATOR FROM THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID TABLE TO THE ON-SIDE OF SAID TABLE, A BLOCK PUSHER RECIPROCABLE ALONG SAID GUIDE-WAY AND HAVING MEANS FOR ENGAGING ONLY THE UPPER OUTER CORNER AND THE EDGES OF LESS THAN ALL OF THE SHEETS OF A BLOCK OF SHEETS, SEPARATOR MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING AIR UNDER PRESSURE BETWEEN A BLOCK OF SHEETS TO BE UNSTACKED AND THE LOWER REMAINDER OF SAID STACK OF SHEETS TO REDUCE FRICTION THEREBETWEEN BEFORE MOVEMENT OF SAID PUSHER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BLOCK OF SHEETS, AND POWER MECHANISM FOR MOVING SAID PUSHER ALONG SAID TRACK INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BLOCK OF SHEETS AND FOR MOVING SAID BLOCK OF SHEETS OFF OF SAID STACK AND ONTO SAID TABLE.