Multiple sheet handling device

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERING A PILE OF NONRIGID SHEETS FROM A SUPPLY STACK TO A UTILIZATION MEANS, THE SUPPLY STACK HAVING AT LEAST ONE SPACER BAR DISPOSED IN AND EXTENDING FULLY ACROSS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STACK, THE SPACER BAR BEING WIDER THAN THE STACK AND HAVING END PORTIONS ARRANGED TO OVERHANG THE SIDES OF THE STACK, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) AN ELEVATOR AND MEANS TO DRIVE SAID ELEVATOR VERTICALLY ALONG A FIXED VERTICAL AXIS; (B) SHUTTLE MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME, AN ENDLESS CIRCULATABLE WEB HAVING UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES AND FORE AND AFT TRANSVERSE SUPPORT MEANS JOURNALED IN SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER WEB SURFACES, SAID SHUTTLE MEANS BEING CARRIED BY AND HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ELEVATOR MEANS; (C) MEANS ADAPTED TO ALTERNATELY DRIVE SAID SHUTTLE MEANS INTO AND OUT OF THE STACK; (D) MEANS TO HOLD SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE FIXED AGAINST HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID ELEVATOR MEANS ON AN INSTROKE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY SAID LOWER WEB SURFACE MOVES IN ADVANCE OF SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE, SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING DISENGAGEABLE ON THE NEXT OUTSTROKE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY SAID UPPER AND LOWER WEB SURFACES MOVE HORIZONTALLY TOWARDS THE UTILIZATION MEANS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED; (E) A CAM MEMBER SECURED TON EACH SIDE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAM MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED TO ENGAGE AND LIFT THE OUTER OVERHANGING SPACER BAR ENDS IN ADVANCE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY THE ENTIRE LEADING EDGE OF THE PILE OF SHEETS TO BE TRANSFERRED IS UNIFORMLY LIFTED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE TO PERMIT SAID SHUTTLE MEANS TO ENTER THE STACK, SAID LOWER WEB SURFACE, MOVING IN ADVANCE OF SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE, BEING THEREBY PLACED UNDERNEATH IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH AND IN SUPPORT OF THE SPACER BAR AND THE ENTIRE UNDERSURFACE OF THE PILE OF SHEETS TO BE TRANSFERRED; AND (F) MEANS TO UNLOAD THE TRANSFERRED PILE OF SHEETS FROM SAID SHUTTLE MEANS INTO THE UTILIZATION MEANS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERING A PILE OF NONRIGID SHEETS FROM A SUPPLY STACK TO A UTILIZATION MEANS, THE SUPPLY STACK HAVING AT LEAST ONE SPACER BAR DISPOSED IN AND EXTENDING FULLY ACROSS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STACK, THE SPACER BAR BEING WIDER THAN THE STACK AND HAVING END PORTIONS ARRANGED TO OVERHANG THE SIDES OF THE STACK, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) AN ELEVATOR AND MEANS TO DRIVE SAID ELEVATOR VERTICALLY ALONG A FIXED VERTICAL AXIS; (B) SHUTTLE MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME, AN ENDLESS CIRCULATABLE WEB HAVING UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES AND FORE AND AFT TRANSVERSE SUPPORT MEANS JOURNALED IN SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER WEB SURFACES, SAID SHUTTLE MEANS BEING CARRIED BY AND HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ELEVATOR MEANS; (C) MEANS ADAPTED TO ALTERNATELY DRIVE SAID SHUTTLE MEANS INTO AND OUT OF THE STACK; (D) MEANS TO HOLD SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE FIXED AGAINST HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID ELEVATOR MEANS ON AN INSTROKE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY SAID LOWER WEB SURFACE MOVES IN ADVANCE OF SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE, SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING DISENGAGEABLE ON THE NEXT OUTSTROKE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY SAID UPPER AND LOWER WEB SURFACES MOVE HORIZONTALLY TOWARDS THE UTILIZATION MEANS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED; (E) A CAM MEMBER SECURED TON EACH SIDE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAM MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED TO ENGAGE AND LIFT THE OUTER OVERHANGING SPACER BAR ENDS IN ADVANCE OF SAID SHUTTLE MEANS WHEREBY THE ENTIRE LEADING EDGE OF THE PILE OF SHEETS TO BE TRANSFERRED IS UNIFORMLY LIFTED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE TO PERMIT SAID SHUTTLE MEANS TO ENTER THE STACK, SAID LOWER WEB SURFACE, MOVING IN ADVANCE OF SAID UPPER WEB SURFACE, BEING THEREBY PLACED UNDERNEATH IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH AND IN SUPPORT OF THE SPACER BAR AND THE ENTIRE UNDERSURFACE OF THE PILE OF SHEETS TO BE TRANSFERRED; AND (F) MEANS TO UNLOAD THE TRANSFERRED PILE OF SHEETS FROM SAID SHUTTLE MEANS INTO THE UTILIZATION MEANS.