Sheet stacking and handling apparatus

Claim 1

APPARTUS FOR STACKING AND HANDLING BUNDLES OF MATERIAL DELIVERED IN SUCCESSIVE SHEETS FROM A MACHINE SUCH AS A CORRUGATOR COMPRISING (A) FRAME STRUCTURE FORMING A SHEET RECEIVING STATION IN THE LINE OF DISCHARGE MOVEMENT OF SHEETS COMING FROM SAID MACHINE AND TRANSFER STATION LOCATION LATERALLY ADJACENT SAID RECEIVING STATION WITH RESPECT TO SUCH DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT; (B) MEANS FOR FEEDING EACH SHEET DELIVERED TO SAID RECEIVING STATION UNDER EACH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SHEET TO FORM A STACK; (C) MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING SAID STACK, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATED SEGMENTS; (D) STOP MEANS FOR DEFINING THE POSITION OF THE LEADING EDGE OF EACH SHEET ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS; AND (E) TRANSFER MEANS FOR MOVING A FORMED STACK FROM SAID RECEIVING STATION TO SAID TRANSFER STATION, SAID TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER BARS AND MEANS FOR MOVING EACH OF SAID TRANSFER BARS UPWARDLY BETWEEN A PAIR OF ADJACENT SEGMENTS OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO A LEVEL THEREABOVE, TRANSVERSELY TO SAID TRANSFER STATION ON A CONVEYING STROKE, DOWNWARDLY TO DEPOSIT A FORMED STACK, AND TRANSVERSELY TO RETURN TO SAID RECEIVING STATION AT A LEVEL BELOW SAID SUPPORTING MEANS IN TIMED RELATION WITH THE DELIVERY OF SHEETS TO SAID APPARATUS.