US3558128A — Sheet piler with stagger stop mechanism

Claim 1

Independent Claim 406 words

In a machine for handling material in sheet form which comprises an overhead sheet-carrying conveyor supported at a piling station and adapted to release the sheets for gravity deposit on a pile beneath the conveyor or to advance the sheets beyond the piling station, an end stop mechanism having the sheet-engaging face disposed below the path of sheets carried on the conveyor so as to arrest the forward movement of and guide onto a pile sheets which are released by the conveyor and drop in front of the end stop mechanism said end stop mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a main bumper frame mounted on said supporting frame for horizontal movement thereon in the direction of advance of the sheets, a bumper pad on said main bumper frame having a sheet-engaging face in a substantially vertical plane for engagement by the leading edges of sheets which are released for piling by said overhead conveyor, means for cushioning the horizontal movement of said main bumper frame, and a stagger bumper device mounted on said main bumper frame which includes a stagger bumper pad and a carriage-forming support therefor, said stagger bumper device being adapted to be positioned with the stagger bumper pad in a vertically extending, sheet-engaging position in front of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said stagger bumper pad being of a substantially lesser dimension in the vertical direction than the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and means to move said carriage-forming support in a vertical and horizontal path to a nonoperative position at the top of said main bumper frame where the stagger bumper pad is disposed at a sufficient distance below the bottom face of said conveyor to permit sheets to be advanced by said conveyor beyond the piling station without interference, an auxiliary stagger bumper pad and a mounting frame therefor which is adapted to be positioned in a common plane with said stagger bumper pad and between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said auxiliary pad being of a height, when in sheet-engaging position, to extend above said stagger bumper pad to approximately the top of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and said mounting frame for said auxiliary pad being movably supported on said main bumper frame so that it is retracted to a nonoperative position when said stagger bumper pad is moved to a nonoperative position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 406 words

In a machine for handling material in sheet form which comprises an overhead sheet-carrying conveyor supported at a piling station and adapted to release the sheets for gravity deposit on a pile beneath the conveyor or to advance the sheets beyond the piling station, an end stop mechanism having the sheet-engaging face disposed below the path of sheets carried on the conveyor so as to arrest the forward movement of and guide onto a pile sheets which are released by the conveyor and drop in front of the end stop mechanism said end stop mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a main bumper frame mounted on said supporting frame for horizontal movement thereon in the direction of advance of the sheets, a bumper pad on said main bumper frame having a sheet-engaging face in a substantially vertical plane for engagement by the leading edges of sheets which are released for piling by said overhead conveyor, means for cushioning the horizontal movement of said main bumper frame, and a stagger bumper device mounted on said main bumper frame which includes a stagger bumper pad and a carriage-forming support therefor, said stagger bumper device being adapted to be positioned with the stagger bumper pad in a vertically extending, sheet-engaging position in front of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said stagger bumper pad being of a substantially lesser dimension in the vertical direction than the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and means to move said carriage-forming support in a vertical and horizontal path to a nonoperative position at the top of said main bumper frame where the stagger bumper pad is disposed at a sufficient distance below the bottom face of said conveyor to permit sheets to be advanced by said conveyor beyond the piling station without interference, an auxiliary stagger bumper pad and a mounting frame therefor which is adapted to be positioned in a common plane with said stagger bumper pad and between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said auxiliary pad being of a height, when in sheet-engaging position, to extend above said stagger bumper pad to approximately the top of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and said mounting frame for said auxiliary pad being movably supported on said main bumper frame so that it is retracted to a nonoperative position when said stagger bumper pad is moved to a nonoperative position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 377 words

In a machine for handling sheets of material which comprises a sheet-carrying conveyor supported at a piling station and operable to release sheets for gravity deposit on a pile beneath the conveyor or to advance the sheets beyond the piling station, an end stop mechanism mounted below the path of sheets carried on the conveyor so as to arrest the forward movement of and guide onto a pile sheets which are released by the conveyor and drop in front of the end stop mechanism, said end stop mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a main bumper frame mounted for horizontal movement on said supporting frame, a bumper pad on said main bumper frame which is adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of sheets released for piling by said overhead conveyor, means for cushioning horizontal movement of said main bumper frame, and a stagger bumper device movably mounted on said main bumper frame, said stagger bumper device including a stagger bumper pad and a carriage-forming support therefor which is adapted to be positioned so as to provide a vertically extending, sheet-engaging surface which is spaced in front of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said stagger bumper pAd being of a smaller dimension in the vertical direction than the bumper pad on the main bumper frame when in operative position, and means to move said carriage forming support in a vertical and horizontal path to a nonoperative position at the top of said main bumper frame where it is a sufficient distance below the bottom face of said conveyor to permit sheets to be advanced by said conveyor beyond the piling station without interference, a supplemental stagger bumper pad which is adapted to be positioned in the plane of said stagger bumper pad and between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said supplemental pad being of a height, when in sheet-engaging position, to extend between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and a mounting frame for said supplemental pad which is movably mounted on said main bumper frame so that it is adapted to be retracted to a nonoperative position when said stagger bumper pad is moved to a nonoperative position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 377 words

In a machine for handling sheets of material which comprises a sheet-carrying conveyor supported at a piling station and operable to release sheets for gravity deposit on a pile beneath the conveyor or to advance the sheets beyond the piling station, an end stop mechanism mounted below the path of sheets carried on the conveyor so as to arrest the forward movement of and guide onto a pile sheets which are released by the conveyor and drop in front of the end stop mechanism, said end stop mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a main bumper frame mounted for horizontal movement on said supporting frame, a bumper pad on said main bumper frame which is adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of sheets released for piling by said overhead conveyor, means for cushioning horizontal movement of said main bumper frame, and a stagger bumper device movably mounted on said main bumper frame, said stagger bumper device including a stagger bumper pad and a carriage-forming support therefor which is adapted to be positioned so as to provide a vertically extending, sheet-engaging surface which is spaced in front of the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said stagger bumper pAd being of a smaller dimension in the vertical direction than the bumper pad on the main bumper frame when in operative position, and means to move said carriage forming support in a vertical and horizontal path to a nonoperative position at the top of said main bumper frame where it is a sufficient distance below the bottom face of said conveyor to permit sheets to be advanced by said conveyor beyond the piling station without interference, a supplemental stagger bumper pad which is adapted to be positioned in the plane of said stagger bumper pad and between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, said supplemental pad being of a height, when in sheet-engaging position, to extend between the stagger bumper pad and the bumper pad on the main bumper frame, and a mounting frame for said supplemental pad which is movably mounted on said main bumper frame so that it is adapted to be retracted to a nonoperative position when said stagger bumper pad is moved to a nonoperative position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 40 words

In a machine as set forth in claim 2, and means connecting said supplemental stagger pad-mounting frame with said stagger pad support whereby said supplemental stagger pad is moved to a nonoperative position by movement of said stagger pad support.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

In a machine as set forth in claim 2, and said bumper pad which is mounted on said main frame having an L-shape and said supplemental stagger pad being arranged in the space resulting from said L-shape which is located between the top portion of the movable stagger bumper pad and the vertically disposed leg of the pad which is mounted on said main frame.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 56 words

In a machine as set forth in claim 4, and said stagger bumper pad and said supplemental stagger bumper pad providing, when in sheet-engaging position, vertically disposed sheet-engaging pad faces in a common plane which is offset forwardly of the plane of the sheet-engaging face of the bumper pad which is on said main bumper frame.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 60 words

In a machine as set forth in claim 2, and a removable bumper pad unit having a face pad and supporting structure for detachably mounting on the sheet-engaging face of the bumper pad which is on said main bumper frame so as to overlie the same and enable the end stop mechanism to be used for normal nonstagger piling operations.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 267 words

An end stop bumper structure for an overhead conveyor-type sheet piling machine which is mounted on a support adjustable longitudinally of the machine, which end stop structure comprises an L-shaped main frame with the long leg thereof disposed horizontally for reciprocating movement and with the short leg disposed vertically for mounting a bumper pad against which sheets are thrown for piling below the conveyor, track-forming rollers on the support on which said long leg rides, and a force-absorbing fluid cylinder on the support having the piston thereof connected to said main frame for cushioning the movement caused by the sheets striking the vertical face of the bumper pad, the bumper pad arrangement including a multisection bumper pad assembly adapted to be employed for stagger piling, the latter comprising a center pad section which is mounted on a movable carriage-forming frame arranged to be moved in a vertical path and then in a horizontal path, said main frame having tracks on the legs thereof defining said paths so that said center pad section may be moved upwardly for a substantial distance and then swung into a horizontal, out-of-the-way position where it will not interfere with the passage of sheets over the top of the bumper structure, and top side pad sections movably mounted on said main frame and having sheet-engaging face pads in the plane of the center pad section and extending above the same when said center pad section is in sheet-engaging position, said top side pad sections being moved to a retracted, nonoperative, out-of-the-way position upon movement of the center pad section to the horizontal position.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 267 words

An end stop bumper structure for an overhead conveyor-type sheet piling machine which is mounted on a support adjustable longitudinally of the machine, which end stop structure comprises an L-shaped main frame with the long leg thereof disposed horizontally for reciprocating movement and with the short leg disposed vertically for mounting a bumper pad against which sheets are thrown for piling below the conveyor, track-forming rollers on the support on which said long leg rides, and a force-absorbing fluid cylinder on the support having the piston thereof connected to said main frame for cushioning the movement caused by the sheets striking the vertical face of the bumper pad, the bumper pad arrangement including a multisection bumper pad assembly adapted to be employed for stagger piling, the latter comprising a center pad section which is mounted on a movable carriage-forming frame arranged to be moved in a vertical path and then in a horizontal path, said main frame having tracks on the legs thereof defining said paths so that said center pad section may be moved upwardly for a substantial distance and then swung into a horizontal, out-of-the-way position where it will not interfere with the passage of sheets over the top of the bumper structure, and top side pad sections movably mounted on said main frame and having sheet-engaging face pads in the plane of the center pad section and extending above the same when said center pad section is in sheet-engaging position, said top side pad sections being moved to a retracted, nonoperative, out-of-the-way position upon movement of the center pad section to the horizontal position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 53 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 7, and said pad sections being mounted on movable portions of side frames which are mounted on said main frame so as to be held in fixed relation relative to said center pad section when the center pad section is in sheet-engaging position.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 37 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 7, and said side pad sections being mounted on side frames which extend at least the full height of the vertically extending leg of said main frame.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 49 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 9, and said side frames having face pads disposed outboard of said side pad sections which are in a vertical plane offset relative to the face pad of said center pad section in the direction of said force-absorbing cylinder.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 41 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 10, and said outboard face pads being generally L-shaped with the long leg thereof on the outside and extending approximately the full height of the vertical leg of said main frame.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 36 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 7, and said carriage for said center pad section having guide rollers mounted thereon which ride in the tracks on the legs of said main frame.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 12, and certain of said guide rollers being mounted on plates which are pivoted to said carriage.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 48 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 7, and said carriage for said center pad section having a connection with said side pad sections so as to move said side pad sections to retracted position when said center pad section is moved to nonoperative position.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 14, and said connection comprising track formations on said side pad sections and cooperating rollers on said center pad section.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 12, and a fluid cylinder mounted on said support frame and having a chain connecting the piston thereof with said carriage for said center pad section for moving said carriage between operative and nonoperative positions.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 23 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 16, and a weight balancing device connecting said carriage and said main frame.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 60 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 7, and a stagger lip assembly mounted on said carriage for said center pad section with a pivoted lip member which is adapted to extend beneath the edges of sheets which are guided onto the pile by the center pad section when said center pad section is in operative position.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 49 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 18, and said stagger lip assembly being connected to said carriage by a pair of parallel links and having means for holding the lip member in a generally horizontal position as the carriage moves upwardly in said vertical path.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 34 words

An end stop bumper structure as set forth in claim 19, and said parallel links having an associated balancing spring member with one of said links having a lost motion connection with said carriage.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-01-25	1974-07-27	1975-01-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-01-25	1978-07-27	1979-01-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-01-25	1982-07-27	1983-01-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sheet piler with stagger stop mechanism

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