US3561753A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sheet collating device
Assignee: Norfin International Inc
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Filing: 1968-07-29
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Granted: 1971-02-09
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Expires: 1988-07-29
Abstract
Abstract A sheet collating device having a collator distributor for receiving sheets and distributing the sheets at preselected vertical positions for reception by a vertical column of bins. The sheet distributor has a perforated tape conveyor system with a vertical course located in front of the column of bins. The conveyor tape passes over a vacuum plenum which serves to hold the sheets to the moving tape until they are deflected. A deflector mechanism is mounted for vertical travel up and down the vertical course of the conveyor with its position being controlled by an electrical control system so as to cycle through a set of preselected vertically spaced positions. Extensible tape members are connected at one end to the deflector so as to move therewith and to overly the moving sheet to aid in retaining the sheet against the conveyor. Stationary vertical backup means are provided in back of the sheet which cooperate with the extensible tapes in maintaining the sheet properly disposed until it reaches the position of deflection. The device may also include bypass conveyor means for moving sheets onto an adjacent collating device placed in tandem. The bin assembly is carried by the same frame and cabinet which mounts the distributor mechanism and is mounted so as to be easily removed from the cabinet. Access is afforded to the shelves from one side of the cabinet to facilitate removal of the collated sheets.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald L Snellman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:39
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H39/00; B65H39/10; B65H39/11; B65H2408/00; B65H2408/10; B65H2408/11; B65H2408/112
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
In a sheet collator device having a collator distributor for receiving and distributing sheets at preselected vertical positions for reception by a vertical column of bins, a sheet conveyor system comprising; an endless distributor conveyor tape having a substantially vertical run opposite said vertical column of bins, means for driving said distributor conveyor tape, stationary vertical sheet backup members located on opposite sides of said distributor conveyor tape for contacting the surface of a sheet conveyed thereby, a vertically movable sheet deflector assembly for deflecting moving sheets from said distributor conveyor tape into selected ones of said bins, retractable tape members having their ends fixed relative to said distributor conveyor tape and the opposite ends thereof connected to said deflector assembly, said retractable tapes being in faceto-face proximity with respective stationary backup members, and said distributor conveyor tape comprising the sole conveyor tape means for moving sheets along said vertical run whereby moving sheets are retained against the surfaces of said distributor conveyor tape and said backup members for movement to the position of said deflector assembly, and means for applying a vacuum pressure to the surface of the distributor conveyor tape to aid in retaining the moving sheet thereagainst for movement thereby.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
203 words
In a sheet collator device having a collator distributor for receiving and distributing sheets at preselected vertical positions for reception by a vertical column of bins, a sheet conveyor system comprising; an endless distributor conveyor tape having a substantially vertical run opposite said vertical column of bins, means for driving said distributor conveyor tape, stationary vertical sheet backup members located on opposite sides of said distributor conveyor tape for contacting the surface of a sheet conveyed thereby, a vertically movable sheet deflector assembly for deflecting moving sheets from said distributor conveyor tape into selected ones of said bins, retractable tape members having their ends fixed relative to said distributor conveyor tape and the opposite ends thereof connected to said deflector assembly, said retractable tapes being in faceto-face proximity with respective stationary backup members, and said distributor conveyor tape comprising the sole conveyor tape means for moving sheets along said vertical run whereby moving sheets are retained against the surfaces of said distributor conveyor tape and said backup members for movement to the position of said deflector assembly, and means for applying a vacuum pressure to the surface of the distributor conveyor tape to aid in retaining the moving sheet thereagainst for movement thereby.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
The device according to claim 1 wherein; said distributor conveyor tape passes about vertically spaced upper and lower rotatable tracking members one of which is driven by motor means, infeed guide means positioned to direct sheets in a generally horizontal path tangent to the upper tracking member, and sheet deflector means having curved surfaces positioned to direct an incoming sheet from a horizontal path to the substantially vertical course of said distributor conveyor tape opposite said column of bins.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
215 words
A device according to claim 2 wherein said distributor conveyor tape is provided with longitudinally spaced perforations along each lateral edge thereof, and said means for applying a vacuum pressure to the surface of the distributor conveyor tape comprising an elongated vacuum plenum extending along the backside of the vertical run of said distributor conveyor tape adjacent the bins, and means to apply the vacuum pressure to said plenum, the wall of said plenum in contact with said tape being open to said tape and in communication with said perforations to apply vacuum pressure through the perforations to a sheet carried by the moving distributor conveyor tape, the open wall of said plenum in contact with said distributor conveyor tape is provided with inwardly extending flanges having tapered edges in the path of movement of the perforations and arranged to cover a portion of the area of the perforation to control the effective size of the orifice provided thereby, the taper on said edges being arranged to diverge in a direction away from the point of application of vacuum pressure to the plenum, thereby serving to decrease the area of each orifice as it approaches the source of vacuum pressure to aid in equalizing the vacuum pressure along the length of the distributor conveyor tape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
The device according to claim 2 wherein said collator distributor and said vertical column of bins are mounted in a common housing, said housing having a sheet infeed opening on one wall adjacent said infeed guide means and an outfeed opening on the opposite wall, transfer conveyor means extending between said upper tracking member on said outfeed opening for transferring incoming sheets directly from the infeed guide means to said outfeed opening, and said sheet deflector means having a first position wherein the curved surfaces thereof direct an incoming sheet to the vertical run of the distributor conveyor tape and a second position wherein a second set of surfaces directs the incoming sheet onto said transfer conveyor, whereby a plurality of said sheet collator devices may be placed for operation in tandem.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device according to claim 4 wherein said common housing includes support means, mounting means for mounting said column of bins on said support means for fore-and-aft movement toward and away from the deflector assembly, and the sidewall of said common housing providing an opening for lateral access to the individual bins for removal of collated sheets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The device according to claim 2 including; an electrical control system, said control system including indexing means for indexing the deflector assembly between a predetermined series of positions to deflect sheets to different ones of said bins responsive to a sheet moving over the deflector assembly, and signal means responsive to the delivery of a sheet to the last bin in a preselected series to energize said sheet deflector means to move said deflector means to said second position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
The device according to claim 6 where; said transfer conveyor comprises an endless transfer conveyor tape having a substantially horizontal upper run extending between said infeed guide means and said outfeed opening, means for driving said transfer conveyor tape, and stationary guide means located on opposite sides of said tape for maintaining the lateral edge portions of a traveling sheet in the substantially horizontal plane of said transfer conveyor tape.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device according to claim 7 including means for applying a vacuum pressure to the surface of the transfer conveyor tape to aid in retaining the moving sheet thereagainst.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-02-08 | 1974-08-10 | 1975-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-02-08 | 1978-08-10 | 1979-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-02-08 | 1982-08-10 | 1983-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |