Stacker

Claim 2

A stacker for flexible articles successively presented to an output station, said stacker comprising a support member for said articles and a movable member for transporting said articles from said station to said support member, said movable member being planar and elongated and being pivotable about a horizontally disposed axis so that said articles are transported by pivoting said movable member, a means for producing suction being provided on said movable member so that said articles are secured to said movable member as said movable member transports said articles, said support member comprising a plurality of elongated members and a vertically extending shaft, said elongated members extending radially and perpendicularly from said shaft, said shaft being rotatable so that after a predetermined number of articles have been draped by said movable member on one of said arms, said shaft is rotated to present another one of said members to support the next article transported by said movable member to said support member.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said suction means comprises a perforated tube which is disposed at the outermost edge of said movable meMber from said axis, said tube being connected to a source of reduced pressure to cause suction.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 wherein said movable member is perforated.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 wherein said movable member further includes a counterweight which is disposed diametrically opposite said perforated portion about said horizontally disposed axis.

Claim 6

A stacker for flexible articles successively presented to an output station, said stacker comprising a support member for said articles and a movable member for transporting said articles from said station to said support member, said movable member being planar and elongated and being pivotable about a horizontally disposed axis so that said articles are transported from said station to said support member by pivoting said movable member, with said movable member being positioned adjacent said output station so that said articles are draped over said movable member when placed in said output station, said support member comprising a plurality of elongated arms and a vertically extending shaft, said arms each being secured to said rotatable shaft, said arms being so disposed that one of said arms faces said movable member, said shaft being rotated after a preselected number of articles are placed on said arm facing said movable member so that a different one of said arms faces said support member, said movable member having means for producing suction with said suction means comprising a perforated tube which is disposed along the outermost edge of said movable member from said axis, said tube being connected to a source of reduced pressure to cause suction, said suction means acting to secure said articles to said movable member as said movable member transports said articles.

Claim 7

A stacker for flexible articles successively presented to an output station, said stacker comprising a support member for said articles and a movable member for transporting said articles from said station to said support member, said movable member being planar and elongated and being pivotable about a horizontally disposed axis so that said articles are transported from said station to said support member by pivoting said movable member, with said movable member being positioned adjacent said output station so that said articles are draped over said movable member when placed in said output station, said support member comprising a plurality of elongated arms and a vertically extending shaft, said arms each being secured to said rotatable shaft, said arms being so disposed that one of said arms faces said movable member, said shaft being rotated after a preselected number of articles are placed on said arm facing said movable member so that a different one of said arms faces said support member, said movable member having means for producing suction with said suction means comprising a perforated tube which is disposed along the outermost edge of said movable member from said axis, said tube being connected to a source of reduced pressure to cause suction, said suction means acting to secure said articles to said movable member as said movable member transports said articles.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 5 wherein four arms are provided, each of which is spaced 90* from the closest adjacent arms about the periphery of the shaft.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 6 wherein an indexing member is providing having detents for causing the rotation of said shaft to be stopped at 90* intervals.