US3671034A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for stacking sheets
Assignee: Ridder Ingb Nv De
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Filing: 1970-06-30
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-06-30
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for stacking loose sheets, such as newspapers, periodicals and the like, which are fed in a continuous flow of imbricated sheets, each lying with its leading edge part under the preceding sheet of said flow, to a stack forming station having a stop forming an abutment for the leading edges of the oncoming sheets whereby each sheet is pushed underneath the preceding sheets forming a stack at the stacking station. The station is provided adjacent the stop with rotating star wheels engaging the leading edge of each oncoming sheet to lift said edge and to support the stack being formed at a small distance above the plane of feed so as to reduce the friction between the oncoming sheets and the growing stack. Further lifting means may be provided at the trailing lower edge of the stack being formed. When a stack of the requisite number of sheets is formed, a movable separating device is inserted underneath the stack so lifted for further raising and removing the completed stack.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerardus Johannes De Ridder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:42
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/12; B65H29/14; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/40; B65H2301/42; B65H2301/421; B65H2301/4212; B65H2301/42122; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/10; B65H2701/19; B65H2701/1932; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/114; Y10S414/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
334 words
An apparatus for stacking sheets, such as newspapers and the like, fed to said apparatus in a continuous flow of imbricated sheets each lying with its leading edge part under the trailing edge part of the preceding sheet of said flow, comprising Stack forming means, means for feeding said flow of imbricated sheets to said stack forming means in a plane of feed, said stack forming means including a stop member having an abutment face for the leading edges of said sheets fed thereto so as to stop said moving sheets and form said stack, and lifting means adjacent said stop member for lifting the leading edges of the sheets abutting against said stop member above said plane of feed, said lifting means including driven star wheel means having a plurality of radially extending teeth and so arranged that the points of said teeth describe an arc intersecting said plane of feed and the abutment face of said stop member, and a guide member arranged in front of said stop member and adjacent said star wheel means within said arc described by said teeth, said guide member having a sloping guide surface for the leading edges of said sheets rising from said plane of feed towards said abutment plane and a substantially flat upper surface, whereby the leading sheet edges are successively engaged by the teeth of said rotating star wheel means and guided upwardly along said guide surface until they abut against said abutment face where the resulting stack in course of formation is supported by said rotating star wheel means teeth, and a stack separating device arranged downstream of said stack forming means as seen in the direction of feed of said sheets, said stack forming means and stack separating device being movable relative to each other so as to allow said stack separating device to enter underneath the stack raised by said lifting means, said separating device being adapted to further lift and transfer the completed stack of sheets so separated.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
334 words
An apparatus for stacking sheets, such as newspapers and the like, fed to said apparatus in a continuous flow of imbricated sheets each lying with its leading edge part under the trailing edge part of the preceding sheet of said flow, comprising Stack forming means, means for feeding said flow of imbricated sheets to said stack forming means in a plane of feed, said stack forming means including a stop member having an abutment face for the leading edges of said sheets fed thereto so as to stop said moving sheets and form said stack, and lifting means adjacent said stop member for lifting the leading edges of the sheets abutting against said stop member above said plane of feed, said lifting means including driven star wheel means having a plurality of radially extending teeth and so arranged that the points of said teeth describe an arc intersecting said plane of feed and the abutment face of said stop member, and a guide member arranged in front of said stop member and adjacent said star wheel means within said arc described by said teeth, said guide member having a sloping guide surface for the leading edges of said sheets rising from said plane of feed towards said abutment plane and a substantially flat upper surface, whereby the leading sheet edges are successively engaged by the teeth of said rotating star wheel means and guided upwardly along said guide surface until they abut against said abutment face where the resulting stack in course of formation is supported by said rotating star wheel means teeth, and a stack separating device arranged downstream of said stack forming means as seen in the direction of feed of said sheets, said stack forming means and stack separating device being movable relative to each other so as to allow said stack separating device to enter underneath the stack raised by said lifting means, said separating device being adapted to further lift and transfer the completed stack of sheets so separated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said feeding means include at least one upper feed belt, and at least one lower feed belt forming said feed plane, and means for driving said feed belts and said star wheel means in a selected ratio of speed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which rollers are fitted on the points of the star wheel means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft for said star wheel means and a freewheel clutch means coupling said star wheel means with said drive shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said stack forming means further comprises second lifting means adapted to engage and lift the trailing lower edge of said stack in course of its formation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
174 words
The apparatus of claim 5 in which said feeding means include at least one driven upper feed belt and at least one driven lower feed belt forming said plane of feed, and in which said stack forming means further comprises a backing plate adjustable with respect to said stop member to a distance corresponding with the length of the sheets being handled, said backing plate having a lower edge spaced above said lower feed belt to allow the passage of said sheets to said guide member and stop member, said backing plate having a slot adjacent its lower edge, said second lifting means comprising a reversing roller for said upper feed belt arranged at said slot and projecting through the latter in the direction of feed sufficient that the trailing edges of the sheets reaching the stacking position are lifted upwards by said upper feed belt running over said reversing roller to a level past the height of the point on said upper feed belt projecting furthest towards the leading edge of the stack.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 6 in which said upper feed belt is provided with outwardly projecting transversely extending teeth.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said feeding means comprise a main upper feed belt and a main lower feed belt both centrally arranged opposite one another, and two further auxiliary lower feed belts extending on both sides of said main lower feed belt and set lower than the latter, and drive means for said several feed belts, whereby said sheets carried by said lower feed belts are caused to assume a downwardly curved cross-sectional shape before and at said sTack forming means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 8 in which said feeding means further comprise two pressure roller means one arranged on either side of said main upper feed belt just before the stack forming means and above said auxiliary lower feed belts for pushing the side parts of said sheets against the latter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
115 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said feeding means comprise at least one upper feed belt, at least one lower feed belt and drive means for said feed belts, further comprising a frame member supporting said feed belts and said stack forming means, said frame member being mounted for reciprocating movement in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus towards and away from said stack separating device for periodically removing a finished stack, and frame drive means for moving said frame member, said feed belt drive means being so controlled by the motion of said frame member that the absolute linear speed of said feed belts remains substantially constant ir-respective of said frame member motion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
The apparatus of claim 10 in which said upper frame part is hinged by its trailing side to a downwardly-extending arm member at its lower end pivotally mounted about the pivot axis of said parallel supporting bars at the trailing side of the frame member, said arm member being securable on said pivot axis at an adjustable angle to said supporting bars whereby the upper frame part is adjustable longitudinally with respect to the underframe part and can be swung upwards and lowered, respectively, to bring said upper feed belt into cooperation with said lower feed belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
127 words
The apparatus of claim 10 in which said stack forming means comprises a backing plate for the stacks being formed and in which said frame member includes an underframe part carrying said lower feed belt, said stop member and said first mentioned lifting means, an upper frame part carrying said upper feed belt and said backing plate, a number of pivotally mounted supporting bars supporting said underframe part and together with the latter forming a parallel motion system, said frame member drive means engaging at least one of said supporting rods, said belt driving means comprising at least one driving wheel rotatably mounted on the pivotal axis of at least one of said supporting bars, and transmission means for driving said feed belts from said driving wheel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 12 in which said backing plate is equipped with cheek plates adapted to adjustably hold the stack laterally.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
145 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said separating device comprises a parting finger extending in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus against the direction of feed of said sheets and pivotally mounted at its rear end, means being provided to swing said parting finger upwards upon its introduction underneath said stack upon said relative movement of said stack forming means and said separating device so as to lift said stack to the level of the upper side of said stop member, the tip of said parting finger during said swinging motion describing an arc to the rear of said guide surface of said guide member, said separating device further comprising removal belts extending adjacent the upper side of said stop member in the direction of feed of said sheets, said parting finger being provided on its upper side with a further driven removal belt.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising driven guide belts arranged on either side of said parting finger removal belt running obliquely from a point underneath said stack forming means upwardly in the direction of feed of said sheets whereby the finished stack is laterally guided during the removal thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said separating device further comprises at least one pressure roller mounted for vertical movement over said stack forming means and adapted to engage the top of said stack in course of formation, and means for adjustably varying the pressure applied by said pressure roller.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
The Apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a frame member carrying said pressure roller, a parallel motion system hingeably supporting said frame member, and at least one driven upper removal belt likewise carried by said latter frame member and extending rearwardly from said pressure roller in the direction of feed of said sheets, said upper removal belt engaging the top of a finished stack during the removal thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising counterweight means arranged to partially balance the weight of said parallel motion system and said latter frame member supported thereby.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a tensioning spring coupled with said parallel motion system in a manner to be tensioned on the operating movement of said separating device thereby pressing said removal belt carrying frame member with increased force against said stack.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising an electromagnetic clutch coupling said spring with said parallel motion system and means for energizing said electromagnetic clutch when said stack is about to be removed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 17 in which the angle at which said upper removal belts are run is adjustable with respect to said lower removal belts engaging the bottom of said stack on the removal thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a manually-adjustable differential gear coupled with said star wheel means and allowing the angular setting of said star wheel means with respect to said feed belts to be adjusted.
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) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |