Abstract A tray for supporting a stack of sheet material to be fed sequentially therefrom. The tray includes side support plates to align the sheets in the direction of feed, a backup plate to retard rearward movement of the sheets in that direction and front snubber tabs engageable with the top, front edge of the topmost sheet in the stack. The sheets are fed therefrom by rollers which give an initial rearward movement to the topmost sheet. Rearward movement of the sheet is prohibited by the backup plates as the front edge of the sheet is withdrawn from beneath the snubber tabs as a reverse buckle is formed in the sheet. The feed rolls are then reversed to feed the sheet over the snubber tabs and out of the tray. The upper sheet supporting surface of the tray includes a contoured plate coactable with the rollers to maintain normal distribution of forces on each sheet of the stack, regardless of the height of the stack and thereby assure the feeding out of single sheets including the last sheet from the tray.
Apparatus for feeding the topmost sheet from a stack of sheet material including support means adapted to hold a stack of cut sheet material, said support sheet including a contoured sheet supporting plate having at least one inclined surface for deforming said sheet material supported thereon, rotating means arranged to contact the topmost sheet in the stack within a plane substantially perpendicular to said inclined surface, means to drive said rotating means to advance the sheet in contact therewith, and pivot means operatively associated with said rotating meanS to continually position said rotating means in contact with the topmost sheet in said plane normal to the inclined surface as the stack becomes depleted whereby a substantially uniform force is exerted on each sheet fed from said stack.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus for feeding the topmost sheet from a stack of sheet material including support means adapted to hold a stack of cut sheet material, said support sheet including a contoured sheet supporting plate having at least one inclined surface for deforming said sheet material supported thereon, rotating means arranged to contact the topmost sheet in the stack within a plane substantially perpendicular to said inclined surface, means to drive said rotating means to advance the sheet in contact therewith, and pivot means operatively associated with said rotating meanS to continually position said rotating means in contact with the topmost sheet in said plane normal to the inclined surface as the stack becomes depleted whereby a substantially uniform force is exerted on each sheet fed from said stack.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means is positioned above said support means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotating means is a roller means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including pad means of cork mounted on said inclined surface and being arranged to coact with said roller to facilitate the feeding out of the last sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein rotation of said rotating means causes the contacted sheet to move in an uphill direction.