US3724640A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Device for forming stacks from a flow of consecutively furnished flat items
Assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
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Filing: 1971-03-23
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Granted: 1973-04-03
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Expires: 1991-03-23
Abstract
Abstract A stacking device having a conveying system for continuously advancing individual, spaced apart flat items, such as pieces of mail, toward stacking compartments carried on a second conveying system. A monitoring and control system is associated with the second conveying system to move a stacking compartment that has been filled with stacked items away from the conveying system and move an empty compartment into a position for filling. An abutment means is disposed to be movable in response to signals from the monitoring and control system to interrupt the flow of items toward the stacking compartment during a hold time involved during the movement of empty and filled compartments. A buffer area is provided in the conveying system ahead of the interrupting abutment means in which the items are stacked during the hold time. The monitoring and control system is also effective, at the end of the hold period, to move the abutment means from an operative position to a rest position so that the conveying system accelerates the movement at the stack of items in the buffer area as a unit to the operatively positioned empty compartment.
Inventors
- 👤 H Rapparlie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:20
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H31/00; B65H31/32; B65H31/28; B65H33/00; B65H33/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
339 words
A device for forming stacks of flat items that are consecutively delivered as separate items, and with no overlapping between adjacent items, to a stacking location comprising, in combination: a. a first conveying means continuously driven to advance individual items thereon in a conveying path toward the stacking location; b. a second conveying means at the stacking location and having compartments positioned to receive and stack items delivered from said first conveying means, said second conveying means having motor means for periodically advancing individual compartments to the stacking location; c. an abutment means associated with said first conveying means and movable from a rest position to an operative position to interrupt the advancing movement of the items toward said second conveying means, said abutment means and said first conveying means together defining a buffer area in which the items are stacked during the time said abutment means is in operative position, that portion of the conveying path defined by said first conveying means which is located upstream of said buffer area in the conveying direction being positioned to form an acute angle with the plane of the items disposed in said buffer area, and with the vertex of said angle spaced from the operating position of said abutment means at a distance which is less than the length of the shortest item received in said buffer area; d. a monitoring and control system having monitoring devices associated with said first and second conveying means and at the stacking location, said system being interconnected with said motor means and said power means whereby when a compartment has received a full stack of items said motor means is energized so that this compartment is advanced away from the stacking location and an empty compartment is moved to the stacking location, said system simultaneously energizing said power means to move said abutment means to its operative position during movement of said compartments and then deenergizing said power means of said abutment means when said empty compartment is positioned at the stacking location.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
339 words
A device for forming stacks of flat items that are consecutively delivered as separate items, and with no overlapping between adjacent items, to a stacking location comprising, in combination: a. a first conveying means continuously driven to advance individual items thereon in a conveying path toward the stacking location; b. a second conveying means at the stacking location and having compartments positioned to receive and stack items delivered from said first conveying means, said second conveying means having motor means for periodically advancing individual compartments to the stacking location; c. an abutment means associated with said first conveying means and movable from a rest position to an operative position to interrupt the advancing movement of the items toward said second conveying means, said abutment means and said first conveying means together defining a buffer area in which the items are stacked during the time said abutment means is in operative position, that portion of the conveying path defined by said first conveying means which is located upstream of said buffer area in the conveying direction being positioned to form an acute angle with the plane of the items disposed in said buffer area, and with the vertex of said angle spaced from the operating position of said abutment means at a distance which is less than the length of the shortest item received in said buffer area; d. a monitoring and control system having monitoring devices associated with said first and second conveying means and at the stacking location, said system being interconnected with said motor means and said power means whereby when a compartment has received a full stack of items said motor means is energized so that this compartment is advanced away from the stacking location and an empty compartment is moved to the stacking location, said system simultaneously energizing said power means to move said abutment means to its operative position during movement of said compartments and then deenergizing said power means of said abutment means when said empty compartment is positioned at the stacking location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as dEfined in claim 1 further comprising means associated with said abutment means to engage said first conveying means when said power means is deenergized whereby a stack of items in the buffer area is accelerated as a unit toward the stacking location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said first conveying means comprises two conveyor belts disposed adjacent one another ahead of and behind the buffer area, said belts being guided at said buffer area to provide space for the stacked items.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said one belt is guided for movement over a guide roller at the vertex of the angle, said other belt is guided for movement over two guide rollers which are spaced apart a distance as determined by the acute angle, the length of said other belt between the vertex of the acute angle and one of said two guide rollers being greater than the length of the longest item to be stacked.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as defined in claim 4 wherein the other of said two guide rollers is a brush roller.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means associated with said abutment means comprises a movable pressure roller which cooperates with said guide roller at the vertex of the angle to guide said one belt and said other belt there between
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said one belt and said other belt are pressed together by the rollers when said abutment means is in rest position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said abutment means and said means associated with said abutment means are associated with each other through a two-armed lever system connected to said power means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said monitoring devices comprise a photo-electric cell system which is interrupted by the passage of an item on said first conveying means, an electrical switch which is closed and opened by an element on said second conveying means, and a second electrical switch operated to close when the stack of items in a compartment is completed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
A device as defined in claim 9 wherein said monitoring and control system further comprises a signal delay stage connected to said photo-electric cell system; an AND circuit connected to said delay stage and to said second electrical switch; an OR circuit having one input connected to the output of said AND circuit and a second input connected to receive the signal transmitted through said electrical switch, the output signal from said OR circuit controlling a switching stage connected to said motor and power means.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
304 words
A device for forming stacks of flat items that are consecutively delivered as separate items, and with no overlapping between adjacent items, to a stacking location comprising, in combination: a. a first conveying means continuously driven to advance individual items thereon in a conveying path toward the stacking location; b. a second conveying means periodically advanced by motor means to provide an empty stacking compartment at the stacking location as a compartment which has been fully stacked with items is removed from the stacking location; c. means comprising abutment means and an associated guide roller movable by power means from a rest position to an operating position in said first conveying means to interrupt the flow of items to the stacking location and provide a buffer area for stacking these items, that portion of the conveying path defined by said first conveying means which is located upstream of said buffer area in the conveying direction being positioned to form an acute angle with the plane of the items disposed in said buffer area, and with the vertex of said angle spaced from the operating position of said abutment means at a distance which is less than the length of the shortest item received in said buffer area; d. a monitoring and control system interconnected with said motor and power means, said system initiating the movement of the stacking compartments and a simultaneous actuation of saiD abutment means so that during the movement of said second conveying means said abutment means is in operative position and when said second conveying means is halted, said abutment means returns to a rest position and said associated guide roller engages said first conveying means to accelerate the movement of stack of items in the buffer area as a unit toward an empty stacking compartment at the stacking location.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
304 words
A device for forming stacks of flat items that are consecutively delivered as separate items, and with no overlapping between adjacent items, to a stacking location comprising, in combination: a. a first conveying means continuously driven to advance individual items thereon in a conveying path toward the stacking location; b. a second conveying means periodically advanced by motor means to provide an empty stacking compartment at the stacking location as a compartment which has been fully stacked with items is removed from the stacking location; c. means comprising abutment means and an associated guide roller movable by power means from a rest position to an operating position in said first conveying means to interrupt the flow of items to the stacking location and provide a buffer area for stacking these items, that portion of the conveying path defined by said first conveying means which is located upstream of said buffer area in the conveying direction being positioned to form an acute angle with the plane of the items disposed in said buffer area, and with the vertex of said angle spaced from the operating position of said abutment means at a distance which is less than the length of the shortest item received in said buffer area; d. a monitoring and control system interconnected with said motor and power means, said system initiating the movement of the stacking compartments and a simultaneous actuation of saiD abutment means so that during the movement of said second conveying means said abutment means is in operative position and when said second conveying means is halted, said abutment means returns to a rest position and said associated guide roller engages said first conveying means to accelerate the movement of stack of items in the buffer area as a unit toward an empty stacking compartment at the stacking location.
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) | 1976-04-02 | 1976-10-02 | 1977-04-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-02 | 1980-10-02 | 1981-04-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-02 | 1984-10-02 | 1985-04-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |