US3724840A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stacking apparatus for sheet articles fed in overlapping formation on a continuously moving conveyor towards a stacking station
Assignee: Windmoeller and Hoelscher KG
•
Filing: 1971-04-29
•
Granted: 1973-04-03
•
Expires: 1991-04-29
Abstract
Abstract A stacking apparatus for sheet articles fed in overlapping formation on a continuously moving conveyor towards a stacking station, wherein the lowermost article of each intended stack is temporarily held stationary on the conveyor so that succeeding articles destined for the same stack bank up and their degree of overlap is increased before the lowermost article is released again. A braking device is progressively applied to the succeeding articles in an upstream direction at a speed so that their leading edges become held at uniform spacings from one another and is released from all the articles when the lowermost article is also released.
Inventors
- 👤 G Kuckhermann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 08:05
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H33/00; B65H33/12; B65H29/00; B65H29/66; B65H29/6654; B65H2511/00; B65H2511/20; B65H2511/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A stacking apparatus for sheet articles, comprising a continuously moving conveyor for feeding said sheet articles in overlapping scale formation, means for holding temporarily stationary the lowermost article of a stack to be formed at a stacking station to space the lowermost article from preceding articles of the overlapping formation and to cause succeeding articles of the overlapping formation to be restrained, braking means adapted to be applied to the leading edges of said succeeding articles during their restraint, the position of braking effect progressing in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the articles and at a speed so that the relationship between the conveyor speed and the speed at which the braking effect progresses is constant, the braking means being adapted to be lifted from said succeeding articles when said lowermost article is released again.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A stacking apparatus for sheet articles, comprising a continuously moving conveyor for feeding said sheet articles in overlapping scale formation, means for holding temporarily stationary the lowermost article of a stack to be formed at a stacking station to space the lowermost article from preceding articles of the overlapping formation and to cause succeeding articles of the overlapping formation to be restrained, braking means adapted to be applied to the leading edges of said succeeding articles during their restraint, the position of braking effect progressing in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the articles and at a speed so that the relationship between the conveyor speed and the speed at which the braking effect progresses is constant, the braking means being adapted to be lifted from said succeeding articles when said lowermost article is released again.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of parallel spaced belts, slide rails disposed flush with the conveying runs of the belts extend along the spaces therebetween, and the braking means comprise spaced strips which are disposed above the side rails, are held stationary by at least one end and are movable from above towards the said succeeding articles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the strips are flexible bands fixed by their downstream ends to a clamping bar which is reciprocatable towards the said lowermost article to hold the leading end thereof stationary, the upstream ends of the bands being attached to a point spaced above the conveyor, and wherein at least one pressure roll which is movable in the upstream direction during restraint of the succeeding articles is provided for pressing on the bands from above against the succeeding articles before being retracted in the downstream direction after the said lowermost article has been released.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure roll is retracted whilst it is lifted so as not to press the bands against the successive articles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the strips are upwardly concave resilient metal bands fixed by their downstream ends to a clamping bar which is reciprocatable towards the said lowermost article to hold the leading end thereof stationary, and wherein the upstream ends of the bands are movable towards the said succeeding articles during the restraint thereof and away therefrom after the said lowermost article has been released.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bands are of spring steel.
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 |