Apparatus for piling up sheets

Claim 2

Apparatus for piling up sheets comprising: a conveyor for successively conveying a number of sheets, bending means located close to the discharge end of said conveyor for bending said sheets upwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement thereof, said bending means including a convex roller and a concave roller cooperating with said convex roller for bending the sheets therebetween, horizontal guide means for successively guiding the sheets discharged from said discharge end of said conveyor in a direction substantially in alignment with said conveyor and forcing said sheets downwardly, and a sheet receiver located below said horizontal guide means for successively piling up said sheets therein.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said conveyor includes first and second conveyor belts adapted to clamp said sheets therebetween, said first conveyor belt passing around said convex roller and said second conveyor belt passing around said concave roller.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said bending means further comprises a second convex roller positioned close to said concave roller for preventing said second conveyor belt from disengaging from said concave roller.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said conveyor belts have a width smaller than the width of said sheets so that the sheets are conveyed with their side edges projected beyond the side edges of said belts, and wherein the curvatures of said rollers gradually increases toward the discharge end of said conveyor, thus bending said sheets in the form of a cross-section of a boat.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal guide means includes a guide member having a lower edge which is inclined downwardly in the direction of movement of the sheets discharged from said conveyor to thereby brake the sheets and urge them downwardly.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal guide means includes a guide member having a lower edge shaped to receive and guide in the horizontal direction the sheets discharged from said conveyor and wherein said apparatus further comprises means located in the passage of said conveyor for producing a signal in response to the sheet conveyed by said conveyor, and means responsive to said signal for driving downwardly said guide member thus forcing downwardly the sheet to be guided by said guide member.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said guide member is extending in the direction of movement of said sheets and said second mentioned means comprises a rotary member and a link connecting said rotary member to the end of said guide member close to the discharge end of aid conveyor.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said first link is longer than said second link so that said one end of said guide member is moved downwardly with a larger stroke than said opposite end.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second mentioned means comprises a rotary member, one end of said guide member close to the discharge end of said conveyor is connected to said rotary member through a first link and the opposite end of said guide member remote from said discharge end is pivotally mounted on a stationary member through a second link.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said rotary member is a rotary solenoid which is rotated in response to said signal generated by said first mentioned means.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said one end of said guide member close to the discharge end of said conveyor is provided with a braking member for decelerating said sheets.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said receiver comprises a first vertical vibrating plate for aligning in the vertical direction the side edges of said sheets.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said first vertical vibrating plate is vibrated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of said sheets by means of an eccentric roller driven by a roller of said conveyor.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 1 whereiN said receiver comprises a second vertical vibrating plate for aligning in the vertical direction one end of said sheets.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said second vertical vibrating plate is positioned at one end of the sheets piled up in said receiver and is vibrated in the direction of movement of said sheets by means of rotary cam means.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said receiver includes a movable bottom plate and means responsive to the level of the sheets piled up on said bottom plate for controlling said movable plate so as to maintain the level of said piled sheets at a predetermined value.

Claim 18

Apparatus for piling up sheets comprising: a conveyor for successively conveying a number of sheets, bending means located close to the discharge end of said conveyor for bending said sheets upwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement thereof, horizontal guide means for successively guiding the sheets discharged from said discharge end of said conveyor in a direction substantially in alignment with said conveyor and forcing said sheets downwardly, and a sheet receiver located below said horizontal guide means for successively piling up said sheets therein, said horizontal guide means including a guide member having a lower edge shaped to receive and guide in the horizontal direction the sheets discharged from said conveyor, first means located in the passage of said conveyor for producing a signal in response to the sheets conveyed by said conveyor and second means responsive to said signal for driving downwardly said guide member to force downwardly the sheets to be guided by said guide member.

Claim 19

Apparatus for piling up sheets comprising: a conveyor for successively conveying a number of sheets, bending means located close to the discharge end of said conveyor for bending said sheets upwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement thereof, horizontal guide means for successively guiding the sheets discharged from said discharge end of said conveyor in a direction substantially in alignment with said conveyor and forcing said sheets downwardly, and a sheet receiver located below said horizontal guide means for successively piling up said sheets therein, said horizontal guide means including a guide member having a lower edge shaped to receive and guide in the horizontal direction the sheets discharged from said conveyor, first means located in the passage of said conveyor for producing a signal in response to the sheets conveyed by said conveyor and second means responsive to said signal for driving downwardly said guide member to force downwardly the sheets to be guided by said guide member.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said guide member is extending in the direction of movement of said sheets and said second mentioned means comprises a rotary member and a link connecting said rotary member to the end of said guide member close to the discharge end of said conveyor.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said second mentioned means comprises a rotary member, one end of said guide member close to the discharge end of said conveyor is connected to said rotary member through a first link and the opposite end of said guide member remote from said discharge end is pivotally mounted on a stationary member through a second link.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said first link is longer than said second link so that said one end of said guide member is moved downwardly with a larger stroke than said opposite end.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said rotary member is a rotary solenoid which is rotated in response to said signal generated by said first mentioned means.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said one end of said guide member close to the discharge end of said conveyor is provided with a braking member for decelerating said sheets.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said receiver comprises a first vertical vibrating plate for aligning in the vertical direction the side edges of said sheets.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said first vertical vibrating plate is vibrated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of said sheets by means of an eccentric roller driven by a roller of said conveyor.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said receiver comprises a second vertical vibrating plate for aligning in the vertical direction one end of said sheets.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said second vertical vibrating plate is positioned at one end of the sheets piled up in said receiver and is vibrated in the direction of movement of said sheets by means of rotary cam means.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said receiver includes a movable bottom plate and means responsive to the level of the sheets piled up on said bottom plate for controlling said movable plate so as to maintain the level of said piled up sheets at a predetermined value.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said conveyor includes first and second conveyor belts adapted to clamp said sheets therebetween and said bending means comprises a convex roller around which said first belt passes and a concave roller cooperating with said convex roller, said second conveyor belt passing around said concave roller.

Claim 31

An apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said bending means further comprises a second convex roller positioned close to said concave roller for preventing said second conveyor belt from disengaging from said concave roller.

Claim 32

An apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said conveyor belts have a width smaller than the width of said sheets so that the sheets are conveyed with their side edges projected beyond the side edges of said belts, and wherein the curvatures of said rollers gradually inreases toward the discharge end of said conveyor, thus bending said sheets in the form of a cross-section of a boat.