US3768382A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stacker
Assignee: VALUMACO INCORPORATED A DELAWARE BANKING Corp
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Filing: 1971-02-04
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Granted: 1973-10-30
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Expires: 1991-02-04
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for automatically providing a gap or space in the movement of one or more files of carton blanks conveyed in a shingled relation on a delivery conveyor to an infeed conveyor or a carton blank stacker or similar carton handling device, the apparatus including a first member positioned in a transverse relation to the direction of travel of the file of carton blanks to engage the files and momentarily stop or hold the blanks while the speed of the infeed conveyor is increased to provide a gap in the file. The gap in the file of shingled carton blanks should be of sufficient length to allow for removal of the carton blanks stacked in the stacker. The first member can take the form of a clamp or brake shoe, a catch plate, or a gripper wheel. Continuously driven drive wheels can be provided to remove any loose, skewed or canted blanks gripped between the first and second members and to feed the carton blanks into the stacker.
Inventors
- 👤 P Zernov
- 👤 N Abler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 00:36
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/66; B65H33/00; B65H33/12; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/10; B65H2701/17; B65H2701/176
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A carton blank clamp apparatus for separating a file of carton blanks being conveyed in a shingled relation on a conveyor to a device downstream from the conveyor, said apparatus comprising, a first member positioned above said blanks and in a transverse relation to the direction of travel of said blanks, and means for raising said carton blanks to a position in abutting relation to said first member to clamp said carton blanks in a hanging and feathered relation over the device and thereby stop the motion of the carton blanks on the conveyor and allow the blanks on the downstream side of the first member to fall freely onto the device downstream from the conveyor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A carton blank clamp apparatus for separating a file of carton blanks being conveyed in a shingled relation on a conveyor to a device downstream from the conveyor, said apparatus comprising, a first member positioned above said blanks and in a transverse relation to the direction of travel of said blanks, and means for raising said carton blanks to a position in abutting relation to said first member to clamp said carton blanks in a hanging and feathered relation over the device and thereby stop the motion of the carton blanks on the conveyor and allow the blanks on the downstream side of the first member to fall freely onto the device downstream from the conveyor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said raising means comprises a second member positioned below said blanks in a transverse relation thereto and being mounted for movement into engagement with said first member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 2 including means for maintaining said second member in a fixed relation wIth respect to the conveyor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 including a resilient cushion on said first member and an angle plate on said second member positioned to engage said resilient cushion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 including means for selectively setting the height of said first member with respect to the conveyor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 including means for supporting said first member for movement with said raising means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 including means for biasing said first member towards said raising means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 including means for pulling loose or canted carton blanks clasped between said first member and said raising means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said pulling means comprises a drive wheel assembly supported at a distance from said moving means equal to slightly less than the length of one of the carton blanks.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 9 including means for adjusting the position of said drive wheel assembly with respect to said raising means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
120 words
The combination of a carton blank stacker having an infeed conveyor, a delivery conveyor for conveying carton blanks in a shingled relation to said infeed conveyor, and an apparatus positioned between said infeed conveyor and said delivery conveyor for gripping carton blanks in the gap between the conveyors to allow a stack of carton blanks to be removed from said stacker, said apparatus comprising means for clamping the carton blanks at the end of the delivery conveyor and elevating the clamped portions of the blanks above said delivery conveyor whereby the clamped carton blanks will hang in a feathered relation over the infeed conveyor allowing the carton blanks downstream from said clamping means to drop freely onto the infeed conveyor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
120 words
The combination of a carton blank stacker having an infeed conveyor, a delivery conveyor for conveying carton blanks in a shingled relation to said infeed conveyor, and an apparatus positioned between said infeed conveyor and said delivery conveyor for gripping carton blanks in the gap between the conveyors to allow a stack of carton blanks to be removed from said stacker, said apparatus comprising means for clamping the carton blanks at the end of the delivery conveyor and elevating the clamped portions of the blanks above said delivery conveyor whereby the clamped carton blanks will hang in a feathered relation over the infeed conveyor allowing the carton blanks downstream from said clamping means to drop freely onto the infeed conveyor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The combination according to claim 11 including means for adjusting the height of said first member with respect to said blanks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The combination according to claim 11 wherein said clamping means comprises a second cross member positioned in a transverse relation below said blanks.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The combination according to claim 13 including means for maintaining the second cross member in a predetermined relation to the top of the delivery conveyor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
102 words
A carton blank clamp assembly for stopping the motion of a number of carton blanks being conveyed in a shingled relation on a conveyor to a carton blank stacker, said assembly comprising, a first cross bar positioned above the blanks in a transverse relation to the direction of motion of said blanks, and means for moving said carton blanks into engagement with said first cross bar to clamp the carton blanks in a hanging position at the end of the conveyor whereby the carton blanks in the clamp assembly are held in a feathered relation over the input end of the stacker.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
102 words
A carton blank clamp assembly for stopping the motion of a number of carton blanks being conveyed in a shingled relation on a conveyor to a carton blank stacker, said assembly comprising, a first cross bar positioned above the blanks in a transverse relation to the direction of motion of said blanks, and means for moving said carton blanks into engagement with said first cross bar to clamp the carton blanks in a hanging position at the end of the conveyor whereby the carton blanks in the clamp assembly are held in a feathered relation over the input end of the stacker.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The clamp assembly according to claim 15 including means for adjusting the height of said first cross bar relative to said conveyor to accommodate the carton blanks which stack up behind the clamp assembly when the clamp assembly is closed on the conveyor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The clamp assembly according to claim 15 including means for maintaining the second cross bar in a predetermined relation to the top of the conveyor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The clamp assembly according to claim 15 including means for allowing said first cross bar to move upwardly with said second cross bar.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The clamp assembly according to claim 15 including means for pulling carton blanks from said clamp assembly which are not securely held by said clamp assembly.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
106 words
A carton blank pulling device mounted on an infeed conveyor for removing loose or skewed carton blanks clamped in a clamp assembly located at the end of a delivery conveyor having a number of files of carton blanks arranged in a shingled relation thereon, said device comprising a drive wheel assembly corresponding to each of said files of carton blanks, each of said Assemblies including a drive wheel for engaging any carton blanks extending outward from the assembly a distance nominally equal to or less than the length of a carton blank, and means for driving said assembly at the same speed as the infeed conveyor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
106 words
A carton blank pulling device mounted on an infeed conveyor for removing loose or skewed carton blanks clamped in a clamp assembly located at the end of a delivery conveyor having a number of files of carton blanks arranged in a shingled relation thereon, said device comprising a drive wheel assembly corresponding to each of said files of carton blanks, each of said Assemblies including a drive wheel for engaging any carton blanks extending outward from the assembly a distance nominally equal to or less than the length of a carton blank, and means for driving said assembly at the same speed as the infeed conveyor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The carton blank pulling device according to claim 20 including means for adjusting the distance of the drive wheel assembly from the clamp assembly.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination according to claim 11 including means for increasing the speed of the infeed conveyor.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The combination according to claim 11 including means for positively moving carton blanks from the infeed conveyor to the stacker.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The combination according to claim 23 wherein said moving means includes a number of drive wheel assemblies mounted at the discharge end of the infeed conveyor and positioned to ride on the surface of said carton blanks.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
79 words
In combination, a carton blank stacker having an infeed conveyor, a delivery conveyor for continuously conveying files of carton blanks in a shingled relation to said infeed conveyor, and means for holding said files at the end of said delivery conveyor in a feathered relation over said infeed conveyor for a sufficient duration to allow for the removal of the stacks of carton blanks from said carton blank stacker before the next carton blanks are conveyed to the stacker.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
79 words
In combination, a carton blank stacker having an infeed conveyor, a delivery conveyor for continuously conveying files of carton blanks in a shingled relation to said infeed conveyor, and means for holding said files at the end of said delivery conveyor in a feathered relation over said infeed conveyor for a sufficient duration to allow for the removal of the stacks of carton blanks from said carton blank stacker before the next carton blanks are conveyed to the stacker.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
51 words
The combination according to claim 25 wherein said holding means comprises a clamp assembly having a cross bar positioned above said delivery conveyor and means for moving said blanks into engagement with said cross bar to momentarily stop the motion of the carton blanks on the end of the delivery conveyor.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The combination according to claim 25 including means for operating said infeed conveyor at a greater speed than the delivery conveyor.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination according to claim 11 including a machine counter connected to actuate the clamping means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
125 words
Carton blank handling apparatus for separating a file of carton blanks which are being conveyed along a path and in overlapping shingled relationship to one another, said apparatus comprising, means for shifting said file of shingled blanks vertically so as to dispose a portion of said file of blanks in a hanging and feathered relationship where the blanks in said portion hang and are separated from one another at their rear ends in respect to the direction of travel, and clamping means for causing said file of carton blanks on the downstream side of said shifting means in respect to the direction of travel along said path to be momentarily retarded in their movement, and thereby cause said hanging blanks to separate from said file.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
125 words
Carton blank handling apparatus for separating a file of carton blanks which are being conveyed along a path and in overlapping shingled relationship to one another, said apparatus comprising, means for shifting said file of shingled blanks vertically so as to dispose a portion of said file of blanks in a hanging and feathered relationship where the blanks in said portion hang and are separated from one another at their rear ends in respect to the direction of travel, and clamping means for causing said file of carton blanks on the downstream side of said shifting means in respect to the direction of travel along said path to be momentarily retarded in their movement, and thereby cause said hanging blanks to separate from said file.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to claim 29 including a delivery conveyor and an infeed conveyor, said apparatus being located at the end of said delivery conveyor whereby said clamped carton blanks overhang said infeed conveyor.
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) | 1976-10-29 | 1977-04-30 | 1977-10-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-29 | 1981-04-30 | 1981-10-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-29 | 1985-04-30 | 1985-10-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |