Patent US4388098A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3907281A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3907281A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Paper catcher device
Assignee: HALL PROCESSING SYSTEMS AN OHIO PARTNERSHIP
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Filing: 1974-03-15
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Granted: 1975-09-23
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Expires: 1994-03-15
Abstract
Abstract A portable auxiliary paper catcher or stacker device for particular use in newspaper printing lines of the type where the printed newspapers are continuously moved at high speed from the printing press area to conventional counter-stacker apparatus by means of a conventional conveyor system. The new paper catcher or stacker comprises a vertically elongated cabinet type arrangement positionable close to the conveyor system adjacent the counterstacker apparatus. A paper receiving basket or platen is disposed within the cabinet to be selectively movable from a normal position disposed adjacent the cabinet top end to a second position spaced toward the cabinet bottom end. Spring biasing means are employed to continuously urge the platen toward the normal position with the urging force of the biasing means being overcome by the weight of papers received on the platen. During line operation, should the counter-stacker apparatus become temporarily jammed or otherwise inoperative, the flow of papers may be temporarily diverted to the new paper catcher for temporary stacking and storage until the entire printing line may be shut down. This avoids the waste which has previously been experienced when papers moving toward the jammed counter-stacker have been manually removed from the line and thrown onto the floor or any other area available, until such time as the presses could be shut down.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore R Mckenzie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:33
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H31/00; B65H31/04; B65H31/12; B65H31/14; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/10; B65H2701/19; B65H2701/1932
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A paper catcher device adapted to receive and stack a plurality of individual papers in a generally vertically disposed face to face condition, said device comprising: a catcher frame having spaced apart side walls and a rear wall extending between said side walls to define a paper receiving cavity having at least an open top end and a bottom end; a paper supporting platen disposed within said cavity for selective movement between a first normal position adjacent said top end and a second position spaced from said first position toward said bottom end; operative means disposed between said platen and at least one of said walls for locating said platen in said receiving cavity, said locating means guiding said platen between said first and second positions; biasing means for continuously urging said platen toward said first position with the weight of said papers being received on said platen being sufficient to overcome the urging of said biasing means to move said platen from said first position toward said second position; and, means for automatically stacking said papers on said platen in a consecutive face to face condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
A paper catcher device adapted to receive and stack a plurality of individual papers in a generally vertically disposed face to face condition, said device comprising: a catcher frame having spaced apart side walls and a rear wall extending between said side walls to define a paper receiving cavity having at least an open top end and a bottom end; a paper supporting platen disposed within said cavity for selective movement between a first normal position adjacent said top end and a second position spaced from said first position toward said bottom end; operative means disposed between said platen and at least one of said walls for locating said platen in said receiving cavity, said locating means guiding said platen between said first and second positions; biasing means for continuously urging said platen toward said first position with the weight of said papers being received on said platen being sufficient to overcome the urging of said biasing means to move said platen from said first position toward said second position; and, means for automatically stacking said papers on said platen in a consecutive face to face condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said automatic stacking means comprises a portion of said platen and said top end of said catcher frame further includes means for guiding said papers into said receiving cavity, said guiding means comprising at least said frame side walls tapering inwardly toward each other from said top end to adjacent said first position, the width of said frame at said top end being greater than the width of the papers to be stacked.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The device as defined in claim 2 further including a front wall for said stacker frame spaced apart from said rear wall and adapted to extend between said side walls, said front wall being selectively movable between a first opened position providing accEss to said receiving cavity and a second closed position enclosing said receiving cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said front wall is hinged to one of said side walls for pivotal movement between said first and second positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said platen has an upper paper supporting surface which includes said stacking means, said stacking means comprising said upper supporting surface being angularly disposed downwardly toward said rear wall from the front of said receiving cavity whereby papers received on said supporting surface are biased by gravity toward engagement with said rear wall to effect desired paper stacking.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The device as defined in claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises compression springs operably mounted between said platen and said frame, said springs being in a substantially compressed condition when said plated is in said first position and in an increasingly expanded condition as said platen is moved toward said second position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
The device as defined in claim 6 wherein a pair of said springs are disposed outboard of each side wall in an operative mechanical association with said platen, said locating means comprising generally rigid members extending between said frame top and bottom ends and slidably interconnected with said platen, said side walls including elongated slot means for receiving the interconnection between said rigid members and said platen with the uppermost ends of said slot means defining said first position and the lowermost ends of said slot means defining said second position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The device as defined in claim 5 further including a front wall for said catcher frame spaced apart from said rear wall and adapted to extend between said side walls, said front wall being selectively movable between a first opened position providing access to said receiving cavity and a second closed position enclosing said receiving cavity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as defined in claim 8 wherein said front wall is hinged to one of said side walls for pivotal movement between said first and second conditions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
248 words
In a paper processing line of the type including a conveying system for continuously moving papers from initial processing apparatus toward final processing apparatus, the improvement comprising: a paper catching device disposed in communication with said line along said conveyor system for selected use with said line in receiving and stacking said papers when said final processing apparatus becomes temporarily inoperative, said catcher device comprising a catcher frame having spaced apart side walls and a rear wall extending between said side walls to define a paper receiving cavity having at least an open top end and a bottom end; a paper supporting platen disposed within said receiving cavity for selective movement between a first normal position adjacent said top end and a second position spaced from said first position toward said bottom end; operative means disposed between said platen and at least one of said walls for locating said platen in said receiving cavity, said locating means guiding said platen between said first and second positions; biasing means for continuously urging said platen toward said first position with the weight of said papers received on said platen being sufficient to overcome the urging of said biasing means to move said platen from said first position toward said second position; means for automatically stacking said papers on said platen in a consecutive face to face condition; and, means in said line for selectively diverting the flow of said papers from toward said final processing apparatus to said paper catcher.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
248 words
In a paper processing line of the type including a conveying system for continuously moving papers from initial processing apparatus toward final processing apparatus, the improvement comprising: a paper catching device disposed in communication with said line along said conveyor system for selected use with said line in receiving and stacking said papers when said final processing apparatus becomes temporarily inoperative, said catcher device comprising a catcher frame having spaced apart side walls and a rear wall extending between said side walls to define a paper receiving cavity having at least an open top end and a bottom end; a paper supporting platen disposed within said receiving cavity for selective movement between a first normal position adjacent said top end and a second position spaced from said first position toward said bottom end; operative means disposed between said platen and at least one of said walls for locating said platen in said receiving cavity, said locating means guiding said platen between said first and second positions; biasing means for continuously urging said platen toward said first position with the weight of said papers received on said platen being sufficient to overcome the urging of said biasing means to move said platen from said first position toward said second position; means for automatically stacking said papers on said platen in a consecutive face to face condition; and, means in said line for selectively diverting the flow of said papers from toward said final processing apparatus to said paper catcher.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
80 words
The improvement as defined in claim 10 wherein said automatic stacking means comprises a portion of said platen and said top end of said catcher further includes means for guiding said paper into said receiving cavity, said guiding means comprising at least said frame side walls tapering inwardly toward each other from said top end to adjacent said first position, the width of said frame at said top end being greater that the width of the papers to be stacked.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
The improvement as defined in claim 11 wherein said platen has an upper paper supporting surface which includes said stacking means, said stacking means comprising said upper surface being angularly disposed downwardly toward said rear wall from the front of said receiving cavity whereby papers received on said supporting surface are biased by gravity toward engagement with said rear wall to effect desired paper stacking.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The improvement as defined in claim 12 wherein said diverting means comprises a dump gate disposed along said conveyor system for selectively diverting said papers to said paper catcher, said line further including means for selectively actuating said gate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
The improvement as defined in claim 13 wherein said biasing means comprises compression springs operably mounted between said platen and said frame, said springs being in a substantially compressed condition when said platen is in said first position and in an increasingly expanded condition as said platen is moved toward said second position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
The improvement as defined in claim 14 wherein a pair of said springs are disposed outboard of each side wall in an operative mechanical association with said platen, said locating means comprising generally rigid members extending between said frame top and bottom ends and slidably interconnected with said platen, said side walls including elongated slot means for receiving the interconnection between said rigid members and said platen with the uppermost ends of said slot means defining said first position and the lowermost ends of said slot means defining said second position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
The improvement as defined in claim 12 further including a front wall for said catcher frame spaced apart from said rear wall and adapted to extend said side walls, said front wall being selectively movable between a first opened position providing access to said receiving cavity and a second closed position enclosing said receiving cavity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement as defined in claim 16 wherein said front wall is hinged to one of said side walls for pivotal movement between said first and second positions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a paper catcher device adapted to receive a plurality of individual papers on a paper receiving platen wherein said catcher device includes a catcher frame having side walls and at least a rear wall defining a paper receiving cavity with said platen received in said cavity and adapted for generally vertical movement therein such that the uppermost level of said papers remains substantially constant relative to said device, the improvement comprising: said platen having a paper supporting surface which includes automatic stacking means for stacking said papers in a desired face to face condition as they are received on said supporting surface, said stacking means comprising said supporting surface being angularly disposed downwardly toward said rear wall from the front of said cavity whereby papers received on said supporting surface are biased by gravity toward engagement with said rear wall to effect desired paper stacking.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a paper catcher device adapted to receive a plurality of individual papers on a paper receiving platen wherein said catcher device includes a catcher frame having side walls and at least a rear wall defining a paper receiving cavity with said platen received in said cavity and adapted for generally vertical movement therein such that the uppermost level of said papers remains substantially constant relative to said device, the improvement comprising: said platen having a paper supporting surface which includes automatic stacking means for stacking said papers in a desired face to face condition as they are received on said supporting surface, said stacking means comprising said supporting surface being angularly disposed downwardly toward said rear wall from the front of said cavity whereby papers received on said supporting surface are biased by gravity toward engagement with said rear wall to effect desired paper stacking.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-22 | 1979-03-24 | 1979-09-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-22 | 1983-03-24 | 1983-09-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-22 | 1987-03-24 | 1987-09-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |