Method and means for stacking articles

Claim 2

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forms them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an article conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising a member carried by said discharge end and extending toward said platform and means sensitive to the pressure applied to said member from the direction of said platform for raising the platform in response to pressures greater than some given pressure and for lowering the platform in response to pressures less than a given pressure.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 in which said conveyor pivoting control means comprises holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform.

Claim 4

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forms them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an aRticle conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; said holding means comprising a catcher and means for moving the catcher to a position between said conveyor end and said stacking platform such as to catch articles at a height sensed by said means for sensing height.

Claim 5

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forms them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an aRticle conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; said holding means comprising a catcher and means for moving the catcher to a position between said conveyor end and said stacking platform such as to catch articles at a height sensed by said means for sensing height.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 3 in which said catcher is carried by said conveyor for movement with said conveyor end as it pivots.

Claim 7

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forms them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an article conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; said holding means comprising a catcher and means for moving the catcher to a position between said conveyor end and said stacking platform such as to catch articles at a height sensed by said means for sensing height; said holding means comprising a catcher in the form of tines carried by said conveyor and means for rotating said tines rapidly to a position below said conveyor end to receive the next article discharged from the conveyor and then rotating said tines relatively slowly whereby to permit formation of a starter stack of subsequently arriving articles and then rotating said tines rapidly to a position removed from said stacking location; and means for preventing movement of a starter stack from said stacking location as the tines are removed whereby the starter stack will be deposited on said stacking platform.

Claim 8

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forms them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an article conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; said holding means comprising a catcher and means for moving the catcher to a position between said conveyor end and said stacking platform such as to catch articles at a height sensed by said means for sensing height; said holding means comprising a catcher in the form of tines carried by said conveyor and means for rotating said tines rapidly to a position below said conveyor end to receive the next article discharged from the conveyor and then rotating said tines relatively slowly whereby to permit formation of a starter stack of subsequently arriving articles and then rotating said tines rapidly to a position removed from said stacking location; and means for preventing movement of a starter stack from said stacking location as the tines are removed whereby the starter stack will be deposited on said stacking platform.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 5 which further comprises means for removing stacks of articles from said stacking platform during said interval of time.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 6 in which said stacking platform is mounted for pivitol movement about an axis transverse to the direction of movement to articles being discharged from said conveyor from a first position in which the first arriving part of an article to be stacked is positioned below its last arriving part to a second, substantially horizontal position; and means for maintaining said stacking platform in said first position except during operation of said means for removing stacks.

Claim 11

The invention defined in claim 7 which further comprises means in the form of a stop for limiting motion of articles being discharged from said conveyor such that they remain within said stacking location; said stacking platform being pivotal about an axis extending on a line above the level of said stacking platform when horizontal whereby stacks of articles are forced against said stop as the platform is pivoted to horizontal position.

Claim 12

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forMs them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an article conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; means for removing stacks of articles from said stacking platform during said interval of time; said stacking platform being mounted for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the direction of movement of articles being discharged from said conveyor from a first position in which the first arriving part of an article to be stacked is positioned below its last arriving part to a second, substantially horizontal position; means for maintaining said stacking platform in said first position except during operation of said means for removing stacks; means in the form of a stop for limiting motion of articles being discharged from said conveyor such that they remain within said stacking location; said stacking platform being pivotal about an axis extending on a line above the level of said stacking platform when horizontal whereby stacks of articles are forced against said stop as the platform is pivoted to horizontal position; said means for removing articles comprising a push rod and means for driving the push rod against a stack of articles; and said push rod having adjustable height and means for adjusting its height to increase when said conveyor end is up and to decrease when said conveyor end is down.

Claim 13

In a stacker of the kind that receives articles in a stream and forMs them into a series of stacks, in combination: a frame; a stacking platform carried by said frame at a stacking location; an article conveyor pivotally mounted on said frame with its discharge end positioned at said stacking location at a height variable with pivotal movement of said discharge end; conveyor pivoting control means for maintaining said discharge end in close proximity to the top of forming stacks of articles during formation of the stack except at the time of initiation of a new stack; said conveyor pivoting control means comprising holding means for holding the first article of a stack at a height above said stacking platform for an interval of time whereby said conveyor end will be positioned at an upward position permitting removal of a previously formed stack from said stacking platform; means for removing stacks of articles from said stacking platform during said interval of time; said stacking platform being mounted for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the direction of movement of articles being discharged from said conveyor from a first position in which the first arriving part of an article to be stacked is positioned below its last arriving part to a second, substantially horizontal position; means for maintaining said stacking platform in said first position except during operation of said means for removing stacks; means in the form of a stop for limiting motion of articles being discharged from said conveyor such that they remain within said stacking location; said stacking platform being pivotal about an axis extending on a line above the level of said stacking platform when horizontal whereby stacks of articles are forced against said stop as the platform is pivoted to horizontal position; said means for removing articles comprising a push rod and means for driving the push rod against a stack of articles; and said push rod having adjustable height and means for adjusting its height to increase when said conveyor end is up and to decrease when said conveyor end is down.

Claim 14

A stacker of publications and like articles, comprising in combination: means in the form of a stacking platform disposed below a stacking location for holding stack; means in the form of a catcher for holding a starting stack moveable from a first position over said stacking platform in said stacking location to a second position removed therefrom; means in the form of a conveyor having a discharge end disposed at said stacking location over said stacking platform and over said catcher, when said catcher is in said first position, for discharging articles into said stacking location onto said catcher when said catcher is in said first position and onto said platform after the catcher is in second position; conveyor moving means for moving said discharge end of said conveyor downwardly when said discharge end is not located proximately to an article on either of said catcher and said stacking platform and for moving said discharge end of said conveyor up when it is located proximately to an article on either of said catcher and said stacking platform; and means for moving said catcher from said second position to said first position at a speed sufficient to catch the first article of a starting stack prior to its coming to rest on the top of a preceeding stack.

Claim 15

A stacker of publications and like articles, comprising in combination: means in the form of a stacking platform disposed below a stacking location for holding stack; means in the form of a catcher for holding a starting stack moveable from a first position over said stacking platform in said stacking location to a second position removed therefrom; means in the form of a conveyor having a discharge end disposed at said stacking location over said stacking platform and over said catcher, when said catcher is in said first position, for discharging articles into said stacking location onto said catcher when said catcher is in said first position and onto said platform after the catcher is in second position; conveyor moving means for moving said discharge end of said conveyor downwardly when said discharge end is not located proximately to an article on either of said catcher and said stacking platform and for moving said discharge end of said conveyor up when it is located proximately to an article on either of said catcher and said stacking platform; and means for moving said catcher from said second position to said first position at a speed sufficient to catch the first article of a starting stack prior to its coming to rest on the top of a preceeding stack.

Claim 16

The invention defined in claim 10 in which said conveyor moving means is effective to move the catcher with said conveyor end and comprises sensing means for sensing the separation between the discharge end of the conveyor and the top of a stack and for moving the conveyor end and the catcher upwardly when the separation is less than a given degree.

Claim 17

In a stacker; a platform at a stacking position; conveying means for conveying articles to a catching position above the platform; catching means comprising a catcher for catching a pile of articles and holding them in the catching positioN and subsequently depositing the pile upon said platform; means for selectively removing and replacing said catcher at said catching position; a frame upon which said platform, said conveying means and said catcher and said means for selectively removing and replacing said catcher are all installed; said conveyingg means and said catching means being mounted on said frame for movement together vertically above said platform; and means for lowering the catcher to successively lower planes relative to the conveying means prior to dropping said pile on said platform.

Claim 18

In a stacker; a platform at a stacking position; conveying means for conveying articles to a catching position above the platform; catching means comprising a catcher for catching a pile of articles and holding them in the catching positioN and subsequently depositing the pile upon said platform; means for selectively removing and replacing said catcher at said catching position; a frame upon which said platform, said conveying means and said catcher and said means for selectively removing and replacing said catcher are all installed; said conveyingg means and said catching means being mounted on said frame for movement together vertically above said platform; and means for lowering the catcher to successively lower planes relative to the conveying means prior to dropping said pile on said platform.

Claim 19

The invention defined in claim 12 in which said means for lowering the catcher comprises: a first catcher drive element mounted on said means for lowering the catcher for rotation about an axis normal to the plane of catcher movement, the catcher being mounted on said first catcher drive element for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from said first mentioned axis; and means comprising a cam and cam follower connected one to the first catcher drive element and the other to said catcher for pivoting the catcher about the second mentioned axis as an incident to rotation of said first catcher drive element.

Claim 20

The invention defined in claim 12 in which said platform is movable relative to the frame between a substantially horizontal position and a position in which it is tilted downwardly in the direction towards which the discharge end of the conveyor is directed; said invention further comprising a stop fixed to the frame and extending upwardly from a point adjacent the downward side of said platform; and said invention further comprising means for moving the platform under the stack to substantially horizontal position whereby the stack is made to lie horizontally with the side arranged vertically.

Claim 21

The invention defined in claim 14 which further comprises: discharging means for moving articles stacked on the platform in stacking position from said position; and means for maintaining said catching means at catching position while the discharge means is moving articles from below the catching position.