Method and apparatus for feeding sheet material

Claim 3

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping said article, said shifting means including a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent said wheel, an idle roller rotatably mounted on a rotatable shaft, a take-up roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft intermediate said gripper roller and said idle roller, articulated linkage means connecting said shaft for said idle roller to said shaft for said take-up roller and said shaft of said take-up roller to said shaft of said gripper roller, means for imparting rotary motion to said idle roller shaft causing said linkage means to move said gripper roller between said nongripping position and said gripping position, and wherein said belt is arranged on said rollers to move therewith, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 4

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping said article, said shifting means including a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent said wheel, an idle roller rotatably mounted on a rotatable shaft, a take-up roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft intermediate said gripper roller and said idle roller, articulated linkage means connecting said shaft for said idle roller to said shaft for said take-up roller and said shaft of said take-up roller to said shaft of said gripper roller, means for imparting rotary motion to said idle roller shaft causing said linkage means to move said gripper roller between said nongripping position and said gripping position, and wherein said belt is arranged on said rollers to move therewith, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 5

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping said article, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 6

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping said article, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said shifting means is effective to cause the tension in said belt to increase when said belt is shifted from said non-gripping position to said gripping position to assure positive feeding of the lowermost article from the stack.

Claim 8

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack supported in a hopper, comprising a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said belt between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping at least the end portion of said article, said shifting means including a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent said wheel, with said belt being arranged on said roller to move therewith, and said shifting means further including means for moving said gripper roller and belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby cause frictional engagement of said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 9

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack supported in a hopper, comprising a rotatable wheel spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, an endless belt positioned adjacent said wheel having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of said wheel, means for driving said belt and said wheel, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheel, means for shifting said belt circumferentially around the periphery of said belt between a non-gripping position spaced from said article and a gripping position overlapping at least the end portion of said article, said shifting means including a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent said wheel, with said belt being arranged on said roller to move therewith, and said shifting means further including means for moving said gripper roller and belt circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel to cause said belt to move toward said article and thereby cause frictional engagement of said article between said belt and said wheel for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 10

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a plurality of rotatable wheels spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, a plurality of endless belts, each positioned adjacent a corresponding wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of each said wheel, means for driving said belts and said wheels, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheels, means for simultaneously shifting said belts circumferentially around the periphery of said wheels between non-gripping positions spaced from said article and gripping positions overlapping said article, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belts to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belts and said wheels for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 11

Apparatus for successively feeding flexible sheet-like articles from a supply stack, comprising means for supporting the supply stack of articles, a plurality of rotatable wheels spaced from the lowermost article in the stack, a plurality of endless belts, each positioned adjacent a corresponding wheel and having a portion thereof extending at least partially around the periphery of each said wheel, means for driving said belts and said wheels, means for positioning an end portion of the lowermost article in the stack adjacent said wheels, means for simultaneously shifting said belts circumferentially around the periphery of said wheels between non-gripping positions spaced from said article and gripping positions overlapping said article, and said shifting means being effective to cause said belts to move toward said article and thereby frictionally engage said article between said belts and said wheels for pulling and feeding said article from the stack.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said shifting means includes a plurality of roller assemblies, each assembly comprising a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent a corresponding said wheel, an idle roller rotatably mounted on a rotatable shaft, a take-up roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft intermediate said gripper roller and said idle roller, articulated linkage means connecting said shaft for said idle roller to said shaft for said take-up roller and said shaft of said take-up roller to said shaft of said gripper roller, means for imparting rotary motion to said idle roller shaft causing said linkage means to move said gripper roller between said non-gripping position and said gripping position, and wherein each said belt is arranged on said rollers to move therewith.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said shifting means includes a gripper roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft adjacent said wheel, an idle roller rotatably mounted on a rotatable shaft, a take-up roller rotatably mounted on a movable shaft intermediate said gripper roller and said idle roller, articulated linkage means connecting said shaft for said idle roller to said shaft for said take-up roller and said shaft of said take-up roller to said shaft of said gripper roller, means for imparting rotary motion to said idle roller shaft causing said linkage means to move said gripper roller between said non gripping position and said gripping position, and wherein said belt is arranged on said rollers to move therewith.

Claim 14

The feeding apparatus of claim 2 wherein said linkage means includes a projection positioned to engage the end portion of said stack while the lowermost article is positioned adjacent said wheel for lifting the end portion of the stack to decrease the force needed to pull the lowermost article from the stack.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said belt is effective to drive said wheel.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said belt and said shifting means cooperate with said wheel to accommodate articles of different thickness.