Apparatus for stacking sheet members

Claim 1

Apparatus for stacking sheet members in a plurality of piles, said apparatus comprising: substantially horizontal conveyor means for conveying a stack of sheets thereon, said conveyor means including a downstream end portion, lifting means disposed adjacent said downstream end portion of the conveyor means for receiving sheets thereon, drive means for extending and retracting said conveyor means with respect to said lifting means, means for raising and lowering said lifting means, a stop member comprising a vertically movable plate mounted on said lifting means for movement between a raised and a lowered position, said plate being downstream of said downstream end portion of the conveyor means with the latter in extended position, means for raising and lowering said stop member relative to said lifting means, said stop member in said raised position being above the level of the conveyor means so that stacks of sheets successively deposited onto said lifting means form a first pile of sheets abutting against said stop member, said lifting means having a support surface with a horizontal extent sufficient to accommodate a plurality of piles of sheets thereon, said downstream end portion being retracted by the drive means, after formation of said first pile of sheets on said lifting means, a distance equal to the width of the pile such that a second pile of sheets can be formed adjacent said first pile, and support means on said lifting means for displaceable support thereon of said piles of sheet members, said support means comprising a plurality of rollers for support of a pallet on which the sheets can be deposited, said plate in lowered position being disposed below said rollers to permit travel of the pallet on said rollers.