Apparatus for removing flat elements from a stack thereof

Claim 1

Apparatus for feeding sheets one by one from the bottom of a stack comprising first and second spaced support means for supporting the bottom of a stack of sheets, said first means comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rotatable units, means for rotating at least one of said units intermittently in a given direction of rotation to feed the lowermost sheet in the stack intermittently forwards, said means for rotating said at least one unit intermittently comprising a Maltese cross coupled to said at least one unit for rotating the same stepwise between successive stationary positions and providing maximum speed between successive stationary positions, means for displacing said second means to a selected pre-determined stationary position, suction means coupled to said first means to apply suction force to the lowermost sheet in the stack in the course of intermittent rotation of said first means, and a conveyor belt positioned relative to said first means and driven at a predetermined speed to receive the intermittently fed sheets and to advance the same, the rotated unit of said first means comprising a roller having at least one radial hole, said suction means comprising a stationary hollow shaft rotatably supporting said roller and subjected to suction, said hollow shaft having a radial hole which comes into substantial alignment with the radial hole in the roller in the course of intermittent rotation of said roller when said roller is stationary, said radial hole in said roller and said radial hole in said hollow shaft being positioned and having respective extents such that the suction effect is substantially reduced when the fed sheet has entered the conveyor belt, said roller then being at maximum speed which is correlated with the speed of the conveyor belt so that when the fed sheet enters the conveyor belt directly from the roller it will have substantially the same speed as the conveyor belt.