Automatic lengthwise receiver for stacking panels of different form and size and method of use

Claim 1

A device intended for receiving and stacking panels with a view to their delivery at the output from a continuously operating production or processing machine having a transmission, the machine being such that it has to deal with panels capable of undergoing at least once a change of form and size, and said device being of the type employing between the output from the feeder machine and the stack formation station a system of at least two continuous conveyors, a first conveyor (1) having a downstream telescopic portion, capable of being retracted and advanced, and receiving at its upstream end the panels leaving the feeder machine and depositing them at its downstream end onto a second and final conveyor (2) which in turn deposits them at the stack formation station, the said device being moreover equipped with means enabling a change of stack to be carried out, these means enabling a stop device to be interposed at the output from the final conveyor when a stack is finished, the speed of the final conveyor to be reduced, the finished stack to be discharged, and finally the stop device to be retracted and normal speed of the final conveyor to be reestablished when the stacking station is ready to receive the next stack, said device comprising a first detector (D1) providing a number of pulses proportional to the distance covered by a last panel (19) of a first form and size on said first conveyor (1), means, connected to said machine transmission, for triggering the operation of said first detector (D1) when said last panel (19) of a first form and size arrives on said first conveyor (1); a second detector (D3) operating permanently and providing, by an action identical to that of the first detector (D1), a number of pulses proportional to the distance travelled by the downstream telescopic portion (5) of the first conveyor, a first counter (C1) having a presetting, a counting input for the first detector (D1) and a counting or deducting input for the second detector (D3) depending respectively upon whether the telescopic portion (5) is being retracted or advanced; an output (17) having a presetting and providing a signal when said first counter (C1) posts a number (N1) corresponding to the maximum length (L1) of travel of a panel on said first conveyor, said first counter being set to be normally at zero, in the absence of the operation of the first detector (D1), when the telescopic portion (5) is advanced to the maximum, means connected to said output (17) of said first counter (C1) enabling, at a signal from said output, to command the slowing down of the first conveyor (1) to a speed less than its normal speed, the stopping of the operation of the first detector (D1), the stopping of any retraction of the telescopic portion (5) and the triggering of the operation of a third detector (D2) providing, by an operation identical to that of the first detector (D1), a number of pulses proportional to the distance traveled by a panel on the second and final conveyor (2), a second counter (C2) having a counting input for said third detector (D2), a counting or deducting input for the second detector (D3) depending respectively upon whether the telescopic portion is being retracted or advanced, and an output (18) having a presetting and providing a signal when said second counter (C2) posts the number (N2) corresponding to the maximum length (L2) of the distance covered by a panel on said second conveyor (2), said second counter being set to be normally at a value (N) corresponding to the maximal distance (l) covered by said telescopic portion, in the absence of the operation of the third detector (D2) and when the telescopic portion (5) is advanced to the maximum, and means connected to said output (18) of said second counter (C2) enabling, upon a signal from said output of said second counter, to command the stopping of said third detector (D2) and the triggering of a change of stack.

Claim 2

A device intended for receiving and stacking panels with a view to their delivery at the output from a continuously operating production or processing machine having a transmission, the machine being such that it has to deal with panels capable of undergoing at least once a change of form and size, and said device being of the type employing between the output from the feeder machine and the stack formation station a system of at least two continuous conveyors, a first conveyor (1) having a downstream telescopic portion, capable of being retracted and advanced, and receiving at its upstream end the panels leaving the feeder machine and depositing them at its downstream end onto a second and final conveyor (2) which in turn deposits them at the stack formation station, the said device being moreover equipped with means enabling a change of stack to be carried out, these means enabling a stop device to be interposed at the output from the final conveyor when a stack is finished, the speed of the final conveyor to be reduced, the finished stack to be discharged, and finally the stop device to be retracted and normal speed of the final conveyor to be reestablished when the stacking station is ready to receive the next stack, said device comprising a first detector (D1) providing a number of pulses proportional to the distance covered by a last panel (19) of a first form and size on said first conveyor (1), means, connected to said machine transmission, for triggering the operation of said first detector (D1) when said last panel (19) of a first form and size arrives on said first conveyor (1); a second detector (D3) operating permanently and providing, by an action identical to that of the first detector (D1), a number of pulses proportional to the distance travelled by the downstream telescopic portion (5) of the first conveyor, a first counter (C1) having a presetting, a counting input for the first detector (D1) and a counting or deducting input for the second detector (D3) depending respectively upon whether the telescopic portion (5) is being retracted or advanced; an output (17) having a presetting and providing a signal when said first counter (C1) posts a number (N1) corresponding to the maximum length (L1) of travel of a panel on said first conveyor, said first counter being set to be normally at zero, in the absence of the operation of the first detector (D1), when the telescopic portion (5) is advanced to the maximum, means connected to said output (17) of said first counter (C1) enabling, at a signal from said output, to command the slowing down of the first conveyor (1) to a speed less than its normal speed, the stopping of the operation of the first detector (D1), the stopping of any retraction of the telescopic portion (5) and the triggering of the operation of a third detector (D2) providing, by an operation identical to that of the first detector (D1), a number of pulses proportional to the distance traveled by a panel on the second and final conveyor (2), a second counter (C2) having a counting input for said third detector (D2), a counting or deducting input for the second detector (D3) depending respectively upon whether the telescopic portion is being retracted or advanced, and an output (18) having a presetting and providing a signal when said second counter (C2) posts the number (N2) corresponding to the maximum length (L2) of the distance covered by a panel on said second conveyor (2), said second counter being set to be normally at a value (N) corresponding to the maximal distance (l) covered by said telescopic portion, in the absence of the operation of the third detector (D2) and when the telescopic portion (5) is advanced to the maximum, and means connected to said output (18) of said second counter (C2) enabling, upon a signal from said output of said second counter, to command the stopping of said third detector (D2) and the triggering of a change of stack.