GB1171360A - A Stacking Device - Google Patents

Abstract

1,171,360. Stacking sheets; endless conveyers. LEE WILSON ENG. CO. 18 Oct., 1967 [21 Nov., 1966], No. 47493/67. Headings B8A and B8R. A stacking mechanism comprises a fixed frame carrying a plurality of supports, the supports being selectively movable between first positions in which they support a sheet being conveyed and second positions in which they allow the sheet to drop on to a stack; conveying means for the sheets; stop means at the end of the conveyer path; and control means for the movement of the supports in accordance with the length of sheets being stacked. General arrangement (Figs. 1 and 2).-Sheets 25, e.g. from a rotary cutter, are fed from conveyer 27 to the lower run 50 of a further conveyer 45 and are maintained in the horizontal path 26 by means of support rollers 30 journalled on support arms 31. On reaching a stop means 65 at the downstream end of conveyer 45, the leading end 24 of the sheet 25 is retained on a shelf 67, while the desired number of support rollers 30 are moved away from under the sheet 25, thus allowing the trailing edge 23 to contact a stack 39. The stop means 65 is then aligned over the edge of the stack 39, the shelf 67 is retracted, and the sheet drops in alignment on to the stack. Support rollers.-The support rollers 30 are controlled to adopt either the full-line position of Fig. 2 where they support sheets being fed against the lower run 50 of the conveyer, or the dotted-line position 30A to the sides of the conveyer path. Each roller may be individually operated by means of fluid-operated cylinder 33, pivot 32 and arm 31. The number of rollers operated at any one time is determined by the length of the sheet 25 being fed. Stack receivers.-The stack 39 is supported on pallets 94; rollers 40 may be moved vertically under the control of lifter 78 to keep the top of the stack 39 close to the conveyer 45; the rollers may also be moved laterally when a stack is complete. While a new pallet 94 is being introduced, a holding bank 36 is swung under the conveyer 45 by means of cylinder 41, and arm 37 carrying support pads 38. End stop.-The stop means 65 is carried on slide rods 71 journalled in bearings (72) fixed to base 70 (Figs. 5, 6, not shown). In operation, the leading edge 24 of a sheet 23 hits the vertical portion of the stop 65 which moves under the impact under the control of a shock absorber (73). A fluid-operated cylinder (75) then gradually returns the stop means upstream and during the last part of this movement the shelf 67 pivots and allows a sheet 25 to drop on to the stack 39 in alignment with the edge thereof. The alignment can be staggered a few inches, for stacking of counted batches, under the control of a further fluid cylinder motor (74) connected axially to the shock absorber (73). Conveyer height adjustment.-The stacking mechanism includes a fixed frame 12 and a movable frame 13 which supports conveyer 45. The movable frame 13 is carried on frame 12 by bell crank levers 14 pivoted at 15; the first arm 16 of each lever has its outer end pivoted to frame 13, and the second arm 17 pivoted to links 18 which interconnect all the levers and may be moved in the horizontal plane by adjustment of screw 20 and nut 21. Since links 18 are connected to fixed frame 12 at pivot 22, movement of the links causes levers 14 to swivel and hence raise or lower frame 13 and conveyer 45 to accommodate different sheet thicknesses. Conveyer drive.-Rollers 46 of conveyer 45 are driven by belt 48; the drive means 47 comprises an electric motor 55 acting through a gear reducer 56 on end roller 62 of the belt 48. During adjustment of the height of the conveyer a gear (59) (Fig. 3, not shown) on the output shaft (58) of reducer 56 remains in mesh with a driven gear (60) on the input shaft (61) of the roller 62.