GB1188704A - An Improved Sheet Stacker - Google Patents

Abstract

1,188,704. Delivering sheets. M. D. MARTIN. 14 July, 1967 [20 Feb., 1967], No. 32502/67. Heading B8K. A sheet stacker is provided with means to move the discharge end of a sheet conveyer upwardly as the stack accumulates and then back to an initial position, there being a set of catcher fingers arranged at the said discharge end and movable to intercept sheets leaving the conveyer when the discharge end has reached a predetermined height and movable out of the intercepting position when the discharge end has been moved back to its initial position. Sheets are stacked on a pallet or delivery conveyer 6 by a conveyer mounted in a frame 2 which conveyer is adjustable in height according to the height of the stack, by a device 3. When the stack reaches a maximum height and must be removed, delivery is continued, but the sheets are intercepted by a series of parallel spaced fingers 101 slidable in guides from beneath member 31. The front corners of the intercepted sheets are supported by plates 121 which are swung into position simultaneously with fingers 101. The fingers and plates may be under pneumatic control and the movement of these members is timed with the stacker controls for raising and lowering the discharge end of the conveyer frame 2. An air cushion device 7, including a manifold 31 which is held generally parallel to the top of the stack by the turning of pivoted bracket plates 32, produces an air cushion on top of the stack and below the sheets being delivered from the frame 2. When the sheets are being intercepted by fingers 101 and plates 121 the device 7 provides an air cushion between discharged sheets and the fingers and plates.