GB1195550A - Apparatus for Conveying Sheet Articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,195,550. Endless conveyers. INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORP. 20 Dec., 1967 [22 Dec., 1966], No. 57887/67. Heading B8A. The invention relates to an arrangement for conveying sheet articles, in which they are conveyed one at a time along first conveying means (not shown) in a first direction, and are transferred into a stack in a rectangular box container 1, through one open longitudinal side in the latter, without a change in the direction of motion of the articles. The containers 1 with their stacks of sheet articles are conveyed along a second conveying means 2 in a direction at right-angles to the first direction, and the sheet articles are transferred from the containers to a third conveying means 4. They are then conveyed one at a time in a direction parallel to, and in the same sense as, the first direction, separation of a stack of sheet articles from a container being achieved with abutment means 8 which press the entire stack against a pulling-off device associated with said third conveying means, means 6a removing the container in a direction which is parallel to, and in the same sense as, the first direction. As shown, the pulling off device 4 comprises a suction belt. The abutment 8 pivots from an inoperative position (full lines) to a stackengaging position (dot-dash lines). In a modification (Fig. 2, not shown), pushers 2a of a conveyer 2 for the container 1, are extended upwardly at (9) so as to replace the abutment 8. They are able to engage the stack after the container 1 has been removed by the means 6a. An abutment 3 retains the stack during the removal of the container 1, the latter being formed with slots 5 so as to clear the abutment 3 during this operation. In a further modification (Fig. 3), the container I and its articles are advanced by pushers 2a from a platform 11 on to a vertically movable platform 10 (shown in its lower position). The stack of articles is retained on abutments 3 (which the container 1 is slotted to receive). The platform 10 then removes the container to the lower position shown, and an abutment 9 engages the rear of the stack. Articles are then removed from the stack by a belt 4. There may be a detector (not shown) responsive to a container which has less than a predetermined number of articles. The container is then removed from its normal path.