GB1203829A - Automatic stacking device for a publication conveyor system - Google Patents

Abstract

1,203,829. Stacking sheets. STA-HI CORP. 8 Oct., 1968 [29 March, 1968], No. 47562/68. Heading B8B. A stacking device including stack support members moving in a common continuous path downwards past the end of a conveyer and then upwards through a return region is characterized by two sets of drive means, each set being associated with alternate stack support members so that any one stack support member is moved independently with respect to the immediately preceding and following stack support members. General arrangement, Fig. 1.-Publications are fed in an overlapping stream between conveyer belts 30, 32 to a stacking region 52. Two sets of stack support members 48, 50 are movable in a common path downwards through region 52 and then through regions 54, 56, and 58, to a position above region 52. Publications are piled in batches on the support members 48, 50 as they advance through region 52, and the completed stacks are deposited on conveyer belt 40. A latch mechanism 36 pre-tensions a stack support member waiting to enter region 52 so that it will snap into place in the publication stream without the need to halt conveyers 30, 32. Stack support members, Fig. 3.-Each stack support member comprises transversely spaced tines 104 secured to a mounting plate 100 which is in turn pivotally connected to conveyer chains (60 or 62), (Fig. 2, not shown), the set of members 48 being associated with one set of conveyer chains (60), and the set of members 50 being associated with a second set of chains (62); conveyer chains (60, 62) are independently driven by motors 72, 76, Fig. 1. Each mounting plate 100 is provided with guide rollers 108, 110 at each of its ends, and the guide rollers run on tracks 112, 114, each track being generally U-shaped and overlapping in the stacking region 52. The tracks govern the attitude of the members 48, 50 as they travel in the continuous path, typical positions being shown at 144, 146, 148, 150, 154 and 156, Fig. 3. At positions 146, 148, the tines 104 are being withdrawn from beneath a completed stack through guide surfaces 128 formed of bars 126 which align the stack for depositing on conveyer 40. Latch mechanism.-The latch mechanism 36 includes a latch support plate 130 with a series of slots (132), (Fig. 4, not shown), allowing free passage of tines 104 therethrough. The central pair of slots may be blocked by latch bars 134 connected to a solenoid 138 controlled by a publication counter 34, Fig. 1, for retraction when the required number of publications have been stacked on the preceding support. A support member, when prevented from entering stacking region 52 by the latch bars 134 in non- retracted position, is tilted upwardly by this engagement since the drive to that support member and its conveyer chains is not sto ped until guide rollers 110 engage a stop switch (124) (Figs. 6 and 7, not shown) below the engagement point of the latch mechanism. When the latch bars 134 are retracted, the snap movement of the support member into position 142, Fig. 3, releases the stop switch (124), and the drive is re-commenced. Further control devices.-A series of camoperated switches (88), (94), (Fig. 5, not shown) on control shafts (80), (82) may change the rate of movement of the sets of support members 48, 50 during their travel in the continuous path e.g. one set may be acceleratd after a member of the set has acquired a complete stack until a further member of the set reaches latch mechanism 36. Safety blocks 96, 98, Fig. 3, mounted on control plates (84, 90) (Fig. 5, not shown) are driven by motors 72, 76 through the control shafts (80), (82) and prevent over-running of one set of support members by the other set.