GB1227525A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,227,525. Feeding sheets. LITTLEWOODS OF LIVERPOOL Ltd. 19 Feb., 1969 [22 Nov., 1967], No. 53046/67. Heading B8R. Apparatus for spacing sheets in the feeding direction between a stack and a vacuum roller comprises an endless conveyer whose sheetcontacting run travels in the reverse direction to the feed, thus imparting a frictional force on the sheets to ensure that they are spaced for individual pick-up by the roller. The apparatus may form part of a sorting device, Fig. 1 (not shown), in which sheets in a stack (10) are agitated by a number of coaxial jogging devices (11), and separated from the bottom of the stack by a pair of endless bands 12, which co-operate with a further pair 12a to feed the sheets to a vacuum roller (14). The bands 12, 12a project through slots in a feed-table 17, Fig. 2, while a reverse conveyer, including bands 13a, 13b which project through slotted guide plates 18, acts on the sheets in the opposite direction to the feed direction. The entire reverse conveyer structure, including the plates 18, pivots about spindle 25 to present a variable gap between it and table 17, the adjustment mechanism including a screw 27. The bands 13a, 13b are preferably of circular or elliptical cross-section, and the drive transmissions 31, 30 for the vacuum roller and the reverse conveyer, are preferably operated by separate motors.