GB1307961A - Method and apparatus for stacking and handling articles in sheet form - Google Patents

Abstract

1307961 Delivering sheets L SCHULER GmbH 29 July 1971 [30 July 1970 2 Nov 1970 14 Jan 1971 13 May 1971] 35677/71 Heading B8R A stamped-out metal web 6, Fig. 1, is cut into perforated sheets 8 by cutters 43, 45, the sheets being delivered in overlapping relationship by belts 15. In operation, a tray 52 is advanced to the full line receiving position and the sheets drop into it to form a small stack 26. One of a plurality of mandrels 20 on a turntable 21 is then brought into position below the stack 26, a preceding mandrel at the same time removing a complete stack. The mandrel is then raised and passes through a slot in the tray 52 and through the perforations in the sheets, the tray is withdrawn and the stack 26 and subsequent sheets fall down the mandrel. When a predetermined number of sheets is on the mandrel, or when the stack attains a required height, the tray is again advanced under the control of a detector, the mandrel is lowered and the turntable is again indexed. Two sheets may be delivered side by side to two sets of mandrels carried on conveyer belts, or two conveyers 15 may deliver sheets at right-angles to two turntables. In another form, Fig. 7, the mandrels 76 rotate about a horizontal axis which can be raised bodily, and the stacks are transferred to a removal station 79. A plurality of such sets of mandrels may be axially adjustably mounted on the axis to co-operate with a plurality of conveyers each feeding one or more sheets. A plurality of sheets may be fed in different horizontal planes, each to a set of mandrels on a common horizontal axis, but each set having a different radius and the axis extending in feed direction. Locking pawls may be provided to retain a stack on a mandrel while the latter is moving. A mandrel may be removed at the stack removal station and replaced by another.