GB2128001A - Sheet counting machine - Google Patents

Sheet counting machine Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2128001A
GB2128001A GB08227219A GB8227219A GB2128001A GB 2128001 A GB2128001 A GB 2128001A GB 08227219 A GB08227219 A GB 08227219A GB 8227219 A GB8227219 A GB 8227219A GB 2128001 A GB2128001 A GB 2128001A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
counting
vacuum
blade
sheet
stack
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08227219A
Other versions
GB2128001B (en
Inventor
Derek Vernon Taylor
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vacuumatic Ltd
Original Assignee
Vacuumatic Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vacuumatic Ltd filed Critical Vacuumatic Ltd
Priority to GB08227219A priority Critical patent/GB2128001B/en
Priority to JP17523083A priority patent/JPS59132081A/en
Publication of GB2128001A publication Critical patent/GB2128001A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2128001B publication Critical patent/GB2128001B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M9/00—Counting of objects in a stack thereof
    • G06M9/02—Counting of objects in a stack thereof by using a rotating separator incorporating pneumatic suction nozzles

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Forming Counted Batches (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)

Abstract

Relates to a sheet counting machine having a counting device (16) for counting the sheets on a corner of a stack including an oscillatable blade (16b) for engaging in the corner having a vacuum port (16c) on one side to draw a sheet on to the blade and a pin driven around the blade to transfer the sheet from one side of the blade to the other. In order to de-energise the vacuum pump (40) which draws vacuum at the port in the blade when the top of the stack has been reached, a vacuum switch is provided which detects vacuum between the vacuum pump and the port in the blade to de-energise the pump when the vacuum falls and remains below a pre-set level for a predetermined time interval. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to sheet counting machines This invention relates to sheet counting machines and it is particularly applicable to sheet counting machines for counting stacks of sheets of paper or card.
The invention provides a sheet counting machine for counting sheets in a stack having a counting head for traversing a corner of the stack, an oscillatable blade for engaging in the corner and having a vacuum port on one side to draw a sheet corner on to the blade, a pin rotatable around the blade to transfer the sheet corner from said one side to the other side of the blade and means to count the sheet so transferred, a vacuum pump, means to energise the pump to create the vacuum in said port in the blade in response to engagement of the counting head with the stack and means to de-energise the pump when the vacuum port has been exposed for a certain duration indicating that the end of the stack has been reached.
Preferably means are provided to sense a momentary drop in vacuum at the port indicating a missed sheet to suppress the count for that revolution of the counting head.
The following is a specific description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet counting machine; Figure 2 is a perspective detailed view of the mechanism of the counting machine shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detailed view looking in the direction of the arrow 3 on Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further part of the mechanism.
Figure 1 of the drawings shows a sheet counting machine for counting up the corner of a vertical stack of sheets of paper, card or the like. The sheet counting machine comprises, as shown in Figure 2, a frame having a base 10, front cylindrical columns 11, intermediate cylindrical columns 12, rear posts 13 and atop plate 14.
The stack of sheets to be counted is located with a corner of the stack at the front of the machine and the clamp 15 slidably mounted on the front posts 11 clamp the corner in place under the operation of a drive mechanism described and illustrated in our U.K. Patent Application (Reference GCB/BA3624). A sheet counting head at 16 as described and illustrated in our U.K. Patent Application No. 8129664 is mounted in a carriage 1 6a slidable on the intermediate posts 12 and raised and lowered by a further drive mechanism similar to that for the clamp 15. The counting mechanism counts up the corner of the stack of sheets under the control of a micro-processor system operated from the front control panel of the machine.The counting head 1 6a which includes an oscillating suction blade to separate corners of the sheets in a stack and an orbiting pin to wipe the corners from the upper side of the blade to the lower sidle and a drive motorforthe blade and pin mounted near its balance point on a transversely extending shaft 20 having bearings 21 at the ends thereof which engage in mounting blocks 22 on the carriage 16 the bearings being locked in the blocks by means of thumb screws 23. The carriage is thus mounted to tilt about a horizontal axis.
Towards the rear of the counting head there is an upstanding bracket 24 to which one end of a pivoting link 25 is connected by means of a spring loaded releasable connector 26. The other end of the link 25 is pivotally connected by a bolt 27 and bush 28 part-way along a horizontally extending arm 29. One end 30 of the arm is connected to the input shaft (not shown) of a dashport or damper device 31 mounted on the carriage 16 to dampen movement of the arm. At the location of the connection of the arm to the link 25, there is a bracket 32 secured to the arm having a horizontal limb formed with an opening through which a vertical screw threaded post 33, the lower end of the post being anchored in a block 34 on the carriage by a nut 35. The upper end of the post 33 carries a thumb wheel 36 and a compression spring 37 extends between the thumb wheel 36 and the upper face of the bracket.The spring 37 resists upward movement of the bracket 32 to control upward movement of the arm 29 and thereby the rearward end of the counting device. When the front end of the counting device engages under the stack to be counted as the carriage is raised, the rearward end of the counting device is tilted upwardly lifting the arm 29 through the link 25 against the resistance of the spring 37 and under the control of the damper device 31.
The opposite end of the arm 29 to that connected to the damper 31 carries a flag 38 engageable in a slotted optic switch 39 for controlling a motor driven vacuum pump 40 for drawing vacuum at the port in the blade of the counting head. The slotted optic switch is also arranged to control the drive motor for raising the carriage 16 intermittently as the blade/pin assembly counts through the stack.
The vacuum pump continues to run whilst vacuum at the blade is maintained by engagement of the blade with the corners of sheets in the stack. The pump is deactivated by a vacuum responsive time delay switch arranged to detect when vacuum between the pump and blade port has fallen below a certain level or a certain period of time to de-energise the vacuum pump when those two conditions are detected.
As a result, the vacuum pump is only run when it is actually needed rather than running continuously and the pump is therefore subjected to considerably less wear than would otherwise be the case.
A bellows switch is provided in the vacuum line to the blade part to detect a halt in vacuum during a counting operation indicating a missed sheet. The switch is arranged to suppress the count signal in the sheet counting system for that revolution of the counting head.
1. A sheet counting machine for counting sheets in a stack having a counting head for traversing a corner of the stack, an oscillatable blade for engaging in the corner and having a vacuum port on one side to draw a sheet corner on to the blade, a pin rotatable around the blade to transfer the sheet corner from said one side to the other side of the blade and means to count the sheet so transferred, a vacuum pump, means to energise the pump to create the vacuum in said port in the blade in response to engagement of the counting head with the stack and means to de-energise the pump when the vacuum port has been exposed for a certain duration indicating that the end of the stack has been reached.
2. A sheet counting machine as claimed in claim 1
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to sheet counting machines This invention relates to sheet counting machines and it is particularly applicable to sheet counting machines for counting stacks of sheets of paper or card. The invention provides a sheet counting machine for counting sheets in a stack having a counting head for traversing a corner of the stack, an oscillatable blade for engaging in the corner and having a vacuum port on one side to draw a sheet corner on to the blade, a pin rotatable around the blade to transfer the sheet corner from said one side to the other side of the blade and means to count the sheet so transferred, a vacuum pump, means to energise the pump to create the vacuum in said port in the blade in response to engagement of the counting head with the stack and means to de-energise the pump when the vacuum port has been exposed for a certain duration indicating that the end of the stack has been reached. Preferably means are provided to sense a momentary drop in vacuum at the port indicating a missed sheet to suppress the count for that revolution of the counting head. The following is a specific description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet counting machine; Figure 2 is a perspective detailed view of the mechanism of the counting machine shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detailed view looking in the direction of the arrow 3 on Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further part of the mechanism. Figure 1 of the drawings shows a sheet counting machine for counting up the corner of a vertical stack of sheets of paper, card or the like. The sheet counting machine comprises, as shown in Figure 2, a frame having a base 10, front cylindrical columns 11, intermediate cylindrical columns 12, rear posts 13 and atop plate 14. The stack of sheets to be counted is located with a corner of the stack at the front of the machine and the clamp 15 slidably mounted on the front posts 11 clamp the corner in place under the operation of a drive mechanism described and illustrated in our U.K. Patent Application (Reference GCB/BA3624). A sheet counting head at 16 as described and illustrated in our U.K. Patent Application No. 8129664 is mounted in a carriage 1 6a slidable on the intermediate posts 12 and raised and lowered by a further drive mechanism similar to that for the clamp 15. The counting mechanism counts up the corner of the stack of sheets under the control of a micro-processor system operated from the front control panel of the machine.The counting head 1 6a which includes an oscillating suction blade to separate corners of the sheets in a stack and an orbiting pin to wipe the corners from the upper side of the blade to the lower sidle and a drive motorforthe blade and pin mounted near its balance point on a transversely extending shaft 20 having bearings 21 at the ends thereof which engage in mounting blocks 22 on the carriage 16 the bearings being locked in the blocks by means of thumb screws 23. The carriage is thus mounted to tilt about a horizontal axis. Towards the rear of the counting head there is an upstanding bracket 24 to which one end of a pivoting link 25 is connected by means of a spring loaded releasable connector 26. The other end of the link 25 is pivotally connected by a bolt 27 and bush 28 part-way along a horizontally extending arm 29. One end 30 of the arm is connected to the input shaft (not shown) of a dashport or damper device 31 mounted on the carriage 16 to dampen movement of the arm. At the location of the connection of the arm to the link 25, there is a bracket 32 secured to the arm having a horizontal limb formed with an opening through which a vertical screw threaded post 33, the lower end of the post being anchored in a block 34 on the carriage by a nut 35. The upper end of the post 33 carries a thumb wheel 36 and a compression spring 37 extends between the thumb wheel 36 and the upper face of the bracket.The spring 37 resists upward movement of the bracket 32 to control upward movement of the arm 29 and thereby the rearward end of the counting device. When the front end of the counting device engages under the stack to be counted as the carriage is raised, the rearward end of the counting device is tilted upwardly lifting the arm 29 through the link 25 against the resistance of the spring 37 and under the control of the damper device 31. The opposite end of the arm 29 to that connected to the damper 31 carries a flag 38 engageable in a slotted optic switch 39 for controlling a motor driven vacuum pump 40 for drawing vacuum at the port in the blade of the counting head. The slotted optic switch is also arranged to control the drive motor for raising the carriage 16 intermittently as the blade/pin assembly counts through the stack. The vacuum pump continues to run whilst vacuum at the blade is maintained by engagement of the blade with the corners of sheets in the stack. The pump is deactivated by a vacuum responsive time delay switch arranged to detect when vacuum between the pump and blade port has fallen below a certain level or a certain period of time to de-energise the vacuum pump when those two conditions are detected. As a result, the vacuum pump is only run when it is actually needed rather than running continuously and the pump is therefore subjected to considerably less wear than would otherwise be the case. A bellows switch is provided in the vacuum line to the blade part to detect a halt in vacuum during a counting operation indicating a missed sheet. The switch is arranged to suppress the count signal in the sheet counting system for that revolution of the counting head. CLAIMS
1. A sheet counting machine for counting sheets in a stack having a counting head for traversing a corner of the stack, an oscillatable blade for engaging in the corner and having a vacuum port on one side to draw a sheet corner on to the blade, a pin rotatable around the blade to transfer the sheet corner from said one side to the other side of the blade and means to count the sheet so transferred, a vacuum pump, means to energise the pump to create the vacuum in said port in the blade in response to engagement of the counting head with the stack and means to de-energise the pump when the vacuum port has been exposed for a certain duration indicating that the end of the stack has been reached.
2. A sheet counting machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the counting head is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis in a vertically moving carrier for traversing the head over a corner of a stack, means are provided for limiting the tilting movement of the head with respect to the carrier when it engages a stack and means are provided for detecting tilting of the head when it engages the stack for energising the vacuum pump.
3. A sheet counting machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein spring means are provided between the head and carrier for resisting tilting movement of the head when the carrier engages a stack and damping means are provided between the carrier and head for damping the movement of the head with respect to the carrier.
4. A sheet counting machine as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein a switch is mounted on the carriage for the counting device and the counting device has an operating element for the switch to trigger the switch when the counting device is tilted by engagement with the stack to be counted and the switch being arranged to energise the vacuum supply and also the motor of the counting device.
5. A counting machine as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the means for switching off the vacuum supply comprise a vacuum switch for detecting vacuum between the vacuum pump and the port in the blade to de-energise the pump when the vacuum falls and remains below a pre-set level for a predetermined time interval.
6. A sheet counting machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means are provided for sensing a momentary drop in vacuum at the blade port indicating a missed sheet to suppress the count for that revolution of the counting head.
7. A sheet counting machine substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB08227219A 1982-09-23 1982-09-23 Sheet counting machine Expired GB2128001B (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08227219A GB2128001B (en) 1982-09-23 1982-09-23 Sheet counting machine
JP17523083A JPS59132081A (en) 1982-09-23 1983-09-24 Sheet counting machine

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08227219A GB2128001B (en) 1982-09-23 1982-09-23 Sheet counting machine

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2128001A true GB2128001A (en) 1984-04-18
GB2128001B GB2128001B (en) 1985-11-06

Family

ID=10533132

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08227219A Expired GB2128001B (en) 1982-09-23 1982-09-23 Sheet counting machine

Country Status (2)

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JP (1) JPS59132081A (en)
GB (1) GB2128001B (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1243785A (en) * 1967-10-12 1971-08-25 De La Rue Instr Improvements in sheet counting apparatus
GB1410125A (en) * 1972-01-31 1975-10-15 Glory Kogyo Kk Sheet counter
GB1455109A (en) * 1972-11-24 1976-11-10 Vacuumatic Ltd Apparatus for counting a stack of sheets
GB1477588A (en) * 1974-02-14 1977-06-22 Glory Kogyo Kk Sheet counting machine
GB1530652A (en) * 1975-01-30 1978-11-01 Laurel Bank Machine Co Leaf counting machines
GB2039112A (en) * 1978-12-08 1980-07-30 De La Rue Crosfield Sheeting counting apparatus
GB2056137A (en) * 1979-07-13 1981-03-11 De La Rue Syst Improvements in sheet counting apparatus

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS578888A (en) * 1980-06-19 1982-01-18 Laurel Bank Mach Co Ltd Paper counting machine
JPS5939497Y2 (en) * 1980-07-10 1984-11-05 セイレイ工業株式会社 Grain rotary sorting device
JPS5727383A (en) * 1980-07-25 1982-02-13 Laurel Bank Mach Co Ltd Counter for paper leaf

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1243785A (en) * 1967-10-12 1971-08-25 De La Rue Instr Improvements in sheet counting apparatus
GB1410125A (en) * 1972-01-31 1975-10-15 Glory Kogyo Kk Sheet counter
GB1455109A (en) * 1972-11-24 1976-11-10 Vacuumatic Ltd Apparatus for counting a stack of sheets
GB1477588A (en) * 1974-02-14 1977-06-22 Glory Kogyo Kk Sheet counting machine
GB1530652A (en) * 1975-01-30 1978-11-01 Laurel Bank Machine Co Leaf counting machines
GB2039112A (en) * 1978-12-08 1980-07-30 De La Rue Crosfield Sheeting counting apparatus
GB2056137A (en) * 1979-07-13 1981-03-11 De La Rue Syst Improvements in sheet counting apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2128001B (en) 1985-11-06
JPS59132081A (en) 1984-07-30

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Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19960923