793,995. Sheet-delivery apparatus. BUCCIOONI ENGINEERING CO., Inc. May 4, 1956 [Feb: 2, 1956], No. 13803/56. Class 100(1) Apparatus for piling metal sheets delivered by an overhead conveyer, comprising side guides for guiding the opposite edges of the sheets as they are deposited on a platform, is characterized by a sheet edge supporting mechanism movably mounted relative to the side guide, the supporting mechanism having elongated sheet edge supporting means and retractable means to provide temporary support for the sheets while previously accummulated sheets are removed from the pile. The apparatus includes a magnetic conveyer 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) comprising conveyer rail units 11 and endless belts 14 running over spaced sheaves 12, 13 one of which is power-driven as by a motor 26. The rail units 11 contain electro-magnets which, when energized, are adapted to hold sheets 5 against the underside of the belts 14. The sheets are fed from a conveyer 15 past a switch 16 which is such that when the leading edge of the sheet passes the switch the electro-magnets are energized and when the trailing edge of the sheet passes the switch the electro-magnets are deenergized so that the sheet drops on to a main pile support 18 which is lowered in accordance with the height of the pile. A front-stop 20, adjustable by a mechanism 20<SP>1</SP>, and a back-stop 21 are provided. The sheaves 12, 13 are supported by frame structures 28, 23 respectively which also support a rectangular horizontally extending top supporting frame 30 which in turn supports side guide structures 31, 31<SP>1</SP>. Each of the side guides comprises longitudinally extending tubular sections 32, 33 (Fig. 5) to which are connected a sheet guiding plate 34 and spaced vertical web plates 35. The side guides are provided with supporting arms 36, 36<SP>1</SP> which are attached to the end web plates 35 by connecting plates 37 fastened thereto The supporting arms 36 at each end of the guide structure 31 are connected to horizontal slide bar members 40 and 41, and the supporting arm 36<SP>1</SP> to slide bar members 40<SP>1</SP>, 41<SP>1</SP>. The pairs of slide bar members are supported in an identical manner at opposite ends of the top supporting frame 30 (Fig. 7) the members 40, 41<SP>1</SP> being connected to nuts 56, 57<SP>1</SP> on a shaft 42 having oppositely screw-threaded sections at its opposite ends. For adjusting the side guides a motor 47 is provided on a web plate 48 of the top frame 30 and serves to rotate the shafts 42 through sprocket 46, chain 45 and sprockets 44. The side guide structure 31 is supported on the end frame structure 28 by an idler 73 on a stub shaft 74 mounted in the tubular member 33, which runs on a guide 72 fixed to the frame member 28. The other end of the structure 31 is supported by a roller 76 mounted on a stub shaft 77 on the end frame structure 23, the structure 31 being provided with a guide 78. The structure 31<SP>1</SP> is similarly supported. Each of the structures 31, 31<SP>1</SP> carry a mechanism 80, 80<SP>1</SP> which may be positioned for temporarily supporting the side edges of sheets released by the conveyer 10 during the removal of the main pile on the support 18. Each supporting mechanism 80 comprises a supporting plate 81 or a plurality of fingers secured to an elongated tubular member 82. The member 82 is provided on longitudinally spaced supporting plates 83 each carrying a pair of spaced roller supporting shafts 84 for rollers 86, 87 which run in guideway housings 88 suitably secured to the web plates 35. The tubular member 82 is secured to a bracket 109 which is pivoted to the piston 107 of an air cylinder 100 (Fig. 10) mounted in a housing 101 extending laterally from the the side guide frame 31. Operation of the cylinder 100 thus causes the supporting plate 81 to be positioned beyond the side plate 36 so as to collect sheets, or causes retraction of the plate 81 behind the side plate 34. For the piling of narrow sheets means are provided for limiting the extent of projection and retraction of the plate 81. For restricting retraction a second air cylinder 110 is provided in the housing 101 and has a piston 113 connected to one end of a bell crank frame 115 which carries at its other end rollers 118 which, when the piston 113 is extended, are positioned in the path of movement of the bracket 109 thus preventing further retraction of the plate 81. For restricting projection of the plate 81 a tubular housing 130 (Fig. 13) is pivoted on the housing 101. The housing 130 receives in telescoping sliding relation an arm member 134 having at its free end a hook member 136 adapted to engage the tubular member 82 to restrict projection as shown in full lines in Fig. 13. A scale 142 may be provided on the housing 101. Adjustment is effected by a handle 140 which operates an adjusting screw 138 which co-operates with a nut 135 secured in the inner end of the member 134. The housing is kept in operative position by a ball and detent device and when not in use is swung to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 13.