GB896918A - Sheet separating mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

896,918. Feeding sheets. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Oct. 6, 1959 [Oct. 6, 1958], No. 33840/59. Class 100(1) In apparatus for separating paper or rubber sheets sequentially from the top of a stack of sheets, a ball engages and deforms the uppermost sheets and is displaced so that it rolls and moves in a circular path to displace the uppermost sheets fanwise relative to the stack. In one form, Fig. 2, the top sheet of a stack 24 is maintained at a predetermined level by spring means 23, and can be engaged by a number of balls 28 freely mounted in a disc 25 on a vertical shaft 26 adapted to be driven by a motor through a belt and pulley 27. The shaft 26 is normally urged downwardly by a spring 31<SP>1</SP>, but can be raised by a solenoid 32 so that the balls 28 do not press on the top sheet. As shown, the top sheet 29 is swung away from the stack over a feed roller 40, and, when a solenoid 37 releases a shaft 38, an idler roller 39 on the shaft presses the sheet on to the roller 40 whereby the sheet is carried away from the stack. The second sheet and other top sheets which are also displaced by the balls 28 are retained by a weight 36 on a shaft 35 also controlled by a solenoid 34. In operation, when a switch is closed, a motor drives the pulley 27 and a pulley 42 for the feed roller 40, the top sheet 29 is displaced over a table 20 against a stop 43 and moves a contact 45 to close a switch 44. This operates a relay which energizes the solenoid 32 to lift the disc 25, and de-energizes the solenoids 34, 37 to allow the weight 36 and roller 39 to descend. When the sheet 29 is fed away from the contact 45 by the rollers 39, 40, the switch 44 will open, the weight 36 and roller 39 are lifted; and the disc 25 descends to separate another sheet. In a modification, Fig. 4, the top sheets of a stack 54 are displaced by freely mounted balls in a disc 56 on a shaft 57 adapted to be driven by a pulley 59, and the shaft is attached to the diaphragm 62 of a vacuum capsule 63 connected to a solenoid valve 80. The top sheet 75 is swung beneath a rotatable suction drum comprising a fixed inner cylinder 66 with a slot at the bottom and connected to the solenoid valve 80, and an outer slotted sleeve 65 adapted to be driven from a pulley 71 and friction roll 68. Within the fixed cylinder 66 is a lamp, and a photo-cell is arranged beneath a slot in the table 55. In operation, when a switch is closed, a motor drives the separator disc 56 and drum sleeve 65 and the top sheet 75 is separated and swung over the table beneath the sleeve 65. The sheet cuts off the light from the photo-cell beneath the table 55, and this causes the solenoid valve 80 to be de-energized to allow suction to be established in the cylinder 66 and the capsule 63. Thus, the shaft 57 is raised against a spring 60<SP>1</SP> to lift the disc 56, and the suction drum feeds the sheet 75 from the stack. A suction device 73 connected to the valve 80 prevents the second sheet being fed with the top sheet.