JPH04226224A - Sheet material feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To feed a sheet material of non-fixed property and dimensions in a singularizing and seriatim manner from a stacking bottom in a hopper by feeding a lowest sheet from the stack, supporting it on an elastic member, and passes it through a gap between a feed roller and a guide member. CONSTITUTION: The operation of a sheet material is forced to a singularizing surface 21 through the feeding motion of an elastic member to partially support a sheet stack 22 in a hopper. Forward edges of the sheets except the lowest sheet 24 are abutted on a guide member 28 between walls 26, and stopped, and the sheet 24 is continuously fed to a singularizing outlet 23 between the members 28 and 38. When the sheet 24 is held therebetween, it is corrugated by the elasticity in an area 23 in the structural relationship between the members 28 and 38. The first, second or subsequent sheets in the stack are slightly lifted at the forward end, and the lowest sheet is partially detached from the next sheet through the corrugation to reduce the friction. Because the erroneous feed of a plurality of sheets is avoided, the reliability of the operation is reinforced.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to sheet feeding devices, and more particularly to feeding devices that feed one article at a time from the bottom of a stack of sheet articles.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A sheet feeding device that feeds from the bottom of a stack has a feeding surface that is in contact with the bottom surface of the lowest sheet, thereby moving the sheets from the bottom of the stack substantially upward. Endless conveying belts are often used for conveying along a surface. Such a sheet feeding device is
Typically, a restraining mechanism is used to prevent all but the lowest sheet from passing through it.

Difficulties encountered with conventional feeding devices include misfeeding, feeding two or more sheets, or not feeding a sheet when it should. These difficulties are particularly experienced during high speed operations and when handling sheet materials of different properties. For example, different thicknesses, stiffness, surface friction, and different sheet dimensions can severely affect the reliable operation of such feeders. Delicate mechanical adjustments to the special properties and dimensions of the seat are required to ensure reliable operation, and relatively small changes in such properties and/or dimensions may require readjustment of the equipment. Ta. Therefore, such feeding devices could not reliably handle even mixed sheets.

Conventional feeding systems that singulate and feed individual sheets from the bottom of the stack have used various restraints or blocking devices that stop all but the bottom sheet from being fed. Such feeding devices are shown, for example, in the following US patents: US Pat.

Rouen (US Pat. No. 2,273,288)
discloses an adjustable separating device for removing letters from the bottom of a stack. Adjustment facilitates a substantially constant tension while the separation device passes letters of varying thickness thereunder. Cramer et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,791)
discloses a bottom sheet feeder with a separating belt and a blocking pad that forces against sagging of the belt. Strobel (U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,869) shows a device for separating and feeding sheets with a feed belt adapted to frictionally engage blocking means 38. A generally similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666 to Godlewsky.
No. 140 and Larson, US Pat. No. 4,555,103.

For various purposes during sheet handling and transportation, it is known in the art to create lateral bends on sheet materials, such as US Pat.
No. 44,555, Koyama et al., No. 4,663,527, and Bakashionu et al., No. 2,157,228.

[0007] The sheet feeding device of the present invention provides reliable singulation of sheet material from the bottom of the stack in high speed operation, especially for sheets that can vary considerably in nature and size, except for the drawbacks of the type mentioned above. Provide shipping and delivery. Current sheet feeding equipment tolerates significant misalignment (including skew) of individual sheets without misfeeding or requiring adjustments to feed dissimilar mixed sheet materials without interruption. . These features provide significant operational and cost advantages not previously available.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved sheet feeding apparatus and an improved method for singularizing and feeding a variety of sheets of variable nature and size from the bottom of a stack located in a hopper. . The feeding device includes means for pushing the sheets in the stack into the singulation exit area and means for feeding the bottom sheet from the stack through a blocking device, the blocking device including means for pushing the sheets in the stack into the singulation exit area, and means for feeding the bottom sheet from the stack through a blocking device that pushes all but the bottom sheet. The lowermost sheet is elastically undulated in the lateral direction while it passes through the blocking device and sent out from the hopper.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A blocking device includes a resilient member supported along a portion of an interior surface on a support member and having an unsupported lateral projection extending beyond the support member. There is a forcing surface of the guide member facing the outer surface of the resilient member within the laterally projecting portion. The clearance generally perpendicular to these surfaces between the surfaces of the force member and the support member is greater than the thickness of the resilient member between its inner and outer surfaces and the thickness of the thinnest sheet material that can be functionally handled. is also set to be the sum of a small distance.

In operation, the bottom sheet is fed from the stack between the outer surface of the resilient member and a forcing member which resiliently deflects the protrusion of the resilient member for passage. As a result, at least a portion of the bottom sheet is laterally elastically corrugated or bent during passage through the blocking device. As a result of this corrugation, the effect of lifting the overlying sheet, especially at the bottom sheet, and especially at the leading edge of that sheet, is very strong, even when sheets of different nature and dimensions and mixed are fed. To support and strengthen the blocking effect of blocking devices to ensure avoidance of misfeeds.

The blocking device further comprises two feed rollers. Each feed roller is juxtaposed to the guide member. The outer periphery of the feed roller is spaced apart from the guide roller, the gap being preset to approximately correspond to (or somewhat less than) the thickness of the sheet material to be functionally handled. The surface of the guide roller placed near the feed roller contacts a surface located below and parallel to the sheet feed surface, the sheet feed surface being defined as the surface of the lowest sheet in the hopper stack. . The resilient member is laterally spaced apart with respect to the feed roller and has an upper outer surface thereof disposed generally at the sheet feeding plane.

In operation of this embodiment, the bottom sheet is fed from the stack, supported on the resilient member, and passed through the gap between the feed roller and the guide member. As a result, at least a portion of the bottom sheet is elastically corrugated or bent in the transverse direction during passage through the blocking device. This wavy effect is similar to that in the first embodiment.

The sheet feeding apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful for feeding paper sheets such as individual paper sheets (flat or folded), signatures, envelopes, bound books, booklets, and the like. be. This feeding device is also excellent for feeding cards and card booklets, as well as paperboard, and can also handle harder materials, such as plastic and metal plates, and the like.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention are as follows:
It will become apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like parts are numbered like throughout the drawings.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a sheet feeding apparatus 10 is shown having a hopper 12, a belt drive mechanism 14, a blocking mechanism 16, and a mounting structure 18 partially shown. It further shows a pair of driven rollers 20 for further transporting sheets fed therefrom from the feeder 10. Additionally, a singulation surface 21 is defined that is oriented substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the hopper 12 and perpendicular to the surface 25 of FIG.

Hopper 12 holds a stack of sheets 22 including a bottom sheet 24. Sheet feed surface 25 is shown on the right. In the region of the singulation surface 21, around the central part of the blocking mechanism 16 (to the left of the hopper 12), a singulation outlet area 23 is shown as the overall sheet outlet area. The bottom sheet 24 is substantially the sheet feeding surface 25
placed within. Barrier 26 at the front end (left end) of hopper 12
is arranged, and furthermore in front there is a blocking mechanism 16 with a stationary guide member 28 (here shown in the form of a cylinder). The guide member 28 has a forcing surface 30 defined by a lower right-facing portion of the guide member's periphery. The right-facing portion is designated as a first portion 32 and the downward-facing portion is designated as a second portion 34.

The blocking mechanism 16 further includes a support member 36 and an elastic member 38 supported by the support member 36. Support member 3
6 and the elastic member 38 here refer to the belt drive mechanism 14.
It is shown in the form of a rotating pulley and an endless belt contained within.

Belt drive mechanism 14 further includes a plurality of pulleys supporting resilient members 38 in the form of endless flat belts. At least one pulley is motor driven so that resilient member 38 moves in the direction of arrow 40. Belt drive mechanism 14 also includes an adjustable idler roller 42 rotatably supported on an eccentrically mounted boss. The roller 42 is adjustable by adjusting the angle of the eccentric boss to raise and lower the portion of the endless belt supported thereon.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support member 3
At least one guide member 28 is laterally disposed above 6 in a position slightly overlapping the resilient member 38 in a laterally projecting portion of the resilient member 38. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged section substantially passing through the singularization plane 21. FIG.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, support member 3
6 includes a support surface 44 having a supporting edge portion 46 on at least one side for supporting the resilient member 38. Resilient member 38 has an outer surface 48 and an inner surface 50. Inner surface 5
0 at least in the supporting edge portion 46
Contact with 4. Resilient member 38 projects laterally to the side of support member 36 by a lateral projection 52 . (Guide member 2
8) The second surface 34 of the forcing surface 30 has a forcing edge portion 54 on one side thereof. In the forcing edge portion 54 , the second surface 34 of the forcing surface 30 faces the outer surface 48 and thus overlaps 5 on the portion of the lateral projection 52 of the resilient member 38 .
form 6.

FIG. 3 shows the guide member 2 passing through the blocking mechanism 16.
8 and the resilient member 38 are also shown.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, a pair of guide members 2
8 is shown, each guide member being symmetrically disposed lateral to the resilient member 38 in mirror image with respect to the central plane 59. Another belt drive means 60 supports the sheets fed by the feed device. It should be noted that the further belt drive means 60 can be replaced by low friction static guide surfaces for lateral support of the feed sheet. A typical sheet 62 fed between guide member 28 and resilient member 38 is shown in dotted lines. In FIG. 3, the sheet is now a typical sheet 62
While being fed through the blocking mechanism 16, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the elastic member 3
8 can be a flat endless belt, or alternatively a flat timing belt with internal teeth that engage grooves or teeth around the belt support pulley. It has been found that conventional belts with suitable elastic properties are also suitable for the purposes of the present invention. Although the special surface characteristics of the guide member 28 at the forcing surface 30 have little effect on the proper operation of the feeder, the preferred material for the surface 30 is Shore hardness A83.
Polyurethane.

In sheet material operations as specifically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stack 22 of sheets is attached to a resilient member 38 (driven endless belt) that at least partially supports the stack 22 within the hopper 22. ) is forced towards the singularization plane 21. The leading edges of all the sheets except the bottom sheet 24 hit the barrier 26 or guide member 28 and are thereby stopped. bottom sheet 2
4 continues to be fed by the resilient member 38 into the singulation exit region 23 between the guide member 28 and the resilient member 38 . 1
When the bottom sheet 24 is sandwiched between them, this occurs due to the structural interrelationship between members 28 and 38 (as particularly shown in FIG. 3), at least within the singularized exit area 23. It is made somewhat elastically wavy in the transverse direction. The next sheet, two or more sheets in the stack are slightly raised at their front edges. Additionally, the bottom sheet is partially separated from the next sheet by the corrugation, which results in a significant reduction in friction therebetween. This has the effect of enhancing operational reliability since it is possible to avoid feeding multiple sheets incorrectly.

The corrugated sheet is further conveyed to another device, for example via a roller combination 20. A sheet transported in this manner is sensed to temporarily stop the belt drive mechanism 14 until the sheet has passed a certain desired distance and the belt drive mechanism is driven again for the next sheet. The spacing between successively transported sheets can thus be varied as desired.

The sheet waving operation is best seen in FIG. As the bottom sheet is fed from the bottom of the sheet stack 22 on the resilient member 38, the leading edge of the sheet is forced under the guide member 28, and the leading edge of the sheet remains in the guiding member while the sheet is being fed. slide along. The gap between the edge support portion 46 (of the support member 36) and the edge enforcement portion 54 (of the guide member 28) is the gap between the edge enforcement portion 54 and the lateral protrusion 5.
When the sheet is pushed within the overlap 56 between the portion of the outer surface 48 (of the resilient member 38) disposed within the flexible portion of the resilient member 38, the sheet fed onto the resilient member 38 is laterally This is a gap that allows the protrusion to elastically bend.

In this regard, a first surface 63 that is substantially parallel to the sheet feeding surface 25 and tangent to the forcing surface 30 in the portion of the singularization surface 21, as well as a first surface 63 that is parallel to the first surface 63 and At least the edge support portion 4 in the area of the singularized surface 21
A second surface 65 is defined within 6 which contacts the support surface 44 . Preferably, the first and second surfaces are spaced apart by a distance less than the thickness of the resilient member 38 plus the minimum thickness of the sheet material that can be functionally moved through the singularized portion.

For example, approximately 0.025 mm (
Approximately 0.001 inch) gap is approximately 0.05 inch without adjustment.
1 to 0.457 mm (approximately 0.002 to 0.01
It is advantageous for reliable supply and singularization of sheets in the thickness range (8 inches) and thicker sheets. This gap can be further reduced to provide an interference margin. For example, 0
．． An interference (negative clearance) of 254 mm (0.010 inch) will still provide reliable feeding of sheets of the aforementioned thicknesses. Such interference has been found to be advantageous, although not essential, particularly when sheet materials with unusual or troublesome surface characteristics are used.

Sheet material with greater thickness, for example 0.4
It has been found that a gap of 0.254 mm (0.010 inch) can reliably handle most conventional sheet materials, for those significantly larger than 57 mm (0.018 inch). The preferred length of protrusion 52 for handling most conventional sheet materials is on the order of about 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) or more, and substantially approximately
No smaller than mm (approximately 1/16 inch). overlap 5
It will be appreciated that 6 is always smaller than protrusion 52. The preferred length of the lateral overlap 56 is approximately 1.588
mm (approximately 1/16 inch) or more. Furthermore,
Reliable handling of sheet material approximately 1/4 inch thick, such as that provided by a coupon booklet or the like, requires proper clearance adjustment and the installation of a corresponding longer lateral projection 52. This is facilitated by a sheet material feeding apparatus according to the principles of the present invention.

The hopper 12 shown in FIG. 1 does not need to be oriented horizontally, but can be tilted downwards (from right to left) towards the singulation plane 21. It has been found that tilting up to about 30° does not significantly affect operation. Furthermore, with appropriate adjustment of the interrelationship of the components, operation at still large inclinations is possible.

Regarding the shape of the forcing surface 30 in the transverse direction, it should be noted that shapes other than planar may be used, such as convex, concave, stepped or cut, grooved, and similar shapes. . Similarly, if support member 36 is a pulley, for example, it may be cylindrical, crown-like, barrel-like, and the like.

Regarding the relative positions of guide member 28 and support member 38, although FIG. 1 shows these two members generally disposed in singular plane 21, one above the other, (along with barrier 26) can be placed a small distance upstream so that it is not then located directly above the centerline of support member 36.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown another embodiment of the invention which differs from the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In particular, the blocking mechanism 6 includes a blocking guide member 28 (same or similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3), and a resilient member 68 attached around the outer periphery of the support member 76.
6 is provided. In this case, support member 76 is a driven roller. Support member 76 is similar to support member 36 in FIGS. 1-3.
is substantially the same as The part of the belt drive mechanism 78 disposed near the support member 76 is shown here with a rotating pulley 80 and an endless flat belt 82 driven in the direction of arrow 83. If observed in relation to Figure 1,
It will be apparent that belt drive mechanism 78 differs only slightly from belt drive mechanism 14 (FIG. 1).

In particular, belt drive mechanism 78 extends a small distance to the left and does not include a portion of blocking mechanism 66 (16 in FIG. 1). The sheet is conveyed from the hopper by an endless flat belt 82.
, and reaches and passes through the roller gap between the elastic member 68 and the guide member 28 . Support member 76
is driven at the same speed as the surface speed of belt 82 and elastic member 68.

For further details of construction and operation, see FIG.
The embodiment shown in is similar or similar to the embodiment shown and described in connection with FIGS. 1-3. In particular, FIG. 3 and the explanation given thereto can be summarized as well.

Referring to FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the present invention is shown having differences from the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In particular, a blocking mechanism 86 is provided that includes a guide member 28 (same or similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3) and a resilient member 38 that is substantially the same as in FIGS. 1-3. The only appreciably different component is the support member 88 in the form of a stationary sliding block, which facilitates sliding of the resilient member 38 in the drive direction indicated by arrow 40. The sliding blocks of support member 88 are preferably made of a low friction material, such as provided by Delrin, Teflon, and the like, but may be made of other materials. The support member 88 is substantially similar in cross-section of its upper portion (together with the guide member 28 and the resilient member 38) to the support member 36 of the drawing of FIG. The explanations are equally applicable.

Referring now to FIG. 5A, another embodiment is shown that differs in aspects from that shown in FIG. Blocking mechanism 89 comprising a guide member 28, a support member 89A and a resilient member 89C (in the form of an endless belt)
is provided. Resilient member 89C is supported by pulley 89B and driven in the direction of arrow 40. A support member 89A is provided in the form of a stationary sliding block adapted to facilitate sliding of the resilient member 89C. In all other respects and functions, the blocking mechanism 89 is similar or similar to the mechanism shown in FIG. 5, and the explanations given in this regard are equally applicable.

For further details of construction and operation, see FIG.
The illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1-3 and 11 are similar or similar to those illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

Referring to FIG. 6, an attachment mechanism 90 for attaching the guide member 28 to the attachment structure 18 of a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention includes a bracket 92, means for adjusting the vertical position of the guide member 28, and guide member 2
8 is provided with means for pushing downward with a spring. As shown,
In this arrangement, the lowermost portion of the guide member 28 is generally disposed generally within the singular plane and proximate the sheet feeding plane. Bracket 92 is rigidly attached to structure 18 by conventional means not shown and is also attached to or attached to barrier 26 .

A boss 94 having an adjustment knob 95 extends vertically (eg, by screws) adjustably through a hole in bracket 92 . A block 96 is vertically slidably supported on boss 94 and non-rotatably guided. compression spring 9
8 is placed over the boss 94 and preloaded to force the block 96 downwardly against the stop collar 97 and placed between the bracket 92 and the block 96. Guide member 28 is attached to block 96. The vertical position of block 96 and its guide member 28 can be adjusted, for example, by rotation of knob 95.

It is clear that the guide member 28 can be moved upwardly from the adjusted position against the spring load of the spring 98. This effect may occur if, for example, articles of sheet material that adhere to each other are fed down the guide member 28, and the resilient properties of the resilient member 38 within the arrangement of the blocking mechanism (as shown in FIGS. 1-5), e.g. It is used when the same standard of elasticity cannot be given. However, the nature of the sheet material sent (
If the thickness (eg, thickness) does not change significantly during a particular operation, then the spring loading by spring 98 is unnecessary for proper normal operation of the feed device. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, the spring 98 is omitted and the guide member 28 is provided with adjustment means (knobs 95, bosses 94) in a substantially constant position suitable for the relatively wide thickness range of the particular sheet being handled. Adjusted by

It will be appreciated that in conjunction with the special attachment mechanisms and adjustment means (for guide member 28) illustrated herein, other suitable conventional devices may be used to function equally well. Should. For example, the guide member 28
can be mounted on an angularly adjustable cantilever mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, two further examples, somewhat different from those previously described, are illustrated. The differences will also be particularly noticeable in the drawing of FIG.

FIG. 7 (each supporting a resilient member 38)
Two support members 36 are shown, each of the two guide members 28 overlapping a respective resilient member on laterally opposite sides. This arrangement is substantially symmetrical about central plane 59. In other respects, this arrangement is substantially the same as the embodiment depicted in FIG. In particular, FIG. 3 and the explanation given in connection therewith are equally applicable to the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 8 also has two support members 36 (each supporting a resilient member 38), each of the two guide members 28 on laterally opposite sides (different from that of FIG. side) overlap each elastic member. This arrangement also has a central plane 59
It is symmetrical with respect to. In other respects, this arrangement is substantially the same as the embodiment depicted in FIG. In particular, FIG. 3 and the explanation given in connection therewith are equally applicable to the embodiment of FIG.

Although the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 show a preferred embodiment of a symmetrical arrangement (with respect to central plane 59), it should be noted that this symmetry of arrangement is for convenience and is not intended to be a structural limitation. should be understood. It will be appreciated that a suitable symmetrical arrangement of the components may work just as well.

The foregoing discussion regarding FIGS. 1-6 is also applicable to the drawings of FIGS. 7-8, so no further explanation will be given with respect to the latter.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, which now includes a blocking mechanism 100 in place of the blocking mechanism 16 of FIG. For explanation, singular surface 2 in Fig. 1
1 is also shown in FIG. 10 to assist in positioning the blocking mechanism 100 with respect to the view of the feeder 10 in FIG. Singular surface 21
The location of and adjacent locations are shown in FIG. 10 as exit area 102.

Sheet feed surface 101 is the plane in which the bottom sheet is placed at the bottom of the sheet stack (lowest sheet 24, sheet stack 22 in FIG. 1), and the bottom sheet is placed in the exit area 102. is defined as the plane supplied to Sheet feeding surface 101 is shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0050] The blocking mechanism 100 includes a feed roller 104,
A guide member 106 and resilient members 108 and 108' are provided. The feed roller 104 is supported by a common shaft 110,
As a result, it is driven in the direction of arrow 112 by means not shown. The feed roller 104 is provided with a resilient outer circumference having at least an annular cylindrical outer circumferential portion of, for example, polyurethane material or a similar elastic material.

The guide member 106 is shown in the form of a cylinder. Although the guide members are rotatable, they are stationary for the purpose of the preferred mode of operation. As shown here, the guide member 106 is attached to a common shaft 114 that is attached to a mounting block 117 that is attached to the feeder framework (not shown). The guide member 106 has a first surface portion 116 along its outer circumference.
, and this portion 116 faces approximately the leading edge of the lower sheet of the stack in the hopper (located on the left in FIG. 10).

The guide member 106 also includes a second surface portion 118 disposed in a substantially juxtaposed portion with respect to the feed roller 104 . The second surface portion 118 may be made resilient relative to this portion of the guide member, for example by the use of a polyurethane material or similar elastic material. in general,
For practical reasons, it is advantageous to make the entire circumference of the guide member 106 of elastic material. While advantageous, the resilient properties of the guide member 106 are not essential to proper operation of the blocking mechanism, except when dealing with extreme ranges of mixed sheet material thicknesses and/or other properties.

The guide member 106 has a second surface portion 118
is disposed relative to sheet supply surface 101 such that it is substantially tangent to a plane disposed substantially below and parallel to sheet supply surface 101 . Therefore, the feed roller 10
The upper periphery of 4 (which is juxtaposed with second surface portion 118) is also arranged substantially below and parallel to sheet feeding surface 101. As mentioned above, the guide member 106
is stationary in the preferred mode of operation. Therefore, the shape of these outer circumferential surfaces need not be cylindrical, except in cases where the first surface portion 116 and the second surface portion 118 are to be smooth and generally convex.

The roller/guide gap 120 is defined as the space between the second surface portion 118 and the upper circumference of the feed roller 104. This gap 120 is set to be equal to or smaller than the range of sheet material thicknesses functionally handled by the feeder in a particular operation or batch.

Resilient members 108 and 108' are shown in the form of endless belts as they are preferably used. Proper operation according to the invention requires at least one
elastic members 108 are required. Resilient member 108
' is to support the handling of wider sheet materials.
It is provided as an auxiliary belt to impart additional transverse corrugation to the sheet material and to reduce excess bending of the lateral edges of the sheet (outside the sheet feed plane). Either or both of resilient members 108 and 108' are driven in the direction of arrow 122. The belt can be free running. In the case of a driven belt, the belt functions as a feed belt and is driven at substantially the same speed as the outer circumference of feed roller 104. As shown, resilient member 108 (and 108') is supported by pulley 124 and appropriate additional pulleys not shown here. It should be noted that in FIG. 9 (pulley 124 is shown), resilient member 108 is shown in cross section for clarity.

At least a portion of the upper surface of resilient members 108 and 108' (at least in outlet region 102)
It is disposed substantially within the sheet feeding surface 101 . FIG. 9 shows the sheet 128 being fed through the blocking mechanism 100 in dashed lines.

FIG. 9 also shows the preferred lateral interrelationships between the critical equipment of this embodiment. The resilient member 108 is disposed generally along the central portion of the sheet material (in the feeding direction of the sheet material). Guide member 106 and feed roller 10
4 are spaced laterally from each side of the resilient member 108 in a generally symmetrical manner. Resilient member 108' (
The auxiliary belts are laterally spaced approximately symmetrically from the proximal guide member 106 and feed roller 104, respectively.

[0058] Guide member 106 (and feed roller 104
), the lateral clearance and vertical interrelationship of resilient members 108 and 108' with respect to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, it is corrugated or bent in the transverse direction while being fed through the exit region 102. From this figure, it can be seen that different transversely spaced portions of sheet 128 engage and are fed over guide member 106 (and feed roller 104) and resilient members 108 and 108'. It will be seen.

In operation of the embodiment of the invention described in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10 (and with reference to a portion of the description of FIG. 1), the stack of sheets held in the hopper is
By force means (not shown) or by resilient member 108
and 108' (or by the joint effect of both) in the direction of the singularization surface 21 (see also FIG. 1) and further in the direction of the exit area 102 according to the arrow Forced in direction. The front edges of at least the lower sheets of the stack, except for the front edge of the bottom sheet, abut the first surface portion 116 of the guide member 106, thereby stopping further advancement. The bottom sheet continues to feed and passes through the exit area 102 through the roller/guide gap 120 along the second surface portion 118 and therebetween and along the feed roller 104 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom sheet 1
28 engages the second surface portion 118 of the guide member 106 and the upper surface of the resilient members 108 and 108' at different transverse portions. The second surface portion 118 is disposed parallel to and below the sheet supply surface 101, while the upper surfaces of the resilient members 108 and 108' are disposed substantially at the sheet supply surface 101. As a result, the bottom sheet 1
28 is elastically corrugated in the transverse direction to undulate in the transverse direction, as shown in FIG. This corrugation or bend occurs in the exit region 102 and extends upstream for at least some length. This causes the next one or two or more sheets in the stack to be slightly lifted at their front edges. To the extent that at least the leading edge of the bottom sheet (which is undulating) supports the next sheet, this effect facilitates the separation of the bottom sheet from the succeeding sheet, and the leading edge of the next sheet A first surface portion 116 at assists in stopping the next sheet. Furthermore, since the bottom sheet is partially separated from the next sheet by its corrugation,
This has the effect of significantly reducing friction between the bottom sheet and the next sheet. The bottom sheet can therefore easily slide along and out from under the next sheet without dragging it. These effects enhance operational reliability and avoid many misfeeds of sheets.

The bottom sheet is then transported to the next device, for example by resilient members 108 and/or 108', or by other conventional transport means not shown.

Although the invention has been particularly illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Probably.

Embodiments of the invention in which proprietary rights and privileges are claimed are set forth in the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of a sheet feeding apparatus according to the principles of the present invention.

2 is a schematic front view of a part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a part of the drawing shown in FIG. 2 in more detail; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a part of a feeding device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a part of a feeding device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing detailed aspects of the blocking installation according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view illustrating portions of yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic front view illustrating portions of yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

10 is a schematic side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9; FIG.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a part of a feeding device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 Sheet hopper 16. Preventing means 22 Stacked sheets 23 Exit area 24 Bottom sheet 25 Sheet feeding surface 32 First surface means 34 Second surface means 100 Preventing means 116 First surface means 118 Second surface means 128 Bottom sheet

Claims (9)

[Claims] [Claim 1] The lowest sheet in the stack of sheets (
24, 128) as a sheet material feeding device (10) for sequentially feeding a sheet material feeder (10), a sheet hopper (12) for holding a stack of sheets (22), said sheet hopper (12) having a singularizing outlet area (23, 128) and The singularization (singu)
feeding means (14) for forcing the bottom sheet (24, 128) towards the exit area (23, 128);
) of the stack (22);
24, 128) is fed from said stack of sheets (22) while the sheet feeding surface (24, 128) is substantially disposed thereon.
5, 101); and all but the bottom sheet (24, 128) of the sheet stack (22) to the exit area (
blocking means (16) for preventing feeding through the
. ) and forming a gap therebetween;
faces the front end of said sheet stack (22); supporting means (
and at least one resilient member (38, 10) supported by said support means (36, 124);
8), said feeding means (14) operative to feed said bottom sheet through said gap; said resilient means (38, 108) and said second surface As the bottom sheet (24, 128) passes through the gap, the bottom sheet (24, 128) interacts to bend the bottom sheet (24, 128) with respect to the sheet feeding surface, thereby causing the first
A sheet material feeding device (10) characterized in that the bottom sheet is undulated as it passes through said exit area (23, 102). 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said resilient member is wider than said support member such that its lateral projection extends beyond the width of said support member. 3. The second surface means is proximate to and spaced from the transversely projecting portion, such that passage of the bottom sheet through the gap is between the bottom sheet and the 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said lateral projections are bent to cause said corrugation of said bottom sheet. 4. A sheet material feeding device (10) that sequentially feeds the lowest sheet (24) from the sheet stack (22), and a sheet hopper (22) that holds the sheet stack (22).
12), said sheet hopper (12) having a singularizing exit area (23) and means (14) for forcing sheets (24) towards said singularizing exit area (23); a sheet feeding surface (25) on which said bottom sheet (24) is substantially disposed while being fed from said sheet stack (22); said singulation exit area (2);
3) and oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction in which said bottom sheet (24) is fed from the sheet stack (22); said sheet hopper (12); 1 through the singularization surface (21)
Means for feeding the bottom sheet (24), said sheet stack (
first and second blocking means (16) for blocking all but the bottom sheet (24) of 22) from being fed through said singulation surface (21); said first blocking means Parts (2
8), said guiding means (28) having a forcing surface (30) with a forcing edge portion on one side thereof; said forcing surface (30) having a first part (32) and a second part (32); part (34
), said first portion (32) facing generally toward the front end of the sheets (24) below the sheet stack (22);
Said second blocking means (34) comprises a support member (36) and a resilient member (38) supported thereon, said support member (36) having a supporting edge portion on one side thereof. (46)
the resilient member (38) has an outer surface (48) and an inner surface (50) and a thickness therebetween, the inner surface (50) supporting the resilient member (38); (44)
said resilient member (38) has a lateral projection (56) extending laterally beyond said supporting edge portion (46); , the second portion (34) of the forcing surface is connected to the lateral projection (5).
a first surface (63) facing said outer surface (48) in the region of 6); substantially parallel to said sheet feeding surface (25);
and a second surface (
65), the first and second surfaces (63, 65)
is the thickness of the elastic member and the sheet material feeding device (10
) and said bottom sheet (24) is spaced apart by a distance less than the sum of the minimum thickness of sheet material (24) functionally handled by said forcing edge portion (5
4) and a sheet material feeding device (10) fed through said singulation surface between said outer surface (48). 5. A sheet hopper (12) for holding the stacked sheets (22), with the sheet material feeding device (10) sequentially feeding the lowest sheet (128) from the stacked sheets (22); a bottom sheet (128) of said stack of sheets, comprising an exit area (102) and means (14) for forcing a sheet towards said exit area;
defines a sheet feeding plane (101); the bottom sheet (128) of said sheet stack (22) is directed substantially along said sheet feeding plane (101) to said exit area (102); feeding means; and the sheet stacking (22
) comprising blocking means (100) for preventing all but the bottom sheet (128) of the sheet from being fed through said exit area (102), said blocking means (100)
at least two feed rollers (104 - FIG. 1
0), said feed rollers (104) are transversely spaced from each other, each having a first surface portion (116) and a second surface portion (116).
at least two guide members (106) having a surface portion (118), said first surface portion (116) facing towards the front edge of the lower sheets of said sheet stack (22); The surface portion (118) of No. 2 is the sheet feeding surface (
101), said perimeter facing the perimeter of one of said at least two feed rollers (106) and spaced therefrom so as to define a gap (120); The feed roller is placed on the bottom sheet (1
said guide member (106) for supporting the bottom sheet (128) through said exit area (102); ) at least one resilient member (108) laterally spaced from the bottom sheet so that the bottom sheet is fed through the exit area.
The bottom sheet is elastically undulated transversely between its transverse portions with respect to the sheet feeding plane between the at least one resilient member and the at least two feed rollers and guide members. Sheet material feeding device (10). 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second surface means are stationary. 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the resilient member is an endless belt. 8. A protrusion of the elastic member protrudes beyond the width of the support member, and the forcing means is placed close to the protrusion so as to form a gap between the protrusion and at least the sheet. In a sheet feeding device of a type in which the supporting member has an elastic member attached to the supporting member so that the elastic member is offset from the sheet feeding surface when moved between the protrusions and the protruding portion, the lowest sheet from a stack of sheets is sequentially removed. the feeding method, placing the bottom sheet of the stack on a sheet feeding surface extending through the singulation exit and feeding through all of the singulation exit area except the bottom sheet of the sheet stack; blocking; feeding the bottom sheet from the hopper at the sheet feeding surface to move the bottom sheet toward the singulation exit area and between the forcing means and the protrusion; while said sheet is being moved through said singulation exit region, a transverse portion of said sheet passes through a staggered gap and is fed partially out of said sheet feeding surface to cause said lower A method comprising steps of corrugating a sheet. 9. A hopper (102) having an outlet area (102);
12), the bottom sheet is sequentially fed from the sheet stack (22) arranged in the sheet stack (22).
) the position and orientation of the bottom sheet (128) defines a sheet feeding plane (101), forcing said sheet (128) towards said exit area (102);
128) to said exit area (102); blocking all but a bottom sheet from being fed through said exit area (102), said blocking step causing said bottom sheet to be The sheet feeding surface (10
1) substantially parallel to said exit region along first and second transverse portions thereof; the lowest through said exit region (102) substantially at said sheet feeding plane (101); supporting a transverse portion of the sheet (128) on at least one resilient member (108) laterally spaced from said guide member (106); the method comprising elastically corrugating at least a portion of the bottom sheet (128) across the direction of the bottom sheet (128).