US3416679A - Signature feeder - Google Patents

Signature feeder Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3416679A
US3416679A US609610A US60961067A US3416679A US 3416679 A US3416679 A US 3416679A US 609610 A US609610 A US 609610A US 60961067 A US60961067 A US 60961067A US 3416679 A US3416679 A US 3416679A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
stack
conveyor
hopper
signatures
plate
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US609610A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Anton R Stobb
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.)
Stobb Inc
Original Assignee
Stobb Inc
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 Stobb Inc filed Critical Stobb Inc
Priority to US609610A priority Critical patent/US3416679A/en
Priority to CH6968A priority patent/CH473724A/de
Priority to GB0216/68A priority patent/GB1215622A/en
Priority to DE19681611389 priority patent/DE1611389A1/de
Priority to FR1552408D priority patent/FR1552408A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3416679A publication Critical patent/US3416679A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B65H1/08—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated with means for advancing the articles to present the articles to the separating device
    • B65H1/14—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated with means for advancing the articles to present the articles to the separating device comprising positively-acting mechanical devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42B—PERMANENTLY ATTACHING TOGETHER SHEETS, QUIRES OR SIGNATURES OR PERMANENTLY ATTACHING OBJECTS THERETO
    • B42B2/00—Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures by stitching with filamentary material, e.g. textile threads
    • B42B2/02—Machines for stitching with thread
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/02—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
    • B65H39/04—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles
    • B65H39/055—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles by collecting in juxtaposed carriers

Definitions

  • a signature feeder is provided with a conveyor which engages and moves a stack of signatures into position for a gripper to take the signatures separately from the stack and to place them on a collector chain or the like.
  • Automatically operated switches are provided for both moving the stack upwardly to feed it to the gripper, and for removing a support plate at the base of the stack. The operator need not manually attend to these functions.
  • the relationship between the length of the conveyor and the length of the stack of signatures is such that when a first stack is partially exhausted, a next stack can be placed onto the lower end of the conveyor.
  • the conveyor operates at speeds and is controlled so that the second stack will then be moved into end contact with the support plate of the first stack, and the entire feed of the signatures of the two stacks to the gripper is continuous and automated.
  • This invention pertains to signature feeders.
  • Signature feeders consist of providing uprightly disposed signature hoppers wherein relatively small sizes of stacks of signatures are manually positioned by an attendant. Feeder means are then provided for removing the signatures from the bottom of the stack and placing them separately onto a collectorconveyor or the like. Since these signatures are removed from the bottom of the stack, rather than the top, only a small stack can be placed into the hopper at one time. Further, this prior art and commercial apparatus requires the attention of one person to obtain the stack and remove the usual strapping or binding, and additional attendants are required for placing the portions of the one large stack into the hopper in quantities or sizes which can be handled by the gripper which removes the signatures from the stack.
  • the present invention permits the positioning of the full stack into the hopper, and the stack is then automatically fed in timed relationship with the gripper means, and all can be accomplished with the attention of only one operator who simply removes the strapping from the stack which is then placed onto the conveyor which automatically moves the stack up to the gripper means.
  • the feed of the signatures to the gripper is continuous and uninterrupted, since stack after stack can be placed onto the conveyor and handled so that it is in effect one continuous and endless stack of signatures. There is no gap or interruption of the feed of the signatures to the gripper even though a plurality of stacks are being handled by the apparatus. Further, there is no manual lifting of any of the stacks or portions thereof, since the single operator need only push the entire stack onto the conveyor.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the signature feeder of this invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of FIG. 1, looking down from the top, and with parts broken away.
  • FIG. 3 is a plan view of the support means for the stack of signatures.
  • a hopper 10 is comprised of a floor 11, a top rail 12 and connecting ribs 13.
  • the hopper 10 thus forms a trough, with the upper side open so that a stack of signatures 14 can be tipped from the upright or vertical position on the right hand end of FIG. 1 and to the left and into the hopper 10.
  • a portion designated 16 of a previous stack of signatures is shown in the upper end of the hopper 10 and is supported on the bottom plate 17.
  • one operator can remove the binding or straps 18, encircling the stack 14, and he can remove the end boards 19 and 21, after the bound stack 14 has been placed on the base plate 22. He will then simply move the stack 14 along the rollers 23 and push the stack into the hopper 10.
  • a conveyor, generally designated 24 is movably arranged in the hopper 10, and has one section 26, and another section 27.
  • the sections 26 and 27 each have a set of two projections 28, which are stack engagers, and they abut the sides of the support plate 17 to cause the latter to move upwardly in the hopper 10 in accordance with the movement of the conveyor 24.
  • FIG. 2 shows that both conveyor sections 26 and 27 exist on both sides of the hopper 10, and therefore on both sides of the stack 14 when the latter has been tipped into the hopper 10, as it is shown in FIG. 2.
  • the conveyor 24 can move continuously in the lifting of the stacks of signatures, and it will not interfere with any operation or apparatus along the path of the stacks such as the stack 14 and the stack 16.
  • a motor 33 is shown in driving relation with gear mechanism 34 which drives the shaft 29, all in a conventional manner.
  • an electric motor 36 engages gear mechanism 37 to drive a shaft 38 which rotatably freely supports pulleys 39 carrying the conveyor section 27.
  • the upper end of the conveyor section 27 is shown supported on pulleys 41 rotatably keyed onto a shaft 42, suitably afiixed with the hopper 10, as in the case of the other shafts described.
  • the extents of the conveyor section 27 along the inside of the hopper 10 move upwardly in the hopper to advance the stacks upwardly, as desired.
  • a pulley 29a and a pulley 42a are keyed to the shafts 29 and 42, respectively, and a drive belt 40 extends between to drive the conveyor section 27 by the motor 33.
  • conveyor section 26 is driven by motor 36 since a pulley 38a and a pulley 31a are drivingly keyed to shafts 38 and 31, respectively, with a drive belt 45 extending between these two pulleys.
  • pulleys 50 are rotatably keyed onto shaft 31, and pulleys 55 are rotatably free on shaft 42.
  • Moving the stack 14 onto the conveyor 24 can cause the support plate 22 to engage a fixed stop 43, and the plate 22 will remain in that position until it is engaged by the first pair of engagers 28 on, for example, the conveyor section 27.
  • the operator can then push an electric switch button 44, and, through electrical power and connections, such as the diagrammatically shown connection 46, the motor 33 will be operated to operate the conveyor 27 and rapidly lift the stack 14 upwardly in the hopper 10. If it is the first and only st-ack then placed into the hopper 10, the motor 33 will operate at a high speed until the top edge of the stack, such as the top edge designated 47 on the stack 16, contacts a sensor or finger 48.
  • This sensor includes a rod 49 which extends to a switch 51 which in turn is connected electrically through a wire 52 to the control box 53.
  • the sensor 48 then causes the motor 33 to operate at a slow speed, which speed is synchronized and timed with the operation of the gripper means, hereinafter described.
  • the conveyor 26 also has fast and slow speeds which are utilized under the conditions shown in FIG. 1, that is, when the first stack 16 is partially exhausted and it is desired to place another full stack, such as the stack 14, into the hopper 10. At that time, the stack 14 may be tipped into the hopper, but its upper end will not be in contact with the lower end of the stack 16. Thus, fast operation of the conveyor section 26 will raise the stack 14 into end abutment with the previous stack 16.
  • the stacks will feed upwardly together under the automatically controlled speed of the conveyor 24.
  • the operator may control the fast speed of the conveyor 26 by means of the push-button 54, subject to the automatic cut-out of the fast speed through the described sensor 48.
  • there may be conventional electrical means (not shown) connected between the motors 33 and 36 and a hereinafter described means for removing the plates 17 and 22.
  • Such electrical means will alternately permit fast and slow operation of the motors 33 and 36.
  • the operator can control the action of the conveyor sections 26 and 27 and their driving motors 33 and 36 through its push-buttons 44 and 54, and holding the button will give the fast lift desired. Release of the buttons 44 and 54 will cause the sections 26 and 27 to be operated at the slow feeding speed.
  • a conventional type of signature gripper 57 is suitably pivotally mounted for movement toward the top of the stack 46 and away from the stack to deposit the signatures on a collecting conveyor 58 or the like.
  • a single signature S is indicated to be suspended along a path which the signatures might follow in moving from the stack to the conveyor 58.
  • An arrangement such as that shown and described is conventional, and it need not be further described to one skilled in the art.
  • a vacuum-type suction cup 59 is operable at the top of the stack 16 to move the signatures separately off the top of the stack 16 and into the clutches of the gripper 57 for the action just described.
  • the movement of the stack 16 upwardly is related to the speed of the gripper 57 so that the entire stack 16 can be adequately deposited on the conveyor 58, as desired.
  • an arm 61 is pivoted about a shaft 62 to engage the plate 17 and move it away from the stack 16 and onto a support 63, as is shown with a plate 64.
  • a power cylinder 66 is shown pivotally connected at 65 to the arm 61 for pivoting the arm between the lower position shown and the raised position to where the plates are deposited on the support 63.
  • the sensor in the form of a switch of the limit type and designated 67 is disposed adjacent the upper end of the hopper to be actuated by the contact of the plate 17.
  • the sensor 67 is then diagrammatically shown to be connected to a pump 68 through a connecting line 69, and
  • FIG. 3 thus shows the plate 17 to include a cross bar 72 which secures the two sides of the plate 17 spaced apart so that the arm 61 can adequately engage the plate 17 to lift it up to the support 63.
  • This of course is all automatic, and the operator then is only required to take the plate 64 off the support 63 and position it below the next stack, as is shown with respect to the plate 22 in FIG. 1.
  • a shoe 73 is affixed in a position on the hopper to abut the upper side 47 of the stack 16 and thereby align the stack and control it as it advances upwardly.
  • the shoe 73 does not interfere with the movement of the plate 17, nor with the arm 61, and such clearance may be in any wellknown arrangement.
  • the support 63 is indicated to be pivotal about a pin 74, and the support may pivot upwardly or clockwise from the position shown, for passage of the plate bar 72 thereabove, but it may not pivot counter-clockwise from the position shown, so it holds the plate 64 in the position shown after automatically receiving the Plate.
  • a sheet feeder including a mechanically powered conveyor for supporting a stack of sheets in an upright direction which presents an upper sheet across the top of said stack, gripper means for individually removing said sheets from the top of said stack when said conveyor positions said stack at an elevation which presents the upper sheet to said gripper means, conveyor drive means drivingly connected to said conveyor for power elevating the same, the improvement comprising said conveyor including two sets of co-extensive belts separately and independently mounted for relative movement therebetween and including sheet stack engagers for independently elevating respective stacks of sheets supported by said engagers, said conveyor drive means including a separate drive connection to each of said two sets of belts, said conveyor drive means including separate operating controls and being operable for different stack elevating speeds and being adapted to operate each of said two sets of belts at both fast and slow speeds relative to each other for positioning a lower stack on one of said two sets of belts in contact with the base of an upper stack on the other of said two sets of belts.
  • said hopper includes a floor for supporting said stacks, and said two sets of belts are spaced apart and have said engagers on said belts on each side of each of said sets of said belts for sliding of said stacks upwardly on said floor, and said stack engagers including a support removably disposed below said stack for supporting the same on said conveyor.
  • said engagers include a support removably disposed below said stack for supporting said stack, and including automatically operative means for engaging said support and removing 5 6 it from said stack, and a support sensor operatively con- FOREIGN PATENTS nected to said automatically operative means for acti- 478 823 11/1951 Canada vating the latter when said support reaches a selected helght- GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
  • Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
US609610A 1967-01-16 1967-01-16 Signature feeder Expired - Lifetime US3416679A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US609610A US3416679A (en) 1967-01-16 1967-01-16 Signature feeder
CH6968A CH473724A (de) 1967-01-16 1968-01-04 Zubringervorrichtung für Blätter aus einem Stapel
GB0216/68A GB1215622A (en) 1967-01-16 1968-01-09 Signature feeder
DE19681611389 DE1611389A1 (de) 1967-01-16 1968-01-16 Signaturen-Zufuehrvorrichtung
FR1552408D FR1552408A (fr) 1967-01-16 1968-01-16

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US609610A US3416679A (en) 1967-01-16 1967-01-16 Signature feeder

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3416679A true US3416679A (en) 1968-12-17

Family

ID=24441532

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US609610A Expired - Lifetime US3416679A (en) 1967-01-16 1967-01-16 Signature feeder

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3416679A (fr)
CH (1) CH473724A (fr)
DE (1) DE1611389A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR1552408A (fr)
GB (1) GB1215622A (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3598254A (en) * 1968-09-27 1971-08-10 Amf Inc Pan feeding apparatus
US3635463A (en) * 1970-05-08 1972-01-18 Stobb Inc Sheet feeder off a stack of sheets
US3739924A (en) * 1971-07-02 1973-06-19 A Stobb Apparatus for bundling, transporting, and feeding sheets
DE3313459A1 (de) * 1982-04-14 1983-10-20 Stobb Inc., 08809 Clinton, N.J. Verfahren und vorrichtung zur laufenden automatischen zufuehrung von aus boegen gebildeten eingebundenen buendeln zu einer mehrzahl von bogenfoerdervorrichtungen mittels eines ueber-kopftransportes, beispielsweise einer laufkatze
EP0421519A2 (fr) * 1989-10-06 1991-04-10 Augusto Marchetti Dispositif pour alimenter un magasin vertical situé au sommet d'une machine en boîtes de carton à l'état plat et empilé pour fabriquer des boîtes de carton
US6145649A (en) * 1998-03-13 2000-11-14 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag Device for flexible guiding of conveyed products
US20120121372A1 (en) * 2010-11-15 2012-05-17 Raque Glen F Top unloading tray dispenser

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2615178B1 (fr) * 1987-05-15 1990-06-01 Astinfrance Sarl Alimentateur automatique et procede d'approvisionnement en piles de plaques planes dudit alimentateur automatique
DE4411597B4 (de) * 1994-04-02 2005-09-22 Kugler-Womako Gmbh Blattanleger
DE19631368A1 (de) * 1996-08-02 1998-02-05 Atg Test Systems Gmbh Automatisierte Vorrichtung zum Prüfen von Leiterplatten

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA478823A (fr) * 1951-11-27 Bobst Henri Machines d'alimentation de feuilles
US2589428A (en) * 1950-10-10 1952-03-18 Pearce Dev Company Collating machine
US3123355A (en) * 1964-03-03 Lessig

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA478823A (fr) * 1951-11-27 Bobst Henri Machines d'alimentation de feuilles
US3123355A (en) * 1964-03-03 Lessig
US2589428A (en) * 1950-10-10 1952-03-18 Pearce Dev Company Collating machine

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3598254A (en) * 1968-09-27 1971-08-10 Amf Inc Pan feeding apparatus
US3635463A (en) * 1970-05-08 1972-01-18 Stobb Inc Sheet feeder off a stack of sheets
US3739924A (en) * 1971-07-02 1973-06-19 A Stobb Apparatus for bundling, transporting, and feeding sheets
DE3313459A1 (de) * 1982-04-14 1983-10-20 Stobb Inc., 08809 Clinton, N.J. Verfahren und vorrichtung zur laufenden automatischen zufuehrung von aus boegen gebildeten eingebundenen buendeln zu einer mehrzahl von bogenfoerdervorrichtungen mittels eines ueber-kopftransportes, beispielsweise einer laufkatze
US4451967A (en) * 1982-04-14 1984-06-05 Stobb, Inc. Crane system sheet feeder method and apparatus
EP0421519A2 (fr) * 1989-10-06 1991-04-10 Augusto Marchetti Dispositif pour alimenter un magasin vertical situé au sommet d'une machine en boîtes de carton à l'état plat et empilé pour fabriquer des boîtes de carton
EP0421519A3 (en) * 1989-10-06 1991-11-21 Augusto Marchetti Device for feeding flattened and piled cardboard boxes to a vertical magazine located on the top of a machine for forming cardboard boxes
US6145649A (en) * 1998-03-13 2000-11-14 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag Device for flexible guiding of conveyed products
US20120121372A1 (en) * 2010-11-15 2012-05-17 Raque Glen F Top unloading tray dispenser

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1611389A1 (de) 1970-12-10
FR1552408A (fr) 1969-01-03
GB1215622A (en) 1970-12-16
CH473724A (de) 1969-06-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3416679A (en) Signature feeder
US3757971A (en) Palletizing apparatus
US3776544A (en) Automatic loading apparatus
US4119219A (en) Batch feeder
US3982749A (en) Signature feeder
US3688920A (en) Palletizing apparatus
SE461911B (sv) Anordning foer automatisk stapling av ark
US2138306A (en) Automatic apparatus for feeding strips or sheets to presses or other machines
US2829759A (en) Sheet handling apparatus
US4599025A (en) Stacker assembly
EP0398214B1 (fr) Dispositif d'alimentation/empilage de papier pour une presse alimentée en papier
JPH0251830B2 (fr)
CN112811198A (zh) 一种智能堆垛及分离装置
US4320547A (en) Punch and binding machine
US3143344A (en) Sheet stacker
JPS6270143A (ja) 紙揃え装置用渡し板装置
US2593343A (en) Apparatus for conveying, dividing, and piling sheet material
WO2003022560A1 (fr) Appareil d'alimentation a grande vitesse pour decoupeuse a l'emporte-piece du type a double coque
US2641974A (en) Apparatus for cutting and stacking sheets
CN114314079A (zh) 一种自动分选上料输纸方法
US3545744A (en) Veneer grade line apparatus
CN209582950U (zh) 摆盘机设备
US3701441A (en) Transfer device for use in cutting units for paper sheets
US3161292A (en) Device for elevating and sorting flexible sheets
US4784559A (en) Apparatus for subdividing piles of superimposed stacks of paper sheets and the like