US3442507A - Stacking device - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1969 L. D. ROOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1967 Sheet of s I CD'I 1 LAWRENCE D. ROOT Y WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY May 6, 1969 ROOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Filed July l9, 1967 Sheet 2 of s I I a I 95 O um FIG. 2

INVENTORS.

LAWRENCE D. ROOT Y WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY Filed July 19, 1967 May 6, 1969 RQOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Sheet l of INVENTORS,

LAWRENCE D. ROOT WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,442,507 STACKING DEVICE Lawrence D. Root, Acton, and Wilbern F. Davis, Sharon,

Mass., assignors to Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis,

Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 19, 1967, Ser. No. 654,551 Int. Cl. B65h 31/04 U.S. Cl. 271-87 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A record stacking, push-plate, device for arranging on a stacking hopper bed of a record handling device adjacent a record-injection zone thereon, so as to receive injected records and retain them in a prescribed stacked relation, the device being provided with wheels and associated tracks for guided travel along the stacking axis and further including a resilient web mounted to be springwound inside the device and anchored on the bed so as to be laid down as a mat-support for records as they are stacked.

PROBLEMS, INVENTION FEATURES In the data processing and related arts, unit records are commonly fed from a processor, such as a card reader, punch, sorter, etc., so as to be thrust into one or more output hopper bins by an associated stacker. Such stackers typically thrust records through a stacker-throat, successively, onto a hopper bed BS (see FIGURE 1) periodically with a prescribed thrust to assure that, as the stacked deck builds up, it is retained in stacked alignment by a pusher blade device. This device conventionally follows the building deck by yielding motion away from stacking throat. Prior art push-plate arrangements are not very tolerant of some problems involved in so stacking records; in fact, they commonly contribute difliculties of their own. For instance, in U.S. 3,271,026 to German, there is shown a stacked deck of records 39 held by pushplate 42 in prescribed relation with a stacking injector arrangement which, quite typically, will thrust an injected record against stack 39, moving the stack away, against the resistance of push-plate 42, this thrust being controllably resisted by a return spring means 46A, 46B. These return springs are quite typical of the prior art in that they are coupled between the stacking-injection plane and the (movable) push-plate so that when the plate is thrust away from the stacker by forces on the deck 39, the spring means 46 will resist this thrust to a degree. Like virtually all conventional (non-gravity-returned) pushplates, plate 42 has this return spring means so arranged, relative the record stack, that it couples push-plate-excursion to spring excursion. -It will be recognized that a relatively constant return force is preferable, but is very diflicult to provide over long spring excursions without either over-long, cumbersome extension springs or else complex multiple spring systems and transition couplings. For instance, while the invention has been found apt for large capacity hoppers requiring a typical maximum (fullhopper) push-excursion of about 1-8 inches, using a conventional extension coil spring which had a relatively constant spring rate over this distance would require a coil about 55 inches long-an intolerable size for the typical business machine's. Yet, using a dolly pusher according to the embodiment herein, and coupling an internal Negtor type spring carried inside the dolly so as to lay down a web as the dolly is pushed, can provide a simple, easily replaced spring arrangement for this 18 inch excursion with none of the aforementioned problems. Prior art push-plates can tolerate a maximum of about only 1300 punched cards in a stacking hopper where devices like the embodiment can stack 2500 cards or more. This is because, unlike prior art devices, their spring rate is independent of their extended length (that is, of the number of cards stacked in the hopper).

Also, prior art return springs which so embrace a stacked deck can induce several unhappy stacking characteristics, especially at high stacking speeds (e.g. about 1,000 cards per minute). One such result is deck oscillation, that is, where the entire deck rocks to and fro practically continually (dancing deck) in response to the thrust of the stacker on the deckof the deck on the push-plateand of the push-plate against the spring systemand back again. As workers in the art well known, this dancing can badly degrade the condition of the cards, such as by abrading their edges, etc. The invention, on the other hand, finds an answer to this problem in this unique dolly-pusher embodiment wherein return spring means do not couple the deck (excursion) directly to the return spring system and do not appear to have such problems as the dancing deck.

For instance, in using the present embodiment of the invention, with a card stacker at about 1000 c.p.m., such a dolly will confine its return spring forces essentially within itself, being coupled, returningly, to the stack throat area by a non-rigid means (the flexible plastic web). This apparently clamps out all undesirable pusherthrust since any oscillation of the deck is confined, at worst, to a small area very close to the stacker and moreover is not serious there. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that devices according to the invention can allow high-speed stacking, such as about 1000 c.p.m., whereas prior art push-plates cannot do so without inducing problems, such as the above.

Prior art stacking arrangements are typically forced to skid a card edge along the output-hopper bed which, though supposedly smooth (e.g. coated for a low coefficient of friction), is typically scratched, abraded, pockmarked etc., roughening it so that skidding card edges are easily frayed. The invention, on the other hand, teaches providing the aforementioned web-coupling between the return spring (inside the push-plate) and the stacking throat to act as a card-receiving mat with a low-friction, card-skidding surface, e.g. of Teflon, Mylar or the like. This web surface, being exposed only when unrolled with records stacked thereon, is not ordinarily subject (exposed) to the aforementioned abrasion or other surface deterioration. Further, with both the wound spring and the web (wound thereon) mounted compactly within the pusher-dolly itself, they are obviously more accessible (e.g. for quick replacement). Alternatively, the dolly can easily be removed and replaced.

Thus, it is a general object of the present invention to provide devices which exhibit the aforementioned features and advantages and are free of the stated problems and objectionable characteristics. Another object is to provide such a push-plate arrangement which couples a return spring between itself and anchoring means via a resilient web. Another object is to mount such a web so as to be unspooled to provide a relatively protected record-skidding surface. A further object is to provide a (leveled) push-plate device having return spring means which avoids making the spring extension a function of the maximum push-excursion; preferably maintaining a constant spring rate over a long excursion, yet with a compact spring arrangement. Another object is to mount a coil type return spring within such a device to be extended by push-excursions.

Still another object is to provide such a push-plate and return spring arrangement which eliminates deck-dancing problems and the like. Still another object is to provide a push-plate mechanism coupled adjacent a recordstacking-injection zone of a business machine by means of a non-rigid, resilient web coupling, itself having no return spring action. Still another object is to provide such a push-plate to accommodate high-speed card stacking, up to about 1000 cards per minute. Still another object is to provide such a stacking arrangement adapted to accommodate an extended deck of punched cards, up to about 2500.

The foregoing and related objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from consideration of the following description, including the accompanying drawings, wherein the embodiment of the invention, somewhat oversimplified, generally comprises a rolling-dolly type push-plate, mounted on a stacking bed to be guided by prescribed tracks and including return spring means mounted within itself and coupled to the stacking-injection zone by a non-rigid web arranged so as to be laid down along the bed as a card skid as the dolly is pushed. The foregoing features, advantages and objects of the invention, together with related ones, will be better appreciated by those skilled in the art from the following detailed specification of a preferred embodiment, together with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like parts, these drawings comprising:

FIGURE 1, a side elevation, in partial section, showing a push-plate dolly embodiment of the invention as arranged on a hopper bed adjacent a prescribed card stacker arrangement;

FIGURE 2 shows in schematic perspective, a plurality of stacker-hopper arrays, each provided with a dolly like that of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 shows a front elevation, in partial section along lines 33, of the embodiment in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 may be understood as showing a dolly (push-plate) D mounted to ride (on rollers 22) along a prescribed hopper bed BS, being guided as indicated below. Dolly D is arranged to stackingly receive punched cards (e.g. CD-l) injected in a prescribed manner from an associated stacker arrangement ST. Dolly D includes a return spring arrangement S coupled to a non-rigid plastic web (or mat) W which is spooled onto the spring and led around idler I to be unrolled along hopper bed BS, being secured, such as by clamp WC, adjacent the injection zone (stacking plane of stacker ST, adjacent plane of CD-l).

STACKER Stacker ST is, of course, only exemplary of high-speed record stacker devices with which this dolly push-plate embodiment may be aptly used. Stacker ST comprises a pair of injection rollers IR, IR adapted to accept cards, such as from an upstream sorting diverter or the like, to be engaged in their nip and thrust upwardly, along a curved hood HD to be stopped against a resilient stopping spring SP. SP should be limited by an overtravel stop SPS. An injected card such as CD-l (fragment in phantom) will be thrust by rollers IR, IR through a prescribed throat opening established by an adjustable throat block TB relative to a fixed portion 'I'IB of hood HD, the gap therebetween preferably being adjustable and closed, uni-directionally, by one or more throat fingers TFG. A so-injected card will be decelerated as it is slid along the curved surface of hood HD and against spring SP, these being dimensioned to accommodate a selected card length (and made adjustable if desired, e.g. to accommodate a shorter card). Thus, as the leading edge of a card is arrested against spring SP, its trailing edge will be urged down along a stepped shuttle SH and a ramp array, such as the pair of ramps R, R (by restoring force of SP) and prevented from falling back into the throat gap by spring-loaded fingers TFG. Having alighted on ramps R, R, the trailing card edge will then be stepped down in the stacking direction (arrow S while the leading edge rests against a contact plate portion 17 of dolly D. Stacking shuttle SH (e.g. SH-3 for hopper -H-3, see FIGURE 2) will be understood as continually oscillating between (Forward-Reverse) extremes SH-F, SH-R (phantom) to effect this step-down stacking thrust, ramps R, R serving as a pair of inclined bases along which the cards may be stepped (by SH) until dropping off the rampedges RE and grounding onto bed BS. Ramps R, R may be assumed to be fixed continuous surfaces arranged to slope downward from the throat toward bed BS terminating at front edges RE, RE. The oscillation of shuttle SH will thus step an injected card down ramps R, R to be thrust against plate 17, or any cards stacked thereon, ramp edges RE, RE preventing (limiting) any backward movement toward stacker ST. When a card is so injected, decelerated, dropped and forward-thrust against dolly D, it may then be assumed (FIGURE 1) to be resting against contact plate 17 as with CD-l. In operation of a typical shuttle SH, it has been found that the force available at the bottom riser of shuttle SH to drive the stacked deck is about 13 pounds maximum with a linear horizontal displacement, along bed BS, of about with negligible vertical displacement. Thus, it will be understood that a card injected past throat finger TFG, after being stopped by flexure spring, SP will slide (or drop) its trailing edge down across throat block TB onto ramps R, R to be thereafter gravity-urged down the ramps toward bed BS, this motion being assisted and accelerated by the continual oscillating thrust of successive steps (risers) on shuttle SH until the card drops onto the bed BS (onto web W thereon), resting against edges RE, RE and either the contact plate 17 or intermediate cards resting thereagainst. It will be assumed that the lowermost riser of shuttle SH will give the incoming card a final thrust against dolly D (or interposed card deck) to assure a gap between edges RE, RE and plate 17 to admit this incoming card onto bed BS.

PUSHERDOLLY As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, dolly D comprises a box-like frame assembly, (U-shaped housing) 11 forming a container defined by a pair of bottom surfaces (support blocks) 13 partly closing the housing. From blocks 13 are projected, dependingly, two pairs of aligned roller brackets 14, 14', each pair being integral with 13 and aligned and bored to register for journaling an associated roller axle 21, 21 (the left and right portions of these brackets, associated rollers and other symmetrical elements are labelled R, L corresponding to right and left elements as viewed in FIGURE 3). Each axle 21, 21 also projects through an oversized U-slot (for clearance in-assembly) in left and right bottom flange portions 18-L, 18-R, respectively, these extending from the sides of housing 11. As best seen in FIGURE 3, each axle mounts a pair of rollers (or Wheels) 22, 22 positioned conventionally (e.g. by means of a retaining ring) and adapted to allow dolly D to roll easily across bed BS. (Low-friction skids may also be used, or the like). On the left and right ends of each axle (21, 21) are journably affixed a pair of guide wheels 24, 24, being held thereon by a retaining ring or the like as with rollers 22, 22. However, only one stop-limiting ring is used, on the outward side of the roller, the inner edge being thrust by an associated thrust coil spring 18 in the case of right rollers 22-R, 22'R. Thrust springs 18 act to maintain the wheels in a prescribed outboard guiding position to be resiliently thrust inboard thereof, such as for an operator to remove dolly D from the hopper or for accommodating irregularities in the guide rail GR, or the like. Each such pair of guide wheels 24 has an outward beveled surface 24-BV extending conically around a circumference thereof and adapted, when dolly D is in operative position in a stacking hopper, to be thrust against one of an opposing pair of guide rails GR-l, GR-2 (for hopper 1 in FIGURES 2 and 3). That is, according to this feature of the invention, guide wheels 24, being thrust resiliently outwardly and beveled, will engage guide rails GR on opposite sides of dolly D to maintain it along a prescribed horizontal, vertical translation (stacking) axis 8,, very conveniently. For accommodating a smooth guiding engagement, the wheel-engaging corners of guide rails GR may be similarly beveled, if desired.

As before indicated, the rear, or card-contacting end, of dolly D is provided with a contact plate 17 aflixed thereto at a prescribed card-orienting angle with bed BS and having a prescribed width (approximately that of the cards to be handled) together with a length suflicient to extend from adjacent bed BS up a substantial portion of the card length supportingly. An indentation 1-7-C is provided centrally along the top edge thereof, such as to allow an operator to conveniently grasp the deck adjacent this plate. It is preferable that the rearward displacement of dolly D (toward stacker ST) be limited; hence, a stop DS is preferably provided under each guide rail GR so disposed as to engage the rear wheels 22' (see FIGURE 1 and plane DDS). This will limit the return excursion of dolly D as pulled, by return spring S, toward stacker ST so as not to touch shuttle SH (if hopper is empty) or interfere with its operation. DS is disposed to leave a slight gap between the lower edge of contact plate 17 and ramp edges RE, RE for admitting the first card. The housing elements of dolly D may preferably be comprised of sheet metal, the parts being stamped and welded, screwed or otherwise joined together. A flange 19 is also provided for gripping by the attendant (to pull D and remove cards). Wheels 24 are spring-loaded against rails GR to guide dolly D in a straight line along axis S over the length of the hopper (stack-pocket).

As indicated in FIGURE 2 there may be a dolly of the type indicated in FIGURES 1 and 3 provided for each of several stacking hoppers (stacking pockets) H-1, H-2, H-3 etc. of a single unitary machine, these hoppers, for instance, comprising reject, normal #1 and normal #2 pockets respectively, into which documents may be sortdirected and stacked. Thus, FIGURE 2 shows an array of three adjacent stacker units ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, each having the general construction of stacker ST in FIGURE 1 and each being adapted to feed a respective hopper H1, H-2, H-3, these hoppers being defined by guide rails GR (e.g. GR-l and GR2 for H1, GR-Z and GR-3 for H-2 and GR3 and GR-4 for II-3). A pusher dolly, like dolly D in FIGURES 1 and 3, is shown provided for each such hopper, namely dollies D-l, D-2 and D3 (the latter not shown except for its associated Web W3 As will be shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, each dolly D may be provided with a permanent magnet means MG mounted from a bracket within the dolly to project adjacent its front face at a prescribed position so it may co-act with a magnetic sensor (switch) operating as a hopper-full switch when the associated dolly is pushed forward to its limit (definable by web W). For instance, an encapsulated reed switch may be located the front of each hopper so that when an associated dolly D is pushed fully forward (by a maximum capacity deck), this switch may be operated by associated magnet MG in the dolly to indicate this full condition (such an indication is commonly used to disable card picker and feed mechanisms so as not to jam the machine).

RETURN SPRING As before mentioned pusher dolly D in FIGURES 1 and 3 is urged returningly toward stacker ST by a return spring means S, being coupled to the machine frame via the non-rigid plastic web W. Spring S is mounted inside dolly housing 11 and adapted to controllably oppose the thrusts of the shuttle SH on the rear of the (expanding) deck of cards stacked against dolly D. As dolly D is so thrust, periodically, away from stacker ST, web W, being wrapped therein, will be unwrapped. Thus, web W is preferably anchored onto a rotatable spring drum 1 which, in turn, is aflixed to one end of a prescribed coil spring SP. Spring SP includes a hub portion, or spool 3, which is journably projected from the side of housing 11 via a spacer shaft 7, spool 3 having a hub 4 which is rotatably journaled into shaft 7 (FIGURE 3) and for convenience, made removable. Thus, web W is intended to be normally rolled onto drum 1 to be stored inside dolly D to be unrolled and laid down onto bed BS as the dolly is thrust away from stacker ST. This unrolling will, of course, be resisted by the spring SP which is preferably a constantrate spring such as a Negtor type spring or the like. A Flextor spring reel (Hunter Spring Co.) was found suitable for this embodiment.

As mentioned, injected cards will preferably be dropped onto the unrolled web W which may thereby form a mat. Thus, Web W is preferably of Mylar or a like slippery, lowfriction surface on which the deck may slide as it builds up. The entering cards will push dolly D, as indicated by the arrow, causing Mylar web W to be unwound from drum 1 which, in turn, will be rotated against the restoring force of spring SP. Of course, if some or all of the stacked cards are removed, decreasing the size of the deck, return spring SP on drum 3 will urge dolly D to return back toward stacker ST, winding up the slack in the vacated section of web W to thrust contact plate 17 back against the remaining deck. 1Drum 3 will have a width about that of web W, being fastened circumferentially around spool 3 in the form of a split-ring clamp using attaching screws 5, 5.

In summary, it will appear that the invention above described provides improved hopper stacking means and particularly an improved dolly type push-plate means therefor. It will be apparent that the invention is thus provided an advantageous pusher dolly including a return spring means within itself, this spring means being anchored to the hopper bed so as to span a stacked deck without imposing spring forces thereacross, and with coupling spring excursion directly to push-excursion. It will be apparent that this novel push-dolly advantageously is provided with guide wheels engaging guide-rails for maintaining alignment and guiding motion conveniently, yet without substantially impeding the rolling freedom of the device. It will further be apparent that a construction is taught which is particularly apt for use with a constantrate return spring (such as a Negtor spring or the like). It will also be apparent that this design has been optimized through use of a low-friction web laid down along the hopper bed as the dolly is pushed to thereby provide an advantageous skid-surface for the deck, being rolled up inside the push-dolly and protected against surface-damage when not in use. Of course, related push-dolly constructions may be used to achieve the same or similar results. For instance, the support rolls may be replaced by lowfriction skid means or the like, as may the guiding wheels. Of course, such a dolly may be used with a different type stacker and different unit record documents, although the dolly size, return spring etc. will have to be adjusted to accommodate these. The web, of course, need not serve as a card-skid if not desirable. It will be apparent that the aforedescribed push-dolly of the invention goes a long Way towards eliminating the problems associated with related prior art devices, such as those aforementioned, like deck oscillation, in ability to accept fast card-feed (e.g. up to about 1000 c.p.m.) or to accept a large deck (e.g. up to about 2500 punched cards), inability to provide a return-spring rate independent of extended length (or deck size); inability to be self-aligning along the stacking path and the like.

What is claimed as novel and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pusher dolly for stacking records injected by stacker means into the output hopper of a prescribed record handling machine and along a prescribed stack axis along the hopper bed, this dolly comprising:

a housing portion including a stacking surface adapted to receive said injected records; moving means mounting said housing portion on said hopper bed so that it may be urged therealong comparatively freely; guide means adapted to guide said housing along said stacking axis as it is moved along said bed; return spring means; resilient web means connected to said housing so as to be laid along said bed as a mat for said cards when said housing is pushed by the cards along said axis, said spring means having a relatively constant spring rate and being coupled to one end of said web so as to keep it normally rolled up, said web and spring means being connected to said housing so as to be unrolled and extended as said cards are thrust thereagainst by said stacker means whereby to controllably oppose a portion of this thrust, said spring being extendible in length to a degree not directly related to the pushing excursion distance of said housing and of the size of the deck stacked in the hopper.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said return spring means comprises a coil spring mounted rotatably on said housing portion so as to be uncoiled as the size of the stacked deck increases.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said one end of said web is anchored adjacent the stacker end of said hopper bed and the other end is coupled to said spring so as to be urged to be kept normally spooled thereon within said dolly.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said guide means comprise a pair of track guides, one being arranged along each side of the hopper bed so as to engage the dolly to direct its motion along the said stacking axis and to maintain it flat upon the bed.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said moving means comprises at least one opposed pair of wheels arranged to releasably mate with said track guides so as to maintain the moving dolly along a prescribed reference direction and constant attitude.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said stacker means comprises a stacking down-ramp together with a shuttling-staircase pusher for Stepping injected cards down the ramp; and wherein said web is comprised of non-rigid, low-friction material.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein said spring is a Negtor type constant-rate coil spring and wherein said web is comprised of Mylar.

8. In apparatus for handling unit record documents including one or more stacking hoppers and stacker means arranged to urge documents into said hoppers with a prescribed thrust and attitude, the combination therewith of pusher means arranged in each hopper to receive said stacked documents, to arrest them in a relatively constant manner at a prescribed attitude and to be gradually thrust thereby away from said stacker means to stack a deck of documents along a prescribed stacking direction; said pusher means comprising:

a dolly housing mounted to freely move yieldingly when so thrust a prescribed amount directed by said documents and stacker means and spring means coupled to said housing and arranged to limit this yield and to provide a relatively constant return force indipendent of the size of the stacked documents deck, said housing being anchored to seek a prescribed home position adjacent said stacker means by web means arranged to be unrolled along the hopper bed as the dolly is pushed and thereby provide a protected base mat for the stacked documents.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein each said hopper includes guide means defining said direction; wherein said housing is mounted on wheels engaging said track means and wherein said spring means is arranged to spool said web, unspooling it as the housing is thrust away from said stacker means.

10. The combination recited in claim 9 wherein said spring means comprises a constant-rate Negtor type coil spring rotatably mounted within said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,291,485 12/1966 Darwin 271-89X EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner.

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