US3586315A

US3586315A - Adjustable sucker

Info

Publication number: US3586315A
Application number: US872565A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Cohn
Original assignee: US Plywood Champion Papers Inc
Current assignee: US Plywood Champion Papers Inc
Priority date: 1969-10-30
Filing date: 1969-10-30
Publication date: 1971-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-22

Abstract

An improved sucker for handling thin flexible sheets of material such as paper has a shank and head in L-shaped configuration, a vacuum port in the head connected to an air or vacuum passage in the shank, a spring with a flat suction face overlying the port, a gasket around the port and between the spring and the head, air passage means through the spring and gasket connected to the port, and an adjusting means such as a screw to move or flex the spring member whereby to change the angle presented by the spring suction face to the flexible sheet of material that is to be engaged and moved thereby.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnventor Robert Cohn Millbrae, Calif. [21] Appl. No. 872,565 [22] Filed Oct. 30,1969 [45] Patented June 22, 1971 [73] Assignee U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers Inc.

Hamilton, Ohio [54] ADJUSTABLE SUCKER 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 271/26 [51] int. Cl a a B6511 3/08 [50] Field of Search 271/26, 27, 29, 20, 28, 30, 31; 294/64 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,995 2/1943 Robinson 271/26 X 3,042,396 7/1962 Cole 271/26 Primary Examiner-.1 oseph Wegbreit Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, J r. Attorney-Daniel P. Worth ABSTRACT: An improved sucker for handling thin flexible sheets of material such as paper has a shank and head in L- shaped configuration, a vacuum port in the head connected to an air or vacuum passage in the shank, a spring with a flat suction face overlying the port, a gasket around the port and between the spring and the head, air passage means through the spring and gasket connected to the port, and an adjusting means such as a screw to move or flex the spring member whereby to change the angle presented by the spring suction face to the flexible sheet of material that is to be engaged and moved thereby.

TO VACUUM SOURCE 20 43 I Fvfi i 22 24 F- a 23 r Lil a J PATEN'TED 'JUN22 I97! .3. TO VACUUM SOURCE FIGI- IN VENTOR ROBERT COHN m fizww;

ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE SUCKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved sucker for handling thin flexible sheets of material such as paper and the like.

Printing presses, envelope machines and similar apparatus handle various weights and types of paper. Vacuum is commonly used to remove a paper sheet from a stack of sheets and feed it into the press, etc. However, each type of paper responds differently to the feeding mechanism and where a vacuum feed device (herein called a sucker) is employed it has often been necessary to change the angle at which the sucker engages the'sheet of paper in order to achieve satisfactory handling.

Changing this angle has in the past been accomplished a number of different ways including: bending the sucker to a different position; filing or hammering the face of the sucker to get a different angle; maintaining a set of different suckers and applying to the machine that sucker which seems to work best; rubber or resilient suckers as in Robinson's US. Pat. No. 2,310,995; adjustable surfaces near a set of vacuum ports as in US. Pat. No. 3,042,396 issued to Herman Cole in July 1962 which tend to crimp or bend the sheet in the course of picking it up; crimping devices of various sorts, e.g., as in Blaine's US. Pat. No. 1,585,368 and Cleathero's US. Pat. No. 740,534.

The suckers used in modern day machinery should preferably be light in weight and simple to adjust, requiring minimum downtime for adjustment. Some of the prior art suckers are large, bulky, and heavy creating inertia problems when machinery must be operated at high speed, or altematively being limited to certain speed ranges.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable sucker that is suitable for use in vacuum operated sheet feeding systems and the like, using the feeding of paper in a printing press by way of example, not limitation. It is still another object to provide an improved sucker especially suitable for higher speed operations, e.g., the feeding in excess of 750 sheets per minute. An object is to provide an improved sucker suitable for systems feeding from the bottom of a stack. Advantages and features of the present invention include providing a sucker that has a positively controlled adjustment, a relatively simple construction, and which permits making changes with only small amounts of downtime.

Other objects, advantages and features will become apparent from a reading of the following disclosure in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view of an adjustable sucker;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the adjustable sucker of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the spring.

Referring now to the drawings, an adjustable sucker made according to the present invention is mounted on a means (not shown) such as a cross shaft which may be driven by means not shown through an oscillating repetitive movement to bring the sucker into and out of engagement with a sheet and cause the sheet to be passed on to other handling means after withdrawal from the bottom of the stack. Alternatively, the sucker may be mounted on a reciprocatable member (not shown) that is part of a carriage which moves back and forth in order to accomplish the engagement of the sucker with a sheet and movement of the sheet to the next sheet handling device or operation in sequence.

As illustrated, the adjustable sucker 20 is secured to cooperating parts by a set screw holding it into a sucker mount that is in turn mounted on a cross shaft. Suitable pipe fittings and flexible hose connect the inside of the mount and of the sucker to a suitable source of vacuum. Suitable vacuum controls may also be interposed in the system, but since they are known and form no part of the present invention are not further described herein and similarly as to other mechanical contrivances which may be associated with the present invention when applied to one or another sort of machine.

An adjustable sucker 20 according to the present invention is preferably made of a lightweight metal, e.g., aluminum and has a hollow shank 21 and a head 22 that depends from said shank. The head and shank together form an L-shaped structure. The head has a V-shaped lower face 23 with a port 24 therein. Around the port the head is counterbored to provide a recess 25 in which the gasket is received. Right at the apex 26 of the V is a slot 27 which, as discussed further below, serves to maintain the resilient spring member in position.

The resilient spring member 28 underlays the lower face 23 of the head. ln this lower face, which is V-shaped, the port 24 is shown as being entirely in one face. The spring member 28 has a suction face portion 29 which at least partly surrounds the port. Suction face 29 is preferably (as shown) flat but can be contoured. Preferably the suction face portion completely surrounds the port. The spring is necked down at 30 whereby the spring bends or flexes at 30 when changes are made.

A resilient elastomeric gasket 31 is held in compression between the suction face of the spring member and the recess 25. There are vacuum (or air) passage means 32 through both the suction face and the gasket to establish communication to the atmosphere through them to the port 24. The gasket provides a sealed path between the port 24 and flat suction face 29. In this manner, vacuum applied through the passageway 34 in the shank is applied to a sheet of material at the suction face thereby causing said sheet of material to travel with the sucker to the next operation or mechanism in the process or machine concerned, be it a printing press, envelope machine, or the like. The gasket is preferably made of a soft material such as pure gum rubber.

Finally, there is provided a screw 43 which passes through hole 44 in the spring and serves as a means for moving or adjusting the suction face 29 relative to the lower face 23 of the head whereby the angle of the suction face is altered. lt is alteration of this angle that permits an operator to adjust a machine for handling a different weight and type of paper. The screw threadedly engages the shank at tapped holes 46.

At the remote end of the suction face is a rib 36 which stands at approximately right angles to the face 29 and which engages the slot 27. This positionally and positively locates the resilient member and also assists in maintaining it in position.

The saddle or tail end 37 of the spring member is shaped to correspond to the outer contours of the shank. Preferably (and as illustrated) the shank is circular in which case the saddle portion of the spring member is also made circular and faired into the suction face portion. The channel or U cross section renders the saddle 37 rigid hence encourages or enhances flexure at the neck 30.

As noted in the drawing, the screw is threadedly engaged with the shank and is located in the middle portion of the screw member. By turning the screw so that it advances into the shank, increased compression is applied to the spring and the saddle and suction face are moved toward the shank. Adjustment in the opposite direction is obtained by moving the screw out of the shank.

What I claim is:

1. An improved sucker for handling thin flexible sheets of material such as paper and the like comprising a shank with a first passage therein;

a head depending from said shank and having a second passage extending from said first passage to a port in the lower face of said head;

a resilient spring member underlaying said head lower face and having a suction face at least partly surrounding said P a resilient elastomeric gasket compressed between said suction face and said lower face; passage means from said port through said gasket and said suction face; and

means to move said suction face relative to said lower face whereby the angle that a flexible sheet is engaged by said suction face is changed.

2. A sucker according to claim 1 wherein said shank and said head together are an L-shaped structure.

3. A sucker according to claim 2 wherein said spring member is located with one end resting on said shank and the other end, which is said suction face, on said lower face.

4. A sucker according to claim 3 wherein said means to move is a screw threadedly engaging said shank and passing through the middle portion of said spring member.

5. A sucker according to claim 1 wherein said suction face completely surrounds said port.

6. A sucker according to claim 1 wherein said head lower face is V-shaped, said port is in one of the surfaces forming the V-shape, and said suction face overlays only said one surface.

7. A sucker according to claim 3 wherein said spring member is necked down at a place between said suction face and said other end.

8. A sucker according to claim 4 wherein said spring member is necked down at a location between said suction face and middle portion.

9. A sucker according to claim 7 wherein said spring member has a channel cross section adjacent said other end.

Claims

1. An improved sucker for handling thin flexible sheets of material such as paper and the like comprising a shank with a first passage therein; a head depending from said shank and having a second passage extending from said first passage to a port in the lower face of said head; a resilient spring member underlaying said head lower face and having a suction face at least partly surrounding said port; a resilient elastomeric gasket compressed between said suction face and said lower face; passage means from said port through said gasket and said suction face; and means to move said suction face relative to said lower face whereby the angle that a flexible sheet is engaged by said suction face is changed.