US3606305A - Document feeding device - Google Patents

Document feeding device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3606305A
US3606305A US850406A US3606305DA US3606305A US 3606305 A US3606305 A US 3606305A US 850406 A US850406 A US 850406A US 3606305D A US3606305D A US 3606305DA US 3606305 A US3606305 A US 3606305A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
documents
document
air
belt
magazine
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
US850406A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Raymond Gilbert Remi Debackere
Willy Alfons Franciscus Mens
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.)
Alcatel Lucent NV
Original Assignee
International Standard Electric Corp
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 International Standard Electric Corp filed Critical International Standard Electric Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3606305A publication Critical patent/US3606305A/en
Assigned to ALCATEL N.V., DE LAIRESSESTRAAT 153, 1075 HK AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, A CORP OF THE NETHERLANDS reassignment ALCATEL N.V., DE LAIRESSESTRAAT 153, 1075 HK AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, A CORP OF THE NETHERLANDS ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORP OF DE
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K13/00—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism
    • G06K13/02—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism the record carrier having longitudinal dimension comparable with transverse dimension, e.g. punched card
    • G06K13/08—Feeding or discharging cards
    • G06K13/10—Feeding or discharging cards from magazine to conveying arrangement
    • G06K13/107—Feeding or discharging cards from magazine to conveying arrangement using pneumatic means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/08—Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
    • B65H3/12—Suction bands, belts, or tables moving relatively to the pile
    • B65H3/124—Suction bands or belts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/32—Orientation of handled material
    • B65H2301/321—Standing on edge

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a document feeding device including a 'magazine for documents, a feed belt passing adjacent to the magazine and along one side of a feed path for the documents and having at least one opening therein, a vacuum Chamber positioned adjacent to the feed belt along one side of the path and having at least one opening therein, and means for exhaustng air in the vacuum Chamber wherein the vacuum -chamber is operable in Cooperation with the opening in the feed belt to cause one document at a time to be withdrawn from the magazine and to be moved along the feed path.
  • Such a document feeding device is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,998.
  • This known device includes a reverse belt passing along the other side of the feed path and opposite direction to that of the feed belt, said reverse belt being mounted along a second hollow vacuum cha'mber having at least one opening therein.
  • This second vacuum Chamber is operable in Cooperation with openings in the reverse belt, the aim of which is to retain the documents in the magazine except those documents withdrawn one at a time therefrom.
  • the reverse belt however also functions as a return belt if more than one document is withdrawn from the magazine since any document not directly influenced by the vacuum applied through openings in the feed belt will contact the return belt and be returned to the magazine by the efiect of the vacuum applied to this document through the second vacuum Chamber associated with the return belt.
  • the present document feeding device is particularly characterized in that it further includes means supplying Patentecl Sept. 20, 1971 ICC a stream of air and directing at least a portion thereof between the feed belt and the magazine in such a manner that said portion has a direction substantially opposite to the direction of displacement of the feed belt to cause the documents to be retained in the magazine except those documents withdrawn one at a time therefrorn.
  • the -means supplying and directing the stream of air are constituted by a pressure Chamber positioned along the other side of the feed path having at least one opening therein and being coupled to a source of pressurized air, wherein the opening communicates with a channel such that the stream of air issuing therefrom is oblique with respect to the direction of displacement.
  • the leading edges of the documents subjected to this portion of air are much as possible prevented from sticking to one another, so that in principle only the front document in the magazine may be subjected to the action of the feed belt and withdrawn from this magazine. If together with the front document other documents are howe'ver withdrawn from the magazine, the above portion of air considerably brakes or even stops these documents.
  • Still another characteristic of the present document feeding device is that it further includes a second vacuum Chamber positioned along the other side of the feed path, the second vacuum Chamber having at least one opening therein and being coupled to exhausting means.
  • Yet another characteristic of the present document feeding device is that it further includes a second pressure Chamber positioned along the one side of the path in front of the second vacuum Chamber, the second pressure Chamber having at least one opening therein and being coupled to a source of pressurized air.
  • the present invention also relates to a document feeding device including a magazine for documents, a feed belt passing adjacent to the magazine along one side of a feed path for the documents and having at least one opening therein, a first 'vacuum cham'ber positioned adjacent to the feed belt along one side of the path and having at least one opening therein, and means for exhausting air in the first vacuum Chamber, wherein the first vacuum Chamber is operable in Cooperation with the opening in the feed belt to cause one document at a time to be withdrawn for the magazine and to be moved along the feed path, and a second vacuum Chamber positioned along the other side of the feed path and beyond the magazine considered in the direction of travel of the documents, the second vacuum Chamber having at least one opening therein and being coupled to other exhausting means.
  • a document feeding device which includes a perforated conveyor belt moved between the front document of a stack arranged in a magazine and a vacuum Chamber. By the combined action of the vacuum and the travelling conveyor belt the documents are successively separated from the stack.
  • pressurizcd air is blown through Channels which are oblique with respect to the plane of the documents in such a manner that at least a portion of this air reaches the leading edges of the documents in the stack.
  • the documents separated from the stack are moreover subjected to the combined effect of air pressure and suction exerted at the one and other oppositely located sides of the conveyor belt, the air pressure and suction being perpendicular to the plane of the documents and being directed away from the vacuum chamber.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of a document feeding device according to the present invention, however with two guide plates and a photocell arrangement removed for clarity;
  • FIG. 2 is a side view along line II-II of FIG. 1 and considered in the direction of the arrows, including the guide plates and photocell arrangement;
  • FIG. 3 is a side view along line III- III of FIG. l and considered in the direction of the arrows, and also including the guide plates and photocell arrangement;
  • FIG. 4 is a side view from left to right of FIG. 3.
  • the document feeding device shown is mounted on a mounting plate 1. It includes a valve the housing 2 of which is secured to mounting plate 1 by means of screws such as 3.
  • This valve is for instance of the type disclosed in the Dutch patent application No. 6811256 filed on Aug. 8, 1968 and entitled Valve. It is able to establish a communication between vacuum chamber '4 and either the ambient atmosphere or conduit 5 which is connected to exhausting means (not shown) adapted to create an underpressure substantially equal to 0.5 kg./cm.2.
  • Chamber 4 opens in the rear wall 6 of a cavity 7 of housing 2 which further has a lateral cut-out portion 8 separated from cavity 7 by wall 9.
  • rollers 10, 11, 112 are mounted in a freely rotatable manner in the cavity 7 on the respective axles 13', 14,*15 which are fixed between the walls 16 and 17 of housing 2, delimiting this cavity 7.
  • a further roller 18 is mounted in a freely rotatable manner on axle 19 secured between the same walls 16 and 17 delimiting cut-out portion 8.
  • Rollers '10 to 12 and 18 slightly project beyond walls 9, 16 and 17 which are all located in a same plane.
  • Wall 9 has a plurality of openings such as 20 which communicate with a pressure Chamber 21 which is itself connected to a source of pressurized air (not shown) via conduit 22 which passes through mounting plate 1.
  • the pressure of this air is substantially equal to 1.14 kg./cm.2.
  • a guide plate 23 (FIG. 2) is secured to the lower part (FIG. 2) of wall 17 of housing 2 in such a manner that it protrudes beyond the plane of the above rollers 101 to 12 and 18.
  • Guide plate 24 is fixed to the upper part (FIG. 2) of wall 16 in such a manner that it is located in the same plane as guide plate 23.
  • These guide plates 23, 24 are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity.
  • a pressure chamber 25 is fiXed to the upper portion of guide plate 24 and protrudes beyond the plane of this plate.
  • Pressure chamber 25 has a plurality of channels such as 26 and is connected to the above mentioned source of pressurized air via conduit 27.
  • a small block 29 (FIG. 2) housing a lamp 28 schematically represented by a small circle is secured to guide plate 24 in such a manner that lamp 28 is located behind cut-out portion 30 of this guide plate.
  • a perforated belt 31 makes contact with the above rollers 10, 11, 12 and 18 and is arranged around rollers 32, 33 and 34 which are able to drive belt 31 in the direction indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the arrows.
  • Roller 32 is a drive roller and is secured to shaft 35 which is rotatably mounted on mounting plate l by means of a bearing mounted in housing 36 and which forms part of a motor (not shown).
  • Rollers 33 and 34 are mounted in a freely rotatable manner on the respective axles 37 and 38 which are fixed on mounting plate 1.
  • Piece 39 (FIG. 3) is fixed on mounting plate 1 and carries a small block 40 which is fixed by means of screws such as 41.
  • Block 40 houses a photocell 42 which is schematically represented by a small circle and which faces lamp 28. This photocell is connected to an electric control circuit (not shown).
  • Portion 4-3 of the wall 44, of piece 39, facing belt 31 has a cavity 45 which is laterally closed by plate 46 which is fixed to piece 39 by means of screws such as 47, 481 (FIG. 1).
  • a cylindrical roller 49 is mounted in this cavity 45 and is continuously urged into contact with roller 18 (not shown) by spring means located in the cavity 45.
  • Wall portion 43 further has nine small cavities such as 50, which are located in front of wall 9 having opening 20, and which extend in a direction parallel to the direction of displacement of the documents.
  • Each of these cavities 50 has an opening such as 51 which is substantially located in the middle of the cavity and which communicates with a common vacuum chamber 52 through a channel such as 53 which is perpendicular to wall 43.
  • This vacuum chamber 52 is connected to a conduit 54 which passes through mounting plate 1 and which is itself coupled to the above mentioned exhausting means.
  • Wall portion 43 also has two cavities 55, 56 located on either side of the cavities 50 and each having an opening such as 57, 58 located near one end of the cavity. These cavities 55, 56 also extend in a direction parallel to the direction of displacement of the documents. Openings 57 both communicate with pressure chamber 59 via a channel such as 60, while openings 58 both communicate with pressure chamber 61 via a channel such as 6'2. These pressure chambers 59 and 61 in turn both communicate with a common chamber 63 which is itself connected to a conduit 64. This conduit 64 is coupled to another source of pressurized air the pressure of which is substantially equal to 1.7 kg./cm.2. The channels such as and 62 are oblique with respect to wall 43 as clearly shown in FIG. 1.
  • the one end of the cavities '50, 55, 56 nearest to the magazine is located on a line perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the documents.
  • wall 44 is chamfered as indicated by 65 and 66.
  • Mounting plate 1, piece 39 and the assembly constituted by guide plates 23 and 24 and belt 31 delimit a magazine 67 for a stack of documents such as front document 68.
  • This stack is continuously urged towards guide plates 23 and 24 by, not shown, but classical means such as a spring urged weight.
  • An underpressure of approximately 0.5 kg./cm.2 is created in vacuum chamber 52 via conduit 54 so that a suction is exerted in the openings 51 of the cavities 50; a pressure of approximately 1.14 kg./cm.2 created in pressure chamber 21 via conduit 22 so that jets of pressurized air issue from the openings 20; a pressure of approximately 1.14 kg./cm.2 is created in pressure chamber 25 so that jets of pressurized air issue from the openings 26; a pressure of approximately 1.7 kg/cm.2 is realized in pressure chambers 63, 59, 61 via conduit 64 so that jets of pressurized air issue from the openings 57, 58 in the respective cavities 55, '56; finally, in chamber 4 atmospheric pressure is realized since the valve is in its one condition.
  • the suction exerted in openings 51 and the jets of air issuing from the openings 21 have no effect.
  • the jets or air issuing from the openings 26 are directed between the front documents of the stack and are substantially parallel to the planes thereof and substantially perpendicular to the direction of advancement of belt 31. These jets of air prevent the front documents of the Stack from sticking together.
  • the jets of air issuing from the openings 57, 58 are directed against the non perforated upper and lower portions of belt 31 so'that a portion of this air is deflected towards the magazine 66 in a direction opposite to the direction of advancement of perforated belt 31. This portion of air prevents the leading edges of the front documents from sticking to one another.
  • the jets of pressurized air issuing from the openings 57, 58 are directed in the gap between belt 31 and piece 39 and a portion of this air has a direction substantially opposite to the direction of displacement of this belt 31 in order to prevent other documents than the front one 68 from being separated from the stack. If, notwithstanding the action of this pressurized air, one or more documents are separated from the stack together with the front document 68, they are considerably braked or even stopped by this air since these documents are only moved, for instance, by the suction effect exerted through the belt and the front document or by adhesion to this vfront document.
  • the volume of air delivered per time unit through the openings 21 is larger than that sucked through the openings '51 in order to have an excess of air preventing the documents from sticking together.
  • the cavities 50' have been provided in order to have large suction surfaces although the openings 51 are small, whereas the cavities 55, 56 have been provided in order that the air issuing from the openings 57, 58 should be guided to some extent. These cavities have moreover been provided in order that the air issuing from the openings 57, 58, should not enter the cavities 50.
  • a document feeding apparatus which includes a feed belt with a plurality of perforations therein passing along one side of a feed path for the documents, a magazine for the documents which is positioned on the other side of the feed path, and a first vacuum chamber, with associated first exhausting means, having at least one opening which communicates with the perforations in the feed belt along a portion of the one side of the feed path opposite the magazine, so as to cause one document at a time to be withdrawn from the magazine and moved along the said path, the improvement comprsing:
  • first means for supplying a stream of air and directing at least a portion thereof between the feed belt (31) and the magazine (67) in a manner such that said portion is directed substantially opposite to the directon of displacement of the feed belt so as to cause the documents to be restrained in the magazine excepting those withdrawn one -at a time therefrom
  • said first means for supplying and directing the stream of air including a first pressure cham- 'ber (59, 61) and associated first source of pressurized air positioned along said other side of the feed path and having at least one opening (57, 58), and a chamber (60, 62) communicating with said opening and the feed path such that the stream of air issuing therefrom is oblique with respect to the direction of document displacement;
  • a second pressure chamber (21) and associated second source of pressurized air positioned along said one side of the feed path, said second pressure chamber having at least one opening (20) therein which communicates with the feed path substantially opposite the opening (51) of said second vacuum chamber (52), wherein said oppositely arranged openings (51, 20) cooperating to insure the transport of only one document at a time along the feed path.
  • said first pressure chamber has at least two openings (57, 58) which are located at the one and other sides of said opening in said second vacuum chamber.
  • the document feeding apparatus further including a third pressure chamber (25) positioned above the magazine, said third pressure chamber having at least one opening (26) therein and being coupled to a third source of pressurized air, said opening being such that the stream of air issuing therefrom is substantially parallel to the plane of the documents and perpendicular to the direction of document displacement.
  • each opening (57, 58) of said first pressure chamber is made in an individual first cavity (55, 56) of a wall of said first pressure chamber.
  • each said opening (51) of said second vacuum chamber is made in an individual second cavity (50) of a wall of said second vacuum chamber.
  • each of said first and second cavities extends along said other side of the feed path parallel to the direction of document displacernent.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
US850406A 1968-08-23 1969-08-15 Document feeding device Expired - Lifetime US3606305A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6812027A NL6812027A (fr) 1968-08-23 1968-08-23

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3606305A true US3606305A (en) 1971-09-20

Family

ID=19804438

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US850406A Expired - Lifetime US3606305A (en) 1968-08-23 1969-08-15 Document feeding device

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3606305A (fr)
BE (1) BE737823A (fr)
CH (1) CH527111A (fr)
DE (1) DE1942439A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2016237A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB1268087A (fr)
NL (1) NL6812027A (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3847383A (en) * 1973-11-30 1974-11-12 Burroughs Corp Document feeding device
US4047812A (en) * 1976-01-15 1977-09-13 Xerox Corporation Document belt with imperforate bands
US4678176A (en) * 1985-11-06 1987-07-07 Xerox Corporation Front air knife top vacuum corrugation feeder
WO2001024949A2 (fr) * 1999-10-04 2001-04-12 Lockheed Martin Corporation Mecanisme de separation
WO2002060792A2 (fr) * 2001-01-30 2002-08-08 Lockheed Martin Corporation Mecanisme de separation

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4242568C2 (de) * 1992-12-16 1998-11-12 Louda Guenther Gmbh Fördervorrichtung für gleichförmige kartenartige Elemente, insbesondere Scheck- und Ausweiskarten

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3847383A (en) * 1973-11-30 1974-11-12 Burroughs Corp Document feeding device
US4047812A (en) * 1976-01-15 1977-09-13 Xerox Corporation Document belt with imperforate bands
US4678176A (en) * 1985-11-06 1987-07-07 Xerox Corporation Front air knife top vacuum corrugation feeder
WO2001024949A2 (fr) * 1999-10-04 2001-04-12 Lockheed Martin Corporation Mecanisme de separation
WO2001024949A3 (fr) * 1999-10-04 2001-10-25 Lockheed Corp Mecanisme de separation
US6443444B1 (en) 1999-10-04 2002-09-03 Lockhead Martin Corporation Singulation mechanism
WO2002060792A2 (fr) * 2001-01-30 2002-08-08 Lockheed Martin Corporation Mecanisme de separation
WO2002060792A3 (fr) * 2001-01-30 2003-04-17 Lockheed Corp Mecanisme de separation
US6575450B2 (en) 2001-01-30 2003-06-10 Lockheed Martin Corporation Singulation mechanism

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH527111A (de) 1972-08-31
NL6812027A (fr) 1970-02-25
FR2016237A1 (fr) 1970-05-08
BE737823A (fr) 1970-02-23
DE1942439A1 (de) 1970-02-26
GB1268087A (en) 1972-03-22

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: ALCATEL N.V., DE LAIRESSESTRAAT 153, 1075 HK AMSTE

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORP OF DE;REEL/FRAME:004718/0023

Effective date: 19870311