US3606313A

US3606313A - Sheet piler having movable side guides

Info

Publication number: US3606313A
Application number: US845949A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dario Buccicone
Original assignee: Bucciconi Engineering Co Inc
Current assignee: Bucciconi Engineering Co Inc
Priority date: 1969-07-30
Filing date: 1969-07-30
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

A MACHINE FOR PILING METAL SHEETS WHICH EMPLOYS AN OVERHEAD CONVEYOR FOR ADVANCING SHEETS FOR DEPOSIT ON A LIFT, OR THE LIKE, AT A PILING AREA, END STOP AND BACT STOP MECHANISMS, AND SIDE EDGE GUIDE MECHANISMS FOR COOPERATION WITH THE END STOP AND BACK STOP MECHANISMS, WHICH SIDE GUIDE MECHANISMS ARE ARRANGED IN PAIRS, ADJUSTABLE LATERALLY OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE SHEETS. ONE PAIR OF THE SIDE GUIDE MECHANISMS IS IN A FIXED POSITION AT THE ENTRANCE END OF THE MACHINE AND ANOTHER PAIR THEREOF IS CARRIED ON A LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE END STOP CARRIAGE. THE SIDE GUIDE MEMBERS, WHICH ARE RECIPROCATED AS THE SHEETS ARE DROPPED TO FACILITATE THE PILING OF SHEETS DELIVERED OFF CENTER, ARE CARRIED ON SUPPORT ARMS WHICH MAY

PIVOT UPWARD SO AS TO AVOID DAMAGE UPON ACCIDENTAL RAISING OF TH LIFT SUFFICIENT TO STRIKE THE GUIDES. A DRIVE MOTOR FOR ADJUSTING ALL THE SIDE GUIDES SIMULTANEOUSLY, DRIVES AN ADJUSTING SCREW FOR THE PAIR OF SIDE GUIDES AT THE ENTRANCE END OF THE MACHINE AND IS CONNECTED BY A CHAIN DRIVE WITH A SCREW FOR ADJUSTING THE PAIR OF SIDE GUIDES ON THE END STOP CARRIAGE, WITH A CLUTCH ARRANGEMENT FOR PREVENTING OPERATION WHILE THE END STOP CARRIAGE IS BEING REPOSITIONED.

Description

Sept. 20, 9 D. BUCCICONE SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30. 1969 INVENTOR DA RIO BUCCICONE Sept. 20, 1971 Filed July 50, 1969 /IOO D. BUCCICONE SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 20, 1971 D. BUCCICONE 3,606,313

SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES Filed July 30, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 D. BUCCICONE SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES Sept. 20, 1971 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 30, 1969 P 20, 1971 D. BUCCICONE SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 30. 1969 Sept. 20, 1971 BUCClCONE 3,606,313

SHEET PILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES Filed July 30. 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent US. Cl. 271-86 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for piling metal sheets which employs an overhead conveyor for advancing sheets for deposit on a lift, or the like, at a piling area, end stop and back stop mechanisms, and side edge guide mechanisms for cooperation with the end stop and back stop mechanisms, which side guide mechanisms are arranged in pairs, adjustable laterally of the path of travel of the sheets. One pair of the side guide mechanisms is in a fixed position at the entrance end of the machine and another pair thereof is carried on a longitudinally adjustable end stop carriage. The. side guide members, which are reciprocated as the sheets are dropped to facilitate the piling of sheets delivered ofl center, are carried on support arms which may pivot upward so as to avoid damage upon accidental raising of the lift sufficient to strike the guides. A drive motor for adjusting all the side guides simultaneously, drives an adjusting screw for the pair of side guides at the entrance end of the machine and is connected by a chain drive with a screw for adjusting the pair of side guides on the end stop carriage, with a clutch arrangement for preventing operation while the end stop carriage is being repositioned.

This invention relates to handling apparatus for metal sheets and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a machine for piling or stacking sheet materials, usually at the end of a sheet processing or treating line.

Sheet pilers for handling metal sheets have been developed heretofore which have been used successfully for stacking metal sheets, for example, at the end of a fabricating line in a rolling mill where the sheets are cut to a predetermined length and arranged in a stack for removal from the line. Sheet pilers for this purpose are disclosed in my Patents Nos. 3,256,010, 3,256,011 and 3,395,- 914. These machines are characterized by overhead magnetic conveyors which receive the sheets from the line, frequently at a relatively high rate of travel, and drop the same in a piling area where they come to rest in stacked relation on a pallet or other support so that the stacks may be readily removed from the line. These machines are provided with an end stop at the forward end thereof for arresting the forward travel of the sheets and aback stop at the entrance end together with side edge guide members which cooperate in guiding the sheets into superimposed relation in a stack. The edge guides employed in these machines for aligning the edges of the sheets generally include some means for adjustment so as to adapt the same to the piling of sheets of different size. Because of the varying conditions under which the machines may be required to operate and the widely different dimensional and weight characteristics of the sheets which it may be desired to handle, special problems arise which require different treatment in designing a piler for use in a particular location so as to insure that it will pile in a satisfactory manner the sheet material it is desired to handle. It is a general object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a sheet piler having improved arrangements for guiding the sheets and aligning the edges thereof as they come into pile or stack forming relation.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide 3,606,313 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 a piler for stacking metal sheets which incorporates improved side guide arrangements which will operate in an efficient manner for aligning the side edges of the sheets in the pile, which are of relatively simple construction and economical of space and which can be constructed at relatively low cost while being adapted to handle sheets of moderate size and weight.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a piler, improved side guide structures which are arranged to oscillate in stacking the sheets and which have a relatively long oscillation stroke so that sheets can be received off center line and still be put into a nice stack.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a piler having side guides which are adjustable laterally of the path of the advance of the sheets with one pair of the guides being mounted on the carriage which supports an adjustable end stop mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a sheet piler, side guides for aligning the edges of the sheets as they are dropped on the pile which side guides are adapted to be adjustably positioned to accommodate sheets of different width and which are pivoted so that accidental raising of the hoist sufficient to bring the top of the pile into engagement with the bottom of the side guides will merely lift the guides above their normal position without damage to the mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a piler with adjustably mounted side guides, one pair of which is mounted on the end stop carriage, and with a drive arrangement connecting the side guides so that all of the guides can be moved for the desired lateral adjustment atone time by a single drive motor.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the sheet piling machine which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, largely schematic, of a sheet piler which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, largely schematic, of the piler shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 to a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line -5-5 of FIG. 3, the mechanism at the opposite side of the machine being shown;

FIG. 6 is a portion of FIG. 5 to a greatly enlarged scale and with a part thereof broken away;

FIG. 7 is a view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 2 to a larger scale;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section taken on the line !10--10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale, showing the end stop carriage; and

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11, to a larger scale.

The piler machine 10 which is illustrated in the drawings (FIGS. 1 and 2) and which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention, is adapted to receive individual metal sheets from a processing line, or the like, and to deposit the sheets one by one on a stack or pile 11 on a lift bed structure 12 for removal in a direction generally lateraly of the apparatus. The machine 10 may be used where it is desired to be able to pass selected sheets through the machine for delivery to other equipment, such as, for example, another piler machine ice the machine 10. Suitable control mechanism may be provided to select the sheets and operate the piler either to advance the sheets or drop the same for piling.

The illustrated machine comprises an upright supporting frame section 13 which includes longitudinally spaced

end frames

14 and 15. The

end frames

14 and 15 support opposite ends of an overhead magnetic conveyor structure 16 which in the form shown comprises two identical

conveyor rail units

17 and 18. The

conveyor rail units

17 and 18 may be, for example, the straight bottom type which are disclosed in my Patent No. 3,297,136 dated Jan. 10, 1967 or the rail units disclosed -'in my Patents Nos. 3,229,805, dated Jan. 18, 1966 or 3,150,764, dated Sept. 29, 1964. The

rail units

17 and 18 are transversely spaced and supported at the receiving or entry end of the machine 10 on a cross beam 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) carried by hanger members 21 depending from a fixed cross beam 22, the latter extending between upsatnding side portions of the end frame 14. The

conveyor rail units

17 and 18 are supported at the other end of the machine on a cross beam 23 (FIG. 2) carried by hanger members similar to members 21 which depend from the fixed top cross beam 24, the latter extending between the upstanding portions of the end "frame structure 15. Each of the

rail units

17 and 18 comprises an elongate frame 25 which houses a series of longitudinally spaced magnets (not shown) and a traveling belt 26 which is supported at opposite ends on pulleys 27 and 28 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Pulleys 27 at the entrance end of the machine are mounted on an idler shaft 30 while the pulleys 28, at the opposite or exit end of the machine, are mounted on a drive shaft 31 which is connected in driven relation with a speed change mechanism and drive motor 32 so as to drive the belt 26.

tion relative to the lengthwise direction or longitudinal travel of the sheet. The side guide assembly 36 (FIGS. 2 and 9) is mounted on the platform 37 which carries the end stop and which is supported in depending relation on the longitudinally adjustable end stop carriage 38. The end stop carriage 38 is movably mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the machine on a pair of side beams '40 extending longitudinally of the machine is laterally spaced relation. Each of the side beams 40 supports on its inner face a longitudinally extending endless chain 41 which is connected to the carriage 38 for moving the same along beams 40. The adjusting chain 41 is carried on

end sprockets

42 and 43, with the latter on a cross shaft 44 which has a sprocket and chain connection 45 with the output sprocket on a drive motor and speed change device 46 by operation of which the carriage 38 is adjusted longitudinally of the machine to carry the end stop mechanism 34 and the associated side guide assembly 36 to the desired position relative to the back stop 33 at the entrance end of the machine so that the two are spaced the proper distance to accommodate the length of sheet it is desired to pile.

The side guide assemblies 35 and 36 are of the same construction and are mounted in like manner so that sheet edge engaging members are in pairs with the members of each pair thereof at opposite sides of the machine. All of these guide members are adjustable laterally of the path of the sheets by operation of a single drive motor so as to accommodate sheets of different width.

The side guide assembly 35 is supported on a cross beam 47 (FIG, ,5) on the end frame 14 immediately below a pair of transversely extending entrance rollers 48 (FIG. 2) which support the sheets as they are advanced from an infeed conveyor 50 and enter beneath the magnetic conveyor 16 where they are picked u by the magnets and held against the conveyor belts 26. The assembly 35 comprises right and left hand side guide devices or mechanisms which are of identical construction and which are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the center line of the machine. Opposite sides of the machine are shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 and the right and left side guide mechanisms and 55' are illustrated. The left hand guide mechanism 55 will be described, it being understood that guide mechanism 55 is a duplicate thereof except for being opposite hand.

The guide mechanism 55 comprises a vertically disposed sheet engaging guide plate member 56 (FIGS. 6 and 7) having outwardly angled margins 57 at the top and along the two vertical sides. The plate 56 has vertically spaced top and bottom, generally triangular,

end plates

58 and 58 which are connected by a pivot pin 60 adapted to be mounted in vertically spaced bearings 61 on the forward end of a slide block 62 so as to pivot on a vertical axis. The slide block 62 has a vertically disposed slotted plate 63 extending towards the outside face of the sheet engaging plate 56 and the sheet engaging plate 56 has a pair of horizontally spaced, outwardly extending lugs '64 and 64' between which there extends a rod 65 for receiving a pair of

coil springs

66 and 66 with their inner ends seated against the opposite faces of the vertical plate 63, the bolt or rod 65 being accommodated in the end slot 67 in the plate 63 so that the

springs

66 and 66 normally hold guide plate 56 centered on the end of the slide bar 62 and restrained against pivoting on the axis of the pin 60 but permitting a certain amount of movement to accommodate any irregularities in the edges of the sheets which are being piled. The slide bar 62, which is of generally rectangular cross section, is slidably mounted in a rectangular guide housing 68 which is secured on the vertical face of a supporting bracket 70 on which there is also mounted an air motor 71 with its piston 72 connected by the pivot pin 73 to a pair of vertically disposed ears 74 on the outer end of the slide bar 62. By operating the motor 71, the plate 56 is reciprocated in a path laterally of the longitudinal center line of the machine with the timing of the reciprocation being controlled by a switch assembly 75 (FIG. 2) at the entrance end of the machine, which operates in response to the passage of a sheet, so as to engage the side edges of the sheet with the guide plate 56 as it settles onto the pile and aligns the same with the previously piled sheets.

The support plate or bracket 70 which carries the housing 68 and motor 71 has top and

bottom flange plates

76 and 76 between which

pivot pins

77 and 77 extend for connecting thereto the ends of a pair of parallel links 78 and 78'. The

links

78 and 78 are connected at their other ends to a pivot bracket 79 (FIG. 5) by means of vertically disposed pivot pins 80 and 80' extending between spaced top and bottom flanges 81 and 81' of the bracket 79 with the latter being mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin 82 extending between upstanding end plates 83 and 83' on a bracket 84 mounted on the vertical portion of the cross beam 47. Each of the parallel links 78 and 78' has a sliding pivotal connection with a nut-like adjusting carriage 85 (FIG. 8) on the adjusting screw 86 which extends transversely of the machine in a housing 87 mounted on the top of the cross beam 47. The connection for each arm comprises a pivot 88 on the nut 85 which extends through a slot 89 in the top of the housing 87 and carries on its upper end an upwardly opening generally U-shaped guide bracket 90 for receiving in sliding relation the respective link 78 or 78', there being a connection of the same character for each of the link members. The nut 85 is threaded on the cross shaft 86 and is moved axially of the same upon rotation of the shaft. The upwardly opening pivot bracket 90 is provided to guard against breakage in the event the lift 12, on which the sheets are piled, is inadvertently raised too high by the operator so as to engage beneath and lift upwardly the guide plate 56 and raise the supporting

links

78 and 78 out of their guide brackets 90, with the links 78 and 78' pivoting about the support pin 82 which is carried in the bracket 79.

The adjusting screw 86 is supported in suitable bearings on the end frame 14 and is extended at one end so as to support a sprocket 91 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which is connected by chain 92 with a sprocket 93 on a shaft 94 which is journaled in a housing 95 extending above the one top side beam 40 at the entrance end of the machine. The shaft 94 is connected through clutch 95' to the output shaft 96 of a drive motor and speed reduction assembly 97, the latter being mounted on an upstanding support bracket 98 on the top cross beam 22. The shaft 94 carries a sprocket 100 within the housing 95 which drives a chain 101 for simultaneously adjusting the width or lateral position of the side guide members 56 of the guide assembly 36 which is carried on the end stop carriage 38.

The chain 101 extends about a sprocket 102 mounted on a stub shaft 103 journaled in the side walls at the lower end of the housing 95 and provided with a spring tension arrangement indicated at 104. The chain 101 runs about a guide sprocket 105, on the stub shaft 106 which is also journaled in the side walls of the housing 95, and extends along the outer face of the hollow beam 40 in a suitable housing 107 with the top run of the chain supported on the top of the housing 107. The chain 101 is supported at the other end of the beam 40 on a sprocket 108 (FIG. 2) mounted on a suitable stub shaft. The chain 101 drives a cross shaft 112 (FIGS. 11 and 12) which is mounted on the end stop carriage 38 by means of end bearing members 113, 113'.

Bearing members

113, 113 are supported on brackets 114, 114' on the side walls of the box-like carriage frame. The shaft 12 has a sprocket 115 mounted thereon which is disposed above a pair of longitudinally spaced

guide sprockets

116 and 116 which are mounted on stub shafts journaled in the outer side wall of the end stop carriage 38 so that the top run of the chain 101 may pass beneath the guide sprockets 11 6 and 116' and engage with the sprocket 115 so as to rotate the shaft 112 when the chain 101 is driven. The shaft 112 carries a sprocket 117 which drives chain 118. Chain 118 runs down along the side of the carriage 38 and around supporting

sprockets

120, 120' and 121, 1.21" which are on the pivot axes at opposite ends of the parallel link bars 122 and 122', the latter depending from the lower end of the carriage frame and being pivotally mounted at their lower ends to upwardly opening, U-shaped channels 123 at opposite ends of the end stop platform 37. The chain 118 passes around a sprocket 124 on the end of the cross screw 125 which is mounted in a housing 126 On the top face of the platform 37. The screw 125 has right and left hand threads at opposite ends and a nut assembly 85 is mounted on each end. The nut assemblies have swivel connections with upstanding upwardly opening sockets 90 receiving in sliding relation the parallel links 78 and 7-8 of

side guide mechanisms

55, 55 Which constitute the side guide assembly 36 and which are the same construction as the mechanisms 55, '5 constituting the side guide assembly 35, the only difference being in the brackets 127 for mounting the horizontal pivots 79 on the platform 37 The right and left hand side guide mechanisms 55, 55' are mounted on the platform 37 on opposite sides of an end stop mechanism 130, as indicated in FIG. 9, and the two side guide mechanisms are adjustable toward and from each other simultaneously by the rotation of the screw 125 which is driven by chain 110.

:In order to avoid rotation of the screw 125 when the platform 37 is moved to adjust the position of the end stop for the length of sheet being piled, an air operated clutch assembly 131 and air operated brake assembly 132 are connected to the dirven shaft 112 so as to disconnect the drive and hold the screw against rotation during adjusting movement of the end stop carriage 38. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the clutch assembly 131 is mounted on the shaft 112 and the brake assembly 132 is mounted on a short parallel shaft 133 which is journaled in suitable bearings on a bracket 134 supported on top of the carriage frame. The brake shaft 133 has an end sprocket 135 connected by chain 136 with a clutch controlled sprocket 137 on the shaft 112. Suitable controls for actuating the clutch 131 and brake 132 are provided so that when the clutch is off and the brake is on, the shaft 112 and screw 125 are held against rotation enabling the carriage 38 to be moved without changing the adjustment of the guide assembly 3 6. The carriage 38 is provided with wheel-like rollers 138 which ride on the top and bottom of the beam 40 and is moved, for adjustment, along the beam 40 by the power driven chains 41.

The end stop mechanism 130 (FIGS. 9 and 10), which is mounted on the platform 37, comprises a vertically disposed bumper pad 140 and pad mounting plate 141 which is supported by a vertical pivot pin 142 received in a bearing bracket 143 att he forward end of a horizontally disposed rectangular frame 144. The frame 144 has parallel side channels 145, 145' which open outwardly with the flanges forming tracks for supporting the frame for movement on

guide rollers

146 and 146 which are mounted on stub shafts carried on laterally spaced

parallel plates

147 and 147 upstanding on a support bracket 148 on the platform 37. A cross bar 150 is positioned on the frame 144 for engagement by the bumper forming end 151 of piston 152 which extends from the air cylinder 153, the latter being mounted on the platform by means of bracket 154 fixed thereon. The air cylinder 153 is connected by conduit 155 with an air supply source having suitable controls for operating the same so as to absorb the force resulting when a sheet edge strikes the vertical face of the bumper pad 140 so as to stop; the forward movement of the sheet and push it back toward the back stop 33 at the entrance end of the machine, thereby to align the leading and trailing edges of the sheets as they settle onto the pile.

I claim:

1. A sheet piler machine comprising longitudinally spaced, upright end support frames, an overhead traveling conveyor extending between said end support frames having means for carrying sheets on the bottom face thereof so as to advance the sheets for deposit on a pile in a piling area between said end support frames, a back stop at the entrance end of the machine, an end stop mechanism and a supporting carriage for said end stop mechanism which carriage is mounted for movement between said end support frames and longitudinally of the machine, power drive means connected to said carriage which is operable to position the end stop mechanism at a predetermined distance from said back stop according to the length of sheet to be piled, a pair of sheet side edge guides disposed at the entrance end of the piling area and spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine for co-operation with said back stop in guiding the trailing ends of the sheets onto the pile, a pair of sheet side edge guides mounted on said end stop supporting carriage and spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal center line for cooperation with the end stop mechanism in guiding the leading ends of the sheets onto the pile, means mounting the sheet side edge guides of each pair for adjustment toward and from each other, said sheet side edge guide mounting means comprising an adjusting screw connected toeach pair of sheet side edge guides, a single power drive means having chain and sprocket connections with said adjusting screws, which is operative to simultaneously adjust the sheet side edge guides of each pair thereof in any position of the end stop supporting carriage, and the connection between said chain drive and the adjusting screw on the end stop carriage including a clutch which is operative to disconnect the chain drive so that the adjusting screw is not rotated while the end stop carriage is moved to position the same.

2. A sheet piler machine comprising longitudinally spaced, upright end support frames, an overhead traveling conveyor extending between said end support frames having means for carrying sheets on the bottom face thereof so as to advance the sheets for deposit on a pile in a piling area between said end support frames, a back stop at the entrance end of the machine, an end stop mechanism and a supporting carriage for said end stop mechanism, which carriage is mounted for movement between said end support frames and longitudinally of the machine, means to move said end stop supporting carriage to position the end stop mechanism at a predetermined distance from said back stop according to the length of sheet to be piled, a pair of sheet side edge guides disposed at the entrance end of the piling area and spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine for co-operation with said back stop in guiding the trailing ends of the sheets onto the pile, a pair of sheet side edge guides mounted on said end stop supporting carriage and spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal center line for co-operation with the end stop mechanism in guiding the leading ends of the sheets onto the pile, means mounting the sheet side edge guides of each pair for adjustment toward and from each other, power drive means connected to said sheet side edge guide mounting means which is operative to simultaneously adjust the sheet side edge guides of each pair thereof in any position of the end stop supporting carriage, said sheet side edge guides each comprising a pair of parallel links mounted at one end on a pivot bracket extending transversely of the machine, a guide plate support bracket pivotally connecting the other ends of said parallel links, said parallel links being normally positioned in a generally horizontal plane, a slide bar carried on said guide plate support bracket, a guide plate mounted on a vertically disposed pivot an said slide bar, an adjusting screw extending transversely of the machine, traveling nuts on said adjusting screw and having a readily separable connection with said parallel links whereby upward pressure beneath the guide plates will pivot the same upwardly and avoid damage to said sheet side edge guides.

3. A sheet piler machine as set forth in claim 2, and the separable connection between said parallel links and said traveling nuts comprising upwardly opening saddle members carried on vertically extending pivots and adapted to supoprt the links in sliding relation therein whereby upward pressure beneath aguide plate will swing the associated links upwardly about their pivot bracket.

4. A sheet piler machine as set forth in claim 2, and an air cylinder mounted on said guide plate support bracket having its piston connected to said slide bar which air cylinder is operative for reciprocating said guide plate in a path transversely of the machine.

5. A sheet piler machine as set forth in claim 2, and said guide plate being mounted on said vertical pivot and having associated resilient means for normally holding the sheet edge engaging face of said guide plate in a plane generally parallel with the longitudinal center of the machine and permitting the same to tilt on said vertical pivot to accommodate unevenness in the edges of the sheets being piled.

6. A sheet piler machine comprising longitudinally spaced, upright end support frames, an overhead traveling conveyor extending between said end support frames having means for carrying sheets on the bottom face thereof so as to advance the sheets for deposit on a pile in a piling area between said end support frames, a back stop at the entrance end of the machine, an end stop mechanism and a supporting carriage for said end stop mechanism, which carriage is mounted for movement between said end support frames and longitudinally of the machine, means to move said end stop supporting carriage to position the end stop mechanism ata predetermined distance from said back stop according to the length of sheet to be piled, a pair of sheet side edge guides disposed at the entrance end of the piling area and spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine for co-operation with said back stop in guiding the trailing ends of the sheets onto the pile, a pair of sheet side edge guides mounted on said end stop supporting carriage and spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal center line for co-operation with the end stop mechanism in guiding the leading ends of the sheets onto the pile, means mounting the sheet side edge guides of each pair for adjustment toward and from each other, power drive means connected to said sheet side edge guide mounting means which is operative to simultaneously adjust the sheet side edges guides of each pair thereof in any position of the end stop supporting carriage, said back stop and associated sheet side edge guides being mounted on the end frame at the entrance end of the machine, said means for mounting the side guides at said entrance end comprising parallel link bars normally disposed in a horizontal plane, pivot brackets connecting the link bars at one end thereof to the end support frame at the entrance end of the machine for upward swinging movement about an axis extending transversely of the machine, an adjusting screw extending transversely of said end support frame, traveling nuts on said adjusting screw, upwardly opening saddle members carried by said nuts and adapted to receive in sliding relation said link bars, and the power drive means for adjusting the sheet side edge guide mounting means operating to rotate said adjusting screw so as to adjust said sheet side edge guides laterally of the machine.

7. In a machine for piling sheet material which ma chine comprises longitudinally spaced, upright supporting end frames, an overhead traveling conveyor extending between said end frames having means for supporting sheets for advance to a piling area between said end frames and deposit on a pile, a back stop at the entrance end of the machine, an end stop mechanism and a supporting carriage for said end stop mechanism, longitudinal frame members extending between said end frames, means mounting said end stop carriage on said longitudinal frame members for movement lengthwise of the ma chine, power drive means connected to said end stop carriage which is operative to adjust the position of the end stop mechanism relative to said back stop according to the length of sheet to be piled, a pair of side guide devices positioned at the entrance end of the piling area on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine for cooperation with said back stop in guiding the trailing side and end edges of the sheets as they drop onto a pile, a pair of side guide devices mounted on said end stop supporting carriage on opposite sides of said longitudinal center line for co-operation with said end stop mechanism in guiding the leading side and end edges of the sheets onto the pile, means mounting the side guide devices of each pair thereof for movement toward and from each other, said means mounting the side guide devices comprising adjusting screws, power drive means connected to said guide adjusting screws for moving the side guide devices of each pair thereof so as to adapt the machine for piling sheets of different widths, which power drive means includes a drive chain connected to said adjusting screws and a clutch mechanism for disconnecting the drive chain and the side guide adjusting screw which is on said end stop supporting carriage.

8. In a sheet piling machine, mechanism for guiding the side edges of sheets which are dropped onto a pile comprising sheet edge engaging guide plate members disposed in generally vertical planes on opposite sides of the piling area, support brackets, slide bars mounted on said support brackets for movement in a path transverse of the piling area, vertical pivots connecting said plate members to the innermost ends of said slide bars, means mounted on said support brackets and connected to the slide bars for reciprocating said slide bars and means for adjusting the position of the support brackets toward and from each other, and said means for adjusting the position of the support brackets comprising an adjusting screw and means forming a separable pivotal connection with said support brackets.

9. In a sheet piling machine as set forth in claim 8 and the means forming a separable pivotal connection with said support brackets comprising upwardly opening sad- UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1963 Fiehl 27l-88 6/1966 Buccicone 27189X JOSEPH WEGBREIT, Primary Examiner 10 B. H. STONER, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 271--63A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, ,3 3 Dat d ptembe I 20, 1971 Dario Buccicone Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 69, "leteraly" should be laterall Column 3, line 51, "is" should be in Column 5, line 37, "12" should be 112 Column 6, line 23 "att he" should be at the Column 7, line 51, "supoprt" should be support Column 7, line 52, "aguide" should be a guide Column 8, line 3, "ate" should be at a.

Column 8, line 18, "edges" should be edge Column 8, line 63, Insert side between "said" and "guide" Signed and sealed this 7th day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM Po-1050 :10-69) USCOMM-DC wave-P69 U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFHCE: I959 O-366-3!l