US3617052A

US3617052A - Sheet piler having movable side guides

Info

Publication number: US3617052A
Application number: US863297A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dario Buccicone
Original assignee: Bucciconi Engineering Co Inc
Current assignee: Bucciconi Engineering Co Inc
Priority date: 1969-10-02
Filing date: 1969-10-02
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02
Also published as: GB1304726A; BE756847A; DE2048532A1; FR2064893A5; CA928348A

Abstract

A machine for piling metal sheets which comprises an overhead conveyor for advancing sheets for deposit on a lift, or the like, at a piling area, end stop and backstop mechanisms and side edge guide mechanisms, for cooperation with the end stop and backstop mechanisms, which side guide mechanisms are arranged in pairs, adjustable laterally of the path of travel of the sheets with one pair of the side guide mechanisms in a fixed position at the entrance end of the machine and another pair thereof mounted for longitudinal adjustment with the end stop mechanism. The side guide members are reciprocated as the sheets are dropped, so as to facilitate the piling of sheets delivered off center, and each of said members is suspended on a linkage system to prevent damage in the event the lift is raised sufficiently to strike the guide member, with the assemblies being strengthened and held against undue deflection by means of a special chain arrangement.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Dario Buccicone Gary, Ind. [21] Appl. No. 863,297 [22] Filed Oct. 2, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 2, 1971 [7 3 Assignee Bucciconi Engineering Co., Inc.

Gary, Ind.

[54] SHEET PILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES 3,395,914 8/1968 Buccicone Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr. Attorney-Greist, Lockwood, Greenawalt & Dewey ABSTRACT: A machine for piling metal sheets which comprises an overhead conveyor for advancing sheets for deposit on a lift, or the like, at a piling area, end stop and backstop mechanisms and side edge guide mechanisms, for cooperation with the end stop and backstop mechanisms, which side guide mechanisms are arranged in pairs, adjustable laterally of the path of travel of the sheets with one pair of the side guide mechanisms in a fixed position at the entrance end of the machine and another pair thereof mounted for longitudinal adjustment with the end stop mechanism. The side guide members are reciprocated as the sheets are dropped, so as to facilitate the piling of sheets delivered off center, and each of said members is suspended on a linkage system to prevent damage in the event the lift is raised sufficiently to strike the guide member, with the assemblies being strengthened and held against undue deflection by means of a special chain arrangement.

PATENTED-NBVZ Ian 7 3,617,052

SHEET 10F 4 INVENTOR DAR/O BUCCICONE 4| Ff 7. 11- WMw ATT Y5.

PATENTEUMIV 2 l97l SHEET 2 BF 4 SHEET FILER HAVING MOVABLE SIDE GUIDES A machine for piling metal sheets which comprises an overhead conveyor for advancing sheets for deposit on a lift, or the like, at a piling area, end stop and backstop mechanisms and side edge guide mechanisms for cooperation with the end stop and backstop mechanisms, which side guide mechanisms are arranged in pairs, adjustable laterally of the path of travel of the sheets with one pair of the side guide mechanism in a fixed position at the entrance end of the machine and another pair thereof mounted for longitudinal adjustment with the end stop mechanism. The side guide members are reciprocated as the sheets are dropped, so as to facilitate the piling of sheets delivered off center, and each of said members is suspended on a linkage system to prevent damage in the event the lift is raised sufficiently to strike the guide member, with the assemblies being strengthened and held against undue deflection by means of a special chain arrangement.

This invention relates to handling apparatus for metal sheets and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a machine for piling or stacking metal sheets, 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 U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,256,010; 3,256,0ll and3,395,9l4. 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 the piling area, where they come to rest in stacked relation on a pallet or other support so that the stack may be readily removed from the line. Such machines are provided with an end stop at the forward end thereof for arresting the forward travel of the sheets and a backstop at the entrance end, together with side edge guide members which cooperate in guiding the sheets into superimposed relation in a stack. The guides employed in these machines for aligning the edges of the sheets generally include some means for adjustment so as to adapt the machines 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 stack the sheet material it is designed to handle in a satisfactory manner. It is the general object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a sheet piler having improved mechanism for guiding the sheets and aligning the side edges thereof as they are dropped by the conveyor mechanism in the piling area.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a piler for stacking metal sheets which incorporates improved side guide mechanism adapted to operate in an efficient manner for aligning the side edge of the sheets in the pile, which are especially designed for handling relatively thick sheets of substantial weight, which are of relatively simple design, and

which can be fabricated in an economical manner.

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

Still another object of the invention is to provide a piler having side guides which are adjustable laterally of the path of advance of the sheets with one pair of the guides being mounted for movement with an adjustably mounted 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 widths and which are suspended on a specially designed linkage 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 same. A still further object of the invention is to provide a piler with adjustably mounted side guides, one pair of which is mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the machine with the end stop carriage and with a drive arrangement operable for moving all the guide members simultaneously for the desired lateral adjustment.

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. I is a plan view, largely schematic and with portions broken away, of a sheet piler which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, largely schematic, and with portions broken away, of the piler shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, to a larger scale; v

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, to a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 to a larger scale;

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

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 4 to a larger scale;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view'taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 1 to a larger scale; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

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 structure 12 for removal in a direction generally laterally of the machine.

The illustrated machine 10 comprises an upright supporting frame structure 13 which includes longitudinally spaced

end frames

14 and 15 and a connecting top beam structure 16 extending longitudinally of the machine. The

end frames

14 and 15 support opposite ends of an overhead magnetic conveyor assembly 17 which in the form shown comprises two identical conveyor rail units 18.

The conveyor rail units 18 are transversely spaced and supported, at the receiving or entry end of the machine, on a crossbeam 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is carried by hanger members 21 depending from a fixed crossbeam 22, the latter extending between upstanding side portions of the end frame 14. The conveyor rail units 18 are supported at the other end of the machine on a crossbeam 23 (FIG. 2) carried by hanger members similar to members 21 which depend from the fixed top crossbeam 24, the latter extending between upstanding portions of the end frame structure 15. Each of the rail units 18 comprises an elongate frame 25 which houses a series of longitudinally spaced magnets (not shown), either fixed or electromagnetic, and a traveling belt 26 which is supported at opposite ends of the frame 25 on pulleys 27, 28 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Pulleys 27 at the entrance end of the machine are mounted on an idler shaft 30 while pulleys 28 at the opposite end of the frame 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, with the lower run of the belt 26 adapted to carry the sheets which are held thereon by magnetic attraction.

The sheets are delivered to the entrance end of the machine on an entry conveyor 33 which is driven by motor 33' and suitable means are provided for controlling the operation of the magnetic conveyor 18 which may include a sheet-sensing device, indicated at 34, and suitable control means for actuating and deactivating the magnets so as to advance the sheets to 3) for dropping onto the pile 11 by gravity when they are released by the conveyor 18 and their forward motion arrested the end stop mechanism.

The machine is provided with a back stop (FIGS. 2 and 3) at the entrance end, and end stop mechanism 36, which is adjustable longitudinally of the machine, and side guide assemblies 37 and 38 which cooperate in guiding the edges of the sheets as they are dropped by the conveyor 17. The one side guide assembly 37 (FIGS. 2 and 3 is disposed at the entry end of the machine is on the outennost parallel top beams 40 and 40' which extend between the

end frames

14 and 15. The other side guide assembly 38 (FIGS. 2 and 7) is mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the machine on the outside top beams 40 and 40' and is moved with the rectangular carriage frame 41 which carries the end stop mechanism 36, the latter being supported in depending relation thereon.

The end stop carriage 41 movably mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the machine on the longitudinally extending laterally spaced top beam members 42 and 42'. The beam members 42 and 42' each carry an endless chain 43 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and these chains are connected to the frame 41 and driven by end stop motor 44 at the discharge or exit end of the machine through a chain drive connection indicated at 45. The carriage 41 is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the machine to position the end stop mechanism 36 at the desired position relative to the backstop 35 at the entrance end of the machine so that the two are spaced a proper distance to accommodate the length of the sheet it is desired to pile.

The side guide assemblies 37 and 38 are of similar construction and are mounted so that the sheet-edge-engaging members are arranged in pairs with the members of each pair thereof disposed on opposite sides of the machine. All of the side guide members are adjustable laterally of the path of the sheets by operation of a single drive motor which adjusts the support beams 40 and 40' so as to position the sheet-edge-engaging members for accommodating sheets of different widths.

The laterally spaced longitudinally disposed

top beams

40 and 40 which extend between the two

frames

14 and 15 and which are mounted for adjustment laterally of the machine, are identical except for being rights and lefts and they are mounted at their opposite ends on the

frames

14 and 15 in an identical manner. The details of the supporting and adjusting structure at one end only of the machine will be described, it being understood that a corresponding mechanism is arranged at the other end of the machine on the end frame 15 with a connecting means for simultaneous adjustment, which will be hereinafter described.

At the entrance end of the machine, the outside beam 40 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) has a bottom support or bracket assembly 50. The support bracket assembly includes an elongate slide 51 having the form in cross section of an inverted channel which opens downwardly and has a liner 52. The slide 51 is spaced by shims 53 beneath the bottom flange at the end of the side beam 40. The slide 51 rides on a track forming elongate block 54 with a keeper 55 and slot 56 arrangement for holding alignment during horizontal movement. Adjustment laterally of the machine is obtained through operation of a screw member 57 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) mounted in a housing 58 on which there is a traveling nut 60 connected through a slot 61 in the top of housing 58 with the bottom flange of the beam 40. Rotation of the screw 57 moves the beam 40 laterally of the machine. The screw 57 is connected with a corresponding screw member 57 on the other side of the machine through a connecting bar 62 and the entire screw assembly is journaled in a suitable manner in the housings 58 and 58'. The screws 57 and 57' are right and left-hand threaded and the one screw 57' carries at its outermost end a sprocket 63 which is connected by a chain 64 with the sprocket 65 on a drive motor 66. The adjusting

screw assembly

57, 57', 62 carries a sprocket 67 (FIG. 3) which is connected by a chain 68 with a sprocket 69 on a shaft 70 which is journaled in a fixed beam 71' extending between the end frames 14 and 15. The shaft 70 carries a sprocket 72 which is connected by a chain 73 (FIGS. 1 and 2) extending to a sprocket 74 at the other end of the machine which is carried on a shaft 75 journaled in the end of the beam 71. The shaft 75 carries a sprocket 76 which is connected by a chain 77 with a drive sprocket 78 on an adjusting screw assembly which corresponds to the

screw assembly

57, 62, 57 at the entrance end of the machine so that the beams 40 and 40' are moved laterally in parallel relation for adjustment of the

side guide assemblies

37 and 38.

The fixed side guide assembly 37 comprises right and lefthand unit assemblies 82 and 82 (FIG. 3) of identical construction. These

assemblies

82 and 82 are mounted in depending relation on bracket forming frame members 83 and 83 which are attached to the support beams 40 and 40' respectively. The side guide unit assembly 82 comprises a sheet-edge-engaging plate 85 (FIGS. 3,4, 5 8 and 9) with an angled top edge portion 86 and with vertically spaced bearing ears 87 in which a pivot pin 88 is mounted. The pin 88 extends through a pair of vertically spaced cars 90 carried on the end of slide bar 91 which is mounted in sliding relation in a guideway 92 at the inner end of an elongate boxlike frame 93 with the outer end of the slide bar 91 connected by a pivot 94 to the end of a piston 95 of a fluid cylinder 96. Tile cylinder 96 is pivotally connected at its outer end at 97 to a bracket 98 fixed in the frame 93. The bracket 98 extends in a fixed relation between the side plates of the boxlike elongate frame 93. The elongate frame 93 is mounted on the bottom ends of a pair of

parallel links

100, 101 which are connected thereto by

pivots

102 and 103. At their upper ends, the one link is connected by pivot 104 to a bracket member 105 and the other link 101 is connected by pivot 106 to the inner end of a horizontally disposed link 107 which, in turn, is connected by pivot 108 to the bracket 105 with the

pivots

104, 106 and 108, in the position shown in FIG. 4, being in a common horizontal plane. The bracket 105 has an angular stop plate 110 on an inner extension which is adapted to engage with the

links

101 and 107 immediately adjacent the pivot 106, the arrangement holding the

links

100 and 101 normally in vertically disposed parallel relation so that the arm 93 is held in a horizontal position and the plate 85 presents its inner face in a vertical plane for engagement with the edges of the sheets as they are dropped on the pile. The bracket 105 has an upper extension which is connected by a pivot 111 with the generally rectangular frame bracket 112, the pivot 111 being vertically aligned above the pivot 106 in the position shown. A pin 113 is connected at its lower end on a pivot 114 extending between depending bearing-forming ears 115 on the lower edges of the sideplates forming the bracket 112 and extends upwardly into the bracket 112. A compression spring 116 is mounted on the upper end of pin 113 with its lower end bearing on a sleeve member 117 which extends upwardly of a cross plate 118, the latter extending between the sideplates of the bracket 105. The spring 116 normally holds the bracket 105 in the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 while resiliently resisting pivotal movement of the bracket 105 about the pivot 111. The bracket frame 112 is connected at its top face to the lower face of a top bracket formation 120. The latter comprises a C- shaped frame connected at its top and bottom legs with

frame assemblies

121 and 122 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom and top flanges respectively of the beam 40. The C-shape of the bracket frame accommodates a reinforcing I-beam which extends outwardly of the web of the I- beam 40. The bracket portions 120 and 122 are bolted or otherwise secured to one of the pair of crossbeams or

bar members

124 and 125 which are carried in juxtaposed sliding relation in an upwardly opening U-shaped guideway 126 formed in the upper part of the topmost bracket member 122.

Antifriction rollers

127 and 128 are mounted on the bracket member 122 so as to be engaged by the crossbar 125, which is adapted to be moved relative to the bracket 120, and the associated crossbar 124. The crossbar 125 is attached to the unit assembly 82' at the other side of the machine which is of the same construction as the unit assembly 82 and which is connected to the other movable longitudinal beam 40'. The

crossbars

124 and 125 hold the two units 82 and 82' in alignment and brace the same in any adjusted position.

To further strengthen the guide assembly 37, a pair of

chains

130 and 131 are utilized to absorb some of the stress when the guides are advanced and push in on the sheets. One chain 130 is connected at one end to the crossbar 125 (FIG. 4) and the other end of the chain is connected to the guide unit assembly 82' at the other side of the machine (FIG. 3). The chain 130 is carried on

sprockets

132 and 133 which are mounted on

cross-shafts

134 and 135 extending between the top portions of the sideplates forming bracket 120 andmounting ears 136 on the bracket 112, respectively, and extends through the bracket 112 and across the path of the sheets to bracket 112' of the side guide assembly 82' at the other side of the machine where the end of the chain is anchored to a bar 137' extending through the bracket 112' and secured thereto at both its ends. The chain 131 is secured at one end to the crossbar 125 and is carried on sprockets 132' and 133' on the brackets 120' and 112' and extends across to the other side of the machine where it is attached to the bracket 112 in the same manner as chain 130.

The movable side guide assembly 38 (FIGS. 6 and 7) is constructed the same as the fixed side guide assembly 37 except for the upper bracket structure 140 which corresponds to the upper bracket structure 120 of the fixed side guide assembly. The bracket structure 140 is the same overall depth as the bracket structure 120 and is provided with top and bottom pairs of spaced

antifriction rollers

141 and 142 for engaging the top and bottom flanges of the supporting l-beam 40. The frame 140 also is provided with rollers 143 for engaging opposite side edges of the top and bottom flanges of l-beam 40, with all of these rollers being suitably journaled in the bracket 140 so that the bracket-fonning frame structure 140 function as a carriage which is movable on the beam 40. The bracket 140 is connected to the one crossbar 124 while a corresponding bracket at the other side of the assembly 38 is connected to the associated crossbar 125 so that the guide units at each side of the machine are adjustable laterally of the machine. The carriage frame 41 of the end stop assembly 36 is connected to the side guide assembly 38 so that the two assemblies are adjusted longitudinally of the machine upon adjustment of the frame 41. A pair of tubular members 145, 145' having a rectangular cross section sufficient to surround the

crossbars

124 and 125 are secured on the carriage frame 41 by connecting

brackets

146 and 146" so that upon movement of the carriage frame 41, the guide assembly 38 is pushed or pulled along with the same. A bumper pad 147 of rubber or the like, is provided along the side of the bracket 145 which engages the crossbar 125 when the assembly is pulled toward the exit end of the machine.

lclaim:

l. A piling machine for sheet material comprising a rail-type overhead conveyor mounted at opposite ends on spaced, upright end frames and having traveling belts for advancing on the bottom face thereof successive sheets which are delivered to an entrance end of the conveyor ad advanced by the conveyor for release in a piling area between said end frames, an end stop device for arresting the forward travel of the sheets when they are released by the conveyor for deposit by gravity in the piling area and a sheet side edge guide mechanism, said side edge guide mechanism including parallel support beams extending longitudinally of the conveyor and mounted for adjustment laterally of the conveyor, a side edge guide assembly mounted on said longitudinally extending support beams for adjustment longitudinally of said beams, said side edge guide assembly including a pair of transversely extending bar members which are slidably connected to each other and carried on said longitudinally extending support beams, a pair of carriages secured each to one of said transversely extending bar members and positioned on opposite sides of the path of advance of the sheets, each of said carriages having a bracket frame depending therefrom and a pair of parallel link bars, means pivotally connecting said parallel link bars in depending relation adjacent the lower end of said bracket frame, an elongate arm-forming member pivotally mounted on the lower ends of said parallel link bars and extending transversely of the machine in a generally horizontal plane, said means for connecting the parallel link bars and the depending bracket frame including a resilient means for cushioning movement of the parallel link bars in a direction vertically of the machine, a guide plate having a vertical face for engaging the edges of the sheets as they are deposited in the piling area which guide plate is slidably mounted on the inner end of the arm member for reciprocating movement in a direction laterally of the path of travel of the sheets, and means for reciprocating said guide plate in timed relation to the release of the sheets in the piling area.

2. A piler machine as recited in claim 1, and means for adjusting the parallel support beams simultaneously which comprises transversely extending screw members mounted on said end frames with right and left-hand threaded sections each having a traveling nut which is connected to a side edge guide assembly, power means for turning one of the screws and a chain drive connecting the screws at opposite ends of the machine so that said screws are operated simultaneously to adjust the support beams while they are held in parallel relation.

3. A piler mechanism as recited in claim 1, and the depending bracket frame having a pivotally mounted portion at the lower end thereof to which the parallel link bars are pivotally connected, an elongate hanger bar spaced from the pivot mounting of said bracket frame portion which is upstanding in the bracket frame, a compression spring fixed at one end to the top of said hanger bar and hearing at its lower end on a cross member in the bracket frame so as to form a vertically yieldable support for the parallel link bars.

4. A piler machine as recited in claim 3, wherein stop means is provided on said pivotally mounted bracket portion for holding the parallel link bars in a nonnal generally vertical position while permitting swinging movement of said parallel link bars and said bracket portion in a direction upwardly and outwardly of the machine.

5. A machine for handling sheet material comprising an elongate, overhead conveyor for advancing selected sheets to a piling area where the sheets are deposited by gravity on a pile upon release by the conveyor, upright end frames supporting opposite ends of said conveyor, a backstop adjacent the entrance end of the machine, an end stop mechanism having a carriage forming support frame mounted for movement longitudinally of the machine, power means having a chain drive connection with said end stop carriage, track-forming support beams extending in parallel relation longitudinally of the machine, mechanisms for guiding the side edges of the sheets into the pile mounted in depending relation on said support beams, each of said side edge guide mechanisms comprising a pair of depending frames spaced on opposite sides of the path of advance of the sheets and having sheet-edge-guiding plates carried thereon, one of said side edge guide mechanism having the depending frames in the form of carriages which are movably mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the machine on said track-forming beams, and means connecting said carriage-forming frames to said end stop carriage frame so that the same is adjusted with and positioned adjacent the end stop mechanism.

6. A machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 5, and the means connecting said carriages for the side guide mechanisms to the supporting frame for said end stop mechanism comprising bracket members extending from said end-stop-supporting frame and encircling a portion of said movable slide guide mechanism.

7. A machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 5, and said carriage support frame for said end stop mechanism having the tubelike connector frames positioned ternal dimension in the direction longitudinally of the machine which is greater than the corresponding combined dimension of said crossbeams so as to permit movement of said crossbeams laterally of the machine.

9. A machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 8 and said tube like connector frames having cushioning bumper pads for engaging said crossbeams when the end stop carriage is moved toward the discharge end of the machine.

10. In a machine for handling sheet material having an elongate, overhead conveyor for advancing selected sheets to a piling area where the sheets are released and deposited by gravity on a pile, an upright support frame for said conveyor, a backstop adjacent the entrance end of the machine, and an end stop mechanism, a side edge guide mechanism comprising a pair of transversely extending parallel support bars mounted on said frame for adjustment transversely of the machine, a bracket-forming frame mounted in depending relation on each of said support bars and disposed on opposite sides of the path of advance of the sheets, a pair of parallel links depending from each of said bracket-forming frames, horizontally disposed arm mounted on each pair of said links, side edge guide plates disposed for engagement with the side edges of the sheets as they are dropped on the pile, each of said side edge guide plates being mounted for reciprocating movement so as to engage and force the sheets into centered position on the pile, and chain members extending transversely of the machine and connecting the bracket-forming frames so as to resist the tendency of said frames to spread apart when the guide plates press against the edges of the sheets.

11. In a machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 10 and each of said chain members having one of its ends attached to the outer end of one of said support bars and having its other end connected to the depending bracket forming frame which is mounted on the other one of said pair of support bars.

12. In a machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 11 and each of said chain members passing through the depending-bracket-fonning frame which is carried on the support bar to which the one end of said chain is attached, with supporting sprockets on said depending bracket frame on which said chain is carried.

13. A piler machine as set forth in claim 1 and said means for reciprocating said guide plate comprising a fluid motor.

14. A piler machine as set forth in claim 3 and said means for reciprocating said guide plate comprising a fluid motor mounted on said transversely extending arm member and said pivotally mounted portion of said bracket frame being arranged so that it may yield and swing outwardly and upwardly when the guide plate is pressed against the edge of a sheet by operation of said motor.

15. A piling machine for sheet material comprising a railtype overhead conveyor mounted at opposite ends on spaced, upright end frames and having traveling belts on the bottom face thereof for advancing successive sheets, which are delivered to the entrance end of the conveyor, to a piling area between said end frames where the sheets are released for gravity piling, an end stop device for arresting the forward travel of the sheets when they are released by the conveyor and a sheet side edge guide mechanism, said side edge guide mechanism including parallel support beams extending longitudinally of the conveyor and mounted for adjustment laterally of the conveyor, a side edge guide assembly mounted on said support beams for adjustment longitudinally of said beams, said side edge guide assembly including a pair of transversely extending bar extending which are slidably connected to each other, a pair of bracket frames secured each to one of said transversely extending bar members and positioned on opposite slides of the path of advance of the sheets, each of said bracket frames having a pivoted portion depending therefrom and a pair of parallel link bars pivotally mounted in depending relation adjacent the lower edge of said pivoted frame portion, an elongate arm-forming member pivotally mounted on the lower ends of said parallel link bars and extending transversely of the machine in a generally horizontal plane, means cushioning movement of the parallel link bars in a direction vertically and outwardly of the path of the sheets, a guide plate having a vertical face for engaging the edges of the sheets as they are deposited in the piling area, which guide plate is slidably mounted on the inner end of the arm member for reciprocating movement in a direction laterally of the path of travel of the sheets, means for reciprocating said guide plate in timed relation to the release of the sheets in the piling area, and means to connect said bracket frames which is operative to resist outward pressure on said bracket frames which results when the guide plates are pressed into engagement with the edges of the sheets.

l i I! t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,617,052 Dated November 2, 1971 Inventor(s) Dario 118 It is certified that error'appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 2, after the second occurrence of "to" insert a position line 3, delete line 5, before 'the" insert by line 12, delete "is" and insert and is supported in a fixed position longitudinally of the machine line 19, after "#1" insert is line 41, after "two" insert end Column 4, line 19, insert a. comma between "5" and "8" line 26, "THe" should be The line 66, "125" should be 123 Column 5, line 21, "12 should be 12h line 61, "ed should be and Column 6, line 56, "into" should be onto line 72, "slide" should be side line 75, delete "the" Column 7, line 27, after the comma, insert a.

line 29, after "plates" insert mounted on the inner ends of said arms which are Column 8, line 25, the second occurrence of "extending" should be members line 28, "slides" should be sides Si necl and sealed this 30th day of May 197 IZJDtL-WZRD I-I.FLEICEER JR ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attestlng Officer Commissioner of Patents )RM PO-OSO (10-69] USCOMM-DC 50375-P69

Claims

1. A piling machine for sheet material comprising a rail-type overhead conveyor mounted at opposite ends on spaced, upright end frames and having traveling belts for advancing on the bottom face thereof successive sheets which are delivered to an entrance end of the conveyor ad advanced by the conveyor for release in a piling area between said end frames, an end stop device for arresting the forward travel of the sheets when they are released by the conveyor for deposit by gravity in the piling area and a sheet side edge guide mechanism, said side edge guide mechanism including parallel support beams extending longitudinally of the conveyor and mounted for adjustment laterally of the conveyor, a side edge guide assembly mounted on said longitudinally extending support beams for adjustment longitudinally of said beams, said side edge guide assembly including a pair of transversely extending bar members which are slidably connected to each other and carried on said longitudinally extending support beams, a pair of carriages secured each to one of said transversely extending bar members and positioned on opposite sides of the path of advance of the sheets, each of said carriages having a bracket frame depending therefrom and a pair of parallel link bars, means pivotally connecting said parallel link bars in depending relation adjacent the lower end of said bracket frame, an elongate arm-forming member pivotally mounted on the lower ends of said parallel link bars and extending transversely of the machine in a generally horizontal plane, said means for connecting the parallel link bars and the depending bracket frame including a resilient means for cushioning movement of the parallel link bars in a direction vertically of the machine, a guide plate having a vertical face for engaging the edges of the sheets as they are deposited in the piling area which guide plate is slidably mounted on the inner end of the arm member for reciprocating movement in a direction laterally of the path of travel of the sheets, and means for reciprocating said guide plate in timed relation to the release of the sheets in the piling area.

3. A piler mechanism as recited in claim 1, and the depending bracket frame having a pivotally mounted portion at the lower end thereof to which the parallel link bars are pivotally connected, an elongate hanger bar spaced from the pivot mounting of said bracket frame portion which is upstanding in the bracket frame, a compression spring fixed at one end to the top of said hanger bar and bearing at its lower end on a cross member in the bracket frame so as to form a vertically yieldable support for the parallel link bars.

4. A piler machine as recited in claim 3, wherein stop means is provided on said pivotally mounted bracket portion for holding the parallel link bars in a normal generally vertical position while permitting swinging movement of said parallel link bars and said bracket portion in a direction upwardly and outwardly of the machine.

7. A machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 5, and said carriage support frame for said end stop mechanism having the tubelike connector frames positioned to receive crossbeams connecting the carriages of said one side edge guide mechanism so as to simultaneously adjust the position of the carriages for said one side edge guide mechanism longitudinally of the machine simultaneously with the adjustment of the position of the end stop mechanism.

8. A machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 7 and said tubelike connector frames each having an internal dimension in the direction longitudinally of the machine which is greater than the corresponding combined dimension of said crossbeams so as to permit movement of said crossbeams laterally of the machine.

12. In a machine for handling sheet material as set forth in claim 11 and each of said chain members passing through the depending-bracket-forming frame which is carried on the support bar to which the one end of said chain is attached, with supporting sprockets on said depending bracket frame on which said chain is carried.

15. A piling machine for sheet material comprising a rail-type overhead conveyor mounted at opposite ends on spaced, upright end frames and having traveling belts on the bottom face thereof for advancing successive sheets, which are delivered to the entrance end of the conveyor, to a piling area between said end frames where the sheets are released for gravity piling, an end stop device for arresting the forward travel of the sheets when they are released by the conveyor and a sheet side edge guide mechanism, said side edge guide mechanism including parallel support beams extending longitudinally of the conveyor and mounted for adjustment laterally of the conveyor, a side edge guide assembly mounted on said support beams for adjustment longitudinally of said beams, said side edge guide assembly including a pair of transversely extending bar extending which are slidably connected to each other, a pair of bracket frames secured each to one of said transversely extending bar members and positioned on opposite slides of the path of advance of the sheets, each of said bracket frames having a pivoted portion depending therefrom and a pair of parallel link bars pivotally mounted in depending relation adjacent the lower edge of said pivoted frame portion, an elongate arm-forming member pivotally mounted on the lower ends of said parallel link bars and extending transversely of the machine in a generally horizontal plane, means cushioning movement of the parallel link bars in a direction vertically and outwardly of the path of the sheets, a guide plate having a vertical face for engaging the edges of the sheets as they are deposited in the piling area, which guide plate is slidably mounted on the inner end of the arm member for reciprocating movement in a direction laterally of the path of travel of the sheets, means for reciProcating said guide plate in timed relation to the release of the sheets in the piling area, and means to connect said bracket frames which is operative to resist outward pressure on said bracket frames which results when the guide plates are pressed into engagement with the edges of the sheets.