US3627308A - Sheet separator - Google Patents

Sheet separator Download PDF

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Publication number
US3627308A
US3627308A US40028A US3627308DA US3627308A US 3627308 A US3627308 A US 3627308A US 40028 A US40028 A US 40028A US 3627308D A US3627308D A US 3627308DA US 3627308 A US3627308 A US 3627308A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
stack
sheet
riffling
sheets
finger
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
US40028A
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English (en)
Inventor
Hans O Stoever
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.)
Eastman Kodak Co
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Eastman Kodak Co
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Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3627308A publication Critical patent/US3627308A/en
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Classifications

    • 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
    • B65H3/46—Supplementary devices or measures to assist separation or prevent double feed
    • B65H3/56—Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile
    • 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
    • B65H3/46—Supplementary devices or measures to assist separation or prevent double feed
    • B65H3/48—Air blast acting on edges of, or under, articles

Definitions

  • a sheet-separating apparatus is provided for use in conjunction with vacuum fingers for feeding sheets seriatim from a stack.
  • the sheet separator comprises a plurality of stationary hollow tubes adjacent one end of a sheet support. each tube having an orifice in the form of a vertical slot facing the support. Air is supplied to each tube and is directed in a stream through the slot by an oscillating riffling finger as sociated with each tube and having a tab extending into the slot to vary the effective area thereof.
  • the riffling finger is in a lowered position against the top of the stack, air is forced through a small area of the slot at a high velocity to separate the edges of the upper sheets as a vacuum finger engages the uppermost sheet.
  • PATENTHJ [ED141371 SHEET 2 BF 2 HANS O. STOEVER INVENTOR.
  • copy sheets typically are fed seriatim from a supply, such as a stack of copy sheets, to a printing or transfer position where an image is placed on the copy sheets.
  • a supply such as a stack of copy sheets
  • These copy sheets are fed from the top of the stack by means of vacuum fingers which pick up the top sheet and feed it to a transfer means, such as feed rollers, which feed the sheet to a transfer station.
  • a paper support for supporting the supply of paper is normally provided, having adjustable side guides for holding sheets of different selected width and length.
  • a riffling device can be provided of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No.
  • This device comprises a plurality of spaced reciprocal tubes adjacent the leading end of the stack which are connected respectively to a supply of forced air.
  • the upper end of each tube is provided with a plurality of orifices facing a stack of sheets on a support and includes a rifiling finger or blade which is formed integrally with the tube and engages the top of the stack when the tube is in the lowered position.
  • the reciprocal tubes move upwardly as vacuum feeding fingers move downwardly into engagement with the uppermost sheet on the stack so that an air flow through the orifices causes the upper sheets to be separated.
  • the air supply tubes and riffling fingers begin moving downwardly and engage the top of the stack to hold it as the top sheet is fed into a paper transport device, such as a pair of rollers.
  • a paper transport device such as a pair of rollers.
  • means for riffling the leading edge of a stack of sheets so that the sheets can be fed seriatim from the top of the stack by pickoff means, such as one or more vacuum fingers. This is accomplished by directing a stream of air through one or more variable orifices during reciprocal movement of one or more riffling fingers and during movement of the pickotf means.
  • pickoff means such as one or more vacuum fingers.
  • the riffling fingers continue to move away from the stack causing the air velocity to gradually decrease until a relatively high-volume low-velocity stream of air is provided to maintain the upper sheets of the stack in separated condition so that the uppermost sheet can be separated from the stack by a pickoff means, such as vacuum fingers.
  • the invention contemplates a plurality of stationary air supply tubes adjacent to and extending upwardly from the forward edge of a support for a stack of paper. Air is supplied to the respective tubes near the lower end thereof and flows as a stream of air to a slot at the upper end of each tube. Each slot extends longitudinally along the respective tubes and faces the upper portion of a stack of paper.
  • a riffling finger is mounted for reciprocal movement into and out of engagement with the top of the stack at each tube and each riffling finger includes a tab which extends through the slot into the tube to direct a stream of air through the slot and to vary the effective area of the slot through which the air can pass during the riffling operation.
  • the riffling finger is operated by mechanical drive means in one embodiment and in another embodiment is pneumatically operated as a poppet valve by variable air pressure supplied through the tubes.
  • each riffling finger is mounted for reciprocal movement in a recess above a narrow vertical slot.
  • air passes through the slot as a restricted orifice at a relatively high velocity.
  • the riffling finger is raised air passes through both the slot and the portion of the recess below the riffling finger as a larger orifice at greater volume, but lower velocity.
  • FIG. l is a top plan view of a sheet separator constructed in accordance with this invention for use with a sheet feeder;
  • FIG. 2 is an offset section, taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing the position of the riffling fingers of the sheet separator and the pickoff fingers of the sheet feeder at the beginning of a cycle;
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the sheet separators of FIGS. I and 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section, similar to FIG. 2 showing the riffling finger in raised position
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section, similar to FIG. 4 showing the uppermost sheet being picked up by the pickoff finger as the riffling finger moves downwardly;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the uppermost sheet in feeding position and the riffling finger moving further downwardly;
  • FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section, similar to FIGS. 4-6 showing the uppermost sheet being fed from the pickoff finger while the riffling finger is in a lower sheet-gripping position;
  • FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 5 but showing an alternative embodiment wherein movement of the riffling finger is controlled by air pressure;
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective, fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing a further alternative embodiment.
  • FIG. I a sheet separator 2 is shown in FIG. I which operates in conjunction with sheet pickoff means, such as vacuum fingers 4, to feed sheets, such as paper from a stack 6, on sheet or paper support ll.
  • sheet pickoff means such as vacuum fingers 4
  • support 8 is provided with a pair of adjustable side guides 10 and an adjustable end guide 12 movable along tracks 14 and 116, respectively, as shown and as more fully described in commonly assigned copending US application Ser. No. 29,403, entitled, Vacuum Paper Feeder," to Donald J. Albert filed Apr. 17, I970.
  • the sheet separator mechanism 2 includes a plurality of air supply tubes, such as tubes 18, fixedly mounted on and extending upwardly from the leading edge of sheet support 28. These tubes also serve as aligning means to position the leading edge of the sheets. Each tube has a central longitudinal slot 22, as best seen in FIG. 3 through which a stream of air is directed against the leading ends or edges of the sheets to separate them so that the vacuum fingers may pick up the up permost sheet to feed it to another station. As illustrated, air can be supplied to each of the tubes from a source (not shown) by means of hose 24, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • a riffling finger 26 is associated with each of the tubes 18 and includes a tab 27, extending through slot 22 for a purpose to be described, and a depending leg 28 which is illustrated as having a pair of vertically spaced slots 30 for reciprocal movement on spaced pins 32 extending from tube 18.
  • an angle bracket 34 is attached to each leg 28 and includes an outstanding leg having a slot 36.
  • a rod or bar 38 extends transversely through the respective slots, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. This bar is supported on one end of a pair of spaced bellcranks 40 for essentially vertical reciprocal movement upon rotation of bell crank 40 with shaft 42 journaled in bearings 44 on support 20, as shown.
  • the other end of each bellcrank 40 is connected by a shaft 45 to drive means 46 for counterrotationof the bellcrank to raise and lower riffling fingers 26 as described in further detail below.
  • sheet separator mechanism 2 can best be understood by looking at FIGS. 2 and 4-7.
  • the riffling fingers 26 are in a lowered sheet gripping or engaging position shown in FIG. 2.
  • Each tab 27 restricts the flow of air to the lowermost portion of the respective slots 22.
  • airstreams are directed against the leading edges of the uppermost sheets at a high velocity to separate them as riffling fingers begin to move upwardly.
  • This upward movement begins as vacuum fingers 4 are being lowered into engagement with the uppermost sheet of stack 6.
  • the riffling fingers 26 are moved upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the spaced position shown in FIG. 4 upon counterclockwise rotation of bellcrank 40, as viewed in the drawings.
  • FIG. 8 An alternative sheet separator is shown in FIG. 8 wherein a stack of paper 6' is supported on a paper support 8' adjacent a tube 50.
  • Poppet valve 52 is provided in the top of tube 50 and includes a tubular section or sleeve 54 which extends into the upper end of tube 50 and is constructed for a limited vertical movement as by providing a slot 56 in section 54 which is engaged by a pin 58 formed in tube 50.
  • the upper end of section 54 is provided with a slot 60 just below a riffling finger 62 to direct a stream of air against the leading edges of the sheets.
  • the flow of air to tube 50 is regulated by a solenoid valve 64 in a supply line 66 connected to tube 50.
  • Valve 64 can be regulated by control circuit 68 to provide a pulsating airflow to tube 50 to operate poppet valve 52. It can be seen that when riffling finger 62 is in a lowered position slot 60 is substantially within the upper end of tube 50. The poppet is in this position when little or no air is supplied to tube 50, as when solenoid valve 64 is closed by a control circuit 68. When the valve is opened, air is supplied to tube 50 which urges the poppet valve to the raised position shown so that air can pass through slot 60. At the beginning of the upward movement of the poppet valve, only a small portion of slot 60 extends above tube 50 so that the issuing airstream has a high velocity and a low volume to separate the uppermost sheets.
  • FIG. 9 A further alternative embodiment is disclosed in FIG. 9 wherein a riffling finger 70 is formed as an insert in a top plate 72 extending forwardly from a vertically reciprocal leg 74.
  • Leg 74 is illustrated as having a pair of outstanding arms 76 and 78 which are adapted to be engaged by reciprocal drive means (not shown) to move riffling finger 70 up and down in recess 80 of stationary tube 82.
  • Adjacent the upper end of tube 82 and extending downwardly from the center of recess 80 is a longitudinal slot 84 through which air is directed from passageway 86 by curved surface 88 between spaced flanges 90 and 92.
  • These flanges are formed integrally with leg 74, and are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of slot 84.
  • a sheet separator constructed in accordance with this invention will work in a highly efficient manner.
  • air is directed in streams and at a high velocity against the leading edges of the uppermost sheets of a stack to separate them from the rest of the stack.
  • the riffling fingers are raised the airstreams are directed against the sheets in ever increasing volume but at a lower velocity as the effective size of the orifice through which the airstream passes becomes greater.
  • the variable airflow facilitates separating the sheets and maintaining them in separated condition until the uppermost sheet has been removed from the stack.
  • the riffling fingers move to the lowered position to clamp the rest of the sheets against the stack until the start of the next cycle.
  • the effective size of a slot through which the airstream is directed is changed by a tab extending from the riffling finger through the slot and moving up and down with the riffling finger.
  • the riffling finger is in the form of a poppet valve and includes a slot whose effective area varies in accordance to the position of the poppet valve.
  • a sheet separator for separating leading edges of sheets and for feeding the sheets seriatim from the top of a stack, said separator comprising:
  • sheet pickoff means movable into engagement with the uppermost sheet of said stack and movable away from said stack to separate said sheet from said stack and feed said sheet away from said stack;
  • variable orifice means spaced from said support for directing a stream of air against the leading edges of said sheets to separate them;
  • variable orifice means for supplying the stream of air to said variable orifice means
  • At least one movable riffiing finger mounted for movement between a stack-engaging position and a position spaced from said stack to vary the effective size of said variable orifice means to cause said airstream to be directed against said leading edges at high velocity and low volume when said finger is in said stack-engaging position to separate said sheets and to be directed at high volume and low velocity when said finger is in said spaced position to maintain said sheets in separated condition;
  • variable orifice means adjacent an upper end of said tube defining said variable orifice means as including a longitudinal slot positioned for directing the airstream toward the leading edge of the stack.
  • a poppet valve in said upper end of said tube including said longitudinal slot and said riffling finger and being movable in response to said air stream to vary the effective size of said slot extending above said top of said tube.
  • a sheet separator for separating leading edges of sheets and for feeding the sheets seriatim from the top ofa stack, said separator comprising:
  • sheet pickoff means movable into engagement with the uppermost sheet of said stack and movable away from said stack to separate said sheet from said stack and feed said sheet away from said stack;
  • an oscillatible riffling finger mounted in each of said tubes for movement between a stack-engaging position and a position spaced from the uppermost sheet of said stack to vary the effective size of said respective slots to cause said airstreams to be directed against said leading edges at high velocity and low volume when each of said riffling; fingers is in said stackengaging position to separate said sheets and to be directed at high volume and low velocity when each of said riffling fingers is in said spaced position to maintain said sheets in separated condition;
  • pivotal y mounted bell crank having a first and a second end
  • each of said tubes means defining a recess in said end of each of said tubes, each said recess being in communication with one of said slots, said riffling fingers extending through said respective recesses so that when said fingers are spaced from said stack said airstreams flow through both said slots and said recesses thereby varying the effective size of said slots.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
US40028A 1970-05-25 1970-05-25 Sheet separator Expired - Lifetime US3627308A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US4002870A 1970-05-25 1970-05-25

Publications (1)

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US3627308A true US3627308A (en) 1971-12-14

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US40028A Expired - Lifetime US3627308A (en) 1970-05-25 1970-05-25 Sheet separator

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US (1) US3627308A (enExample)
CA (1) CA934398A (enExample)
DE (1) DE2125672B2 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2099099A5 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1347282A (enExample)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4336928A (en) * 1980-08-04 1982-06-29 Xerox Corporation Method for feeding documents to a copy machine
US4382593A (en) * 1980-08-04 1983-05-10 International Business Machines Corporation Vacuum document feeder
US4667948A (en) * 1984-11-09 1987-05-26 Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Apparatus for isolating offset printing plates and removing intermediate paper layers
US4921237A (en) * 1986-09-05 1990-05-01 Datacard Corporation Input hopper apparatus and method
EP0436892A3 (en) * 1990-01-12 1991-08-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method of and device for feeding sheets
US5246220A (en) * 1990-12-14 1993-09-21 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Sheet feeding device
US5295673A (en) * 1990-11-29 1994-03-22 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method of and device for controlling feeding of sheets by detecting multiple sheet pick up
US5645274A (en) * 1993-09-22 1997-07-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet supply apparatus
US5967509A (en) * 1996-05-02 1999-10-19 Saimatec Engineering Oy Apparatus for picking roll headers
US20100148419A1 (en) * 2008-12-16 2010-06-17 Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. Sheet supply apparatus, sheet supply unit and image forming apparatus
CN103030005A (zh) * 2012-12-21 2013-04-10 深圳市华星光电技术有限公司 阻挡装置、搬运装置及搬运方法
US8925912B2 (en) * 2012-12-21 2015-01-06 Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. Stopping device, transferring device, and transferring method
CN104960948A (zh) * 2015-05-27 2015-10-07 东莞市威力固电路板设备有限公司 薄板取板方法
US20200180795A1 (en) * 2017-07-03 2020-06-11 Sig Technology Ag Method and Device for Forming Package Bodies Which Are Open on One Side Using an Oscillating Gripper

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4596385A (en) * 1984-09-27 1986-06-24 Xerox Corporation Top vacuum corrugation feeder with moveable air blocking vane
EP0387476B1 (fr) * 1989-03-17 1993-12-29 Guy Martin Dispositif de prise de feuilles planes avec déramage à flux d'air turbulent
CH686364A5 (fr) * 1991-11-21 1996-03-15 Bobst Sa Jauge d'introduction pour dispositif d'alimentation de decoupes de boîtes pliantes.
DE4444963C2 (de) * 1994-12-16 1997-12-18 Erfurt Umformtechnik Gmbh Verfahren zum Entstapeln von nichtferromagnetischen Platinen und Einrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
CN104589778B (zh) * 2014-12-31 2017-02-22 明基材料有限公司 膜片分离装置及膜片分离方法
DE102020124433B4 (de) 2020-09-18 2023-06-29 Koenig & Bauer Ag Anleger einer Bogen be- oder verarbeitende Maschine sowie Verfahren zur Unterstützung der Bogenvereinzelung in einem Anleger einer Bogen be- oder verarbeitende Maschine

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4382593A (en) * 1980-08-04 1983-05-10 International Business Machines Corporation Vacuum document feeder
US4336928A (en) * 1980-08-04 1982-06-29 Xerox Corporation Method for feeding documents to a copy machine
US4667948A (en) * 1984-11-09 1987-05-26 Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Hell Gmbh Apparatus for isolating offset printing plates and removing intermediate paper layers
US4921237A (en) * 1986-09-05 1990-05-01 Datacard Corporation Input hopper apparatus and method
EP0436892A3 (en) * 1990-01-12 1991-08-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method of and device for feeding sheets
US5137268A (en) * 1990-01-12 1992-08-11 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method of and device for feeding sheets
US5295673A (en) * 1990-11-29 1994-03-22 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method of and device for controlling feeding of sheets by detecting multiple sheet pick up
US5346201A (en) * 1990-12-14 1994-09-13 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Sheet feeding device
US5246220A (en) * 1990-12-14 1993-09-21 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Sheet feeding device
US5645274A (en) * 1993-09-22 1997-07-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet supply apparatus
US5967509A (en) * 1996-05-02 1999-10-19 Saimatec Engineering Oy Apparatus for picking roll headers
US20100148419A1 (en) * 2008-12-16 2010-06-17 Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. Sheet supply apparatus, sheet supply unit and image forming apparatus
US8002265B2 (en) * 2008-12-16 2011-08-23 Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. Sheet supply apparatus, sheet supply unit and image forming apparatus
CN103030005A (zh) * 2012-12-21 2013-04-10 深圳市华星光电技术有限公司 阻挡装置、搬运装置及搬运方法
US8925912B2 (en) * 2012-12-21 2015-01-06 Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. Stopping device, transferring device, and transferring method
CN104960948A (zh) * 2015-05-27 2015-10-07 东莞市威力固电路板设备有限公司 薄板取板方法
US20200180795A1 (en) * 2017-07-03 2020-06-11 Sig Technology Ag Method and Device for Forming Package Bodies Which Are Open on One Side Using an Oscillating Gripper
US10946988B2 (en) * 2017-07-03 2021-03-16 Sig Technology Ag Method and device for forming package bodies which are open on one side using an oscillating gripper

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2099099A5 (enExample) 1972-03-10
CA934398A (en) 1973-09-25
DE2125672B2 (de) 1973-09-27
GB1347282A (en) 1974-02-27
DE2125672A1 (de) 1972-01-05
DE2125672C3 (enExample) 1974-04-18

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