US3628787A - Stacking device - Google Patents

Stacking device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3628787A
US3628787A US17090A US3628787DA US3628787A US 3628787 A US3628787 A US 3628787A US 17090 A US17090 A US 17090A US 3628787D A US3628787D A US 3628787DA US 3628787 A US3628787 A US 3628787A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
conveyor
stacking
idler
stacking position
displaceable
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
US17090A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gerard J C Boeve
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Alcatel Lucent NV
Original Assignee
International Standard Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Standard Electric Corp filed Critical International Standard Electric Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3628787A publication Critical patent/US3628787A/en
Assigned to ALCATEL N.V., DE LAIRESSESTRAAT 153, 1075 HK AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, A CORP OF THE NETHERLANDS reassignment ALCATEL N.V., DE LAIRESSESTRAAT 153, 1075 HK AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, A CORP OF THE NETHERLANDS ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORP OF DE
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/50—Piling apparatus of which the discharge point moves in accordance with the height to 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
    • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
    • B65H31/34—Apparatus for squaring-up piled articles
    • B65H31/36—Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
    • B65H2404/10—Rollers
    • B65H2404/11—Details of cross-section or profile
    • B65H2404/111—Details of cross-section or profile shape
    • B65H2404/1114—Paddle wheel

Definitions

  • a stacking device for stacking articles diverted from a first conveyor in a predetermined location into a parallel stacking position.
  • the device includes a second conveyor mounted between the predetermined location and the input of the stacking position.
  • the second conveyor is pivoted about its input and near the predetermined location, such that the second conveyor is angularly displaced as a function of the thickness of a stack of articles accumulated in the stacking position.
  • the effective path length of the second conveyor is also varied as a function of the angle it makes with the first conveyor.
  • the present invention relates to a stacking device for stacking articles diverted from a conveyor in a predetermined location into a stacking position.
  • Such a stacking device may for instance be associated with each of a plurality of operators positions at a coding desk of a mail-handling machine, wherein documents fed to this operators position via a common conveyor and entrance mechanism must be stacked in a stacking position in such a manner that the documents of the stack are substantially parallel to the conveyor.
  • the stacking device is particularly characterized in that it includes a second conveyor mounted between said predetermined location and the input of said stacking position, said second conveyor being pivoted about its input end near said predetermined location, and that said second conveyor is angularly displaced in function of the varying thickness of the stack of articles accumulated in aid stacking position, the length of said second conveyor being varied in function of the angle it makes with said first conveyor.
  • the present device is also characterized in that it further includes a second conveyor mounted between said predetermined location and the input of said stacking position, said conveyor being pivoted about its input end near said predetermined location and being constituted by a first conveyor part and by a second conveyor part, that said second conveyor is angularly displaced in function of the varying thickness of the stack of articles accumulated in said stacking position, and that means are provided to continuously urge said first and second conveyor parts into contact with each other.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of the stacking device of the present invention in a characteristic position
  • H6. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the stacking device in another characteristic position.
  • the stacking device 1 shown therein forms part of a coding desk of a mail-handling machine which further includes a conveyor belt schematically represented by reference numeral 2, an entrance member 3 which is fixed in an axle 4 which may be angularly displaced by an entrance mechanism (not shown) from a rest position (FIG. 2) into an operative position (FIG. 1) and vice versa; and an operators position including a conveyor belt schematically represented by reference numeral 5.
  • Stacking device 1 is adapted to stack documents such as 6 in a stacking position 7 which is delimited by side frame 8 and by conveyor belt 5.
  • a base plate 9 mounted in this stacking position 7 is displaceable in the direction of arrows 10 and carries a flat guide member 11 near its side facing conveyor belt 2 and an upstanding guide plate 12, 13 near its side facing conveyor belt 5. Portion 12 of this guide plate makes an angle of about 45 with the plane of conveyor belts 2 and 5, while portion 13 of this member is parallel to these belts.
  • Base plate 9 is coupled to drive means (not shown) which are controlled by detecting means (also not shown) of the thickness of the stack of documents accumulated in the stacking position and which displace base plate 9 towards or away from conveyor belt 5 when this thickness decreases or increases respectively.
  • Base plate 9 is further provided with a pivot axle 14 on which idler 15 is mounted. This idler 15 is located adjacent the input end of guide plate portion 12.
  • a cam-shaped lever 16 is hingedly connected to axle 14 and has a pivot axle 17 on which idler 18 is mounted. Spring 19 continuously tends to pivot cam-shaped lever 16 and idler 18 in clockwise direction.
  • base plate 9 carries two coaxial integral idlers 20, 21 which are mounted on axle 22, the outer idler 21 being provided with peripheral elastic inserts such as 2
  • a conveyor generally indicated by reference numeral 57 is mounted between entrance point member 3 and stacking position 7.
  • bracket 24 which is free to turn about pivot axle 25 and which carries idlers 26, 27 and 28 mounted on the respective axles 25, 29 and 30.
  • a conveyor belt 31 is arranged around idlers 26, 27 and 28 which is integral with idler 32.
  • the latter idler 32 is connected to idler 20 by means of elastic belt 33 which continuously tends to turn idlers 28, 32 and hence conveyor belt 31 in clockwise direction.
  • ldler 26 is connected by drive belt 34 to roller 35 which is fixedly mounted on drive shaft 36 coupled to other driving means (not shown).
  • the lower face of idler 28 is located at a certain distance from base plate 9 so that its axle 30 may follow guide member 11.
  • the above conveyor 57 further includes a bracket 37 which is free to turn about pivot axle 38 and which continuously tends to pivot in counterclockwise direction due to the presence of spring 39 attached between pins 40 and 41. Bracket 37 carries axles 42 to 45 on which idlers 46 to 49 are mounted and at its end adjacent lever 16 it is further provided with an arm 50 carrying idler 51.
  • the above conveyor 57 further includes an idler 52 which is mounted at the end of lever 53 which is free to turn about axle 54, this idler 52 continuously tending to pivot in counterclockwise direction due to the presence of spring 55.
  • a small plate 56 is mounted adjacent entrance point member 3 and determines with the latter the entrance of the stacking device 1.
  • stacking device 1 The operation of stacking device 1 is as follows.
  • the above-mentioned driving means associated to drive shaft 36 being operated conveyor belt 31 is driven through the intermediary of driver roller 35, drive belt 34 and idler 26.
  • This conveyor belt 31 hereby drives idlers 52, 46 to 49, 18 and 15 since they make contact with this belt 31.
  • the latter belt in its turn drives idler 21 having peripheral elastic inserts 23 via idler 32, elastic belt 33 and idler 20.
  • the stacking device 1 is in the position shown in FIG. 1 except for entrance point member 3 which is first assumed to be in the rest position shown in FIG. 2.
  • the thickness of the stack of documents such as 6 accumulated in stacking position 7 is shown to be nearly a minimum.
  • This stack is pressed against conveyor belt 5 by guide plate portion 13 and against side frame 8 by the force exerted in the direction of this frame by the rotating elastic inserts 23 of idler 21.
  • the documents of the accumulated stack are successively processed by an operator and each time a document 6 leaves stacking position 7 by being shifted by conveyor 'belt 5 towards the operators position, displaceable base plate 9 is gradually advanced towards the latter conveyor belt 5 to maintain the remaining stack under pressure.
  • conveyor 57 is gradually angularly displaced.
  • the above-mew tioned detecting means operate the above entrance mechanism due to which entrance point member 3 is brought in the position shown in FIG. 1.
  • the angle between elastic belt 33 and side frame 8 then reaches a relatively large value.
  • a document feed mechanism (not shown) is operated in the coding desk so that a stream of shingled documents, i.e. having overlapping edge positions, is fed to stacking device 1 via conveyor belt 2.
  • base plate 9 is gradually displaced in a direction away from conveyor belt so that the angle between elastic belt 33 and side frame 8 gradually decreases.
  • this guide member 11 is indeed such that when it is followed by this axle 30 during the displacement of base plate 9 the distance between axle 14 of idler 15 and adjacent conveyor belt 31 substantially remains constant although the latter idler 15 and belt 31 follow a rectilinear path and a circular path respectively.
  • a good driving of the documents between idler 18 and conveyor belt 31 is required in order to ensure as long as possible a positive guiding of these documents before they are liberated against guide plate 12, 13.
  • camshaped lever 16 mounted thereon follows a rectilinear path, while idler 51 follows a circular path and hereby approaches cam-shaped lever 16. ln a predetermined relative position of displaceable plate 9 and idler 51 the latter comes into contact with the edge of lever 16 facing conveyor belt 2. During the further movement of the displaceable plate 9 and idler 51 the latter pivots lever 16 in anticlockwise direction due to which idler 18 is brought out of engagement with conveyor belt 31. In other words the path length of the conveyor part constituted by idlers 52, 46 to 49, 18, 15 of conveyor 57 is decreased when the thickness of the stack of documents accumulated in stacking position 7 is increased i.e. when the angle between conveyors 2 and 57 is decreased.
  • the thickness of the stack of documents then again gradually decreases due to the fact that these documents are successively processed by the operator. It is clear that base plate 9 is then again gradually displaced towards the conveyor belt 5. Consequently the distance between idler 51 and lever 16 is gradually increased so that the latter is gradually angularly displaced in clockwise direction hereby bringing at a certain moment idler 18 in contact with conveyor belt 31. In other words the path length of conveyor part constituted by idlers 52, 46 to 49, 18, 15 of conveyor 57 is increased when the thickness of the stack of documents accumulated in stacking position 7 is decreased, i.e. when the angle between conveyors 2 and 57 is increased.
  • conveyor 57 which is angularly displaced in function of the varying thickness of the stack of documents accumulated in stacking position 7 is constituted by a first conveyor part of constant length constituted by conveyor belt 31 and by a second conveyor part of variable length, the latter second conveyor part being itself constituted by a conveyor part of constant length including idlers 52 and 46 to d9 and by a conveyor part. of variable length 15, 18.
  • the documents to be stacked have overlapping edges. This enables the stacking device to stack a large number of documents per time unit, there being no danger that the leading edge of a document will abut against the trailing edge of a preceding document. In case the documents do not have overlapping edges the number of documents which may be stacked per time unit is smaller since the distance between each pair of successive documents must be such that the trailing edge of the first document of the pair arriving in the stacking position is deflected out of the path followed by the leading edge of the second document before that document arrives in this stacking position.
  • Stacking device for stacking articles diverted from a first conveyor (2) in a predetermined location into a parallel stacking position (7) comprising:
  • a second conveyor mounted between said predetermined location and the input of said stacking position, said second conveyor being pivoted about its input and near said predetermined location, and said second conveyor is angularly displaced as function of the varying thickness of a stack of articles (6) accumulated in said stacking position, such that the effective path length of said second conveyor is varied as a function of the angle it makes with said first conveyor (2);
  • a displaceable plate (99) mounted in said stacking position and displaceable as a function of the thickness of said stack;
  • said second conveyor includes a first conveyor means (31) the angular displacement of which is controlled by said displaceable plate, and a second conveyor means (52, 46-49, 18, cooperating with said first means to form the variable effective path length of said second conveyor; and
  • said second conveyor means comprises a constant portion (52, 46-49), and a variable portion (18, 15) including a first idler (18) which is mounted on a first lever (16) pivoted on said displaceable plate (9) near the impact of said stacking position (7), the position of said first idler is controlled by said constant portion so that said first idler makes contact with said first conveyor means depending on the angular position of said constant portion.
  • variable portion further includes a second idler (15) mounted on the pivot axle (14) of said first lever (16) and forms, together with the adjacent portion of said first conveyor means, the input of said stacking position.
  • said first lever (16) comprises a first cam-shaped member, the position of which is controlled by a third idler (51') mounted on said constant portion near the output end thereof.
  • said first conveyor means (31) comprises an endless belt arranged on fourth idlers (26-38)
  • said constant portion of said second conveyor means comprises a plurality of juxtaposed fifth idlers (46-49) mounted on a second lever (37) which is pivoted (38) near said predetermined location.
  • said urging means includes an elastic member (33) one end of which is connected to the output end (32) of said second conveyor means (31) and the other end of which is connected to said displaceable plate (9).
  • said elastic member (33) comprises an elastic belt which is arranged around a sixth (32) and a seventh idler, said sixth idler (32 being) integral with the one of said fourth idlers (28) nearest to the output of said belt, and said seventh idler (20) being mounted on said displaceable plate at said location away from the input of said stacking position and near the side of said displaceable plate opposite to that facing said first conveyor.
  • said urging means further includes a guide member (11) which is mounted on said displaceable late (9) and which guides the displacement of said second conveyor at least during the portion of its displacement where the force exerted by said elastic member (33) on said first conveyor means is smaller than the force urging said second conveyor means towards said first conveyor means.
  • said displaceable plate (9) has a guide plate (l2, 13) for said articles, said plate having a first portion (12) facing the incoming articles which makes an angle of about 45 with said first conveyor (2) and a second portion (13) which is substantially parallel to said first conveyor.
  • Device including a seventh idler (20) mounted on said displaceable plate substantially at the junction of said first (12) and second (13) portions of said guide plates.
  • Device according'to claim 12 including a second idler (15) mounted on said displaceable plate (9) near the end of said first portion (12) of said guide plate (12, 13) adjacent the input of said stacking position (7).
  • Stacking device for stacking articles diverted from a first conveyor in a predetermined position into a parallel stacking position comprising:
  • a second conveyor (57) mounted between said predetermined position and the input of said stacking position, said second conveyor being pivoted about its input end near said predetermined position and including a first conveyor means (31) and a second conveyor means (52, 4649, 18, 15), and said second conveyor (57) is angularly displaced as a function of the varying thickness of a stack of articles (6) accumulated in said stacking position;
  • said urging means including an elastic member (33) one end of which is connected to the output end (32) of said first conveyor means and the other end of which is connected to a displaceable plate (9) mounted in said stacking position and displaceable as a function of the thickness of said stack; and
  • said other end of said elastic member is connected to said displaceable plate at a location away from the input of said stacking position and near the side of said displaceable plate opposite to that facing said first conveyor (2), whereby said first and second means cooperate to form a variable effective path length for passage of said articles.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Discharge By Other Means (AREA)
  • Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
  • Stacking Of Articles And Auxiliary Devices (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
US17090A 1969-03-06 1970-03-06 Stacking device Expired - Lifetime US3628787A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6903502A NL6903502A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-03-06 1969-03-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3628787A true US3628787A (en) 1971-12-21

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ID=19806339

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US17090A Expired - Lifetime US3628787A (en) 1969-03-06 1970-03-06 Stacking device

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3628787A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE746851A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2011251A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES377191A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1286921A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6903502A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3881611A (en) * 1973-08-29 1975-05-06 Thomas Henry Milbourn Loading apparatus
US5882175A (en) * 1997-01-13 1999-03-16 Ward Holding Company Stacker for flexible sheets
US5904465A (en) * 1997-01-13 1999-05-18 Ward Holding Company Stacker with discharge control
US20020185808A1 (en) * 2001-06-07 2002-12-12 Norbert Rilitz Method of and apparatus for stacking sheets of paper and the like
US9828185B1 (en) * 2016-10-04 2017-11-28 Geo. M. Martin Company Fixed discharge variable length stacker

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE460722B (sv) * 1983-07-11 1989-11-13 Ferag Ag Foerfarande och anordning foer att framstaella staplar av boejliga alster, saerskilt tryckprodukter och anvaendningen av dessa staplar saasom buffertstaplar
GB2245545B (en) * 1990-06-28 1994-05-11 Xerox Corp Sheet feeding apparatus

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1305501A (en) * 1919-06-03 Catching and packing mechanism
US2660432A (en) * 1948-09-04 1953-11-24 Owens Illinois Glass Co Apparatus for conveying and stacking box blanks
US3152701A (en) * 1961-01-03 1964-10-13 Telefunken Ag Transport arrangement
US3321202A (en) * 1965-05-03 1967-05-23 Merrill D Martin Automatic sheet stackers

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1305501A (en) * 1919-06-03 Catching and packing mechanism
US2660432A (en) * 1948-09-04 1953-11-24 Owens Illinois Glass Co Apparatus for conveying and stacking box blanks
US3152701A (en) * 1961-01-03 1964-10-13 Telefunken Ag Transport arrangement
US3321202A (en) * 1965-05-03 1967-05-23 Merrill D Martin Automatic sheet stackers

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3881611A (en) * 1973-08-29 1975-05-06 Thomas Henry Milbourn Loading apparatus
US5882175A (en) * 1997-01-13 1999-03-16 Ward Holding Company Stacker for flexible sheets
US5904465A (en) * 1997-01-13 1999-05-18 Ward Holding Company Stacker with discharge control
US20020185808A1 (en) * 2001-06-07 2002-12-12 Norbert Rilitz Method of and apparatus for stacking sheets of paper and the like
US7066462B2 (en) * 2001-06-07 2006-06-27 E.C.H. Will Gmbh Method of and apparatus for stacking sheets of paper and the like
US9828185B1 (en) * 2016-10-04 2017-11-28 Geo. M. Martin Company Fixed discharge variable length stacker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE746851A (nl) 1970-09-07
ES377191A1 (es) 1972-06-01
GB1286921A (en) 1972-08-31
NL6903502A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-09-08
DE2011251A1 (de) 1970-10-08

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Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

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

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

Effective date: 19870311