US3885781A

US3885781A - Apparatus for shingling flat sheets

Info

Publication number: US3885781A
Application number: US369634A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Krebs
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Inc
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Inc
Priority date: 1973-06-13
Filing date: 1973-06-13
Publication date: 1975-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-27

Abstract

A vertical stack of flat sheets such as paperboard blanks is fed horizontally against an inclined support converging in the direction of movement of the stack. Said support is part of a Vshaped shingling conveyor mounted for pivotable movement from a receiving position to a discharge position. At the discharge position of the shingling conveyor, the sheets are shingled by a plurality of conveyors moving at progressively increasing speeds and then transferred to an outfeed conveyor associated with and controlled by the hopper of a vacuum feed table.

Description

United States Patent 1 [ll] 3,885,781 Krebs May 27, 1975 [54] APPARATUS FOR SHINGLING FLAT 3,643,939 2/1972 Nussbaum 27l/DlG. 7

SHEETS 3,705,719 12/1972 Polit et a1. 2711010. 7

Charles H. Krebs, Lindenwold, NJ.

Molins Machine Company, Inc., Camden, NJ.

Filed: June 13, 1973 Appl. No.: 369,634

Inventor:

Assignee:

[1.8. CI 27l/3.l; 271/151 Int. Cl B65h l/30 Field of Search 271/DIG. 7, 4, 7, 10, 34, 271/37, 105, 132,136, 151, 3.1, 258, 264, 272; 214/6 C, 6 D, 8.5 B

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hartman 271/DIG. 7 Nelson et al.... 198/125 X Miller et al. 27l/DIG. 7 Huntwork 271/45 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmSeidel, Gonda & Goldhammer [57] ABSTRACT A vertical stack of flat sheets such as paperboard blanks is fed horizontally against an inclined support converging in the direction of movement of the stack. Said support is part of a V-shaped shingling conveyor mounted for pivotable movement from a receiving position to a discharge position. At the discharge position of the shingling conveyor, the sheets are shingled by a plurality of conveyors moving at progressively increasing speeds and then transferred to an outfeed conveyor associated with and controlled by the hopper of a vacuum feed table.

13 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTEU W27 7 SHEET APPARATUS FOR SHINGLING FLAT SHEETS The present invention is directed to apparatus for inverting, shingling, and feeding flat sheets such as paperboard blanks. The paperboard blanks are of a type adapted to be fed one at a time by a feed table to a converting machine such as a printer-slotter, a foldergluer, a folder-taper, die cutter, etc. The feed table includes a hopper for receiving the sheets to be fed to the converting machine.

When sheets are to be inverted before being fed, an infeed conveyor transfers a vertical stack of sheets horizontally onto a pivotably mounted V-shaped shingling conveyor. The shingling conveyor includes first and second conveyor supports at an acute angle. The first conveyor support has a conveyor thereon which conveys the stack against the second conveyor support to precondition the stack for shingling. The shingling conveyor is pivoted through an arc of about lO-l30. Such pivotable movement places the second conveyor support in a discharge position inclined upwardly at which time a plurality of conveyors thereon and operating at progressively increasing speeds shingle the sheets and transfer them to an outfeed conveyor. As a result of said preconditioning, the sheets are all leaning in the direction of discharge when the second conveyor support is at its discharge position. Speed of the outfeed conveyor is preferably the same as the discharge speed from said second conveyor support.

Since the sheets are turned over and shingled by the shingling conveyor, the entire device may be shorter than comparable devices proposed heretofore. The shingling conveyor and outfeed conveyor may be mounted on wheels so that they may be moved from machine to machine. Alternatively, the wheels will permit the shingling and outfeed conveyors to be moved to an inoperative position so as to enable a multisection machine to be opened, etc.

The outfeed conveyor delivers the sheets to the hopper of a feed table. The hopper is provided with detection means for detecting the level of sheets in the hopper. If the height of the stack of sheets in the hopper exceeds a predetermined level, a switch is tripped to temporarily stop operation of the outfeed conveyor. When the sheet level in the hopper has decreased sufficiently, another switch restarts the outfeed conveyor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus for shingling sheets such as paperboard blanks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus for shingling sheets wherein the sheets are preconditioned for shingling while on a pivotably mounted shingling conveyor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus for turning over stacks of sheets and shingling the same in a manner which is simple, inexpensive and reliable.

It is another object of the present invention to control the feed of sheets to a hopper of a feed table as a function of the height of the stack of sheets in the hopper.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5-11 are diagrammatic illustrations of the movement of the shingling conveyor from the receiving position to the discharge position.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a feed table and its relation to the outfeed conveyor.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of the central portion of the first conveyor support on the shingling conveyor.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 apparatus for conveying sheets in accordance with the present invention designated as 10. The apparatus 10 includes a frame designated generally as 12 on wheels 14 so that it may be moved toward and away from the feed table 15.

The frame 12 includes upper and

lower beams

16 and 18 on one side of the frame and on the other side of the frame upper and

lower beams

20 and 22 are provided. Each of the upper beams is interconnected by horizontally disposed transverse beams. The lower beams are similarly coupled together. Each of the upper beams is coupled to its lower beam struts 24.

A truncated triangular plate 26 is rotatably supported on the upper beam 16 by means of shaft 30 and its bearing 32. A truncated triangular plate 28 is rotatably supported on the upper beam 20 by means of a stub shaft 34 and its bearing 36.

The

plates

26 and 28 interconnect the converging conveyor supports designated generally as 38 and 40. The first conveyor support 40 receives a stack of sheets and the second conveyor support 38 discharges the stack of sheets in shingled form. The angular disposition of the

supports

38 and 40 is fixed and preferably is 45 but may be between about 35 and The first and second conveyor supports constitute a V-shaped shingling conveyor 37 having its axis of pivotable movement at the axis of the aligned

stub shafts

30 and 34. Said axis is located at approximately the center of gravity of the shingling conveyor 37.

The shingling conveyor 37 is adapted to pivot from the discharge position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 to the receiving position as shown in FIG. 5. Any one of a wide variety of devices may be utilized to pivot the shingling conveyor 37. In the illustrated embodiment, such pivotable movement through an arc of about lO0-l 30 is attained by means of first and

second cylinders

42 and 48. Cylinder 42 has one end pivotably connected to pin 44 on the frame 12 and has its piston rod pivotably connected to pin 46 on the second conveyor support 38. The cylinder 48 is similarly positioned but on the opposite side of the frame as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. If desired, a single large cylinder centrally disposed may be utilized instead of the

cylinders

42 and 48.

Referring to FIG. 2, the discharge end of the second conveyor support 38 is approximately in the center of the figure. At the discharge end of the conveyor support 38, there is provided a pair of

parallel shafts

50 and 52 having reduced diameter end portions rotatably supported by bearings on the support 38.

Endless belts

54, 56 and 58 are spaced from one another and extend around the

shafts

50 and 52.

The belt 54 is provided with a tension roller 60. See FIG. 4. Threaded

bolts

62 and 64 are adapted to move the housing 66 for the roller 60 upwardly or downwardly to adjust the tension of the belt 54. A similar adjustable tension roller 60' is provided for belt 56 and a similar adjustable tension roller 60" is provided for belt 58. Each of said tension rollers is aligned with one another as shown more clearly in FIG. 2.

The remainder of the second conveyor support 38 is defined by a pair of parallel shafts 68 and 86 having reduced diameter end portions rotatably supported by bearings thereon. Parallel

endless belts

72, 74 and 76 extend around the shafts 68 and 86. Belt 72 is provided with a tension roller 94, belt 74 is provided with a tension roller 95, and belt 76 is provided with a tension roller 97.

As shown more clearly at the bottom of FIG. 2, shafts 68 and 52 are interconnected by sprockets 80 of different sizes and chain 82 so that belts S4, 56 and 58 will move at a faster speed than the speed of

belts

72, 74 and 76. For example, if

belts

72, 74 and 76 move at a speed of about 60 feet per minute, the

belts

54, 56 and 58 will move at a speed of about 100 feet per minute. Motor 100 is coupled to shaft 50. Preferably motors 100, 132 and 163 are hydraulic motors coupled direct to the belt drive shaft. Electric motors coupled through speed reducers could also be used.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, flat sheets are discharged from belts 54-58 to a horizontal outfeed conveyor at section 104. Section 104 has horizontal beams 106 and 108 on opposite sides of the frame 12 supported by upright struts 114 extending to

transverse beams

110 and 112.

Section 104 includes parallel idler shaft 118 and drive shaft 116 having their ends rotatably supported by bearings.

Parallel belts

120, 122 and 124 extend around the

shafts

116 and 118. Belt 120 is provided with adjustable tension rollers 126 and 126'. Roller 126 is adjustable by means of threaded bolt 128 while roller 126' is adjusted by means of bolt 128'. The

belts

122 and 124 are provided with similar tension rollers. Motor 132 is connected to drive shaft 116.

Belt 120 is provided with an idler roller 130.

Belts

122 and 124 are provided with a similar idler roller. Each of the belts 120-124 is driven by drive shaft 116 at a speed which is preferably the same as the speed of the belts 54-58.

The first conveyor support 40, as shown more clearly in FIG. 3, includes a pair of

parallel shafts

134 and 136 having reduced diameter end portions supported by bearings.

Parallel belts

138 and 142 extend around the

shafts

134 and 136. Shaft 134 is driven by motor 163.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 1, belt 138 extends over

idler rollers

144 and 146. Between the

rollers

144 and 146, there is provided an adjustable tension roller 148. Tension is applied by means of the threaded bolt 150. The belt 142 is similarly provided with tension rollers and idler rollers.

A limit switch 160 is coupled to a solenoid control valve controlling flow to

cylinders

42 and 48 whereby the shingling conveyor 37 assumes the receiving position shown in FIG. 5. Switch 160 is connected also to a solenoid control valve for motor 163 which drives

belts

138 and 142. A pendulum 162 having wheels 164 is pivotably connected to the first conveyor support 40 and lies in a channel 166 between the

conveyor belts

138, 142. See FIG. 13. A limit switch 168 is located in channel 166 and projects up to a position for contact with a stack.

The switch 168 is connected to the solenoid control valve for

cylinders

42 and 48 and causes a hydraulic fluid from tank 170 to flow into the cylinders to cause the piston rods to retract whereby the shingling conveyor 37 will pivot from the receiving position shown in FIG. 5 to the discharge position shown in FIG. 11. A backstop 172 prevents any sheets of the stack from entering the gap between the conveyor supports 38 and 40.

A limit switch 174 is tripped by the shingling conveyor 37 when the latter is in the discharge position shown in FIGS. 1 and 11. Switch 174 is connected to the solenoid control valve associated with

cylinders

42 and 48 whereby their piston rods stop the pivotal move ment of the shingling conveyor 37. Switch 174 also stops motor 163, starts motor 100, and activates a photocell 176.

The photocell 176 is mounted on one side of the frame 12 and a reflector 178 is mounted on the other side of the frame 12. Cell 176 and reflector 178 are positioned at the gap between the discharge end of the second conveyor support 38 and the inlet end of section 104.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 12, the shingled sheets are fed into the hopper 180 of the feed table 15. Feed table 15 is preferably a vacuum feed table as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,7l5,1l5 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. The bottom sheet to be fed under the front gate 182 to the feed rolls 184 of the convert ing machine is held flat on rails 185 and fed from the bottom of the hopper 180 by a reciprocating feed plate 186.

The front gate 182 supports

limit switches

188, and 192 at various heights above the plane of rails 185. If there are insufficient sheets in hopper 180 to trip switch 188, the fingers 194 (which correspond to tabls 108 in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,7l5,l l5) lift up the trailing edges of the sheets whereby no sheets are fed by the reciprocating feed plate 186. If hopper 180 contains enough sheets to trip switch 192, motor 132 of section 104 and motor 100 of section 38 stop. When the level of the sheets has decreased whereby switch 190 is released, motors 100 and 132 start again.

The operation of the apparatus 10 is as follows:

The shingling conveyor 37 is pivoted by

cylinders

42 and 48 until switch 160 is tripped. The fluid flow to the cylinders is now stopped and conveyor 37 assumes the receiving position shown in FIG. 5 wherein the first conveyor support 40 is horizontally disposed. Switch 160 also starts motor 163. In this receiving position, a stack of sheets T such as paperboard blanks is fed by an infeed conveyor onto the first conveyor support 40.

Belts

138 and 142, which are driven by motor 163, move the stack T toward and into contact with the backstop 172 and the second conveyor support 38. When switch 168 is tripped by the stack T, the

cylinders

42 and 48 pivot the shingling conveyor 37 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 5. When the shingling conveyor 37 assumes the position shown in FIG. 7, the entire stack T is supported by the first support 40 and backstop 172. The shingling conveyor 37 continues to pivot as shown in FIGS. 7-11.

As shown in FIG. 10, the sheets of the stack T are preconditioned to lean in the direction of .discharge. Wheels 164 pivot with pendulum 162 and make sure none of the sheets remain upright. When the shingling conveyor 37 is in the position shown" in FIGS. l'and ll, switch 174 is tripped. Switch 174 stops motor 163, starts motor 100, and stops the shingling conveyor 37 from pivoting. The sheets are shingled and discharged to section 104.

The motor 163 for operating the belts 138 and 142' is operative as the shingling conveyor 37 pivots from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 11. The motor 100 is inoperative until the shingling conveyor 37 assumes the discharge position shown in FIG. 11. The respective motors 100 and 163 on the shingling conveyor 37 may be operated, if desired, by switches responsive to the rotative position of the

stub shafts

30 or 34. The progressive speeds of the sets of belts on the second conveyor support 38 increase the degree of shingling and create a uniformly shingled pile that can be more easily controlled for feeding onto the conveyor belts of section 104 and for transfer into hopper 180. While on section 104 or while in the hopper 180, the shingled paperboard blanks may be maintained in a straight pile by means of spankers, not shown, and per se known to those skilled in the art.

When the entire stack T has left the shingling conveyor 37, the cell 176 receives reflected light from reflector 178. This generates a signal which is used to operate

cylinders

42 and 48 to recycle the shingling conveyor 37 from the discharge position shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 to the receiving position shown in FIG. 5. In view of the above description of the feed table 15 and the detailed description thereof in said patent, a further description of its operation is not deemed necessary.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for shingling sheets from a stack comprising a frame,

a V-shaped shingling conveyor rotatably supported by said frame,

said shingling conveyor having first and second conveyor supports disposed at an acute angle to each other,

said first conveyor support having a conveyor thereon for moving a stack of sheets toward the plane of said second conveyor,

said second conveyor support having a conveyor thereon for moving sheets away from the plane of said first conveyor support,

motor means for driving said conveyors, and

means for pivoting said shingling conveyor about a transverse horizontal axis from a stack receiving position to a discharging position wherein sheets from the stack lean in the direction of discharge on said second conveyor support and are consecutively discharged in shingled relationship.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim I wherein the acute angle defined by the first and second conveyor supports is about 3570", and said first and second conveyor supports being of approximately the same length.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second conveyor support is angled upwardly in the discharge positionof said shingling conveyor, and said second conveyor support having at least two conveyors operable at progressively increasing speeds.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said frame is mounted on wheels, said frame supporting an output conveyor section for receiving shingled sheets from the second conveyor support.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for pivoting the shingling conveyor includes at least one power cylinder having one end pivotably connected to the frame.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim I wherein said second conveyor support includes a plurality of sets of conveyors, and means on said second conveyor support for driving each of said sets of conveyors at progressively increasing speeds with the conveyor of the slowest speed being immediately adjacent to said first conveyor support.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including an output conveyor for receiving sheets from said second conveyor support, and a hopper for receiving sheets from said output conveyor, motor means for said output conveyor being responsive to the level of sheets in said hopper in a manner so that the motor means stops the output conveyor if the level in the hopper is above a predetermined level.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first conveyor support and said second conveyor support are approximately the same length and said axis being approximately at the center of gravity of said conveyor supports.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a pendulum pivotably supported by said first conveyor support for contacting sheets to apply a biasing force on the sheets when the second conveyor support is in its discharge position.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 including a rotatable member on the end of the pendulum remote from the location at which the pendulum is pivotably supported by the first conveyor support.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including switch means for automatically starting the conveyor on the first conveyor support when the latter is in a stack receiving position, and switch means for automatically starting the conveyor on the second conveyor support when the latter is in its discharge position, the conveyor on said second conveyor support being inoperative except when in its discharge position.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said shingling conveyor is pivotable through an arc of about -l30 from the stack receiving position to the discharging position.

13. Apparatus comprising a feed table for feeding sheets, said table having a hopper, means for feeding sheets one at a time from the bottom of the hopper, conveyor means for feeding sheets into the hopper, level control means for said hopper including means for disabling said feeding means until a predetermined number of sheets are in the hopper and means for disabling said conveyor means when the number of sheets in said hopper is greater than a predetennined number of sheets, said conveyor means including an outfeed conveyor, a shingling conveyor for delivering shingled sheets to said outfeed conveyor, said shingling conveyor including first and second conveyor supports inconveyor, and means associated with the conveyor on said second conveyor support for moving the sheets therealong at progressively faster speeds toward said outfeed conveyor.

i i i I l

Claims

1. Apparatus for shingling sheets from a stack comprising a frame, a V-shaped shingling conveyor rotatably supported by said frame, said shingling conveyor having first and second conveyor supports disposed at an acute angle to each other, said first conveyor support having a conveyor thereon for moving a stack of sheets toward the plane of said second conveyor, said second conveyor support having a conveyor thereon for moving sheets away from the plane of said first conveyor support, motor means for driving said conveyors, and means for pivoting said shingling conveyor about a transverse horizontal axis from a stack receiving position to a discharging position wherein sheets from the stack lean in the direction of discharge on said second conveyor support and are consecutively discharged in shingled relationship.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the acute angle defined by the first and second conveyor supports is about 35*-70*, and said first and second conveyor supports being of approximately the same length.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second conveyor support is angled upwardly in the discharge position of said shingling conveyor, and said second conveyor support having at least two conveyors operable at progressively increasing speeds.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second conveyor support includes a plurality of sets of conveyors, and means on said second conveyor support for driving each of said sets of conveyors at progressively increasing speeds with the conveyor of the slowest speed being immediately adjacent to said first conveyor support.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said shingling conveyor is pivotable through an arc of about 100*-130* from the stack receiving position to the discharging position.

13. Apparatus comprising a feed table for feeding sheets, said table having a hopper, means for feeding sheets one at a time from the bottom of the hopper, conveyor means for feeding sheets into the hopper, level control means for said hopper including means for disabling said feeding means until a predetermined number of sheets are in the hopper and means for disabling said conveyor means when the number of sheets in said hopper is greater than a predetermined number of sheets, said conveyor means including an outfeed conveyor, a shingling conveyor for delivering shingled sheets to said outfeed conveyor, said shingling conveyor including first and second conveyor supports inclined with respect to each other at a fixed angle and pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis, and each conveyor support having conveyors thereon, said second conveyor support being inclined upwardly toward said outfeed conveyor in the discharge position of the shingling conveyor for feeding sheets to said outfeed conveyor, and means associated with the conveyor on said second conveyor support for moving the sheets therealong at progressively faster speeds toward said outfeed conveyor.