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
  • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
  • B65H31/20—Pile receivers adjustable for different article sizes
• • 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
  • B65H31/04—Pile receivers with movable end support arranged to recede as pile accumulates
  • B65H31/08—Pile receivers with movable end support arranged to recede as pile accumulates the articles being piled one above another
  • B65H31/10—Pile receivers with movable end support arranged to recede as pile accumulates the articles being piled one above another and applied at the top 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
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
  • B65H2301/422—Handling piles, sets or stacks of articles
  • B65H2301/4225—Handling piles, sets or stacks of articles in or on special supports
  • B65H2301/42252—Vehicles, e.g. carriage, truck
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S414/00—Material or article handling
  • Y10S414/10—Associated with forming or dispersing groups of intersupporting articles, e.g. stacking patterns
  • Y10S414/102—Associated with forming or dispersing groups of intersupporting articles, e.g. stacking patterns including support for group
  • Y10S414/103—Vertically shiftable
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S414/00—Material or article handling
  • Y10S414/10—Associated with forming or dispersing groups of intersupporting articles, e.g. stacking patterns
  • Y10S414/114—Adjust to handle articles or groups of different sizes

Definitions

• This invention relates to sheet stacking devices and more particularly to platforms on which stacks of sheets may be formed. It is common to employ such a platform in a sheet stacking device, the platform being lowered as a stack being formed on the platform increases in height so that the top of the growing stack remains at a substantially constant level as successive sheets are fed on to it.
• the feed of sheets is normally along a substantially horizontal path above the stack being formed; each sheet is projected by feed rollers or belts from one side of the stack to pass over the stack a small distance above its top until the leading edge of the sheet strikes a vertical surface of a "backboard" at the opposite side of the stack, the horizontal movement of the sheet stops and the sheet falls on to the stack.
• the distance between the feed rollers or belts and the backboard has to be set according to the length (measured in the direction of travel) of the sheets to be stacked, and when the length of the sheets being stacked is less than the maximum length that the stacking device can handle, either the backboard or the feed rollers or belts overlaps part of the platform (as the latter must be at least as long as the maximum sheet length). Such overlap is inconvenient. Also the operator needs to watch the stacking operation and the most convenient position for this is behind the backboard where often some machine controls are placed. To reach this position with different sheet lengths the operator usually has to stand on the platform, sometimes on a wooden box, and where the platform includes a wheeled trolley this could be dangerous.
• a platform for a sheet stacking device constructed so that its length can be varied in which said platform comprises at least two sections, each of said sections having a pivotal connection to the next section.
• said pivotal connection is a hinge connection, the pivotal axis of each hinge connection extending at right-angles to the length of the platform.
• both or all sections of the platform are supported in horizontal alignment but if sheets of a shorter length are to be stacked, one or more of the sections may not need to be so supported and this section or sections hangs down on its hinge connection to the supported section or sections.
• the invention may also be embodied in a sheet stacking device having a platform as set out above, together with lowering means with which one or more of the platform sections may be engaged, said lowering means being adapted to raise the platform to bring its thus engaged section or sections to a level at which sheets may be received from a sheet feeder and to lower the platform as a stack of sheets accumulates thereon, the section or sections not thus engaged hanging from the engaged section or sections while the latter is/are raised in which said lowering means includes two support beams, disposed parallel to the direction of motion of sheets arriving in the stacking device, and spaced apart by slightly more than the width of the platform.
• Each beam may have a plurality of support stubs projecting horizontally towards the other beam, the number and spacing of the stubs being related to the number and lengths of the platform section; the platform may be so positioned relative to the stubs that all the platform sections may be supported, or the platform may be displaced lengthwise relative to the stubs and beams so that one or more sections are not supported. In the latter case, when the beams are lifted to raise the platform the unsupported platform sections hang down from one end of the supported section or sections; when the beams are fully lowered, the platform is required to be at floor level and the hanging section or sections must be restored to the horizontal position.
• the platform may conveniently be provided with at least one pair of wheels on each of its sections so that, after a stack of sheets has been formed upon it, it may be moved away and a similar platform may be brought into position between the beams to be raised and to have a further stack of sheets formed upon it.
• Figure 1 is a side elevation of a platform embodying the invention
• Figure 2 is a side, elevation of a stacking device including the platform of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of part of the device of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a side elevation of part of a modified form of the platform shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 5 is a plan view of part of Figure 4, and
• FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the different positions occupied by the platform of Figure 4 when included in the stacking device of Figure 2.
• a platform 1 which comprises three sections 10, 11, 12, the right-hand section 10 is a long section and the sections 11, and 12 are equal in length to one another and each less than half the length of the section 1.
• the long platform section 10 is provided with two pairs of wheels 13 mounted under its end portions on axles 14, 15.
• the short platform section 11 is provided with a pair of wheels 16 under its end portion remote from the section 10 and similarly the short platform section 12 has a pair of wheels 18 under its end portion remote from the section 11, the wheels 16, 18 being respectively mounted on axles 17, 19.
• Hinge connections are provided between adjacent sections of the platform , i.e. between section 10 and section 11 and section 12.
• the axles 15, 17 serve as pivot pins of the hinge connections.
• Each of the short platform sections 11, 12 has a respective extension 111, 121 to the right (as seen in Figure 1) under the adjacent end portions of the sections 10, 11 respectively, these extensions being journalled on the axles 15, 17 respectively.
• the short section 12 therefore hangs vertically from its hinge connection, through axle 17, to the section 11.
• the length of the platform is thus equal to the combined length of sections 10, 11.
• section 12 were also supported horizontally, it would be in the position shown in broken line and the length of the platform would be equal to the combined length of all three sections. It is possible also to support only the long section 10 in the horizontal position, allowing both the short sections 11, 12 to hang vertically from the hinge connection through axle 15.
• FIG. 2 and 3 is shown a sheet stacking device including the platform 1 described above. Sheets are fed to the device between pairs of rollers 2 in the direction shown by the arrow A. Each sheet leaving the rollers 2 is travelling at sufficient speed to continue in a substantially horizontal path to the right until it strikes a vertical face of a backboard 3; this stops the sheet which then falls. Below the path of the successive sheets from the rollers 2 to the backboard 3, a stack 4 forms as each successive sheet falls on to the preceding sheet.
• the growing stack 4 is carried by the platform 1 , which is lowered progressively at the same rate as that at which the height of the stack increases; this maintains a constant vertical spacing between the top of the stack 4 and the path of sheets from the belts 2 to the backboard 3, as is required.
• the sheets forming the stack 4 are longer than the platform section 10, but shorter than the combined length of the sections 10, and 11. As shown in Figure 2, therefore, only the sections 10, 11 are supported in the horizontal position; the section 12 is hanging from its hinge connection to section 11.
• feeding of sheets is stopped and the platform 1 is lowered to the base 5 of the stacking device, where a pair of rails 50 are provided to receive the wheels 13, 16, 18.
• a pair of rails 50 are provided to receive the wheels 13, 16, 18.
• a chain or cable 51 positioned on each side of the platform when the latter is receiving sheets thereon, is a chain or cable 51 connected between an anchorage 52 and one end of a bar 71 pivotally attached, at its other end, to mechanism for raising and lowering the platform, to be described later.
• the two anchorages 52 are at a higher level than the rails 50 and the length of the chains or cables 51 is such, having regard to the position of the anchorages 52, that as the platform 1 is lowered, the chains or cables become taut before the platform has fully lowered and the bars 71 are swung about their respective pivotal attachments so that they both engage the section 12 and pull the latter into the horizontal position as lowering of the platform 1 is completed.
• the platform 1 is raised and lowered by four chains 60 which are linked in pairs by two beams 61 , only two of the chains being visible in Figures 2 and 3.
• the beams 61 are disposed parallel to the rails 50 and are spaced apart by a distance slightly greater than the width (normal to the plane of Figure 2) of the platform 1.
• the beams are longer than the overall length of the platform 1 (with all its sections horizontal) and project beyond the platform at each end, the chains 60 being disposed vertically and attached to the projecting ends of the beams so that all parts of the chains and beams are clear of the stack 4 during its formation on the platform.
• the other ends of the bars 71 are respectively pivotally attached, at 72 (see Figure 3), to a different one of the beams 61 , the pivot 72 being aligned with one of the axles 15, 17 depending on the position of the platform 1.
• Each beam 61 has five platform engaging lifting stubs 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 projecting horizontally from the beam so as to be engageable with blocks fixed to the underside of the platform (see also Figure 3).
• the section 10 has two blocks 67, 68 fixed on each side thereof, the section 11 has one block 69 fixed on each side thereof and the section 12 has one block 70 fixed on each side thereof.
• Each of the stubs 62 to 66 is provided on its upper face with a conical projection and to prevent any movement of the platform whilst the latter is being raised or lowered the conical projections engage into respective mating recesses in the bottom faces of the blocks 67 to 70.
• the platform 1 when it is moved along the rails 50 from the left, is stopped when the blocks 67, 68 of the platform section 10 are respectively above the stubs 63, 65 of the two beams; the blocks 69 of section 11 are then above the stubs 66, no stubs are below the section 12, no part of the platform is above the stubs 62, and no blocks are above the stubs 64.
• the sections 10, 11 With the platform so placed, when the beams 61 are lifted to raise the platform, the sections 10, 11 will be held horizontal to receive sheets, section 12 hanging (as in Figures 1 and 2).
• the use of the platform 1 as described above enables the backboard 3 to be moved to the left without difficulty when mediumlength or short sheets are to be stacked, as the horizontal length of the platform 1 during stack formation will be less than its maximum length. This is particularly helpful when, as is common, an operator's position 7 is associated with, and movable with, the backboard 3.
• the platform 1 may be used with the long section 10 at the left, the short sections 11, 12 at the right; the chain or cable 51 and its anchorage 52 will then also be at the right of the stacking device and the disposition of the stubs 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 on the beams 61 will be reversed.
• the long platform section 10 carries on its underside a motor 73, arranged to drive the axle 15 and hence the wheels 13 on axle 15. Transmission of drive from motor 73 to axle 15 is effected by a gearbox 74 and a chain drive 75.
• the axle 15 necessarily extends across the width of the platform and has one of the wheels 13 secured to it adjacent to each of its ends.
• the axles 14, 16, 19 however need not extend across the width of the platform, and preferably are stub axles each carrying one wheel.
• FIG. 4 a modified form of platform 1 is shown with a pallet P of known form on its upper surface. As shown, all the sections 10, 11 and 12 will remain horizontal when the platform 1 is lifted by the beams 61. To enable the operator to place the pallet in the required position on the platform ready to receive sheets thereon as described above, he releasably fixes a gauge bar 150 across the platform.
• the platform 1 is provided with an additional section 12a comprising a U-shaped girder 151 lying on one side and carried on extensions 152 which extend under the adjacent end portion of section 12, the extensions being journalled on the axles 19 so as to form a hinge connection between the sections 12 and 12a.
• the section 12a also has a pair of wheels 153 positioned so that the upper face of the girder 151 is in alignment with the top of the sections 10, 11 and 12 when the platform is positioned on the rails 50.
• the gauge bar 150 comprises a beam 154 provided near each end thereof with a vertical bolt 155 threaded at its lower end. Slidably mounted on the beam 154 are a number of settable markers 156 which may be clamped at desired positions along the beam by means of screws 157.
• Two threaded holes 158 are provided in the upper face of girder 151 ( Figure 6), and similar holes 159, 160 are provided respectively in the upper faces of platform sections 11 and 12. The operator places the bar 150 on the section
• the section 12a hinges downwardly about axles 19 so that it does not impede the flow of sheets as they are fed on to the platform. If the sheet length is such that section 12 is not required to support the stack, the gauge bar 150 is placed on the section 12 and the bolts 155 screwed into holes 160; and if it is such that only section 10 is required to support the stack, the gauge bar is placed on to section 11 and bolts 155 screwed into holes
• Position A is the area where the platform 1 is prepared for receiving sheets by having one or more pallets placed on it
• position B is the position in the stacking device from which the platform is lifted and to which it is returned by the beams 61 as described above
• position C is where completed stacks are removed from the platform.
• the motor 73 is most conveniently an electric motor and the platform may be provided with any conventional current pick-up devices for bringing an electric current supply to the motor.
• the energisation of the motor 73, and hence the movement of the platform along rails 50, may be controlled by the operator of the stacking device; in large measure however, such control may be automatic from a control device 161 which may, for example, be a micro-processor.
• a control device 161 may, for example, be a micro-processor.
• the operator fixes a gauge bar 150 into position, as described above, To indicate which platform section (i.e. 11, 12, or 12a) the bar 150 is to be fitted to, one of three lamps 163, 164, 165 is switched on by the control device 161 according to data fed into the latter (e.g. sheet length).
• the second platform After loading of the second platform has been completed, it is lowered to position B and then moved to position C to be unloaded.
• the first platform at position A is then moved to position B in the stacking device.
• the arrival of the platform at the desired position relative to the beams 61 is detected by one of three sensors 166, 167 and 168.
• the latter each correspond to one of the three positions at which the platform may be required to stop, according to whether the whole length of the platform (i.e. all three sections 10, 11, 12) or only part of its length (i.e. sections 10 and 11 or section 10 alone) is to be supported horizontally during stack formation.
• the control device responds to whichever one of the sensors 166, 167, 168 corresponds to the length of sheets to be stacked.
• the same sensor may detect when the platform is again supported by the rails 50 and may control energisation of motor 73 to propel the platform to position C at which it is stopped when its presence is detected by a sensor 169.
• a sensor 169 may be connected to the control unit 161.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pile Receivers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=10499527

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Citations (2)

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• 1979
  • 1979-09-07 JP JP50143179A patent/JPS55500626A/ja active Pending
  • 1979-09-07 WO PCT/GB1979/000148 patent/WO1980000560A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1979-09-07 GB GB8013071A patent/GB2039854B/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-09-07 DE DE792953136A patent/DE2953136A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 1980
  • 1980-05-08 US US06/194,151 patent/US4324397A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (2)

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