Friction feeding separating system

• US 10,640,312 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superior Product Handling Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Superior Product Handling Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Sands, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cicchino, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US15/850,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20190193966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/416 of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/10 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/41 Direction of movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/50 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2551/18 Graphical interactive displays; Mouses; Touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/042 separating from the bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0623 acting at least during a part of each separation cycle on the articles in a direction opposite to the final separating direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0669 Driving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/5284 Retainers of the roller type, e.g. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/20 Controlling associated apparatus

Abstract

A friction sheet feeding machine is provided. The friction sheet feeding machine comprises a hopper configured to hold a stack of items. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a receiver configured to receive an item from the stack of items. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a separating mechanism configured to separate the item from the stack of items. The separating mechanism comprises a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction and a reverse direction. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a controller configured to generate signals to the drive mechanism to operate in the forward direction for a first period of time, and in the reverse direction for a second period of time.

Claims

1. A friction sheet feeding machine comprising:

a hopper configured to hold a stack of items;

a receiver configured to receive an item from the stack of items;

a separating mechanism configured to separate the item from the stack of items, wherein the separating mechanism comprises a drive mechanism configured to operate in a forward direction and a reverse direction;

a user input mechanism configured to receive a user input defining a direction, speed, and time for operation of the drive mechanism; and

a controller configured to generate control signals to the drive mechanism based on the user input.

2. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 1 and further comprising:

a first user input defining a direction, speed, and time for a first operation of the drive mechanism; and

a second user input defining a direction, speed, and time for a second operation of the drive mechanism, wherein the first and second drive operations have a different combination of direction, speed, and time.

3. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 1, wherein the direction comprises

a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first and second directions are different.

4. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 3, wherein the drive mechanism is operated in the first direction at a first speed and operated in the second direction at a second speed, wherein the first and second speeds are different.

5. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 3, wherein the drive mechanism is operated in the first direction for a first time and operated in the second direction for a second time, wherein the first and second times are different.

6. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 1, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a touchscreen device.

7. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 1, wherein the user input mechanism is displayed on a touchscreen device and is user actuatable.

8. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 1, wherein the user input is based on a characteristic of the item in the stack of items.

9. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 8, wherein the characteristic comprises a type of material of the item in the stack of items.

10. The friction sheet feeding machine of claim 8, wherein the characteristic comprises a dimension of the item in the stack of items.

11. A method of separating an item from a stack of items in a hopper of a friction sheet feeding machine, the method comprising:

receiving a user input defining a direction, speed, and time for operation of a drive mechanism of the friction sheet feeding machine that drives a separating mechanism, the drive mechanism being configured to operate in a forward and a reverse direction;

generating a control signal to the drive mechanism based on the user input;

separating the item from the stack of items in the hopper with the separating mechanism; and

receiving the item from the stack of items at a receiver of the friction sheet feeding machine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input comprises:

a first user input defining a direction, speed, and time for a first operation, of the drive mechanism; and

a second user input defining a direction, speed, and time for a second operation of the drive mechanism, wherein the first and, second drive operations have a different combination of direction, speed, and time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the direction comprises a first direction and second direction, wherein the first and second directions are different.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the drive mechanism is operated in the first direction at a first speed and operated in the second direction at a second, speed, wherein the first and second speeds are different.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the drive mechanism is operated in the first direction for a first time and operated in the second direction fore a second time, wherein the first and second times are different.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a touchscreen device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input mechanism is displayed on a touchscreen device and is user actuatable.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input is based on a characteristic of the item in the stack of items.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the characteristic comprises a type of material of the item in the stack of items.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the characteristic comprises a dimension of the item in the stack of items.