Apparatus and process for separating and removing bundles of sheets

• US 4,700,939 A
• Filed: 08/12/1986
• Issued: 10/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Inventors: Hathaway, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, E. H.
• Application Number:
  US06/895,780
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 270/39-41, 270/47, 270/52, 270/52.5, 270/21.1, 270/95, 225/1, 225/3, 225/4, 225/93, 225/97-98, 225/100-101, 225/103-106, 493/357-362, 493/364, 493/379-381, 493/386, 493/390, 493/398, 493/372, 493/409-414, 493/424, 493/429-430, 493/433
• US Class Current: 270/39.02
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4216 of web folded in zig-zag form
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/10 and applied at the top of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/28 Bands, chains, or like moving receivers for articles piled on edge B65H31/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/30 Arrangements for removing completed piles bands, chains, or like moving receivers B65H31/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/10 Methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/14 Longitudinally of direction of feed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/35 Work-parting pullers [bursters]

Abstract

Apparatus and processes for receiving sheets from a sheet stacker, separating them into bundles, and removing the bundles from the discharge area of the sheet stacking apparatus. The apparatus includes a frame, a rotatable receiving means mounted on the frame, means for separating the bundles of sheets being received, and means for rotating the rotatable receiving means. The receiving means may include a plurality of sheet receiving chambers, each chamber having an elevator which may be lowered in the respective chamber. The apparatus also has means for raising each elevator. The separating means accumulates the sheets being received from the sheet stacker while the receiving means is being rotated.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving sheets, and separating and removing of bundles of stacked sheets from the discharge area of sheet stacking apparatus, said separating and removing apparatus comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) rotatable receiving means mounted on said frame and having a plurality of sheet receiving chambers;

(c) means, adjacent said rotatable receiving means, for separating one said bundle from sheets being received; and

(d) means for rotating said rotatable receiving means.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 and further including an elevator in each said chamber, means for lowering a respective one of said elevators in the respective one of said chambers when sheets are being received in said one chamber, and means for raising each said elevator as said rotatable receiving means is rotated through a complete revolution.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 and including a cam mounted on said frame and a plurality of cam followers connecting said elevators to said cam.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said means for lowering a selected one of said elevators in a respective one of said chambers comprises pushing means for pushing on the corresponding one of said cam followers.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 and including means for upwardly biasing said selected one of said elevators, tending to push said elevator outwardly of said rotatable receiving means.

6. Apparatus as in claim 4, said pushing means, said cam, and said cam followers being so designed that said pushing means may push one said cam follower, lowering said one cam follower in said cam, thereby lowering the corresponding one of said elevators, said cam and said one cam follower initially holding said elevator in said lowered disposition on rotation of said rotatable receiving means.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5, said pushing means, said cam, and said cam followers being so designed that said pushing means may push one said cam follower, lowering said one cam follower in said cam, thereby lowering the corresponding one of said elevators, said cam and said one cam follower initially holding said elevator in said lowered disposition on rotation of said rotatable receiving means.

8. Apparatus as in claim 3, said means for raising said elevators comprising said cam and said cam followers.

9. Apparatus as in claim 2, said separating means comprising a separator disposed for interposition between said sheet stacking apparatus and said receiving means.

10. Apparatus as in claim 4, said separating means comprising a separator disposed for interposition between said sheet stacking apparatus and said receiving means.

11. Apparatus as in claim 5, said separating means comprising a separator disposed for interposition between said sheet stacking apparatus and said receiving means.

12. Apparatus as in claim 8, said separating means comprising a separator disposed for interposition between said sheet stacking apparatus and said receiving means.

13. Apparatus as in claim 1, 4, 5, 7 or 9 and including retainer means disposed adjacent said rotatable receiving means for retaining said bundles in the respective ones of said chambers.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13, said retainer means having a leading edge closer to said separating means and a trailing edge more remote from said separating means, and including means, adjacent said trailing edge, for receiving a bundle from one said chamber.

15. Apparatus as in claim 2, and including retainer means disposed adjacent said rotatable receiving means for retaining said bundles in the respective ones of said chambers.

16. Apparatus as in claim 15, said retainer means having a leading edge closer to said separating means and a trailing edge more remote from said separating means, and including means, adjacent said trailing edge, for receiving a bundle from one said chamber.

17. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said separating means further includes a plurality of sheet control members mounted for being disposed into contact with selected sheets at the discharge area of said stacking apparatus.

18. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein at least one of said sheet control members is mounted on said rotatable receiving means.

19. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein at least one of said sheet control members is mounted on said frame.

20. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein at least one of said sheet control members can urge a sheet against said separator when said separator is interposed between said receiving means and said sheet stacking apparatus.

21. A process for receiving sheets, and separating and removing bundles of sheets from the discharge area of sheet stacking apparatus, said process comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of sheets, from a sheet stacking apparatus, and thereby creating a stack in a first sheet receiving chamber, on a rotatable receiving means having a plurality of sheet-receiving chambers;

(b) interposing separator means between said stacking apparatus and said stack, thereby defining a bundle of said sheets from said stack; and

(c) rotating said rotatable receiving means.

22. A process as in claim 21, each said chamber having an elevator therein, said stack of sheets being received on the respective one of said elevators, said rotating comprising rotating said receiving means through a portion of a circle and thereby removing said first sheet receiving chamber from said discharge area, and presenting a second one of said chambers into said discharge area for receiving sheets on a second elevator thereof, said process comprising, further, the steps of:

(d) lowering the respective one of said elevators while receiving sheets thereon;

(e) receiving sheets from said stacking apparatus onto said separator means during rotation of said rotatable receiving means; and

(f) withdrawing said separator means after rotating said receiving means, thereby depositing said sheets onto the respective one of said elevators.

23. A process as in claim 22 and including the step of raising each said elevator as said receiving means is intermittently rotated through an entire circle.

24. A process as in claim 23 whereby said elevators are raised through the use of a cam and cam followers.

25. A process as in claim 24 wherein said elevators are lowered during receiving of said sheets by means of pushing on respective one of said cam followers.

26. A process as in claim 24 and including pushing said respective cam follower to a position for further following of said cam, by said cam follower, on further rotation of said receiving means.

27. A process as in claim 25 and including pushing outwardly of said receiving means, on said elevator.

28. A process as in claim 22 and including restraining said bundles in said chambers to prevent said bundles from falling out of said chambers.

29. A process as in claim 22 or 28 and including the step of delivering each said bundle to a removal means, for conveying said bundles away.

30. A process as in claim 22 wherein said one elevator is lowered by a pusher pushing on a cam follower connected to said one elevator, thereby extending said pusher, and wherein said pusher is retracted during rotation of said rotatable receiving means.

31. A process as in claim 22 and including, when an appropriate number of sheets has been received in one said bundle, contacting said stack with a plurality of sheet control members for influencing which of said sheets leaves said discharge area with said one bundle and which of said sheets remains in said discharge area, on said separator means, for delivery onto a subsequent one of said elevators.