“Acceleration conveyor”

• US 6,374,998 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MSS Incorporated (The CP Group (United States))
• Original Assignee: Advanced Skin Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Grubbs, Michael R., Kenny, Garry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan N.
• Application Number:
  US09/302,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 209/587, 209/638, 209/639, 209/900, 198/836.1, 198/836.2, 271/3.23, 271/12, 271/197, 271/202
• US Class Current: 198/836.2
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/061 the refuse being industrial
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/00 Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/02 Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/366 during free fall of the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/367 using a plurality of separation means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/44514 Separating superposed articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/561 Bristles, brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/245 Air blast devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/62 diverting faulty articles from the main streams control devices detecting faulty articles B65H43/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/66 Advancing articles in overlapping streams
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/028 by dry methods

Abstract

A paper handling system includes an acceleration conveyor having an acceleration belt operating at an acceleration speed. The system includes a pinning structure operably positioned to pin paper to the acceleration belt. The pinning structure is a rotary feeder which includes a plurality of flexible bristles extending radially from a roller into engagement with the acceleration belt. The speed of the acceleration belt is sufficiently high to create a suction phenomena such that when paper is pinned to the acceleration belt with the rotary feeder, the paper will be accelerated to a paper speed substantially equal to the acceleration speed. The system also includes a blower system operative to facilitate carrying the paper off of the acceleration belt across a transition gap between the acceleration belt and a product belt.

Claims

1. A paper handler for handling sheets of paper comprising:

an acceleration conveyor including an acceleration belt operating at an acceleration speed, the acceleration belt having a width greater that a maximum dimension of the sheets of paper to be handled; and

a pinning structure operably positioned to pin paper to the acceleration belt, the pinning structure including a rotary feeder having a plurality of flexible bristles extending radially from a roller.

2. The paper handler of claim 1, wherein the rotary feeder is contacting the acceleration belt.

3. The paper handler of claim 1, wherein the rotary feeder has an outer surface rotating at a rotary surface speed, and wherein the rotary surface speed is less than the acceleration speed.

4. The paper handler of claim 3, wherein the rotary surface speed is approximately two-thirds of the acceleration speed.

5. The paper handler of claim 4, wherein the acceleration speed is approximately 1200 ft./min.

6. The paper handler of claim 1, wherein the acceleration speed is sufficiently high to create a suction phenomena such that when paper is pinned to the acceleration belt the paper will be accelerated to a paper speed substantially equal to the acceleration speed.

7. The paper handler of claim 6, wherein the acceleration speed is at least 800 ft./min.

8. The paper handler of claim 7, wherein the acceleration speed is approximately 1200 ft./min.

9. The paper handler of claim 1, wherein the acceleration speed is at least 1000 ft./min.