Frictional feeder for paper stacks or the like

• US 6,416,047 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pfankuch Maschinen GmbH
• Original Assignee: Pfankuch Maschinen GmbH
• Inventors: Pfankuch, Claus Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAGGS JR, H GRANT
• Application Number:
  US09/640,306
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 271/35, 271/162, 271/165, 271/166, 271/150
• US Class Current: 271/35
• 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 2220/04 for distinguishing adjusting from controlling, i.e. manual adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42322 from bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/51 Joints, e.g. riveted or magnetic joints
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/214 Inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/042 separating from the bottom of the pile

Abstract

A frictional feeder for paper stacks has a frictional conveyor belt that receives a paper stack of paper sheets from above and conveys individual paper sheets of the paper stack in a conveying direction of the feeder. A curved support is positioned above the frictional conveyor belt at a rearward end of the paper stack, viewed in the conveying direction, and at a slant relative to a plane of the paper sheets of the paper stack. It supports the rearward end of the paper stack. An elbow lever with a first end and a second end is provided, and its first end is connected to the curved support. A self-locking drive unit is connected to the second end of the elbow lever. It is provided to pivot the elbow lever and the curved support connected to the elbow lever to adjust the slant of the curved support relative to the plane of the paper sheets of the paper stack.

Claims

1. A frictional feeder for paper stacks comprising

a frictional conveyor belt configured to receive a paper stack comprised of paper sheets from above and to convey individual paper sheets of the paper stack in a conveying direction;

a curved support positioned above the frictional conveyor belt at a rearward end of the paper stack, viewed in the conveying direction, and at a slant relative to a plane of the paper sheets of the paper stack and configured to support the rearward end of the paper stack;

an elbow lever having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the curved support;

a self-locking drive unit connected tot he second end of the elbow lever and configured to pivot the elbow lever and the curved support connected to the elbow lever to adjust the slant of the curved support relative to the plane of the paper sheets of the paper stack, wherein

the drive unit is comprised of a spindle and a spindle nut, wherein the spindle nut is connected to the second end of the elbow lever, wherein the spindle nut and the second end of the elbow lever are pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis and wherein the pivot axis is perpendicular to a rotational axis of the spindle.

2. The frictional feeder according to claim 1, wherein the curved support comprises a support plate and a lever arm projecting away from the support plate, wherein the first end of the elbow lever is pivotably connected to the lever arm wherein the lever arm is configured to pivot about an end remote from the support plate.

3. The frictional feeder according to claim 2, wherein the spindle is stationarily supported on a pivot axis of the end of the lever arm remote from the support plate.

4. The frictional feeder according to claim 3, wherein the curved support and the drive unit are configured to be adjustable in a direction of the rotational axis of the spindle.