Offset stacker
US4033579A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 11, 1976 |
| Grant date | Jul 5, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 11, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2301/42192
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A stacker includes a rectangular housing within which there is located a vertically movable platform. A vertical wall of the housing includes, along an upper region, an orifice through which sheets may be fed into the housing, and each of the other three vertical walls includes a series of fluid outlet ports, at the same level as the orifice, each series of ports being coupled to a vacuum source. The top of the housing includes an array of fluid inlet ports which are coupled to a fluid source. The fluid source cooperates with outlet ports and vacuum sources to create a fluid stream in the housing which biases a sheet entering through the orifice, selectively, against one of two corners in the housing. Sheets in the housing are also biased towards the platform by movable spring members extending into the housing through the orifice. The spring members are moved out of the way of a sheet entering the housing through the orifice by a detector which controls a solenoid yoked to the spring members. Tension in the springs is detected to position the platform in the housing so that the top-most sheet supported by the platform is located at a predetermined level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.