Method of transferring discrete light sensitive sheets from a dark box

US5242260A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Agfa-Gevaert NV · BE

Inventors

• Gerald Pietsch · Kaufbeuren, DE
• Ernst Leithenmair · Plön, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 7, 1992
• Grant date: Sep 7, 1993
• Expiry date: Aug 7, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B65H2551/24
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Discrete light sensitive exposed but undeveloped sheets which are stacked in a dark box are transferred toward or into one or more developing machines by one or more suction cups which can jointly attract a single sheet at a time or each of which can attract the uppermost sheet of one of two or more stacks of sheets in the dark box. A suction cup which attracts a portion of the uppermost sheet of a stack in the dark box is caused to flex the attracted portion above and away from the sheet below the uppermost sheet in order to promote separation of the uppermost sheet from the remainder of the stack. The flexed uppermost sheet is then at least partially extracted from the dark box and is monitored to ascertain whether or not its underside adheres to one or more sheets. If the at least partly extracted uppermost sheet carries or entrains one or more additional sheets, all extracted sheets are returned into the dark box and the procedure is started anew but the interval and/or the extent of flexing is increased to further reduce the likelihood of adherence of one or more sheets to the underside of the extracted uppermost sheet. A visible or audible signal is generated if a certain num…