Automatic feeder for workpieces of limp material
US5314178A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 16, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 24, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H3/22
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An automatic feeder for feeding workpieces of limp material one after another from a stack of workpieces, the feeder includes a moving support mechanism for supporting the stack, and a gripper located generally underneath the stack and the moving support mechanism. The gripper has a multiplicity of needles on it for gripping the bottom workpiece, and the support mechanism has an opening in it for exposing the bottom workpiece in the stack to the needles. A motor actuates relative motion between the support mechanism and the stack and the gripper and the stack such that the opening in the support mechanism and the gripper pass conjointly under the stack in a direction generally from one end of the stack to the other thereby to progressively present areas of the bottom workpiece over the opening. The needles of the gripper progressively and successively grip at least a portion of areas of the bottom workpiece as they are exposed to the needles over the opening in the support mechanism to peel the area of the bottom workpiece generally downwardly away from the stack. The gripper releases the area peeled away to separate the bottom workpiece from the stack.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.