Apparatus and method for feeding cards from selected card stacks using a continuously rotating drive
US5402996A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 16, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 4, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 16, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2403/10
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A number of card feeders comprise a feed belt underlying a friction wheel operated by a pulsed drive. A continuously rotating drive shaft may be coupled to a selected feeder by an air cylinder which retracts under control of a controller to translate a guide wheel of the feed belt of the selected feeder so that the feed belt moves into contact with a drive wheel rotated by the continuously rotating drive shaft. The pulsed friction wheel rotates through an arc in order to drop a card from a stack of cards partially supported by the friction wheel onto the now moving feed belt. A downstream card sensor, when sensing that a card has been delivered, signals the controller so that the controller operates the air cylinder to extend it to decouple the feed belt from the drive shaft.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.