Patent · US Expired

Rear jet air knife

US6669187B1 · kind B1 · utility

18Cited by
17References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 2002
Grant dateDec 30, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65H2406/122
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A top sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets from a stack of sheets is disclosed. The feeding apparatus comprises a sheet stack support tray for supporting a stack of sheets, an air knife device positioned immediately adjacent the front of the stack of sheets for applying a positive pressure to the sheet stack in order to separate the uppermost sheet in the stack from the rest of the stack, and a feedhead device including a vacuum plenum chamber positioned over the front of the sheet stack having a negative pressure applied thereto during feeding, the vacuum plenum chamber having a sheet corrugation member located in the center of its bottom surface and perforated feed belt means associated with the vacuum plenum chamber to transport the sheets acquired by said vacuum plenum chamber in a forward direction out of the stack support tray. The air knife device includes a pair of straight air nozzles extending from the rear portion of the air knife device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.