Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention generally pertains to the type
of apparatus or system f~r handling sheets as shown in U.S.
Patent Nos. 3,658,322, 3,880,420, 3,912,258, 3,992,001 and
3,997,155.
In particular the present invention relates to an
aligning system for sheet conveyors.
This application is a divisional application of
copending application No. 297,058 filed on February 13, 1978.
The primary object of the invention is to provide
such a sheet handling system which can accelerate the handling
of the sheets and in which the changing from one size sheet to
another size can be rapidly and automatically accomplished.
Particularly, it is an object of the invention to
provide accurate sensors at the back-up aligning device, at
the transfer conveyor snubber, at the back-stop at the stacker
end of the stacker and at the side aligners at the stacker end of
the stacker whereby respective electric circuits accurately
control the actuation of adjustment of the respective devices
to the respective dimensions of the sheets; and further to
provide said control in such a manner that the adjustment can
be pre-set and then by a very simple circuit closing operation
by the operator the adjusting actuation to the dimensions of
the sheets can be performed without stopping the operation of
the corrugator or the sheet conveyina and stacking.
Another object of the invention is to provide accurate
sheet aligning devices at the stacker end of the stacker conveyor
at both side edges of the sheets as well as at the back-stop.
Another object of the invention is to provide the
safety device at the stacker end of the stacker conveyor which
will automatically stop the stacking in the event the back-stops
are abutting against the top of the stack or on a person.
In copending application No. 297,058 there is claimed
3~
39~r`&~8
in an apparatus for handling sheets, a right angle side conveyor
conveying the sheets at an angle from the dlrection from which
the sheets are delivered thereon, a stacker conveyor for stacking
the sheets delivered from said right angle side conveyor, a side
back-up device for aligning sheets on said side conveyor, means
to support sald back-up device above said side conveyor facing
toward the direction from which the sheets are delivered to
said right angle side conveyor, adjusting means for moving said
back-up device toward to and away from said direction of delivery
of sheets according to the length of sheets for stopping and
aligning the sheets, back-stops spaced from the stacker end of
the stacker conveyor for stopping and aligning the sheets into
a stack, support means on said stacker conveyor adjustably to
support said back stops relatively to said stacker end, speed
and position programmer for controlling the speed of said
conveyors and the position of said back-up device and back-stop
spacing, a programmed controller for operating said adjusting
means, pre-setting means to set said speed and positlon programmer
to the respective dimensions of said sheets, means to translate
the pre-setting to said programmed control and to said adjusting
means for the adjusting movements of said back-up device and
said supports for the back-stops, means to sense the relative
location of said back-up device relatively to said right angle
side conveyor, means to sense the relative location of said
back-stops relatively to the stacking end of the stacker
conveyor, and means to translate the location sensed by said
sensing means to said programmed controller for comparing the
movement of said adjusting means with the pre-set dimensions.
The present invention provides an aligning system for
sheet conveyors including a side fed conveyor and a stacker
conveyor having a stacker end, comprising back-up aligner means
on the side fed conveyor facing toward the side from which the
~g39~
sheets are fed, back-stop means spaced from the stacking end
of the stacker conveyor against which the sheets are discharged
to form a stack, a side edge aligner at said stacker end for
guiding the sheets onto the stack, said side edge aligner being
in registry with said back-up aligner means, and means to adjust
said back-up aligner means and said side edge aligner to the
length of sheets conveyed.
The present invention will be further illustrated by
way of the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of
the conveyor system with certain of the devices shown spaced
from their operating positions for clarity.
Fig. 2 is a view of the back-up device above the
right angle roller conveyor showing its over-head support and
the driving mechanism for the adjustment of the back-up device.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the casing in which the
driving means for the adjustment of the back-up device are
contained.
Fig. 4 is a side view in the direction of the arrows
4~4 f Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a partly sectional side view of the back-up
aligning device on the roller conveyor taken on lines 5-5 of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view of the back-up device
showing the perpendicular adjusting mechanism for each end of
the back-up device.
Fig. 7 is a partly sect~onal view, the section being
taken on lines 7-7 of Fig. 6~
Fig. 8 is a partly sectional view, the section being
taken on lines a-s of Fig. 6.
9~
Fig. 9 is a partly sectional view for illustrating the
position of the deflector plate in elevated position.
Fig. 10 is a side view showing the deflector plate in
the lower position.
Fig. 11 is a fragmental top plan view of the right angle
roller conveyor with the back-up device removed and showing the
snubbers at the delivery end of the roller conveyor.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on lines 12-12 of
Fig. 11 with the back-up device broken away.
L0 Fig. 13 is a side view of the snubber support and
snubbers on the transfer conveyor.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of the stacker conveyor shown
somewhat diagrammatically.
Fig. 15 is a side view of the stacker conveyor.
Fig. 16 is an end view of the stacker conveyor with the
back-stops removed.
Fig. 17 is an end view of the removed back-stops.
Fig. 18 is a detail view of the vibrating edge aligner
for the stack.
Fig. 19 is a side view of the stacker end of the
stacker conveyor partly broken away.
Fig. 20 is a fragmental top view of the stacker end of
the stacker conveyor showing the aligning plate and its cam
actuation.
Fig. 21 is a fragmental end view of the top of the
stacker end of the stacker conveyor showing the adjusting means
for the edge aligning member.
Fig. 22 is a fragmental top plan view of the telescop-
ing bracing bar and the safety switch thereon.
Fig. 23 is a view of the control board and the wiring
diagram for the automatic operation.
Detailed Description
In general organization of the system includes a
delivery conveyor A which usually is a sandwich conveyor and
which ejects the sheets, usually multiple cut, on a right angle
side roller conveyor B, from which the sheets are transmitted
to a conveyor C and then to a stacker conveyor D, at the stack-
ing end of which the sheets are stacked as shown in Fig. 1.
Between the delivery conveyor A and the right angle side conveyor
B is an accelerating roller 1 to eject the sheets into the right
angle side conveyor.
Above the right angle side conveyor B, on parallel
supporting frames 2 and 3, is suspended a back-up device 4,
spaced from the accelerating roller 1 so as to accomodate the
length of the sheets 6 delivered from the delivery conveyor A.
An adjusting device 7, to be hereinafter described, is capable
when actuated to adjust the back-up device away from or toward
the accelerating roller 1 to the length of the cut sheets 6.
At the delivery end of the right angle side conveyor
B and supported on the adjacent angle frame 2 is a snubber unit
8 to engage the bundles of sheets to be discharged from the
right angle side conveyor B.
The snubber device 8 above the delivery end of the side
conveyor B is supported on bracket plate 213 on the hollow bar
211 spaced above the conveyor B. A shaft 214 is journalled in
the bracket plates 213 and supports snubber arms 216 carrying
snubber rollers 217. A gear 218 on the shaft 214 is locked by a
worm 219 on a shaft 221 journalled in the walls of the hollow
bar 211. A hand wheel 222 on the shaft 221 is for manipulation
for raising or lowering the snubber arms 216 and snubber rollers
217, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.
Above the transfer conveyor C is another snubber device
9 the brackets 101 of which contain an adjusting device driven by
9¢~3~3
a motor and a worm and gear transmission 119 to adjust the dis-
tance of the snu~ber device 9 from the right angle side conveyor
B in accordance with the width of the sheets 6.
On the stackina end of the stacker conveyor D are a
pair of side brackets 13 each pivoted about a pivot support 14 on
the frame 16 of the stacker conveyor. On the head 17 of each brack-
et 13 is slidably supported a carrier bar 18. The carrier bars
18 are connectedatthe outer ends by a cross bar 19 on which latter
are supported back-stops 21 against which the sheets are stacked.
An adjusting device 22 including a geared motor is provided to
move the carrier hars 18 on the heads 17 so as to correctly space
the back-stops 21 from the stacker end of the stacker convevor D
according to the width of the sheets 6 stacked.
The brackets 13 are connected by a tubular cross bar
23 on which is adjustably supported a side edge aligner 24, on the
same side of the stacker conveyor as and substantially in registry
with the back-up device 4 whereby the side edge aligner 24 and the
back-up device 4 are adjusted to the same width of the sheets 6.
An adjusting device 26 on the cross bar 23 so engages the edge
aligner 24 as to move the edge aligner along the cross bar 23
to the adjusted position.
The raising and lowering of the stacker conveyor D is
accomplished through the hydraulic mechanism described in applicants
U.S. Patent No. 3,321,202 issued ~ay 23, 1967 in which cam actuators
adjust and operate the respective valves in a hydraulic system
for raising and lowering the stacker conveyor D.
The adjusting device 7 for the back-up device 4, the
adjusting device 12 for the snubber device brackets 101 above
the transfer conveyor C, the adjusting device 22 for the distance
adjustment of the back-stops 21, and the adjusting device 26 for
adjustment of the side edge aligner 24, are connected each by a
sensor, in this illustration a ten point potentiometer 30 into
circuits whereby the relative positions of the respective devices .
are sensed and whereby the adjusting devices respectively are
operated to travel in a direction and to a distance to conform
to the respective dimensions of the sheets. On a control panel
231, shown in Fig. 23, are the various switches and instruments
to be hereinafter described, to set the respective adjustments
and to close or open the respective actuating circuits so as to
convey commands to the respective adjusting devices to perform
the respective adjustments.
The sack-up Device
As shown in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, the lower tubular
frame 3 is supported directly on the frame 32 of the side
conveyor B and extends transversely to the conveyor B. At the
end of the frame 3 farthest from the delivery conveyor A is a
hollow cross bar 33, from the far end of which extends upwardly
a perpendicular casing 34. The upper angle frame 2 is on the
hollow bar 211 which extends from the casing 34 parallel with
the lower tubular frame 3 and is supported at its other end on
a bracke~ 36 extended from the frame of the side conveyor B. A
carriage bracket 37 has wheels 38 thereon rlding on a rail 39
on the upper angle frame 2. An opposite carriage bracket 41 has
wheels 42 riding on a rail 43 on the tubular lower frame 3.
Each carriage bracket 37 and 41 is drawn by a chain
44 the ends of which are secured to opposite ends of the
respective carriage bracket. Each chain 44 is played over
spaced sprockets 46 so that as one of the sprockets is rotated
it correspondingly pulls the respective carriage bracket. The
shaft on one of the sprockets 46 at the lower frame 3 is
connected by a chain and sprocket transmission 47 to a geared
drive motor 48 of the adjusting device 7. The lower drive
sprocket 46 drives a transmission shaft 49 in the hollow cross
bar 33, and drives a perpendicular chain and sprocket transmission
--6--
51 ln the perpendicular casing 34, The shaft 52 of the top
sprocket of transmission 51 drives the adjacent chain sprocket
46 of the upper chain 44. Thus the carriage brackets 37 and 41
are moved in synchronism.
Spacers 53 extend inwardly from each carriage bracket
37 and 41 and each supports an end plate 54. A tubular shaft
56 between the end plates 54 is supported in brackets 57
extended from a hollow bar 58, which latter has a stub shaft
59 extended from each end thereof through an elongated slot
60, as shown in Fig. 7. The stub shaft 59 is supported in the
heel 61 of a bell crank lever 62. The toe of the shorter arm
63 of the bell crank lever 62 is pivoted on a pivot on the
outside face of the adjacent end plate 54. Another shaft 64
extended from each end of the tubular shaft 56 is in another
perpendicular slot 68 and is supported on a short link 66
pivoted on the outside face of the end plate 54.
The back-up device includes abutment elements 67, each
of which is rotatably supported on a pin 68 on the end of a
lever 69 journalled on the tubular shaft 56. A counterbalance,
such as a counterweight 70 on the arm of the lever 69 beyond
its journal determines the pressure of each abutment on the
edges of sheets 6 lying on the respective rollers of the side
conveyor B.
The entire abutment assembly can be adjusted so as to
provide gradually increasing spacing under the abutment elements
67 toward the discharge end of the side conveyor B, to accomodate
sheets bundled step by step in multicut sheet handling. Such
adjustment is accurately accomplished as shown in Fig. 7 at each
end by an electric geared motor 71, mounted between the adjacent
carrier bracket and end plate, which moves a plunger 72 connected
to the longer arm of the bell crank lever 62. In this manner the
respective stub shaft 59 and the end of the hollow bar 58 are
~$9~8
raised or lowered, correspondingly raisingor lowering the
respective end of the abutment assembly. The motor 71 is also
controlled bv an "up and down" switch 71a as shown on the right
in Fig. 23. A potentiometer 75 connected to a bullet height
lndicator 71b next to switch 71a in Fig. 23, indicates the
height adjustment of the abutment assembly.
For cushioning each abutment element, a leaf spring
73, above each abutment lever 69 is mounted on another cross-
bar 74 so as to bear against the lever 69, as shown in Fig. 8,
and inhibit excessive vibration of the abutment element 67.
On a projection 76 on the hollow bar 58 rests a threaded pin
77 screwed through each abutment lever 69. A limit nut 78 on
each threaded pin 77 adjustably determines the spacing of the
abutment element from the rollers of the side conveyor B.
Between the end plates 54 is an anqle iron 79 on which
is supported a deflector plate 80. The lower edge of the de-
flector plate 80 is on a hinqe 81. At each end of the deflector
plate 80 is an ear 82 extending toward the angle iron 79. An end
of a link 83 is pivoted on each ear 82. The other end of'the link
83 is pivoted on a toggle 84 on a shaft 85, journalled in the
end plate 54 and has a handle 86 thereon, as shown in Figs. 9 and
10. By turning the handle 86 counter clockwise from the position
shown in Fig. 9 into the position shown in Fig. 10, the deflector
plate 80 is lowered to accommodate shorter sheets.
The Snubbe'r Device On the Transfer Conveyor
The snubber device 9 above the transfer conveyor C
generally is the same as described in applicants U.S. Patent No.
3,992,001 issued November 16, 1976. Each of a pair of spaced
brackets 101 is supported on two sets of rollers 102 at its lower
end which ride on a guide rail 103 on the side frame of the trans-
fer conveyor C. From this lower end extends an ear 104 with a
roller 106 therein guided on a stationary bar 107. As the trans-
-- 8
fer conveyor C travels during the compensating movements of thestacker conveyor D the guide rail 103 travels between the rollers
102. The snubber wheels 108 are supported on snubber arms 109
pivoted on bracket extensions 111, extended from a cross bar 112.
An adjusting chain 113 extends arouncl a top sprocket 114 and then
downwardly along the bracket 101 and around idler sprockets 116 and
then in opposite directions and has its ends connected to anchors
117 spaced oppositely from the bracket 101. Thus when the top
sprocket 114 is rotated in selected direction it rotates the
idler sprockets 116 in such a wav that the bracket 101 travels
in the respective directions relatively to the stationary
support 107 and thereby adjusts the location of the snubber
wheels 108 in accordance with the respective dimension of the
sheets 6 on the transfer conveyor C. The upper sprocket 114 is
driven by a sprocket and chain transmission 118 which latter is
driven by a self-locking worm and gear transmission 119 driven
by an electric motor 121 actuated in accordance with the control
through a potentiometer 30 connected by chain and sprocket 122
to one of the top sprockets 114. ~henever the motor 121 turns
the worm and gear transmission 119, the top sprocket 114 pulls
the adjusting chain 113 around the idler sprockets 116, thereby
pulling the brackets 101 into the selected adjusted position
according the size of the sheets on the transfer conveyor C.
The Stacker
The stacker conveyor D, shown in Figs. 14 through 22
is based on the Automatic Sheet Stacker shown and described in
applicants U.S. Patent No. 3,321,202, issued May 23, 1967, with
new sheet alignin~ devices and safety controls.
A shaft 127 extends between the side frames 16 bearing
conveyor pulleys 128 for the conveyor belts 129, driven at one
end by a geared electric motor 131. The intake ends of the stacker
side frames 16 are supported on arc compensating rocking arms 133
~ ?~ ~
pivoted on base frames 134. ~ hydraulic plunger 136 onthe base
frame 134 is connected to a lifting arm 137 an end of which is
pivoted on a bracket 138 on the stationary base frame 134. The
lifting arm 137 has its heel 139 pivoted on the adjacent stacker
side frame 16 spaced from the respective rocker arms 133 so
that as the stacker convevor is raised by the plunger 136 the
stacker end thereof is moved on a straight perpendicular plane.
The plunger 136 arm actuated bv a hvdraulic system including
cams and valves as shown in Figs. 11 through 16 of said applicants
U.S. Patent No. 3,321,202, issued May 23,1967 indicated in Fig.
15 herein at 135, for raising and lowering the stacker end of
the stacker conveyor as described in said patent. On the stacker
end of each side frame 16 is pivoted one of the perpendicular
side brackets 13. A connecting brace 142 connects the middle
of each side bracket 13 to an ear 143 extending upwardly from
the heel 139 of the lifting arm 137 for maintaining the side
brackets 13 in perpendicular attitude as the stacker end is
raised and lowered.
The Stack Aliqninq, Devices
The carrier bars 18 are supported on the respective
bracket heads 17 on rollers 148. On the ends of the carrier bars
18 beyond the stacker end of the stacker conveyor is mounted the
cross bar 19. The back-stops 21 are abutment piates and are
supported on the cross bar 19 facing the stacker end of the
stacker eonveyor so that the sheets ejected from the stacker
conveyor abut the hack-stops 21 for forming a stack. The mountings
152 of the plates of the back-stops 21 are manually adjustable
longitudinally along the cross bar 19.
The spacing of the back~stops 21 from the stacker end
of the stacker conveyor for sheet size is accomplished by moving
the carrier bars 18 on the heads 17. Above each carrier bar 18
-- 10 --
~9ql~8
on each head 17 is a sprocket 153 on which is a chain 154,
which extends below idler sprockets 156 and then along the
adjacent carrier bar 18 in opposite directions and has its ends
secured to said carrier bar 18. The opposite drive sprockets
153 are connected by a drive shaft 157. A geared electric
drive motor 158 through a transmission 159 drives the drive
sprockets 153 for moving the carrier bars 18 for adjusting the
distance of the abutment plates of the back-stops 21 from the
stacker end of the stacker conveyor to the size of the sheets.
A potentiometer 30 controls such adjustment.
The side edge aligner 24 is a plate and is suspended
from the tubular cross bar 23 in a plane substantially at
right angles to the plates of the back-stop 21. Sleeve 163 on
the tubular cross bar 23 supports the edge aligner 24. The
adjusting device 26 includes a chain 164 which has its ends
attached to opposite ends of the sliding sleeve 163 and extends
around spaced sprockets 166 and in the hollow connecting bar
23 from one sprocket 166 to the other sprocket 166. One of the
sprockets 166 is driven by a geared electric motor 167 through a
transmission 168 for sliding the sliding sleeve 163 thereby
adjusting the edge aligner 24 to the size of the sheet 6. The
edge aligner 24 has a transverse tapered offset 169 to ease the
adjacent edge of the sheet into the top of the stack. The side
edge aligner 24 is in registry with the abutment element 67 of
the back-up device 4 on the side conveyor B.
A reciprocating side edge aligner is mounted on the
lower portion of the side bracket 13 opposite the adjustment
side edge aligner 24. The reciprocating side edge aligner has
a reciprocating body 171 which has a shaft 172 extended there-
through and through flanges 173 and 174 of a bracket 176. The
flange 174 is mounted on a bracket plate 177. A gear casing 178
is mounted on a bracket 176, as shown in Fig. 18, and supports
3g~88
an electric motor 179. The transmission drive shaft 181 rotates
a crank 182, which reciprocates a connecting link 183 connected
to the reciprocating body 171. On the free end of the
reciprocating body 171 is an aligner plate 184 facing the side- -
edge aligner 24. A deflector flange 186 extends upwardly from
the aligner plate 184 to guide the sheets 6 to the top of
the stack. The deflector flange 186 is in registry with the
curved offset 169 of the side edge aligner 24, whereby the
sheets are guided into alignment with the top sheet of the stack.
Due to the action of the crank the reciprocation of the aligner
plate 184 against the side edges of the sheets in the stack is
at variable speed. Namely the retracting stroke of the aligner
plate 184 is more rapid than its impact stroke toward the edges
of the sheets, so as to align the edges more softly.
The edges of the sheets in the stack at the conveyor
end are aligned by an undulating paddle plate 187, the lower
edge of which is held by hinges 188 on a transverse stacker frame
member 189 beneath the stacker end of the stacker conveyor. The
top portion of the paddle plate 187 is inclined toward the
stacker conveyor and has longitudinally spaced bearing lugs 191
each holding a roller 192 in contact with an adjacent cam 193.
The cams 193 are on the pulley shaft 127 and are located between
the respective pulleys 128. Springs 194, each having one end
anchored on a lug 196 on the inside face of the paddle plate 187
and the o-ther end on a lug 197 on the frame member 189, yieldably
pull the paddle plate 187 so as to urge the rollers 192
against the respective cams 193. The risers 198 of the series
of cams 193 are offset circumferentially in series along the
paddle plate 187, so that as the cams 193 are rotated they cause
the paddle plate 187 to impact the edges of the sheets in the
stack sequentially from one end of the sheet to the other
thereby urge them against the back stops 21 for straight
alignment.
-12-
~.'iL~ C~? ~ ~
The Safety Device
Each brace 142 for the head 17 is made of two rods 201
and 202 connected by sleeves 203 fixed on the rod 202 through
which the other rod 201 is slidable. The rod 201 is connected
to the adjacent stacker side bracket 13, as shown in ~ig. 1, and
the other rod 202 is connected to the upward extension 143 of the
lifting arm 137. On the rod 201 is a normally closed spring
switch 204. On the sleeve 203 adjacent the spring switch 204 is
an ear 206 holding a pin 207 against an arm 208 projecting from
the spring switch 204 so as to push the arm 208 into switch
opening position. The switch 204 is connected into a control
circuit to first raise then hold the stacker in elevated
position. Should the back stop accidentally lower on top of a
stack or on a person, then the side brackets 13 would be pushed
back about their pivots 14, thereby would push the rod 201 and
the spring switch 204 away from the pin 207. Thereupon the
spring switch 204 will close and will actuate the circuit and
devices for the stacker holding means so as to prevent lowering
of the stacker end of the stacker conveyor. A spring 205 holds
the rods extended.
Automatic Operation
The automatic operation of the device for the herein
described adjustments is illustrated in the wiring diagram in
connection with an instrument board 231 which is preferably
mounted on a separate stand adjacent to a console (not shown) in
which are contained a programmed controller 232 and a speed and
position programmer including a digital to analog converter 233
and an analog voltage comparator 234 each provided with suitable
programmed printed circuits to respond to input impulses and
to transmit corresponding commands to the respective operating
drives or devices.
On the instrument board there is a usual starting
-13-
button which is connected to the console to connect the usual
electric current to said program controls therein, and thereby
to deliver the command to the motors which drive the respective
conveyors B, C, and D at thelr pre-set relative velocities.
Such conveyor control is accomplished through the digital and
analog converter 233.
For pre-setting and adjusting the back-up device 4 on
the side conveyor B, the snubber device 9 above the transfer
conveyor C, the adjusting device 22 for the carrier bars 18 for
spacing the back-stops 21, and the adjusting device 26 for the
side edge aligner 24, the board is provided with two pairs of
digital switches 235 and 236 of usual construction, respectively
adjustable for the length and width of the sheets to be handled.
These digital switches are pre-set for the particular length
and width of sheets and are connected to the digital analog
converter 233, which relays signals to the programmed controller
232 as to adjustment. The programmed controller acknowledges
the "pre-set" by turning "on" the respective indicator "run"
lights 237.
There is a suitable analog voltage comparator for
each adjusting device to compare the potentiometer voltages
according to their positions with the length and width pre-set
- by the digital switches 235 and 236.
An "order change" switch 238 connected to the programmed
controller 232 sets the programmed controller, and a switch 239
for each setting orders the programmed controller to actuate
drive circuits 240, 241, 242, and 243 respectively connected to
the electric motors respectively driving the back-up device 4,
the snubber device 9, the edge aligner adjusting device 26, the
carrier bars 18 for the back-stops 21, which move the respective
devices to adjust to the respective length and width of the
sheets set on the digital switches 234 and 235. The potentiometers
-14-
9~
30 heretofore described at each of the adjustinq devices are
connected to the analoa ~toltage converter 234 and their voltage
change indicates the d;stance travel]ed by the adjusting devices,
and the analog voltage converter relays the information for
comparison to the adjusted length and width of the digital switches
234 and 235 and to the programmed controller to stop the oper-
ation of the drives 240, 241, 242 and 243 when the measured adjust-
ments indicated on the digital switches 235 and 236 are reached.
The digital to analog converter 233 of the program
positioner is so programmed that the changes of the adjustments
are made in accordance with the speed of travel of the respective
conveyors so that the previous sheets are cleared from the respec-
tive conveyors prior to the adjustment for the next sheet size.
A manual control board 246 is provided preferably at
the stacker end of the frame 16 of the stacker, the control
buttons of which correspond to the various operating devices,
the circuits of which are connected to the programmed controller
so as to over-ride the automatic control when manual control
is required.
The sprina switches 204 are also connected to the
programmed controller 232 so that when actuated by the telescop-
ing of the rods 201 and 202 the programmed controller 232
directs the respective solenoid switches in the control circuit
247 (shown in Fig. 12 of applicants U.S. Patent No. 3,321,202
issued May 23, 1967) to actuate the respective solenoid valves
in the hydraulic system 248 (shown in Fig. 11 of said U.S. Patent)
first to raise the stacker end to clear the obstruction and then
to hold it raised until the obstruction is removed and the
operator manually starts the stacking operation again.
- 15 -
