Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AC~GROUND OF THF. INV~.NrION
In the folcllng paper box machine art, :Eolder-gluers are wel:l known
to prodLIce flat folded boxes, called "flats" herein, at high speed Erom flat
blanks, by folding and gluing the flaps, tabs and panels thereof and deliver-
ing the adhered, collapsed flats to the upper stretch of the endless apron
of a stacker. At the exit end of the stacker, it has been the custom for
several employees to seek to keep up with the production of the folde:r-g].uer
by repeatedly manually removing successive individual "packets" or "l:iEts"
and carrying them over to empty packing cases for deposit one layer, or several
LO layers, to the case, IVhen the flats are shingled and recumbent, with, for
exa.mple, each fiftieth flat counted and projecting slightly from the :Line of
flats, it will be understood that the operator must place the hand under the
flat at the point she believes she can easily carry, raise the flats to up-
stand on lower edge, compress the lift and try to bodily transport it to an
empty case without dropping it on the floor. This continual manual lifting
is not only arduous, but if a lift is dropped the stacker continues delivering
flats until the entire line may have to be stopped~
In United States Patent 3,811,549 to Pressig May 21, lJ7~ an
apparatus for handling collapsed boxes is disclosed in which a sled and skates
with a brake is located in front of the leading box to advance therewith up
to a fixed barrier and the segregation element is a plate poised above the
path to descend downwardly across the entire path of the flats.
~ ith a fixed stop of this device covering the entire leading flat
and the segregation element covering the entire trailing flat, it would be
difficult for an operator to grasp the packet, lift or slug between her hands
and slide it further along the path. An unillustrated ram is apparently
intended to move the captive packet sidewise of the path.
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SUMMARY OF T~IS INVENTION
This invention is directed to an apparatus and method
for handling flats, which will enable a sing]e operator -to move
from a case packer to the stacker, grasp a slug of counted :Elats
between her hands, slide the slug in the direction of advance of
the flats onto a transfer table and into an empty case, and return
to grasp the next successive counted slug and repeat the cycle.
The invention provides count divider apparatus for
segregating a counted slug of flat articles from a plurality of
such flat articles being advanced in a horizontal path on the apron
of a stacker, while upstanding on the edges thereof, said apparatus
comprising: guide means associated with said stacker and including
a guide extending horizontally in parallelism with said path; a
carriage, mounted to move horizontally along said guide in
parallelism with said path; roller means, including at least one
roller on said carriage in rolling contact with the apron of said
stacker; one-way clutch means, forming part of said roller means
for said carriage to advance only as fast as said apron, but per-
mitting free rolling of said carriage relative to said apron; and
a segregation element, mounted on said carriage to move in and out
of said path, said element normally extending into said path, in
front of the leading flat article in each cuccessive, individual
slug thereby to support said flat articles in upstanding position,
but being retractable out of said path for reinsertion at a pre-
determined position.
The invention also provides count divider apparatus for
segregating- a counted slug of flat articles from a plurality of
such flat articles being advanced in a horizontal path on t:he
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primary apron of a stacker at a predetermined speed in shingled
formation, said apparatus comprising: a secondary stacker having
a secondary apron in continuation of said primary stacker apron,
and arranged to advance said Ela-t articles at a speed less than the
speed of said primary apron to raise said flat articles from
shingled formation to upstanding edge supported formation; a hold
down belt having a lower stretch advancing in the direction of
advance of said flat articles in contaet with the upper edges of
said flat articles as they are so raised to maintain alignment
thereof; a movable carriage mounted on said secondary stacker to
advance alongside the leading control slug of flat articles, with
said secondary apron, and parallel to said path; a segregation rod
mounted on said carriage for horizontal movement between a position
outside the path of said flat articles to a position in front of
said path, mid-way of the height of the leading flat article of
said leading counted slug to support the same against forward tilt;
and means for enabling retraction of said movable carriage, in a
direction opposite to the direetion of advance of said secondary
apron, to permit insertion of said rod in front of the leading flat
artiele of the next suceessive slug of said flat artieles.
The invention further provides eount divider apparatus
for segregating a eounted slug of flat artieles from a plurality
of sueh flat artieles being advaneed in a path on the apron of a
stacker at a predetermined speed in shingled formation, said
apparatus comprising: an endless elongated, alignment belt, trained
around sheaves mounted above said apron, said belt having a lower
stretch advancing in the direction of advanee of said shingled flat
articles with a first portion extending longitudinally at a spaced
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uniform distance above said apron and a second portion inclining
upwardly and forwardly to a level substan-tlally equal to the height
of an erected fla-t article, said lower stretch advancing at greater
speed than -the speed of said apron and riding on the upper edges of
said fla-t articles to raise them from shingled to erect position,
and a movable wheeled carriage mounted to roll alongside said path,
said carriage having a segregation rod mounted to move horizontally
in and out of the path of the leading slug of said flat articles to
maintain its erect positior and having a one-way clutch on a wheel
thereof to allow the carriage to advance as fast as the apron but
permit free reverse rolling thereof.
~ he invention still further provides count divider
apparatus of the type having a plurality of flat articles advancing
along a stacker apron in an elongated zone in which said flat
articles are in upstanding, close-packed, counted slugs, supported
on their lower edges, characterized by: elongated alignment belt
means extending longitudinally above said apron, in a zone in
advance of said first mentioned zone, said means including at least
one endless belt having a lower stretch advancing in the direction
of advance of the flat articles shingled on said apron and in con-
tact with the upper edges of said flat articles, said lower stretch
having a plurality of spaced transverse ridges thereon, having an
upwardly and forwardly inclined portion for lifting said shingled
flat articles to upstanding, erected position and having means for
advancing said stretch at a greater relative speed than the speed
of said apron.
From another aspect, the invention provides the method of
segregating a counted slug of flat articles from a plurality of
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such Elat articles advanclng in shingled forma-tion along a horizon-
tal path at a predetermined speed supported on a primary stacker
apron, having of a secondary stacker apron, a movable carriage,
and a segregation member on the carriage, said method comprising
the steps of: positioning said secondary apron in extension of
said primary apron and advancing said secondary apron at slower
speed than the speed of said primary apron to raise said shingl.ed
flat articles into upstanding posi-tion resting cn the lower edges
thereof; advancing said carriage at a predetermined speed, along~
side the leading counted slug on said secondary apron in a path
parallel to the path of said flat articles path, and with said
member extending into the path of said flat articles in contact
with about mid-height of the leading flat article therein; and
periodically retracting said member out of said path, retracting
said carriage and member back to the next successive counted slug
on said secondary apron and inserting said member transversely into
the path of said fl.at articles in contact with about mid-height of
the leading flat article in said next successive slug of counted
flat articles.
In one disclosed embodiment, alongside the secondary
apron there i.s a guide in the form of a straight horizontal rod,
parallel to the path of the flats, there being a carriage movable
forwardly and rearwardly thereon by the contact of grooved rollers.
Posts upstanding from the said carriage support a bracket which in
turn supports a push rod, movable horizontally into, and out of, the
path of the leading flat in the leading counted slug to engage it
about mid-height. A one-way clutch in a roller which engages the
secondary apron enables the carriage and rod to be advanced by the
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flats and apron, while preven-ted from :Eorward fall by the push rod.
When the operator places her left hand on the leadiny
flat she can withdraw the push rod, move the carriage in -the direc-
tion of retraction,
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reinsert it in a predetermined position such as in front o:E the next suc
cessive counted slug and :insert her right hand with the rod to grasp and
slide the slug forwardly o:E:E the apron.
In another embodiment the roller in contact with the apron is in
driving contact with a second roller in contact with the horizontal stacker
platform through a one-way clutch and a speed reduction mechanism or drive
train. Thus, the carriage advances at a predetermined speed such as one-
third the speed of the apron to compress the flats after they have been edge
stacked from longitudinal to lateral.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the carriage of the invention along-
side a secondary stacker apron;
Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;
Figure 3 is an end elevation from the front ~hereof with the roller
in half section;
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 o~ another embodiment;
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of the embodiment sh.own in
Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the embodiment shown in
Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view on a reduced scale show-
ing the secondary apron, hold down means, carriage and rod of the invention.
Figure 8 is a side elevation view;
Figure 8A is a side elevation view of the belt;
Figure 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view similar to Figure 7
showing the continuous stacker apron.
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DESCRIPTION OP A PREPERRED FMBODIMF~T
As best shown in Pigure 7, the primary apron 21, of the stacker 22,
receives the folded and glued collapsed boxes of trays, such as 23, called
"flats" herein, from the folder-gluer, not shown, and advances them in straight
line, shingled formation, along the horizontal path 24. In this invention,
a secondary stacker 25, is provided with a secondary stacker apron 26, in
straight line extension of apron 21, along path 24, the apron 25, being driven
by the drive oE apron 21, not shown, at a speed less than the predetermined
speed of the primary apron 21.
As the lower edge 27 of each successive individual flat 23, drops
into the apron nip 28, formed between end roll 29, of apron 21, and entrance
roll 31 of apron 25, to encounter the slower moving secondary apron 26, the
upper edge 32 of each flat 23, rises in an arc as shown until the flat is
upstanding on its lower edge 27.
Preferably, a hold down belt 33, trained around hold down rolls 34,
and 35, is provided to exert a downward force on the upper edges 32, of each
flat 23, and maintain them in alignment while holding them down, The hold
down belt is driven by the drive of apron 21, in a well known manner, and its
lower stretch 36, advances at a grea~er speed than the predetermined speed of
the apron 21, to assist in frictionally raising the flats to upstanding, edge
supported position.
The conventional folder-gluer includes mechanism which automatically
kicks out every fiftieth flat, such as at 37, 38, and 39, laterally si.dewise
from the shingled line 41 of flats to provide a visual count of indivi.dual
and successive slugs of flats, each precounted to fit in a packing case when
slightly compressed lengthwise. Each individual and successive slug 42, 43
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or 44 may be precounted into any number oE Elats 23, clesired, the number Eifty
being selected hereill:Eor convenience oE description, it being understood that
each run o:E flats may be as small as folded toothbrush boxes to as large as
game boxes.
The size and overlaps of such boxes make considerable difference in
the ability of an operator to carry a "lift" thereof without dropping the lift
on the floor so that in the prior art several trips and lifts may be required
to constitute a single counted slug forming a single layer in a packing case.
In this invention, however, the slug is slidably supported all the
way to the packing case so that an operator can grasp the leading flat 45 with
the left hand, the trailing flat 46, of the endmost counted slug with the
right hand and slide it forwardly along the horizontal path 24, and into the
case, as an integral unit with no danger of dropping the slug.
The count divider apparatus 47, of the invention includes the guide
means 48, which extends alongside the secondary stacker apron 26, in paral-
lelism with the horizontal path 24, of the line 41 of flats 23, advancing
along the path on the apron. Preferably, guide means 48, is an elongated
guide or rod 49 attached at each opposite end by clamp blocks such as 51 and
52, to an existing take up piece 53, of the secondary stacker 25, to extend
parallel thereto at a spaced distance laterally therefrom.
The rod 4~, thus forms a track for two pairs 54 and 55, of grooved
track rolls 56, 57, 58, and 59, mounted under the horizontal elongated plate
61, of the carriage, or side car 62, so that the carriage 62 will move
horizontally along the guide 49, in parallelism with path 24.
As best shown in Figure 1, the carriage plate 61, is provided with
a pair of laterally extending, longitudinally spaced apart slots 63 and 64,
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for clamps 65 and 66, so that the plate 61, can be moved laterally to desired
locations relative to apron 26 to accommodate flats of variows dimens:ions
while still being guided on rod 49.
~ pair of longitudinally spaced apart, upstanding posts 67 and 68
are provided on elongated plate 61, each having a split clamp 69 or 7:l thereon,
tightenable by a handle 72 or 73, for adjustment at a preferred heigh-t above
plate 61, which is usually about mid-height of the upstanding leading flat
45. The split clamps 69 and 71 support the longitudinally extending member
74, tightenable therein by clamp handle 75, and carrying the yoke, or bracket
76, for laterally slidable or pivotable push rod or member 77, with its point-
ed terminal end 78. The push rod 77 is a segregation element, mounted on
carriage 62, to move transversely and horizontally in and out of path 24, and
normally extending into the path in front of the leading flat 45, in each
successive, individual slug at about mid-height to support and Elats i.n up-
standing position while not interfering with manual grasping of the slug.
Roller means 79, is provided on carriage 62, in the form of at
least one roller 81, journalled at 82, to an integral inner wall 83, upstand-
ing from plate 61, and having a friction face 84 in rolling contact with
secondary apron 26. Preferably, a second roller 85, is provided also similar
to roller 81. The face 84, is preferably of rubber and preferably a weight
86, is provided to assure a firm contact of roller to apron.
One-way clutch means 87, forms part of roller means 79, and includes
at least one one-way clutch 88, built-in to roller 81, and preferably a
similar one-way clutch 89, built-in to roller 85 (Figure 1). The one-way
clutch means 87, permits the leading flat 45, to bear against the push rod
77, without advancing the rod, or carriage 62, relative to the apron 26,
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thereby malntaining the leading slug 42, upri.ght ready for grasping by the
operator. Ilowever, when the operator places the left hancl on the leacling
Elat, -tlle push rod can be retractecl horizontally, the carrlage will rc)ll
freely in the direction of retraction toward the next successive slug, and
the push rod can have its point inserted at the fifty first flat to hold it
upright while the operator slides the endmost slug forwardly along path 24,
and into a packing case, Thus, the one-way clutches permit the carriage to
retract freely on the apron, but prevents advance of the carriage on the
apron~
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 is
similar to the preferred embodiment of Figures l, 2 and 3, except that the
roller means 79 includes a second roller 91, in rolling contact with the
horizontal, elongated, portion 92, of the stacker platform 93, which extends
under the secondary apron 26, for supporting the apron against sag. The
second roller 91, has a friction face 94, and is journalled at 95, in a
longitudinally extending slot 96, in a lever 97, pivoted on a lateral:ly
extending shaft 98, The friction face 84 of roller 81, is in rolling contact
with secondary apron 26, and is fast on shaft 98, Speed reduction mechani.sm
99, is provided in the form of the sheave lOl driven by shaft 98, and in
driving contact with the second roller 91, through a one-way clutch 102, the
sheave lOl being of predetermined less diameter than the diameter of roller
81.
Thus, the adva-nce of the apron 26, at a predetermined speed, rotates
the roller 81, at that speed which in turn rotates the second roller 91, for
example, at one-third speed so that the carriage and push rod hold back and
compress the line of flats 41, on the secondary apron, as well as ho:Lding the
leading flat upstanding on lower edge 27.
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The compression of the flats 23 in the line of flats ~1, is some-
times necessary when the flats being run on the folder gluer are narrow and
elongated such as tooth brush boxes 103, such boxes being advanced along the
paper line of the folding and gluing zones while extending longitudinally
thereof, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 7. When such flats 103, reach
the stacker they must be turned by a turning plow 104, to extend laterally
and transversely of the stacker apron as at 105, in order to be shingled in
a manageable manner for handling and packing. Having been so turned by the
edge stacker, or plow, 104, the resulting line of flats is loosely packed and
a slug to fit a case would be incapable of grasp by an operator as too long.
It is for that reason that the apparatus and method of the invention
includes the step of slowing down the advance of the flats relative co the
speed of the apron to compress the line of flats into manageable, slugs,
easily handled by an operator as a bodily, transportable, slidable Ullit,
As shown in Figure 8 the preferred form of hold down belt 33 is at
least one elongated alignment belt 106 trained around sheaves 107, 108 and
109 and having tension control sheaves 113, 114 and 115. Alignment belt 106
includes a lower stretch advancing in the direction of advance of the shingled
flats on primary apron 21 with a first portion at a spaced uniform distance
above the level of primary apron 21 and a second portion inclining upwardly
and forwardly to a level substantially equal to the height of an erected flat
upstanding on its lower edge on secondary apron 26. An endless belt 110
trained around sheaves 111 and 112 is also provided with its lower stretch
in contact with the upper edges of the shingled flats. The inclined portion
of alignment belt 106 raises the upper edges of the shingled flats as the
slower running secondary apron 26 slows the advance of the lower edges thereby
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raising the flats to upstanding, erect position as shown. The belt nip 119
between the primary apron 21 and the secondary apron 26 assists :in plvoting
the flats upright,
As shown in Figure 8A, the belt 106 is formed of an inner layer of
fabric such as can~as 117 and an outer layer of rubber-like material 118, the
outer layer having a plurality of spaced trans~erse rlbs~ ridges or knobs to
increase the contact with the upper edges of the flats.
Figure 9 is similar to Figure 7 except that it shows that a conti-
nuous stacker apron 123 can be used with the edge stacker, or plow 10~ rather
than a primary and secondary apron separated by a hip.
