US3367649A - Automatic paper handling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1968 w, THOMAS. ET AL 3,367,649

AUTOMATIC PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 7, 1965 ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VENTOR-S A? I I w $4M @MZZ Z 5i Feb. 6, 1968 w. E. THOMAS ET AL AUTOMATIC PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 7, 1965 Feb. 6, 1968 w; E. THOMAS ET AL AUTOMATIC PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fil ed Sept. 7, 1965 M I INVENTORS fi izzzrE 7720222029 F walk 7 PI QZZe/Zeef 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,367,649 AUTOMATIC PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM Wilbur E. Thomas, Wayne, David 1!). Bradley, Butler, and

Walter Lee Floyd, In, Fompton Plains, N.J., assignors to General Binding Corporation, Northhrook, 112., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 485,186

12 Claims. (Cl. 271-40) ABSTRAQT OF THE DISCLDSURE Apparatus providing extremely high speed handling and processing of thin sheet material. An automatic, completely adjustable, storage bin and supply means is arranged to provide insertion of a relatively small portion of the supply into a high speed punch mechanism. Additional automatic means causes energization of a processing device, such as, for example, a punch or stapling mechanism, and then transfers the processed sheets to a storage bin. Simple adjustments are provided permitting utilization of substantially any conventional size sheet in the apparatus.

The present invention relates to apparatus for handling and processing sheets of material. More particularly, the invention is concerned with providing an automatic machine for storing, directing from storage to a punch, stapler or the like, and directing to a delivery position, large quantities of sheet material at high rates of speed.

Machines have been proposed for handling a multiplicity of sheets of material. However, to our knowledge, no truly successful automatic sheet handling mechanism has been provided by the prior art. Thus, for example, prior constructions have been proposed in which automatic handling of the sheets has been achieved but in a manner requiring movement of the sheets over relatively long distance between the storage, punching, stapling, and packaging stations. Such systems have been operated satisfactorily under extremely rigid humidity controls and at relatively low speeds. However, these systems have proved unsatisfactory in high speed operation, have been extremely bulky in their over-all space requirements, and have been extremely temperamental in actual use under varying conditions of paper quality, surface and humidity conditions. Still further, in our experience, apparatus heretofore contemplated for the handling of stacked sheets in large quantities has been extremely difficult to accommodate to varying sheet dimensions and has required substantial set-up time to change the apparatus from one sheet size to another.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, on the other hand, we have provided apparatus for handling sheet materials in an extremely rapid manner. This is accomplished with apparatus that is compact, readily adjustable, and which maintains constant control of the sheet material by moving the material over a very small distance for processing, whereby physical handling of the material is greatly reduced and variations in paper characteristics and atmospheric conditions become much less critical. In accordance with our invention, sheet materials such as, for example, sheet paper, is stacked in a hopper. Means is provided for separating a lift or sheaf of sheet material from the bottom of the stack and shifting it laterally a short distance, sufiicient to permit an edge treatment of the paper, such as for example, punching, stapling, or the like. The sheet material is, during such edge treatment, still mainly within the confines of the storage stack or hopper. Immediately following the edge treatment, the lift of sheet material is again moved laterally in a direction generally at right angles to the first direction of movement into a discard hopper. The total movement of the sheets of material in the apparatus of the present invention, from the hopper to the discharge is very small and throughout the movement the sheet material is under complete physical control of the apparatus in a manner eliminating paper jams. Further, and in accordance with the present invention, the mechanism for manipulating the sheet material is substantially universally adjustable in a unitary manner thereby permitting a simple adjustment to be made for adapting the apparatus to sheet materials of varying sizes.

It is, accordingly, an object of our invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for handling sheet material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extremely compact high speed automatic apparatus for the feeding, processing, and discarding of processed sheet materials.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a short stroke sheet material feed mechanism which maintains positive control over the sheet material throughout the manipulation of it.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a substantially completely universally adjustable paper handling mechanism of simplified design.

Still a further feature of the invention is the provision of a power sheet feeding mechanism in which the feed mechanism and the power apparatus for actuating it are movable as a unit for purposes of adjustment to accommodate variations in sheet size.

Still other and further objects and features of the present invention will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification and drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown by Way of illustration only, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a sheet handling, processing and stacking apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, somewhat enlarged, of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-lV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, taken along the line V-V of FIGURE 3 and illustrating a jogging apparatus employed in the apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a schematic and isometric view of the sheet material feed apparatus employed in the present invention arranged to expose the operative parts thereof;

FIGURE 7 is an isometric, generally schematic, view of the lateral ejection mechanism employed to eject the sheet material from the processing step of the machine;

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic side-elevational view of the stack separating device employed in accordance with the present invention during a separating operation;

FIGURE 9 is an end-elevational view of the stack of sheet material being separated in the manner of FIGURE 8 just prior to separation; and

FIGURE 10 is a diagrammatic end-elevational view similar to that shown in FIGURE 9 without utilization of a lift gauge included in the construction of the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

As may be seen from a consideration of FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus of the present invention comprises, in general, a unitary housing 10 incorporating a hopper 11 for storage of sheet material, a processing station 12 for punching, stapling, or the like, sheet material removed from the hopper 11, a discharge bin or receptacle 13 and a power material feed mechanism 14. Suitable control members generally shOWn at 15 and 16 provide manual switching functions for energizing the various power functions of the apparatus. The location of the feed and processing components may be more readily seen from a consideration of FIGURE 2. As there shown, a feed hopper is provided by three vertical fences or walls 20, 21, 22 and vertical abutment 23. The material, shown at 25, is, accordingly, accurately positioned on the upper table or surface 26 of the housing 10. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the processing device generally indicated at 12 comprises a punch for providing the forward edges of the paper 25 with a plurality of apertures 27, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. As can 'be seen, the punch 12, which per se forms no part of the present invention, is positioned immediately adjacent the hopper wall so that the sheet material in the hopper may be moved in a direction of arrow 28 under the wall 20 and into the punch 12 with a relatively short movement. In fact, it will be seen from a consideration of FIGURE 3 that the material moves from the solid line position, in which the sheet material occupies the hopper 11 to the position shown in the dash-dotted lines for punching, and then laterally, to the right, into the dotted line position for discharge into the bin 13 via power driven rollers 29. As shown, the movement of an 8 /2" by 11" sheet of paper material may be less than four inches in the direction of the arrow 28 and subsequent movement thereof in the direction of the arrow 31 prior to engagement with the power drive rollers 29 is on the order of about one inch, with the total discharge movement from the position of processing to the discharge pin being only approximately one foot. It will be seen, accordingly, that movement of the sheet material is extremely limited. It has been found that by limiting the amount of movement imposed upon the sheet material, the application of movement forces to the material may be accomplished extremely efiiciently by a novel, compact apparatus. This may be clearly seen from the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, sheet material, for example paper or the like, is positioned in the hopper 11 in the position shown at in FIGURES 2 and 3. In order to prevent deorientation of previously collated material, it is preferred that the sheet material be processed consecutively from the bottom of the hopper. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by first separating a lift or slice of sheets from the bottom of the stack of sheets in the hopper. As illustrated, the knife blade separator 32 is pivotally mounted about shaft 33 for oscillating movement from the solid line position shown in FIGURE 3 into the dot-dash position shown in the same figure. This counterclockwise oscillating of the knife 32 causes penetration of the knife into the paper 25 lifting the bulk of the paper 25 vertically upwardly and leaving a lift or slice of papers 25a remaining upon the top surface of the apparatus. In this condition it will be observed that the weight of the stack 25 above the lift 25a is not completely removed, and that, instead, the outer edges 25b, 25c, and 25d still rest upon the lift 25a. Accordingly, at this stage in the movement of the apparatus, the lift 25a has been separated from the stack for individual movement but is still at least partially confined in position by the stack 25. Knife 32 is prevented from digging into lift 25a by slightly tilting the bearing axis 33 away from the vertical axis 33a by an angle 0. Satisfactory results have been achieved by using 61.5.

Immediately upon separation of the stack 25 from the lift 25a, by insertion of the oscillating knife 32, abutments 35 are moved in the direction of arrows 28 carrying the lift 25a into the position shown in the dot-dash line in FIGURE 3 for punching. The lift of sheet material 25a is relatively stifi and is given additional stiffness along the axis 28 by being slightly humped. This hump or ridge is provided by means of the lift gauge 36 which projects beneath the bottom sheet of material and requires that the stack of sheets assume a slightly humped condition. As a result, the abutments 35 readily force the lift 25a laterally in the direction of the arrow 28 into the punch or other processing device.

The lift gauge 36, above described, is an important refinement. In addition to the lateral strength the humping provides for the lift 25a, it also provides uniformity in the thickness of the lift separated. This may be understood from a consideration of FIGURES 9 and 10. In FIGURE 9 the point of entry into the stack of sheet material 25, by the separating knife 32 is indicated at the point 32a. The thickness of the lift is determined by the distance between the point 32a and the top of the lift gauge 36. Upon separation of the lift from the main stack 25, in a manner illustrated in FIGURE 8, and upon removal of the lift 25a from beneath the stack, the stack drops downwardly upon the lift gauge 36. If no lift gauge 36 were provided, the stack would drop directly upon the table and would presumably lie flat upon the table for selection of a lift. However, as may be seen from FIGURE 10, experience has shown that if no lift gauge is provided, the stack 25 will not lie completely flat upon the table. This is true since separation of the stack from the lift is accomplished by a centrally positioned knife 32 which holds the stack 25 upwardly from the lift at a position approximately in the middle of the stack. When the knife is withdrawn, the stack drops upon the table and a slight hump remains. This hump, shown at 37 in FIGURE 10 is not uniform from cycle to cycle, and depends to a certain extent upon the weight of paper in the stack 25. Accordingly, if no lift gauge 36 is provided, and the point of entry of the separating knife 32 is adjusted downwardly to a point indicated at 32!) in FIGURE 10, a relatively thin lift will be separated and, it has been found that the lift will have little uniformity in thickness. Accordingly, the gauge 36 provides a positive, predetermined support beneath the stack of sheets and operates to provide a substantially uniform lift thickness. Plate 38, as shown, extends under the stack and hence under the lift to provide support for the lift as it is moved.

Immediately following movement of the lift 25a into the punch or other processing station, shown in the dotdash line position of FIGURE 3, the punch or other processing device is actuated to treat the lift. Immediately following this treatment or processing, the lift is moved laterally in the direction of arrow 31 by means of an ejector 40. The ejector 40 contacts the edge 25b of the lift 25a and forces the lift into position between rollers 29. Preferably the rollers 29 are constantly rotating so that as the lift is ejected into a position between them, the rollers move the lift into the bin 13. During the movement of the lift in the direction 31 by the ejector 40, the knife 32 remains in the position shown in the dot-dash lines in FIGURE 3, supporting the stack 25 of sheet material in the manner such that the majority of the weight of the stack 25 is off the lift 25a. However, the edges of the stack may rest upon the lift 25a and in so doing provide slight confinement, and hence control, to the lift 25a. It will be appreciated, accordingly, that the lift 25a is separated from the stack of sheets in the storage hopper, moved into position for processing, processed, and ejected from the machine into a bin with only minimal handling of the lift and without ever taking the lift completely out from under the stack. By limiting the actual movement of the lift in the manner thus shown and described, there is no chance for the paper or other sheet material to become disarranged by jostling along conveyors or the like. Absolute alignment is maintained at all times and, further, due to the short distances of movement, the rate of speed of movement may be materially increased. In actual practice, it has been found that the apparatus will satisfactorily operate at the rate of 80 lifts per minute, a speed unheard of in any previously constructed apparatus.

It has been found desirable in practice to provide for continually correcting the alignment of the stack 25 above the lift 25a so that as each successive portion of the stack 25 drops into position for separation, it will be perfectly aligned. This is accomplished by means of a jogging finger 42 pivoted about bearing 43. The jogging finger 42 engages the edge 25d of the stack 25 at a point spaced above the table 26 at a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the lift 25d to be separated from the stack. During each cycle of operation of the machine, the finger 42 is positively moved into engagement with the stack and forces the stack snugly against the confining wall 22 of the hopper. This provides absolute squareness of the stack 25. It will be appreciated that this jogging action is particularly desirable since the walls and 21 must, of necessity, be spaced vertically above the table surface 26 by a distance somewhat in excess of the thickness of the lift, in order to permit the lift to be discharged beneath the wall 20 for processing, and beneath the wall 21 for ejection into the bin 13. The jogging finger 42 is depressed into the dot-dash position shown in FIGURE 5 during ejection of the lift in the direction of the arrow 31 shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5. The jogging finger 42 is shown in the jogging position in FIGURES 3 and 5 and in the down, or position of ejection, in FIG- URE 2.

By providing the extremely limited motion of the lift a, the power mechanism for manipulating the lift is consolidated, in accordance with our invention, into an essentially unitary structure. This will be appreciated from a consideration of FIGURES 1, 2 and 6. As there shown, the hopper wall 22 and wall portion 23 are horizontally adjustably secured to a unitary mounting plate 30. The plate rests upon the table 26 and is movable through a wide range of movement by loosening clamping screws 45 which pass through the plate into threaded clamping plates 46 positioned below the table 26. Angled slots 47 permit movement of the clamping screws 45, and hence the mounting plate 30 in a direction generally angularly toward the hopper walls 20, 21. This movement accommodates substantially any sheet size and permits movement of the hopper walls 22, 23, relative to the hopper walls 20, 21, to provide a snug hopper for a stack 25 of substantially any sheet size. Additionally, sides 20 and 21 are slidably adjustable in horizontal length to permit adjustment to small sheet size. The blade 32 and the blade pivot 33 are mounted for movement with the plate 30 so that as adjustment of the hopper is provided, the positions of the knife 32 remains constant relative to the edge 25a of the stack 25.

As will be seen from FIGURES 2 and 3, movement of the knife 32 is accomplished by means of a fluid motor 34 which in turn is pivotally mounted at 34a at a point carried by the plate 30. Similarly, the lift gauge 36 and abutments are mounted upon a plate 38 reciprocally movable in the direction of arrow 28 in a sleeve bearing 39 mounted rigidly upon a member 30a rigidly secured to plates 30 and carried therewith beneath table 26. =Plates 30 and 30a are rigidly connected by means of centrally located vertically extending connecting and reinforcing bars, not shown, which pass through the plate 26 by way of enlarged slot or aperture 3% which permits the plates 30, 30a to move freely for the adjustment purposes above mentioned. Plate 30a carries a fluid motor 38a for actuation of the plate 38 by way of bracket 380. Thus, both the lift moving abutments 35 and the separating knife 32, along with their power actuating motors, are unitarily carried by the plates 30, 30a, such that any adjustment of the hopper walls 22, 23 simultaneously provides correct adjustment for the abutments 35, lift gauge 36, and knife 32, which components comprise the apparatus designed for manipulating the lift 25a in the direction or arrow 28. Adjustment of the ejector 40 which is actuated by a motor 40a carried on a sub-mounting bracket 40b is readily accomplished by means of an adjustment clamping knob 40c slidably mounted in slot 40d and threaded into tab portion 40:: of the bracket 40b. The ejector 40 is slidably carried in bearing 40 for reciprocation in the direction of arrow 31. It will be clear that adjustment of the position of the ejector 40 may readily be accomplished to accommodate variations in length of the sheet material in the stack 25.

With the arrangement above described, complete adjustment of the system may readily be accomplished, to accommodate variations in size of sheet material, by merely loosening knobs 45 to shift the hopper walls 22, 23, the knife 32, and the pusher abutments 35, and by adjustment of the ejector 40 by way of clamping knob 400. These two adjustments provide for complete and accurate alignment and in view of the fact that the power motors supplying the energy for movement of the various components are carried directly with the component itself, no adjustments of linkage or other mechanism are required.

It is preferred, when the apparatus of the present invention is intended for use with sheet paper or the like, that the motors for actuating the various manipulating devices be pneumatically energized. In the embodiment illustrated accordingly, the knife motor 34 and the abutment motor 39 comprise two-way air cylinders, while the ejector motor 40a and the jogging motor 42a comprise one-way pneumatic cylinders. Pneumatic cylinders, operating under nominal air pressure, provide resilient actuating force which is powerful yet yielding to accommodate any occasional jam of the system. Each of the motors is controlled by electrically actuated valve of any conventional design connecting a source of air under pressure to the respective motor. The valve-controlling switch is position-responsive to provide sequential operation.

Assuming that the apparatus is connected to a source of air under pressure, the cycle of motions is started by energization of a manual start switch controlling the solenoid valve, diagrammatically illustrated at 34b, to the separator knife motor 34. The valve is a conventional four-way value which, commonly termed a four-way momentary valve when thus initially energized, operates to move the knife 32 into the stack 25 and retain it in such position until a second switch 41, described below, is closed causing the valve to open the return side of the two-way motor 34. Upon initial energization of motor 34, the separator blade 32 moves into the dotdash position shown in FIGURE 3, at which point position-responsive limit switch 320 is energized opening the control valve 33b to the pneumatic motor 38:: causing movement of the lift of sheet material 25a in the direction of arrow 28 by pusher abutment 35. Upon movement of the abutments 35 to the dot-dash position shown in FIGURE 3, in which the lift 25a is in position for processing, a limit switch 35a is actuated by bracket 38b energizing a solenoid t actuate the punch 12. Upon completion of the processing cycle comprising, for example, a punch or stapling stroke, a limit switch, not shown, closes to open the control valve 4011 to motor 401: energizing the ejector 40 against return spring 40g to move the lift 25a in the direction of arrow 31 through rollers 29 and into the storage bin. At the same time that the punch stroke is completed, the solenoid 42c controlling the jogging motor 42a is deenergized to cause gravity, or spring means 421:, to drop jogger 42 into the dot-dash position shown in FIGURE 5 in preparation for passage of the paper directly thereabove and through the rollers 29. Similarly, upon completing the punch stroke, the limit switch energizes the valve 38b to actuate motor 38a to return platform 38. Upon completing of ejection stroke, switch 41 is closed energizing valve 34b 7 and 34 in the reverse direction to move knife 32 back to the solid line position of FIGURE 3. Upon this return movement switch 32a' is closed actuating the solenoid 42c to move jog motor 421: upwardly to jog and align the stack 25.

As the lift passes through the rollers 29 it energizes a recycling wand-type limit switch 50. The switch 50 automatically closes, in series with switch 32d, the circuit to the solenoid valve 341) controlling the select motor 34 to initiate another cycle of operation when knife 32 returns to the solid line position of FIGURE 3. In the event that no lift of paper passes through the rollers, and hence at the end of the supply of paper, the recycling switch 50 is not energized, thereby leaving the select motor 34 unactuated and, hence, preventing further automatic cycling of the machine.

It will be seen from a consideration of the above specification and drawings that we have provided a novel, extremely compact and highly eflicient apparatus for the handling of sheet materials. It will be understood, of course, that such sheet materials may include not only paper, but sheet plastics, thin metals, and other types of materials which it may be desired to process. It will, further, of course, be understood that although perhaps the most common processing step to be accomplished by mechanism 12 would comprise punching a series of perforations such as shown at 27 in FIGURE 3, the processing may alternatively comprise stapling the sheets together, binding the sheets with a wire or plastic binding element, trimming the sheets or accomplishing substantially limitless other treatments at or adjacent the edge 25c of the lift 25a.

It is our intention, accordingly, that variations in the processing step shall in no way limit the scope of the present invention. it will further be appreciated that although pneumatic motors, solenoids, or other types of motor power may be employed, it is our intent, in view of the large variety of variations that may be utilized in the construction and operation of our invention, that the scope of the invention be limited solely by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls movable as a unit toward and away from the first and second side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion to a storage position after processing.

2. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under the first wall to said processing means for processing thereby while still partially under the upper portion of the stack, ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position after processing.

3. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife separated to leave a lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls movable as a unit toward and away from the first and second side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion to a storage position after processing, and pneumatic means sequentially moving said knife means, said moving means and said ejector means.

4. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under the first wall to said processing means for processing thereby while still partially under the upper portion of the stack, ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position after processing, and pneumatic means sequentially moving said knife means, said moving means and said ejector means.

5. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under the first wall to said processing means for processing thereby while still partially under the upper portion of the stack, ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position, and pneumatic actuator means for sequentially moving each said knife means, said moving means and said ejector means, said actuator means including position-responsive means operable to energize each actuator only upon completion of movement of the preceding actuator whereby a jam of any actuator prevents further motion of the apparatus.

-6. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under the first wall to said processing means for processing thereby while still partially under the upper portion of the stack, ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position, and pneumatic actuator means for sequentially moving each said knife means, said moving means and said ejector means, said actuator means including position-responsive means operable to energize each actuator only upon completion of movement of the preceding actuator whereby a jam of any actuator prevents further motion of the apparatus, means deenergizing said actuator means, and means responsive to movement of said lower lift portion to said storage position to reenergize actuator means to initiate another cycle of operation.

7. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, said wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side of said stack at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift port-ion under said second wall to a storage position after process- 8. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, said wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side of said stack at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under the first wall to said processing means for processing thereby while still partially under the upper portion of the stack, and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position after processing.

9. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion to leave a lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent one side of said stack and a second side at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side walls to provide a complete hopper to confine the stack of sheet material against horizontal movement, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, jogging means for aligning said stack by impacting said stack at a point above said lift portion, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, ejector laterally moving said lower lift portion to a storage position after processing and pneumatic means sequentially moving said knife means, said moving means, said jogging means and said ejector means.

10. In an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion to leave a separated lower lift portion, side wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent one side of said stack and a second side of said stack at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, means providing third and fourth side Walls movable as a unit toward and away from the first and second side walls to thereby complete the hopper to confine the stack of sheet material, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion to a storage position by passage under said second wall after processing thereof, said moving means, said knife means, said first wall, and said second wall being unitarily mounted as an adjustable unit on said table.

11. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, said wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side of said stack at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first Wall to said processing means and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position after processing, said knife means being pivotally mounted about an axis slightly inclined relative to the vertical whereby said knife means moves upwardly as it moves into said stack.

12. In combination in an apparatus for handling and processing sheet material, a table for supporting a stack of sheets, processing means at one side of said table adjacent said stack of sheets, knife means for separating a group of sheets from the bottom of said stack by slicing the stack and lifting the top portion above said knife to leave a separated lower lift portion, said wall means extending generally vertically upwardly above said table adjacent said one side of said stack and a second side of said stack at right angles thereto to provide first and second side walls of a material hopper, said first and second walls being vertically spaced from said table by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of said lower lift portion of said stack, means moving the lower lift portion under said first wall to said processing means, and ejector means laterally moving said lower lift portion under said second wall to a storage position after processing, and means supporting said stack slightly above said table immediately adjacent the point of entry of said knife into said stack whereby said stack is provided with a slight ridge raised along an axis generally longitudinal of the direction of movement of said lower lift portion into said processing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 730,920 6/1903 Joecken 2148.5

5 2,665,633 1/1954 Schubert 2148.5

3,209,924 10/1965 Hawkes 2148.5

3,285,604 11/1966 Parker 27144 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner. 10 J. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner.

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