US2560252A - Sheet piler - Google Patents

Description

y 1951 F. K. SCHEFE 2,560,252

' SHEET FILER Filed'June 4, 1947 s Sheets-She s: 2.

Snuentor Fre de/v'c/v K. Jcflefe 8: [AM

111.: attorney y 1951 F. K. SCHEFE' 2,560,252

SHEET FILER Filed June 4. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet- 5 Iinoentor (its (Ittorneg July 10, 1951 sc 2,560,252

SHEET FILER Filed: June 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Snvenfor th s attorney F. K. SCHEFE SHEET FILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1947 m a 3 C I 4 Q. J MN 5 K k H w v m a W Q m A I Q H a III; I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 0 0 II Jig. 6.

HIS attorney Patented July 10, 1951 2,560,252 FICE sneer PILER Frederick R. seam, Gary,

Ind., assignor to United States Steel Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,334

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) Numerous devices have been proposed for attaining the foregoing objectives but, so far as I am aware, they are all subject to various disadvantages. One prime disadvantage of conventional sheet pilers of the class with whichthe present invention is concerned is that they are costly to manufacture, install and maintain. Another disadvantage, and one which is particularly applicable to the least expensive installations, is that during the stacking or piling operation the sheets are permitted to slide upon one another.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a sheet piler of the class described which is highly eflicient in operation, accomplishing the stacking or piling operation without damage to the individual sheets; and one which is at the same time relatively inexpensive to manufacture, install and maintai Another object is to provide an apparatus of the class described which is entirely automatic in operation and one which is also adjustable to accommodate sheets of varying sizes.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan of the showing of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view on the line IVIV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view on the line V-V of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view on the line VI-VI of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged viewon the line VII-VII of Figure 2; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged end view of the right-hand portion of the apparatus of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the numeral 2 designates a rail base. which is disposed adjacent a point of delivery of successively fed sheets and be disposed the skids on be piled.

The rail base 2 is provided with a pair of sliding-ways 3 each of which is adapted to rein front of which there may which the sheets are to,

ceive the depending leg of a housing 4. As shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 8, the housing 4 may be adjusted longitudinally of the rail base 2 by means of rotatable screws 1.

' Facing in the direction in which the sheets are to be successively fed, each of the housings 4 is provided with a horizontally extending stationary shaft 9, the same being received in a bearing l0 and located in position by means of a conventional clamp l I. Each of the horizontally extending shafts 9 carries a rotatable huh I! with which there is integrally formeda face plate l5. Each of the face plates tiis provided with a series of horizontally extending individual fingers t6; the same being adapted to receive between them, and to stack or pile, the succes: sively fed sheets, the manner of which will be described hereinafter.

Each of the hubs I2 is provided with an in tegrally formed worm gear l3, a shaft 2| extends between the worm gears l3 and carries in slidably keyed fashion a pair of worms 22 one of which is adapted to cooperate with each of the worm gears l3.

Referring to the upper right-hand part of Figure 2, the shaft 2| is provided with an extended end which carries a sprocket 24, the same being driven by a chain 25 which connects with a sprocket 26 on a shaft 21. This shaft 21 is connected to the lower of a pair of pinch rolls 29 which are disposed at the delivery end of a processing unit, the same in the present instance being represented by a typical sheet conveyor 32. This sheet conveyor 32 comprises a pair of parallel angularly inclined rails 33. Adjacent the upper ends of the rails 33 and the hereinbefore described pinch rolls 23, ther is provided a shaft 34 which carries a series of sprockets ,36 around each of which there is strung a chain 36:: the opposite end of which is not shown. As shown most clearly in the upper left-hand end of Figure 2. the shaft is extended, and carries on its extended end a sprocket 38 to which there is connected a chain 39, the latter being also connected to a sprocket 40 on the shaft 21 (the latter being connected 29, as previously to the lower of the pinch rolls described).

The shaft 34 may be driven in any suitable manner; for example, by an adjustably disposed electric motor (not shown). 1

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, each of the chains 36a is provided with a series of spaced lugs 4|, the said lugs being abreast of one another on the adjacent chains, whereby they serve to successively feed the sheets from the sheet conveyor 32 and into the pinch rolls 29. The bottom pinch roll (which is driveni from the shaft 34) rotates at a higher rate of speed than the chains 36a, thereby eliminating buckling of the sheets a they enter the pinch rolls.

In order to guide and align the sheets as they are fed from the pinch rolls 29 there is attached to each of the stationary horizontal shafts-9 a longitudinally (see Figure 3). In addition, each of the housings 4 is provided with a bracket 44 which carries a stationary guide 45, the latter being in effect continuations (downwardly) of the stationary guides 43. From the foregoingit will be perceived that the combination of guides 43 and 45 provides 5 simple and readily adjustable means for receiving and alignin the sheets as they are delivered from the pinch rolls 29.

Referring to Figure 1', there is disposed beneath the space between the corresponding stationary guides (43-43 and 45-45) piling skids 48 upon which the sheets are to be stacked or piled. In order to even the ends of the successively fed sheets after they are deposited on the piling skids 48, there is provided a contacting platen 49 which is connected to a series of oscillating members and motivated by a crank 5| which is connected to a motor driven speed reducer 52,,

In operation:

Sheets S are successively fed from the pinch rolls 29 and moved in between the revolving assemblies of fingers 16. The speed of rotation of the fingers 16 (which are mounted on the face plates is coordinated of the pinch rolls 2!! in such manner as to cause the extending fingers to successively register and thereby provide supporting means for the sheets, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

It is, of course, essential that (as viewed in Figure 3) the left-hand assembly of the fingers 16 be rotated clockwise while the opposite (right-hand) assembly of the fingers is rotated in a, counter-clockwise direction. In this manner, then, there is assured a rapid and smooth lowering of the successively fed sheets into position on the pilin skids 48, the fingers I6 when in their lowermost positions being automatically withdrawn due to their rotative motion.

In order to prevent the excessive forward movementof the successively fed sheets S there is provided a pair of brackets 53 in which there is adjustably supported a pair of parallel horizontally extending rods 54. These rods 54 extend between the assemblies of fingers l6 and carry a stop member 55 having a cunved upper face 56 which serves to decelerate the forward movement of each of the successively fed sheets immediately before contacting the stop 55, thereby preventing damage. As shown by the broken lines in Figure 1, when the sheet S enters the piling device it is partially supported by both the fingers l6 and rolls 29. As forward movement continues the sheet simultaneously assumes a downward motion corresponding to the moving fingers 16. By proper adjustment of the stop 55 with respect to the length and speed of the sheets being fed, the advancing ends of the latter may be assured contact with the upper curved face 56 of the stop 55.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form, construction and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish it-to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for piling sheets comprising a pair of parallel rotatable heads, a series of forextendin stationary guide 43 50 which are connected towith the speed a wardly extending parallel fingers carried by each of said heads, and means for rotating said heads in opposite directions so that the fingers carried thereby travel downwardly in. the convergent direction, said fingers being adapted for disposition beneath the opposite'edges of a sheet disposed between said heads and for withdrawal from contact with said edges at the lower extremity of the rotative movement thereof.

2. Apparatus for piling sheets comprising a pair of parallel base supported housings, a rotatable head mounted on a fixed shaft in each housing, said shafts protruding forwardly from said heads, a series of forwardly extending parallel fingers carried by each of said heads, means for rotating said heads in opposite directions so that the fingers carried thereby travel downwardly in the convergent direction, being adapted for disposition beneath the opposite edges of asheet disposed between, said heads andfor withdrawal from contact with said edges at the lower extremity of the rotative movement thereof, and side guide means for assuring the evendispositionof a sheet relative to said heads, said guide means including a horizontally extending sheet member carried by and projecting below each of said fixed shafts, and a horizontally extending sheet member mounted on each housing below each head and projecting forwardly therefrom, said last named sheet member being spaced vertically from said first named sheet member.

3. Apparatus for piling sheets comprising a pair of parallel base supported housings, a rotatable head mounted on a fixed shaft in each housing, said shafts protruding forwardly from saidheads, a series of forwardly extending parallel fingers carried by each of said heads, means for synchronously rotating said heads in opposite directions so that the fingers carried thereby travel downwardlyin the convergent direction,

said fingers being adapted for disposition beneath the opposite edges of a sheet, disposed between said heads and for withdrawal from contact with said edges at the lower extremity of the rotative movement thereof, side guide means for assuring the even disposition of a sheet relative to said heads, said guide means including a horizontally extending sheet member carried by and projecting below each of said fixed shafts, a

bracket member mounted on each of said housings below each head, and a horizontally extending sheet member mounted on and projecting forwardly from said bracket, said last named sheet member being spaced vertically from said first named sheet member, and an end stop mounted on the base supporting said housings and disposed between said heads for preventing the excessive forward movement sheets 'fed into the apparatus.

FREDERICK K. SCHEF'E.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS said fingers Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,560,252 July 10, 1951 FREDERICK K. SCHEFE I It ishereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 59, after movement insert of and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent above, so that Signed and sealed this 2nd day of October, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommz'ssz 'oner of Patenta.

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