Abstract: A high speed labeling machine especially designed for use in food or pharmaceutical processing environments. It can be periodically washed down in accordance with applicable governmental standards without entry of washing fluid into an interior of an enclosure assembly containing servo motors and the electronics for driving shafts that penetrate through a wall of the enclosure assembly and on which a label web supply reel and a web take-up reel are removably mounted. A plurality of idler rollers and a pinch roller are used to route the label carrying web from the supply reel, over an edge of a peel plate, where the labels are separated from the web, and back to the web take-up reel. The idler rollers and the pinch rollers are journaled on shafts in a way precluding entry of wash fluids into their interior. The enclosure assembly is cantilever-mounted on a jack stand for vertical adjustment relative to items to be labeled.

Abstract: A sheet feeder especially designed for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries is constructed in a hygienic manner and with suitable materials to permit rapid and effective cleaning and sanitizing thereof. Flexible, liquid impermeable bellows are mounted to the feeder housings in surrounding relation to the apertures through which the machine's several rotary shafts enter the housings. The bellows support bearing isolators that not only seal the housings from fluid entry, but because the bellows can flex, they also permit shaft spacings to be adjusted to adapt the machine to sheets of differing thicknesses and to set infeed belt tension. The sheet feeder's product input hopper and its discharge conveyor are designed to be easily detachable for cleaning in a dipping mode.

Abstract: A sheet feeder feeds product, one at a time, from the bottom of a stack onto a second stage discharge conveyor in which the serialized products are brought into precise registration prior to being deposited onto a moving web. To achieve registration, the products are transported at a higher rate than the speed of a pair of timing belts having regularly spaced lugs projecting therefrom. The lug timing belts are positioned beneath the belts transporting the product with the lugs projecting into the product's path of travel. The speed deference is that a leading edge of the products is brought into engagement with the trailing edge of a laterally aligned pair of lugs before the product arrives at the discharge point of the second stage discharge conveyor. The transport rate on the second stage discharge conveyor is controlled to match the speed of the moving web.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to facilitate accurately matching and placing non-uniformly spaced tip-on products from a friction feeder onto non-uniformly spaced base products that are traveling on a base conveyor while both the friction feeder and the base conveyor are continuously moving. Using encoders on the conveyor drive motors to track conveyor position and electronic sensors to detect the arrival on tip-on products and base products at predetermined points along their respective conveyors, a programmed microcontroller implements an algorithm for adjusting the speed of the sheet feeder's discharge conveyor so that the tip-on product and base product arrive at a matchpoint simultaneously.

Abstract: A flexible discharge attachment for the discharge a feeding machine to deliver the items being discharged at different orientations ranging from horizontal to vertical. The attachment have a multiplicity of brackets each pivotally connected to each other for simulating a curved path of items though the attachment. Each bracket has adjustable height shafts for engaging and guiding belts, which engage and move items along the length of the flexible discharge attachment. The flexible discharge attachment can be quickly and easily attached to a feeding machine and can be quickly and easily adjusted for the angle of discharge of items desired. The flexible discharge attachment is also quickly and easily adjustable to adjust the shafts and belts for different item thicknesses and for different forces applied to the items.

Abstract: A linear translation table for use in conjunction with a sheet feeding machine and a conveyor for laterally translating the sheet feeding machine over rows of product receiving portions of boxes or blisters in sheets of bubble packaging such that the sheet feeding machine can deliver product in an array of rows and columns of product receiving portions as the linear translation table is pitched. The rows of product receiving portions are indexed and linear translation table reverses direction to fill the next row. A controller on the linear translation table is programmed for the distance between columns and stops long enough for the sheet feeder to dispense a product into the product receiving portion. In this manner boxes with rows and columns of segments to be filled with product or formed pocket sheets can be filled with a sheet feeding machine which normally only delivers product linearly.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having parallel opposing shafts with rollers or belts for engaging sheets. The sheet feeder having one control to adjust the height of both sides of one shaft so that the rollers apply the same force to both sides of the sheet to feed the sheet straight preventing the sheets from jamming in the sheet feeder. The sheet feeder can have manual or electronic height adjustments. The gap between the shafts can be quickly and easily changed for quickly changing production runs with different thickness product. The shafts are three-piece shafts for ease of changing the rollers on the shaft. All the bearings are pregreased and sealed to protect the bearings from dirt and debris. Rods connect the height adjustment on both sides of the shaft so both sides are adjusted by the same amount at the same time.

Abstract: A linear translation table for use in conjunction with a sheet feeding machine and a conveyor for laterally translating the sheet feeding machine over rows of product receiving portions of boxes or blisters in sheets of bubble packaging such that the sheet feeding machine can deliver product in an array of rows and columns of product receiving portions as the linear translation table is pitched. The rows of product receiving portions are indexed and linear translation table reverses direction to fill the next row. A controller on the linear translation table is programmed for the distance between columns and stops long enough for the sheet feeder to dispense a product into the product receiving portion. In this manner boxes with rows and columns of segments to be filled with product or formed pocket sheets can be filled with a sheet feeding machine which normally only delivers product linearly.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having parallel opposing shafts with rollers or belts for engaging sheets. The sheet feeder having one control to adjust the height of both sides of one shaft so that the rollers apply the same force to both sides of the sheet to feed the sheet straight preventing the sheets from jamming in the sheet feeder. The sheet feeder can have manual or electronic height adjustments. The gap between the shafts can be quickly and easily changed for quickly changing production runs with different thickness product. The shafts are three-piece shafts for ease of changing the rollers on the shaft. All the bearings are pregreased and sealed to protect the bearings from dirt and debris. Rods connect the height adjustment on both sides of the shaft so both sides are adjusted by the same amount at the same time.

Abstract: A sheet tray for a conveyor belt delivery system wherein sheets fed from a sheet feeder are stacked in the sheet tray and then transported from the sheet tray on the conveyor. The sheet tray as two walls at least one of which is movable to hold different sized sheets in a stack. The sheet feeder has two open ends to allow for the transport of stacks by a conveyor belt. The sheet feeder delivers a specified number of sheets to the stack and then stops delivering sheets. The conveyor has a post to engage and move the stack out of sheets off the base of the walls onto the conveyor belt. A sensor on the sheet tray notified the sheet feeder that the sheet tray is empty and to start feeding sheets to a new stack.

Abstract: A conveyor belt for transporting articles having a plurality of apertures therein such that a vacuum applied to the apertures aids in forcing articles to stay on the conveyor belt while the articles are being translated. The conveyor is particularly useful for moving sheet articles such as a sheet feeder removing sheet articles from the bottom of a stack of sheet articles in a sheet feeder. The vacuum adds to the frictional force of the article on the conveyor belt and increases the productivity of the sheet feeder by reducing jams and increasing the frictional contact of the sheet article on the conveyor belt by removing chaff and other material form the conveyor belt.

Abstract: An adjustable sheet tray for receiving sheets of material from a sheet feeding machine which counts out a number of sheets to be added to a stack. The sheet tray receives the sheets and allows the stacks to be easily removed. The sheet tray is easily adjustable for the length and width of the sheets delivered to it and for the depth of the stack of sheets. The sheet tray has a sensor, which tells the sheet feeder to start sending more sheets to it when it senses that the stack of sheets in the sheet tray has been removed. A spring loaded hanging finger provides a stop on an otherwise open end of the sheet tray and is pushed up and out of the way when a stack of sheets is removed from the sheet tray and returns the fingers to their original position after the stack of sheets is removed.

Abstract: A sheet tray for a conveyor belt delivery system wherein sheets fed from a sheet feeder are stacked in the sheet tray and then transported from the sheet tray on the conveyor. The sheet tray as two walls at least one of which is movable to hold different sized sheets in a stack. The sheet feeder has two open ends to allow for the transport of stacks by a conveyor belt. The sheet feeder delivers a specified number of sheets to the stack and then stops delivering sheets. The conveyor has a post to engage and move the stack out of sheets off the base of the walls onto the conveyor belt. A sensor on the sheet tray notified the sheet feeder that the sheet tray is empty and to start feeding sheets to a new stack.

Abstract: A conveyor belt for transporting articles having a plurality of apertures therein such that a vacuum applied to the apertures aids in forcing articles to stay on the conveyor belt while the articles are being translated. The conveyor is particularly useful for moving sheet articles such as a sheet feeder removing sheet articles from the bottom of a stack of sheet articles in a sheet feeder. The vacuum adds to the frictional force of the article on the conveyor belt and increases the productivity of the sheet feeder by reducing jams and increasing the frictional contact of the sheet article on the conveyor belt by removing chaff and other material form the conveyor belt.

Abstract: An adjustable sheet tray for receiving sheets of material from a sheet feeding machine which counts out a number of sheets to be added to a stack. The sheet tray receives the sheets and allows the stacks to be easily removed. The sheet tray is easily adjustable for the length and width of the sheets delivered to it and for the depth of the stack of sheets. The sheet tray has a sensor, which tells the sheet feeder to start sending more sheets to it when it senses that the stack of sheets in the sheet tray has been removed. A spring loaded hanging finger provides a stop on an otherwise open end of the sheet tray and is pushed up and out of the way when a stack of sheets is removed from the sheet tray and returns the fingers to their original position after the stack of sheets is removed.

Abstract: A drop table is used for accumulating a desired number of sheets of items in a bundle and then dropping the bundle onto a conveyor belt. The drop table has a plurality of rods acting as a floor in a collection box. When the drop table receives a signal from a sheet feeder that the number of items desired is in the bundle the rods are withdrawn from beneath the collection box and the bundle drops to a conveyor belt. The rods are then moved back into position for receiving more sheets to form another bundle and the drop table signals the sheet feeding machine to send more sheets to the collection box. The collection box may have a vibrating jogger to align the sheets into a squared bundle on one axis and a tamping foot to align the sheets into a squared bundle on a second axis. The drop table can accumulate sheets in a squared bundle quickly without jamming and release the bundle onto a conveyor below the collection box.

Abstract: A catch tray attachment for a sheet feeding machine allows rapid accumulation and manual removal of a predetermined count of sheet articles from the catch tray. The catch tray itself is adapted for mounting to the frame of the sheet feeding machine so as to position it in the discharge path of sheet articles exiting the sheet feeder. Upon removal of an accumulation of sheet articles from the catch tray, a signal is sent back to the sheet feeder to initiate further machine cycles whereby a predetermined count of sheet articles are again deposited in the catch tray.

Abstract: An automatic product loader adapted for loading flat sheet products into a hopper of a friction sheet feeder, upon demand, and includes a frame that adjustably supports a horizontal bed that can readily be elevated and lowered as well as be longitudinally shifted in a forward and rearward direction. The bed supports the upper flight of at least one endless belt. Also supported on the bed on either side of the endless belt run are vertically extending side guide plates. The forward edges of the side guide plates are slotted so as to receive the rear edges of the side guides defining the hopper of the friction sheet feeder so that there will be no edge or shoulder at the transition on which a sheet product might catch and become skewed. Photoeyes are used to control the automatic product loaders drive motor based upon the level of sheet products in the friction feeder's hopper.

Abstract: An electromechanical friction feed device for controlling the single feed of sheet-like articles from a stack of such articles has a feed belt and stripper wheel that are used to draw a single article from the bottom of the stack to the discharge section of the feeder. The stripper wheels slowly rotate in a direction opposite to the feed movement to hold the penultimate sheet and those above it in a stack while the lowermost product is translated by the feed belt through the machine. The reverse rotation of the stripper wheel is accomplished using a dual ratchet mechanism along with unidirectional needle bearing assemblies that provide a smooth, continuous rotation of the stripper wheels. The two ratchet mechanisms are driven 180.degree. out of phase with respect to one another to achieve the smooth continuous stripper wheel rotation.