Sheet Feed Apparatus and Method

A sheet material insert feeder device for feeding sheets of material from a substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material onto a transport track. The sheet material insert feeder device includes a trough with a surface to receive the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the surface including a front end and a back end, a conveyor to move the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the surface, an aperture at the front end of the surface, the aperture housing an insert movable between an upper position and a lower position, a breaker plate near the front end of the surface to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material there against, and a suction device near the front end of the surface to suction and separate a sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/660,590 filed Jun. 15, 2012, and entitled “Vertical Sheet Feed Automated Mailing System,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to mailing systems and sheet feeders for use with mailing systems, and more particularly to a sheet feeder in which sheets are delivered from a sheet feeder apparatus to a transport for processing.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, automated mailing systems include one or more high speed sheet feeding devices that transfer individual insert pages or insert packages from a sheet material bin or trough to a transport track. The sheet feeding devices gather the insert pages, which include printed information or sheet material, and move the insert pages to the transport track, in which the inserts are then placed within a production envelope. The inserts are usually stacked in a vertical pile and arranged horizontally, one on top of the other, in which the sheet feeding device includes a means for consecutively grasping each insert page or package, one at a time, typically from the bottom of the vertical pile, and as quickly as possible transporting the page or package to the rail. To operate the automated mailing system efficiently, the number of insert sheets or packages in the stack must be large enough so that the sheet material bin or trough does not have to be repeatedly reloaded with insert sheet materials, otherwise unnecessary delays are caused by repeated reloading.

The desire to optimize speed and efficiency of processing, however, is counterbalanced or offset by known difficulties encountered with bottom sheet feeding inserter machinery having the insert materials vertically stacked. For example, one difficulty is related to separating the individual insert pages or insert packages from adjoining each other, as the individual insert pages or insert packages tend to stick together in large part due to the frictional forces exerted on the bottom sheet by the weight of the vertically stacked pile on the bottom sheet. This can lead to either double-feeding of sheets, which can cause the feeders to jam up, or stalling whereby no sheets are fed, both of which conditions require the automated system to be shut down and operations suspended until the jam or stall is fixed. As such, these undesired conditions can be costly both in terms of downtime and lost sales. While numerous accommodations to try alleviating this problem have been proposed, such as reverse spinning wheels and the use of pressurized air, these conditions and limitations inherently remain due to the basic system designs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more detailed description of the embodiments, reference will now be made to the following accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an automated mailing system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a sheet material insert feeder device and a transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows another side view of the sheet material insert feeder device and the transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a top front view of the sheet material insert feeder device and the transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a top back view of the sheet material insert feeder device and the transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the sheet material insert feeder device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A shows a top view of a front end of a trough in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B shows a side view of the front end of the trough in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a gripper in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 shows a side schematic view of a sheet material insert feeder device and a transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the embodiments may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” The terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described. For example, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct coupling. In addition, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the central axis. The use of “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” “front,” “back,” “forward,” “rearward,” variations of these terms, and other similar terms is made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of an automated mailing system 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The automated mailing system 100 is used for gathering one or more sheet material inserts or packages for enveloping and mailing. The system 100 may include a sheet feeder and accumulator 191 that may connect to or include a sheet folder 192 and/or a collector apparatus 193. The sheet feeder and accumulator 191 may be positioned to be in communication with a transport track 200, which may include track sections #1-#6, and in particular may be in communication with the last track section of the transport track 200, such as shown as track section #6 within the present disclosure. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, though the transport track 200 is shown having track sections #1-#6, the present disclosure is not so limited, as more or less track sections may be included without departing from the present disclosure.

One or more feeders, such as a sheet material insert feeder device in accordance with the present disclosure, may be used within the system 100. For example, feeder #1 may be operatively connected to track section #4 to feed sheets onto track section #4, and feeder #2 may be operatively connected to track section #5 to feed sheets onto track section #5. Track sections #1-#6 are adapted such that materials are moved from right to left on the transport track 200, as shown, in which materials fed onto track section #6 are moved to track section #5, in which case materials from feeder #2 are placed on top of the materials moved from track section #6. The materials are then moved along the transport track 200 to track section #4, in which materials from feeder #1 are placed on top of the moved materials, and these materials are then moved further down the transport track 200 until reaching track section #1.

This movement and process may continually repeat, in which collated or stacked materials are moved to an envelope inserter station, shown as insert position #1 and insert position #2. Envelopes are moved from an envelope bulk feeder 194 to an envelope shuttle 195, in which a flap of the envelope is opened, and a packet containing the collected material is placed in the enveloped. The flap of the enveloped is then closed and/or sealed, with the closed envelopes ejected from the enveloping machine and moved to an output conveyor 196. Further, the overall operation of the system 100 and/or each device of the system 100 may be electronically controlled using an overall control system.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, multiple views of a sheet material insert feeder device 102 and the transport track 200 used therewith in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The sheet material insert feeder device 102 may be used in the system 100 shown in FIG. 1, such as used as feeder #1, and the transport track 200 may be used in the system 100 shown in FIG. 1, such as used as the transport track 200 and/or one of the track sections #1-#6 shown in FIG. 1. As such, FIG. 2 shows a side view of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 and the transport track 200, FIG. 3 shows an opposite side view of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 and the transport track 200, FIG. 4 shows a top front view of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 and the transport track 200, FIG. 5 shows a top back view of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 and the transport track 200, and FIG. 6 shows a front view of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the sheet material insert feeder device 102 may include a trough 104 sized to receive, support, and otherwise hold a substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material that is to be fed onto the transport track 200. The trough 104 may be defined by a first side wall 106, an opposite second side wall 108, a back wall 110, and a bottom or lower planar support surface 112. As such, the lower surface 112 of the trough 104 generally has a front end 114 and a back end 116.

One or more conveyors may then be used to move the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. For example, a first conveyor may include a first conveyor belt 120 secured over a first gear wheel 122 positioned adjacent the front end 114 and a second gear wheel 124 positioned adjacent the back end 116, in which an opening 126 may be formed within the lower surface 112 to have the first conveyor belt 120 extending longitudinally across the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. Similarly, a second conveyor, which may be parallel to the first conveyor, may include a second conveyor belt 128 secured over a first gear wheel 130 positioned adjacent the front end 114 and a second gear wheel 132 positioned adjacent the back end 116, in which an opening 134 may be formed within the lower surface 112 to have the second conveyor belt 128 extending longitudinally across the lower surface 112 of the trough 104.

In an embodiment having more than one conveyor, as shown in FIGS. 2-6, the first gear wheel 122 of the first conveyor and the first gear wheel 130 of the second conveyor may each be secured to a single axle, and similarly the second gear wheel 124 of the first conveyor and the second gear wheel 132 of the second conveyor may each be secured to a single axle. As such, a motor may be coupled to one or more of the axles to drive the conveyors at the same speed.

Further, a backstop 136 may be coupled to the first and second conveyors to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, such as when moving along the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. The backstop 136 may include a generally vertically oriented flat surface with one or more legs connected to the conveyors. For example, as shown best in FIG. 4, the backstop 136 may include a first leg 138 and a second leg 140, in which the first leg 138 may be connected to the first conveyor belt 120 and the second leg 140 may be connected to the second conveyor belt 128.

Referring still to FIGS. 2-6, the sheet material insert feeder device 102 may include a breaker plate 142, such as by having the breaker plate 142 near the front end 114 of the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. The breaker plate 142 may be used to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, such as by having the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material supported against and between the breaker plate 142 and the backstop 136. In one or more embodiments, the breaker plate 142 may be connected to an upper edge surface of the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108 of the trough 104, thereby extending between the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108.

The breaker plate 142 may include a first section 144 and a second section 146, as shown, in which the first section 144 may include a first arm 148 connected to the upper edge surface of the first side wall 106 and a second arm 150 connected to the upper edge surface of the second side wall 108. The first arm 148 and the second arm 150 may be connected to the upper edge surfaces of the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108, respectively, using a connection mechanism, such as a bolt, screw, adhesive, and/or any other connection mechanism known in the art. For example, the first arm 148 and the second arm 150 may each have a slot formed therein, and the upper edge surfaces of the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108 may each have a threaded aperture formed therein, in which the slots and the threaded apertures may be aligned with bolts passed therethrough to connect the first section 144 of the breaker plate 142 to the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108.

The first section 144 of the breaker plate 142 may include a plurality of generally vertically aligned grooves 152 formed therein, such as by providing the plurality of vertically aligned grooves 152 on a side of the first section 144 facing the back wall 110. One or more slots 154 may be formed in one or more of the vertically aligned grooves 152. Further, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the second section 146 of the breaker plate 142 may include a horizontal frame member 156 with a plurality of generally vertically aligned fingers 158 extending from the horizontal frame member 156. The fingers 158 of the second section 146 may then be received within the grooves 152 of the first section 144, thereby enabling the position of the first section 144 and the second section 146 to be adjusted depending on the desired position, height, or width of the breaker plate 142 within the sheet material insert feeder device 102. Further, the first section 144 and the second section 146 of the breaker plate 142 may be connected to each other, such as by using a connection mechanism. For example, one or more of the fingers 158 may have a threaded aperture formed therein, in which the slots 154 of the first section 144 may be aligned with the threaded apertures of the fingers 158 with bolts passed therethrough to connect the first section 144 and the second section 146 of the breaker plate 142 to each other in desired relative positions.

As discussed, the breaker plate 142 may be positioned near and spaced slightly inward over the front end 114 of the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. As such, and as best shown in FIG. 5, the lower surface 112 may also include a lip 160, in which the lip 160 may extend outward from a center portion of the front end 114 of the lower surface 112. Further, with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the front end 114 of the lower surface 112 may include one or more apertures 162, such as by having the apertures 162 aligned with each other along the front end 114 of the lower surface 112. The apertures 162 may then each house an insert 164 therein. The insert(s) 164 may, for example, have a width greater than the width of the average sheet within the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material and may be movable between an upper position and a lower position. For example, as shown particularly in FIG. 7B, a side view of the front end 114 of the lower surface 112 is shown with the inserts 164 in an upper position, thereby extending upwardly from the planar lower surface 112.

The backstop 136 may be used to support a back end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, with the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material supported against the side of the breaker plate 142 facing the back wall 110. Further, the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material may be supported by the lower surface 112, along with the conveyors provided on the lower surface 112. The substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material may also be supported by and rest on the lip 160 and/or the apertures 162 and inserts 164 when at the front end 114 of the lower surface 112. As such, the inserts 164 may from the lower position to the upper position within the apertures 162 when the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material are resting thereupon, in which the inserts 164 may be used to push the sheets of material upwardly that are resting on the inserts 164, thereby reducing the friction and aiding in separating the sheets of material from each other before being moved to the transport track 200. The movement of the inserts 164 may be controlled by an actuator, such as a hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, or mechanical actuator. For example, the inserts 164 may be controlled using a pneumatic actuator, such as a compressed air supply controlled by a servomotor, to move the inserts 164 between the lower position and the upper position.

Referring back to FIGS. 2-6, the sheet material insert feeder device 102 may include one or more suction devices 170, such as positioned near the front end 114 of the lower surface 112 of the trough 104. As shown in FIGS. 2-6, two suction devices 170 are shown in use within the sheet material insert feeder device 102, but those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any number of suctions devices may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As such, the suction device 170 may be used to suction and separate a sheet from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material. More particularly, the suction device 170 may be movable between a first position and a second position in a direction extending parallel to the lower surface 112 that is towards and away from the back wall 110. The suction device 170 may move to the first position, towards the back wall 110, to suction a front most sheet from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, and then may retract back to the second position, thereby separating the sheet from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material. The movement of the suction device 170 may be controlled by an actuator, such as a hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, or mechanical actuator. For example, the suction device 170 may be controlled using a pneumatic actuator, such as a compressed air supply controlled by a servomotor, to move the suction device 170 between the first position and the second position.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a support member 168 may be connected and extend between the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 108 at the front end of the trough 104 and near the front end 114 of the lower surface 112. The suction device 170 may then be connected to the support member 168 to have the suction device 170 positioned underneath the breaker plate 142. In particular, in an embodiment having more than one suction device 170, the suction devices 170 may be connected to a base section 172, which is in turn connected to the support member 168, and the suction devices 170 may include actuators 174 with suction members 176 connected to an end thereof. The suction members 176 may face towards and be spaced apart from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material such that the suction members 176 may move into and out of suction contact with the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets.

After the suction device 170 has separated the sheet from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, a gripper 178 may be used to grasp the separated sheet from the suction device 170 and then place and release the separated sheet onto the transport track 200. Referring briefly to FIGS. 8 and 9, side views of the gripper 178 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The gripper 178 may include an arm member 180 having a first end 182 and a second end 184, in which the first end 182 of the arm member 180 may be movably coupled to the sheet material insert feeder device 102 with a gripper jaw 186 movably coupled to the second end 184 of the arm member 180. The gripper jaw 186 maybe movable with respect to the arm member 180 between an open position to grasp a sheet of material and a closed position to release the sheet of material, such as by having an actuator 188 coupled between the arm member 180 and gripper jaw 186 to move the gripper jaw 186.

The gripper 178 may be movably coupled to the sheet material insert feeder device 102 between an upper position and a lower position with respect to the sheet material insert feeder device 102. For example, in the upper position, shown particularly in FIG. 9, the gripper jaw 186 and the second end 184 of the arm member 180 of the gripper 178 are near the suction device 170 such that the gripper jaw 186 may move to the closed position to grasp the sheet of material from the suction device 170. Upon grasping the sheet of material, the gripper 178 may move to the lower position, as best shown in FIG. 2, in which the gripper jaw 186 and the second end 184 of the arm member 180 of the gripper 178 are near the transport track 200 to have the gripper jaw 178 move to the open position to release the separated sheet onto the transport track 200.

In particular, immediately after the suction device 170 is activated to separate a sheet from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the gripper 178 may be activated to grasp the sheet on a downwardly facing side edge thereof from the suction device 170. The arm member 180 may then be pivoted about the first end thereof 182 from the upper position to the lower position to directly over the transport track 200, after which the gripper jaw 186 is activated to release the sheet and fall onto the transport track 200. The arm member 180 may then be activated to immediately return the gripper jaw 186 to a position ready to grasp the next sheet from the suction device 170.

In one or more embodiments, to movably couple the gripper 178 to the sheet material insert feeder device 102, the gripper 178 may be connected to an actuator. For example, in one embodiment, the first end 182 of the arm member 180 may be connected to a rotatable wheel 190, in which the rotatable wheel 190 may be positioned beneath the lower surface 112. The rotatable wheel 190 may have teeth, with a belt secured over the rotatable wheel 190 to engage the teeth. The belt may also be connected to an axle, in which an actuator, such as a servomotor, may be used to rotate the axle. As such, this movement may cause the arm member 180 of the gripper 178 to rotate between an interval of travel that includes an upper position in which a sheet is grasped from the front end of the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, and a lower position in which the sheet is placed on the transport track 200.

As shown in FIGS. 2-5 and 9, the sheet material insert feeder device 102 is positioned in proximity of the transport track 200 such that the gripper 178 is in proximity to an upper surface 202 of the transport track 200 when transferring and feeding a sheet from the sheet material insert feeder device 102 to the transport track 200. This proximity reduces the distance the gripper 178 travels when transfer a sheet from the trough 104 of the sheet material insert feeder device 102 to the transport track 200, thereby increasing efficiency and speed. Further, this proximity may also allow the front end 114 of the trough 104 to extend over the upper surface 202 of the transport track 200.

The transport track 200 may include one or more conveyors disposed thereon, such as a rotatable endless drive track 204 coupled to the transport track 200. For example, the rotatable endless drive track 204 may be secured between one or more gear wheels, such that when a motor may be operably connected to at least one of the gear wheels to move the rotatable endless drive track 204 at a desired speed and to rotate in a desired direction. Further, one or more separator bars 206 may be spaced apart and extending upwardly along the rotatable endless drive track 204 to divide the rotatable endless drive track 204 into a plurality of individual sections.

In addition, the upper surface 202 of the transport track 200 may be angled or included towards the sheet material insert feeder device 102. A guide rail 208 may be connected to and extend upwardly from a side of the upper surface 202, such as having the guide rail 208 on a side of the upper surface 202 in closest proximity to the trough 104 and/or gripper 178. Further, one or more cutout sections 210 may be formed within the guide rail 208, such as shown in FIG. 2, to accommodate the gripper 178 when transferring sheets from the sheet material insert feeder device 102 to the transport track 200.

Accordingly, a transport track in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more of the following advantages. In one embodiment, a transport track may be used to limit the overall travel of the gripper. In another embodiment, the gathered insert materials may be moved along the transport track in a more orderly and efficient manner, as the materials may naturally gathered and aligned against the inner surface of the guide rail. As a result, this may reduce any inconsistency of inserting the gathered insert materials into a production envelope or the like, and therefore allows for increased production.

The upper surface of the transport track may be angled at between about 5 degrees and 30 degrees with respect to horizontal, and more specifically between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees, and more specifically still about 10 degrees. Upon reaching an enveloping station as outlined in FIG. 1, the envelope is presented to the insert material on a horizontal plane, which minimizes interference of the insert package with the production enveloped throat. Further, the sheet material insert feeder device and the transport track may be situated at operator height level.

In the one or more embodiments, an automated mailing system of the present disclosure may have each device included therein provided with a discrete drive. This arrangement may enable the system to call on multiple feeds from the sheet material insert feeder device, and may enable the sheet material insert feeder device to communicate with the transport track within the system.

While specific embodiments have been shown and described, modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention. The embodiments as described are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.

Claims

1. A sheet material insert feeder device for feeding sheets of material from a substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material onto a transport track, the sheet material insert feeder device comprising:

a trough comprising a surface to receive the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the surface including a front end and a back end;
a conveyor to move the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the surface;
an aperture at the front end of the surface, the aperture housing an insert movable between an upper position and a lower position;
a breaker plate near the front end of the surface to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material there against; and
a suction device near the front end of the surface to suction and separate a sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

2. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gripper comprising a gripper jaw movably coupled thereto between an open position and a closed position; and
wherein the gripper is movable between an upper position and a lower position such that, in the upper position, the gripper jaw is near the suction device and in the lower position the gripper jaw is near the transport track.

3. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, wherein the suction device is movable between a first position and a second position such that, in the first position, the suction device suctions the sheet in the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, and in the second position, the suction device separates the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

4. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor disposed parallel along the surface of the trough, and wherein the suction device comprises a first suction device and a second suction device near the front end of the surface.

5. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a lip at the front end thereof, wherein the lip comprises the aperture and the insert housed therein.

6. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, further comprising:

the transport track being located in proximity of the front end of the surface of the trough; and
the transport track including a track surface with a conveyor to move the separated sheet received thereon along the track surface.

7. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 6, wherein the transport track further includes a guide rail on a side of the track surface near the front end of the surface of the trough, wherein the track surface is disposed at a downward angle toward the front end of the surface.

8. The sheet material insert feeder device of claim 1, wherein the breaker plate comprises a first section and a second section, the first section comprising a plurality of grooves formed therein and the second section comprising a plurality of fingers, wherein the plurality of fingers are receivable within the plurality of grooves.

9. A sheet material insert feeder system for use with a substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the sheet material insert feeder system comprising:

a trough comprising a surface to receive the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the surface including a front end and a back end;
a conveyor to move the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the surface;
a breaker plate near the front end of the surface to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material there against;
a transport track being located in proximity of the front end of the surface of the trough, the transport track including a track surface with a conveyor to move the separated sheet received thereon along the track surface; and
a gripper movable between an upper position and a lower position such that, in the upper position, the gripper jaw is near the suction device, and in the lower position, the gripper jaw is near the transport track.

10. The sheet material insert feeder system of claim 9, further comprising:

an aperture at the front end of the surface, the aperture housing an insert movable between an upper position and a lower position; and
a suction device near the front end of the surface to suction and separate a sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

11. The sheet material insert feeder system of claim 10, wherein the gripper comprises a gripper jaw movable between an open position to receive and release the separated sheet and a closed position to grasp the separated sheet.

12. The sheet material insert feeder system of claim 10, wherein the suction device is movable between a first position and a second position in a direction parallel to the surface such that, in the first position, the suction device suctions the sheet in the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, and in the second position, the suction device separates the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

13. The sheet material insert feeder system of claim 10, wherein the conveyor comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor disposed parallel along the surface of the trough, and wherein the suction device comprises a first suction device and a second suction device near the front end of the surface.

14. The sheet material insert feeder system of claim 9, wherein the transport track further includes a guide rail on a side of the track surface near the front end of the surface of the trough, wherein the track surface is disposed at a downward angle toward the front end of the surface.

15. A method for feeding sheets of material from a substantially horizontal stack with a sheet material insert feeder device, the method comprising:

receiving the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material within a trough comprising a surface with a front end and a back end;
moving the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the surface;
displacing a sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material with respect to the surface;
suctioning the sheet in the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material; and
separating the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

grasping the sheet; and
moving the sheet to a transport track.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein grasping the sheet comprises moving a gripper jaw of a gripper from an open position to a closed position to grasp the sheet, and wherein moving the sheet comprises moving the gripper from an upper position near the front end of the trough to a lower position near the transport track, and moving the gripper jaw of the gripper from the closed position to the open position to release the separated sheet onto the transport track.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein displacing the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material comprises displacing the sheet with an insert movably housed within an aperture at the front end of the surface, wherein suctioning the sheet in the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material comprises suctioning the sheet with a suction device near the front end of the surface, and wherein separating the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material comprises separating the sheet with the suction device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein suctioning the sheet comprises moving a suction device to a first position such that the suction device is adjacent the sheet in the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, and wherein separating the sheet comprises moving the suction device to a second position such that the suction device separates the sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material comprises moving a backstop coupled to a conveyor along the surface of the trough.

Patent History
Publication number: 20130334763
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 14, 2013
Publication Date: Dec 19, 2013
Inventor: Leo A. Haydt, III (Palmerton, PA)
Application Number: 13/917,812
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Pneumatic Separator (271/11); Stack On Edge (271/31.1)
International Classification: B65H 5/00 (20060101);