Abstract: A stacking and delivery apparatus for stacks of products such as paper napkins and paper towels includes a magazine into which the products are delivered to form stacks and which supports the stack along a path of product movement. A plurality of fingers are mounted on a conveyor adjacent the magazine, and the conveyor moves a finger into the path of stack movement when a stack is completed and separates the completed stack from the next stack. A drive system for the conveyor moves the conveyor at different speeds during each cycle in which a stack is formed--a first, fast speed at which a finger is quickly moved into the path after a stack is completed, a second, relatively slow speed at which the finger moves the completed stack along the path as the next stack is built up behind the finger, a third, relatively fast speed at which the finger moves the completed stack rapidly along the path, and a fourth speed, which can be zero, during which a completed stack is removed from the conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting sheet metal plates from a supply source and positioning the plates at a plate shearing table includes a carrier capable of horizontal transport. A device is secured to the carrier for effecting up and down and turning movement. A gripper member is mounted on the device and moves with it. The gripper member includes at least one electromagnetic plate with an annular sealing lip in the surface of the plate. In combination with the surface of the plate, the sealing lip forms a suction space connected to vacuum producing equipment. A switch controls the electromagnetic plate and a control valve operates the vacuum producing equipment with the switch and control valve arranged in a parallel switching network.

Abstract: A depository apparatus capable of sequential stacking deposits comprises a transfer duct movable from a position solely in communication with a storage chamber to a second position solely in communication with an external deposit aperture. The storage chamber is separated into a storage zone and a receiving zone, the latter being the portion of the chamber in communication with the transfer duct. The two zones are separated one from the other by a one way gate system that allows a pusher element to push deposits from the receiving zone into the storage zone against an oppositely biased stacker plate movably mounted in the storage zone.

Abstract: A lifting device which can be used singly or in multiples to lift magnetically attractable material comprises a magnet having the operating surface covered by a non-magnetic contact member to form a fluid tight chamber therebetween, the operating surface being contiguous with the contact member when lifting an article and air under pressure being introduced into the chamber to move the magnet and contact member relatively apart to release the article therefrom.

Abstract: A stacking machine stacks sheet-like articles such as tickets, labels, cards, etc. A pair of transport belts move the articles to a stacking area in front of a pair of continuously reciprocating pusher plates. One or more pusher feet on each pusher plate apply a pushing force to each article for pushing it onto a stack that accumulates in the stacking area. The pusher feet are pivotally secured to the pusher plates so they can freely rotate between an operative position and an inoperative position. The articles are fed to the pusher plates by pressure rollers for applying an upward force to the articles to move them in series into a stacking position. Any contact between the pusher feet and the articles being moved by the pressure rollers will move the pusher feet into the inoperative position in which they are disabled from applying a pushing force, even during the forwardmost stroke of the pusher plates.

Abstract: For lifting the topmost, spread apart, magnetizable individual lamination with a central hole off a lamination stack stored without a mandrel and/or for transporting at least substacks of the lamination stack to a different location, a centering mandrel is provided suspended from a movable lifting device and contains, in a nonmagnetic tubular body closed on both sides, at least one separately switchable spreading electromagnet, the centering mandrel carrying at the upper end, at least one switchable adhesion device arranged outside the tubular body, for grabbing the electromagnetically spread apart topmost individual lamination. The centering mandrel is lowered into the central hole of the lamination stack, and then at least one spreading electromagnet is switched on.For obtaining the topmost individual lamination, the adhesion device is switched off after the spreading electromagnet is switched off, and the individual lamination is taken from the centering mandrel.

Abstract: A strip stacker for stacking in parallel planes, plate like strips of electronic components. The machine has a trap door onto which the plate like strips are placed in succession. Each time a strip is placed on the trap door its position is sensed by an electronic eye which actuates a motor to swing the trap door down allowing the strip to fall down a slide with its lower edge into a tray. A compacter bar is slideably supported in the tray and two locating pins project into the tray to hold the strips already stacked in position as the compacter bar retracts. Each time a strip falls from the trap door the compacter bar is retracted, the pins retract, and the compacter bar extends forcing the strip against the end until the fallen strip is in position behind the locating pins and pushing the tray down the slides. The locating pins extend holding the last strip against its predecessors. When the tray is full it will be at its lower extreme position and will be removed.

Abstract: A dual stacker for slot acceptors, capable of receiving and separately stacking securities of at least two denominations. The invention includes a receptacle beneath the note path of a slot acceptor. A punch plate is operative for reciprocating movement through such receptacle. On each side of the receptacle are stacking plates, one for each denomination of bill to be handled. When a bill is sensed as being valid, and a determination is made as to the denomination of the bill, the punch plate is appropriately positioned on one side of the receptacle or the other. The bill is then dropped into the receptacle and the punch plate passed therethrough to move the bill on to the appropriate stack. The invention also includes bill retaining bars to prevent the bills from springing outwardly from the stacks. These bars are removable for easy access to the stacks by an operator.

Abstract: Automatic feeding apparatus for transferring work pieces to a work station including a robot having a work arm pivoted about a point and movable through a segment of a sphere with vertical movement of the work arm scribing an arc relative to the pivot point. The robot work arm has means to pick up, hold and release a work piece. A work piece stacking assembly is provided and includes a base for holding a vertical stack of magnetizable work pieces and a vertical butt plate above the base curved correspondingly to the arc scribed by the vertical movement of the work arm of the robot. A magnet is provided to magnetize the work pieces through the vertical curve butt plate to set up a repelling force between the work pieces to vertically separate the work pieces in the upper portion of the stack and urge the separated work pieces against the vertical curve butt plate.

Abstract: A static charge discharge device for an electrostatic copying machine comprises a set of spaced, bowed, resilient, sheet metal straps which straddle across and engage the uppermost sheet of the stack. The bowed portion of the straps discharge static charges on the uppermost sheet during the feeding of the paper into the corona device.

Abstract: A device for separating shadow masks from a strip of base material includes a conveyor upon which the strip moves. Two loading plates are arranged above the conveyor and press the strip against the conveyor. The loading plates are separated by a space which is angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the conveyor. A tensioned wire is arranged in the space and a magnet raises a fully etched portion of the shadow mask over the tensioned wire as the shadow mask enters the space. The tensioned wire thus shears the partially etched shadow mask from the strip of base material.

Abstract: A device for delivering and packaging folded boxes, which are folded and glued in a folder-gluer, comprises a first conveyor for receiving a flow of folded boxes in an overlapping shingled relationship for a delivery station and conveying the flow of boxes without changing any lateral position of the boxes to a second conveyor at which the flow is converted into a stack-like flow moving in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the folded boxes. The second conveyor terminates in a filling device and a coacting intermittently driven roller. A third conveyor for introducing the positioning packaging containers is disposed beneath the second conveyor and is mounted for movement both transverse and along the direction of movement of the second conveyor and vertically thereto. The device also includes a removing conveyor which comprises a roller conveyor mounted for movement between a level position to a slant position to enable ejecting a filled container from the device by gravity.

Abstract: The applicator includes a plastic disc having a central hole therein. Integral with the disc and extending from the upper side thereof is a tubular handle, the bore of the handle being in alignment or registry with the hole in the plastic disc. By means of the handle the disc can be rotatively oscillated against the uppermost paper filter of a stack of such filters so as to induce electrostatic charges thereon with the consequence that the filter clings to the lower side of the disc. The disc is slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the paper filters to be transferred, and the peripheral diameter of the paper filters is slightly greater than the diameter of the coffee maker basket. In this way, when the plastic disc and the filter being electrostatically carried thereby is inserted into the coffee maker basket, the peripheral edge of the filter is deflected upwardly, the frictional engagement causing the filter to remain in the basket when the plastic disc is retracted.

Abstract: Automatic card embossing apparatus includes a rotatable embossing wheel carrying about its periphery punch and die pairs for all characters available for embossing. Each character position of the wheel defines an address and the wheel is controlled for rotation to a desired address for embossing the character there-located. Data identifying all embossable characters is processed to derive three control numbers for each character, the first control number identifying the corresponding wheel address for the corresponding punch and die pair, the second number identifying the horizontal position on the card where the character is to be embossed, and the third control number identifying the line number on the card. The data is sorted into ascending order of wheel addresses. In operation, a card is transported to a reference position relative to the embossing wheel and the embossing wheel is rotated to the address of the first control number.

Abstract: Apparatus for the conversion of a stream of partly overlapping sheets into a row of fully overlapping sheets has a first conveyor which transports a growing row of sheets at right angles to the planes of the sheets, and a composite second conveyor which defines a downwardly extending path wherein successive sheets of the stream descend onto the first conveyor to accumulate between spaced-apart distancing elements of the first conveyor. Successive sheets of the stream are engaged and pushed forwardly on the first conveyor by an oscillating pusher which, when retracted, provides room for descent of a sheet onto the first conveyor behind the rearmost sheet of the growing row. The amplitude and/or frequency and/or the end positions of the pusher are adjustable to account for variations in thickness and/or stiffness of sheets in successive streams and/or for differences in friction between the sheets and the second conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for conversion of a stream of partly overlapping sheets into a row of fully overlapping sheets has a first conveyor which transports a growing row of sheets at right angles to the planes of sheets, and a composite second conveyor which defines a downwardly extending path wherein successive sheets of the stream descend onto the first conveyor to accumulate between spaced-apart distancing elements of the first conveyor. The advancement of successive sheets all the way onto the first conveyor is assisted and promoted by oscillating fingers which engage the oncoming sheets immediately above the first conveyor and intermittently push such sheet in the direction of forward movement of the growing row to provide room for the oncoming sheet.

Abstract: The invention resides in firstly conveying tiles edgeways, while "on flat", in a conveyor which terminates in a discharge station which is vertical or nearly vertical, and transferring the tiles to a further conveyor which conveys them at reduced speed, while they are supported on edge, so that the tiles stack in face to face juxtaposition. The tiles can then be removed as a stack from the further conveyor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for handling or for stacking sheets provide servo power and pass the sheets seriatim from a first region to a second region. The provided servo power is transmitted through each of the sheets during passage thereof from the first region to the second region and the sheets are handled or stacked in the second region with the transmitted servo power.

Abstract: Sheet handling device useful for handling sheets to be processed by data processing apparatus, such as a ledger accounting machine. The device includes a main hopper compartment into which documents to be processed are manually deposited, an auxiliary hopper compartment for blank documents, a main stacker compartment into which processed documents are automatically advanced, a stacker ram in the main stacker compartment to compact documents as they are stacked, an auxiliary stacker compartment for accumulating completely filled processed documents for subsequent manual removal, and a document hold station for temporarily storing partially processed documents pending the generation of data to be recorded in summary thereon.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus is designed for the propulsion of metal sheets and more specifically sheets of ferromagnetic material. It operates by means of a linear induction motor associated with fluid cushion developing shoes. The apparatus is arranged to be movable perpendicularly to the sheets, its weight being counter-balanced so as not to react thereon. It is useful for sheet distributing machines.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting banknotes in a vending machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a removable cassette having a banknote intake opening, the cassette being closed and locked automatically when removed from the apparatus. The cassette also shows slot-like wall openings for the insertion of thin actuating fingers for pushing previously collected banknotes away from the intake opening to provide a free space for the next banknote to be fed into the cassette. After said next banknote has been received in the cassette, the fingers are withdrawn, such that the previously collected banknotes are put together with the banknote received due to the action of spring means in the cassette.

Abstract: A rotary transfer member carries means for picking up a sheet-like article from the top of a supply stack supported within a hopper having an open top and an open bottom. An indexing mechanism includes means for intermittently rotating an output shaft in response to a continuously driven input shaft, and the transfer member is supported for rotation with the output shaft and also for axial movement relative to the output shaft. The transfer member is moved axially in response to linear movement of a follower which engages a cam connected for continuous rotation with the input shaft. Supply stacks of articles are successively elevated into the hopper from an index table by a power driven jack mechanism, and a set of magnets are positioned adjacent the hopper for magnetically spreading and spacing the articles within the upper portion of the supply stack within the hopper.

Abstract: An envelope stacking system is described which has a wide-angled inlet window for easily inserting envelopes upon an envelope stacking deck. The envelopes are thrust towards a guide wall by means of constantly rotating friction rollers. Once an incoming envelope is received it is displaced from the friction rollers to prevent damage to the envelope. The displacement of the envelope also serves the purpose of freeing the inlet for the next incoming envelope. In this way, the inlet window is cleared to accommodate each incoming envelope. The stack is biased toward the inlet and friction rollers, but a lip disposed upon the deck prevents the stack from blocking the inlet window or from engaging with the friction rollers.

Abstract: Two vertically aligned elevators, each being adapted to support a stack of blanks, elevate the blanks to a magnetic blank separator and conveyor. A releasable stack support on the upper of the elevators is operative to release the stack held thereby when the stack on the lower elevator is elevated subjacent the stack of the upper elevator, with the lower elevator then supporting the merged stack of both elevators. The stack support on the upper elevator engages beneath the merged stack at a predetermined height of the lower of said elevators to permit the latter to return for another stack. A stack height sensing device automatically alternately controls the vertical movement of the elevators when supporting the merged stack for continuous upward movement of the same for separation and lift-off. A double thickness detector is provided in combination with an ejector to ensure the conveying of only one blank at a time from the top of the stack.