Abstract: A pneumatic sheet material hold-down conveyor system is described in which a frame mounts conveyor having a movable working flight. A first manifold with a support surface movably supports the working flight. Air intake openings are formed through the support surface, connected to a vacuum source for producing suction against the sheet material to draw the sheet material against the working flight. A second manifold is also provided on the frame, with a discharge surface extending along and in spaced relation to the working flight. Air discharge openings formed through the discharge surface is directed toward the working flight. A positive air pressure source is connected to the second manifold and is configured to pressurize the second manifold such that pressurized air is delivered through the air discharge openings toward the working flight and against the sheet material to push the sheet material against the working flight.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for separating a bundle of blank pieces from a stack of sheets. The apparatus has a frame and a subframe which pivots with respect to the frame. The frame and subframe each have a clamp for clamping the stack of sheets along a stack plane and the bundle portion to be separated from the stack along a separation plane that intersects the stack plane. The subframe pivots with respect to the frame, bending the stack to cause the bundle portion to be separated from the remainder of the stack in such a way that separation is initiated at one point along the stack rather than across the whole stack or across an entire sheet of the stack. The subframe pivots about an axis that is skewed with respect to at least one of the planes to produce the described effect.

Abstract: A counter-ejector and feeder for receiving flexible boxes delivered at a prescribed infeed rate in end-to-end relation along a plane, and a counter-ejector machine, for stacking the boxes in discrete bundles for discharge. The machine includes a general framework mounting a shingling conveyor that provides a working flight leading from an infeed end to a discharge end. The shingling conveyor is positioned with an infeed end below the delivery plane and leads angularly upwardly to a counter-ejector discharge. A driver operates the shingling conveyor to move the working flight at a selected speed less than the delivery rate of boxes to the shingling conveyor. The working flight of the shingling conveyor is inclined upwardly to a counter-ejector discharge end where shingled boxes are fed to a counter-ejector. Successive stacks of boxes are formed by the counter-ejector which includes structure for stacking and maintaining the boxes in a compressed condition.

Abstract: A device and process is described for positioning a bundle having a top surface and a bottom surface. The device includes a low friction surface positioned to support the bundle fed along an infeed path to a first position along the bottom surface for free movement in a prescribed plane. A carriage assembly is adjacent the low friction surface and includes a bundle engaging foot configured for selective movement along an axis substantially normal to the low friction surface to engage the top surface of the bundle and press the bundle against the low friction surface. The carriage assembly and bundle engaging foot are configured to selectively rotate and move the bundle at the feed rate along the plane of the low friction surface to a position spaced from the first position for movement along a discharge path. In the process, the bundle is moved at the infeed rate from the infeed path to a discharge path while the bundle is selectively rotated about an axis to a selected orientation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for separating a bundle of blank pieces from a stack of sheets. The apparatus has a frame and a subframe which pivots with respect to the frame. The frame and subframe each have a clamp for clamping the stack of sheets along a stack plane and the bundle portion to be separated from the stack along a separation plane that intersects the stack plane. The subframe pivots with respect to the frame, bending the stack to cause the bundle portion to be separated from the remainder of the stack in such a way that separation is initiated at one point along the stack rather than across the whole stack or across an entire sheet of the stack. The subframe pivots about an axis that is skewed with respect to at least one of the planes to produce the described effect.

Abstract: A load forming apparatus is described for forming a load comprised of layers of bundles, in which first and second conveyors are configured to deliver individual first bundles of load components to individual respective first and second transfer stations. A load former operatively joins the conveyor transfer stations. A transfer device adjacent the transfer stations is alternatively operable to (a) move the first bundles from the first transfer station to the load former to form a load comprised of first bundles; (b) move the second bundles from the second transfer station to the load former to form a load comprised of second bundles; or (c) alternate moving the first and second bundles from the first and second transfer stations to the load former to form a load comprised of first and second bundles. A load former feed system is also described in which the bundle transfer station and bundle transfer device are selectively separable to form a manual operator station.

Abstract: A sheet block inverter is described in which successive blocks of sheets received along an infeed plane are successively inverted prior to being received on a discharge conveyor. A sheet block receiving magazine receives a sheet block along the infeed plane. A magazine pivot driver then pivots the sheet block through an angle about a second axis of less than 180.degree., leaving the block nearly inverted and upwardly inclined. The magazine is mounted to a magazine inverter yoke, which in turn is pivotably mounted to a discharge conveyor. The inverter yoke and magazine are then pivoted by an inverter yoke pivot driver about a first axis to a discharge station where the discharge conveyor receives the block. The discharge conveyor is mounted for elevational adjustment about an axis that is coaxial with the first axis.

Abstract: A stacked sheet handling machine 11 includes a top sheet hold down apparatus 10 that prevents trailing sheets from following individual blocks of sheets separated from an upright stack supported on an elevator conveyor 15. A pusher plate 20 is moved laterally of a sheet stack 14 to engage a side 22 of the stack and push a sheet block 21 laterally from the stack and onto the discharge conveyor 17. A top sheet hold down is provided along the sheet block separator to securely hold the top sheet through provision of a hold down traction arrangement 38. Two forms of the hold down traction arrangement are disclosed, both being operated to move a friction surface against the top surface of the sheet 19 to hold the sheet stationary as the block is moved towards the discharge conveyor 17.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyor belt alignment system by which a pair of alignment rollers are mounted on a carrier frame about a pivot axis that is situated at the approximate transverse center between opposed longitudinal side edges of a conveyor belt. The alignment rollers are spaced longitudinally to accept and form a portion of the conveyor belt into a substantial "s" configuration. The centrally pivoted carrier frame and alignment rollers are pivoted by a pair of bladders 50, 51. Inflation of the bladders is controlled through a sensor 54 provided to detect the transverse position of an adjacent belt edge. If the belt edge shifts in one direction, the sensor detects such motion and operates the drive to selectively inflate one or the other of the air bladders to correspondingly shift the belt aligning rollers.

Abstract: Successive blocks of corrugated sheets are divided from a large vertical stack by a combination of a horizontally movable pusher plate and a guiding ramp that lifts the front edge of each block of sheets upwardly and onto a receiving conveyor surface. The ramp is a hybrid that includes a powered cylindrical roller and an adjacent yieldably biased upright plate that is moved to an inclined position in response to initial movement of a block of sheets.

Abstract: A squaring and aligning assembly for the transfer frame of a corrugated sheet stacking and feeding apparatus is mounted within a transverse guide member in the form of an elongated channel. Separate squaring shoes at each side of the machine are selectively moved along the channel. They can be connected in centered positions along opposite flights of a powered chain to center a block of sheets relative to the machine. One can be connected to a chain flight in an off-center position to align the block of sheets in an off-centered aligned condition. Either shoe can be clamped to the channel for edge alignment in response to movement of the remaining shoe.

Abstract: A corrugated container blank stacker 10 is described for receiving rows of container blanks 12 from a sheet cutter and for stacking the container blanks in rows of stacks on a pallet. In the embodiment shown the stacker is able to receive container blanks in rows of three abreast and then forming three rows of stacks, three abreast, on a pallet.

Abstract: A corrugated sheet stacking and feeding apparatus is provided in which stacks of sheets are fed to the unstacking apparatus and are raised to an elevated position in which blocks are progressively removed from the top of the stack and pushed and fed onto an inverting carriage that receives the blocks and pivots the blocks vertically upward and then to an inverted position over a feed conveyor. While the block of sheets are raised to a vertical orientation, alignment elements move inward along the lateral sides to align the lateral edges of the sheets with respect to each other and to laterally shift the block to align the block with a central feed axis. The block then is lowered onto the feed conveyor and moved forward through a shingling gate to feed the sheets progressively in a shingled fashion to a discharge end of the conveyor.