Abstract: A system for controlling the feed rate of a feed stock to processing equipment by monitoring and controlling the length of the feed stock in an accumulator assembly. The control system regulates the feed rate of the feed stock by initially forming a line of the feed stock in the accumulator assembly, detecting the extent of the length of the line with respect to preselected set points, controlling the length of the line in the accumulator assembly by adjusting the feed rate of the feed stock from a base feed rate in response to preselected minimum and maximum values for the length of the feed stock line, and adjusting the base feed rate with each excursion of the line from the preselected minimum and maximums.

Abstract: A vertical uncoiling apparatus having a frame assembly for supporting a coil of strip material and an accumulator assembly for selectively removing and delivering the strip material to downstream processing equipment. The accumulator assembly is provided with an accumulation loop area defining a substantially S-shaped travel path for the strip material and a feed assembly for removing strip material from the coil of strip material and feed same into the accumulation loop area so that a steady state flow of substantially tension-free strip material can be delivered to downstream processing equipment.

Abstract: An improved prefeeder assembly for shingling planar sheets in which a sheet stack is positioned on a prefeeder lift conveyor which lowers the sheet stack into a floor pit to incrementally elevate the sheet stack. A block pusher assembly sequentially pushes bock segments to a conveyor assembly where a shingling assembly shingles the sheets. A bottom sheet removal assembly having an in-path diverter plate contacts and diverts only the bottom sheet of the bottommost block segment as this block segment is being shingled. As shingled sheets are discharged to other process equipment, a tamping assembly tamps the sheet edges for uniform restacking.

Abstract: An improved prefeeder assembly for shingling sheets of planar material in which a sheet stack is positioned on a prefeeder lift conveyor which lowers the sheet stack into a floor pit to incrementally elevate the sheet stack. A block pusher assembly sequentially pushes block segments to a conveyor assembly where a shingling assembly shingles the sheets. A bottom sheet removal assembly having an in-path diverter plate contacts and diverts only the bottom sheet of the bottom most block segment as this block segment is being shingled. As shingled sheets are discharged to other process equipment, a tamping assembly actuated by balloon cylinders serve to tamp the sheet edges for uniform restacking.