Abstract: A paper feed device and method for separating sheets of paper one by one from the bottom of a stack of paper loaded on a paper loading tray and for feeding the separated paper sheets consecutively. The feed device includes a rotatable hollow cylinder having a peripheral surface positioned below and close to the front end of the paper loading tray in the direction of paper sheet feed, and having an opening for drawing a paper sheet against the peripheral surface by vacuum suction. The vacuum suction is variable to set the suction pressure at the low level at the start of a paper sheet feed operation by the cylinder means, and if, after the predetermined time interval, the passage of the paper sheet is not detected, the vacuum suction pressure is increased to a higher level and maintained at the higher level to feed successive paper sheets. A paper sheet front end sensor, a conveyor, and a timer for setting a predetermined time interval after the start of a paper sheet operation, are also provided.

Abstract: A vacuum platen serially picks up a sheet of film from a stack of unexposed sheets of film, transports the sheet of film to a large format camera for exposure, retains the sheet of film planar during exposure, transports the sheet of film to a stack of exposed sheets of film and drops the sheet of film upon the stack of exposed sheets of film.

Abstract: An sheet handling apparatus includes suckers for sucking up a sheet from a sheet storing unit and two sensors which are disposed on the suckers. One of the sensors detects whether the suckers come into contact with the topmost sheet of a sheet stack in the sheet storing unit, and the other sensor detects whether there is a sheet in the sheet storing unit. After the suckers were operated to suck up a sheet, these sensors detect whether the suckers catch the sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of feeding sheets. The sheets such as photographic photosensitive films are fed one by one by a suction pad in an image recording apparatus. The suction pad is displaced at a higher speed toward a stack of sheets, and then the speed of the suction pad is reduced to cause the suction pad to approach the stacked sheets ata lower speed. It is thereafter detected whether or not an uppermost one of the stacked sheets is attracted by the suction pad. Further, the suction pad is stopped from being moved toward the stacked sheets immediately upon detecting that the suction pad has attracted the uppermost sheet, and is also displaced away from the stacked sheets until the suction pad reaches a desired position.

Abstract: Device for locking a suction nozzle of a separating sucker on a suction head of a sheet feeder of a sheet-processing machine, the suction head having at least one governor foot, a drive device for moving the governor foot in accordance with a working cycle of the feeder, and a device for vertically moving the nozzle of the separating sucker, includes a bearing support laterally disposed on the suction nozzle, a movably arranged abutment device for supporting the bearing support, when the suction nozzle is in a lifted position, until a trailing edge of a sheet supplied to the feeder has left the vicinity of the suction nozzle of the separating sucker, and a linkage connecting the abutment device articulatingly to the drive device for the governor foot for moving the abutment in accordance with a working cycle of the suction head.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for picking up sheets of paper, cardboard or similar, especially porous material, one at a time from a pile of sheets for onward transfer, using a gripping apparatus fitted with gripping means and a sheet support disk, and a gripping apparatus for effecting the method. According to the invention when the gripping apparatus is brought to the pile of sheets it achieves the following steps:a. the pile of sheets is pressed on its top in the central region thereof,b. the gripping means is moved and presses the top of the pile on both sides of said central region,c. the top sheet on the pile is distorted preferably from both sides of the central region of the pile by making use of movement of the gripping means towards the central region of the pile so that said top sheet bends partly clear from the sheet under it,d.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device is disclosed comprising a drive shaft, a first arm, a second arm, an elevator arm having a suction cup for attracting a sheet, and a roller. When the drive shaft starts to rotate counterclockwise, the first arm rotates counterclockwise together with the elevator arm until the roller disposed on the elevator arm is in contact with the uppermost sheet. When the roller contacts the uppermost sheet, the elevator arm starts to slide along the first arm and rotates clockwise about a point at which the roller contacts the uppermost sheet. The elevator arm and the first arm continue to move until the suction cup contacts the uppermost sheet, and then the suction cup is actuated to attract the uppermost sheet. When the suction cup has attracted the uppermost sheet, the drive shaft starts to rotate clockwise, the first arm rotates clockwise, and then the elevator arm with the suction cup attracting the sheet slides along the first arm.

Abstract: In the context of a feeder, more especially a sheet feeder, comprising firstly a suction device which is placed over a stack of items to be fed, and has a separating devicre with at least one telescoping and preferably vertically reciprocable lifting suction holder, which when a sucker is covered over is able to be retracted against the action of a returning force by the action of vacuum present at such sucker, and secondly a conveyor device which has at least one reciprocating entraining sucking device and is adapted to have such item transferred to it from the separating device lifting such item from said stack, the invention seeks to achieve trouble-free operation and simplicity of operation by the provision of on the one hand at least one vacuum hold nozzle adjacent to overlapping surfaces of the telescopically engaging parts of each lifting suction holder and adapted to be turned on and off in accordance with the entraining suction motion in a manner independent of the sucker, and there is furthermore an

Abstract: A sheet feeding device has suction cups carried by a linkage which is driven by a drive motor to sequentially press the suction cups onto a paper sheet, transfer the sheet held by the suction cups to another location, and release the sheet from the suction cups. The drive motor is connected to the linkage through a firction gearing mechanism which, through frictional slippage, prevents the suction cups from exerting excessive pressure on the sheets.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeder automatically couples a plurality of pieces of folded long paper to each other and then continuously feeds the pieces. A conveyor, a reference surface, a pusher and a drive unit are provided in the feeder. The conveyor has a larger width than the long paper and is made of a material of low friction so as to convey the long paper. The reference surface is located near the side edge of the conveyor. The pusher is disposed opposite said reference surface and can be reciprocated toward and away from the reference surface. The drive unit is for moving the pusher. The pusher is moved by the drive unit to push the long paper onto the reference surface.

Abstract: A delivery sheet brake for sheet-fed printing presses having a sucker formed with a suction opening movable on a closed loop path at varying speed corresponding in a sheet-transfer position to travel speed of a sheet and then being deceleratable until a sheet-release position is reached above a pile of sheets at a delivery, elements of a drive connected to the sucker for imparting a horizontal motion component to the sucker which is simultaneously movable vertically, and control valves for controlling vacuum in a suction line connected to the sucker, the sucker including a piston disposed in a cylinder of a housing so as to be movable in direction of a longitudinal axis of the piston, the housing being connected to the drive and being disposed swivelingly on a shaft having an axis extending transversely to a direction of travel of the sheet and parallel to the sheet, the piston being reciprocatingly movable in the cylinder of the housing by the vacuum in the suction line to the sucker and being controllable b

Abstract: An improved palletizer is provided for receiving successive groups of articles in a pattern forming area and transferring the groups in succession to a stacking area on a pallet. A servocontrolled sweep system transfers article groups from the pattern formings to the stacking area for stacking one group on top of the other as the pallet is indexed downward by a hoist system after each successive group, and a carriage system interleaves separator sheets between successive groups. A programmable logic controller controls the servocontrolled sweep system in accordance with a velocity characteristic designed to increase machine speed and efficiency.

Abstract: An envelope feeder (20) for use in a photographic order-finishing station, including a base (22) to which a retaining plate (28) is mounted. A stack-holding tray (30) is biased toward the retaining plate to compress a stack (18) of envelopes placed therebetween for feeding. Suction heads (50) move arcuately to contact and grip the outermost envelope (36) on the stack by application of a partial vacuum, and the move back to peel and lift a portion of that envelope from the stack. A shuttle assembly (52) with a plurality of narrow shuttle fingers (108) is included for insertion between the partially lifted outermost envelope (36) and the underlying envelope (68) to split any adhesions formed between them and separate the outermost envelope from the stack.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system for feeding single sheets from a magazine containing plural sheets arranged in a stack. A vacuum type sheet pick-up mechanism picks up and deforms one end of the top most sheet to facilitate that sheets separation from the stack. Static and movable separators then act on the top most sheet to complete its separation from the stack and elevate the leading edge to bring it into contact with a friction drive mechanism. The friction drive mechanism is then activated by an external device to cause the sheet to be driven from the magazine. A programmed logic control system sequentially controls the cycling of the mechanism.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for picking up a fabric workpiece by applying vacuum provides two vacuum sensors; one for a sample fabric and the other for a fabric workpiece to be picked up. Where the apparatus has picked up incorrect number of sheets, the two vacuum sensors will output different voltages and the values are converted from analog to digital and input to a comparator. Thus, in such a case, the comparator outputs particular signals to stop the picking-up action of the apparatus.

Abstract: Suction head includes a vertically adjustable lifting suction device having a respective guiding element, and an axially displaceable, telescopically guided suction chamber arranged on the guiding element, the suction chamber having at least two suction nozzles disposed adjacent one another transversely to a direction in which sheets are conveyed, the suction nozzles being united into a double suction chamber so as to form a narrowly defined vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a rotary carrier which carries a plurality of semi-spherical gripping heads having concave gripping surfaces. The gripping heads are positioned such that the gripping surfaces become flush with the forwardmost plate in a vertically arrayed stack of plates as the carrier rotates. Each gripping head is mounted to the carrier through a hollow bellows and vacuum air drawn into a hole in the gripping face passes through the bellows. When the vacuum increases, due to the forwardmost plate in the stack being pulled up against the gripping head, the bellows collapses and pulls the forwardmost plate away from the stack. Rollers, which extend beyond the periphery of the carrier, urge the stack away from the gripping head immediately before they become aligned. The vacuum then pulls the forwardmost plate away from the stack and into contact with the gripping head before the bellows collapses thereby increasing the gap between them.

Abstract: Feeding device for feeding paper sheets from a pile, particularly in offset printing machines. The device has a driving mechanism, the operation of which is controlled by three sets of two cams in precise intervals according to the program of operation of the printing machine. All control mechanisms have their operation motions designed separately in such manner, that each mechanism is controlled by one set of two cams. The advantage of the said feeding device consists in that the control mechanism perform precise operations in accordance with the program of operation even at high printing speeds, because they are controlled bilaterally by the set of two cams and double rollers without employing spring elements to cause cam followers to remain in contact with cam surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically stacking battery plates and separators is disclosed. Battery plates and separators elements are alternately and automatically combined on a conveyor belt to form sandwiches wherein a plurality of such sandwiches are later assembled for use in battery cells. Prior to combining the elements, the plates and separators are arranged in respective chutes for access by pivotably mounted vacuum pickup heads, which cycle between the chutes and the conveyor belt. The vacuum pickup heads capture the topmost elements in the chutes irrespective of the height at which the plates and separators may be stacked therein. In order to access the elements within the chutes, a jet sensor is provided with the pickup head that acts as a proximity detector. When vacuum is not being utilized for pickup purposes, it is utilized in an environmental mode where it is used to remove lead dust and particles around the stacking area.

Abstract: The automatic vacuum gripper comprises a gripper member with a resilient seal coupled to a hollow piston and shaft. The piston is spring loaded downward in a cylinder coupled to a vacuum source. With vacuum applied, the piston does not move until the gripped part is completely sealed to the gripper member.

Abstract: A vacuum lift assembly for lifting sheet members to an elevated position.

Abstract: Sheet feeder having adaptive mechanism for assuring dependable automatic operation when the stack of sheets to be fed consists of sheets having varying thicknesses and weights. In a sheet feeder having pickers to move a document from the top of a stack of sheets supported by a moveable table to a feed-in position, the latter possibly including a vacuum belt for moving the document, sensors supply signals to indicate a sheet has been picked. After moving the pickers and table to initial positions, the controller moves the picker to a predetermined reference position. If a sheet is picked above or below the predetermined initial position, the position of the table is adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically stacking battery plates and separators is disclosed. Battery plates and separators elements are alternately and automatically combined on a conveyor belt to form sandwiches wherein a plurality of such sandwiches are later assembled for use in battery cells. Prior to combining the elements, the plates and separators are arranged in respective chutes for access by pivotably mounted vacuum pickup heads, which cycle between the chutes and the conveyor belt. The vacuum pickup heads capture the topmost elements in the chutes irrespective of the height at which the plates and separators may be stacked therein. In order to access the elements within the chutes, a jet sensor is provided with the pickup head that acts as a proximity detector. When vacuum is not being utilized for pickup purposes, it is utilized in an environmental mode where it is used to remove lead dust and particles around the stacking area.

Abstract: The battery plate stacker includes a plurality of heads having pickup members located on the ends thereof for temporarily attaching either separators or plates to the heads as is appropriate. The heads are pivotal between stacks of plates or separators and a conveyor that is disposed between the stacks of plates and stacks of separators. The stacker includes control apparatus that prevents retraction of the heads unless a plate or separator is attached thereto and prevents swinging of the heads between the stacks and the conveyor until all of the heads are retracted.

Abstract: A pneumatic valve mechanism, especially for controlling the movement of paper, comprises a mouthpiece (47) which defines an air intake (58), a bellows (10) coupled to the mouthpiece, a passage (42, 44) connecting the interior of the bellows to a pump so that when the bellows is not fully retracted suction is created at the air intake (58) and a seal (50) between the mouthpiece and a valve body (14) which is effective when the bellows is fully retracted, following closure of the air intake by a sheet of paper (60), to seal the air intake from the suction pump. Venting air can enter the mouthpiece in the retracted position of the bellows, to permit the sheet to drop off the intake, but without breaking the seal (50), whereby the bellows is maintained in its retracted position. The bellows (10) will only extend again to seek the next sheet when the effect created by the suction pump is interrupted, as by breaking the seal (50) by energizing a solenoid (64) and displacing a mechanical linkage (62,54).

Abstract: A system is provided for bringing a film, forming at least a partial coating of a molded object, into a mold. In this system, the transport device includes means for holding the film in position during transport thereof from the waiting position to the working position, and two cooperating members, of the rack or screw type, meshing with each other, the first of which is parallel to the direction of movement of the movable part of the mold and is fixed to one of the parts thereof and the second of which is secured to the means for holding the film in position and may slide in the movable part of the mold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ensuring sheet separation of a single sheet workpiece from a stack of workpiece sheets which consists of a lifting assembly having at least three spaced sets of sheet workpiece holding suction members with at least a poriton of one set being reciprocatable in a vertical movement to cause flexure of a sheet being raised by the lifting device to cause separation of an underlying sheet which may have adhered to the sheet being lifted.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying labels in the molds of a plastic blow molding machine of the type wherein a plurality of sets of molds are mounted on a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis and the molds are moved toward and away from one another to enclose a parison and the parison is then blown to the confines of the cavity between the mold sections which comprises removing labels successively from one or more magazines, depositing the labels on an endless conveyor which transports the labels to a position adjacent an open mold and laterally transferring the labels from the conveyor to a position within the molds such that when a mold closes about a plastic parison and the parison is blown, the labels become adhered to the blown plastic bottle.

Abstract: A device for placing articles such as coupons or the like in cartons being conveyed past a work station containing the device. The device includes an upright coupon or the like article supply hopper, a reciprocatory mechanism for inserting the articles into the cartons as they are conveyed past and momentarily stopped adjacent thereto and a reciprocating vacuum or suction mechanism for removing the coupons from the supply hopper and placing them in the path of the inserting mechanism for placement into cartons.

Abstract: A vacuum flow sensor is described according to the preferred teachings of the present invention for providing an electrical signal to the controls of a printing press or the like indicating that a sheet of paper has been picked up by the finger members and is blocking the flow of air through the finger members to the vacuum source through the vacuum passageway. Specifically, the sensor includes an actuator movable within an actuator passageway towards a first, seated position under the force of gravity and away from the first position under the force of air flowing through the vaccum passageway and against the force of gravity. A proximity switch is provided for sensing when the actuator is in its first position. The actuator passageway is angular in shape and includes a shock absorber in the end of the actuator passageway opposite to the first position for tending to prevent the actuator from bouncing in the actuator passageway due to abrupt changes in air flow through the vacuum passageway.

Abstract: In a sheet-separating suction device a suction piston carrying a suction nozzle is reciprocally movable in a sleeve secured to a housing of the device. An additional piston having at least one throttle is reciprocally movable in another sleeve also secured to the housing. The additional piston cooperates with the suction piston so as to brake the latter in its movement to an initial position and prevent impacts of the suction piston against the wall of the housing.

Abstract: A sheet separating device for separating flexible disc-shaped sheet materials forming a stack. The sheet materials such as floppy discs have holes in the center thereof in register with each other to define a single hole in the stack. The sheet separating device of the invention includes an outer member having a chamber therewithin and an inner member provided in the chamber. The outer member has a contact surface in facing relation to the stack. The chamber within the outer member has an opening in the contact surface through which the inner member also faces the stack. The chamber is communicated with a vacuum source. The opening and the inner member have diameters larger than the holes in the discs. When the vacuum source operates, the inner edge of the floppy discs is drawn up by suction force from a gap defined by the outer member and inner member until the drawn edge of the floppy disc is blocked by the inner member. As a result, the disc is sucked to the device and separated from the stack.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for actuating a suction workholder having a hollow piston slidably mounted in a hollow cylinder. A suction cup is mounted on a distal end of the piston and is in pneumatic communication with a proximal end of said piston via the interior of the piston. A housing defining a vacuum plenum is so attached to the cylinder as to permit pneumatic communication between the plenum and the proximal end of said piston. The improvement resides in a unique positioning of ports and apertures which create pneumatic pressure differentials causing movement of the piston. The use of a biasing spring is not required.

Abstract: This suction foot or "sheet sucker" has a cylinder and a hollow piston fitted in the cylinder. The piston has a piston rod whose tip protrudes downwardly from the cylinder to apply suction to the top sheet of stock in a small press. The cylinder is supported from and moved by a hollow support rod that is connected with the suction system of the press. The piston and rod are spring-loaded upward relative to the cylinder. The hole in the support rod communicates with a point in the cylinder cavity below the piston. Applied suction consequently draws the cylinder and rod downward, against the spring action, in effect telescoping the suction foot tip outwardly toward the stock. When a sheet of stock closes the bottom end of the hollow piston and rod, pressure on the cylinder is equalized and the suction foot tip retracts, raising the stock for travel into the press. The necessary air communication is effected by several fine air passageways in the cylinder side wall and top wall.

Abstract: Envelope or letter destacking device associated with a storage means. Such a device comprises a nozzle actuated by an orientation device which is able to impart thereto a swinging or rocking movement (arrow F.sub.b) and a translational movement (arrow F.sub.L). The invention applies to mail sorting machines.

Abstract: Single sheet feed reliability for suction cup mechanisms handling highly permeable paper sheet is improved with a quickly and conveniently attached rigid cup enclosure of an extensible bellows cup. An internal thread is provided in the suction pipe ends for receipt of an externally threaded T-nut shank. The T-nut secures both, the rigid cup enclosure and the extensible bellows.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically stacking battery plates and separators is disclosed. Battery plates and separators elements are alternately and automatically combined on a conveyor belt to form sandwiches wherein a plurality of such sandwiches are later assembled for use in battery cells. Prior to combining the elements, the plates and separators are arranged in respective chutes for access by pivotably mounted vacuum pickup heads, which cycle between the chutes and the conveyor belt. The vacuum pickup heads capture the topmost elements in the chutes irrespective of the height at which the plates and separators may be stacked therein. In order to access the elements within the chutes, a jet sensor is provided with the pickup head that acts as a proximity detector. When vacuum in not being uitlized for pickup purposes, it is uitlized in an environmental mode where it is used to remove lead dust and particles around the stacking area.

Abstract: A paper sheet attracting system includes a suction air casing, a paper sheet attracting unit which has a bottom wall provided with a plurality of air intake openings, and a pressure roller for depressing the paper sheets to be supplied. The leading edge of a paper sheet attracted by the paper sheet attracting unit is caught by a paper sheet feeding member for transferring the paper sheet. When the paper sheet feeding member is enabled, the pressure roller is driven to shift upward so that the pressure roller is separated from the paper sheets. Furthermore, when the paper sheet feeding member is enabled, the suction operation conducted by the paper sheet attracting unit is interrupted, whereby the paper sheet is transferred without disturbance.

Abstract: A separation mechanism part is provided wherein a negative pressure to suck a recording paper apart from a stack is obtainable by contacting an uppermost sheet of the recording paper using a suction head, air flow into the suction head being cut off by contact of the suction head with the first sheet of the recording paper. The recording paper is sucked and separated one sheet by one sheet by bringing up the suction head, as such, by the negative pressure. This paper feeding apparatus can feed recording paper surely separated sheet by sheet, and even though the amount of piling of the recording paper in the piled state changes, the separating force applied to act on the uppermost sheet of recording paper when suction is applied is kept small and uniform.

Abstract: An improved paper feeder for use with a printing machine includes a suction head which moves up and down by suction force and moves forward and backward by action of a cam. The paper feeder further includes an arrangement for controlling the height of the paper table.

Abstract: The invention provides a way of positioning the material to be scanned with respect to a mirror that both rotates and translates in order to reflect a scanning beam on the material. A sector of a cylinder has the same axis as the rotating mirror. The material to be scanned is mounted on the top of a flexible plate. The flexible plate may rest flat on a table outside of the area scanned. The flexible plate may then be pushed into the cylinder with the bottom face of the flexible plate in contact with the inner side wall of the sector of the cylinder. When the flexible plate has reached the proper position in the cylinder, the bottom face of the plate of the flexible plate is held in position against the inner wall of the sector of the cylinder by suction, so that scanning may proceed.

Abstract: The transport, that carries the material to be scanned to and from scanning position, is held against its support by suction. After the transport has been moved into scanning position the suction is applied progressively starting at one end of the transport and continuing to the other end. A squeegee roller presses the transport against its support. This roller passes over the portion of the transport to which suction has just been applied, but prior to the time that suction is applied to the next section of the transport.

Abstract: Apparatus for mounting chip type circuit elements on a printed circuit board include a supply unit for supplying chip type circuit elements, a plurality of pallets adapted to be conveyed intermittently in a longitudinal direction, a sequence head adapted to shift the circuit elements onto the pallets, an X-Y table adapted to receive and support a printed circuit board, a mounting mechanism having mounting heads adapted to mount the chip type circuit elements on the printed circuit board carried by the X-Y table, and a shifting head for shifting the chip type circuit elements from the pallets to the mounting head of the mounting mechanism. The mounting mechanism constitutes a rotatably indexing disc on which a plurality of mounting heads are radially situated, the sequence heads, shifting head and mounting heads each utilizing suction pins to which the chip type circuit elements are fixed during their movement from the supply unit to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to an object detector which incorporates a photoelectric detector in the vacuum flow path of a vacuum pickup system to serve as a device to determine whether an object has been successfully engaged, retained and transported by a vacuum orifice, so that transport cycles may be modified or terminated by control circuitry in the event that the object has not been successfully engaged, retained and transported, thereby saving time and reducing damage to object, transport means or the surface to which the object is transported.

Abstract: A signature collating machine having a plurality of sequentially situated signature supply stations whose common floor rises via an electronic sensor to maintain signature stacks at operable heights. Above each supply station is a suction delivery assembly, each of said assemblies having a suction port housing and a suction port extending therefrom for engagement with a signature. The machine further has traveling collector rods which sequentially gather signatures engaged with respective suction ports. An actuator is provided which causes upward movement of a suction delivery assembly, and consequent positioning of a signature for subsequent collating, upon suction port engagement with a signature. Circuitry is provided which causes collector rod travel to cease if any suction port ahead of a collector rod is not engaged with a signature, thus eliminating accidental non-inclusion of a signature.

Abstract: An automatic vacuum document feeder particularly adapted for feeding sheet-like documents in seriatim from a stack onto a utilization device, such as the document platen of a convenience copier. The documents are disposed in a tray. A vacuum lifter descends and lifts the topmost document along a vertical path to a position above the stack and beyond the bottom surface of a vacuum transport. The vacuum transport is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the vertical path of the vacuum lifter. The vacuum transport strips the document from the vacuum lifter and transports the document to the utilization device. The entire system is configured so that there is no relative motion occurring between the document being transported and the transport hardware. A document restraint device, including air jets and stripper fingers, coact with the stack to eliminate double feed.

Abstract: To insure accuracy in feeding a sheet of paper from an overlapped, shingled paper supply on a make-ready table, a suction pick-up picks up the sheet and moves it upwardly for a limited distance of about 1 mm before initiating the forward movement of the sheet to transfer it to a gripper mechanism of a printing cylinder or transport drum while, simultaneously, moving it transverse to the plane of the sheet to bring it into proper alignment with the drum or cylinder gripper mechanism.

Abstract: A suction type separating element is assembled of a base body supported for a reciprocating vertical movement above the sheet edge, a hollow cylinder of elastomeric material having a circumferentially variable thickness and being provided in the region of the minimum thickness with an inwardly directed constriction preferably in the form of an annular section. The lower base of the elastomeric cylinder is terminated with a suction head adapted for abutment against the sheet to be lifted. Upon the formation of a vacuum in the hollow cylinder, the latter deforms in the range of the constriction and lifts the suction head with the sheet portion upwardly.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a single sheet from the bottom of a stack of sheets to a station for performing subsequent operations on the sheet. The apparatus is comprised of a magazine to receive a stack of sheets having a bottom support and upstanding walls, the bottom support having an opening therein through which the lower most sheet can be removed. A suction nozzle is provided below the magazine opening and a vacuum surface is provided below the suction nozzle. A first pivot arm is attached to the suction nozzle and a second pivot arm is attached to the vacuum surface. A sheet receiving and feeding apparatus below the magazine receives and feeds the sheet to the station which performs the subsequent operation on the sheet. The pivot arm is pivoted to (i) raise the suction nozzle to engage the surface of the lower most sheet, and subsequently (ii) lower the suction nozzle to engage the bottom surface of the sheet with the vacuum surface.

Abstract: This relates to a transfer apparatus for transferring labels from a label stack into the cavity of a moving mold half. The transfer device includes a pivotally mounted arm which has mounted on its free end a transfer head which swings about the arm so that for a limited movement of the arm there can be a much greater movement of the transfer head. Thus, the transfer head may rapidly enter and rapidly depart from a mold cavity so that a label may be seated in the mold cavity very quickly without requiring any slowdown of the movement of the mold half. The transfer head is provided with vacuum heads which operate to effect a peeling of a label from its associated stack beginning along one edge portion of the label so as to assure that only a single label is picked up from the stack.