Abstract: An apparatus comprises an endless conveyor formed in its conveying surface with slit-like dropping openings for permitting soft panels to pass therethrough, suction means disposed above a downstream portion of the conveying surface to attract and halt a traveling soft panel on the conveying surface, and a table positioned close to and below the conveying surface in opposed relation to the suction means. When the soft panel is held to the suction means by suction, continuous travel of the conveyor surface causes the rear end of the halted panel to enter the dropping opening, permitting the panel to project from the rear side of the conveying surface with the advance of the dropping opening and to be transferred onto the table in its standby position therebelow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously bending or creasing sheet material as the material travels along a path. The invention creases and decurls the material; that is, compensates for a natural tendency to curl in the opposite direction, and serves as a drag on the trailing portion of the sheet material, thereby providing positive sheet control. It is characterized by an air pressure gradient which forces the material into a zone between a pair of parallel, spaced, elongated support surfaces as the material is drawn over the support surfaces.

Abstract: A labeling machine of the kind wherein labels are removed one at a time from a stack of labels by a rotating picker provided with axially spaced annular picking surfaces disposed for rotation about an axis parallel to the endmost label in the stack at a distance therefrom such that the annular picking surfaces of the picker are tangent to the plane of the endmost label. The annular picking surfaces contain diametrically disposed slots which are connected to a vacuum as they are moved into engagement with the endmost label and thereafter at a predetermined place in the further rotation of the picker are disconnected to release the label characterized in that there is a needle fixed in each slot with its pointed end flush with the annular picking surface of the picker and with which the portion of the label crossing the slot is held engaged during the period the picker is taking hold of the label and releasing it.

Abstract: A newspaper vending machine has a receptacle with a front wall, a rearwardly ascending slide track to support a stack of newspapers on edge, the lower end of the slide track having an upstanding ledge to hold back the foremost paper in the stack which is pressed forward by a presser plate whose upper part is parallel to the front wall and whose lower part inclines rearwardly, and a delivery mechanism which by means of inclined needles engaging the foremost paper in the stack lifts the said paper until its lower edge swings forward over the upstanding ledge and then feeds the paper downwards through a delivery slot between the upstanding ledge and the front wall.

Abstract: A device for automatically grasping fabric pieces, more particularly a single fabric piece at a time, comprising a set of tapered and bent points parallely mounted near to the lower vertex of a triangle shaped oscillating member; the latter is pivotably mounted to the head of a movable body, and the said member oscillates between two end positions, a resilient inverted U shaped element being provided to maintain said member in either end position, the resilient element being supported also by the movable body, whereby a single piece of fabrics is grasped at each oscillation of the said member by the points penetrating it.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a novel apparatus for lowering and lifting a ply picking unit into controlled pressure contact with the top ply of a stack of limp plies. The picking unit is supported by a lifting lever, which is pivotally mounted on a frame. An actuator, operable through a predetermined stroke, is interconnected with the lifting lever by a slideable connector, with an adjustable spring acting between the actuator and the slideable connector. The apparatus of the invention further includes means independent of the actuator for effectively, substantially balancing the lifting lever. The novel combination of a balanced lifting lever, actuator, slideable connector and adjustable spring results in an improved lever action, for lowering and lifting the ply picking unit, that is positive in operation and accurately adjustable to meet the particular requirements of an overall apparatus to nip and lift limp plies from a stack thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for sheet-by-sheet feeding and placing the sheets on a stack, the sheets being conveyed rhythmically one after another, including a conveyor means and a suction braking means disposed below a conveying plane, for transporting the sheets into an effective range of the suction braking means; the ends of the sheets may be held and transported by a deflecting member which is arranged above the conveying plane.

Abstract: An improved decurler device, in the form of a rounded, substantially M-shaped vacuum bar, is provided for drawing curled sheet material into its rounded trough where a multiplicity of spaced vacuum openings are located thereby reversely bending the sheet and taking out the curl previously imparted to it. The bar is made of a reinforced plastic material with a hard and very smooth surface which wears well and does not scratch, mar or otherwise destruct the face of the sheet materials. A dispersion of fine carbon particles in the surface material of the bar is also effective to eliminate static electric charges built up in the sheet material incident to previous processing operations.

Abstract: A device for transferring a preselected number of sheets of material from several stacks and depositing the sheets at a location. The device comprises a pick-up head which is adjustable on selection to pick up from a first location one or two sheets, pick up one or two sheets from a second location and deposit the assembly of sheets at another location or feed same through a processing machine.

Abstract: A device is provided for incorporation in apparatus for the automatic manufacture of articles from fabric by cutting the fabric into sets of single pieces and then moving the individual pieces of a set to a work station at which the pieces are sewed to each other, which comprises: a movable hollow frame, a flat plate which has a centrally disposed opening and which is adapted to be forced downwardly against the upper surface of a piece of fabric; a connection between the plate and the frame; an elongated oscillatory needle holder supported at its lower end by the frame along an axis of rotation located above the opening in the plate; a needle having a curved sharply tapered lower end and a stem; a connection between the stem and the needle holder at a point above the lower end of the needle holder whereby oscillation of the needle holder will cause the sharply tapered end of the needle to swing through the opening in the plate along an arc; and means are provided for adjusting the location of the arc so that

Abstract: A sheet material decurling apparatus for use with a machine having a sheet conveyor comprises a trough member which includes two elongate, sheet supporting members, each having an arcuate upper surface with a radius greater than 250t, where t is the thickness of the sheet material. An elongate fillet, curved in the direction opposite to and joining the sheet supporting member surfaces, has a radius less than 15t. Further, the angle formed between the planes tangent to the sheet supporting member surfaces at the lines of transition therefrom into the fillet is in the range of 60.degree. to 120.degree.. A series of vacuum conduits are disposed in the trough member adjacent the bottom of the fillet and have a total cross-sectional area of approximately 0.07 inches square per linear foot of trough member. A vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum conduits to effect air flow downwardly through the trough member.

Abstract: A process for separating one or more supple sheets from a stack includes the steps of compressing the stack at least in the vicinity of its opposite upper edges, simultaneously or subsequently introducing sharp projections in or near the edges in order to pick up the sheet or sheets, moving the opposite projections apart slightly in opposite directions to tighten or stretch the sheet or sheets and finally lifting the engaged and tightened sheet or sheets from the stack. Apparatus for performing this process comprises a pair of separating members movable vertically toward and away from the stack of sheets, the members including a surface adapted to compress the stack in the vicinity of opposite upper edges thereof. The members also include pricking members which are movable horizontally relative to the stack and engageable with a predetermined number of uppermost sheets therein.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air conveyor comprised of a deck having multiple openings and an underlying plenum containing air under pressure. The air from the plenum issues through the openings as jets to lift articles and advance them along a predetermined path spaced above the deck. To stop the articles, a second plenum is disposed within the first mentioned plenum and in communication with the openings through the conveyor deck at a location at which the article is to be stopped. A normally open valve provides communication between the first and second plenums whereby air under pressure in the first plenum passes into the second plenum and out through the openings in the conveyor deck for lifting and advancing the articles on the conveyor similarly as accomplished by the air issuing through the other openings in direct communication with the first plenum. A normally closed second valve commmunicates between a vacuum pressure source and the second plenum.

Abstract: Collision between the tail and head ends of successive singly fed sheets to be overlapped is avoided by ejecting air along a frame sloped downwardly away from the line of feed of the sheets. The tail end of a preceding sheet is thus drawn down out of the path of the head end of a succeeding sheet which is to overlap the preceding sheet.

Abstract: A delivery arrangement for a printing press having a conveyor releasing sheets one by one and which includes a jet type vacuum pump facing and closely spaced to the path of a released sheet for slowing the forward movement thereof. The vacuum pump includes a venturi nozzle having a throat at its inlet end and over which is superimposed an injector. The injector has a central opening which is in register with the throat and which is in slightly overhanging relation so that the lip of the opening forms an annular orifice adjacent the throat, the orifice being supplied with air from a pressure chamber which surrounds the nozzle. When the pressurized air flows through the orifice in the form of an annular jet, it is deflected along the wall of the throat by the so-called "Coanda effect" and subsequently expanded, with the resulting venturi action, creating suction at the opening. The suction causes a drag on each passing sheet.

Abstract: A sheet delivery mechanism of the type in which printed sheets are deposited by an endless conveyor upon a pile, the front of which is defined by vertical guide members. When it is desired to remove a sheet from the top of the pile for control purposes a supporting finger is interposed above the pile at the forward edge for temporarily intercepting the subsequent sheets, and the guide members are retracted so that the control sheet may be removed. It is the primary feature of the invention that provision is made for time delay, for example, by using a lost motion connection, to insure that the guide members are not retracted until the finger is fully interposed and to insure that the finger is not withdrawn until the guide members are fully restored to working position so that there will be hiatus during which a sheet might travel beyond the pile.

Abstract: A veneer stacker for receiving sheets of veneer at a relatively high rate of speed and assembling them into a uniform stack. The stacker utilizes the velocity of the veneer sheet, acting against a series of curved guide shoes, for supporting the sheet by means of centrifugal force, while guiding it to a stacking position. As the sheet approaches the stacking position, it initiates a momentary vacuum braking action adapted to draw the sheet into intimate engagement with the guide shoes, stopping the sheet, thereby removing its supporting force. Continuously rotating vacuum drums engage the lead edge of the falling sheet for positioning it against an aligning forward stop, and correcting skew of the sheet as an incident to such positioning.

Abstract: An arrangement for the stackwise depositing of individual sheets of equal lengths in a repository or file by means of a conveying arrangement which includes one or more vacuum conveyor rolls or webs, adapted to transport successive sheets which are introduced in a time sequence from an input to the repository at a definite conveying speed, and including a braking installation located preceding or ahead of the repository, which deflects the end of each sheet downwardly out of the plane of conveyance and reduces the conveying speed to a speed which provides for an undisturbed deposition, and wherein the aspirating effect of a vacuum conveying roll which is located in proximity to the braking installation is interrupted during actuation of the braking installation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating a single ply of limp material, such as fabric from a stack of such plies, and transporting the separated ply to a predetermined destination. The apparatus includes a rotatable ply gripping wheel, cooperating with a ply holding shoe. By rotating the wheel in contact with the ply, while restraining an adjacent area, the ply is buckled into a wave, nipped and then picked off of the stack. The gripping wheel and pressing shoe maintain a predetermined geometric relation, while being capable of independent yieldable contact with an uneven ply stack. The gripping wheel and holding shoe are operable in conjunction with an insertable flat plate, which is effective to progressively free the remainder of the ply. Thereafter, the flat plate is utilized to transport the freed ply to a desired destination, while the picking unit independently returns to the ply stack to commence its engagement with the next subsequent ply.

Abstract: A device for issuing single copies of flat flexible articles, such as newspapers or magazines. A stripper member comprising a rotatable conveyor has engagement elements which engage an article to be issued near one of the edges of the article. The conveyor is rotated while traversing the face of the article, carrying the edge with it so as to wrap the article upon the conveyor's periphery until the article is stripped (peeled) from the stack. The article is then released and discharged through an exit orifice. The device may be coin-controlled, so as to issue an article only after the necessary coins have been provided, either by permitting the stripper member to be moved with an engaged article only when proper coins have been inserted, or by permitting the engagement elements to engage the article only when a coin has been inserted. The device may be provided with a holder to display one of the articles and issue it as the last article, after the other inventory has been issued.

Abstract: A delivery arrangement including a conveyor and take-off mechanism for delivering a series of printed sheets onto a pile in which nozzles are provided distributed along the width of a sheet, for directing a jet of air to the underside in a direction opposite the sheet movement. A guide plate spaced under the sheet and extending upstream from the nozzles serves to confine the jet. Formed on the surface of the guide plate are a plurality of upraised islands, spaced from one another over the area of the guide plate, the islands presenting plateau surfaces at approximately the same elevation above the guide plate. Consequently, when a sheet is sucked downwardly by the jet of air it engages the plateau surfaces in light frictional engagement to apply frictional drag to the body of the sheet. The source of pressurized air for the nozzles includes means for automatically varying the pressure, and hence the frictional drag, in accordance with the speed of the press.