Including Oppositely-disposed Side-edge Aligners Patents (Class 271/238)
  • Patent number: 4736940
    Abstract: Apparatus for aligning a sack disposed at the leading end of a series of shingled sacks, which have been unwound from a roll of shingled sacks and which have openings at their leading ends. The sack is aligned by transversely spaced gripping rollers that are operable to align the leading edge of a sack for proper orientation prior to transfer of the sack to a filling apparatus. An intermittently driven conveyor belt conveys the unwound series of shingled sacks as they are unwound from a roll. At least one pressure-applying roller is disposed above the conveyor belt and acts on the leading sack of the series of shingled sacks and cooperates with a backing roller, which is adapted to be driven, and optional pressure-applying elements, which are adapted to be lowered onto the next following sack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Windmoller & Holscher
    Inventors: Konrad Tetenborg, Helmut Huwelmann
  • Patent number: 4734925
    Abstract: A plain film platform for projection screen apparatus for X-ray apparatus has a platform member, a first fixed guiding strip for a film extending along one vertical side, a second fixed guiding strip extending along a lower side near the opposite vertical side over a small part of the platform member, and a third movable guiding strip extending between the first and second guiding strips and displaceable parallel to the lower second guiding strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert AG
    Inventors: Jurgen Muller, Gunther Schindlbeck, Michael Reichart
  • Patent number: 4731150
    Abstract: An apparatus for glueing together two different material layers, of which one is intended to form a first cover in a folder, file or the like and the other a second cover and/or a spine in the folder, file or the like, the glueing being carried out in an area where the layers overlap each other, by a glueing device included in the apparatus, said device coating one side of one layer with a glue strip along or close to one edge thereof. The apparatus also includes an aligning means (23, 25), which aligns both layers relative each other so that they overlap each other in an area which is at least as wide as the width of the glue strip, a pressing means (26, 28) pressing both layers towards each other in the area for the glue strip therebetween, and a feed means (6-10, 15-18, 29-32) for feeding the layers through the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Bind-O-Matic AB
    Inventor: Sture Wiholm
  • Patent number: 4696465
    Abstract: A method of aligning sheets during stream feeding of a multiplicity of sheets over a feed table to a first steadily rotating cylinder of a sheet-processing medium includes in a first feeding stage, conveying the sheets in an imbricated arrangement thereof via the feed table and in a given direction to an alignment region; in a second feeding stage, aligning a lateral and a leading edge of the sheets in the alignment region while the sheets remain in the imbricated arrangement thereof and without interrupting movement of the sheets in the given direction and, in a third feeding stage, accelerating the speed at which the sheets are stream fed to a peripheral speed of a rotating cylinder and feeding the sheets to the first steadily rotating cylinder, while finally aligning the sheets at front markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Jeschke Willi
  • Patent number: 4678177
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for accurately positioning a generally rectangular sheet being fed in a direction generally parallel to one edge thereof in which a first stop offset from the centerline of the sheet in the direction of feeding engages the leading edge of the sheet to initiate a turning action thereof and in which second and third edge stops engage the lateral edges of the sheet with reference to the direction of feed and at points adjacent to the sheet corners before appreciable turning movement of the sheet has taken place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Savin Corporation
    Inventor: Benzion Landa
  • Patent number: 4667805
    Abstract: The invention is a robotic parts presentation system for delivering a workpiece into a work envelope of an industrial manipulator. This system also centers the delivered workpiece about the centerline of the workpiece in the X and Y axes directions thereof. The invention provides an accurate system for the location of the part with respect to a programmed pickup point for acquisition by an industrial manipulator. The system comprises in combination a centering device which is disposed within the work envelope of the industrial manipulator and a flip-over mechanism for delivering the workpiece from a transfer station outside of the work envelope onto the centering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Richard S. Antoszewski
  • Patent number: 4637602
    Abstract: There is disclosed a registration device for use with an envelope inserting machine. The device includes a pair of support members which are L-shaped, and which each have an elongated first portion extending parallel to the feed deck of the machine. A second portion of the members reaches laterally outward and overlies a pair of laterally disposed support members which extend from the feed deck. There is a registration guide member placed over an L-shaped portion of each support member, such that an internal corner of each guide member provides a guide and support for documents moving parallel and between the guides. The guides are clamped to the deck to ensure that documents cannot jam between the guide and the deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Gavaghan, Paul D. Boucher, Karel Janatka
  • Patent number: 4616821
    Abstract: A sheet imaging apparatus with a collector tray for receiving sheets discharged from the apparatus. The collecting tray has two stationary side-walls and a sheet-supporting back plate is driven in a reciprocating motion in a transverse direction, whereby two part-stacks of sheets may be produced that are individually accurately aligned by abutment against cooperating fixed abutments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
    Inventors: Gerard J. Boeve, Etienne M. De Cock
  • Patent number: 4605218
    Abstract: A mounting mechanism for the backup roll of a roll pair wherein a four bar linkage is provided. The backup roll is mounted at one end of a first arm and bears against a mating roll positioned in a stationary location. The first arm extends to a pivot point around which the backup roll rotates to engage the mating roll. A second arm is rigidly connected to the first arm at the pivot point and extends to an end point. A third arm, comprised of a coil spring with a coupler threaded thereto, extends from the end point of the second arm to a stationary point. The fourth arm of the four bar linkage is the ground extending between the stationary points to which the first and third arms are attached. By adjusting the coupler, the number of active coils in the third arm is adjusted thereby adjusting the normal force between rolls to a desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Knepper, Leroy Rose
  • Patent number: 4573676
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring sheet materials comprises a plurality of externally threaded rods having threads spaced at equal pitches and grooves therebetween. The threaded rods extend parallel to each other and are mounted in a one-sided box-shaped housing for rotation about their axes. The threaded rods are drivable for synchronous rotation in the same lead direction to transfer the sheet materials inserted edgewise in the grooves of the threaded rods in the lead direction in synchronism with rotation of the threaded rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: ORC Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Tadao Omata
  • Patent number: 4549661
    Abstract: A bank note processing device comprising a money access opening in the upper part of the bank note processing device for accepting incoming bank notes and releasing outgoing bank notes, a bank note stacking unit below the money access opening for stacking up the incoming bank notes supplied from the money access opening, and supplying the outgoing bank notes to the money access opening, a conveying attitude aligning unit, a bank note identifying unit therebelow, an unidentified bank note temporary storage unit, a face aligning unit, a conveying passage, to the rear of the conveying attitude aligning unit and the face aligning unit, and, along this conveying passage, an incoming bank note temporary pooling unit, a plurality of bank note storage units each of which takes in and stores the incoming bank notes of a corresponding denomination from the conveying passage, and a bank note recovery unit for taking in the bank notes to be recovered from the conveying passage, in that order from above to below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co.
    Inventors: Muneki Morishita, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Hiroji Matsusaka
  • Patent number: 4548400
    Abstract: A gauging system for an envelope inserter provides simplified set up procedures for adjustment of a set of enclosure pick-up station side guides, an envelope stop and coordinated adjustment of both a set of envelope station side guides and sets of stripper fingers. A panel at the face of the inserter includes a slot and a pointer for lengthwise insertion of an enclosure. The operator places a specimen enclosure against an index end of the slot and rotates a knob to frame the enclosure length between the index and the pointer. Rotation of the knob provides simultaneous movement of the pointer and adjustment of the enclosure side guides to correspond with the framed length. A further slot and pointer are provided for envelope widthwise insertion. Rotation of its knob for framing the envelope width simultaneously adjusts the envelope stop. A further slot and pointer are provided for lengthwise envelope insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean H. Foster, Robert E. Mersereau, Harold Silverman
  • Patent number: 4533134
    Abstract: A device for registering a sheet with a side stop at either one of the opposite lateral edges of a feed table in a printing press. The device includes a housing having a top surface which is flush with the feed table. A suction head is flushly recessed in the surface of the housing and mounted in a slide in the housing for limited reciprocating movement. The housing is shiftable between alternative working positions at the respective lateral edges of the feed table. For driving the suction head timed with the arrival of a sheet, a drive shaft is provided in the housing having a pair of face type cams spaced axially from one another cooperating with a cam follower which is secured to the suction head in a position between the cams. Springs are provided for biasing the suction head in opposite directions. A shiftable yoke selectively engages the springs with the suction head so that the cam follower engages a selected one of the cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: M.A.N.-Roland Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Peter Galster
  • Patent number: 4506879
    Abstract: A mechanism for registering sheets in a printing or duplicating machine which includes a conveyor board for delivering the sheets seriatim to the registering mechanism. A stop guide is mounted on a fixed support of the machine at one side of the conveyor board. A jogger guide is mounted on a jogger device of the machine at the opposite side of the conveyor board. The jogger guide includes a spring loaded blade for acting against a side edge of the sheet to move the sheet laterally to engage an opposite side edge of the sheet against the stop guide. The spring pressure of the blade is adjustable to accommodate sheets of varying weight, and the blade is provided with floating movement to accommodate sheets which are skewed or out-of-square. A calibrated dial is employed for incrementally adjusting the location and spring pressure of the blade. The stop guide and jogger guide are easily converted for left hand or right hand jogging, or vice versa, without removing either guide from the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: AM International, Inc.
    Inventors: Eber L. Goodwin, James E. L. Zeigler
  • Patent number: 4367107
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for aligning a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration for assembly with a position occupied by a flexible sheet of interlayer material to form a sandwich to be laminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1983
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Valimont, Barry L. Shadle
  • Patent number: 4293124
    Abstract: A film loader (16), loads a planar film sheet (58), such as a microfiche, onto a vacuum head (54) associated with an X/Y positioner (56). The film sheet is edge supported between slots (106) in two side plates (36, 38), and is transported along the path defined by these slots by driven rollers (40, 110). The vacuum head (54) is positioned at a location transversely adjacent and partially intruding into this film path. Stop pins (62) block the movement of the film sheet beyond this location so that the film sheet comes to stop with an edge (68) resting on the vacuum head. Guide pins (64) are inserted into the film path upstream of this location, and are moved downstream so as to confine the film sheet to a well defined position between the guide pins (64) and the stop pins (62). An actuator (70) forces the film sheet transversely against locator pins (66) which protrude from the vacuum head (54), thus precisely aligning the film sheet (58) onto the vacuum head (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1981
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Bailey, Floyd F. Keesler
  • Patent number: 4285512
    Abstract: A paper feed device to forward documents to be copied across a document glass utilizing foraminous rollers positioned above the glass at a slight angle to the direction of document movement to move the side of the document into sliding relationship with a reference edge during the forwarding operation. The angle is produced by a curved drive shaft and rollers at opposite ends of the drive shaft are at different angles to the direction of paper movement. The rollers and drive train are rigidly mounted on a plate which is nonrigidly carried in a frame which pivots about a hinge at one end of the document glass. The plate rests on the top surface of front and rear reference edges when the frame is closed to assure accurate positioning of the rollers in relation to the document glass. After completing the forward feeding of a document, it is reversed a slight distance to a registration position for the copying operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1981
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Myron F. Shlatz
  • Patent number: 4090703
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for feeding rectangular metal sheets from a supply to a cupping press in which can body blanks are cut and drawn from the metal sheets. The apparatus includes a table providing a flat conveying surface, and three sheet feeding mechanisms are provided at locations along the table between the opposite ends thereof. A sheet to be transferred is deposited on one end of the table and is transferred therefrom to a second position by an endless chain and feed finger arrangement. At the second position, the trailing edge of the sheet is engaged by a reciprocating feed finger arrangement to advance the sheet one step to a third position on the table in which the sheet is accurately spaced longitudinally relative to a reference point in the press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: Gulf & Western Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Peter Jon Straube
  • Patent number: 4052054
    Abstract: In a copier, an original document feed moves two originals to be copied simultaneously onto a document glass. The document glass is 11 inches by 17 inches and accommodates two 81/2 by 11 inch documents side-by-side. The dual document feed is loaded sequentially with two originals and registers the two originals side-by-side to right and left corner references at an entry station. The entry station includes aligning rollers whereby the operator need only position the originals close to the correct position. The aligning rollers then corner-register the documents side-by-side. After the originals have been registered side-by-side in the entry station, they are automatically fed forward substantially simultaneously to be registered side-by-side on the document glass. Electronic control circuits are shown whereby the dual document feed apparatus may be controlled to feed either single or dual original documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1977
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Richard Cardwell, Carl Alan Queener
  • Patent number: 3946204
    Abstract: A card reader protecting device is provided which prevents any wrong card or foreign substance from being pushed thereinto by providing a material to be detected such as metal foil for indicating the authenticity of any normal card, and detecting adaptive signals produced by such a material, said device comprising a detection circuit for detecting said material, and a control circuit for controlling feed of said normal card to the card reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1976
    Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadasu Taniguchi, Iwao Hosaka, Shigeru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 3934868
    Abstract: Pneumatic means are synchronously coupled to an offset machine or the like in order to positively separate and pull down the bottom sheet in a stack. Movement of the pneumatic means is synchronized with the movement of a pivotal roller that advances the pulled-down sheet onto a conveyor belt for delivery of the sheet to the utilization device. The sheet being fed is automatically aligned in a lateral direction by movable guide means that are synchronized with the feeding of the sheet. The forward edges of the lower most sheets on the stack are separated by a flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1973
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1976
    Assignee: Astro Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Selak