Abstract: An improvement in a collating machine for stacking sheets of paper fed seriatim from a singulating feeder in the same order as the sheets appear in the singulating feeder. The collating machine includes at least one upper belt and one lower belt for frictionally engaging and transporting the sheets, and ramp structure for lifting a succeeding sheet of paper over and onto a preceding, stopped sheet to form a collation. The improvement comprises a device for stopping each of the sheets, including at least one straight, vertical member against which the leading edge of each sheet abuts while the collation is being accumulated. The ramp structure and the stopping device are the upstream and downstream ends of a stacking section in the collating machine. There is a device, adjacent the stopping device, for transporting the collation from the stacking section.

Abstract: Battery plates from the high speed output conveyor of a pasted plate making machine are deposited onto a lower speed first conveyor in an overlapped fashion to create a shingled stream of plates. As plates drop off of the discharge end of the first conveyor they are accumulated in vertical stacks on a second conveyor that is located below the first conveyor. Whenever a stack is completed the second conveyor is moved approximately one plate width to remove the stack and the process continues. In order to provide time to move the stack, the flow of plates on the first conveyor is disrupted when the stack is being moved. In the preferred embodiment the disruption is caused by squeezing the plates between the jaws of a clamping mechanism that the plates pass through.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning covers on top of stacks of paper sheets has a transporting unit which advances a series of successive stacks along a first horizontal path and discrete covers along a second horizontal path above and adjacent the first path. The covers are accelerated by advancing along a downwardly sloping portion of the second path immediately ahead of two vertical rotary members which temporarily intercept an oncoming cover until the corresponding stack catches up with the intercepted cover. The lower portion of the stack then moves the rotary members apart to enable the stack and the cover thereon to advance along the first path beyond the rotary members. Each rotary member is mounted on a spring-biased or otherwise biased lever which is pivotable about a vertical axis.

Abstract: A check stager-feeder for accumulating, in a stage, a predetermined number of checks or sheets in a stack and for high-speed feeding of the stack to further equipment comprising a kicker/stop member movable by a solenoid between two angular orientations for stopping and accumulating into a stack on a fixed slide surface sheets delivered thereto while in one orientation and, while moving to the other orientation, for kicking and thereby feeding upon the slide surface the accumulated stack further. An embodiment of the stager-feeder includes a separator-sheet retriever for marked separator sheets fed thereto and interposed in the stream of received sheets, the separator sheets serving to control the number of sheets to be accumulated in a stack.

Abstract: Stacking mechanism includes an accelerating conveyor for launching flat articles edgewise toward a stacking station, a continuously moving conveyor for moving stacks of articles away from the stacking station, two intermittently rotatable rotors and a stationary plate therebetween forming the stacking station, the rotors each having for pegs upstanding from their margins in orthogonal relationship so that a peg of each rotor will engage a stack of articles at the stacking station simultaneously and push the stack from the stacking station onto the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: The invention claimed is directed to a signature collating system comprising stations (2) which are adapted to deliver signatures (3), as well as a transport (4) adapted to pick up the signatures (3) to form stacks (5), a diverting device (7) located downstream from the stations (2) and adapted to controllably convey the stacks (5) out of the transport (4), a reclaim belt (9a) extending from the diverting device (7), to a position of the transport (4) upstream of the stations (2), a signature (3) withdrawal station (9b) located on the reclaim belt (9a) and comprising a pull-out means (12) adapted to remove signatures (3) from the stacks (5), and a monitoring means (6) adapted to detect anomalies in the delivery of the signatures (3) and the positions of the stacks (5), and adapted to control the activation and deactivation of the stations (2), diverting device (7), and withdrawal station (9b).

Abstract: Delivery for sheets being delivered by a transport system in a conveying direction from a sheet-processing machine and being deposited alternatively in a pile and on catching arms of a catching device, the catching arms being temporarily movable out of a basic position into a catching position above the pile, including stops for respective leading edges of the sheets, the stops being disposed at the pile and being flappable away from the pile in the conveying direction, and a transmission system for moving the catching arms from the basic position into the catching position and from the catching position into the basic position, and for flapping-out the stops against the action of a stop spring in the conveying direction and into a release position thereof and in an opposite direction into a stop position on the pile by way of a common actuating element, the transmission system being constructed so as to flap out the stops into the release position immediately after the catching arms have been moved into the

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking and storing articles and subsequently unstacking the articles. The apparatus includes a first conveyor to convey a plurality of articles, and a plurality of secondary conveyors are disposed normal to a side edge of the first conveyor. To store the articles, each article is stopped on the conveyor and is pushed laterally from the main conveyor into bearing engagement against a movable stop member on a secondary conveyor. Additional articles are pushed onto the secondary conveyor into engagement with the preceding article to form a composite stack. The composite stack can be lifted from the secondary conveyor by a lifting mechanism to a storage site, and subsequently, when it is desired to release the stack from storage, the stack is lowered back onto the secondary conveyor.

Abstract: A two-way conveyor having an accumulating station for accumulating a plurality of sheets. A mechanism for determining in which direction the sheets are to be moved is also provided as well as a mechanism for moving the sheets in one direction or the other. A thickness detecting mechanism is also provided to determine the thickness of the stack and the stack is moved in one direction or the other depending on its thickness. Gates are provided for preventing the movement of the stack in either direction which comprises gates at the forward and rearward edge of the stack and a closing mechanism is provided for closing the gate to prevent movement of the stack in either direction. Gate opening mechanisms are provided for opening one of said gates to permit movement of the stack in the desired direction. The gates are preferably pivotal gates located at the forward and rearward portions of the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking small articles in a side-by-side stack and feeding the stacks to a discharge conveyor. A plurality of articles, such as small video cassette containers, are conveyed in an upright end-to-end relation on a first conveyor. As each article approaches the downstream end of the conveyor, it is pushed laterally across a platform against a movable backstop to form a side-by-side stack of articles. The stack is then transferred into a movable carriage and the carriage is moved to a position over a discharge conveyor. The end of the carriage facing downstream in the direction of movement of the discharge conveyor is provided with a movable gate and after the carriage is in position over the discharge conveyor the gate is opened to release the stack for movement on the discharge conveyor.