Helmut O Hornung

US Patent:

39984494, Dec 21, 1976

Filed:

Jun 30, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/592064

Inventors:

Helmut O. Hornung - Altoona PA

Assignee:

F. L. Smithe Machine Company, Inc. - Duncansville PA

International Classification:

B65H 310
B65H 512

US Classification:

271112

Abstract:

A stack of items having an irregular thickness such as folded sheets, booklets, filled envelopes and the like are positioned in a stack receiver with the stack leading edge resting against the pair of support rails. The stack lowermost item is supported adjacent its rear edge by rotatable supports mounted adjacent to a feed cylinder. A depending wiper device is mounted adjacent the leading edge of the stack and has a flexible bottom edge portion that is positioned either abutting or closely adjacent the cylinder surface. The feed cylinder positioned below the stack has a longitudinal protuberance that extends beyond the cylinder surface and is arranged upon rotation of the cylinder to contact the lowermost item of the stack and move this item between the wiper bottom edge and the cylinder to a position where the leading portion of the lowermost item is moved beyond the wiper device. The cylinder has a plurality of longitudinally extending rows of vacuum ports that are progressively activated as the rows pass beyond the wiper mechanism. The underside of the lowermost item is held against the cylinder surface by the vacuum and is transferred by the cylinder to a conveying device.