Method and apparatus for placing buffer sheet along moving rigid sheet

Claim 3

positioning a protective buffer sheet transversely to said passageway so that one end of said buffer sheet projects across and extends at least slightly beyond the plane of travel of said objects therein;

Claim 4

positioning a protective buffer sheet transversely to said passageway so that one end of said buffer sheet projects across and extends at least slightly beyond the plane of travel of said objects therein;

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of paragraph (2) includes applying a vacuum to hold said sheet against a vertically moving conveying means to effect the said positioning thereof.

Claim 6

Apparatus for placing a flexible protective buffer sheet along at least one surface of a moving rigid sheetlike object having upper and lower surfaces, which comprises means defining a conveying passageway for successively conveying a plurality of said objects continuously in a generally horizontal direction; station means adjacent said passageway for keeping a supply stack of said buffer sheets: means located adjacent said conveying passageway and said station having a surface provided generally vertically adjacent said conveying passageway and means for applying vacuum suction thereto and means for generally vertically transferring said buffer sheets along said surface; a feed device for feeding said buffer sheets one by one from said station means to the vacuum suction vertical transferring surface; vertical travel-limiting means operatively connected with said vertical transferring means for stopping the latter at predetermined times for positioning each buffer sheet so that an upper end portion thereof projects slightly above the plane of said objects carried on said horizontally conveying passageway and said buffer sheet positioned transversely to said conveyed object; means for maintaining said end portion of said buffer sheet, which projects above the plane of said conveyor carried objects in a substantially upright condition to properly orient it pending engagement thereof by a leading edge of a conveyed object; and means adjacent said passageway for engagement by and folding over of the projecting upper end portion of said buffer sheet partially over the upper surface and fully along the lower surface of said sheetlike object responsive to continuing conveyance of said sheetlike object along said conveying passageway.

Claim 7

Apparatus for placing a flexible protective buffer sheet along at least one surface of a moving rigid sheetlike object having upper and lower surfaces, which comprises means defining a conveying passageway for successively conveying a plurality of said objects continuously in a generally horizontal direction; station means adjacent said passageway for keeping a supply stack of said buffer sheets: means located adjacent said conveying passageway and said station having a surface provided generally vertically adjacent said conveying passageway and means for applying vacuum suction thereto and means for generally vertically transferring said buffer sheets along said surface; a feed device for feeding said buffer sheets one by one from said station means to the vacuum suction vertical transferring surface; vertical travel-limiting means operatively connected with said vertical transferring means for stopping the latter at predetermined times for positioning each buffer sheet so that an upper end portion thereof projects slightly above the plane of said objects carried on said horizontally conveying passageway and said buffer sheet positioned transversely to said conveyed object; means for maintaining said end portion of said buffer sheet, which projects above the plane of said conveyor carried objects in a substantially upright condition to properly orient it pending engagement thereof by a leading edge of a conveyed object; and means adjacent said passageway for engagement by and folding over of the projecting upper end portion of said buffer sheet partially over the upper surface and fully along the lower surface of said sheetlike object responsive to continuing conveyance of said sheetlike object along said conveying passageway.

Claim 8

continuing moving said rigid sheet along said passageway to engage the projecting portion of said buffer sheet, and thereby effecting folding over said buffer sheet slightly over the upper surface and fully over the lower surface of said rigid sheet commencing at the part contacted by the approaching or lead end of said object;

Claim 9

continuing moving said rigid sheet along said passageway to engage the projecting portion of said buffer sheet, and thereby effecting folding over said buffer sheet slightly over the upper surface and fully over the lower surface of said rigid sheet commencing at the part contacted by the approaching or lead end of said object;

Claim 10

applying a vacuum suction force from above for withdrawing as a unitary assembly said rigid sheet and said adjacently associated buffer sheet fully underlying said lower surface thereof;

Claim 11

applying a vacuum suction force from above for withdrawing as a unitary assembly said rigid sheet and said adjacently associated buffer sheet fully underlying said lower surface thereof;

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said feed device for feeding the buffer sheets one by one includes means supporting a stack of buffer sheets beneath said horizontal conveying passageway means with one end of said sheets adjacent said vertical transferring surface to which the vacuum suction is applied; a needle device disposed at the opposite end of said stack of buffer sheets and having needles for penetrating from above several of the stacked buffer sheets to help hold and orient same during the feeding thereof; a rotary feed roll at the end of said sheets adjacent the vertical transferring surface, which roll has means connected therewith for imparting selectively timed engagement of the feed roll with said buffer sheets for feeding the buffer sheets one by one to the vertical transferring surface; and said means for effecting vertical transfer on said surface include an endless belt.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further including vacuum suction means disposed adjacently above and in cooperation with said horizontal passageway means beyond the intersection thereof with said vertical transfer surface, for vacuum holding and helping to convey said object primarily by its upper surface, as assembled with the associated underlying protective buffer sheet, further along the horizontal conveying passageway to a predetermined release point therealong.

Claim 14

continuing the general horizontal conveying of said unitary assembly along said passageway while maintaining the vacuum suction force assembly thereof;

Claim 15

continuing the general horizontal conveying of said unitary assembly along said passageway while maintaining the vacuum suction force assembly thereof;

Claim 16

dropping them from the conveying passageway to a transfer passageway oriented to move stacks of said objects in a direction transverse to said conveying passageway;

Claim 17

dropping them from the conveying passageway to a transfer passageway oriented to move stacks of said objects in a direction transverse to said conveying passageway;

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 further including vacuum suction means disposed adjacently above and in cooperation with said horizontal passageway means beyond the intersection thereof with said vertical transfer surface for vacuum holding and helping conveying said object primarily by its upper surface, as assembled with the associated underlying protective buffer sheet, further along the horizontal conveying passageway to a predetermined release point therealong.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 further including an elongated extension of said horizontal conveying passageway for continuous passage of the assembled protectively buffered sheetlike objects to the predetermined release point; means for releasing the vacuum suction holding force on the upper surface of said objects; a receiving device having an inclined supporting means below said horizontal passage and means for protectively receiving in progressive succession the associated objEcts and buffer sheets as they are releasably dropped in a downwardly direction; means associated with said inclined supporting means for registering and stacking a predetermined number of successive assembled objects; and conveying means in combination with said inclined supporting means for transferring a stack of these sheets when a predetermined number of the sheets have been stacked.

Claim 20

receiving and vertically registering successively the assembly of dropped sheetlike objects with buffer sheets to form a stack having a predetermined number therein; and

Claim 21

receiving and vertically registering successively the assembly of dropped sheetlike objects with buffer sheets to form a stack having a predetermined number therein; and

Claim 22

subsequently transferring said stack of protectively buffered sheetlike objects along said transfer passageway when said predetermined number of said assembly of objects has been stacked.

Claim 23

subsequently transferring said stack of protectively buffered sheetlike objects along said transfer passageway when said predetermined number of said assembly of objects has been stacked.

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including the means defining the vertical transferring surface for guiding and transferring the buffer sheets, and the means for applying a suction force to hold said buffer sheets thereagainst during the vertical travel thereof, cooperatively including means for applying vacuum suction forces of differing pressures at upper and lower portions thereof, thereby facilitating application of a pressure in the upper portion sufficient to overcome the weight of the buffer sheet, and to further more quickly and positively facilitate a vacuum suction of the lead end of said sheets during their feeding toward and onto said vertical conveying surface.

Claim 25

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the means for protectively receiving the sheetlike objects on the inclined support means of the receiving device include a plurality of mechanically actuated cushioning support members with pneumatically activated link means connected therewith for alternately selectively raising said support members simultaneously in coplanar relation above the plane of the said conveying means in combination therewith, to receive the suction-carried objects after their release at said release point, and for subsequently lowering said objects in cooperation with said means for registering and stacking said objects upon said inclined support means.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 further including means for generating a pneumatic air cushion in association with said cushioning support members to supplementally cushion the released sheetlike objects during their downward movement onto said support means.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the means defining the vertical transferring surface for guiding and transferring the buffer sheets, and the means for applying a suction force to hold said buffer sheets thereagainst during the vertical travel thereof, cooperatively include means for applying vacuum suction forces of differing pressures at upper and lower portions thereof, thereby facilitating application of a pressure in the upper portion sufficient to overcome the weight of the buffer sheet, and to further more quickly and positively facilitate a vacuum suction of the lead end of said sheets during their feeding toward and onto said vertical conveying surface.

Claim 28

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for maintaining said end of said buffer sheet which projects above the plane of said conveyor-carried objects in the substantially upright condition, includes a generally upright support and a nozzle opposed thereto for jetting a pressurized fluid against said upwardly projecting portion of said buffer sheet as interposed between said nozzle and said upright support.