Claims
- 1. An apparatus for separating flat products from a pile of flat products, the apparatus comprising:a plurality of needles arranged in at least one needle group; a respective needle block associated with each of the at least one needle group, the associated needles being disposed thereon, the respective needle block being movable between a closing position and an opening position, the associated needles supporting a bottom of a pile of flat products when the respective needle block is in the closing position and in the opening position; and a respective group adjustment device associated with each of the at least one needle group for adjusting a group position of the respective needle group between the closing position and the opening position.
- 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one needle group includes only a first and a second needle group.
- 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising an individual needle adjustment device associated with each of the plurality of needles for adjusting an individual position of the respective needle.
- 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein a respective distance each of the plurality of needles protrudes under the bottom of the pile of flat products is a function of the individual position of the respective needle.
- 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein each of the respective individual needle adjustment devices includes a set screw arrangement.
- 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a respective distance each of the plurality of needles protrudes under the bottom of the pile of flat products is a function of the group position of respective needle group.
- 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a face plate, at least one of the plurality of needles protruding through the face plate when the associated needle block in the closing position and in the opening position.
- 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the respective group adjustment device includes a nut and screw arrangement.
- 9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the respective group adjustment devices is remotely controllable.
- 10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a lift hook and a suction device, the lift hook having an opened and closed position, the needles supporting the pile when the lift hook is in the opened position.
- 11. A method for separating flat products from a pile of flat products, the method comprising:providing a plurality of needles arranged in at least one associated needle group disposed on a respective needle block movable from a closing position to an opening position, the needles supporting a bottom of a pile of flat products in the closing position and the opening position; moving each of the respective needle block between the closing position and the second position so as to adjust a group position of each of the at least one needle group using a respective group adjustment device associated with the respective needle group.
- 12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the at least one needle group includes only a first and a second needle group.
- 13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising using an individual needle adjustment device associated with each of the plurality of needles so as to adjust an individual position of respective needle.
- 14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein a respective distance each of the plurality of needles protrudes under a bottom of the pile of flat products is a function of the individual position of the respective needle.
- 15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein a respective distance each of the plurality of needles protrudes under a bottom of the pile of flat products is a function of the group position of respective needle group.
- 16. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising providing a face plate for the pile and wherein the moving is performed so as to cause at least one of the plurality of needles to protrude through the face plate when the associated needle block in the closing position and the opening position.
- 17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein each of the respective group adjustment device includes a nut and screw arrangement.
- 18. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising remotely controlling each of the respective group adjustment device.
- 19. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising remotely controlling each of the respective group adjustment device so as to automatically preset the respective needle group based on at least one of a characteristic of the flat products and parameter of a machine for processing the flat products.
- 20. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising providing a lift hook and a suction device for intermittently supporting the pile and removing a bottommost product of the pile of products from the pile, respectively.
- 21. An apparatus for separating flat products from a pile of flat products, the apparatus comprising:a lift hook movable between a closed position and an opened position, the lift hook contacting a bottom of the pile of flat products in the closed position and not contacting the bottom of the pile in the opened position; and a plurality of needles arranged in at least one needle group, the needles contacting the bottom of the pile at least when the lift hook is in the opened position; a respective needle block associated with each of the at least one needle group, the associated needles being disposed thereon, the respective needle block being adjustable between a first position and a second position; and a respective group adjustment device associated with each of the at least one needle group for adjusting the respective needle group between the first and second positions.
Parent Case Info
This is a non-provisional application claiming priority to Provisional Application No. 60/266,247 filed on Feb., 2, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/266247 |
Feb 2001 |
US |