Claims
- 1. In a method of delivering cards or like paper stock to a demand location for dispensing in timed sequence therefrom, the steps of:
- (1) feeding cards singly from a bottom stack feeder through a plurality of sequential conveyor stage to a final stage constituting a demand location;
- (2) operating each stage of the conveyor independently, the stack feeder and the first stage of the conveyor being operated together;
- (3) actuating each stage of the conveyor when no card is present at a predetermined position in that stage and simultaneously actuating each preceding stage; and
- (4) operating the final stage also to dispense a card in timed sequence therefrom, the feed rate of cards from the stack feeder being higher than the rate of dispensing cards from the final stage.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of sensing photoelectrically the presence of a card at said predetermined position on each stage.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the photoelectric sensing actuates that stage and all preceding stages and the stack feeder.
- 4. An apparatus for delivering cards or like paper stock to a demand location for dispensing in timed sequence therefrom, comprising:
- a bottom stack feeder;
- conveyor means having an input end to receive cards fed from the stack feeder and an output end constituting a demand location, the conveyor means comprising a plurality of sequential stages each having independently operable drive means, the stack feeder being operable with the first stage of the conveyor means, to feed the cards at a rate higher than the rate of dispensing the cards from the demand location; and
- means to sense the presence of a card at a predetermined position in each stage and simultaneously to actuate the drive means thereof and the drive means of all the preceding stages together with the stack feeder when a card is not present at said predetermined position.
- 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the means to sense the presence of a card at each stage comprises photoelectric means.
- 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the drive means comprises an independent electric drive motor associated with each stage and with the stack feeder, the photoelectric means at each stage being electrically connected to the drive motor at said stage and to the drive motors of each preceding stage and the stack feeder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 449,457, filed Dec. 12, 1989, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 196,477, filed May 20, 1988, now abandoned.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the high speed feeding of cards or like paper material from a stack of such cards to a dispensing station..
In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,983 issued Sept. 30, 1975 I described a device for feeding single blank cards at high speed into a machine for scoring, folding, stacking or otherwise handling such cards. In the operation of that device a stack of cards is placed between a guide bar and a retainer plate which hold the stack sloping downwardly in a forward direction with the lower cards of the stack being fanned forwardly above an endless belt. As the belt moves, the lowest card of the stack is drawn through the gap between the belt and a friction wheel which rotates slowly to allow the cards to move singly through the gap. The belt and friction wheel are driven by the same motor with suitable gear reduction.
In my later U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,983 issued Mar. 24, 1987 I describe a device for controlling the rate of issuance of the cards in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,983.
In operation the above-mentioned devices will misfeed on occasion, i.e. a gap will appear between two sequentially fed cards.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device whereby the incidence of misfeeding of cards in a card feeding machine is reduced.
Essentially the invention consists of a method and apparatus for delivering cards or like paper stock fed singly from a stack of the cards to a demand location for dispensing in sequence, in which of a conveyor, each stage being independently operable, each stage and all preceding stages and the stack feeder being actuable when no card is present at that stage, the leading stage being also operable to deliver a card on demand, the cards being fed at a higher rate than the dispensing rate.
US Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
|
3981493 |
Klappenecker et al. |
Sep 1976 |
|
|
4451027 |
Alper |
May 1984 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 0095858 |
Dec 1983 |
EPX |
| 385859 |
Jul 1973 |
SUX |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
449457 |
Dec 1989 |
|
| Parent |
196477 |
May 1988 |
|
Patent Grant
5129641
