Claims
- 1. A sheet gate including in combination a rotatable shaft, a plurality of at least three stations angularly disposed about the shaft, vane means for directing a sheet along a path from any of said stations to any other of said stations, said vane means including a plurality of vanes mounted on the shaft, said pair of vanes including closely spaced and generally parallel portions defining a passageway therebetween, and means for rotating the shaft to a plurality of angular positions at each of which the vane means is operative to permit movement of a sheet from one of said stations to another of said stations.
- 2. A sheet gate as in claim 1, wherein the passageway is generally straight.
- 3. A sheet gate as in claim 1, wherein the passageway is curved.
- 4. A sheet gate as in claim 1, wherein the rotating means is further operative to rotate the shaft to a first angular position at which the vane means is operative to pass a sheet between a first station and a second station, and to rotate the shaft to a second angular position at which the passageway is operative to guide a sheet between the first station and a third station.
- 5. A sheet gate as in claim 1, where the number of stations, S, is an even number and S.gtoreq.4, and the number of vanes, V, is defined as V.gtoreq.S/2+1, and the number of different angular positions for each of which the vane means is operative to pass a sheet from one of said stations to another of said stations is at least equal to the number of stations.
- 6. A sheet gate as in claim 5, wherein the vanes have two ends and a plurality of the vanes V are appreciably flared on each end.
- 7. A sheet gate including in combination a rotatable shaft, a plurality of at least three stations angularly disposed about the shaft, vane means for directing a sheet along a path from any of said stations to any other of said stations, said vane means including at least a first vane mounted on the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft to a plurality of angular positions at each of which the vane means is operative to deflect a sheet from one of said stations through an appreciable angle to another of said stations.
- 8. A sheet gate as in claim 7, wherein the first vane has two ends, one of the ends being adjacent to a second station in a first angular position at which the vane means is operative to deflect a sheet between a first station and said second station, and the other end being adjacent to a third station in a second angular position at which the vane means is operative to deflect a sheet between said first station and said third station.
- 9. A sheet gate as in claim 8, wherein the first and second angular positions differ by at least 50.degree..
- 10. A sheet gate as in claim 8, wherein the first and second angular positions differ by at least 45.degree..
- 11. A sheet gate as in claim 8, wherein each of said ends of the first vane is appreciably flared.
- 12. A sheet gate as in claim 7, wherein the first vane is curved, wherein the vane means further includes a second curved mounted on the shaft, and wherein the first vane is operative in a first angular position to deflect a sheet between a first station and a second station and the second vane is operative at the second angular position to deflect a sheet between the first station and a third station.
- 13. A sheet gate as in claim 7, wherein each of said stations includes a friction roller adapted to bear against one surface of a sheet passing thereby.
- 14. A sheet gate as in claim 7, wherein said rotating means is further operative to rotate the shaft to a first angular position at which the vane means is operative to guide a sheet between a first station and a second station, to rotate the shaft to a second angular position at which the vane means is operative to pass a sheet between the first station and a third station, and to rotate the shaft to a third angular position at which the vane means is operative to guide a sheet between the second station and the third station.
- 15. A sheet gate as in claim 7, where the number of stations, S, is an odd number and S.gtoreq.3, the number of vanes, V, is defined as V.gtoreq.(S-1)/2, and the number of different angular positions at each of which the vane means is operative to guide a sheet from one of said stations to another of said stations is at least equal to the number of stations.
- 16. A sheet gate as in claim 15, wherein the vanes have two ends and a plurality of the vanes V are appreciably flared on each end.
- 17. A sheet gate as in claim 7, where is number of stations, S, is an even number and S.gtoreq.4, the number of vanes, V, is defined as V.gtoreq.S/2-1, and the number of different angular positions at each of which the vane means is operative to pass a sheet from one of said stations to another of said stations is at least equal to the number of stations.
- 18. A sheet gate as in claim 17, wherein two stations are angularly spaced by approximately 180.degree. about the shaft, and wherein at one of said angular positions the vane means is operative to permit movement of a sheet between said two stations.
- 19. A sheet gate as in claim 17, wherein the vanes have two ends and a plurality of the vanes V are appreciably flared on each end.
- 20. A sheet gate as in claim 7, further comprising at least four stations angularly disposed about the shaft.
- 21. A sheet gate as in claim 20, said rotating means being further operative to rotate the shaft to a first angular position at which the vane means is operative to guide a sheet between a first station and a second station, to rotate the shaft to a second angular position at which the vane means is operative to pass a sheet between the first station and a third station, and to rotate the shaft to a third angular position at which the vane means is operative to guide of a sheet between the first station and a fourth station.
- 22. A sheet gate as in claim 21, wherein the third station is angularly spaced from the first station by approximately 180.degree. about the shaft.
- 23. A sheet gate as in claim 7, wherein said stations are disposed at substantially equal distances from the shaft.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 871,800 filed June 9, 1986, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
167351 |
Oct 1983 |
JPX |
202247 |
Nov 1983 |
JPX |
230955 |
Dec 1984 |
JPX |
2125775 |
Mar 1984 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
871800 |
Jun 1986 |
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