Claims
- 1. A stacker-conveyor for stacking blanks comprising:
- (a) first and second sets of conveyor pulleys spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of said conveyor between an inlet end and a discharge end;
- (b) a plurality of conveyor belts extending around said first and second sets of conveyor pulleys;
- (c) said plurality of conveyor belts and said first and second sets of conveyor pulleys being spaced apart laterally at substantially right angles to said longitudinal direction;
- (d) a plurality of slow-down wheels mounted between said laterally-spaced second conveyor pulleys for slowing down said blanks as said blanks pass over second set of conveyor pulleys; and
- (e) wherein said second set of pulleys and said slow-down wheels are mounted on a common axis.
- 2. The stacker-conveyor of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said slow-down wheels is larger than the diameter of said second set of conveyor pulleys whereby said slow-down wheels force said blanks away from said conveyor belts.
- 3. The stacker-conveyor of claim 1 wherein said laterally-spaced second conveyor pulleys are mounted for rotation about a common axis, said common axis extending at substantially a right angle to said longitudinal direction, and wherein said slow-down wheels are mounted for rotation about said common axis.
- 4. The stacker-conveyor of claim 3 including a drive shaft, said slow-down wheels being mounted for rotation with said shaft, and journal means mounting said second conveyor pulleys on said shaft for rotation relative to said shaft.
- 5. The stacker-conveyor of claim 4 including variable speed motor means for rotating said shaft at variable speeds.
- 6. The stacker-conveyor of claim 5 including sensor means for sensing the discharge position of said blanks and for actuating said variable speed motor means to drive said slow-down wheels at a reduced speed as each blank is discharged.
- 7. The stacker-conveyor of claim 1 including partial vacuum producing means connected to each of said plurality of conveyor belts for producing a partial vacuum for drawing said blanks into firm engagement with said conveyor belts.
- 8. The stacker-conveyor of claim 7 wherein the diameter of said slow-down wheels is larger than the diameter of said second set of conveyor pulleys for forcing said blanks away from said conveyor belts as said blanks are discharged.
- 9. A stacker-conveyor for conveying and stacking corrugated sheets comprising:
- (a) first and second sets of conveyor pulleys spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of said conveyor between an inlet end and a discharge end;
- (b) a plurality of porous conveyor belts extending around said first and second sets of conveyor pulleys;
- (c) vacuum chamber means operatively associated with said porous belts for drawing said corrugated sheets into tight frictional engagement with said porous belts;
- (d) said plurality of porous conveyor belts and said first and second sets of conveyor pulleys being spaced apart laterally at substantially right angles to said longitudinal direction;
- (e) a plurality of slow-down wheel means mounted between said laterally-spaced second conveyor pulleys for engaging said corrugated sheets, said slow-down wheel means being of larger diameter than said pulleys, and for engaging and forcing said sheets away from said porous belts and vacuum chamber means and for slowing down said sheets as they pass over said second conveyor pulleys; and
- (f) non-driven friction drag belt means positioned directly above said second conveyor pulleys for engaging said sheets simultaneously with the engagement by said slow-down wheel means as said corrugated sheets pass over said second conveyor pulleys.
- 10. The stacker-conveyor of claim 9 wherein said drag belt means comprise two non-driven friction drag pulleys and a drag belt extending about said non-driven friction pulleys.
RELATED APPLICATION
This Application is a Continuation of Application Ser. No. 08/782,211 filed Jan. 13, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
782211 |
Jan 1997 |
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