U.S. patent number 3,866,765 [Application Number 05/405,688] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-18 for sheet stacking and pile separating apparatus and method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Stobb, Inc.. Invention is credited to Walter J. Stobb.
United States Patent |
3,866,765 |
Stobb |
February 18, 1975 |
Sheet stacking and pile separating apparatus and method
Abstract
A sheet stacking and pile separating apparatus and method,
wherein a conveyor supports and moves sheets in an imbricated
stream relation and onto a stacking platform. A stop strips the
sheets from their stream relation and stacks them on the platform.
A sheet combined separator and stack displacer member is disposed
adjacent the stream and moves into the stack to divide the stack
into an end pile which is subsequently moved off the stack. A
counter is disposed adjacent the stream for counting the sheets,
and control members and switches are utilized for moving the
separator member into the stack when a certain number of sheets
have been accounted for and constitute the end pile to be
separated. A retainer or stripper member is disposed adjacent the
stack for holding the remainder of the stack when the end pile is
removed, and the end pile is placed onto a transfer conveyor. The
separator member is under the control of a cylinder and piston
assembly which moves the separator into the stack and which
withdraws the separator member and the end pile from the remainder
of the stack, as mentioned.
Inventors: |
Stobb; Walter J. (Pittstown,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Stobb, Inc. (Clinton,
NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
23604786 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/405,688 |
Filed: |
October 11, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/788.8;
271/186; 271/212; 414/794.9; 414/796; 414/797.2; 414/801;
414/802 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
33/02 (20130101); B65H 29/12 (20130101); B65H
29/001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
29/00 (20060101); B65H 33/00 (20060101); B65H
29/12 (20060101); B65H 33/02 (20060101); B65g
059/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;214/6S,8.5SS
;271/185,186,212 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wood, Jr.; M. Henson
Assistant Examiner: Church; Gene A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hansmann; Arthur J.
Claims
1. A sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus comprising a
conveyor for supporting sheets in a horizontal orientation and an
imbricated relation and moving said sheets in a stream relation in
the direction of the imbrication, a stop disposed at the downstream
end of the stream in the path of movement of said sheets for
stripping said sheets from their stream relation and causing them
to form a stack of said sheets, a stack platform disposed adjacent
said stop for receiving and supporting said stack, a combined
separator and stack displacer member movably mounted directly above
the stream and being movable along with said stream for movement of
said member into said stack in the direction of movement of the
stream of sheets and thereby separating the end of said stack into
an end pile of said sheets, and a powered member connected to said
combined separator and stack displacer member for displacing said
end pile from the
2. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, wherein said combined separator and stack displacer member
includes a pointed nose portion in contact with the stream for
riding on said stream and into said stack, said combined separator
and stack displacer member and said powered member being
articularly mounted for positioning said combined separator and
stack displacer member on said stream and for movement of the
latter said member in the direction of the growth of said
3. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, wherein said powered member is a cylinder and piston
assembly articularly
4. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including power controls operatively connected to said
powered member for synchronizing the movement of said combined
separator and stack displacer member into said stack according to
the quantity of said sheets moving into said stack, for defining a
selected quantity of said sheets in said
5. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including a movable transfer support disposed adjacent
said stack for receiving said end pile, and power controls
operatively connected to said powered member for moving said
combined separator and stack displacer
6. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 5, wherein said transfer support has an opening therein and
provides support surfaces for said sheet pile on opposite sides of
said opening, and said combined separator and stack displacer
separator member is of a width less than that of said opening for
movement of the latter said member through said opening in the
depositing of said end pile on said support surfaces.
7. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 5, wherein said movable transfer support includes
spaced-apart conveyor belts
8. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 5, wherein said powered member is a cylinder and piston
assembly pivotally mounted directly above said stream of sheets for
pivotal movement in accordance with the growth of said stack, and
said power controls including a switch mounted adjacent said
assembly and having a trip member engageable with said assembly
when said assembly pivots to a selected position, said switch being
operatively connected with said assembly for controlling the
operation of said assembly when tripped by the pivotal
9. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including two spaced-apart brush rollers rotatably
disposed at the entrance of said stream to said stack for moving
the edges of said sheets in said stack away from said stream to
form an opening for the insertion of said combined separator and
stack displacer member into said stack, and said combined separator
and stack displacer member being of a width less than the dimension
of the spacing between said rollers for movement of the
10. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including a sheet counter disposed adjacent said stream
for counting the sheets moving in said stream, and trippable
controls operatively associated with said powered member to actuate
said powered member and move said combined separator and stack
displacer member relative to said stack, said counter and said
trippable controls being operatively connected together for
operatively tripping said trippable controls in
11. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 10, wherein said counter and said separator member are
disposed in contact with said sheets in said stream, and said
combined separator and stack displacer member includes a pointed
end for movement with said stream into
12. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, wherein said powered member is a cylinder and piston
assembly, a fluid valve operatively connected with said assembly
for actuation of the latter, a first switch operatively connected
with said valve for controlling the latter in the insertion of said
combined separator and stack displacer member into said stack, a
second switch operatively connected with said valve for controlling
the latter while said combined separator and stack displacer member
is in said stack, and a third switch operatively connected with
said valve for controlling the latter for the movement of said
combined separator and stack displacer member and said end pile
away from the remainder of said stack, and connectors extending
between all said switches to have all said switches interconnected
with
13. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 12, wherein said third switch is a trippable switch disposed
adjacent said assembly in the path of movement of said assembly to
be actuated by
14. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including controls operatively connected with said powered
member for actuating the latter and thereby inserting said combined
separator and stack displacer member into said stack, said controls
including a timing member for operation of said powered member in
accordance with the speed
15. The sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, including a stripper member disposed adjacent said stack
for engaging said
16. Apparatus for performing the steps of stacking sheets and then
separating an end pile of the sheets from the stack, comprising
means for supporting and moving sheets in an imbricated relation of
a horizontally disposed stream of said sheets and with the trailing
edge of the said sheets which are on top of the stream being spaced
from the trailing edge of the said sheets which are on the bottom
of the stream and with the said top sheets being in the forward
direction of stream movement, means for stripping said sheets off
their stream relation and forming said sheets into a stack, means
for dividing said stack to form an end pile of said sheets, and
means for positioning said dividing means on the top of said stream
in contact with said stream between said trailing edges and
subsequently inserting said dividing means into said stack along
with the movement of said stream into said stack to define said end
pile and subsequently moving said dividing means and said end pile
away from the
17. A sheet stacker and pile separator apparatus comprising a
conveyor for supporting sheets in a horizontal orientation and an
imbricated relation and moving said sheets in a stream relation in
the direction of the imbrication, a stop disposed at the downstream
end of the stream in the path of movement of said sheets for
stripping said sheets from their stream relation and causing them
to form a stack of said sheets, a stack platform disposed adjacent
said stop for receiving and supporting said stack, a combined
separator and stack displacer member movably mounted adjacent said
stack for insertion into said stack of sheets and thereby
separating the end of said stack into an end pile of said sheets,
and a powered member connected to said combined separator and stack
displacer
18. A method of stacking sheets and then separating an end pile
from the stack, comprising the steps of supporting and moving
sheets in an imbricated relation of a horizontally disposed stream
of said sheets, stopping said sheets in their stream movement and
forming a stack of said sheets, positioning a stack divider
directly on top of said stream at a location adjacent said stack,
moving said divider into said stack along with the movement of said
sheets into said stack to define an end pile of said sheets in said
stack, and removing said divider from said stack to
19. The method of stacking sheets and then separating an end pile
from the stack as claimed in claim 18, including the step of
counting said sheets with a counter means before moving said
divider into said stack, to define
20. The method of stacking sheets and then separating an end pile
from the stack as claimed in claim 18, including the step of
restraining the remainder of said stack relative to said end pile
while said divider and
21. The method of stacking sheets and then separating an end pile
from the stack as claimed in claim 18, including the step of moving
the edges of the said sheets in said stack away from the said
sheets in said stream and providing an opening for the movement of
said divider into said stack.
22. The method of stacking sheets and then separating an end pile
from the stack as claimed in claim 18, including the step of
retaining said divider in said stack until said stack is increased
in size, and the step of sliding said end pile off said stack and
onto a moving support for moving said end pile away from the
remainder of said stack.
Description
This invention relates to a sheet stacking and pile separating
apparatus and method, and, more particularly, it relates to
stacking and separating of sheets which are deposited in a stream
relation onto a conveyor by a printing press or a folder, and the
sheets are moved by the conveyor and are then collected in a stack
and are counted and separated into piles of selected numbers of
sheets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The sheet collecting and stacking art is already aware of various
apparatus and methods for supporting and moving sheets in an
imbricated or shingled stream and then stripping the sheets off the
stream to position them in a stack which can be removed, usually by
hand. These prior art devices and methods commonly utilize a drum
which is rotatable about a horizontal axis for directing and
guiding the stream of sheets around the drum and up to a stack
platform where the sheets are stripped from the stream and formed
in a vertically growing stack. One example of such prior art is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,082, and another example is found
in U.S. Pat. Re-issue No. 26,004, and these two patents show the
conveyance of sheets and the subsequent stacking of the sheets in a
substantially upwardly growing stack.
In addition to the aforementioned patents showing examples of the
stacking of a stream of sheets, the prior art has also been
concerned about the separation of selected portions of the stack of
sheets. One example of that is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,850
where relatively elaborate mechanism is utilized for collecting the
imbricated stream in separated piles or stacks.
Still further, the prior art has also already utilized devices for
counting the sheets, or regulating the size of a stack of sheets,
prior to removing that stack from the collecting platform. Still
further, the prior art has utilized apparatus for interrupting the
flow of the stream of sheets to collect and stack a certain number
of the sheets, and then permit the flow of sheets to continue, and
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,149,834 and 3,194,127 show the counting apparatus
and the interrupting apparatus mentioned above.
Thus, the prior art is concerned with the collecting of sheets in
piles or stacks of certain quantities of the sheets, and it is also
concerned with separating a stack into end piles or smaller stacks
for removal from the main stack. In doing this, the prior art has
utilized separator blades wherein the stack moves into the blade
for effecting the separation, such as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,055,516 and 3,206,042. Still further, the prior art is aware of
the arrangement wherein a blade moves into a stationary stack, and
examples of this are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,690,476 and
3,017,041 and 3,672,516.
In the aforementioned prior art examples, the concern is to collect
the sheets in a stack but to have the sheets counted and separated
into stacks of selected numbers of sheets, and to do this in an
automatic fashion. Of course there have been manual operations
where a person can insert a separator or can remove a portion of
the stack manually, but the present invention is concerned with an
automated system where an accurate number of sheets can be
separated from the collected stack of sheets, and this is the
primary object of this invention.
Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus and a
method for stacking and then separating a portion of the stack into
a specified or selected number of sheets and to do so with
efficient and inexpensive but yet highly reliable apparatus and
corresponding methods. Still further, in accomplishing this object,
the invention described herein is adaptable to the stacking
apparatus already in existence, and thus this invention is
applicable to the existing apparatus, and may be an addition
thereto, for performing the function of accurately counting and
separating the counted pile of sheets.
Another object of this invention is to provide the aforementioned
apparatus and method wherein the apparatus requires no supervision
and no manual labor, and it is adjustable to separating out a
selected number of sheets in each stack, and there is no damage
done to the sheets which are being handled by this apparatus and
method. Also, the separated stack and the remaining stack are kept
in a neat form, so that they can be properly and neatly handled by
other apparatus, or for the purpose of bundling or tying or
whatever.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the
following description in light of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 through 4 are side elevational views of an embodiment of
this invention, shown somewhat diagramatically.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1
through 4, with parts removed and parts added thereto.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus shown
in FIGS. 1 through 4, with parts removed and parts added
thereto.
FIGS. 7 and 8 are top plan views of portions of the apparatus shown
in FIGS. 1 through 6.
FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram for the electrical components of the
apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 8.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the parts and the wiring diagram and
electrical components of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 through 4 show the arrangement of a conveyor 10 which is
movable in the direction of the arrows shown thereon and which
supports an imbricated stream of sheets 11 which are shown in
shingled or overlapped relation with the sheet leading edges on the
top of the stream in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1. A
drum 12 is rotatably mounted, and the conveyor 10 is preferably in
the form of conveyor belts which are trained around the drum and
which carry the stream of sheets 11 against a conveyor belt 13. The
conveyors 10 and 13 are trained around the drum 12, and the
conveyor 13 extends around rotatable supports or pulleys 14 and
moves in the direction of the arrows shown thereon. Thus the
conveyors 10 and 13 are preferably in the form of endless belts
which carry the stream of sheets 11 therebetween and around the
drum 12, and the conveyor 10 moves away from the drum 12 and around
the roller 16, and the conveyor 10 moves off in the section 17 and
in the direction of the arrow shown thereon. That is, FIG. 5 shows
the dotted line 18 which indicates the endless nature of the
conveyor 10 as its section 17 moves around to the horizontal
position to again collect the sheets 11 as they are deposited onto
the conveyor 10 in the usual manner, such as that shown and
described in some of the patents cited herein.
The stream of sheets 11 is thus led around the drum 12 and to the
top thereof and onto a stacking platform 18 which is horizontally
disposed, and a stop 19 extends down to the platform and into the
path of the stream of sheets to strip the sheets off their stream
relation and cause them to form into the stack 21, as shown.
The aforementioned is already known in the art, and no further
description thereof is necessary for one skilled in the art to
understand the present teaching.
FIGS. 1 through 4 further show a combined separator and stack
displacer member 22 which is disposed above the incoming stream of
sheets 11 and which is movable from the position shown in FIG. 1
and to the sequential positions of FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 and back to
the position shown in FIG. 1. Thus, under suitable control means
which are not shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the member 22 is
positioned above the stream of sheets 11 at the top of the drum 12,
as shown in FIG. 1, and the member 22 moves into the stack 21 to
the position shown in FIG. 2. The stream of sheets 11 is a
continuous stream and thus the sheets 11 continue to form and
increase the height of the stack 21, as shown in FIG. 3, and thus
an end pile or stack 23 is defined by the member 22, and the stack
21 grows in its height and the member 22 moves upwardly with the
growth of the stack, as shown by FIG. 3. Finally, the member 22 is
withdrawn and it thereby moves the end pile 23 to the position
shown in FIG. 4 to displace the end pile 23 from the remainder of
the stack 21 and to thus position the end pile 23 onto a transfer
conveyor 24 which is also preferably a belt type of conveyor moving
in the direction of the arrows shown thereon and having a
supporting surface or platform 26, as shown. From the position of
the member 22 in FIG. 4, the member falls or is lowered through an
opening in the center portion of the supporting plate 26, and a
support 27 can hold the member 22 upwardly while the member 22 is
re-positioned to the position in FIG. 1 and is ready for
re-insertion into the stack for separating the next pile.
FIG. 5 shows two separated end piles 23, and it will be understood
that the insertion and withdrawal of the member 22 can be timed so
that the end piles 23 will all contain the same number of sheets,
as desired. FIG. 5 also shows that the transfer conveyor 24 is
controlled by a driven pulley 28 which is rotatably driven by a
driving pulley 29 which is conventionally powered by a motor not
shown. A belt 30 drivingly extends between the pulleys 28 and 29,
and a roller 35 is driven by pulley 29 and the conveyor belt
portion 17 is trained on roller 35. Conveyor 24 is driven through
larger pulley 28 which drives a roller 33 carrying the conveyor 24,
so the conveyor 24 is moved at a slower speed and thus the end
piles 23 are slowly moved to have desired spacing between, as shown
in FIG. 5. Also, a driving motor 31 has a driving belt 32 extending
to the drum 12 for rotating the drum in the counterclockwise
direction and for moving the conveyors 10 and 13 which are trained
over the drum 12. Thus, the conveyors 10 and 13 can be driven in
the manner described or in other manners, and the conveyor 24 can
also be driven by having its pulley or roller 33 rotatable with the
pulley 28 to move the conveyor 24 at a slower speed, or any other
drive arrangement can be utilized for the conveyor 24 which is
trained on the rollers 33 and 34, as shown.
Also, the roller 16 is disposed at the entrance of the stream of
sheets 11 into the stack 21, and it is a brush roller which
contacts the edges of the sheets which are in the stack 21 and
causes the edges to be displaced upwardly, as shown by the edges 36
in FIG. 3, and this permits the member 22 to readily enter the
stack 21, and the member 22 may move into the stack along with the
movement of the stream of sheets 11. It will of course be
understood that the brush roller 16 always contacts the edge of the
stack and thus brushes the sheet edges 36 upwardly so that the
wedge-shaped member 22 can readily enter the stack 21.
FIGS. 5, 6, and 8 show pairs of pivotal links 37 and 38 which
support the brush roller 16 to position the brush roller 16 on top
of the stream 11 and in contact with the stack 21 as shown and
described in connection with FIG. 3. The link 37 is pivoted on the
shaft 39 which supports the pulley 29, and the links 37 and 38 are
pivoted together by means of the joining pin 41, as shown. These
arms 37 and 38 can then be placed into adjusted position and
secured in a non-pivotal position so that the brush roller 16 will
bear down on the stream 11 and against the edge of the stack 21,
for forcing the stream into the stack and for brushing the sheet
edges 36, as mentioned.
FIG. 6 further shows that the member 22 is pivotally connected to a
powered member 42 which is shown to be a cylinder and piston
assembly connected to the member 22 through the pivot pin 43, and
the assembly 42 is pivotally mounted at the pin 44 to the frame 46
of this apparatus. Thus the assembly 42 can pivot up and down about
the pin 44, and likewise the assembly 42 and the member 22 are
pivoted together so that a complete articulated assembly is
provided and the leading and pointed nose end 47 of the member 22
is thus positioned as shown and described so that is can move into
the stack 21 as mentioned. That is, extension of the assembly 42
will cause the member 22 to move into the stack and into the
position shown in FIG. 2, and the pivot pins 43 and 44 will permit
the member 22 to ride upwardly with the stack, to the position
shown in FIG. 3. Finally, contraction of the assembly 42 will
withdraw the member 22 and the end pile 23, to the position shown
in FIG. 4. Therefore, the cylinder and piston assembly 42 are shown
to be a double-acting type having fluid inlet and fluid outlet
hoses 48 and 49, arranged in the conventional manner for the fluid
assembly shown.
To permit the movement of the parts and the performance of the
method previously described, the brush roller 16 and the supporting
plate 26 are both discontinuous so that the member 22 and the
cylinder assembly 42 can move in the manners described. That is,
FIG. 8 shows the brush roller 16 is actually in two axially spaced
apart sections 16a and 16b, to provide the center space designated
S through which the member 22 can move in making the cycle
described in connection with FIGS. 1 through 4. FIG. 7 shows the
support plate 26 to be in two sections 26a and 26b and having the
space designated T therebetween for the movement of the cylinder
assembly 42 and the member 22. Also, it will be seen that the
member 22 is a narrow member and occupies only a small fraction of
the entire width of the sheets 11 which can be as wide as spanning
all four of the transfer conveyor belts 24 as seen in FIG. 7. FIGS.
6 and 7 further show that abutment or stripper members 51 are
fixedly disposed on the portions 52 of the apparatus frame and are
available for engaging the remainder of the stack 21 when the upper
end pile 23 is being withdrawn from the stack.
It should also be understood that the member 22 may be moved into
the stack 21 either at the speed of the incoming stream or at a
faster speed, if desired, and there could be controls operative on
the member 22 for the speed of the movement, and also for the
timing of the movement so that when a certain number of sheets are
in the end pile section 23, as determined either by count or by
pile height, then the member 22 would be inserted into the stack.
FIG. 9 shows a diagramatic view for achieving this, and there could
be a sheet counter switch which is designated 53, and when the
counter switch 53 is closed it makes only a momentary electric
contact and switches 54 and 56 will also then close as these
switches are internal to the entire relay which is designated 57.
The switch 54 is of a nature to serve as a holding circuit and
another switch 58 is then also closed. A solenoid valve coil 59 is
also in the circuit, and, when the switches are closed, the
solenoid valve 59 is closed and this valve controls a fluid supply
for the cylinder assembly 42 to thus cause flow into the line 49
and to advance the member 22 into the stack. Switch 58 is thus held
closed as the member 22 rides up to the position shown in FIG. 3.
At that time, the switch 58 is tripped open, and this opens the
holding circuit described and causes the cylinder assembly 42 to
retract and move to the position shown in FIG. 4. To do this, FIGS.
6 and 7 show the switch 58 to be mounted adjacent the cylinder
assembly 42 and to have a switching button 61 in the path of
movement of the arm 62 affixed to the assembly 42 such that when
the assembly 42 is pivoted upwardly, the arm 62 contacts the button
61 to open the switch 58 and cause the retracting action described.
It will now be understood that the switch 58 will not be tripped
until the member 22 is above the transfer support 26 and its
conveyor 24, so that the end pile 23 will be placed on top of the
transfer members 24 and 26, as shown in FIG. 4. It will also be
understood that the switches 53, 54, and 56 are normally open
switches and the switch 58 is a normally closed switch, and FIG. 9
shows the power line 63 which can carry a 115 volt single-phase
60-cycle current. Also, the counter used can be a Durant brand
pre-determining batch counter, series No. 2,000, and the solenoid
valve can be a Bachman brand No. MS-45, and the switch 58 can be a
micro switch No. BZ-2RQ-A2.
FIG. 10 diagramatically and schematically further shows the
apparatus with the controls and switches, and it will be noted that
the switch 53 is a counter switch and has a counter member 83 which
is shown on the stream of sheets 11 for counting the sheets in the
stream of sheets 11, and it also has a digital display means at 84
for showing the count of the sheets. This counter, generally
designated 53, can be a conventional type, such as that already
mentioned, and it is shown connected electrically to the power line
designated 63. FIG. 10 also shows the relay 57 and the two switches
54 and 56 and it shows the micro switch 58. The switch 56 is shown
connected to the solenoid valve or member 59 which controls the
supply of fluid to the flexible fluid lines 48 and 49 through the
diverting block or fluid valve 86 which can be of a conventional
construction. Further, a fluid regulator valve 87 is shown
connected in the fluid line 88 for controlling the flow of fluid
passing through the valve 87 and into the lines 48 and 49 for
controlling the speed of insertion and retraction of the member 22,
all according to the setting of the valve 87, and preferably the
system works with compressed air so that the flow of the air
through the valve 87 can be controlled to control the speed of
movement of the member 22. With the arrangement described, the
counter 53 is one which can be and would be set for a certain
number of sheets to be registered on the counter and then the
counter switch would close and actuate the circuit in the manner
previously described. The count sensor or finger 83 can be one made
by the company Eburn Inc., and the electronic digital counter
member 53 is the one made by the company Durant Inc., as previously
mentioned.
The foregoing description includes the description of the apparatus
and the method and it will therefore be understood that the method
includes the steps of supporting and conveying the imbricated
stream of sheets 11 and collecting the stream in a stack 21 and
positioning the member 22 adjacent the stack and inserting the
member 22 into the stack and then retracting the member 22 with the
separated end pile 23 of the sheets. Also, the method includes the
engagement of the remainder of the stack by the stripper members
51, for retaining the remainder of the stack in a neatly aligned
stack when the end pile is being separated and placed onto a
transfer conveyor, all as described herein.
* * * * *