US Patent Class 271
SHEET FEEDING OR DELIVERING



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Current as of: June, 1999
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  DF  CLASS NOTES
1  DF  SPECIAL ARTICLES
2  DF  .~ Envelope
3.01  DF  DELIVERING TO STACK AND FEEDING THEREFROM
3.02  DF  .~ Aligning at stack
3.03  DF  .~ Intermediate tray
3.04  DF  .~ With job divider (e.g., resettable bail bar or double bar separator)
3.05  DF  .~ Feeding from bottom of stack
3.06  DF  .~.~ Control for feeding responsive to delivering
3.07  DF  .~.~ Pneumatic separating
3.08  DF  .~ Feeding from top of stack
3.09  DF  .~.~ Control for feeding responsive to delivering
3.11  DF  .~.~ Pneumatic separating
3.12  DF  .~ Sheets on edges
3.13  DF  .~ With sheet sensor for selective location
3.14  DF  FEEDING AND DELIVERING
3.15  DF  .~ Sensor located at the feeder and controls the delivering
3.16  DF  .~.~ Having timer
3.17  DF  .~ Sensor located at the delivering and controls the feeding
3.18  DF  .~ Conveyor releases to subsequent conveyor
3.19  DF  .~.~ With alternate conveying path
3.2  DF  .~.~ Including conveyor couple
3.21  DF  .~.~ On peripheral face of drum or belt
3.22  DF  .~.~.~ Pneumatic
3.23  DF  .~.~ Including pneumatic conveyor
3.24  DF  .~.~ Including gripper couple
4.01  DF  .~ Separator and conveyor
5  DF  .~.~ Pneumatic separator
6  DF  .~.~ Continuous endless conveyor
4.02  DF  .~.~ Sensor located at the separator and controls the conveyor
4.03  DF  .~.~ Sensor located at the conveyor and controls the separator
4.04  DF  .~.~ Mechanically linked for simultaneous operation
4.05  DF  .~.~ Endless belt separator
4.06  DF  .~.~.~ To endless belt conveyor
4.07  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
4.08  DF  .~.~ Rotary separator
4.09  DF  .~.~.~ To endless belt conveyor
4.1  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
4.11  DF  .~.~ Reciprocating separator
4.12  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
7  DF  .~ Continuous endless conveyors
8.1  DF  FEEDING
9.01  DF  .~ Multiple supplies
9.02  DF  .~.~ Sheet feeding from one supply controls feeding from another supply
9.03  DF  .~.~.~ Responsive to empty supply
9.04  DF  .~.~.~ Alternate feeding
9.05  DF  .~.~ Supply selection (e.g., sheet color)
9.06  DF  .~.~.~ Size selection
9.07  DF  .~.~ Single separator acts on multiple supplies
9.08  DF  .~.~.~ Movably mounted supply
9.09  DF  .~.~ Including manual supply
9.1  DF  .~.~ Including continuous web supply
9.11  DF  .~.~ Superposed supplies
9.12  DF  .~.~ Juxtaposed supplies
9.13  DF  .~.~ With convergence to single path
10.01  DF  .~ Separator and conveyor
11  DF  .~.~ Pneumatic separator
12  DF  .~.~.~ Endless conveyor
13  DF  .~.~.~.~ Side aligner
14  DF  .~.~.~ Reciprocating conveyor
15  DF  .~.~.~ Side aligner
16  DF  .~.~ Buckling separator and endless conveyor
17  DF  .~.~.~ Side aligner
10.02  DF  .~.~ Sensor located at the separator and controls the conveyor
10.03  DF  .~.~ Sensor located at the conveyor and controls the separator
10.04  DF  .~.~ Mechanically linked for simultaneous operation
10.05  DF  .~.~ Selective drive (e.g., number of degree of rotation)
10.06  DF  .~.~ Endless belt separator
10.07  DF  .~.~.~ To endless belt conveyor
10.08  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
10.09  DF  .~.~ Rotary separator
10.1  DF  .~.~.~ To endless belt conveyor
10.11  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
10.12  DF  .~.~.~.~ With aligning
10.13  DF  .~.~.~.~ With clutch
10.14  DF  .~.~ Reciprocating separator
10.15  DF  .~.~.~ To endless belt conveyor
10.16  DF  .~.~.~ To rotary conveyor
18  DF  .~ Separators
18.1  DF  .~.~ Magnetic or electrostatic
18.2  DF  .~.~.~ Cyclicly moving
18.3  DF  .~.~ Surface-piercing element(s)
19  DF  .~.~ Buckling
20  DF  .~.~.~ Pneumatic
21  DF  .~.~.~ Rotary
22  DF  .~.~.~.~ Pack advancer
23  DF  .~.~.~.~ Bottom feed
24  DF  .~.~.~ Pack advancer
25  DF  .~.~.~.~ Feeler control
90  DF  .~.~ Pneumatic
91  DF  .~.~.~ Plural, relatively-moving suction members
92  DF  .~.~.~.~ Laterally receding members (e.g., for tautening sheet laterally)
93  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including members for separating and members for forwarding sheet
94  DF  .~.~.~ Unidirectionally-moving suction member or surface
95  DF  .~.~.~.~ Having additional movement
96  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to adjust suction
97  DF  .~.~.~ Sheet removal by pressurized gas
98  DF  .~.~.~.~ And suction means
99  DF  .~.~.~ Suction member acting on bottom of pack
100  DF  .~.~.~.~ Oscillating member bending margin of bottom sheet
101  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ With moving segments supporting remainder of pack
102  DF  .~.~.~.~ Suction member reciprocating perpendicularly to sheet
103  DF  .~.~.~ Sheet-moving action of suction member results from engagement with sheet
104  DF  .~.~.~ With means to restrain feed of next sheet
105  DF  .~.~.~ Means effecting preliminary operation on sheets in pack
106  DF  .~.~.~.~ Suction member flexing sheet or portion
107  DF  .~.~.~ Oscillating suction member
108  DF  .~.~.~ Controlled by valve means
30.1  DF  .~.~.~ Pack advancer
31  DF  .~.~.~.~ Feeler control
31.1  DF  .~.~.~.~ Stack on edge
33  DF  .~.~ Adhesive
34  DF  .~.~ Endless belt
35  DF  .~.~.~ Bottom feed
109  DF  .~.~ Rotary
37  DF  .~.~.~ Preliminary protrusion
38  DF  .~.~.~.~ Feeler control
110  DF  .~.~.~ Control of separator responsive to sensing of sheet
111  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including plural separators or plural sensors
112  DF  .~.~.~ Suction assisted
113  DF  .~.~.~ Separator rotating in plane of foremost sheet
114  DF  .~.~.~ Variably or intermittently driven
115  DF  .~.~.~.~ In oscillatory movement
116  DF  .~.~.~.~ By over-running one-way drive
117  DF  .~.~.~ Separator adjustable or retractable relative to pack
118  DF  .~.~.~.~ Feed by successive approach and retraction
119  DF  .~.~.~ Separator having non-uniform periphery
120  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including relatively movable elements
121  DF  .~.~.~ With means to restrain feed of next sheet
122  DF  .~.~.~.~ By restrainer having rearwardly moving surface
123  DF  .~.~.~.~ By restrainer acting on rear end of sheet
124  DF  .~.~.~.~ By adjustable restrainer
125  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Including restraining roller
126  DF  .~.~.~ With means to urge pack toward separator
127  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including pivoted pack holder
42  DF  .~.~ Reciprocating
128  DF  .~.~.~ With pack advancer
129  DF  .~.~.~.~ With sheet on edge
130  DF  .~.~.~.~ And feeler control for advancer
131  DF  .~.~.~ Bottom feed
132  DF  .~.~.~.~ Suction assisted
133  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to prepare pack or bottom sheet for feeding
134  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ By relief of pack weight
135  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ By partial planar movement of bottom sheet
136  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to skip or stop feed
137  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to restrain feed of next sheet
138  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ By adjustable exit or throat
139  DF  .~.~.~.~ By pusher reciprocating variably or non-rectilinearly
140  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Orbital (e.g., four-way) motion of pusher
141  DF  .~.~.~.~ By pin (e.g., pointed) pusher
142  DF  .~.~.~.~ By adjustable (e.g., for sheet thickness) pusher
143  DF  .~.~.~.~ By self-aligning (e.g., yieldable) pushers
144  DF  .~.~.~.~ Holder adjustable to size of sheet
225  DF  .~ By means to change direction of sheet travel
226  DF  .~ With means to align sheet
227  DF  .~.~ Responsive to sheet-sensor
228  DF  .~.~.~ To control gripper-couple moving sheet to alignment
229  DF  .~.~ With means to retard sheet before alignment
230  DF  .~.~.~ By member moved with sheet
231  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including suction retarder
232  DF  .~.~ Against aligner entering hole in sheet
233  DF  .~.~ Against rear-edge aligner
234  DF  .~.~ Against plural aligning assemblages
235  DF  .~.~.~ For incremental travel against successive front-edge aligners
236  DF  .~.~.~ For front and side alignment of sheet
237  DF  .~.~.~.~ Alignment of imbricated sheets
238  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including oppositely-disposed side-edge aligners
239  DF  .~.~.~ Plural aligners selectively used
240  DF  .~.~.~ Oppositely-disposed side-edge aligners
241  DF  .~.~ By aligning a sheet-holder and its sheets
242  DF  .~.~ Against temporarily-stopped conveyer
243  DF  .~.~ Against front-edge aligner moved in direction of sheet travel
244  DF  .~.~.~ By retro-moving front-edge aligner
245  DF  .~.~ Against front-edge aligner interposed into sheet path
246  DF  .~.~.~ Synchronized with intermittently-active conveyor-couple
247  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including sheet-margin gripper
248  DF  .~.~ Against aligner adjacent side edge of sheet
249  DF  .~.~.~ By shifting aligner and gripper-couple laterally of sheet travel
250  DF  .~.~.~ By means to shift sheet laterally against aligner
251  DF  .~.~.~.~ By oblique conveyor
252  DF  .~.~.~.~ By gripper-couple pulling sheet laterally
253  DF  .~.~ With means to adjust position of aligner
254  DF  .~.~.~ During operation of feeder
255  DF  .~.~.~ With indicator of aligner position
256  DF  .~ With means to interrupt feeding
258.01  DF  .~.~ Responsive to sheet sensor
259  DF  .~.~.~ Plural sensors
260  DF  .~.~.~.~ Pneumatic sensors (e.g., to sense superposed sheets)
261  DF  .~.~.~.~ Laterally spaced sensors (e.g., to sense misalignment)
262  DF  .~.~.~ Excess-thickness sensor
263  DF  .~.~.~.~ To activate an electric circuit
258.02  DF  .~.~.~ Interrupts feeding upstream only
258.03  DF  .~.~.~ Single sensor with timer
258.04  DF  .~.~.~ Sensor operates warning indicator
258.05  DF  .~.~.~ Mechanical linkage
257  DF  .~.~ Manually controlled (e.g., for alternate-cycle feed)
264  DF  .~ By means to convey sheet (e.g., from pack to operation)
265.01  DF  .~.~ Responsive to sheet sensor
265.02  DF  .~.~.~ Plural sensors
265.03  DF  .~.~.~.~ Laterally spaced sensors
265.04  DF  .~.~.~ Thickness sensor
266  DF  .~.~ With intermittent movement of the sheet
267  DF  .~.~ On oscillating or reciprocating conveyor
268  DF  .~.~.~ Including gripper-couple
269  DF  .~.~.~ Including rear-edge pusher
270  DF  .~.~ With means to vary speed of conveyor sheet
271  DF  .~.~ By rear-edge pusher
272  DF  .~.~ Between superposed conveyor couple
273  DF  .~.~.~ Having means to permit separation of couple
274  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including couple-elements resiliently urged together
275  DF  .~.~ On peripheral face of drum or belt
276  DF  .~.~.~ Including pneumatic means
277  DF  .~.~.~ Including gripper-couple
145  DF  .~ Pack holders
146  DF  .~.~ With means to vibrate pack
147  DF  .~.~ Advancer
148  DF  .~.~.~ With means to move portions of advancer unequally (e.g., for unequal-thickness sheets)
149  DF  .~.~.~ For on-edge or imbricated sheets
150  DF  .~.~.~.~ Supported by moving conveyor belt
151  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ For imbricated sheets
152  DF  .~.~.~ Control of advancer responsive to sensing of foremost sheet
153  DF  .~.~.~.~ Sensor included in feed mechanism
154  DF  .~.~.~.~ Sensor activates electric or fluidic circuit
155  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Controlled electric or fluidic motor actuates advancer
156  DF  .~.~.~.~ Controlled pawl and ratchet actuates advancer
157  DF  .~.~.~ With means to replenish pack or retract advancer platform
158  DF  .~.~.~.~ Using plural platforms during continuous operation of feeder
159  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ And plural drives for plural platforms
160  DF  .~.~.~ Urged by spring or weight
161  DF  .~.~ With means to bow sheets
162  DF  .~.~ Holder movable relative to feed position
163  DF  .~.~.~ Holder convertible from feed to delivery
164  DF  .~.~.~ Holder moved parallel to plane of sheets
165  DF  .~.~ For feed from bottom of pack
166  DF  .~.~.~ With means to relieve weight of pack
167  DF  .~.~ With means to restrain feed of next sheet
168  DF  .~.~.~ By sheet-impaling restrainer
169  DF  .~.~.~ By lateral margin or side-edge restrainer
170  DF  .~.~.~.~ Corner snubber
171  DF  .~.~ Holder adjustable to size of sheet
278  DF  DELIVERING
279  DF  .~ Multiple discharge
280  DF  .~.~ For separating sheet from moving assemblage of sheets
281  DF  .~.~.~ By separating member moving in direction opposite of assemblage
282  DF  .~.~.~ By sheet attracting means
283  DF  .~.~.~.~ Pneumatic attracting means
284  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Opposed pneumatic attracting means
285  DF  .~.~.~ With leading edges of sheets offset
286  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to cause offset
287  DF  .~.~ Of successive sheets to plural receivers in succession
288  DF  .~.~.~ With control means to vary mode of operation
289  DF  .~.~.~.~ To bypass array of receivers
290  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ To route sheets to subsequent array of receivers
291  DF  .~.~.~ With selective actuation of means for inverting duplex sheets
292  DF  .~.~.~ With movable receivers or receiver portions
293  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to increase spacing between receiver defining portions
294  DF  .~.~.~.~ Receivers moving into registry with delivery zone
295  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Receivers arranged in rotary array
296  DF  .~.~.~ By diverter or conveyor moving past receivers
297  DF  .~.~.~ By individual diverter for each receiver
298  DF  .~.~ With means to program discharge destination
299  DF  .~.~ To laterally spaced receivers
300  DF  .~.~ By release from conveyor at plural locations
301  DF  .~.~ Selectively to recirculating path or exit
302  DF  .~.~ By conveyor section movable to direct sheets along alternate paths
303  DF  .~.~ With movable diverter
304  DF  .~.~.~ Bidirectionally rotating diverter roller
305  DF  .~.~.~ Individual diverter for each receiver
65  DF  .~ Optional face or back
66  DF  .~.~ Endless conveyors to flies
67  DF  .~ Endless conveyors to curtains
69  DF  .~ Endless conveyors to other conveyors
70  DF  .~.~ To flies
72  DF  .~ Rotary conveyors to flies
73  DF  .~ Curtains
306  DF  .~ With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
307  DF  .~.~ Means to strip sheets from engagement with moving conveyor
308  DF  .~.~.~ Stripper cyclically movable between stripping and nonstripping position
309  DF  .~.~.~ By air blast
310  DF  .~.~.~ By means to attract sheet from conveyor
311  DF  .~.~.~ Stripper normally in contact with conveyor surface
312  DF  .~.~.~ Stripper normally in spaced relation to conveyor surface
313  DF  .~.~.~.~ With means to maintain constant spacing of movable stripper
175  DF  .~.~ Means to drape sheets over horizontal bar
176  DF  .~.~ Responsive to delivered sheet
177  DF  .~.~ Means to push sheets out of edgewise into broadside movement (e.g., packer)
178  DF  .~.~.~ Rotating packer
179  DF  .~.~.~.~ Screw or helix
180  DF  .~.~.~ By reciprocating or oscillating packer
181  DF  .~.~.~.~ Packing sheets on-edge into receiver
182  DF  .~.~ Means to retard sheets
183  DF  .~.~.~ By suction retarder
184  DF  .~.~ Means to change orientation or direction of sheets during delivery
185  DF  .~.~.~ Orientation-changing means
186  DF  .~.~.~.~ Sheet inverting means
187  DF  .~.~.~.~ By rotating circumferential-pocket members
188  DF  .~.~ Means to bow sheets during delivery
189  DF  .~.~ Means temporarily interposed between conveyor and receiver
190  DF  .~.~.~ Transversely-disposed, gapped sheet-supports on endless carrier
191  DF  .~.~.~ Endless belt on reciprocating carrier
192  DF  .~.~.~ Counter-rotating supports for lateral margins
193  DF  .~ By electrostatic or magnetic conveyor
194  DF  .~ By pneumatic conveyor
195  DF  .~.~ Using pressurized gas
196  DF  .~.~ Unidirectionally-moving suction member or surface
197  DF  .~.~.~ Including endless-belt conveyor and suction chamber
198  DF  .~ By endless conveyor
199  DF  .~.~ Operation controlled by delivered sheet
200  DF  .~.~ With delivery end movably relative to pack receiver
201  DF  .~.~.~ Moving away from increasing delivered pack
202  DF  .~.~ With means to vary speed of sheets on conveyor(s)
203  DF  .~.~.~ By cyclicly varying conveyor speed
204  DF  .~.~ Suspension gripper
205  DF  .~.~.~ For lateral margins of conveyed sheet
206  DF  .~.~.~ With means to adjust gripper
314  DF  .~ Rotary conveyor
315  DF  .~.~ With circumferential pocket members
81  DF  .~.~ Traveling
82  DF  .~.~ Suspension gripper
83  DF  .~.~ Flies
84  DF  .~ Reciprocating conveyors
85  DF  .~.~ Suspension gripper
207  DF  .~ To receiver for pack of sheets
208  DF  .~.~ With means to discharge static electricity
209  DF  .~.~ With means to bow sheets
210  DF  .~.~ With means to vibrate receiver
211  DF  .~.~ With air cushion between sheet and pack
212  DF  .~.~ For receiving sheets from below the pack
213  DF  .~.~ With movable sheet-surface support
214  DF  .~.~.~ Receding from delivery zone (e.g., retractor)
215  DF  .~.~.~.~ Responsive to increase
216  DF  .~.~.~.~ Conveyor-receiver for imbricated sheets
217  DF  .~.~.~.~ Lowering as pack-height increases
218  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ With auxiliary support for part of pile
219  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Spring-loaded support
220  DF  .~.~ With movable pack-limiting member(s) (e.g., hold-down)
221  DF  .~.~.~ And means to move members cyclicly against sheet edges (e.g., jogger)
222  DF  .~.~.~.~ And yieldable connection in moving means
223  DF  .~.~.~ Members adjustable to sheet size
224  DF  .~.~.~.~ Sheet-impact bumper member
******************************
CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS
******************************
900  DF  STRIPPER
901  DF  MAGNETIC OPERATION
902  DF  REVERSE DIRECTION OF SHEET MOVEMENT
903  DF  TRAVELING WICKET (FOR STACK ON EDGE)