BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for receiving and stacking pieces of sheet
material, for example, cardboard or corrugated sheets of different thickness and more
particularly, to a paper sheet material receiving and stacking system, which can automatically
stack up pieces of paper sheet material for quick packing, saving much labor and time
and lowering the stacking and packing cost.
2. Description of the Related Art:
[0002] In our daily life, many different sheets of paper material, such as writing paper,
packing paper, office paper and etc., may be used for the purpose of writing, or for
packing or protecting articles. For example, corrugated sheets are commonly used for
making cartons for holding things. Corrugated sheets are generally made of a central
fluted or corrugated core layer bonded to outer, opposed face sheets, with the use
of a starch base paste. The board is passed over a series of heated plates to cause
the starch to gel and harden, completing the bond. After bonding of the plies, the
continuous web of corrugated paperboard product is trimmed and cut off into pieces.
The pieces of paper sheet material thus obtained can be further processed into cartons
or other forms for different applications. When a continuous web of corrugated paperboard
product is cut off into pieces, the pieces of paper sheet material
A may be delivered through a paper sheet material conveyor system, which, as shown
in FIG. 8, comprises a sheet-transfer conveying belt unit
B and a stack conveying belt unit
C. When a predetermined number of pieces of paper sheet material
A (10pcs, 15pcs or 20pcs of paper sheet material) is stacked up, the stack of pieces
of paper sheet material is then delivered by the stack conveying belt unit C to a
predetermined location for further packing and/or delivery. The use of the paper sheet
material conveyor system is still not satisfactory in function due to the following
problems:
- 1. After transfer of pieces of paper sheet material A by the sheet-transfer conveying belt unit B to the stack conveying belt unit C, workers must manually arrange the pieces of paper sheet material A neatly in a stack, wasting much labor. Further, it is inconvenient to wrap the stack
of pieces of paper sheet material A at the stack conveying belt unit C.
- 2. The conveying speed of the sheet-transfer conveying belt unit B and the conveying speed of the stack conveying belt unit C are limited so that workers can arrange the pieces of paper sheet material A neatly in a stack and wrap the stack of pieces of paper sheet material A at the stack conveying belt unit C. In consequence, the operating speed is lowered, resulting in low efficiency.
- 3. As the operating speed of the paper sheet material conveyor system is limited,
much energy will be wasted, and the cost will be relatively increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is
therefore an object of the present invention to provide a paper sheet material receiving
and stacking system, which can automatically stack up pieces of paper sheet material
for quick packing, saving much labor and time and lowering the stacking and packing
cost.
[0004] To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a paper sheet material
receiving and stacking system comprises a conveying unit, a receiving and adjustment
unit, and a stacking unit. The conveying unit comprises a feed table for receiving
pieces of paper sheet material cut out of a continuous web. The receiving and adjustment
unit comprises a carrier frame pivotally connected to the conveyor unit for transferring
pieces of paper sheet material from the conveying unit to the stacking unit, and adjustment
mechanism for controlling the gap of a sheet-transfer passage through which pieces
of paper sheet material are delivered individually to the stacking unit. The stacking
unit comprises a platform adapted for receiving pieces of paper sheet material from
the sheet-transfer passage, and a sliding limiter for stopping pieces of paper sheet
material on the platform in a stack.
[0005] Further, the conveying unit comprises a conveyor frame extends obliquely upwardly
from the feed table, an endless conveying belt mounted on the conveyor frame, and
a motor drive mounted at the conveyer frame and controllable to rotate the endless
conveying belt on the conveyor frame in delivering pieces of paper sheet material
from the feed table to the receiving and adjustment unit. The motor drive of the conveying
unit is controllable to change the speed. The receiving and adjustment unit further
comprises a driving device adapted for biasing the carrier frame between a horizontal
position and an inclined position.
[0006] Further, the stacking unit comprises a transmission mechanism controllable to move
the platform horizontally forward, backward, leftward and rightward and vertically
up and down.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a paper sheet material receiving and stacking system
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking
system in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the operation
of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system (I).
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the operation
of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system (II).
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the operation
of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system (III).
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the operation
of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system (IV).
FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the present invention, illustrating the operation
of the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system (V).
FIG. 8 illustrates a paper sheet material conveyor system according to the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a paper sheet material receiving and stacking system
in accordance with the present invention comprises a conveying unit
1, a receiving and adjustment unit
2, and a stacking unit
3.
[0009] The conveying unit
1 comprises a feed table
11, a conveyor frame
12 obliquely upwardly extended from one end of the feed table
11 toward a predetermined direction, an endless conveying belt
131 mounted on the conveyor frame
12, and a motor drive
13 mounted at the conveyer frame
12 and controllable to rotate the endless conveying belt
131 on the conveyor frame
12.
[0010] The receiving and adjustment unit
2 comprises a carrier frame
21 pivotally connected to one end (high end) of the conveyor frame
12 opposite to the feed table
11, transmission rollers
22 pivotally mounted at one end of the carrier frame
21 adjacent to the conveyor frame
12, steering rollers
223 pivotally mounted at an opposite end of the carrier frame
21, an endless conveying belt
222 mounted on the transmission rollers
22 and the steering rollers
223, a motor drive
221 mounted in the bottom side of the carrier frame
21 and controllable to rotate the transmission rollers
22 in moving the endless conveying belt
222, a driving device
23 coupled to the other end of the carrier frame
21 adjacent to the steering rollers
223 and controllable to lift the other end of the carrier frame
21, and an adjustment mechanism
24 mounted the top side of the other end of the carrier frame
21 above the driving device
23. The adjustment mechanism
24 comprises a bracket
241 fixedly mounted at the carrier frame
21, a substantially L-shaped link
242 pivotally mounted at the bracket
241, a push and pull member
243 coupled between the carrier frame
21 and one end of the L-shaped link
242, an impression wheel
244 pivotally mounted at the angled corner area of the L-shaped link
242 and defining with the surface of the endless conveying belt
222 a sheet-transfer passage
25, and a stop bar
245 coupled to the other end of the L-shaped link
242. The push and pull member
243 is controllable to bias the L-shaped link
242 relative to the bracket
241, thereby adjusting the gap of the sheet-transfer passage
25.
[0011] The stacking unit
3 comprises a frame base
30 connected to the receiving and adjustment unit
2 adjacent to the other end of the carrier frame
21 opposite to the conveyor frame
1, a platform
31 suspending in the frame base
30, a sliding track
33 mounted in the frame base
30 above the platform
31, a stacking space
310 defined in the frame base
30 between the platform
31 and the sliding track
33, a transmission mechanism
32 mounted in the frame base
30 and controllable to move the platform
31 horizontally forward, backward, leftward and rightward, and vertically up and down,
and a sliding limiter
331 mounted on and movable along the sliding track
33 and holding a stop member
332 in the stacking space 3
10.
[0012] During installation, the carrier frame
21 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2 is pivotally connected to the high end of the conveyor frame
12 of the conveying unit
1 opposite to the feed table
11, and then the frame base
30 of the stacking unit
3 is connected to connected to receiving and adjustment unit
2 adjacent to the other end of the carrier frame
21 opposite to the conveyor frame
12, enabling the stop bar
245 of the adjustment mechanism
24 to suspend in the stacking space
310 of the stacking unit
3. Thus, the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system is set up for stacking
pieces of paper sheet material
4, for example, corrugated sheets or cardboard sheets.
[0013] The conveying unit
1 is adapted for receiving paper sheet material, for example, corrugated sheets or
cardboard sheets, by means of the feed table
11. The driving device
23 and push and pull member
243 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2 can be hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, transmission gear sets, transmission
chains, motor sets, or any of a variety of other transmission means capable of biasing
the L-shaped link
242 back and forth relative to the bracket
241. The transmission mechanism
32 of the stacking unit
3 can be hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, transmission gear sets, transmission
chains, motor sets, or any of a variety of other transmission means.
[0014] Further, the motor drive
13 of the conveying unit
1 is controllable to change its speed of rotation, thereby controlling the conveying
speed of the endless conveying belt
131 at the conveyer frame
12. The motor drive
221 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2 is controllable to change its speed of rotation, thereby controlling the conveying
speed of the endless conveying belt
222 at the carrier frame
21.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIGS. 1 and 2 again, pieces of paper sheet material
4, for example, corrugated sheets or cardboard sheets, cut out of a continuous web,
are fed through the feed table
11 of the conveying unit 1 into the endless conveying belt
131 at the conveyer frame
12 that is rotated by the motor drive
13 at a predetermined speed. The speed of the endless conveying belt
131 is controlled subject to the actual job site operating requirements (for example,
for stacking 10pcs, 15pcs or 20pcs of paper sheet material
4 within a predetermined time period). After feeding of a predetermined number of pieces
of paper sheet material
4 into the endless conveying belt
131 by the feed table
11, the motor drive
13 is controlled to accelerate the speed, driving the endless conveying belt
131 to deliver the overlapped pieces of paper sheet material
4 to the carrier frame
21 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2. At the same time, the driving device
23 is controlled to lower the other end of the carrier frame
21 from a horizontal position to an inclined position, and then the motor drive
221 is controlled to rotate the transmission rollers
22, moving the endless conveying belt
222 to deliver the pieces of paper sheet material
4 to the adjustment mechanism
24. At this time, the sheet-transfer passage
25 between the impression wheel
244 and the surface of the endless conveying belt
222 is adjusted for allowing the pieces of paper sheet material
4 to pass individually. Thus, the pieces of paper sheet material
4 are transferred to the platform
31 of the stacking unit
3 one after another and stacked on one another at the platform
31 in the stacking space
310. By means of the operation of the stop bar
245 of the adjustment mechanism
24 and the stop member
332 of the stacking unit
3 to stop the stacked pieces of paper sheet material
4 at the platform
31 of the stacking unit
3, the stacked pieces of paper sheet material
4 is kept neatly in a stack. During stacking, the transmission mechanism
32 is controlled to lower the platform
31, enabling a predetermined number of pieces of paper sheet material
4 to be stacked up at the platform
31.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, and FIG. 1 again, after a predetermined number
of pieces of paper sheet material
4 have been delivered out of the adjustment mechanism
24 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2 to the platform
31 of the stacking unit
3 during the stacking operation, the driving device
23 is controlled to lift the other end of the carrier frame
21 from the inclined position for enabling the endless conveying belt
222 to receive another predetermined number of pieces of paper sheet material
4 from the endless conveying belt
131 of the conveying unit
1 to run a next stacking cycle.
[0017] When the endless conveying belt
222 at the carrier frame
21 receives another set of overlapped pieces of paper sheet material
4 from the endless conveying belt
131, the driving device
23 is controlled to lower the other end of the carrier frame
21 from the horizontal position to the inclined position again, and then the motor drive
221 is controlled to rotate the transmission rollers
22, moving the endless conveying belt
222 to deliver the overlapped pieces of paper sheet material
4 to the adjustment mechanism
24, and at the same time, the transmission mechanism
32 of the stacking unit
3 is controlled to move the platform
31 horizontally relative to the frame base
30, leaving a predetermined distance
D between one end edge of the duly stacked pieces of paper sheet material
4 and the stop member
332 of the stacking unit
3, enabling the next set of pieces of paper sheet material
4 to be stacked up on the previous stack of pieces of paper sheet material
4 at the platform
31 in an offset manner, facilitating further wrapping or packing operation without causing
interference and saving much labor and packing time. Thus, the invention can automatically
stack up pieces of paper sheet material for quick packing, lowering the stacking and
packing cost and avoiding wasting resources.
[0018] As stated above, the invention provides a paper sheet material receiving and stacking
system, which utilizes the feed table
11 of the conveying unit
1 to receive pieces of paper sheet material
4 that are cut out of a continuous web, the endless conveying belt
131 at the conveyer frame
12 of the conveying unit
1 to deliver the received pieces of paper sheet material
4 to the carrier frame
21 of the receiving and adjustment unit
2 for enabling the endless conveying belt
222 at the carrier frame
21 to deliver the received pieces of paper sheet material
4 to the platform
31 of the stacking unit
3, and the stop bar
245 of the adjustment mechanism
24 and the stop member
332 of the stacking unit
3 to stop the stacked pieces of paper sheet material
4 neatly at the platform
31 of the stacking unit
3. Thus, the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system can automatically stack
up pieces of paper sheet material for quick packing, saving much labor and time and
lowering the stacking and packing cost.
[0019] In conclusion, the invention provides a paper sheet material receiving and stacking
system, which has the advantages and features as follows:
- 1. By means of the feed table 11 of the conveying unit 1 to receives piece of paper sheet material 4 that are cut out of a continuous web, the endless conveying belt 131 of the conveying unit 1 to deliver the received pieces of paper sheet material 4 to the receiving and adjustment unit 2, the endless conveying belt 222 of the receiving and adjustment unit 21 to deliver the received pieces of paper sheet material 4 from the conveying unit 1 to the platform 31 of the stacking unit 3 and the adjustment mechanism 24 to adjust the gap of the sheet-transfer passage 25 subject to the thickness of the pieces of paper sheet material 4, the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system can automatically stack up
pieces of paper sheet material for quick packing, saving much labor and time and lowering
the stacking and packing cost.
- 2. The transmission mechanism 32 of the stacking unit 3 is controllable to move the platform 31 horizontally and vertically relative to the frame base 30, different sets of pieces of paper sheet material 4 to be stacked up on one another in an offset manner, facilitating further wrapping
or packing operation without causing interference.
- 3. By means of the conveying unit 1, the receiving and adjustment unit 2 and the stacking unit 3, the paper sheet material receiving and stacking system automatically stacks up pieces
of paper sheet material neatly for quick packing, saving much stacking and packing
time and cost and avoiding wasting resources.
[0020] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for
purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
1. A paper sheet material (4) receiving and stacking system, comprising:
a conveying unit (1), said conveying unit (1) comprising a feed table(11) for receiving
pieces of paper sheet material (4) cut out of a continuous web, a conveyor frame(12)
extended from one end of said feed table(11) and an endless conveying belt (131) mounted
on said conveyer frame and adapted for delivering the pieces of paper sheet material
(4) received by said feed table(11) to a receiving and adjustment unit (2);
a receiving and adjustment unit (2), said receiving and adjustment unit (2) comprising
a carrier frame (21) pivotally connected to one end of said conveyor frame(12) opposite
to said feed table (11) and adapted for transferring the received pieces of paper
sheet material (4) from the endless conveying belt (131) of said conveying unit (1)
to a stacking unit (3), a driving device (23) coupled to an opposite end of said carrier
frame (21) and controllable to move said carrier frame (21) between a horizontal position
and an inclined position, an adjustment mechanism (24) at said carrier frame (21)
and adapted for controlling said conveyor frame(12) to transfer the received pieces
of paper sheet material (4) to a stacking unit (3) piece by piece; and
a stacking unit (3) adapted for receiving pieces of paper sheet material (4) from
said receiving and adjustment unit (2) and stacking up the received pieces of paper
sheet material (4) in a stack, said stacking unit (3) comprising a platform (31)adapted
for receiving pieces of paper sheet material (4) from said receiving and adjustment
unit (2), a transmission mechanism(32) controllable to move said platform (31)horizontally
forward, backward, leftward and rightward and vertically up and down, a stacking space
(310) defined above said platform (31)and a sliding limiter (331) suspending in said
stacking space (310) and adapted for stopping pieces of paper sheet material (4) in
said stacking space (310) in a stack.
2. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the pieces of paper sheet material (4) receivable by said feed table(11) are corrugated
sheets or cardboard sheets.
3. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said conveyor frame(12) extends obliquely upwardly from said feed table(11); said
conveying unit (1) further comprises a motor driver (13) mounted at said conveyor
frame(12) and controllable to rotate the endless conveying belt (131) of said conveying
unit (1) on said conveyor frame(12) at different speeds.
4. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said receiving and adjustment unit (2) comprises at least one transmission roller
(22) pivotally mounted at one end of said carrier frame (21) adjacent to the conveyor
frame(12) of said conveying unit (1), at least one steering roller (223) pivotally
mounted at an opposite end of said carrier frame (21), an endless conveying belt (222)
mounted on said at least one transmission roller (22) and said at least one steering
roller (223), a motor driver (221) mounted in a bottom side of said carrier frame
(21) and controllable to rotate said at least one transmission roller (22) in moving
the endless conveying belt (222) of said receiving and adjustment unit(2); said driving
device (23) is selected from the group of hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder,
transmission gear set, transmission chain and motor set.
5. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said adjustment mechanism (24) comprises a bracket fixedly mounted at said carrier
frame(21), a substantially L-shaped link pivotally mounted at said bracket, a push
and pull member coupled between said carrier frame(21) and one end of said L-shaped
link and adapted for biasing said L-shaped link, an impression wheel pivotally mounted
at an angled corner area of said L-shaped link and defining with the endless conveying
belt(222) of said receiving and adjustment unit(2) a sheet-transfer passage through
which pieces of paper sheet material (4) are delivered individually.
6. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 5, wherein
said push and pull member of said receiving and adjustment mechanism(24) is selected
from the group of hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, transmission gear set, transmission
chain and motor set.
7. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said transmission mechanism(32) of said stacking unit(3) comprises at least one of
the sets of hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, transmission gear sets, transmission
chains and motor sets.
8. The paper sheet material(4) receiving and stacking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said stacking unit (3) further comprises a sliding track(33) suspending above said
stacking space (310); said sliding limiter (331) is slidably mounted at said sliding
track(33) and holding a stop member(332) in said stacking space (310) for stopping
pieces of paper sheet material(4) at said platform (31) in a stack.