Mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks
United States Patent 1191 Allen et al.  
 [ MECHANISM FOR FEEDING CARDBOARD OR LIKE BLANKS [75] Inventors: Robert William Allen, Poynton;  
 Norman Frank Buckley, Didsbury, both of England [73] Assignee: Henry Simon Limited, Stockport,  
 Cheshire, England 22 -Filed: May 11, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 359,332  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 26, I972 United Kingdom 2490/72 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1958 Labombarde 271/99 X 10/1963 Bishop 271/99 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS France 271/99 Apr. 1, 1975 Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Norris &amp; Bateman [57] ABSTRACT Mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks one at a time from the underside of a stack thereof comprising a table, which is adapted to support said stack, and the forward part of which includes a reciprocatory suction feed cup adapted on its forward or feeding stroke to pull the leading edge of the lowermost blank in the stack positively downwardly and progress it forwardly beneath a feed gate and carry it into the nip between a pair of feed rollers, said suction cup being comprised by a box having a perforated top wall and a flat base with a port therein adapted to be reciprocated slidably over a fixed block having first and second recesses connected with a suction source and atmosphere respectively, the arrangement being such that on the forward stroke said port communicates with the first recess such that suction is maintained until the blank is taken up by the feed rollers when the port communicates with the second recess such that no suction is applied from that point and during at least the initial part of the return stroke.  
 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures amass ATEHTED APR 1 1975 SHEET 2 0 2 MECHANISM FOR FEEDING CARDBOARD ()R LIKE BLANKS This invention relates to mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks from a stack thereof, one at a time from the underside of the stack, beneath a feed gate and into the nip between a pair of feed rollers for onward feed thereby for processing.  
  According to the present invention, mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks one at a time from the underside of a stack thereof comprises a table, which is adapted to support said stack, and the forward part of which includes a reciprocatory suction feed cup adapted on its forward or feeding stroke to pull the leading edge of the lowermost blank in the stack positively downwardly and progress it forwardly beneath a feed gate and carry it into the nip between a pair of feed rollers, said suction cup being comprised by a box having a perforated top wall and a flat base with a port therein adapted to be reciprocated slidably over a fixed block having first and second recesses connected with a suction source and atmosphere respectively, the arrangement being such that on the forward stroke said port communicates with the first recess such that suction is maintained until the blank is taken up by the feed rollers when the port communicates with the second recess such that no suction is applied from that point and during at least the initial part of the return stroke.  
  The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one form of feed mechanism embodying the invention.  
 Of the drawings FIG. I shows a partially cut-away perspective view of the mechanism;  
  FIG. 2 shows a cross-section substantially through the mechanism on the line II-II of FIG. I;  
  and FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary partially cut-away plan view of the mechanism.  
  Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the mechanism is essentially comprised by a feed table which consists of a fixed rear part comprised by a plate and a forward part comprised by three reciprocatory suction feed cups II. 12 and 13 respectively. Each of the suction feed cups ll, 12 and 13 is essentially comprised by a box having a perforated top wall, the top walls being in the plane of the plate 10 to form the forward part of the feed table.  
  The central suction feed cup 12 is adapted, when the mechanism is in-use, to be reciprocated longitudinally, (that is in the direction of feed) by means of a pair of rams l4 and 15 which are controlled by cams l6 and 17 mounted on a cam shaft 18 via the intermediary of cam followers 19 and 20 and a lever system generally indicated at 21. Likewise the suction feed cups l1 and I3 lying to either side of the central feed cup 12 are mounted on rams 22 and 23 respectively, which are controlled from cams 24 and 25, and 26 and 27 mounted on the shaft 18 via cam followers 28 and 29, and 30 and 31 and lever systems generally indicated at 32 and 33 respectively.  
  As best seen from FIG. 2, the table comprised by the plate 10 and suction feed cups l1, l2 and 13 is adapted to support a stack of cardboard or like blanks B, which is located between a front wall 34, whose lower edge is upwardly spaced from the plane of the table by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of an individual blank B to form a feed gate 35 and a rear wall 36.  
  In front of the feed table is a pair of feed rollers comprised by upper and lower rollers 37 and 38 respectively, defining a nip therebetween which is at the same level as the surface of the feed table. The central sections of the rollers 37 and 38 are relieved as best seen from FIG. 3 fora purpose which will be apparent hereinaftcrf The interiors of the boxes defining the suction feed cups 11 and 13 are connected by flexible hoses 39 and 40 with a chamber 41 which is itself connected by means of a hose 42 with a suction fan. In use, the fan (not shown) is kept running whereby air is continuously drawn through the perforations in the top walls of the boxes defining the cups 11 and 13.  
  As best seen from FIG. 2. the box defining the central suction feed cup 12 has a rearward extension and base plate 43 containing a port 44 and which slides in sealed relationship over a fixed block 45 provided with recesses 46 and 47 which are adapted to communicate in turn with the port 44 as the cup 12 is reciprocated. The recess 46 is connected by means of a pipe 48 with a vacuum pump (not shown) whilst the recess 47 com municates via a pipe 49 with atmosphere.  
  In use, with each of the feed cups 11, I2 and 13 in its rearmost position with the rear edges thereof abutting the forward edge of the plate 10, vacuum is applied to the interior of the central suction feed cup 12 and air is drawn in through the perforations in the top walls of the boxes defining all three feed cups. In this way the lowermost blank .8 in the stack thereof on the feed table is pulled down under the influence of the suction, positively into engagement with the suction feed cups along its front edge, even if the blank is severely warped. The suction cups ll, 12 and 13 move forwardly under the control of the cams on the shaft 18 and pass the leading edge of the lowermost blank beneath the feed gate 35. The cups continue to move forwardly carrying the blank towards the nip between the rolls 37 and 38. The feed cups 11 and 13 cease to move forwardly before they would otherwise foul the peripheries of the end unrelieved portions of the feed rolls 37 and 38 whilst the central cup continues to move forwardly to carry the board right into the nip between the rolls 37 and 38, the forward part of the feed cup 12 being located within the relieved sections ofthe rolls 37 and 38 at the end of its forwardstroke. In this position the port 44 connects with the recess 47 thereby connecting the interior of the feed cup 12 with atmosphere and permitting the feed rolls 37 and 38 to progress the blank forwardly further without difficulty. The cups 1], l2 and 13 then execute their reverse strokes, the suction still being applied through the cups 1 I and 13 helping to ensure that the next blank to be progressed is properly squared against the rear wall 36. As the central cup returns to its initial position, the&#39;port 44 communicates with the recess 46 so that suction is reapplied ready for the next forward feeding stroke.  
  It will be understood that during the forward feeding stroke the blank being fed attains some momentum before the suction cups 11 and 13 are stopped whereby the central feed cup 12 is able to continue to progress the board forwardly without undue difficulty notwithstanding the fact that there is an additional frictive force to overcome between the cups 11 and 13 and the underside of the blank respectively on account of the continuing suction in the cups I1 and I3.  
  lt will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible without departing from the scope thereof.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. Mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks one at a time from the underside of a stack thereof comprising a table, said table comprising a stationary rear part having a planar stack supporting surface and a blank feeding forward part that includes a reciprocatory suction feed cup underlying the stack and adapted on its forward or feeding stroke to pull the leading edge of the lowermost blank in the stack positively downwardly and progress it forwardly beneath a feed gate and carry it into the nip between a pair of feed rollers a stationary support member underlying said suction cup and having a top planar surface provided with spaced first and second upwardly open recesses connected respectively to a source of suction and atmosphere said suction cup comprising a box having a per forated top surface coplanar with said top surface of the stationary rear part of the table and a flat bottom surface coplanar with said perforated top surface. slidably engaging said top surface of said support member and formed with a downwardly open port, whereby said perforated top surface and said downwardly open port directly enter the same chamber, said box flat bottom surface and said support member top surface being arranged to assure substantially uniplanar reciprocation of said box over an extended period of use regardless of wear, the arrangement being such that on the forward stroke of said box said port communicates with the first recess so that suction is maintained until the blank is taken up by the feed rollers and then the port communicates with the second recess no suction is applied from that point and during at least the initial part of the return stroke. i  
  2. Mechanism for feeding cardboard or like blanks one at a time from the underside of a stack thereof comprising a table, which is adapted to support said stack. and the forward part ofwhieh includes a reciprocatory suction feed cup adapted on its forward or feed- 4 ing stroke to pull the leading edge of the lowermost blank in the stack positively downwardly and progress it forwardly beneath a feed gate and carry it into the nip between a pair of feed rollers said suction cup being comprised by a box having a perforated top wall and a flat base with a port therein adapted to be reciprocated slidably over a fixed block having first and second recesses connected with a suction source and atmosphere respectively, the arrangement being such that on the forward stroke said port communicates with the first recess such that suction is maintained until the blank is taken up by the feed rollers when the port communicates with the second recess such that no suction is applied from that point and during at least the initial part of the return stroke, said reciprocatory feed cup being disposed between two further reciprocatory suction feed cups lying one on each side thereof, and said further suction feed cups being adapted to advance with the central feed cup but to be arrested once they have carried the leading edge of the blank beneath the feed gate whilst the central feed cup continues forwardly to carry the blank into engagement with the feed rollers.  
  3. Mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said further suction feed cups are comprised by boxes having perforated top walls.  
  4. Mechanism according to claim 3 wherein suction is applied continuously to said further suction feed cups.  
  5. Mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the suction feed cup is reciprocated by means of a ram controlled by a cam via an intermediary cam follower and lever system.  
  6. Mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the or each suction feed cup is reciprocated by means of a ram controlled by a cam via an intermediary cam follower and lever system.  
  7. Mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the or each suction feed cup is reciprocated by means of a ram controlled by a cam via an intermediary cam follower and lever system.  
  8. Mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the or each suction feed cup is reciprocated by means of a ram controlled by a cam via an intermediary cam follower and lever system.