Harris-intertype Corporation

Arthur Albert Knopp

A hopper loader delivers a shingled stream of signatures to a hopper from which the signatures are fed. The hopper loader apparatus is portable and comprises a generally horizontal first conveyor belt section for receiving an array of side-abutted signatures on edge. The apparatus also includes an inclined second conveyor belt section for engaging the side of the signatures and for feeding the signatures from the array in an overlapped stream toward the hopper. The apparatus includes a means for adjusting the speed of the first belt section relative to the second belt section. Also the apparatus includes a presser belt construction which cooperates with the inclined section for pressing on the signatures to provide a sufficient frictional force between the belts and the signatures so that the signatures will be properly moved up the inclined belt section. In addition, a blower is utilized to provide a separating action to facilitate separation of the signatures in the array and to blow the top edge of the signatures toward the inclined belt. The conveyor belt sections are controlled in response to a pile height sensor which is located in the hopper. A suitable control is provided for sensing when the amount of signatures on the first belt section is depleted to a predetermined minimum and when such a minimum supply of signatures on the first belt section is sensed, the hopper loader mechanism is deactivated.

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Stockertown, PA, United States of America

Arthur Albert Knopp