Moore Business Forms, Inc.

Robert E Godfrey

James C Folsom

Elmer G Schultz

Thomas J Hoza

Thomas D Chapman

A stacker and cart are provided for vertically stacking forms fed from a printer, folder, or other mechanism, by a conveyor, which do not require tilting of the cart to allow offloading of the forms. The stacker has a housing with side walls parallel to and spaced from each other in a first dimension and a base which mounts the side walls so that they are inclined with respect to the vertical (e.g. about 15 degrees), tilted in a second dimension perpendicular to the first. A number of forms-supporting stacker tines are parallel to and spaced from each other in the first dimension, and an elevator mechanism moves the tines in unison generally vertically with respect to the side walls. A stacker cooperates with a cart, a part sensor mounted on or adjacent the stacker base, and a latch on the cart cooperating with a latching mechanism on the stacker. The cart has a forms engaging face making the same angle to the vertical as the stacker side walls, and cart tines extend outwardly from the face parallel to and spaced from each other in the first dimension and intermeshed with the stacker tines so that the stacker and cart tines do not interfere with each other as the stacker tines are moved by the elevator mechanism relative to the cart tines. The cart preferably has a second face and tines on the opposite side of a movable base from the first face and tines.

Forms stacker

Fan folded business forms are compacted so as to provide the maximum run time, and minimum operator effort. The system includes a folder, transfer table with compacting conveyor, and wheeled cart with a backstop on it. The backstop is continuously pushed along the cart by the compacting forms until it reaches a position at the end of the cart, at which time a cart full sensor operates an alarm and/or shuts off the folder. The compacted forms on the cart may be easily moved to any desired location. Forms may be fed either printed side up or printed side down into another piece of equipment. The main surface of the cart on which the forms travel with their fold lines engaging the main surface, may be manually tilted about a horizontal axis after the cart is full, so that the end of the cart from which forms are to be withdrawn is elevated. This provides efficient withdrawal of forms while minimizing curling of the forms.

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Rochester, NH, United States of America

Robert E Godfrey