Apparatus for inverting a sheet member

Abstract

An apparatus for inverting a sheet member comprising a pair of spaced conveyors cooperatively defining a conveyor passage along which a sheet member can be advanced, and a rotatable arm assembly mounted between the conveyors and including upper and lower arms defining an opening therebetween, adapted for receiving the sheet member from the upstream conveyor and conveying the sheet member to the downstream conveyor. The arms continue rotating back to the initial position after depositing the sheet on the downstream conveyor. The arms are driven at a non-uniform speed and accelerate from the initial position to an upright position and then decelerate from the upright position to the position adjacent the downstream conveyor. The upper arm includes a swingable clamp which rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the arm when going from the initial position to the upright position, and which rotates in the same direction as the arms when they go from the upright position to the position adjacent the downstream conveyor. After the release of the sheet material to the downstream conveyor, the rotatable supporting shaft of the arm is lowered to a position below the conveyors and the arms continue rotating back to the initial position, whereby successively fed sheet members can be alternately inverted.