The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 1986
Filed:
May. 01, 1985
Jeffrey W Harms, Olathe, KS (US);
Gill Studios, Inc., Shawnee Mission, KS (US);
Abstract
A vacuum take-off conveyor is used to transfer a printed sheet from a delivery conveyor to a sheet stacking apparatus. The vacuum conveyor has a vacuum chamber structure with an inner chamber. A vacuum source is connected to the chamber structure, near a first end thereof, and operates to create a pressure differential between the chamber and the surrounding atmosphere. The chamber structure is provided with longitudinal slots in a bottom wall to provide air communication from the atmosphere into the chamber. An endless foraminous belt is received onto the chamber structure to form a continuous loop from the first end to a second end thereof, and is rotated by a drive pulley. A damper, such as an adjustable damper plate, is situated within the chamber so as to produce a high vacuum region near the vacuum source between the damper plate and the first end of the chamber structure, and a low vacuum region between the damper plate and the chamber structure second end. Additionally, side walls of the chamber structure have a plurality of orifices therethrough, which apertures can be selectively closed or opened to affect the relative pressure differential between the high and low vacuum regions and the surrounding atmosphere.