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:
Jul. 19, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 05, 1993
Richard B Hawkes, Bethlehem, PA (US);
AM International, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for use in handling sheet material articles includes a feed drum which is rotatable to sequentially pull sheet material articles from a hopper. A separator assembly includes a rotatable separator disk in which a plurality of gaps are formed. A plurality of suction applicator heads are rotatable with the separator disk relative to the hopper. Each of the suction applicator heads is aligned with a gap in the separator disk. During rotation of the separator disk and suction applicator heads together relative to the hopper, the suction applicator heads are operable to sequentially apply suction to lower side surfaces of lowermost sheet material article in the hopper. The feed drum pulls one sheet material article from the hopper while a next succeeding sheet material article in the hopper is engaged by a suction applicator head.