Apparatus for delivery of printed sheets of paper or the like in successive stacks

摘要

An apparatus comprising a delivery fan (3) having a plurality of sets of blades (9) formed at constant circumferential spacings on a rotary shaft (8) for receiving successive sheets, one in each spacing, from an infeed conveyor (1). The sheets on the delivery fan successively fall therefrom on hitting abutment means (24), onto delivery means (4, 5) to be stacked thereon. Also included is a temporary sheet holder (7) angularly displaceable relative to the delivery fan about the same axis therewith, to and away from a working position where the temporary sheet holder temporarily receives the sheets from the delivery fan pending replacement of a preformed stack of sheets on the delivery means. In order to be driven from its retracted to working position at the same angular velocity as the delivery fan without use of separate drive motors or the like, the temporary sheet holder (7) is mounted on the shaft (8) of the delivery fan (3) via a pair of overrunning clutches (45) which prevent the temporary sheet holder from rotating faster than the delivery fan shaft in a direction from the retracted to the working position. By being sprung in that direction, the sheet holder is enabled to travel at the same angular velocity as the delivery fan. An actuator mechanism (63) is provided for retracting the sheet holder against the spring bias.