Apparatus and method for forming sheet material assemblages

摘要

An apparatus for forming sheet material assemblages includes a plurality of sheet material assemblers (12) which travel in a continuous path and sequentially pass beneath stacks of sheet material (16). The stacks of sheet material (16) are disposed in bottomless hoppers (14). The sheet material assemblers (12) include belts (20) which support the stacks (16) of sheet material in the bottomless hoppers (14). The belts (20) move with the sheet material assemblers (12) to sequentially engage the stacks of sheet material (16). Upper runs (46) of the belts (20) move in opposite directions to the sheet material assemblers (12) and at the same speed as the sheet material assemblers (12) so that the upper runs (46) of the belts (20) are stationary relative to the stacks of sheet material (16). The sheet material assemblers (12) also include feed mechanisms (26) and receiving locations (28). As a sheet material assembler (12) passes under a stack of sheet material (16), sheet material is fed from the stack of sheet material (16) by a feed mechanism (26) to a receiving location (28).