EP0806391B1 - Device for feeding printed articles to a further work station - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for Delivery of accumulations in a scale formation, preferably folded printed matter to a finishing station.

A device of this type is in the older EP-A 0 755 886 disclosed. It points above a stacking point at the fed by means of a first conveyor An intermediate stack is formed from printed products driven conveyor wheel encompassed by a pressure belt on, the several recesses evenly distributed around the circumference having. One also located above the stacking point and suction arrangement driven synchronously with the feed wheel is intended to be the top printed product of the Intermediate stack to lift off from this and with one to one Edge of the printed product in the area to introduce the relevant recess of the feed wheel, which the printed product by bending in the of the feed wheel and Pressure belt formed conveyor gap directs. In this known Device, the suction arrangement must the said edge of the in the effective area of the conveyor wheel spent printed product drive around, which takes a certain amount of time. In addition, the printed products are by means of the Conveyor wheel bent considerably, which is because of the risk of injury the printed matter not with any high Speed can be made.

It is therefore an object of the present invention a device for feeding in a scale formation accrued printed matter to a finishing station to form that with gentle treatment of the printed products has a high processing capacity enables.

This object is achieved with a device that Features of claim 1.

Because the printed products kicked off the intermediate stack they get outside the effective range the suction arrangement, so that this the relevant printed product does not have to drive around. This allows a little Space-consuming design of the movement path of the suction arrangement as well as arranging several along the same Trajectory with low suction head mutual distance. A high processing capacity this is achieved when the device runs smoothly. There successive printed matter by means of at a distance one behind the other stops of a second Funding will be added to education achieved a regular scale formation.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 2 Printed matter very quickly from the area of influence Stops carried away, causing damage to printed products when moving the stops out of the movement path which prevents printed products.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 3 sets at any processing speed and even in the event of a temporary standstill reliable formation of the whole device a regular scale formation.

A particularly simple design of the inventive Device is defined in claim 4.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 5 is the alignment of printed matter, i.e. the leading edge of the supplied printed matter the one below remains leading even when it is being conveyed away The flat side of the printed matter remains on the bottom and every printed matter is also in the away Scale formation on the trailing one.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 6 form support elements in the funding area of the first funding facility a support for the intermediate stack. This prevents the Damage to the bottom printed product of the intermediate stack by the first conveyor.

An extremely simple adaptation of the device to the Format of the printed products to be processed by the preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 7 guaranteed.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 8 ensures damage-free pushing of the top printed product of the intermediate stack, even if the Stick printed matter together.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention Device according to claim 9 allows a variable Buffer capacity of the intermediate stack. This causes phase shifts as well as short-term differences in time the resulting printed matter and the finishing station as well as gaps in the resulting scale formation recordable.

Fig. 1

in Ansicht eine Vorrichtung zum Zubringen von in einer Schuppenformation anfallenden Druckereierzeugnissen zu einer Weiterverarbeitungsstelle gemäss der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

die in der Fig. 1 gezeigte Vorrichtung in einem Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II der Fig. 1; und

Fig. 3 und 4

einen Teil der in der Fig. 1 gezeigten Vorrichtung zu zwei unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten eines Arbeitstaktes.

The present invention will now be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment shown in the figure. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

in view a device for feeding printed products resulting in a scale formation to a further processing point according to the invention;

Fig. 2

the device shown in Figure 1 in a section along the line II-II of Fig. 1. and

3 and 4

a part of the device shown in FIG. 1 at two different times of a work cycle.

The device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a first conveyor device 10, which is intended to feed printed products 12 occurring in a scale formation S ₁ in the conveying direction F _{1 to} a stacking point 14. In the scale formation S ₁ , each printed product lies on the trailing one, which enables the formation of an intermediate stack 16 loaded from below at the stacking point 14.

The scale formation S ₁ can have irregularities, ie the distance A between corresponding edges of successive printed products 12 can be different, two or more printed products 12 can be congruent with one another or there can be gaps.

Above the stacking point 14 there is a suction arrangement 18, as is known for example from EP-A-0 628 505, arranged. Regarding the structure and functionality the suction arrangement 18 is expressly referred to this document referred. The suction arrangement 18 has a rotor 22 on, via a belt drive 24 with a drive motor 25 is connected and on which three parallel to the axis of rotation 22 'of the rotor 22 extending axes 26 freely rotatable are stored. The axes 26 are at the same distance from Axis of rotation 22 'and evenly distributed in the circumferential direction arranged. At the free end of each axis 26 is with this rotatably connected to a swivel arm 28, the two suction heads 30 wears. The rotor 22 is in a on a machine frame 20 attached housing 32 rotatably mounted in which a control device, not shown, for pivoting of the axes 26 as a function of the rotational position of the rotor 22 is arranged. The suction arrangement 18 is intended for when rotating the rotor 22 in the direction of the arrow D with the suction heads 30 assigned to an axis 26 from the top to the top printed product 12 of each Intermediate stack 16, adjacent to an edge 34 of the Printed product 12 to create and the captured Printed product 12 from this edge 34 from below Printed product 12 of the intermediate stack 16 stand out, with the printed products 12 relative practically not shifted towards each other. By means of the Suction device arrangement 18 becomes the detected printed product 12 with its edge 34 in the effective range of a synchronous Suction arrangement 18 driven, also above the Stacking point 14 arranged push assembly 36 spent.

The push arrangement 36 has one via a further belt drive 24 'connected in the same direction to the drive 25 to the direction of rotation D driven cam roller 38 with cam-like evenly distributed in the circumferential direction Projections 40 on. The leading one in direction of rotation D. Flank 42 of each projection 40 closes with the at least approximately circular roller core 44 a acute angle α. That of the roll core 44 and the leading one Edge 42 formed edge area forms a Stop 46 for the edge 34 of the printed product in question 12. The stops 46 thus run along the closed orbit 48 um and are at a constant distance arranged one behind the other.

The projections 40 continue to form with their leading Flank 42 a support element 50 for reaching under each Printed matter 12 to keep it from falling after release by the suction arrangement 18 prevent.

Seen at right angles to the conveying direction F ₁ , the cam roller 38 is located approximately in the middle of the intermediate stack 16, whereas the suction heads 30 rotate laterally offset at a small distance from the cam roller 38.

Seen in the conveying direction F ₁ , the stacking point 14 is followed by a second conveying device 52. The end on this side of the second conveyor 52 designed as a belt conveyor 54 is located adjacent to the upper side of the intermediate stack 16 and its end remote from the stacking point 14 is located at the further processing point indicated by reference number 56. The drive of the second conveyor 52 is coordinated with the speed of the drive motor 25.

The interaction between the suction arrangement 18 and The push arrangement 36 is in particular from FIGS. 3 and 4 recognizable in which, for the sake of simplicity, next to the Intermediate stack 16 and the belt conveyor 54 only simplified the suction arrangement 18 and the cam roller 38 are shown are. The pear-like trajectory is also in these figures 58 of the suction heads 30 indicated by dash-dotted lines. This lays one with a point pointing downwards Detection point for the printed products 12 fixed and intersects, seen in view, the orbit 48 of the stops 46.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, a pair of suction heads 30 lies at the detection point from above on the flat side of the uppermost printed product 12 of the intermediate stack 16, adjacent to the trailing edge 34 seen in the conveying direction F ₂ , and is sucked in as a result of the connection a vacuum source attached to this (Fig. 4). In the course of the further rotation in the direction of rotation D of the rotor 22, the pair of suction heads 30 in question moves along an at least approximately circular section of the movement path 58 in the direction of the intersection of the movement path 58 and the orbit 48 of the stops 46, in the vicinity of which a delivery point for the respective of the suction device 18 held printed product 12 is arranged. The cam roller 38, which is also driven in the direction of rotation D, now engages under this projection 40 with a projection 40 (FIG. 3), after which the relevant suction heads 30 are separated from the vacuum source. Because the radius of the essentially circular section of the movement path 58 is substantially smaller than the dimension of the printed products 12 seen in the conveying direction F ₂ , they essentially maintain their position when they are lifted off the intermediate stack 16 in the conveying direction F ₂ .

As soon as the stop 46 in question strikes the trailing edge 34 of the printed product 12 as a result of the rotation of the cam roller 38, the intermediate stack 16 pushes it away in the conveying direction F ₂ and with the leading edge 60 opposite the trailing edge 34 into the effective area of the second conveying device 52 pushed (Fig. 4). Since the conveying speed v _{2 of} the second conveying device 52 is greater than the rotational speed v _{U of} the stops 46, the printed products 12 are pulled by the second conveying device 52 from the effective area of the projections 40, so that the printed products 12 are injured by these projections 40 themselves at a very high speed of the cam roller 38 is prevented.

After the release of a printed product 12 by the Suction arrangement 18 is already the following pair of suction heads 30 for detecting the next printed product 12 of the intermediate stack 16 is ready, as illustrated in FIG. 4. After releasing a printed product 12 move the relevant suction heads 30 by pivoting about the relevant axis 26 along the movement path 58 back to the takeover position. Holding on this next one, lying on top of the intermediate stack 16 Printed product 12 through the suction heads 30 prevents this printed product 12 from being carried along through the previous printed matter. This task can also from a not shown, from the suction heads 30th separate holding element can be taken over.

Since the pushing away of the printed products 12 from the intermediate stack 16 takes place by the stops 46 arranged at a fixed distance, an extremely regular scale formation S _{2 is} formed.

The printed products 12 shown are folded printed products such as magazines, newspapers and the like, or parts thereof, the fold the Edge 34 forms, in the vicinity of which the suction heads 30 attack. This ensures that even multi-leaf Printed products 12 processed without problems can be.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a nozzle arrangement 62 is arranged on a support of the machine frame 20 at the rear end of the stacking point 14, as seen in the conveying direction F ₂ , which is designed to direct an air jet between the printed product 12 raised by means of suction heads 30 and the Initiate intermediate stack 16, which allows the printed product 12 to be pushed away easily from the intermediate stack 16, even if the printed products 12 have a tendency to adhere to one another.

Taking along further printed matter 12 and impairment the intermediate stack 16 is avoided.

In the initial area of the second conveyor device 52, a weight roller 64 interacts with the belt conveyor 54. As soon as the printed product 12 pushed from the intermediate stack 16 with the leading edge 60 enters the gap formed by the weight roller 64 and the belt conveyor 54, it is taken along in a precisely defined manner by the second conveyor device 52, which likewise contributes to the formation of the regular scale formation S ₂ .

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the first conveyor device 10 has a ribbon conveyor 66. At the stacking point 14 between the ribbons 68 and at least approximately parallel rod-like support elements 70 are arranged, which protrude in the vertical direction over the ribbons 68 and, viewed in the conveying direction F ₁ , are bent in their initial region in a downward direction in order for the Stacking point 14 supplied printed products 12 to form a ramp for sliding onto the support elements 70. These thus form a support for the intermediate stack 16 in the effective area of the first conveyor 10.

A free-running pressure belt 72 interacts with the belt conveyor 66 in order to ensure that the printed products 12 supplied are securely inserted into the intermediate stack 16 from below. Seen in the conveying direction F ₁ , a stop 74 is fastened to support elements 70 at the end of the stacking point 16. By means of the first conveyor device 10, the printed products 12 fed to the intermediate stack 16 are brought into abutment with this leading edge 60 at this stop 74, thereby ensuring the formation of a good quality intermediate stack 16, even at a very high processing speed. By the intermediate stack 16 resting on the support elements 70, damage to the printed products 12 by the tapes 68 is reliably prevented.

The first conveyor 10 is designed as a rocker, around the axis 76 'of the deflection roller 76 for the tapes 68 is pivotable in the direction of the double arrow B. Thereby the support elements 70 can be raised and lowered to be independent to ensure from the height of the intermediate stack 16 that its top is always essentially the same Height to ensure a safe grasp of each uppermost printed product 12 through the suction heads 30 to ensure. A height button 78 picks up the location of the uppermost printed product 12 of the intermediate stack 14 at the trailing edge 34. By the signal of this Height sensor 78 becomes the pivot position of the first conveyor 10 regulated.

The support elements 70 and one arranged below them Deflection roller 80 for the tapes 68 are on one Carriage 81 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the ribbon conveyor 66 is displaceable. Together with the The second conveyor 52 also becomes a carriage 81 postponed, making it easy to customize the device to be processed in different formats Printed products 12 is enabled. The trailing one Edge 34 of printed products 12 in intermediate stack 16 and thus the suction arrangement 18 and push arrangement 36 can regardless of the format of the printed products to be processed 12 remain in the same place. The Position of the deflection roller 80 when processing the largest format Printer products 12 are indicated by dashed lines and labeled 80 '. Preferably there are Ribbon 68 made of a rubber-elastic material, so that the change in length due to the displacement of the deflecting roller 80 can be easily recorded by them themselves can.

There is also a stop element 82 on the belt conveyor 54 arranged that at a greater height of the intermediate stack 16th and thereby caused the first to pivot downward Conveyor 10 prevents any Interference of the intermediate stack 16 printed products 12 protrude from this and could be jammed. The Stop element 82 is displaceable with the belt conveyor 54.

For the sake of completeness it should be mentioned that below the A further stop element 84 is provided in the nozzle arrangement 62 is attached to the machine frame 20. It acts with the trailing edges 34 for stabilization of the intermediate stack 16 together.

It is conceivable to design the push arrangement 36 in such a way that that on a self-contained traction element, for example a chain or a band, the stops 46 forming Cams are arranged at a fixed distance.

It is also conceivable to arrange the first conveying device 10 in such a way that, seen in FIG. 1, the printed products 12 are fed to the stacking point 14 below the second conveying device 52 from right to left. In this case, the leading end in the imbricated formation S ₁ edge in the imbricated formation S ₂ to the trailing edge.

The suction arrangement can also differ from that shown be trained.

Claims (10)

1. Apparatus for supplying to a further-processing location (56) preferably folded printed products occurring in an imbricated formation, having a first conveying arrangement (10) for feeding the printed products (12) in an imbricated formation (S₁), which possibly has irregularities and in which each printed product (12) rests on the following one, to a stacking location (14), at which an intermediate stack (16) which is charged from beneath is formed from the printed products (12) fed by the first conveying arrangement (10), and having a sucker arrangement (18) arranged above the stacking location (14), characterized in that a trailing edge (34), as seen in a removal direction (F₂), of the respectively uppermost printed product (12) of the intermediate stack (16) is raised off from the latter by the sucker arrangement (18) and moved into the region of action of a pushing arrangement (36), which is driven synchronously with the sucker arrangement (18) and is likewise arranged above the stacking location (14), the pushing arrangement (36) having stops (46) which are spaced apart one behind the other along a continuous circulatory path (48) and by means of which the printed products (12) released by the sucker arrangement (18) are pushed in the removal direction (F₂), by way of the trailing edge (34), into the region of action of a second conveying arrangement (52) with a leading edge (60), which is located opposite the trailing edge (34), in front.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the removal speed (v₂) of the second conveying arrangement (52) is greater than the speed of circulation (v_U) of the stops (46).
3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the stops (46) is assigned a supporting element (50) which projects forwards beyond the stop (46), as seen in the direction of circulation (D), and is intended for gripping beneath the relevant printed product (12), at the trailing edge (34), raised by the sucker arrangement (18).
4. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pushing arrangement (36) has a cam-type roller (38), of which the circumferentially distributed, cam-like protrusions (40) form the stops (46) and, if appropriate, supporting elements (50).
5. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the conveying direction (F₁) of the first conveyor (10) is oriented in the same direction as the removal direction (F₂).
6. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first conveying arrangement (10) has a belt conveyor (66), between the belts (68) of which bearing elements (70) for the intermediate stack (16) are arranged at the stacking location (14).
7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized in that the bearing elements (70) are displaceable in the conveying direction (F₁) of the first conveying arrangement (10).
8. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized by a nozzle arrangement (62) for introducing an air jet between the intermediate stack (16) and the printed product (12) raised in each case by means of the sucker arrangement (18).
9. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first conveying arrangement (10) is designed such that it can be lowered and raised at the stacking location (14) in order to compensate for a change in the height of the intermediate stack (16).
10. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized by retaining means for temporarily securing the respectively uppermost printed product (12) in the intermediate stack (16) as the preceding printed product (12) is pushed away from the intermediate stack (16).

Images