GB2064429A

GB2064429A - Book Block Transport Means

Info

Publication number: GB2064429A
Application number: GB8038846A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Polygraph Leipzig Kombinat Veb
Current assignee: Polygraph Leipzig Kombinat Veb
Priority date: 1979-12-08
Filing date: 1980-12-04
Publication date: 1981-06-17
Also published as: JPS56132239A; DE3035938A1; GB2064429B; JPH0234795B2; CH650452A5; DE3035938C2; DD146812A1

Abstract

Book blocks 1 being passed from a first conveyor 2 to a second, slower speed conveyor of the kind in which the blocks are held between endless plate chains 5, 6, are braked by passage over a suction plate 9. As each block arrives at the entry of the second conveyor the entry is opened to receive it by movement of a deflector 8, and of the entry end sprocket of the chain 6, then closed to grasp the block. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Book Block Transport Means The present invention relates to book block transport means and has particular reference to transport means for feeding unbound blocks consisting of individual sheets and layers to a book binding machine, for example a gluing machine.

In DWP 108 954 there is disclosed transport means in which entraining members, horizontally guided on a book block conveying track and preferably attached to an endless conveying chain, are deflected into an oblique running direction by deflecting chain wheels in a region in which the speed of the blocks is changed. The deflection takes place in such a manner that the effective horizontal speed component is smaller than the conveying speed of the obliquely conveyed entraining members. The deflecting chain wheels are horizontally adjustable so that the horizontal speed component can be set according to requirements.The horizontal speed of the entraining members and thereby of the transported book blocks should, in the region of transfer to downstream conveying equipment, correspond to the speed at which the downstream conveying equipment is to transport the blocks. This transport means has the basic disadvantage that the book blocks due to their mass inertia can detach from the entraining members during the speed change, which can cause displacements in the book blocks because the centrifugal forces due to speed and mass are greater than the frictional forces provided by the support of the blocks. It is also disadvantageous that displacement of the individual folded sheets of the blocks relative to one another can occur during running of the blocks into the slower downstream conveying equipment.In the case of blocks detached from the entraining members in the retardation phase, the outer folded sheets may be displaced through additional lateral friction arising in the downstream conveying equipment when taking over the blocks.

It has also been proposed in patent application WP B 42 C/199256 to reduce lateral friction and avoid displacements resulting therefrom by means of air blast equipment in front of the inlet of the book blocks into the downstream conveying equipment. In this case, however, the disadvantage of the friction at the foot during braking of the book blocks is likewise not eliminated, so that displacements of inner folded sheets are possible as a consequence.

There is accordingly a need for transport means whereby blocks consisting of loose leaves or folded sheets can be transferred from first conveying equipment to second conveying equipment transporting at a reduced speed, without the blocks being detached from the first conveying equipment in the transfer phase and without displacement of the sheets of the blocks taking place when the blocks run into the second equipment.

According to the present invention there is provided transport means for taking over a feed of unbound book blocks and transporting the blocks at a reduced speed, the transport means comprising plate chain conveying means for clamping such blocks between plates of conveyor chains of the conveying means and conveying the clamped blocks, at least one of the conveyor chains being provided in the region of the entry to the conveying means with cyclically operable deflecting means for deflecting the chain relative to arriving blocks, and suction means arranged in a zone of deceleration of blocks arriving at the conveying means and adapted to engage the blocks by suction.

Iii a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transport means is associated with a book binding machine, for example a folding and gluing machine, and serves for transport of blocks composed of individual folded sheets. A preceding conveying means, which preferably comprises a feed chain with entraining members arranged at equal spacings, transports the blocks resting on a support to the conveying means of the transport means. This latter conveying means preferably comprises two circulating plate chains, between which the blocks are clamped and transported, and is operated at a lower speed than the preceding conveying means.In order to avoid the displacements of the individual folded sheets in the transfer region, the support in the transfer region is constructed as suction plate and the plate chain inlet is provided with chain deflecting means in the form of cyclically controlled opening and closing equipment. This equipment can be constructed to actuate either or both chains to cyclically open and close the inlet.

The suction plate can be so set in correspondence with the width of the transported blocks that only the immediate region in which the blocks are transported is acted on by suction air. As a result, a full concentration of the available suction air acts on the respectively present block. The blocks transported by the entraining members of the preceding conveying means into the transfer region arrive at the higher speed. In the transfer region, each entraining member dips downwardly as it passes around a deflecting element and in this region therefore has, in accordance with the respective format size, a lower speed at an exactly determined point in the conveying path. During this reduction in the conveying speed, each transported block is additionally braked by the suction air in the region of the suction plate and runs into the plate chain inlet opened by the cyclical control.When the speed of the block matches that of the conveying means of the transport means, the plate chain inlet is closed by the cyclical control and the block is thereby securely taken over.

As a result, displacements of the individual folded sheets of the blocks may be avoided and the folded sheets do not detach from the entraining member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lisa side elevation of the transfer region of book blocks to conveying means of transport means according to the said embodiment, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the transfer region of Fig. 1, with the conveying means inlet opened, and Fig 3 is a plan view of the transfer region of Fig 1 but with the conveying means inlet closed.

Referring now to the drawings, in a folding and glue binding machine, book blocks 1, which predominantly comprise individual folded sheets, are transported by first conveying equipment preferably constructed as a feed chain 2.

Entraining members 3 are arranged at reguiar spacings on the feed chain 2 and push each block 1 on a support 4 in the direction of a slip-folding station. In front of the slip-folding station, the blocks 1 are transferred to second conveying equipment which is preferably constructed with plate chains 5 and 6. The transport speed of the plate chains 5 and 6 is smaller than that of the feed chain 2. For that reason, the blocks 1 must be braked in advance of the plate chains 5 and 6 and transported on in a fairly uniform and small spacing from one another to the slip-folding station. The spacings of the arriving blocks 1 are uniform assuming that the blocks are all of the same format, the spacings being determined by the spacings of the entraining members 3 and the length of the blocks 1.In the region of the deflecting element 7, in this case a chain wheel, in which the transfer of the blocks 1 to the plate chains 5 and 6 takes place, appreciable retardations occur due to the high cyclic rates and can lead to an inexact transfer of the blocks 1 into the plate chains.

It is therefore provided that the plate chain 6 is opened in the transfer region by cyclically controlled equipment 8 and that a more secure pushing of the blocks 1 between the plate chains 5 and 6 can take place at a higher speed-relative to the known equipment-and without lateral friction.

The plate chain inlet is accordingly so arranged that it is opened before the running-in of a block 1. When the speed of an arriving, braked block 1 has reduced to that of the plate chains 5 and 6, the equipment 8 is actuated through a cyclically controlled signal to close the plate chain inlet and the block 1 is transported on, without displacement, between the plate chains. After each arriving block 1 has been firmly gripped by the plate chains, the inlet is again opened by the equipment 8 before arrival of the next block 1.

The cyclically controlled equipment 8 can be provided for actuation of only one of the plate chains or for the actuation of both of the plate chains, Each of the entraining members 3, moved at the speed vk of the feed chain 2, reduces in speed to the speed vp of the plate chains 5 and 6 on dipping downwardly in the region of the deflecting element 7. At the point where the speed of each entraining member and thereby of the associated block 1 equals the speed of the plate chains 5 and 6, the equipment 8 at the plate chain inlet is actuated through the cyclically controlled signal and the resilient plate chain 6 is deflected into the plate chain inlet, whereby the block 1 is securely taken over. After gripping of the block 1 by the plate chains 5 and 6, the equipment 8 is again actuated and the plate chain inlet opened in order to let the next block 1 run in.

To ensure a secure take-over and to prevent displacements of the individual folded sheets in the blocks 1, the support 4 is constructed as a suction plate 9 in the region of the plate chain inlet. The suction plate 9 is connected through a suction channel 10 with a suction air connection (not shown). In the region of the suction plate 9, which is laterally adjustable according to the width of the blocks, the folded sheets standing at the spine of each block 1 are sucked against the plate 9 and braked. Accordingly, an exact support of the spines of the blocks 1 on the plate 9 is provided and relative displacement of the folded sheets is avoided. During the phase of the speed reduction of the entraining members 3 in the region of the deflecting element 7, the folded sheets remain in one plane through the suction air effect and detaching of the individual layers from the entraining members 3 is avoided.

Claims

1. Transport means for taking over a feed of unbound book blocks and transporting the blocks at a reduced speed, the transport means comprising plate chain conveying means for clamping such blocks between plates of conveyor chains of the conveying means and conveying the clamped blocks, at least one of the conveyor chains being provided in the region of the entry to the conveying means with cyclically operable deflecting means for deflecting the chain relative to arriving blocks, and suction means arranged in a zone of deceleration of blocks arriving at the conveying means and adapted to engage the blocks by suction.

2. Transport means as claimed in claim 1, the suction means comprising a plate member and means for cyclically applying suction through the plate member to the blocks.

3. Transport means as claimed in claim 2, the suction means being controllable to vary the lateral width of the portion of the plate member to be subjected to suction.

4. Transport means for taking over a feed of unbound book blocks and transporting the blocks at a reduced speed, the transport means being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.