EP1748012B1 - Method and device for collecting sheets - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for gathering printed sheets, in particular folded sheets and / or single sheets, according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 5.

When assembling a single folded sheet is taken from several collections of the same folded sheet, the various individual folded sheets are fed to a collection conveyor for stacking. Various methods and devices are known.

Collating machines are known with arranged in a row landing stations, each consisting of a magazine for receiving a folded sheet stack, from a trigger drum with a gripper mechanism for detecting and subtracting a respective bottom folded from the folded sheet pile folding sheet and an intermediate support for temporary storage of the individual folded sheet. The accumulation conveyor has a Falzbogenabzugsrichtung perpendicular oriented collection channel in which move a conveyor chain, which strip the individual folded sheets of the individual intermediate pads and gather together to form a book block on the collection channel.

In the DE 14 86 744 B is such a working with direction change collating machine shown. It also has reciprocating intermediate tables, whereby the individual folded sheets are pre-accelerated for the entrainment by the carriers of the collecting conveyor. Acceleration systems cause an expensive additional construction work, combined with an impairment of the functional safety.

From the DE 196 16 047 A1 a gathering machine with landing stations according to the longitudinal withdrawal principle is known, with a Falzbogenstapel in the magazine, leaving a folded edge bearing and the lowest folded sheet timely advancing conveyor belt and with the advanced folded sheet and further transporting deduction conveyor system, formed by acceleration rollers. The deduction conveyor system is still arranged downstream of a trained from a lower and upper conveyor belt clamping conveyor, which is inclined towards the collecting conveyor and the occasional folded sheet in synchronous conveying movement in front of the respective driver of the collection conveyor deposits on the pile formed up to that point. The separated from the landing stations folded sheets are fed without direction change the accumulation conveyor.

Trigger systems according to the longitudinal extraction principle are suitable for upper power ranges. However, this requires a frequent, labor-intensive refilling of folded sheets in the magazines, which is why for filling the magazines rod feeders are increasingly used, which form a shingled stream from the folded sheets to (sheet) folded sheets, the folded sheets are virtually isolated. The shingled stream is put back as a stack when filling the magazines, so that the signatures are separated again in the landing stations. Falzbogenwickel are also known with wound on a spool in a shingled folder folded sheet. In Abrollstationen the shingled streams are unwound and transferred to the magazines of gathering machine. The regular arrangement of the signatures in the scale flow is given up when filling the magazines, so that the complex process of singulation described above is required.

In the US 2005 077 670 A1 a landing station is described, which is formed from a rod feeder and a transfer device, wherein the isolated in a scale flow from the (bow) bar folded sheets are waterfall in a horizontal magazine-like buffer point, from which the folded sheets taken again and from the transfer device at right angles to Collective conveyor be supplied. The individualized folded sheets are finally deflected with a transfer device and delivered to the collection conveyor. The folded sheets are finally separated twice.

Separation processes from stacking magazines represent process-critical functional steps with regard to a fast and reliable collation of the folding sheets, especially if, as in the case of the aforementioned laying stations with transverse or longitudinal take-off, a subsequent separation process can only be initiated if the preceding folding sheet is completely removed from the magazine has been deducted. Due to the parallel arrangement of several mooring stations on a gathering machine, even a few malfunctions of individual mooring stations can lead to a considerable reduction in the net accumulation performance.

From the DE 33 15 489 A1 For example, a method is known in which a scale flow is subdivided into partial scales with evenly spaced signature sheets, the partial scales Separation devices, such as gripper drums, are supplied without any magazining of the signatures is made. The leading edges of the folded sheets, which lie over one another in front, must reach the gripper drum to match the gripping stroke. Another disadvantage is that the folded sheets are discharged from the gripper drum transversely to the collecting conveying direction in the collecting channel, whereby a change of direction takes place with corresponding impulsive conveying movements.

The present invention has for its object to provide a method and apparatus for collating sheets, especially folded sheets and / or single sheets, according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 5, which allow reliable and gentle product processing supplied in scale flows sheet without caching the printed sheets in magazines and thus separating them from stacks.

This object is achieved by methods and apparatus as defined in the claims.

The idea of the invention lies in the fact that the printed sheets fed in a shingled stream without intermediate storage are fed to the collecting conveyor for stacking. The respective foremost sheet of the transverse to the conveying direction of the collecting conveyor supplied shingled flow is detected against rotation and transferred by moving in the collecting conveying a Abzugsfördersystem for further transfer to the collecting conveyor. The shingled stream is pulled apart, as it were, in the conveying direction of the collecting conveyor, whereby individualized printed sheets are fed isochronically to the collecting conveyor. While the displaced foremost signature is withdrawn, the subsequent signature already enters the deflection conveyor, whereby a relatively large time window is available, in which the subsequent signature must have reached the deflection position for clocked displacement. Thus, printed sheets can also be reliably processed to a certain extent irregularly arranged in the scale flow. Elaborate separation facilities, as found in the known landing stations for gathering machines, are not required. The invention is based on the fact that scale flows with completely separate, so not partially identical superimposed sheet are available, which is given by the technique of the wound scale flows after rotation decrease.

It has proved to be advantageous for the printed sheets to be fed in a scale-like manner one above the other in the form of a scale. The respective foremost signature lies on the following signature, so it is removed from above and does not have to be pulled out of the scale flow. A preferred further embodiment provides that the incoming imbricated stream of printed sheets is pulled apart in several acceleration stages by first deflecting the respective foremost printed sheet at a low conveying speed in the conveying direction of the collecting conveyor and subsequently transporting it further by the high-speed conveying unit. The occurring accelerations can be significantly minimized, whereby a gentle product transfer is given. Preferably, the conveying speed of the discharge conveyor system is below the conveying speed of the collecting conveyor, so that the pulling apart takes place in a total of three acceleration stages, with a third acceleration stage in the transfer of the printed sheets to the collecting conveyor.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer Zusammentragmaschine mit einem vorgeordneten Stangenanleger für Falzbogenstangen;

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht gemäß der Ansichtsdefinition II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer Zusammentragmaschine mit einer vorgeordneten Abrollstation für Falzbogenwickel; und

Fig. 4

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer alternativen Ausführungsform der Schuppenzuführung zum Sammelkanal der Zusammentragmaschine.

The features of the present invention will be explained in more detail in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawing below. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic sectional view of a collator with an upstream rod feeder for folded sheet bars;

Fig. 2

a top view according to the view definition II-II in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a schematic sectional view of a collator with an upstream unwinding station for folded sheet winding; and

Fig. 4

a schematic sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the scale feed to the collection channel of the collator.

The collating machine 1 consists of a plurality of arranged in a row landing stations, wherein in the figures only a single, inventively designed landing station is shown. In each of these docking stations in each case a single folded sheet 3 is taken from a collection of same folded sheets and fed to a collecting conveyor 10 of the gathering machine 1 for stacking. The collecting conveyor 10 is formed of a conveying channel 11, with a vertical channel wall 11 a and a sloping channel bottom 11 b, and a transport chain 12 in a same mutual distance arranged to each other, the book block 2 formed in the conveyor channel 11 in front of pushing drivers 13th

In a first, in Fig. 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the signatures 3 are provided in folded-sheet bars 5, with a bar feeder 4 being formed from the folded-sheet bar 5 with a bar feeder 20. The folded sheet bar 5 is pushed for skiving the signatures 3 lying on a conveyor belt 21 against an obliquely upwardly conveying Separierförderer 22, the conveying speed is higher than the feed rate of the conveyor belt 21. It produces a scale flow 4 with flaky backwards superimposed folded sheet 3. The gutter 3 a of the signatures 3 runs ahead.

For loosening the signatures 3 in the folded sheet bar 5 lateral chain conveyor 23 are provided, which narrow the transport width to each other in the middle of their conveying path such that the folded sheets 3 bulge in between. In the front region of the conveyor belt 21, an upper belt 24 is arranged over the folded sheet 3, which conveys the folded sheet 3 forward against the oblique separating conveyor 22. The separating conveyor 22 is in the first, upwardly directed conveyor section still a synchronously driven upper belt 25 assigned to the safe removal of the signatures third

The further promotion is carried out with a conveyor belt 26, wherein the folded sheet 3 of the scale flow 4 is provided in the same mutual distances from each other sliding comparator 27. The conveyor belt 26 is followed by a turning drum 28, whereby the imbricated stream 4 is converted into a formation with scale-shaped forward superimposed folded sheet 3 and ahead running gutter 3 a.

The thus formed shingled stream 4 is subsequently conveyed by a sloping, designed as a belt conveyor feed conveyor 40 with a conveying speed v ₀ transversely to the collecting conveying direction F to the collecting conveyor 10, wherein a lateral alignment by guide rails 49. The left side seen in the conveying direction is fixed, while the right guide rail 49 with respect to the format height of the signatures 3 is adjustable, which in Fig. 2 is symbolized by a dashed double arrow S _FH .

The respective foremost folding sheet 3 runs with his advance running gutter 3 a against a stop rail 47, while the subsequent, underlying signature sheets 3 are further promoted. The conveyor belt of the feed conveyor 40 has openings 41 which can be acted upon by suction air, as a result of which the subsequent folded sheets 3 are shingled in their direction Arrangement are held on the feed conveyor 40 and further promoted, while the foremost folding sheet 3 is supported on the stop rail 47.

According to the invention, the foremost folding sheet 3 is detected by a deflection conveyor 42 and moved in the collecting conveying direction F. The Umlenkförderer 42 is formed of driven, having a conical end face, upper conveyor rollers 43 and associated, clockwise closing and opening, lower Tipabollen 44, wherein the clamping of the signatures 3 takes place at its leading portion. The clamping width extends almost over the entire height of the signatures 3, whereby a rotationally safe Umlenkförderung is given. The tip rollers 44 are arranged on a lever 45, which is controlled by a cam 46, which in turn is driven by a main drive shaft 14 isochronous to gathering machine 1.

The deflection conveyor 42 transports the foremost folding sheet 3 with a low conveying speed v ₁ to a deduction conveyor system 50, formed by a continuously driven acceleration roller 51 and associated pressure rollers 52. The deduction conveyor system 50 takes over the signatures 3 with a higher conveying speed v ₂ and pulls the signatures 3 from Shingled stream 4 off. The Tipabollen 44 of Umlenkförderers 42 are pivoted down and allow on the one hand the accelerated withdrawal of the folded sign 3 and on the other hand, the inlet of the next succeeding signatures 3 in the Umlenkförderer 42nd

The deduction conveyor system 50 is followed by a clamping belt conveyor 53 inclined towards the collecting conveyor 10 with an associated support plate 54, which transports the signatures 3 3 with a constant conveying speed v _{2 in} front of the respective driver 13 of the collecting conveyor 10. The conveying speed v ₂ is below the conveying speed v _{3 of} the collecting conveyor 10, so that there is a further increase in speed when taken over by the driver 13.

The foremost folding sheet 3 is thus accelerated in a total of three acceleration levels 0 → v ₁ , v ₁ → v ₂ and v ₂ → v ₃ to the conveying speed v _{3 of} the accumulation conveyor 10, whereby the foremost signatures 3 reliable and product-friendly individualized from the scale flow 4 and the collecting conveyor 10 is fed to stack formation. Selected conveyor speeds are v ₁ = 0.25 * v ₃ and v ₂ = 0.8 * v ₃ .

To monitor and control the removal of signatures 3 from the scale flow 4, a light barrier 48 is provided above the feed conveyor. Your distance to the stop rail 47 is slightly smaller than the Schuppungsabstand the signatures 3, so that the photocell is briefly uncovered at each removal process of the respective foremost folding sheet 3. With the detection of the leading edge of the subsequent folding sheet 3, the position of the scale flow 4 to the stroke of the collecting conveyor 10 or of the opening and closing deflecting conveyor 42 is determined quasi. A controller not shown synchronized by appropriate increase or decrease in the feed speed v ₀ the supplied scale flow 4 to the accumulation conveyor 10th

In a second, in Fig. 3 illustrated embodiment, the signatures 3 are provided in folded sheet wrap 6. The signatures 3 are wound in a scaly shape over one another and fixed by a coiled-up tape 34. In a unwinding station 30, the respective folded-sheet winding 6 is unwound on a dome 31, wherein a conveyor belt 32 applied to the circumference of the folded-sheet roll 32 receives the shingled stream 4 and transfers it via a further conveyor belt 35 to said feed conveyor 40. The belt 34 is deflected by the scale flow 4 and wound on a roll 33.

In the exemplary embodiment, the signatures 3 of the unfolded from Falzbogenwickel 6 Schuppenstroms 4 are lying on top of each other and with its gutter 3 a running ahead, so that a conversion of the scale flow 4, for example with a beater, is not required. The arrangement of the signatures 3 in the scale flow 4 is of high uniformity, since this, as usual, has been formed in the decrease of the signatures 3 from a rotary printing press. Falzbogenwickel 6 are therefore particularly suitable for the inventive method.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the scale feed to the collecting channel 11 of the gathering machine 1. It is suitable for processing a scale flow 4 with forward superimposed folded sheet 3 and trailing gutter 3 a. The device is essentially mirror-image to the embodiment in FIGS Fig. 1 to 3 built up. The feed conveyor 40 is arranged inclined upwards to accommodate the inclination of the collecting channel 11. The Umlenkförderer 42 now detects the leading open edge of the signatures 3 and moves the signatures 3 in the conveying direction F of the collecting conveyor 10 to take over the signatures 3 through the deduction conveyor system.

The Umlenkförderer 42 with the stop rail 47 and the feed conveyor 40 are with respect to a format width of the signatures 3 transverse to the conveying direction F of the accumulation conveyor 10 adjustable, like this in the Fig. 4 is symbolized by the dashed double arrow s _FB , so that the signatures 3 with its gutter 3 a always close to the fixed vertical channel wall 11 a of the collecting channel 11 to the collecting conveyor 10 can be transferred.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Collator

2

book block

3

signatures

3a

gutter

4

shingle stream

5

Falzbogenstange

6

Falzbogenwickel

10

collecting conveyor

11

channel

11a

vertical channel wall

11b

inclined channel bottom

12

transport chain

13

takeaway

14

Main drive shaft

20

rod investors

21

conveyor belt

22

Separierförderer

23

chain conveyors

24

top belt

25

top belt

26

conveyor belt

27

The equalizing device

28

beater

30

unrolling

31

mandrel

32

conveyor belt

33

role

34

tape

35

conveyor belt

40

feed conveyor

41

suction air

42

deflection conveyor

43

conveyor roller

44

Tipper role

45

lever

46

cam

47

stop rail

48

photocell

49

guide rail

50

Withdrawal conveyor system

51

accelerating roll

52

capstan

53

Clamping belt conveyor

54

Support plate

V ₀

Conveying speed ....
... shingled power supply

V ₁

... deflection conveyor

V ₂

... deduction conveyor system

V ₃

... collecting conveyor

S _FH

Adjustment format height

S _FB

Adjustment format width

F

(Collecting) conveying direction

II - II

View definition for Fig. 2

Claims (18)

1. A method for gathering sheets, particularly signatures (3) and/or individual sheets,

   • wherein one individual sheet (3) is respectively withdrawn from several collections (4) of identical sheets and

   • the decollated sheets (3) are delivered to a collecting conveyor (10) in order to form stacks,
   characterized in

   • that the sheets (3) of a collection (4) are transported in a direction that is essentially oriented transverse to the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (10) in the form of continuous stream feed (4) of sheets (3) that lie on top of one another in a shingled fashion, in

   • that the respective front sheet (3) is taken hold of by a conveyor (42) on its leading section such that it is prevented from turning and displaced such that it is deflected in the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (10), and in

   • that the displaced sheet (3) is received by a withdrawal conveyor system (50) and additionally transported in said transport direction (F) in order to synchronously deliver the sheets (3) to the collecting conveyor (10) in the corresponding cycle.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheets (2) are delivered in the form of a stream feed (4) of sheets (3) that lie on top of one another toward the front in a shingled fashion.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the arriving stream feed (4) of sheets (3) is pulled apart in several acceleration stages (0 → v₁, v₁ → v₂) by initially displacing the respective front sheet (3) in the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (10) with a slower transport speed (v₁) and then additionally transporting this front sheet with a higher transport speed (v₂) by means of the withdrawal conveyor system (50).
4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that another acceleration stage (v₂ → v₃) is realized during the transfer of the sheet (3) to the collecting conveyor (10) due to the fact that the transport speed (v₂) of the withdrawal conveyor system (50) is slower than the transport speed (v₃) of the collecting conveyor (19).
5. A device for gathering sheets, particularly signatures (3) and/or individual sheets,

   • with several decollating devices that are arranged in a row and serve for respectively withdrawing an individual sheet (3) from collections (4) of identical sheets, and

   • with a collecting conveyor (10), to which the decollated sheets (3) are delivered in order to form stacks (2),
   characterized in

   • a delivery conveyor (40) that is approximately oriented perpendicular to the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (10) and serves for transporting the sheets (3) to the collecting conveyor (10) in the form of a continuous stream feed (4) of sheets (3) that lie on top of one another in a shingled fashion, in

   • a deflection conveyor (42) that clamps the front sheet (3) on its leading section and displaces this front sheet in the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (10), wherein the clamping width is larger than half the format height of the sheets (3), and in

   • a withdrawal conveyor system (50) that receives and additionally transports the displaced sheet (3) to the collecting conveyor (10) in an accelerated fashion.
6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the delivery conveyor (40) is formed by a conveyor belt that extends as far as the deflection conveyor (42), wherein the stream feed (4) of sheets (3) that lie on top of one another toward the front in a shingled fashion is situated on said conveyor belt.
7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the conveyor belt (40) features openings (41) that can be acted upon with suction air in its conveying belts and/or supporting plates in order to hold the sheet (3) that follows the displaced front sheet (3).
8. The device according to one of claims 5-7, characterized in a bundle feeder (20) that is arranged upstream of the delivery conveyor (40) and serves for forming a stream feed (4) from sheets (3) that are stacked into (sheet) bundles (5).
9. The device according to claims 6 and 8, characterized in that a turning drum (28) is arranged downstream of the bundle feeder (20).
10. The device according to one of claims 5-7, characterized in an unrolling station (30) that is arranged upstream of the delivery conveyor (40) and serves for unwinding sheets (3) wound up in a stream feed (4).
11. The device according to one of claims 5-10, characterized in that a device (27) for standardizing the shingled formation is assigned to the delivery conveyor (40).
12. The device according to one of claims 5-11, characterized in that the deflection conveyor (42) consists of driven upper transport rollers (43) that have a conical face and assigned lower inching rollers (44) that can be closed and opened in the corresponding cycle.
13. The device according to one of claims 5-12, characterized in a stop rail (47) on the downstream end of the delivery conveyor (40) in order to stop the front sheet (3) of the stream feed (4).
14. The device according to one of claims 5-13, characterized in that the withdrawal conveyor system (50) consists of an acceleration roller (51) with at least two pressing rollers (52) that are spaced apart by a distance that is larger than half the format width of the sheets (3).
15. The device according to one of claims 5-14, characterized in that a transport device (53) arranged downstream of the withdrawal conveyor system (50) consists of a lower and an upper conveyor belt that clamp the sheet (3) and of a supporting plate (54), wherein said transport device is inclined toward the collecting conveyor (10).
16. The device according to one of claims 5-15, characterized in a slower transport speed (v₁) of the conveyor (42) and a higher transport speed (v₂) of the withdrawal conveyor system (50) in order to increase the transport speed of the front sheet (3) of the stream feed (4) to be decollated step-by-step.
17. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that to transport speed (v₂) of the withdrawal conveyor system (50) is slower than the transport speed (v₃) of the collecting conveyor (10), and in that the delivered sheet (3) is subjected to a final acceleration during the transfer to the collecting conveyor (10).
18. The device according to one of claims 5-17, characterized in a light barrier (48) that is arranged on the downstream end of the delivery conveyor (40) and detects the leading edge (3 a) of the respective front sheet (3), wherein said light barrier serves for automatically regulating the delivery speed (v₀) of the delivery conveyor (40) in such a way that the respective front sheet (3) reaches the deflection zone in a defined time window of a machine cycle.

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