US3166206A - Stacking printed products - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1965 c. H. POR'TER ETAL smcxmc PRINTED PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24, 1962 INVENTOR. CLIVE H. PORTER JOHN J- M6 DONALD BY RICHARD C.WOESSNER Jan. 19, 1965 c. H. PORTER ETAL 3,166,206

'smcxmc PRINTED PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1962 INVENTOR. CLIVE H. PORTER JOHN J. MQDONALD RICHARD O. WOESSNER ATTORNEY Jan. 19,- 1965 Filed July 24, 1962 ELFT dim M C. H. PORTER ETAL STACKING PRINTED PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 g//Ba.

INVENTOR. CLIV E H. PORTER JOH DONALD RIG R WOESSNER ATTORNEYS Unitecl States Patent v 3,166,206 STACKING PRINTED PRODUCTS Clive H. Porter, Park Ridge, John J. McDonald, East Paterson, and, Richard C. Woessner, Fair Lawn, N.J., assignors to R. Hoe & Co., Inc, New York, N.Y., a cor-' poration of New York Filed July 24, 1962, Ser. No. 212,108 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-152) The present invention relates to the stacking of printed products.

. More particularly, the invention is concerned with the stacking of printed products inbatches, the fold lines and cut edges of successive batches being reversed, so that the number of batches is immediately evident upon inspection of a stack and the stack is of the same height on all sides.

It is known prior practice in stacking printed products to turn alternate batches over, reversing the position of the transverse fold line and opposite cut edge, but this leaves any longitudinal fold lines in superposition along the same edge of the stack and, hence, is not an entirely satisfactory method.

It is also known practice to stack the batches in the same order in which produced, turning alternate batches in their own planes through 180 or one-half turn. This produces a satisfactory stack but is ditficult to practice at high speeds. The difliculty involved will be evident by considering the requirements, of a typical high speed printing operation, which may result in the production of up to 72,000 products per hour. If these products are divided into batches of ten (straight run, corresponding to five in 'a batch for a collect run), it is apparent that batches are produced and must be stacked at the rate of 7200 perhour or one batch per half-second. The turning of alternate batches through 180 in their own planes in this short space of time involves inertial effects which make such a method of stacking extremely difficult if not impossible, at speeds approaching the value mentioned. In any event, the various elements which cooperate in stacking the products are synchronized closely with each'other, the speed at which each operation is performed being proportioned to the speed at which the copies are being produced,. and it is found. that stacking in this manner involves more or less unpredictable difficulties connected with the speed of the operation as a whole, so that it is not uncommon fora stacker which operates satisfactorily at a given high speed to operate unsatisfactorily at a somewhat lower speed.

It is also possible to produce a satisfactory stack by rotating the partiallyformed stack through a half turn as alternate batches are deposited. This, however, involves a rapid turning of a mass of considerable inertia, the inertia being variable according to the size of the stack. i

It will be evident that the diiiiculties involved in the previous methods of stacking are such as to place severe limitations on the speedof. operation. As the batches handled become large, more time is available for han-,

dling each batch, but the inertia correspondingly increases, as also the difficulty in maintaining vertical alignment of the products inthe batch. In a limiting, but actual case, the stack may be composed of only two batches, each containing, say, as many as twenty-five or fifty products. In this case, however, in addition to the difficulties involved due tofinertia efiects, the stack is composed of two wedge-shaped batchesQthe dividing line between batches being a pronouncedly slanted plane, so that the stack itself lacksstability. With previous methods, the avoidance of such effects through handling 3,166,266 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 ice turning movement decreases as the size of batch is decreased.

Previous stacking methods also present difficulty in permitting satisfactory inspection at high'speeds. The removal and simultaneous replacement of the copy as hitherto practiced by the pressman is not satisfactory at high speeds so that the preservation of the count requires the removal and replacement of a complete batch. In doing this, it is desirable that the batch be comparatively'small, but the difficulties above mentioned practically necessitate the handling of as large batches as possible, where previous stacking methods are used.

It is the general-object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for stacking products in batches with alternate batches turned in their own planes through a half turn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method which permits the inspection of copies by diverting and replacing a batch of copies, thereby eliminating the difficulty of removing copies from a fast moving stream and also eliminating any interference with accurate count. 7

Another object is to provide a stacking method in which the essential movements of the products may be accomplished at a uniform high speed which is independent of the speed of production of copies, thus eliminating difliculty due to variation in operation with the speed of movement of the elements involved.

A further object is to provide a method in which the indexing movements of the stacking operation orsteps may proceed at a slower rate, as, for example, one-half the rate of the batch production.

A method and .apparatus'forpracticing the invention steps involved in forming a stack according to the method of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is' indicated therein a stream of products P advancing on tapes 10, the

small batches decreases the time available for handling" each batch unduly and also rules out the turning of the products being retarded in their movement by stop elements 11, which are moved along by a conveyor chainarrangement 12 at a somewhat slower speed than the tapeslt] so as to separate the products into batches B,

as indicated. Past the patch forming point is a switch 13 comprising two groups of belt arms 13a and 1311, respectively, which in their solid line positions directthe batch to tapes14 delivering to a temporary receiver 16 t and in their dotted line positions. permit tapes 10 to deliver a patch to another temporary receiver 15. =Thetwo belt arms 13a and.13b are moved up and down, corresponding to the directing of the batches to the temporary receivers 15 and 16, respectively, by lever arms 51 and.

52, respectively. The lever arm movements are controlled-by a cam 53 which is designed for a full cycle of two successivebatches and which, is directly driven at a ratio of l':4 by gears 55 and 56 by the upper sprocket shaft54 of the conveyor chain 12. a 5

A linkage, composed of a rod 57, a connec'ting'linlc 58, a lever 59, rod otl a nd crank 61 is arranged for moving the slanting bottoms 18, 18 of the temporary receivers 1S and 16 back and forth. The crank 61 is driven by i a gear motor 62.

The receivers 15 and 16 may be of identical construction, enibodying in each case walls 17 for guiding the batches and a slanting bottom 18, 13 for temporarily sup- I porting and then releasing (broken line position) the batches. Below-the temporary receivers and 16 is positione'd arotatable'carrier, denoted by'the 'general numeral hequipped With'four'temporary receiver's or pockets 2%, 21, 22, 23,, spaced at equal (90) intervalsaround the carrier, the diametrally opposite pockets being spaced apart by the same distance as the temporary receivers 15,.

16 andbeing adapted to recei'vebat'ches dropped therefrom. a

"The 'pock'ets2023 fare of similar constructi'on, each having side guiding'walls 24' for'keeping. a ,batchof prodacts in"vertical'a lignment and floor elements'ZS for temporarily "Supporting a batch (full lineiposition) and then dropping'thesame (dotted lineposition). Below temporary receiver '16 and below whichever of the pockets -23 may bein position underneath it, is a stack receiver 2'6"ha'vingside guide walls 2'7 and movable bottom elements "2 8 fortemporarily supporting (full line position) andthen dropping (dotted line position) itsstack of batchesont'o subjacent delivery tapes 2? or into anyfurther tie ing orwrapping'"apparatuswith which the stacker may be associated. V I

The n ovelfrnethod of the invention and the manner in whichit is carried out by the indicated apparatus will be clear from the progressive .diagrams contained in FIGS. 39,-inclusive. c V

Switch 13 is'synchr'onized'withtheproduction of products? and batches B, as, for example, by synchronizing in the usualmanner with the tap'esilti, directing successive batches alternately to-the temporary receivers i5 and 16 as above' men tioned. The indexing table makes one move ment (90) for each pair of batches B which is pro- 1 'duced. "The'p'ocketsN ZB areclosed at" all times except when -a pocketis over the acer/ ras, in which location the fioor elements of pockets 20-23 are dropped, being I returned to upper or batchsupporting position by the cam during *120" or so (if-movement; The receivers 15, 16

.. discharge products shortly' after the indexing movement is completed. I

For purposes of describing the operation below, the" successive batches B are identified as A1, B ;'A B A "1% until upon a timed impulse the movable bottom elements 28 are opened sothat the stack may drop onto the subjacent delivery tapes 29 for further handling.

As it is shown in FIG. 9, the final stack is composed of batches which are laid in the desired manner, so that the folded edges of: the newspapers or the like folded signalocated abovethe receiverlle, may be utilized for so filling the receiver la.

As is evident, the mechanism supplying products to the;

tapes 1'8 will ordinarily operate at a substantially fixed rate so that batchesare formed and forwarded with a definite'time interval' between them, which time interval t may be of the order of one-half second. .With conventional methods of stacking batches in the same order .as

produced, it is apparent that where alternatebatches are reorientat'ed'througha half turn, the time available for doing this cannot materially exceed the time interval '1 (say, one-half second). Inthe method of-the present invention, it will be noted that since the first (reorient'ated) batch A is followed in the final stack not by batch B but'bybatch B the ti-me'for reorientating it is tripled (31). Similar considerations apply .toany later pair of batches. For example, batch A (-reorientated) is imme- B fetc. in order ofproduction, the batchesBp'B B etc.

being those placed-on the stack without-turning and the batches "A iA pA etc.,"being those which are turned.

through a half turn (in two steps) before placement in the stack. 'Batches A and'B or A and B etc., are pairs of batches whose productiontime (for the pair) corresponds I to one indexing movement of the turntable. At the start of a stacking operation, the first batch A is deliveredto temporary receiver 15 (FIG. 3). The next following which are '-normally'in theinac tive, dotted line position (FIG. 1) during the time the stacker is working, but are lowered to the full line position for detouring the batch B1. i "While 'the'followingbatch 3;, now is moving along on belts 14 toward the temporary receiver16, the next batch A is-approachingthe temporary receiver 15, directed by v the'cam-controlled movement of theswitching. belt arms 13a and 13b, respectively '(FIG. 4). The bottoms l8 and 18 have been moved inorder to let batch A drop into the pocket 20. When the bottoms 18,18 are returned, the rotatable carrier 40 with its pockets 2t), 21,22, 23 is counter clockwise rotated through 90 '(FIG. 5), so that pockets 21 and 23 now are positioned underneath the temporary rec'eiversilS and 16, respectively. Batches A and Bg drop simultaneously into pockets Ziand 23, but

since the floorelements 25 of pocket 23 in the discharging positionabove stack receiver 26 are open,lbatch B drops through into said'stack receiver 26 With the rotatable carrierf40 now indexing, as described above,the bottoms 18, 18 reciprocating, the successively arriving pairs A 3 A43 will drop into the temporary receivers 15, 16; eventually a staclr of apredetermined height will be formed,

. prises forrriing'a moving stream-of overlapped-{products- .anism.

diately followed by batch-B ,.giving the same increase of timeffor reorientatin'g the batch. 'It will also be noted that the carrier in which diametrally opposite pockets are active ateach step does not require an indexing movement for each batchof products produced," but only for each pair of such products. The carrier,-therefore, may have an op'erating cycle(operiing and closingof receiver and pocket bottoms) related to the timeinterval 21, the added time tbeing available'for the indexing movement of thecarrier. In adapting the operation to production at different rates, thernove'ment of all parts associated with the carrier in indexed position is at a fixed ratecorrespending to the highest designedspeed of production and onlyithe time of initiation of .an indexingmovement is synchronized to the production-of copies. This eliminates all difiiculty due to variation. inspeed. ofthe mech- Aswill be evident, since'the indexing movement' occurs g -only for each pair of batches produced, atotal time interbatch B is detoured to intercepting conveyor belts 3t 'upfthenecessary half'turn. JlThis contrastsvery sharply with priorart methodsusing .consecutive stacking and in whichthe'time available for accomplishing the necessary operation, including-the half "turn, is only. the interval '2 corresponding to theitim'e ofiproduction'ofa batch. ,Wha-tis'claimedis: i 1

1. .Method of stacking printed products which comseparatingithe saidstream into :a succession'of batches,

directing alternate batches of the-said succession to a stack'by one path and the remainingbatchesto the-same stackby a second path, turning batchesin-the second path in their own planes successively through two quarter turns while delivering two batches' fromthe-first saidpath along Withinterspersedprecedingbatchesfrom the second path to the stack and then delivering batches-from the second said path to the stackin alternationwith those of the-first said path, whereby the batches'fromzthe" second said-path are retarded in thestackhyjrelation to their position inlthe saidsuccession of?batches,zeach such batchfrom the second path now following the batch which followed it in the said succession.

2. Method according to claim 1, which comprises maintaining a replacement batch of products in readiness for from the first'said location in that path while a batch is delivered from the'said location in the first said path to the stack and the second path comprising also two further successive locations, in which the batches are turned sucinsertion in the first said path, removing a batch from the 5 cessively through two right angles in their own plane.

first said path for inspection and substituting the said replacement batch therefor to maintain the count.

3. Method according to claim 1, in which the first and second paths each comprise a location to which batches are delivered substantially simultaneously, the second path 10 2,697,388

comprises a second location to which a batch is delivered References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hansen et al Dec. 21, 1954

Claims (1)

1. METHOD OF STACKING PRINTED PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A MOVING STREAM OF OVERLAPPING PRODUCTS, SEPARATING THE SAID STREAM INTO A SUCCESSION OF BATCHES, DIRECTING ALTERNATE BATCHES OF THE SAID SUCCESSION TO A STACK BY ONE PATH AND THE REMAINING BATCHES TO THE SAME STACK BY A SECOND PATH, TURNING BATCHES IN THE SECOND PATH IN THEIR OWN PLANES SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH TWO QUARTER TURNS WHILE DELIVERING TWO BATCHES FROM THE FIRST SAID PATH ALONG WITH INTERSPERSED PRECEDING BATCHES FROM THE SECOND PATH OF THE STACK AND THEN DELIVERING BATCHES FROM THE SECOND SAID PATH TO THE STACK IN ALTERNATION WITH THOSE OF THE FIRST SAID PATH, WHEREBY THE BATCHES FROM THE SECOND SAID PATH ARE RETARDED IN THE STACK BY RELATION TO THEIR POSITION IN THE SAID SUCCESSION OF BATCHES, EACH SUCH BATCH FROM THE SECOND PATH NOW FOLLOWING THE BATCH WHICH FOLLOWED IT IN THE SAID SUCCESSION.

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