CA1083076A - Automatic machine for assembling sheets into bundles - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A machine for assembling sheets into bundles comprises an array of pigeon holes for receiving the bundles of sheets; a set of parallel endless belts arranged between two parallel rollers for driving the sheets past the entrances to the pigeon holes; a set of deflecting rollers arranged between the belts and the entrances of the pigeon holes; and a set of deflecting plates pivotal between a first position clear of the deflecting rollers in which sheets pass along the belts directly past the rollers, and a second position in which the deflecting plates cooperate with the deflecting rollers to cause the sheets to pass round the deflecting rollers into corresponding selected pigeon holes.

Description

311~7il6 , ~his invention relates to a machine for assembling sheets into bundles~
An automatic machine for assembling sheets into bundles has been proposed which comprises four main parts, pre~erably mounted o~ a common frame, which are:
a) a receivin~ table for receiving sheets issuing, for example o~e by one, from a printing machine such as a~ off~
set printing machine, the said table bei~ provided with a drive axran~ement for the said sheets in order to cause them ~o move o~er the upper surface of the table from its input : j 10 side to its output ~ide;
- b) a device for taking and turning over the sheets provided b~ the table a~d driven by the drive devic~ cited above at a) and issui~g at the output of the table;
c) a distributing device intended to take the sheets '~ 15 o~e by o~e thus turned over and feed them along a path whichi is at least partially different fox each of the sheets so . that at the end of their particular path they are sep~rated ~rom each other and each located i~ front of the entrance to a particular receptacle, for example one of the pigeon holes ~0 of the receiving cabinets cited below under d);
d) O~e or more receiving cabinets comprising pigeon holes arranged side by side, and preferably above and below each other, each pigeo~ holes bei~ intended to recei~e successivel~ on top of each other, all the sheets of the -same bundle, and ha~ing, to this end, its e~rance arranged to face the outpu-t of the member forming the end of the particular path of the sheets of this bundle in the . distributor.

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Accordingly, the present i~ve~tio~ provid~s a machine for assembling sheets i~to bundles comprisi~g: an array of pi~eon holes for receiving the bundles of sheets; a set of parallel e~dless belts arranged between ~wo parallel rollers ~or driving the sheets past ~he e~trances to the pig00n holes; a set of deflecting rollers arranged batwee~ the . belts and the entrances of the pigeon holes; a~d a set of deflecting plates pivotal between a first position clear of the deflecti~g rollers in which sheets pass along the belts directl~ past the rollers, and a second position I ~ 10 in which the deflecti~g plates cooperate with the deflecting I rollers to cause the sheets to pass round the deflecting ¦ rolleræ into corresponding selected pigeo~ holes.
i I~ additio~ to the advantages inherent i~ the similar known device~, the machine in accordance with the present ~ 15 i~ve~tion has particular advantages, i.e. ~otably the J~ ~', . control table o~ the machine can be placed on the same ~ide of the machine as that required to manoeu~re a : duplicator or copier with which it ma~ be associated, and ; t~e unloading operations of the bu~dles which are formed can be carried out equall~ well on either side of the machine~
It follows that this device fulfills particularl~ well the re~uirements of the cop~i~g material, as well as those relating to the a~ailabilit~ of the copied matter.
~he machine could also work with sheets of material otn~r than paper~ for exa~ple~ of plastics, metal or co~posite ma~erial without parting from the scope of the i~vention.
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The invention will now be described in more de-tail by way of example only, with reference to the accomparlying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a machine for assembling sheets into bundles;
Figure la is a more detailed view of part of the machine shown in Figure l;
Figure 2/1 is an elevational view taken in the direc-tion of the magazine A in Figure l;
Figures 2/2 and 2/3 are transverse sections through the machine shown in Figure 2/1 with the deflecting plate omitted for clarity;
Figures 2/4 and 2/5 are longitudinal sections through the machine shown in Figure la;
Figures 2/6 and 2/7 are sectional views showing a ~` detail of the mechanism for actuating the deflecting plates of the machine;
,1 '~! Figure 3, appearing on the same sheet as Fig. la, is a vlew of part of the base of each pigeon hole; ~;
~`~20 Figure 4, appearing on the same sheet as Fig. la, is a sectional view of part of the base of each pigeon hole;
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Figure 5/1 is a longitudinal sectional ~view of a device or~coDtrolling the displacement of a shoe forming part of the assembly machine;
` ~ Figure 5/2 is a diagramatic view of part of the device shown in Figure 5/1; ~ - ;
Figure 6 shows a variant of a part of the assembly machine; and Figure 7 is a plan view of the part shown in Fig. 6.
Figure 1 shows a machine for assembling sheets into bundles having a part D which will later be described in more detail.

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In ~i~ure 1, the sheets le~vi~ an o~ et print~nK
or photocop~ing ~a¢hine are di.rected over the table ~3 in the direction of the axxow 1. On this table~ the ~heet~
mo~e ~etween a ~eries o.~ runners 2 which maintain -them ; 5 elaætically against a set of e~dle~s belt~ ~liding on the table in -the direction of th~ same arrow l; this i~ a device which i~ well known ~ . From the table ~3~ the sheet~ ~lide over the horizo~tal table ~4? which is arranged undex the magaz~ne A.
At ~he end of the table ~49 the ~heet~ de~lect upwardl~ while sliding over the link mem~er ~ which leads the æheets to the i~put o~ the liftin~-distri~uting device . as will herei~a~ter be ~escribea~
~` ~he sheet~ are drive~ verti¢ally by a device comprising ~: 15 (See Fig. la~ a ~et o~ endless drive belt~ 3 stretch betweenrollers ~ and 5 driving them~ e. be~wee~ ~heir outward d return paths re~pec~ivel~ ~ntermediate runners such ais .., 6 and 7~ ~hei~e belt~ ~ove in the direction of arrows 8 and 9.
A ~et o~ ~u~ners lOq are ela~tically pre~ed agai~st the risin~ part 14 o~ the belt~ the shee~s moving between this ri~i~g part 14 and the rollers lO.
A aeflecting mechanism9 sho~n diagramatically b~ an a~row ll, allows o~e or more ~heet3 to be directed toward~
a pig~on hole 12 formin~ part o~ a batter~ o~ su~stantially horizolltal pigeo~ hole~ d arranged ~ the ~ath o~ the heets a~d in a substa~l~iall~ vertical line, iDe~. one above the othe~O

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~ igure 2 show3 in more~ detail a deflecting device in accorda~ce wi.th the in~ention allowi~g the sheets to ~e directed at will towards one o~ other of the succes~ive pigeo~ holes 12 of the batter~.
The figure comprises a side view 2/1 taken in the dir~ction of the magazine A~ two trans~erse views 2/2 and

2/3~ and two 1o~gitudinal.views 2/~ and 2/5.
The descending part 15 of the belt 3 can be seen - in ~ig2 /1, a~ well as the two runners 4 a~d 5, two : i~termediate runners 6, and a~ interior roller 10. The runner~ 4, 5 and 6 rotate about their own shaft whose e~ds are supported by grooves and rims 16, 17 and 18 of r4"j~
the cha~sis of the machi~e -k~ce-~g~y~ O~e roller 10 has its ends 19 a~d 20 resting in recesses provided in the ~ide wall 16 of the vertical chassis D.
~ 15 Between each pair of consecutive runners 6 and 7, and ; outside the latter relative to the magazine A, i~ located a ~haft 21 ~upported at its ends 22 a~d 23 by the same : side wall 16~ but outside the ends 19 and 20 relati~e to ..
the magazine ~O
. 20 ` ~he middle of each shaft 21 is provided with a .
: defle~tor (in the prese~t example a plate 24 of appropriate : ~ foxm) in~egral with the said shaft 21 and whose dimellsions a~d position along the axis of the said shaft a~e such that the~ allow the rotation of the shaft 21 about itself without ~, .
the said plate fouling the belt 3 or the ru~ner 6. In fact, . in thi~ machine, there are two belts 3, each comprising a set of ru~ners 6, plates 24 being placed on their ~ ! . :

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¦ respecti~e ~ha~t 21 between the two ~et~ of belt~ 3.
I In the longitudinal direction (direction of the di~placement o~ the ~heets i~ the lifting device~ the plate ~ 2~ is ~haped such that~ in the withdra~m position (~ig.2/4~, ¦ . 5 the space betwee~ a runner 10 an~ the risi~ p~rt 14 o~ the ~ ~ belt 3 remains ~ree o~er the whole o~ the len~th of the ¦ roller 10. In a~other de~lecting position o~ the same plate i.go2/5) in which the plate is rotated with the shaft 21, ! the end portion o~ the pla~e 24t w~ich is ~haped to match .t: ' 10 the contour of the roller 10 i8 in contact with the said :~ l roller ~nd i~ thus arranged in the no~mal path o~ the sheetsD: It ~ollows that? in the ~irst pO~itlO~ the ~heets are free I to pa~ betwee~ the rising part 14 and the rollers 10 ~ ~ ~ I without being defle¢ted~ ~Yhile i~ the 6econd pos~tion, the~
are de~lected towards o~e of the pigeo~ holes 12 because ¦~- of ~he deflecti~g e~fect of one o~ the plate~ 24~ . I
~ ~he ~ection 2/4 #how~ two consecutive plate~ 24 i~ the

3 ~: witharawn position~ ~he plates are ~o~mall~ in thi~
: position by two sprin~s 25 ~i~ed to the cha~sis 17 a~d wh~ch bias them outwardl~. ~he ~hape o~ the plate 24 i~ a~
: i~dicat~d above with ~he rounded end portion 26.
the de~lectin~ position (~ig.2/5) the plate~ 24 are 1 lowered~ owing to a control mechanism ~hich will be ¦ described in more detail later9 their ends 26 e~fecti~ely ¦ 25 matching the cQn~o~r o~ the rollers 10, and conta~t between : the roller~ a~d ~he end pnr~ions 26 onl~ occurri~g beyo~d the generatrix of the roller 10, take~ in the directio~ of ` - 6 - !
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; displacement of tne sheet~, norma].ly in contact with the rising part 14 of the belt 3.
~he control of the movement of all the sha~ts 21 is carried out by means o~ a pair of levers ~7 external to the chas~is. ~hese levers, particular to each sha~t, are fixed by one of their e~d~ to the end 22 (respectively 23) of the correspo~di~g sha~t 21, while the other end i8 simpl~
provided with an end protuberance 28. All the end protuberances are maintained in contact with a vertical sliding path 28 b~ means of an appropriate elastic member, which, in the prese~t ca~e is merely the spring 25 of the corresponding plate 24. ~his~spring has two simultaneous effects, iDe. in the normal position it holds the plate 24 - in the withdraw~ position and the correspondin~ protruberance ~;~ 28 in contact with the sliding path, and in the bias position, it maintains the plate 24 i~ the deflectillg position and the corresponding pxotuberance in the deflected positio~
b~ means of a shoe 31 which will be described in more detail I
later.
~he 31iding pat~ 29 comprises two belts (or similar i 20 arrangements ~uch as a chai~ etc) capable of being moved longitudi~ally relative to the cabinet D, outside its cha~sis~
and abutting against a vertical edge 30 integral with the ~aid chas~is. ~he sliding path is provided wi~h a shoe 31 having a wed~e-shaped frOnt end which is integral with the sliding path and which ~oves with it whatever be its direction of displacement, for example in the direction of the arrow 32.

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During its displacernent, the shoe successively comes into contact with each protruberance 28 which it cause~ to rotate about the shaft 21~ which causes all the end portions 26 of the plate 2~ to be lowered successively. It follows I that, if a train o~ sheets is present between the roller 4¦ 5 and its corresponding roller 10, when tne shoe 31 moves inI the direc-tio~ ~2, and the sheets are deflected towards a ¦ determined pigeon hole, each time said shoe lowers one or ¦ I other of the deflecting plates. It suffices therefore to ¦ ~ control in an appropriate manner the displacement of the shoe as a function of that of the sheets so that they are distributed successi~ely in the pigeon holes according to a pre-established programme.
¦ ~hi~ control is carried out in a particularly ¦ advantageous manner as hereinafter will be described. As is shown i~ ~ig.3, a notch 33 has been formed in the lower part of the sheet at the base of each pigeon hole 33, all the notches 33 being in register, and a li~ht source 34 has been arranged above the first pigeon hole~ ~n addition, ¦ a photoelectric cell ~5 has been arranged under the last ~, ~ 20 pigeon hole such that the light emitted by the light ¦ - ~ource 34 reaches the céll 35 through all the ~otches 341~ when no sheet is in the path of the light beam. The , passage o~ such a sheet in the path of the light beam !
emitted b~ the light source 34 towards the cell ~5 interrupts the exGitation of the cell ~5 and, consequently, the passage of a~ electric current i~ the circuit containi~g the said : ~ :
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cell, ~h.ich allo~s .~or eæamplet ~ the rel~e of an eléctro-ma~net to put into operation the translatio~al moveme.~t of the sli~i~ path 29 ~or the ne¢essary time ~or it to : pass ~rom one pos.ition to the ne2* i~ which one of ~he plate~
24 i~ in the deflecting position~ ~us, each sheet~ which : during its deXlected path cuts the li~ht beaTn passing from the source 34 to the ~ell 35, causes the displaccmen~ o~
the shoe ~1 by a dist~nce e~ual to that ~eparating the axes of the co~ecu-tive roller3 10 and con~e~uen~ly the with arawing o~ the pla-te 24 which has de~lected the ~heet in question9 a~d the lowering o~ the following plate 24~ he determ~ning of the di3placement time of the ~hoe 21 with ~he path ~9 can be made easily by mean~ o~ an ele¢tric relay or A cam~
In order to preve~t a ~heet~ at the moment when it ~tartB it~ deflectin~ jour~ey (there~oxe toward3 o~e of ~he pigeon holes), from being s-eized by ~he ~ollowing rollerq . w~ich rotates i~ a direction such that it would tend to::~ deflect ~he front ed~e of ~he ~aid ~heet i~ th~^~ edge comes in*o con~act wîth the roller~ a projecting ~tr~p 36 (Fi~.
: la? ha~ bee~ provided bet~ree~ two co~secutîve roller~, the position and size o~ the strip 36 being such that when all he pla~es 24 are in the non-de~lectîng posîtîo~5 t~e external edge of the said ~trips does not e~ect the pa~sage o~ the sheet~ which are not ~o be de~lected (the~
do not deviate becau~e o~ their hîgh ~ splacement speed ~nd because the~ are held a~ain~t the belt 3~ iDeo the - pQrt 14, by an unexpected phenomeno~ of attraction) - . . , ~ ~ .

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and when the plates 24 are in the deflecting position~
their shaped ends 26 are located be~o~d the rear edges 37 of the stxips 36, which makes an untimely co~tinuation of the rising motion of the sheets impossible.
Once a sheet iR engaged in the upper part of the designated pigeon hole~ it lS important that it doe9 not rub against the ]ower wall o~ the u~per pigeo~ hole or against the sheet which is already i~ the pigeon hole in question; this leads to its front portion being slowed dow~, whereas its rear portion is pushed at great speed by the roller 10 and the rising part 14 which will lead to creasing of the paper. ~his disadvantage is avoided by providing the entrance o~ the pigeo~ holes with fixed ~¦ i guide members 38 (~igo4) comprising small thin plates welded ¦~ ; edgewise on to the bottom o~ the pigeon hole, (i.e. the~ ; 15 horizontal plate on which the shee-ts rest) and shaped so ¦~ that the sheets move i~to the said pigeon hole b~ sliding easily over the leading edges of the plates 38 practically without undergoing any friction and then slide on the ç~ base o~l~ later touchi~g the sheet 39 which is alread~i~ positio~, owi~g to the presence of the guide 38.
A particularly important advantage of the device consists in the ~act that (see Fig.5/1) the sliding path ~¦ 29 against which the shoe 31 acts also compri~es a risi~g f~ ~ ~ and falling part in the same manner as an endless belt,the falli~g part being also provided with a shoe 31' .
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symmetrically arranged with the shoe 31 relakive to the middle o~ the path 29. O~ce that~ in it~ upwards journe~ in the machine i.e. in the direction of the arrow 40, the shoe 31 has e~fectively arrived at the end of its useful travel, it pivots about a roller 41 driven by the ~elt ~orming the path 29 and starts its downwards return jour~ey~ while the shoe 31' has taken its initial place at the lower part of the rising part of the said path. It ~ollows that the machine must not stop when the shoe 31 is at the end of its travel, the operatio~ of the machine being continuous thanks to the shoe 31' which has taken the place of the .
shoe 31 and so on.
According to the in~ention the control mechanism for ow,~ in f~ s S/~ o~ S/æ
the displacement of the shoe 31 can be as~
o . ~ 15 ~'igure 5/1 is a longitudinal diagramatic view of the . ~ device, and ~ig.5/2 shows a fro~t diagramatic view. The ; .; , , - , ~ de~ice operates as ~ollows:
he electric control motor 43 dri~es a pul.ley 46 about a~ axis 47 by means of a belt 45. The pulle~ 46, throwgh the pulley 48, the wheel 49 and the assembly 50' 51' 52, the shaft 53 and the toothed wheel 549 drives the sliding path ~9 in the direction of the arrow ~2. ~he ; slidi~g path rotates endlessly about the pinion y~ and the pinion 55.
~he motor 53 is permanently in rotatio~, but the ~haft 47 which i~ in two parts only engages the pulle~ 48 whe~

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, the electro~magnet 56 is e~cited by the current emitte~ by the cell ~5 when no sheet is in the path of the light beam emittéd b~ the light source ~ in the direction of the cell ' 35~ ~his engaging movement ox disengaging movement is 3 ~ obtained easily by a friction device comprising two pi~ion3 1 ~ 5 57 and 58~ the first dri~ing the second by friction ! - when the arm 59 of the electro-magnet (an arm whose end is ¦ provided with a protuberance 60) is not in contact with a pin integral with the pinion 58 and extending beyond its ~¦ periphery such that it is capable of abutting the protuberance60 dur.ing its rotationO ~he de-excitation of the electro-¦ I magnet 56 due to the pasæage of the sheet in the path of the light beam causes the freeing of the arm 59 and the dise~gage~ent of the protuberance 60 with the pin 61 and the movi~g of the shoe 31 to the following deflecting ætation where the sheet is effectively deflected into the said station.
¦ In other words, duxing the time when the electro-magnet :- ~ , i8 excited b~ the current ~rom the photo~electric cell, the shoe move~ from the space separating the two consecutive ~- 20 shafts 21 and frees one of the ends 28 allowing the corresponding end portion of the plate 24 to be raised, ¦ then it raises the following end 28 which lowers the end portion 26 of the following plate 2~ causing ~he deflection l of the first sheet meeting the said e~d portion 26 of the ¦ 25 plate 24. ~he curre~t is thus interrupted ~or ~ short time 7 , -12-, ~ .
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' 3~76 during which the shoe ~tops when the sha~t 62 controlled b~
the pulley 48 is di~eng~ged at 58 during the pa~sa~Se of 'che sheet o~er the light bearn 34' 35. Once this sheet has - passed, ths light beam can again strike the cell and the cycle restarts.
~here has been described, with r0ference to Fig~ 1a a batter~ of pigeon holes which are superimposed on each other in a ~ubstantially vertical manner.
an ad~antageous variant, each pigeon hole co~p~ises ~sse~tially a simple horizo~tal plate, for example of steel - which is not provided with edges, either for its ends or sides.
The guiding of the sheets in the pigeon holes, i~ the I direction o~ their displacement, as well as their stopping ;~ at the e~d of their travel, to the exclusion of any subse~uent movement given to them by the hereinafter mentio~ed members, is obtained by mean~ of members, common to the wnole battery l of pigeon holes, and compos~d of strips of rigidj flexible -~ or elastic material arra~ged vertically at an adjustable distance laterally or facing ~he plates on which the sh~ets ~ 20 come to rest. ~he said strips are attached at their ends, i i.e~ o~e towards the base of the batter~ of pigeon holes and the other towards the top portion of this battery, to ~upports fixed relative to the chassis of the machine or relative to its walls. The supports can comprise, for example~
a graduat~d scale allowing the position of fixing the said strips to be adjusted to the distances corresponding to the I -13_ , : !

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, for~ats of the sheets of the bundles to be rece:ived at that moment.
In order to avoid any confusion in the meani~g of the word "strip", this can comprise any elongate member of a~
cross-section.
i 5 In an e~ually advantageous manner, the lateral strips are integral with lateral walls 71 and 72 of the battery, which are pivotable about vertical axes so that on openi~g an ordinar~ door, direct and easy ac~ess is allowed to the bundles of sheets arranged i~ the pigeon holes, which bu~dles can easil~ be removed from the machine~ ~igure 6 shows in a diagrammatic ma~ner how this advantageous variant can be realized. This figure represents, in elevation and in plan, the receivi~g part of a machine i~ accordauce with the i~ventio~0 ~his receiving part comprises a series of plates 62 providing a support for the sheets which arrive in the pigeon holes for which the plates represent the lower part, from the left in the direction of the arrow 63.
These plates 62 are fixed relative to the chassis of the machine and are made integral with it in an~ ma~ner known E~ se. ~he plates 62 have ~either side or front edges.
hey are surrounded b~ three strips 64, 65 and 66 of solid, flexible or elastic matter, the two first strips providing a lateral guide a~d the third strip for providin~ a front abutme~t. These strips are stretched between two lower and upper graduated supports, the latera1 supports 57 to 70 being integral with door-wall 71 and 72, and the others 73 . ~' - .
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, and 7~ being integral ~ith the chassis of the mach:ine.
~hese improveme~ts relate to the rnaintenance of the cleanli~ess of the æheets i~troduced into the as~embling machine, sheets which can have as described above, one side on which the ilik is ~ot yet dry and which does not have time to dry in the time which the sheet takes to lea~e the pri~ti~g machine and penetrate one of 'che pigeo~
holes.
These improveme~ts co~sist in providing these machi~es with one or more absorbing members, allowing to dry ~ery rapidly the i~k which would no longer b~ o~ the printed side ~ of the said sheets. This drying can, in a very simple and i ~ e~ficient manner be obtained b~ means o~ several cylindrical rollers, or a~y similar member, composedat least as far as its external surface i8 concerned, of a material absorbi~g and dryi~g i~ko ~hese cyli~ders can be arxa~ged on the path of the sheet at their output of the printi~g machine either res~ing o~ the sheets by gravit~, or being elastically biased ;'~ i~to contact with the last printed side of the sheet~. ~hi~
is obtained owing to the fac~ that the sheets slide on the --receiving table under the action of a drive d~vice which j is also driven by the sliding surface of the said table I and the said members applied against it, which puts the `~ possibly wet faces of the sheets into contact with the said~ ~ dryi~g members w~ich allow the desired dryi~g effect to be i! 25 obtained. Under the action of the sheets passi~g u~der the .
~aid members, they are caused to rotate about their ow~
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~V~ 76 rotational axes so that the drying material moves at this moment, in sy~chronism with the sheets for a certain time which depends notably on the configuratio~ of the said member.
It has been observed that this improvement allows all smearing of the sheets to be radically improved as well as any dirtying of the parts of the machine which are normally i~ co~tact with the last printed side of the said sheets to be avoidedS and this occurs over the whole path of the sheet~ from their output on the printing machine to . khe input of the pigeon holes.
f necessary, one or more drying cylinders can be used which are arranged starting from the output o~ the . printin~ machine.
:~ i The drying material forming the drying part of the member i~ question can for example be blotting paper, and ab~srb~.~t fabric or an~ other mea~s k~own in itself having uch drying and absorb~nt properties for ink as for example p~inting ink or any other ink.
Accordin~ to a particularly advantageous embodiment i 20 of this la~t improvement, the absorb~nt or drying material, . lining or ~ormi~g the said cyli~ders is i~ fact provided by .
a removable sleeve, formed on the cylinder and easily remo~able from it once its absorbent power has deteriorated.
Accordin~ to another interesting embodiment of this improveme~t, the absorbe~t or dryi~g material is arranged o~ a co~ti~uous support, for example a ribbon o~ appropriate - -~6-,~

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~3~76 width, which moves continuously along the slidin~ face o~
the receiving table of the sheets and the roller maintained against it, the ribbon being laterally arra~ged so that its ab~orbent face is on the side of the sheet~ to be dried. The continuous ribbon can be wound around the cylinder and unwind with the machine, notably owing to the action of the sheet~
which pass under it and which dry in contact with it~ The ribbon can be originally wound on a c~linder, from which they unwind in order to wind on to a second cylinder after having passed i.nto contact with the sheet.s, owing to the interactio~ of a third cylinder arranged between the .
first two cylinders and elastically biased against the sliding face of the receiving table and pressi~g between i I it and the said ~ace, the drying ribbon, thi~ third rolleri servin~ at the same time to st~etch the ribbon between ~, I 15 itself and the two rollers which wind and unwi~d the ribbon~
~his ~ariant allows a long operation time wit~.ou~
~, replacing the absorbent sleeve~, and it also allows the ;l ~ dryi~ and/or absorbtion function to alwa~s be carried out with new material. ~his, as well as the previous examples, allow a better cleanliness of the sheet to be obtained than that obtained with the devices initially provided.
Rollers of the t~pe described above can for ex~mple be placed under one or more of the points o~ the tables teeth 3 a~d teeth 4 as show~ in ~igure 1~

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Claims (15)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. A machine for assembling sheets into bundles comprising: an array of pigeon holes for receiving the bundles of sheets; a set of parallel endless belts arranged between two parallel rollers for driving the sheets past the entrances to the, pigeon holes; a set of deflecting rollers arranged between the belts and the entrances of the pigeon holes; and a set of deflecting plates pivotal between a first position clear of the deflecting rollers in which sheets pass along the belts directly past the rollers, and a second position in which the deflecting plates cooperate with the deflecting rollers to cause the sheets to pass round the deflecting rollers into correspond-ing selected pigeon holes, the deflecting plates being curved to conform, to the contours of the deflecting rollers, and the deflecting plates being arranged in gaps between the deflecting rollers so that, in the second position, they extend through the gaps to deflect the sheets moving along the belts in cooperation with the deflecting rollers.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising fixed deflectors formed of a thin plate arranged between two consecutive deflecting rollers so as to prevent any sheet from being seized by the following deflecting roller when it enters a receiving pigeon hole which has been designated to it.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a control member for successively controlling the pivoted movements of the deflecting plates by means of a shoe capable of being displaced along a sliding path oriented in the longitudinal direction of the chassis of the machine.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shoe contacts a lever coupled to the deflecting plates to cause a selected plate to pivot when it is desired to deflect a sheet into its corresponding pigeon hole.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shoe is actuated by means of as electric motor whose operation is controlled by the penetration of a sheet into one of the pigeon holes.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sheet, on entering a pigeon hole, interrupts temporarily a light beam emitted by a light source situated at one end of the array of pigeon holes, the beam passing longitudinally through notches formed in the base of each of the pigeon holes and normally striking a photo-electric cell situated at the opposite end of the array.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the speed of displacement of the shoe is synchronised with that of the sheet, the movement of the shoe only occuring when the light beam is not interrupted by the passage of a sheet which allows, owing to an electric control system, the motor to be put in to operation or the shoe to be engaged with the motor.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the or each shoe is fixed on a said parallel endless belt so that after having deflected and then freed the levers, a said shoe can then travel along a return path to become available again for deflecting the levers.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pigeon holes are formed of an array of flat receiving plates and adjustable guides extending through the array for defining the limits of each pigeon hole.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guides move along a graduated scale so as to enable the sizes of the pigeon holes to be preset as for a given size of sheets.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheets are printed sheets of paper and further comprising at least one drying or absorption member for ink which may have remained wet on the last printed surface of the sheets leaving the printing machine, the member being applied elastically against the sliding surface of a receiving table for the sheets so that the said sheets sliding on the table are inserted between the table and the drying member.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein the said member is a cylinder composed of or covered with a drying or absorption material for ink, the said cylinder being provided with its own shaft of rotation.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the drying or absorption member is a ribbon composed of or covered with a material such as blotting paper or absorptive fabric.

14. A machine for assembling sheets into bundles as claimed in Claim 1 comprising a series of receiving cabinets each having an array of pigeon holes.

15. A machine for assembling sheets into bundles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a receiving table for receiving sheets issuing, for example one by one, from a printing machine such as an offset printing machine, the said table being provided with a drive arrangement for the said sheets in order to cause them to move over the upper surface of the table from its input side to its output side.