CA1325438C

CA1325438C - Paper distribution device

Info

Publication number: CA1325438C
Application number: CA000598231A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Oertzen Ralf
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-28
Filing date: 1989-04-28
Publication date: 1993-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2010-12-21
Also published as: ATE69659T1; EP0339400B1; DE58900467D1; DE8816739U1; WO1989010602A1; EP0339400A1

Abstract

Abstract A paper distribution device distributes piles of paper, conveyed by a conveyer belt (6), into the compartments (13) of shelving (3) under automatic control and using a gripping device (2).

Description

The invention rela~ee to a paper di6tribution device for the automaticdi tribution of piies of paper into individual ccmp~rtment3 of ~helving, with at least one oDnveyer belt, a manipulating automaton, and an-electronic control sy8tem.

Tbday it is no longer possible to imagine production and administration~ithout electronic data-processing 6ystt~m6. The constant increase of data also unavoidably results in an increasing output of paper. The larger the oomputers used and the longer they are in operation, the greater this paper output. For reasons of economy large compNters are in use around the clock in public institutions, private service industries or large insurance and ccmmercial concerns. Although hardware and software co-operate up to this po mt the subsequent ~ essing of the paper or its distribution i6 generally still carried out manually. Since the sorting, collating, distribution and storage of the output which is on paper must be carried out by personnel, a large am~unt of the time 6aved by the DP is lost again in prac~iceO
Manual handling of DP print-outs also has a high proportion of error, becau~e even when the most eLmple ~orting operations are carried out with large quantities of documents, a lapse in ooncentration can result in errors with serious consequences. For example, if personal data is sent to the wrong reripient.

It i~ therefore the object of the invention to provide an autcmaticallyoperating o~f-l~ne paper di~tribution device which distribute~ the printed data to predetermined points quickly, rationally, efficiently and without error.

Thi~ ie achieved with a paper distribution device for ~he autcmatic distribution of piles of paper into the mdividual ccmFartments of shelving, which haB at least one conveyer belt, a manipulating autonaton and an electnDnic control 8ystem. It is characterized by a feed station oonnected to said at least one conveyer belt, on which single sheets of paper or piles of paper sealed at the edges can be distributed into piles conveyed by the conveyer belt; a gripping device arranged on the manipulating automaton and which can be positioned by electronic control at the end of the feed station; the grippin~ device has a clamp to grasp and carry sing1e 6heets d paper or piles o~ paper fron the feed ~tation; the gripping device is provided with a light Een60r to register the load in each shelving comp3¢tm~nt approa~hed thereby; the gripping device i8 prDvided with drive means (20~ for rotating the clamp 180, such that the clamp ~ay be rotated during the tran6fer fram the fee1 BtatiOn to a shelving oomp.rtm:nt; the nanipulating auto~aton i8 movable along the shelving under automatic control; the gripping device i8 m~vable up and dcwn on the manipulat~ng automa~Dn; and the clanp of the grip~Ding device is movable under aubcmatic electronic oontrol into and out of the 6helv m g oomp4rbm3nt6.

U~mg thiB, for each order a oollated pile of paper of sealed or un~ealed eheet~ from the printer of a DP unit can be placed on the feed chain of the feed ~tation. The feed chain runs in a table with a free f~Dnt end which forms a transfer point with which the clamp of the gripping device can interact. The gripping devi.ce has a fixed upper jaw and a lower jaw which can be m~ved in relation to the fixed jaw, ;

- ~ ~

- 3 - ~ 325438 the lower jaw reaches under the pile of paper, lifts it and cla~p6 it agalnst the upper jaw. In the following, the term "piles of paper" is u6ed generally, reg~rdles6 of whether the6e cont3in 1 6heet or e.g.
1000 sheet~. The pile of paper thu~ ~rasped by the gripping device i8 taken from the feed chain by withdrawing the gripping device so that the pile can be carried to a particular shelving ccmpartm~t determined by the giver of the order. The gripping device i8 positioned at the predetermuned shelving cwFartment by moving the mam pulating automaton to the appropriate vertical position of the shelving ccmp.rtm~nt and simultaneouely or subsequently mo~ing the gripping device on the nanipulating automaton to the height of the predetermined shelving ccmp~rtment. These movements are co~trolled by a computer in a manner kncwn per se and with means familiar to one skilled in the art, 6uch as by etepping mDtors etc. On the wa~ from removing the pile of paper fron the feed station to depositing it in the shelving ccmp:utment ~he gripping device i8 rotated 180 ~o that the fixPd upper jaw is on the bottom with its upper side facing dawnwards. Ihis rotation takes place because the upper jaw 6erves as a reference surface to which the programmed oontrol of the m~vement prooedure operates.

In the invention, a light sensor i8 provided in the upper side of the upper jaw which when the gripping device moves into a shelving CoLpartment scans the region belcw and thus establishes haw far the gripping device can be lowered in the shelvLng coDpartm~nt before the pile of paper can be deposited. With regard to this, it should be noted that a useful oontrol program for the paper distribution device according to the invention con~tantly store~ information about the height to which the individual shelving ccnpartments are ~illed with paper. A~ thi~ information i~ available to the gripping device on it~

4 _ 1 325438 a~proach to a shelving compartment, it ensures thak the jaw of the grippiny device does not move into a shelv~lg ccn~klrbment at too low a level and thus expel the paper which has already been deposited. If however paper has been removed by hand m ~he meantime, which is not registered by the oontrol program, i.e. i~ the act~lal load height of a shelviny compartment i6 less than the load height in khe memory, then in a subsequent oont~Dl ~y ~ignals reoeived by the light sensor the gripping devi oe is lowered further to an appropriate level for deposit.
~hu8 the p~per pile does not fall out of the gripping device when the jaw opens but i8 positioned a few millLmetres above the supporting surface currently available and after the clamp i~ opened, iB held in thi~ po~ition by an ejector while the upper and lower jaws of the clamp are withdrawn from the shelving ccmpartment. Thu~ there iB a relative ~avem~t ketw~en ejector and clamp in which the ejector re~ains in fi~ed po~ition while the cla~p i8 withdrawn.

Ad~antageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claIms and the follcwing description of the drawings.

The invention i8 described in m~re detail in the following by means of an embodiment, referring bo the drawing~, in which:

IGURE 1 iB~ a perspective 6chematic representation of part of the embodhnent;

IGURE 2 i~ a perspective representation of the sheet feeder of the enkxx~nent ~hown in FIGURE 1;

~. ~

:. :

IGURE 3 ~hows a park of the feed station which form~ the region where the ~heet feeder acoording to FIGUR~ 2 a~operate~ with the gripping devioe ~hown in FIGURE 1;

IGURE 4 BhoW~ the m~nipulating aut~maton with the gripping device, the ~helving seen in EIGURE 1 being arran~ed to the left and the nanipula~ing autowaton being movable forward6 out of the plane o~ the drawing;

IGURE 5 ia a front view of the manipulating autcmaton o~ FIGURE 4, seen in the direction of arrow V;

I ~ 6 ~hows details of the gripping de~lce of FIGURE 1;

IGURE 7 i~ a schematic side view of the gripping device of FIGURE 6;

I~URE 8 is an enlarged 6ectional view of the gripping device of FIGURE 6, ~een in the direction of arrow VIII;

IGURE 9 iB ~n enlarg~d part representation of the gripping device of FIGURE 4, seen in the direction of the arrow rx in FIGURE 6;
and . .
IGURE 10 i~ a perspective top view of the front end of the feed s~ation of FIGURE 3, in particular the right part of FIGURE
3, seen from diag~nally above and eh~w.Lng the gripping device of FIGVRE 6.

n the figure0 the same part8 ~re marked throughout with the ~ame . .
:

~ 1 325438 reference numbers. FIGURE 1 shows in perspective the de~ice according to the invention with, for reasons of clarity, only a part ~hown. In this figure the arrangement can be 6een of a sheet feeder 1 to which a oonveyer belt 6 i8 attached for supplying the Rheets of p~per printed ky a DP uni~, no~ ~hown, to a gripping device 2 which deposits the latter in shelving co:p~rtmenta 13 of shelving 3. The representation of FIGURE 1 ser~es essentially to e~plain the arrangement of the gripping device 2, shelving 3 and shePt ~eeder 1.

In FIGURE 2 the sheet feeder 1 i6 shcwn in detail. It i8 formed essentially from a table-like frame 5 on which a control desk 7 iB
arranged which has a number of control switches 8 for en~ering control c ~ into an electronic control system. TW~ conveyer belts 6 and 6' are also mounted on the frame which are symmetrically constructed ~nd on which indivldual ~heets are deposited ~eparately. The~e printed pages or sheets are conveyed in the direction of the arrow6 A and A' to the middle of the ~heet feeder 1. At the end of the conveyer belts 6 and 6' the sheets of paper slide into a single sheet feeder 9 to 9' in which they are separat~d by friction gears, rollers running in opposite directions, weigh~ed rocking lever6 or like devices 60 that the m~rgLn of each sheet of paper can be scanned easily by a reading device in a readiny station 11. For the control of the devi oe according to the invention a kar-oode is printed by the printer of the DP unit on each ~heet of paper which iB scanned four hundred times a second by a la~er beam in the reading station 11. m e scanning signals obtained in the readin~ skation 11 are used for the oon~rol of the device according to the invention, for example a feed chain 30, 31 as shown in FIGURE 3 which remains stationary as long as~the same bar oode is read. It is only when a di~ferent bar-oode i8 recognized that the feed chain 30, 31 ........ ......
, ~ 7 ~ l 325438 transport~ the deposited paper further 60 that pages belonging to the neKt order are deposited at a different position on the feed chain 30, 31 and thus form a new pile. The signals obtained from the reading station ll are also used to oontrol the mEnipulating automaton 4 in FIGURE 4 and 5 with the gripping device 2 80 that the pile of paper i~
deposited in a certain predetermined shelvLng ccmportment 13.

It ~hould be noted that if sealed piles of paper are being proce sed the singling procee6 is not neces6ary. The single sheet feeder 9, 9 can then be switched off or oontrolled another way.

FIGURE 3 ehows a section of the alread~ mentioned feed station 10 onwhich the individual piles of paper are deposited one after another after paeeing through the reading station 11. In FIGURE 3 only the left reading station 11 i~ indicated because the intention i8 e6~ential~y to expla~n th~ feed chain. This consists of two p~rallel endless chain8 30 and 31 which travel under the surface of a table 32 m ~lots 33 and 34. At fixed intervals approximately rectangular tran6porting cheeks ~5 are inserted i~to the chains 30 and 31 and these pro~ect upwards out of the 810ts 33 and 34 and are slightly higher than the largest of the pile~ of paper to be transported. The direction of mDvement of the chains 30 and 31 runs in the direction of arrow B and thu~ in the direction of the transfer end ehown in FIGURE 10 o the feed ~tation. ~he dist~nc~ between tw~ adjacent tran~portLng chet3ks 25, 25l in a chain 30 or 31 i8 such that the longeet paper format to be proces6ed t~an be placed ~3tween them without any difficulty. If therefore only paper sht3ets of DIN A4 are to ~e processed the distance ~etween tw~ transporting cheeks 25t 25' in the chaLns 30 a~d 31 is about 30 to 35 cm. For ea~ier deposit of the individual sheets of paper on the feed chain~ the upper corner~, to the rear in the direction of mavement, of the transporting cheels3 25, 25' are aleo 61anted as seen at 35.

A certain dist~nce fr~m the readin~ stiation 11 th~ chains 30, 31 with their transporting cheeks 25, 25' are also encloeed by a oover 36 which iB intended to prevent ~he risk of injury if an operator~ hand unintentionally approa~hes it. The individual piles of paper run through thi8 from the reading station 11 under the oover 36 and only ocme into the open again at the tran6fer end of the feed 6tation 10 as in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 4 6how~ the nanipul~ting automaton 4 which is arranged behind the shelving 3 m FIGURE 1, and can be moved parallel to it. For thi~
purpo~e the nanipulating aut ton 4 i~ guided in a lower track 41 and an upper track 42. me lower track 41 i8 lald and fixed on the floor or the base of the paper distribution device according to the invention, while the upper track 42 i6 attached either directly to the ceiling of the building or to an intermediate oon6truction. It is clear that the track6 41 and 42 run parallel to the 6helving 3 80 that the manipulatin~ automaton 4 can be m~ved parallel to the ohelving 3.
Gear wheel6 45 and 46 on the manipulating automaton 4 mate with toothed racks 43 and 44 which are laterally attached to the tracks 41 and 42.
In an embodiment the gear whee16 45 and 46 are attached to the ends o~
a oommon shaft 60 that they are turned together by a fir6t mo~or 47 ~hown in FIGURE 5. The m~nner in which the drive for the tw~ gear wheel~ 45 and 46 should be provided 80 that they are jointly driven takes i8 kncwn tv o~e ~killed in the art. It ~hould be noted that for thi~ purpDee the shaft which oouples one gear wheel 45 with the other : ~

. .- ., ~.

! ~:,.1., ", - - ___._.. .... __ __ gear wheel 46 need not be continuou6 but can con~ist of two part-shafts, coupled together in a manner kncwn per se. Geared or chain drives are sultable for thi6.

FIGURE 4 also 6hows 6chematically tWD guide rods 40 which extend from tGp to bottom on the n~nipulatLng autcmaton 4 and on which the g~ipping device 2 with its acoompanying m~torsl 6witches and operating elements can be ~ved up and dcw.n. This movement i~ indicated by the arrow~ C
and D. Details of the gripping device 2 are shown in FIGURES 6 to 9.

The fact that the gripping device 2 can be moved up and down can also be seen clearly in FIGURE 5 because in thi~ figure the mam pulating autcmaton 4 is shown in the view 6een in the transport direction B of the feed station 10 according to FIGURE 3. FIGVRES 4 an~ 5 also show that the gripping device 2 has a supporting structure 50 which i8 attached bo a ~liding carriage 52. The Bli~g corriage 52 61ides on the guide ~ 40 of the m~nipulating automaton 4 and can be mo~ed up and dbw.n by a chain 54 in the direction of arrow~ C and D. The chain 54 run~ ar3und a lawer chain wheel 55 and an upper ch~;n wheel 56, the latter being driven by a ~eoond motor 58 (FIG~RE 5). The lower ~hain wheel 55 an the other hand runs freely. The chain wheels 55 and 56 are mou~ted at such a distanoe from the m~nipulating automaton 4 that the ing carriage 52 with ~he grippLng device 2 can be moved bo~ to the highe~t and the lowest row of shelving ccmpartment6 13. With regard to thi~ it should be noted that the length and arrangement of the tracks 41 and 42 with the toothed racks 43 and 44 is also such that the grippLng device 2 can be n~ved fro~ the fir6t to the la~t row of shelving corp~r~me~t~ 13 which lie vertically above each other. The gripping device 2 can therefore be moved in two co ordinate~, that i~

in the x-directlon p~rallel to the 6helving 3 and in the z-direction parallel to the height of the ~helving. For the transfer o the piles of paper fro~ the feed 6tation 10 to the individual shelving ccmpartme~ts 13 it iB al60 neces6ary to n~ve the gripping device 2 tcwards and away fram the feed ztation 10, i.e. in FIGURE 4 in the direction of the arrow Y. Tb achieve thi6 the slidLng carriage 52 i8 provided with horizontal guides 49 so that the ~upporting structure 50 can be moved horizontally and therefore backwards and forwards in the y direction. The control of the m~vement i8 carrie out by a hydraulic cylinder, not shown, one end of which iB attached to the sliding riage 52 and the other end to the supporting structure S0. It iB
cl0ar to one skilled in the art how a hydraulic cylinder would have to be arranged to be able to carry out thie movement of the gripping devioe 2 on the sliding carriage 52. The gripping device 2 iB
therefore al~o mDvable in the third co-ordinate direction.

Details of the gripping device 2 are shcwn in FIGURES 6 to 9, the sameparts being given the 8ame referen oes numbers throughout.

FIGURE 6 6hows in perspective the front section of the gripping device2 with the supporting ~tructure 50 only indicated. For rea~ons of clarity the connection of the su~porting structure 50 with the 61iding carriage 52 has also been omi~ted.

The gripping device 2 is constructed essentially from a clamp 12 and agripping device head 60, The gripping device head 60 is formed from two parallel discs 62 and 63 which are rotatably mounted on the supporting structure 50. For thi6 purpose the fir6t disc 62 is connected with a gear wheel 64 which can be clearly seen in FIGURES 4 '' ' . ..

~ ,:

~ `
'' ' :

43~

and 9. The gear wheel 64 and the first di6c 62 are rotatably mounted on a pLn supported in ~he supportillg structure 50. In this way the gear wheel 64 and the fir~t di~c 62 can be rotated with respect to the 8upporting s~ructure 50. Tb bring about this rotational novenent, a pinion 66 (shown in Fig. 9) mates with the gear wheel 64. The pinion 66 is supported rotatably in the front wall 65 of the supp~rt m g structure 50 and ie driven by an electric motor which is no~ shown in the figures for reason~ of clarity. The c~ntrol of this electric motor take~ plaoe inter alia through two limit switche6 68 and 69 with wiper~
and 71 which carry rollers 72 and 73 which are operated by cam plates 74. In FIGURE 9 only one cam plate 74 in the form of a Teflon block i8 shcwn attached to the side of the firet disc 62 of the gripping device head 60 which i6 facing the supporting structure 50. A
further can plate b1ock i~ attached on the diametrically oppo~ite po~ition on disc 62, but on a different, preferably smaller radius, 80 that it comes into oontact only with the roller 72 of the upper limit switch 68 but does not touch the roller 73 of the lower limit switch 69 when the gripping device 2 is rotated by 180~ The tw~ lLmit ~wi-tches 68 and 69 are used to 6witch off the electric motor, not shown, which drives the pinion 66 whenever the cla~p 12 of the gripping devi~e 2 i8 rotated 180. To bring this rotational mov~ment to an end in an ~xactly defined po6ition, stop~ 75 are attached to the front wall 65 of the supporting ~tructure 50, of which only the upper stop 75 can be seen. The stop 75 has an adju6ting screw 76 agaInst which a projection 77 hits, which projection is attached to the disc 62. It should be noted that the lawer projection, which i8 not 6hcwn, i8 attached to the disc 62 on a ~maller radius, so that when the gripping device head 60 rotate~ it can paRs under the upper stop 75. It is useful :Eor the projections 77 to be.ooated with Teflon to reduce the hard impact on ~ , .
:, , ~ .
. ~, , :

oontact m g the stops 75.

It 6hould also be noted that each time the roller~ 72 and 73 and wipers70, 71 are operated the limit 6witches 68 and 69 reverse the direction of rotation of the electric motor, which i6 not 6hown, so tha~ the latter rotate~ alternately in one or the other d~rection of rotation on each additional activation of the central electronic control and thus rot~te~ th~ gripping device head 60 alternately 180 in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direct.ion, as indicated by the arrcw~ E and F in FIGURE
5.

FIGURES 6 and 9 also show that the first and second discs 62 and 63 areheld at a distance fram each other and also oonnected to each other by bolts 80. T~e distance betwlen the t~D discs 62 and 63 i8 BUch that a further electric motor 82 (FIGVRE 9) can be mounted between them which i~ u8ed for the operation of the clamp 12 (FIGURE 6). The electric motor 82 i8 mounted on the front or second di8c 63 which also carries a cable di~tributor housing 84. Control and supply cables lead to the electric motor 82 from the cable di6tributor hou6ing 84 and are carried to the aable dietributor housing 84 by a relatively thick elastic cable hose 88. The cable hose i6 6ufficiently flexible to mtate with the gripping device head 60. In FIGURE 9 the cable di6tributor housing 84 i~ shown in the upper rokation position of the gripping device head 60 in which the movemen~ into the lower rotational position in FIGURE 6 or 8 can only take place in a clockwi6e direction beoau~e otherwise the.
cable hose 88 would tear away. The cable hose 88 is attached with a ~rst clip 89 to a bolt 80 on the grippLng device head and with a ~econd clip 90 on part of the supporting structure 50 80 that it does not hinder the rotation of the gri~ping device h~ad 60.

, - 13 - l 325438 In FIGURE 9 it can al~o be seen that at the lower end of the electric mDtor 82 a pinion 92 i8 keyed to its ~haft, the pinion driving a toothed belt 93. The toothed belt 93 runs forward and out thrDugh a ~lot in the 6eoond disc so that it can move the lower jaw 16 against the uFper jaw 15. ;~

FIGURES 6 and 7 clearly show that the upper jaw 15 i8 fLxed on the seoond diBC 63 of the gripping device head, n~nely by being ~crewed to the front surface of a U-shaped frame 95 with screwe 96. The frame 95 iB BCreWed ~0 the 6econd diBC 63 from the side of the electric motor 82. The front surface 97 of the frame 95 run6 parallel to, but at a distance from, the first disc 63, the dist~lce being 6elected ~uch that two guide rcds lOQ and a guiding body 102 on the lower jaw 16 can be mDunted between the front eurface 97 of the frame and the second di6c 53. Ihe upper jaw 15 nDreover has the form of an L, rotated through 90, the short leg of which is fixed ~o the frane 95 and the long leg of which project6 perpandicularly fram the 6econd disc 63 of ~he gripping devioe head 60 in the Y-direction aa in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURE 6 the upper jaw 15 iE formed in the embodim:nt show.n frcm a oentral anm 15' and ~WD outer ar~8 15" which are 6eparated from each other by longitudinal 810t8 19. The longitudinal slot6 19 eKtend from the tip of the upper jaw 15 to clo6e to the frame 95 and thus to close to it~ ~hort 6ide~ About halfway alon~ the central anm 15' o~ the upper jaw 15 a slanted hole i~ provided in which a light sensor 14 i8 mounted. The light sensor 14 ie directed upwaxd6 in FIGURE 6 oo that it doe~ not look into the m~uth 18 (FIGURE 7) of the clamp 12. The light line of the light ~en60r 14 extend~ in~ide the central arm 15' of , ~, , ~, -,,:

the upper jaw 15 and lead~ to an optocoupler 104 (FIGURE 8) which c~nvert~ the optical aignal of th0 licgh-t 6ensor 14 into an electrical 6ignal. The optoc~upler 104 i~ mounted ~ext to the frame 95 on the seoond disc 63 of the gripping devic~ head 60 a6 c~n best be ~een ~rom FIGURE 8. The light line 106 lead~ from the optocoupler 104 into the central anm 15' of the upper jaw 15 while the electrical cable 108 in FIGURE 6 travels through a bore in the seoond disc 63 into the cable clistributor housing 84 and thus into the cable ho6e 88 and from this to the electxonic control.

FIGURE 6 also ~hows that the lc~er jaw 16 i8 attached to the guidingbody 106, i~ eosentially in vertical alignment with the upper jaw 15 and is also fonmed fr~m a central arm 16' and two outer arms 16".
Between the oentral anm 16' and the outer armB 16" 610ts 19' are again provided ~hich align in the vertica1 direction with the 610ts 19 of the upper jaw 15. Thu6 the prongs 21 o~ an ejector 17 can eKtend through the aligned ~lots 19, 19' and be moved backwarib and forwards mtD the slots 19 and 19' in the y-direction. For this purpo6e the vertical prongs 21 are oonnected by a cross-piece 23 above the central anm 15' d the upFer jaw 15 and therefore out6ide the mouth 18. A piston rod 22 carrie~ the cros~-piece 23. The piston rod 22 travels through a boring 24 in the frame 95, thr3ugh the secDnd disc 63, through the fir~t disc, through the gear wheel 64 and through the front wall 65 of the supporting 6tructure 50 and on its end has a pi6ton, not 6hcwn, which i~ acoommodated in a hydraulic cylinder which i8 al80 not shown, so that the piston rod 22 moves in the direction of the front end o~
the clamp 12 as in FIGURE 7 when the hydraulic cylinder, not ~hown, is operated, or can be withdrawn in the direction of the frame 95. In thi8 way the ejector 17 eject~ paper held in the mouth 18 and thu~

~ ~ 15 - l 325438 makes the deposit of the piles of paper into the ~helving comportments 13 easier.

Single sheets of paper up to the height of a pile of paper csan thus be clamped in the mouth 18 in 6uch a way that the electric mo~or 82 is c~ntrolled by the electronic control and with its toothecl belt 93 turns a gear wheel 94 which is mounted on the front sicle of the seoond disc 63 o~ the gripping devicse head 60 under the frc~me. The rotational n~vement of the gear wheel 94 is tran~ferred to a wonm 98 which mave~
the lower jaw 16 along the guide rods 100 either in the direction of or away fxom the upper jaw 15. As a result the mouth 18 of the clawp 12 i~ either opened or closed.

It should finally be notecl that it i6 useful if the under-~ide of the upper jaw 15 and the upper 6ide of the lc~er jaw 16 in FIGURE 6 c~re ooated with sponcJe rubber 99 (Fig. 8) 80 that piles of paper can be taken up gently and without damage and to preven~ the jaws from clo~ing too tightly. It should also be noted that the electric motor 82 iB
contrDlled 80 that when a oertain driving torque i6 exceeded the power ~upply is interrupted. Thus the electric m~tor 82 senses when the iaws 15 and 16 have clamped a pile of paper sufficiently firmly.

According to FIGURE 8 a third ~imit switch 91 i~ mounted next to the fr~me 15 in th~ region of the opkoooupler 104, and ~he wiper 101 of thi3 BWitCh bearB a roller which is operated by the guiding body 102 of the lower jaw 16. It should again be noted that the gripping device head 60 i~ shown in a rotated position in FIGURE 8 and therefore the lower jaw 16 iB at the top. The third limit switch 91 iB used to switch off the electric motor 82 when the mouth of the clamp 12 i3 oumpletely op~n. When in this position the guiding bvdy 102 touches the roller 103 of the third limit switch 91 as a result of which it6 wiper 101 i~ tilted and thus op~n~ or closes the E~itch.

FIGURE 8 also shGws another trailing E~itCh 110 w~ch operates together with a trailing pie oe 112 and a bracket 114. The trailing 6witch 110 is firmly oonnected to the lcwer jaw 16 by an angle bracket 115 so tha~
it is moved up and dcwn with the lower jaw 16 when the wDrm 98 rotates.
The trailing piece 112 can on the other hand be m wed in relation to the lewer jaw 16 and sits in slight frictional engagement on one of the guide rods lO0. The frictional engagement between the trailing piece }12 and the guide rod 100, i~ adjusted such that when the guiding body 102 mave~ along th~ guide rod 100 the trailing piece 112 initially remains stationary on the guide rod 100 until it lies adjacent to the under-3ide of the guide body 102 in the manner shown in Figure 8 and iB
carried along by it. The ~railing piece 112 i8 in one embodlment ~a ~eflon plate which at one end carries a bu~h surroundLng the a~sociated guide rod 100. The trailin~ ~witch 10 i8 a CUt-DU~ ~witch which switches off the elec~ric mDtor 82 when activated by the trailing piece 112. The bracket 114 i8 also attached to the guLding body 102 and projects at a distance over the trailing piece 112 and has an adjusting crew 116 which ~an be BCreWed through the freP end of the bracket 114 to limit the travel of the trailing piece 112 between the guid mg body 102 and the brack2t lI4. The bracket 114 6erves to carry along the trailing piece 112 when the lower jaw 16 i6 maved in the direction of the upper jaw 15 80 as to close the clamp 12 and clamp a pile of paper therein. If ~he trailing piece 112 WaB not carried along by the bracket 114 it w~uld bring full pres~ure on the roller and the wiper of th9 trailing switch 110 and damage them.

,, , , , ~ , , ' ~ ; ~' , :

-The function of the trailing 6witch 110 i8 aB 0110w8: During the clo~ing movement of the clamp 12 the bracket 114 carries the trailing pieoe 112 along with it which in thi6 po6ition activates the trailin~
switch 110 and bring~ it into the "CN" positiorl. As a result the electric motor 82 iB released to close the clamp 12 and a pile of paper can be clamped. When the clamp 12 is opened to deposit a pile of paper the guidi~g body 102 first moves away from the upper jaw 15 and ther~fore in the direction of the trailing piece 112 which because of its greater friction initially re~ains 6tationary on the guide rod 100~
Because the bracket 114 and the trailing switch 110 are attached to the same structural part, namely the guiding body 102t it i8 not only the adjusting ecrew 116 o~ the bracket 114 but also the roller of the trailing 6witch 110 which lifts away frcm the trailing piece 112 ~o that the trailing switch 110 mo~e6 into the "CFF" position and ~end6 a cut-out ocmmand for the elec~ric motor 82 over a cable 118 to the electronic oontrol, which is not shown. Ihu6 the electrio motor 82 switche6 off again after a slight opening movement. This slight opening mavement i~ enough to relea6e a pile of paper. In additicn, thi6 has the effect that the individual shelving ccm}~rtment~ 13 do not have to be high enough, when loaded bo their maxImum, for the clanp m wth to be able to be opened fully Ln the 6helving ccmpQrtrent.

FIGURE 10 shows the f~ont transfer end of the feed station 10 without paper piles and with the gripping device approaching.

It can be seen that the chain6 30 and 31 travel under the surface of the table 32 and that the transportLng cheeks 25 pass under the oover 36. On both ~ides of the feed chaLns 30 and 31 leading sheets 35 are also provided which guide the paper piles to the front end of the ., . ~ ' ' .

- 18 ~ l 3 2 5 4 3 8 feed station 10.

At the front end of the feed st~tion 10 the table 32 i~ interrupted EO
that the jaws 16 of the gripping device 2 can be moved vertically through it. For thia purpo~e the t~ble surface at: the front end i6 cut away ~uch that two extensions 28 and 29 have a distance between them corre~ponding to the distance bet~een the slots 19' in the clamp 12 tFIGURB 6). In addition the width of the eKten6ions 28 and 29 i8 leSB
than the width of the slots 19' at t~e f~ont end of the lcwer jaw 16 and therefore the arms 16' and 16" of the lower jaw 16 can be ~aved upwards through the plane of the table 6urface of the table 32.

Single sheeta of paper printed and provided wi~h a bar-code are oonveyed from the printer of a large DP unit over the conveyer belts 6 and 6' of the ~heet feeder 1 to the reading station6 11, æhown in FIGUR~ 2. In the reading 6tations 11 the pages are 6epara~ed and the printed kar oode iB read. Provided the bar-code doe6 not change, the individual ~heets are deposited between the 6ame Fair of tran6porting cheeks 25, 25' in the feed ~t~tio= 10 in PIGURE 3c However, as 600n a~
a ~eadi~g station 11 recngni6e6 a chang~e in the bar-code, the chain6 30 and 31 of the feed staticn 10 convey the deposited pile of paper further until it f mally reache6 the front end of the table 32 in FIGURE 10.

Ib transfer each pile of paper frcm the feel station 10 into one of the shelving compartment6 I3 of the ~helving 3, the gripping device 2 i6 brvught into po6ition through the front end of the feed station 10 ~uch ... .

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that when the m~uth 18 iB ccn~letely open the lower jaw 16 lie8 ~lightly below the table surface of the table 32 (FI~URE 10). The eiector 17 iB at this stage withdrawn oompletely in the direction of the disc 63 of the gripping device head 60 BO that the mouth 18 is oompletely oEen. Ihe transporting cheeks 25, 25~ of the ChalI)B 30 and 31 thus oo~vey the piles of paper into the mouth 18 of the clamp 12, which thereupon i~ closed by activation of the electric motor 82 (FIGURE 7), The gripping device 2 i8 then withdrawn on the sliding carriage 52 of the manipulating aubo~aton 4 (FIGVRE 4) Ln the y-diroction, while ~imultaneoucly the gripping device hea~ 60 (FIGURE 5) ie rotated 180 in a clockwise direction. In this way the upper 3ide of the upper jaw 15 of the clamp 12 beoomes a lower reference plane for the approach to the shelving ccmpartment 13 in the position in FIGMRE
8. Because the electronic control has stored the load height of the individual shelving conFartment~ 13, the gripping device 2 on the nanipulating automaton 4 is raised up to a level corre~ponding to the comp~rtment height plus the lo~d height. SimNltaneously the manipulating automaton move6 in the x-direction to the correct vertical column of shelving cccç~rtment~.

The correct shelving comportment in the x and z-direction~ has now been ~elected ao the gripping devi oe 2 ~an be mDved in the y-direction into the shelving ccmportment 13. At the same time the light sensor 14 ~FIGURE 6) which i8 ~till directed downwards registers the height of ~he actual load ~ondition of the shelvLng ccmpartnent 13 approached, becau~e paper may be removed from a shelving c~mp~rtment by hand which condition is therefore not entered in the paper-height memory. If there has in fact been a removal of paper and the gripping device 2 therefore holds the pile of paper toD high, then a subsequent oontrol ' .

- 20 ~ l 3 2 5 4 3 8 mD~ement downwzrds automatically tak~s place which lowers the gripping device 2 on the handling autcmaton 4 until the light sen~or 14 tran~mlt~ a corresponding oontrol signal which indicate6 that the clamp 12 i8 holding the pile of paper only a few milli~etres above the base of the shelving or the uppermost sheet of the pile of paper last deposited.

When this position iB reached the electrcm~tor 82 i~ operated in theopposite direction to the operati~n carried out immediately before and therefore the clamp 12 opens and the lewer jaw 16 is moved upwards.
Shortly afterwar~ a relative m~vem~nt starts between the ejector 17 and the gripping devioe 2 60 that the piaton rcd 22 is ~riven out at the same rate as the clamp 12 iB withdrawn from the shelving compvrtme~t 13. In thi~ way the prongs 21 of the ejector 17 r~main ~tationary and prevent the pile of paper from slipping out of the shelving compurtment 13.

A~ soon a~ the cla~p 12 i~ calrpletely withdra~ frc~m the shelving co~urtL~t 13 the pi~ton rod 22 of the ejector 17 i6 moved in again (Fi~. 7). The griEping device 2 then returns to the front end of the feed station 10 SFIGURE 10). ~ the way the griE~ping device head 60 i~
again rotated 1~0 but thi~ time ar~ti-clocl~iee (~5) to return to the position Gha~n in FIGtlRES 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 and to be ready to accept the neoct pile of paper.

It should be noted that mQdifications of the ~reot ~hown fall within the scope of prot~tion of the pateIIt cla~ms. For ~nple, th~
~liding carriage 52 can be ~unted on a turntable ~i~ can be maved up and da~ along the guide rode 40 ~n FIGURE 4. ~y using a turntable the .

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- 21 - l 325438 gripping device 2 can service ~oth a left-hand and a right-hand shelvLng 3, by having the supporting ~tructure 50 with the gripping devioe being rotatable 180~ in the vertical plane. Light karrier~ in evQry embodlment usefully protect operating per6annel from entering the area of m wement of the gripping device 2 or the manipulating automaton 4, in that the pa~er di6tribution de~ice acoordin~ to the invention i6 switch~d off when an operator breaks through a light barrier. The ~rrangement and oontrol of light barriers such as this are known to specialist~ in the art.

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Claims

1. A paper distribution device for the automatic distribution of piles of paper into individual compartments of shelving, with at least one conveyer belt, a manipulating automaton and an electronic control, characterized by - a feed station connected to said at least one conveyer belt, on which single sheets of paper or piles of paper sealed at the edges can be distributed into piles conveyed by the conveyer belt;
- a gripping device arranged on the manipulating automaton and which can be positioned by electronic control at the end of the feed station;
- the gripping device has a clamp to grasp and carry single sheets of paper or piles of paper from the feed station;
- the gripping device is provided with a light sensor to register the load in each shelving compartment approached thereof;
- the gripping device is provided with drive means (20) for rotating the clamp 180°, such that the clamp may be rotated during the transfer from the feed station to a shelving compartment;
- the manipulating automaton is movable along the shelving under automatic control;
- the gripping device is movable up and down on the manipulating automaton; and - the clamp of the gripping device is movable under automatic electronic control into and out of the shelving compartmemts.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamp of the gripping device has a fixed upper jaw and a lower jaw which can be moved towards the upper jaw.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner facing sides of the upper jaw and the lower jaw are covered with sponge rubber.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the two jaws comprise two parallel, essentially flat surfaces which have longitudinal slots.

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the two jaws are each formed with a central arm and two outer arms, the outer arms each being separated by a longitudinal slot, and in that the longitudinal slots are arranged in vertical alignment with each other.

6. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light sensor is arranged on the upper side of the upper jaw.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that the light sensor is arranged about midway along the central arm of the upper jaw.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping device is provided with an ejector.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the ejector reaches into the mouth formed by the jaws and can be moved in the mouth parallel to the longitudinal extent of the jaws.

10. A device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the ejector has the form of a rake the prongs of which are connected by a cross-piece and extend through the longitudinal slots of the jaws, a piston rod being attached to the cross-piece outside the mouth and above the upper jaw and which can be driven in and out parallel to the upper jaw.

11. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the feed station has a pair of spaced-apart parallel endless chains with transporting cheeks attached at intervals thereto.

12. A device according to claim 11, characterized In that the chains are mounted in a table the front end of which has slots through which the arms of the lower jaw of the gripping device can be moved vertically.

13. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a trailing switch limits the opening movement of the clamp.