EP0062785A1 - Device for deviating flat flexible products, particularly printed products, from the transport stream - Google Patents

Abstract

For removing printed products out of their composite product formation or arrangement the grippers of a conveyor device which grippingly retain such printed products are opened by means of a release device. Viewed in the product conveying direction, the printed products are bent in a substantially saddle-shaped fashion forwardly of the release device, so that these folded or bent printed products are stiffened and, following the release thereof, they can drop downwardly along a substantially straight fall path into a stacking chute. For appropriately kinking or bending the printed products there is provided a saddle-shaped support member at which come to bear the printed products at the region of their trailing edges, such printed products being grippingly retained at their leading edges by the grippers approximately at the central region thereof. The printed products can be detached or released out of their product formation along an extremely short path even when working with high conveying speeds of the conveyor device.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for detaching flexible, flat products, in particular printed products, which are held by grippers of a conveyor fastened at intervals to a traction element, from the flow according to the preamble of claim 1.

From GB-PS 921 064 a device of this type is known, in which the products (printed single sheets) are stacked after being released by the grippers. In order to ensure that the released products are deposited properly even at a relatively high conveying speed, the trailing edge of the released products must be braked shortly before they are released by the grippers by means of a braking device that works with negative pressure. The provision of a satisfactorily operating braking device requires a corresponding design effort. In addition, this solution has the disadvantage that in the case of multi-sheet printed products, such as newspapers and magazines, only a part of the sheets are retained by the braking device, while the remaining sheets continue to move unaffected by the braking device. There is therefore a risk that such multi-sheet printed products will be damaged.

The device according to US Pat. No. 1,465,385 has similar disadvantages relating to the complex construction, in which each product (single sheet) released by the grippers is kept in suspension during alignment by means of an air cushion. Because of the resulting delay in depositing each product, the stacking process cannot be accelerated at will. This means that the operating speed of this device is limited.

The present invention has for its object to provide a device of the type mentioned, which is of simple construction and can be produced inexpensively and with which even at high conveyor speeds of the conveyor both thin and thick products, especially multi-sheet printed products, perfectly can be detached from the flow within a very short distance.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

The kinking of the products approaching the release device stiffens, with the result that the products, after being released by the grippers, immediately and essentially move downward in a straight line under the action of gravity. This means that the products can be removed from the flow stream practically at the location of the triggering device, i.e. over a very short distance, possible. No additional forces have to be applied to move the products downwards. Also no means to slow down the products are necessary.

This detachment of the products is ensured in particular if the latter prior to being released into a gable roof-shaped structure with one in the conveying direction running ridge line. In order to obtain such a gable roof shape, a gable roof or rod-shaped support, which ends at a distance in front of the triggering device and is arranged below the conveyor, is preferably provided, on which the products held at their leading edge on the grippers are at least in the direction of the product Area of the trailing edge come to rest.

Further advantageous developments of the device according to the invention form the subject of the remaining dependent claims.

• Fig. 1 in Seitenansicht eine Vorrichtung zum Herauslösen von in einer Schuppenformation geförderten Druckprodukten aus dem Förderstrom mit ausgeschalteter Auslöseeinrichtung und ausgefahrenen Anschlägen,
• Fig. 2 die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 1 mit eingeschalteter Auslöseeinrichtung und eingefahrenen Anschlägen,
• Fig. 3 einen Schnitt durch die Vorrichtung etwa entlang der Linie III-III in den Figuren 1 und 2,
• Fig. 4 und 5 in zu Fig. 2 bzw. 3 entsprechender Darstellung ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung ohne Anschläge.

An exemplary embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

• 1 is a side view of a device for releasing printed products conveyed in a scale formation from the conveying stream with the release device switched off and the stops extended,
• 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 with the triggering device switched on and retracted stops,
• 3 shows a section through the device approximately along the line III-III in FIGS. 1 and 2,
• 4 and 5 in a representation corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, a further embodiment of a device according to the invention without stops.

The conveyor shown in the figures and designated 1 corresponds to the conveyor both in structure and in operation, which is described in detail in DE-OS 25 19 561 and the corresponding US Pat. No. 3,955,667. For this reason, the structure and mode of operation of this conveyor 1 are only briefly explained below. The conveyor 1 has a chain 3 guided in a channel 2, to which grippers 4 are fastened at intervals. The chain 3 is described in detail in CH-PS 588 647 and the corresponding GB-PS 1 549 283. Each gripper 4 has a fixed clamping tongue 5 and a movable clamping tongue 6 cooperating with it. When the grippers 4 are closed, the two clamping tongues 5, 6 hold the printed products 7 firmly in the region of their leading edge 7a (folded edge). The movable clamping tongue 6 is held in its closed position by means of a locking element 8. The grippers 4 are opened by means of a release device 9 (FIG. 3) which is attached to a holder 10 fastened to the channel 2. This triggering device 9 has a control element 11 which can be raised and lowered by means of a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit 12. The piston-cylinder unit l2 is actuated by means of an electro-pneumatic directional valve 13, which is connected to a compressed air connection, not shown. This directional valve 13 is connected to a controller 14. In its lower, end position shown in FIG. 3, the control element 11 is inactive on the blocking elements 8, so that the grippers 4 that pass by are not opened (FIG. 1). However, if this control element 11 is in its upper end position, it acts on the locking elements 8 of the grippers 4, whereby the movable clamping tongues 6 are unlocked and pivoted into their open position. The printed products 7 are released, as shown in FIG. 2.

In the area of the triggering device 9 there are two rod-shaped ones Stops 15 and 16 arranged opposite each other with respect to the grippers 4. Each stop 15, 16 is drive-connected to a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit 17 or 18. The stop rods 15, 16 are displaced in the direction of their longitudinal axis, ie in the direction of arrow B, by the associated piston-cylinder unit 17, 18. The piston-cylinder units 17, 18 are connected via a connecting line, not shown in the figures, to an electro-pneumatic directional valve 19, which is also connected to the controller 14 and which is attached to the channel 2. Furthermore, this directional valve 19 is connected to a compressed air source, not shown. In Figures 1 and 3, the stops 15, 16 are shown in their extended position, in which they are outside the conveying path of the printed products 7. Figure 2 shows the stops 15, 16 in their retracted position, in which they protrude into the aforementioned conveying path. This retracted position is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3. Arranged on the underside of the channel 2 is a proximity switch 20 of a known type, which generates a clock pulse when each gripper 4 passes, which is fed to the controller 14. The control clock is determined by these pulses generated by the proximity switch 20.

Furthermore, a counter 21 is attached to this channel 2, which is also of a known type. This counter 21 has a finger 22 protruding into the conveying path of the printed products 7, which is actuated by the leading edges 7a of the printed products 7 moving past and generates a counting pulse with each actuation, which is also fed to the controller 14.

Seen in the conveying direction A of the conveyor 1, a guide element 23 or 24 is arranged in front of each stop 15, 16, which covers the assigned stop 15, 16 in its extended position and ensures that none of the printed products 7 on the stops 15 in the extended position , 16 triggers

A stacking shaft 25 is arranged below the stops 15 and 16 and is defined by shaft walls 26, 27, 28 and 29. In order to avoid injury to the printed products 7, the shaft walls 27, 28 and 29 are bent in the area of their upper corners 27a, 28a and 29a. The stacking shaft 25 is closed at the bottom by a lifting and lowering support table 30.

Seen in the conveying direction A, a support member 31 for the printed products 7 is arranged in front of this stacking shaft 25. The ridge line 31a of this support member 31 runs essentially parallel to the conveying direction A. The support member 31 is provided with side parts 32 which extend in the vertical direction. The support member 31 ends at a distance from the in stops 15 and 16 located in the retracted position and has at this end facing the stops 15, 16 obliquely downward edges 33. The gable roof-shaped support member 31 is preceded by a rod-shaped support element 34, which is essentially aligned with the ridge line 31a of the support member 31.

Seen in the conveying direction A, a support part 35 for the printed products 7 passing the stacking shaft 35 adjoins the stacking shaft 25. This support part 35 can be of any desired design and can consist, for example, of two parallel rods. However, it is also possible to provide only one rod.

• Wie die Figuren zeigen, werden die Druckprodukte 7 an ihrer vorlaufenden Kante 7a durch die Greifer 4 etwa in der Mitte gehalten. Sobald die Druckprodukte 7 im Bereich ihrer nachlaufenden Kante 7b auf dem stabförmigen Auflageelement 34 zur Auflage kommen, werden sie um eine Knick-oder Biegelinie 36, die im wesentlichen in Förderrichtung A verläuft, geknickt oder gebogen. Die Druckprodukte 7 erhalten somit eine satteldachartige Form, wie das aus den Figuren deutlich hervorgeht. Anschliessend kommen die Druckprodukte 7 auf dem satteldachförmigen Auflageorgan 31 zur Auflage, wodurch den Druckprodukten eine definierte Satteldachform erteilt wird. Durch dieses Knicken um die Linie 36 wird eine Versteifung der Druckprodukte 7 bewirkt. Dieses Versteifen ist für den noch näher zu beschreibenden Herauslösevorgang von grosser Bedeutung.

The operation of the device described above is as follows:

• As the figures show, the printed products 7 are held at their leading edge 7a by the grippers 4 approximately in the middle. As soon as the printed products 7 come to rest on the rod-shaped support element 34 in the region of their trailing edge 7b, they are bent or bent around a crease or bending line 36, which essentially runs in the conveying direction A. The printed products 7 thus have a gable roof-like shape, as can be clearly seen from the figures. The printed products 7 then come to rest on the gable roof-shaped support member 31, as a result of which the printed products are given a defined gable roof shape. This kinking around the line 36 stiffens the printed products 7. This stiffening is of great importance for the removal process to be described in more detail.

1 and 3, the triggering device 9 is shown in its switched-off state. This means that the control element 11 is in its lower, inactive Position in which it is, as mentioned, out of action on the locking elements 8 of the gripper 4. At the same time, the stops 15 and 16 are completely retracted, so that they are outside the conveying path of the printed products 7. The grippers 4 run past the release device 9 without being opened and transport the printed products 7 under the stops 15, 16 over the stacking shaft 25, as shown in FIG. 1.

If printed products 7 are now to be detached from the scale formation and stacked in the shaft 25, the triggering device 9 must be switched on and the stops 15, 16 moved into the conveying path. By means of a "release" command, the controller 14 generates synchronized control commands for the directional control valves 13 and 19 on the basis of the clock pulses generated by the proximity switch 20, wherein it is taken into account that the triggering device 8 is arranged at a certain distance behind the stops 15, 16 in the conveying direction A. is. The directional control valves 13 and 19 are switched by the control commands generated by the control 14. The result of this is that the control element 11 of the triggering device 9 is brought into the upper end position and the stops 15 and 16 are moved downward in the direction of arrow B into their operative position, in which they protrude into the conveying path, as in FIG. 2 is shown. The controller 14 ensures that the triggering device 9 is switched on and the stops 15 and 16 are moved into the conveying stream in synchronism with one another.

The passing grippers 4 are now opened in the manner already mentioned by the release device 9. As a result, the printed products 7 are released, which are now in contact with the stops 15 and 16 with their leading edge 7a. At the moment of the attack the Druckpro are products 7 no longer on the support member 31, but still have their gable roof-like shape. As FIG. 2 shows, rebounding of the printed products 7 striking the stops 15, 16 is prevented by the trailing edge 7a of the printed products bumping against the inclined edges 33 of the support member 31. The released print products 7 fall down into the stacking shaft 25 due to their own weight and come to rest on the support table 30 or on the print products already resting on this. The gable roof-like shape of the printed products 7 results in a stabilization of the movement of the printed products 7 during their free fall into the stacking shaft 25. This is particularly advantageous for thin products that tend to rock during free fall. This stabilization of the levitation movement of the printed products 7 ensures that the latter fall down essentially in a straight line. This enables the printed products 7 to be stacked aligned with one another. Special measures for aligning the stack can therefore be limited to a minimum or can even be omitted.

The roof-like shape of the printed products 7 has further advantages. In a floor plan projection, the printed products 7 occupy a smaller area in their gable roof-like shape than when they are spread out in the floor plan level. As a result, the products released by the grippers 4 can be inserted between the shaft walls 26, 27, 28 and 29 without difficulty. In the course of the falling movement, the two halves of the printed products 7, which are bent along the line 36 and originally form an angle with one another, are pivoted back up into a common plane. The printed products 7 come with their side edges into contact with the shaft walls 26, 27, 28 and 29, thereby guiding and aligning the printing pro products 7 is effected. Irrespective of the thickness of the printed products 7, a perfect stack formation thus takes place.

As already mentioned, the counter 21 generates a counting pulse for each print product 7 passing by, which is fed to a counting device of the control 14. The desired number of printed products per stack is entered into this counter. The counting pulses cause this counting device to count down. If the latter has reached zero, 14 control commands are generated in the control, by means of which the directional control valves 13 and 19 are switched. The triggering device 8 is switched over and the stops 15 and 16 are again moved upwards out of the flow. The grippers 4, together with the print products 7 held by them, pass the stacking shaft 25, which can now be emptied in a known manner.

The stiffening caused by the bending of the printed products around a line 36 running essentially in the conveying direction A before hitting the stops 15 and 16, and the gable roof shape obtained in this way have the consequence that after release the printed products are essentially rectilinear due to their own weight fall down into the stacking shaft 25. The printed products 7 can consequently be removed from their formation at the location of their release by the grippers 4 and guided away.

The above-described device can of course also be designed differently from the one shown in various parts. Only some of the possible design variants are explained below.

In the manner described with reference to the figures, simple and reliable folding of the printed products is possible. However, it is conceivable to use other means to print the products or otherwise bend or bend. The support rod 34 connected upstream of the gable roof-shaped support member 31, which causes the printed products to pre-bend, can also be omitted under certain circumstances. Furthermore, in certain applications, the gable-shaped support member 31 could be replaced by a support rod that corresponds to the support element 34.

The triggering device 9 and the stops 15 and 16 can also be actuated hydraulically or in another suitable manner instead of pneumatically. Other conveyors of a suitable design can also be used, e.g. a conveyor as described in DE-OS 31 o2 242 or the corresponding GB-OS 2 068 892. Each gripper 4 can also hold two or more printed products 7.

Several delivery points for the printed products 7 can also be provided, which are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction A, as is known from DE-OS 27 52 513 and the corresponding GB-PS 1 568 752. A triggering device 9 and stops 15, 16 would have to be provided at each of these delivery points. Since, as already mentioned, the printed products 7 can be detached from the conveying stream over a very short distance, these delivery points can be arranged closely one behind the other.

It goes without saying that the printed products 7 detached from the scale structure do not necessarily have to be stacked. For example, it would be conceivable to place the detached printed products 7 on a conveyor belt instead of on the support table 30, which is located below the shaft formed by the walls 26, 27, 28, 29.

Correct removal of the printed products 7 from their formation, as has been described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, is also possible without the provision of the stops 14 and 15. A corresponding before Direction is shown in Figures 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 2 in its representation, while FIG. 5, which shows a section along the line V-V in FIG. 4, is comparable to FIG. 3 in terms of representation. Corresponding parts have been given reference numerals in FIGS. 4 and 5, which differ by 100 from the reference numerals in FIGS. 1-3. For example, the conveyor designated 101 in FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponds to conveyor 1 according to FIGS. 1-3.

Since, as already mentioned, the device according to FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 only in terms of the lack of the stops 15 and 16 and their piston-cylinder units 17 and 18 and also corresponds in terms of function to the latter, reference is made to Structure and mode of operation of the device according to FIGS. 4 and 5 refer to the corresponding explanations made in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

As already explained with reference to FIGS. 1-3, also in the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the stiffening caused by the bending of the printed products 107 around a line 136 running essentially in the conveying direction A and the gable roof shape obtained in this way result, that after their release by the grippers 104, the printed products 107 fall substantially straight down into the stacking shaft 125. The printed products 107 can consequently be released from their formation at the location of their release by the grippers 104, i.e. in the area of the release device 109, and guided away.

The guide elements 123 and 124, which after the stops 15 and 16 no longer serve to cover them, now take over the function of an upper guide for the printed products 107. The guide elements 123, 124 extending over the stacking shaft 125 come to rest on both sides of the bending line 136 of the gabled roof-shaped printed products 107 on the upper side thereof. The guide elements 123, 124 thus prevent the side edges of the printed products 107 from moving upward after their release by the grippers 104.

Since, as mentioned in both embodiments, the printed products experience a stiffening due to the kinking, not only thick, multi-leaf products but also thin products and single sheets can be processed with the described devices, since such stiffening means that such thin products are less susceptible to injuries. It should also be pointed out that the devices described can also be used to remove flexible, flat products other than printed products from the conveying stream.

Claims (18)

1.Device for removing flexible, flat products, in particular printed products, which are held by grippers of a conveyor which are attached at intervals to a traction element, from the conveying stream, in which the products preferably overlap like scales, with at least one triggering device which can be switched on and off, which opens the passing grippers when switched on, characterized by means (131) for kinking the products (107) in the region of the conveyor path upstream of the triggering device (109). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (131) for bending the products (107) about a substantially in the conveying direction (A) extending line (136) to a gable roof-like shape. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for kinking the products (107) in the conveying direction (A) of the conveyor (101) are arranged in front of the triggering device (109). 4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for kinking the products (107) have a support (131) arranged below the conveyor (101) on which the at their leading edge (107a) of the grippers (104) held products (107) at least in the area of the trailing edge (107b) come to rest. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the support (131) ends at a distance in front of the triggering device (109). 6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the support (131) is formed in the form of a gable roof. 7. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the support is rod-shaped. 8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support (131) at its end facing the triggering device (109) has a bevel (133) extending in the conveying direction (A) away from the conveyor (101). 9. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that seen in the conveying direction (A) of the gable roof-shaped support (131) is preceded by a rod-shaped support element (134) which is aligned with the ridge line (131a) of the support (131). 10. Device according to one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, seen in the conveying direction (A) in front of the triggering device (109), a guide element (123, 124) for the products (107) is arranged, which on the top of the products ( 107) is intended to act. 11. The device according to claims 4 and 10, characterized in that the guide member (123, 124) adjoining the support (131) in the conveying direction (A) of the conveyor (101) is formed essentially in the form of a gable roof. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the guide member has two elements (123, 124) extending in the conveying direction (A) of the conveyor (101) and each arranged on one side of the movement path of the grippers (104). 13. Device according to one of claims 1-12, characterized in that a shaft (125) for receiving the released products (107) is arranged below the conveyor (101) in the region of the triggering device (109). 14. Device according to claims 4 and 13, characterized in that the shaft (125) in the conveying direction ( _A ) of the conveyor (101) connects to the support (131). 15. Device according to one of claims 10-14, characterized in that the guide member (123, 124) extends over the shaft (125). 16. Device according to one of claims 13 - 15, characterized in that the shaft is designed as a stacking shaft (125). ₁ 7. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the stacking shaft (125) is completed below by a preferably lifting and lowering support table (130). 18. Device according to one of claims 1-17, characterized in that the grippers (104) hold the products (107) in the region of the center of their leading edge (107a).

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