EP0113286A1 - Jogging and stacking table for sheet-like articles, especially stacks of paper sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A vibrating table for receiving articles (F) in sheet form, in particular sets of sheets of paper, for stacking them in a pile forming zone (ZF), from any rotary assembling machine and the like, providing for reception on a jogging means of articles successively delivered by said machine and falling on to said zone (ZF), of the kind comprising a detection member responsive to a characteristic parameter of a pile in the course of being formed, characterised in that an evacuation zone (ZE) is provided on the vibrating table (10) beside the pile-forming zone (ZF) and that said table comprises a transfer means (25) controlled by said detector member which, when said characteristic parameter attains a predetermined value, displaces said pile from the formation zone (ZF) to the evacuation zone (ZE), said pile leaving the formation zone (ZF) during the time which elapses prior to the arrival of the following article.

Description

The present invention relates to a vibrating table for receiving sheet articles, in particular bundles of sheets of paper.

According to the current technique the bundles, or forms made up of sheets of the same format, or of format and / or of different nature, made up by an assembly machine known per se, are at the exit of this one stacked on a vibrating table with plan inclined adapted to allow the equalization of the articles in sheets and thus to allow the formation of a regular stack.

When a stack of such sheet articles is formed with a predetermined characteristic size, it is common practice to stop the assembly machine to remove the formed stack; after evacuation of the battery in question the assembling machine is again started and so on.

As regards in particular bundles composed of sheets, of format, nature and / or different shapes, the thickness of the stack cannot exceed a determined threshold and the number of bundles contained in the stack formed on the vibrating table finds it limited.

Given the rate of the assembly machine, the formation of stacks on the vibrating table requires only a short time, so that the assembly machine is stopped frequently, and this all the more frequently in the case where the bundles include sheets. of different formats or shapes in large numbers or not.

It is therefore understandable that frequent stoppages of the assembly machine have a detrimental influence on its performance which is reflected in the final cost of the products obtained.

The present invention relates to a vibrating table which makes it possible to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a vibrating table for receiving sheet articles, in particular bundles of sheets of paper, with a view to stacking them in a stack-forming zone, of the type comprising a detection member. sensitive to a characteristic size of a pile being formed, this vibrating table being characterized in that a discharge zone is provided next to the pile formation zone, and in that it comprises a device for transfer controlled by said detector member so as to move said stack from the stack-forming area, to the discharge area, when said characteristic quantity reaches a predetermined value.

Thus, according to the present invention, when a stack is formed at the stack forming zone, and this stack comprises a preselected number of sheets or bundles, the detection member controls the transfer device so that it drives the stack formed outside the movable parts of the assembly machine to the evacuation zone where it must be evacuated.

The pile formed in the pile-forming zone being transferred immediately after it has reached its characteristic size, the zone in question is free for the formation of a new pile, so that the assembling machine operates without interruption between each pile formed at the stack forming area.

It will be observed that the vibrating table according to the invention solves in a simple manner the problems posed until now in particular in the field of the performance of assembly machines, perforators, or other concerning the making of works such as bundles, forms and other.

• la figure 1 est une vue en plan schématique d'une assembleuse à trois portes de distribution équipée d'une table vibrante selon la présente invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective schématique de la table vibrante ;
• les figures 3 à 5 montrent en élévation différentes phases de fonctionnement de la table vibrante selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will also emerge from the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an assembler with three distribution doors equipped with a vibrating table according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the vibrating table;
• Figures 3 to 5 show in elevation different phases of operation of the vibrating table according to the invention.

Depending on the embodiment chosen and shown in the figures, a vibrating table according to the invention indicated as a whole by 10, is in particular intended, although not exclusively, to be placed at the end of an assembly deck 11 of an assembly machine having a distribution assembly 12 comprising for example three distribution stations 11A, 11B, 11C, on each of which is placed a stack of sheets F which may be of a format and / or of a different nature from one station to another. Next to the distribution stations, a handling device 13 is placed capable of removing the sheets from each of the stations one by one, and placing them on the abovementioned assembly deck 11.

Such an assembly machine will not be described in more detail, given that it is not part of the present invention and that it has been described in French patent application No. 2,489,797 of September 10, 1980 in the name of applicant.

The vibrating table is supported by a chassis equipped with means suitable for printing vibrations, said vibrating means not being shown here because they are known per se; it comprises a plate 20, quadrangular, with on its upper face respectively a front stop 21 and a longitudinal stop 22 forming between them an angle of 90 °, and which are perpendicular to the plane of the plate. On its underside, the tray 20 is provided with means capable of supporting a transfer device generally indicated at 25 adapted to transport a stack of sheets, or bundles, formed in the area of stack formation ZF, towards an evacuation area ZE spaced from the previous one, said zones being in the example shown one after the other in the extension of the assembly deck 11 of the assembling machine.

Such a transfer device is for example carried by a frame C (partially shown in Figures 2 to 5) arranged on the underside of the plate 20; this transfer device comprises claws 26 fixed to a movable carriage consisting of a plate comprising a connecting bar 27 of the claws, longitudinal members 28 fixed by one end to the aforementioned connecting bar, and by the other end, to a cross member 29, having a central section parallel to the plane of the plate, and terminal parts each having a square arm with two branches 29A, 29B, said arms themselves being substantially bent at right angles, downwards, by compared to the central section. The aforementioned crosspiece is fixed by hinge pin 32, 33, and at the elbows of the square arms 29A, 29B, to slides 35, 36 movable on two rails 37, 38 whose ends are fixed to the aforementioned chassis, while that the free ends of the arms 29B are themselves linked by articulations 40, 41, to an endless drive chain 42, 43 meshing with toothed wheels 44, 45, 46, 47.

The toothed wheels 44, 45 are fixed on a single shaft carried by the chassis C and are driven using a motor 48, while the toothed wheels 46, 47 are mounted to rotate, each on an axis 49, 50 , carried by the chassis C, this in order to allow the passage of the claws 26 during the operation of the transfer device.

In order to allow free movement of the claws, the front stop provides as many passages 60 as there are claws; (four in the example shown); it is the same for the plate 20, which has longitudinal slots 20A extending from the front stop, to the vicinity of the discharge zone ZE.

At the level of the evacuation zone ZE, the plate 20 carries a means, for example a photoelectric cell 55, suitable for actuating the aforementioned motor 48 as will be seen later, while the chassis C carries substantially directly above the evacuation zone ZE an end-of-travel control 70 for moving the claw-carrying carriage, and substantially in line with the stack-forming zone, another control member 71 so that the carriage claw holder is movable between these two controls 70, 71.

The vibrating table according to the invention is arranged as it is clearly visible in FIG. 1 in particular, at the end of the deck 11 of an assembly machine so that the leaves released from the assembly deck 11 fall to the area ZF stack formation; the plate as well as the stops frontal and longitudinal which are integral with it are inclined along a diagonal D of the plate 20 so that the bottom point of the plate is located at the corner formed by said stops and the plate, this low point being indicated by PB in FIG. 1. The table vibrating thus oriented, the leaves dropped in line with the stack formation zone ZF, are, under the effect of the vibrations, directed towards the stops both longitudinal and frontal on which, by two sides, they bear.

Referring to Figure 1, a stack of sheets, of different size and / or nature, is being formed at the stack forming area ZF, while the discharge area ZE is stack free , and that the transfer device is stopped in the standby position.

When the detection member sensitive to a characteristic size (not shown in the drawings because it can be of any kind) for example sensitive to a predetermined number of sheets, to the height or to the weight, of a stack, or still at a time measurement, is actuated, the motor 48 is set in motion, which drives the carriage in translation and, consequently, the claws 26 -which then form a movable front stop- towards the evacuation zone; the ZF stack formation area is therefore freed and a new stack can be formed at this location.

The carriage is stopped in its movement when one of the sliders, for example the slider 36, abutting the control 70, for example a stop microswitch, actuates the latter; the stack thus displaced is then at the evacuation zone ZE; it masks the photoelectric cell 55 which keeps the carriage immobilized in the aforementioned zone until the battery has been discharged.

Two possibilities can then arise.

The first is that an operator evacuates the battery present in zone ZE; in doing so, the photocell 55 being released, orders the starting of the drive motor 48 of the chains, so that the carriage and the claws are moved towards the zone of formation of pile ZF (FIG. 5) until that the slider 36 actuates the control member 71 which stops the carriage. At this location of the carriage, the claws 26 are returned to the standby position between the lights 60 formed in the fixed front stop 21. It is observed that the structure of the carriage and its connection with a strand of the transmission chains, allows tilting claws 26 which are thus, during their journey from the battery discharge zone, to the pile formation zone, retracted under the plate 20, then, at the end of this path, again projecting with respect to the face top of the tray.

When the stack, at the stack forming zone, reaches a determined characteristic quantity, a new cycle is triggered and so on so that the assembling machine operates continuously.

Alternatively, the formed stack brought to the discharge zone ZE is not discharged in time for any reason. In this case the photoelectric cell 55 does not give the order to start to the carriage which thus remains immobilized in the battery discharge zone, and when the battery in the battery formation zone reaches the predetermined characteristic quantity, l control member 71 not being biased by the slide 36 orders the immediate stop of the feed device of the collating, punching or other machine, so that the feeding of the sheet articles to the stack forming zone ZF is stopped

A formed stack is therefore in place at the stack forming area, and another formed stack is in place at the discharge area; when the latter is evacuated, the photoelectric cell 55 orders the departure of the carriage towards the stack formation zone, the claws 26 being retracted during this movement under the underside of the plate 20.

When the slide 36 arrives at the level of the control member 71, the claws are again in the standby position, and this member orders the departure of the carriage towards the evacuation zone ZE, while the feed device for the the assembly machine is restarted to form a new stack at the ZF stack forming area.

• a) ordonne le transfert d'une pile de la zone de formation vers la zone d'évacuation lorsque la pile a atteint une grandeur caractéristique prédéterminée,
• b) ordonne l'arrêt du dispositif d'alimentation des articles en feuilles à la zone de formation ZF de pile, lorsqu'une pile est formée à cette zone et qu'une autre pile est présente à la zone d'évacuation ZE.

It is observed that the control member 71 ensures respecti The following functions:

• a) orders the transfer of a pile from the formation zone to the evacuation zone when the pile has reached a predetermined characteristic quantity,
• b) orders the stopping of the device for feeding the sheet articles to the stack formation zone ZF, when a stack is formed in this zone and another stack is present in the discharge zone ZE.

In this way, thanks to a vibrating table according to the invention, the collator is no longer stopped at the end of each stack, but only if a stack brought to the discharge zone is not removed at the end of forming a pile at the formation area.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown, which is susceptible to modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. Vibrating table for receiving sheet articles, in particular bundles of sheets of paper, with a view to stacking them in a stack-forming zone, of the type comprising a detection member sensitive to a size characteristic of a stack in progress to be formed, characterized in that a discharge zone (ZE) is provided next to the pile formation zone (ZF), and in that said table comprises a transfer device (25) controlled by said detector member, so as to move said stack from the formation zone (ZF) to the discharge zone (ZE) when said characteristic quantity reaches a predetermined value 2. Vibrating table according to claim 1, comprising a plate with a front stop and a lateral stop, characterized in that the discharge zone (ZE) is formed on the plate (20). 3. Vibrating table according to claim 1, characterized in that the evacuation zone (ZE) is in the extension of the formation zone (ZF). 4. Vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transfer device (25) is arranged under the plate (20). 5. Vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transfer device (25) comprises a movable carriage carrying claws (26) capable of occupying an active position for which they are protruding relative to the upper face of the plate (20) for transporting a stack from the formation zone (ZF) to the evacuation zone (ZE), or an inactive position for which they are set back relative to said upper face for their displacement from the zone evacuation (ZE) to the formation zone (ZF), said plate (20) and the front stop (21) comprising lights (20A, 60) capable of allowing the movement of said claws (26). 6. vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the claws (26) of the transfer device, form a movable front stop when transferring a stack from the formation zone (ZF), to the evacuation zone (ZE). 7. vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage is mounted displaceable on rails (37,38) distant from the underside of the plate (20) by means of pivot axes ( 32.33) in order to occupy the claws (26) carried by the carriage one or the other of the above positions. 8. Vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage comprises a plate (27,28) with at one end the claws (26) and at the other end a crosspiece (29) comprising laterally arms forming a square with two branches (29A, 29B), which are themselves folded down relative to the plate, the above-mentioned pivot axes (32,33) being situated at the elbow of the square arms, while the the free end of said arms is linked by articulations (40,4l) to an endless transmission chain (43). 9. vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the square arms (29A, 29B) are each associated by the aforementioned axes (32, 33) with a slide (35,36) movable on a rail (37.38) corresponding. 10. Vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one and / or the other of the slides (35,36) cooperates with control members (70,71) arranged substantially, for the one, directly above the pile formation zone (ZF), and for the other, directly above the pile discharge zone (ZE). 11. Vibrating table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (20) is arranged in the battery discharge zone (ZE), to receive a control member (55) suitable for ordering departure from the carriage to the battery formation area, as soon as the battery in the discharge zone is discharged.

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