EP0214458A2 - Device for uniting two concurrent flows of overlapping articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A device for combining two adjacent overlapping product streams (4 and 5, respectively), more particularly streams of folded products, to form a common product stream (6), comprising two overlapping product stream guides (1 and 2) converging in the direction of feed in a V-like manner and running at the same speed and whose end sections (1a and 2a) defining identical planes of conveyance are in the form of a miter which is symmetrical to a bisector of their angle, and adjacent to the point of intersection of the inner edges the overlapping product streams (4 and 5, respectively) resting on them, have a non-supporting section (14 and 14a), which has a deflector means (14 and 15a, respectively) coming into engagement with the inner edges of the overlapping product streams (4 and 5, respectively) and arranged above same and by means of which the edge section, which is respectively passing over the non-supporting section (14 and 14a) of the overlapping product stream guides (1 and 2), of the sequentially moving products (13) of the two overlapping product streams (4 and 5, respectively, which in their direction of motion have an offset (S) equal to half the product spacing) may be lowered out of the original conveying plane characterized in that the deflector means in the form of a non-driven repelling means (15 and 15a, respectively) having a smooth working surface (16) free of cam elements.

Description

The invention relates to a device for combining two shingled streams running side by side, in particular consisting of folded products, into a common product stream, with two shingled stream guides which converge in the V-shape and have the same speeds and whose end planes have the same transport planes, in the manner of a miter miter symmetrical to the bisector between their transport directions are formed and in the area of the intersection of the inner marginal edges of the shingled streams lying on them have a support-free area, to which a deflection device which comes into engagement with the inner marginal edges of the shingled streams and is arranged above the latter is assigned, by means of which the deflecting device passes over the unsupported area of the shingled stream guides Edge area of the successive products of the two, in the running direction, a displacement of their products corresponding to half a scale distance having shingled streams from the original transport level can be lowered.

In the unpublished DE-A 34 10 327 a cam disk is proposed to form the deflection device, which cam has a plurality of tooth-shaped cams, the mutual spacing of which corresponds to half the scale spacing. This cam must be in time with the incoming products, i.e. H. are driven in such a way that the successive cams come into engagement with the products of one or the other shingled stream arriving in alternating order. It can now happen that the scale spacing does not have the accuracy that is required with a constant drive of the cam disk in order to ensure reliable cam engagement with the respectively assigned products. A frequent readjustment of the speed or the angular position of the cam disc is therefore necessary, which is detrimental to the ease of use. In addition, the cam must be driven here, which has an adverse effect on the construction costs.

Proceeding from this, it is therefore the object of the present invention to simplify a device of the type mentioned at the beginning and to improve it in such a way that a high level of user-friendliness is ensured even with an inaccurate scale spacing.

This object is achieved in a surprisingly simple and cost-effective manner in that the deflection device is designed as a smooth, camless outer contour having a drive-free deflector.

The deflector according to the invention, due to the displacement of the products of the two shingled streams by half a shingled spacing, automatically engages alternately with the front edges of the products of these two shingling streams which exceed the angle bisector in alternating order between the transport directions of the two shingled streams to be combined. The leading edge of a preceding product of the one shingled stream is deflected downwards in such a way that the leading edge of the following product of the other shingling stream, which initially retains the original height orientation due to its inherent rigidity, lies on the edge area of the preceding product that runs in under the deflector and then overlapped again in the same way in the course of further transport from the leading edge of the subsequent product of the one scale stream. The desired combination of the two streams of shingles can thus advantageously be achieved even without punctiform intervention, as is the case with a cam disc. This does not apply therefore advantageously not only the drive for the deflection device, but at the same time it is also ensured that each product comes into reliable engagement with the deflection device, regardless of the scale spacing. An adjustment or readjustment of the deflection device which is dependent on changes in scale spacing is therefore not necessary here. The advantages that can be achieved with the invention can thus be seen in particular in their simplicity, while at the same time being reliable and user-friendly.

In an advantageous embodiment of the superordinate measures, the camless outer contour of the deflector can have a downwardly convex course. This ensures that the products engage the deflector without any significant stress on their surfaces. The measures mentioned thus advantageously result in a gentle and trouble-free operation. In a further expedient embodiment, the radius of curvature of the camless outer contour can be smaller than the scale spacing, preferably in the range between 1/4 and 1/2 of the scale spacing. This results in a relatively strong curvature, which ensures that the deflector only detects one product over a large area of the scale spacing, so that the subsequent product has already achieved a large overlap when it comes to engagement with the stripper itself.

In this context, it is also advantageous if the engagement area of the deflector is opposite the intersection of the inner marginal edges of the two scale streams is slightly forward in the direction of transport, at most by half the distance between the scales. This measure also has an advantageous effect in that a comparatively large route is available for the overlay of the successive products before the subsequent product is detected by the deflector, which has a positive effect on the functional reliability.

Another expedient measure can be that the distance of the deflector from the surface of the scale flow guides is adjustable. This makes it possible to adjust the deflector, which is stationary during operation, to the respective thickness of the products to be processed.

In an advantageous embodiment of the higher-level measures, the deflector can be designed as a rotatably mounted, disk-shaped roller. This roll rolls with its un-profiled outer circumference on the products passing underneath it, which protects them in a special way.

Another advantageous embodiment can consist in the fact that the deflector is designed as a rigid runner. This results in a particularly simple design.

A further particularly preferred measure can consist in the fact that, in order to form the support-free area of the shingle flow guides associated with the deflector, they simply have a step over which the shingle flows pass. This results in advantageously automatically a level reduction, whereby the deflector is relieved, which also has an advantageous effect on achieving a gentle mode of operation.

Further expedient refinements and advantageous developments of the superordinate measures result from the following description of some exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing in conjunction with the remaining subclaims.

• Figur 1 eine Draufsicht auf die erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung,
• Figur 2 eine Seitenansicht der Auslenkeinrichtung von Figur 1 in vergrößerter Darstellung und
• Figur 3 eine Seitenansicht einer anderen Ausführung der Auslenkeinrichtung.

The drawing shows:

• FIG. 1 shows a top view of the device according to the invention,
• Figure 2 is a side view of the deflection device of Figure 1 in an enlarged view and
• Figure 3 is a side view of another embodiment of the deflection device.

The scale flow delivery according to the invention is, as can best be seen from FIG. 1, a top view of a Y-shaped scale flow guide with two inlet branches 1, 2 converging at an acute angle in the transport direction at an acute angle and one with the course of the bisector between the transport directions of the inlet branches corresponding outlet branch 3. The outlet-side end regions 1a and 1b of the inlet branches unite in the manner of one indicated by a dash-dotted line indicated symmetrical miter angles bisecting the angle, so that the scale streams 4 and 5 arriving on the inlet branches 1, 2 and having their products offset by half a scale distance overlap in the miter area and are thus pushed together to form a common scale stream 6 which is transported away on the outlet branch 3 becomes.

The inlet branches 1, 2 and the outlet branch 3 are formed by belt guides arranged in accordance with the Y-shaped basic configuration with lower belts 7 or 8 or 8a, on which the respective scale streams 4 or 5 or 6 lie. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the end regions 1 a and 2 a of the inlet branches 1, 2 are formed as separate band guide sections containing the lower bands 8 a, which are arranged in a straight extension in each case upstream of band guide sections formed by the lower bands 8. The belt guide sections forming the inlet branch end regions 1a and 2a are at the same level. The same applies to the preassembled tape guide sections. The band guide forming the outlet branch 3 is located at the level of the band guide sections forming the end regions 1a and 2a on the inlet branch side. The lower belts 8a of the end region 1a or 2a on the inlet branch end are offset in relation to one another in the transport direction in such a way that there is no belt engagement with the shingled stream resting on the other inlet branch, thereby preventing the products from rotating. Accordingly, the respective outer bands 8a can extend practically over the entire miter area. The belts 8a located further inside are shortened. The area between the mutually shortened belts 8a of the end sections 1a and 2a on the inlet load side can be fanned out by support strips or plates or by a table run over by the upper run of the belts 8a.

Outside the miter area formed by the end sections 1a and 2a on the inlet branch side, ie outside the area of mutual product overlap, the products of the shingled streams 4 and 5 simply rest on the belts 8 of the respective belt section. In the area of the end sections 1a and 2a, which adjoin one another in the form of a miter, however, guidance and forced transport of the products are required in order to ensure reliable, rotation-free transport of the products despite the mutual insertion of the products of the one shingled stream between the products of the other shingled stream. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the band guides forming the end sections 1a and 2a on the infeed side have upper bands 11 assigned to their outer lower bands 8a extending over the entire miter area, so that there is a clamping gap 10 at the outer edge of the end sections 1a and 2a, into which the corresponding Products run in with their outer edge edges facing away from one another and are thus forcibly guided and transported practically over the entire miter area without changing direction, as can best be seen from FIG. 2. The lower run of the clamping band 11 is, as can further be seen in FIG. 2, to bring about a reliable engagement by pressure rollers 12 on the upper run of the respectively assigned one Lower band 8a pressed. In simple cases, instead of the clamping bands 11 which can be pressed on by pressure rollers 12, only a plurality of pressure rollers arranged one behind the other could also be provided.

The belt guides forming the inlet branches 1 and 2 and the outlet branch 3 are driven forcibly, with at least the belts 8 and 8a of the belt guide sections on the inlet branch having the same speed. In the illustrated embodiment, the belts 7 of the outlet branch should also have the same speed, so that the scale spacing s in the region of the outlet branch 3 is exactly half the scale distance S in the region of the inlet branches 1 and 2. However, it would also be conceivable to drive the belts 7 at higher or lower speeds in order to achieve an increase or decrease in the scale spacing resulting in the area of the outlet branch 3. Only the lower belts are driven here. The upper clamping bands 11 or the pressure rollers 12 assigned to them do not require any drive.

The products forming the shingled streams 4 and 5 to be combined can be cardboard blanks or the like. In the exemplary embodiment shown, these are supposed to be folding products 13 which were designed with their folding backs ahead of a folding apparatus arranged downstream of a printing press. The two shingled streams 4 and 5 can result from the fact that two shingled streams are designed or that interlocking folded products are designed in the form of a simple shingled stream and then be pulled apart. The two shingled streams 4 and 5 to be combined with one another are guided outside the area shown in FIG. 1 in such a way that their respective folded products 13 are offset by half a shingle spacing S in the direction of transport. In the area of the inner intersection of the inner marginal edges of the two shingled streams 4 and 5, the respective folded products 13 of these two shingled streams meet accordingly with a displacement corresponding to half a shingled spacing S, i.e. the inner front corner of the folded products 13 of the one shingled stream meets approximately in each case Area of the center of the shingle spacing on the side edge of the adjacent folded product 13 of the other shingle stream.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the folded products 13 of the one shingled stream between the folded products 13 of the other shingled stream, which are transported obliquely and at the same level, in the area of the mutually facing inner edge edges of the shingled streams 4 and 5 to be combined at the point, at which the folding products meet, alternating insertion gaps 17 are formed, into which the respectively arriving folding products 13 of the adjacent shingled stream can enter, as FIG. 2 clearly shows. After a first mutual engagement of the shingled streams transported at an angle to one another is produced, the folded products 13 of the two shingled streams 4 and 5 are pushed further together in the course of the further forward transport, a folded product 13 of the respective other shingled stream being in each case on one folded product 13 of the one shingled stream follows. The required side transport results automatically from the V-shaped arrangement of the two inlet branches 1 and 2.

To form the insertion gaps 17, the inner marginal edges of the successive products 13 of the two scale streams 4 and 5 are alternately deflected downward from their transport level, which is at the same height. In order to make this deflection possible, the products 13 are without support in the area of the intersection of their inner peripheral edges. For this purpose, a table provided in the miter area can be provided with a corresponding recess. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a gap 14 is provided between the band guide sections forming the outlet branch-side end sections 1a and 2a and the respective upstream band guide sections, so that there is a support-free area which extends here over the entire width of both band guides. The belt guides on the incoming load are subdivided accordingly at the beginning of the mitred area. To further facilitate the lowering of the products 13, the bands 8a of the end sections 1a and 2a are at a somewhat lower level than the bands 8 of the respectively preceding band guide sections, so that there is a step 14a which deflects the products 13 relieved, as Figure 2 clearly shows.

In the area of step 14a, the belts 8 and 8a of the successive belt guide sections are deflected by a roller 21 and 22, respectively, which extends over all belts 8 and 8a. The through each mutually adjacent rollers 21, 22 formed roller pairs of the two V-shaped converging belt guides are arranged symmetrically to the bisector between the two belt guides. The further deflection of the belts 8a of the belt guides forming the end sections 1a and 2a on the inlet side takes place via adjusting rollers 23 which are arranged parallel to the respective upstream deflecting roller 22 and which are arranged in pairs symmetrically to the bisector of the angle.

In order to accomplish the downward deflection of the products 13, in the support formed here by the gap 14 or the step 14a, in which the mutual overlap of the products 13 of the two scale streams 4 and 5 begins, there is a middle between the two Inlet branches 1 and 2 forming band guides arranged, in the step 14a engaging, that is, having an engagement surface 16 lower than the higher transport plane of the rear belts 8 having deflector 15 are provided, which the incoming edge edges 13a and 13b of the products arriving in alternating order / of the two scale streams 4 and 5 pushes downwards, so that above the depressed edge 13a of a product from one scale stream there is an insertion gap 17 for the edge edge 13b of the subsequent product indicated by broken lines in FIG. 2 from the respective other scale stream. The edge edges of the products 13 initially, as indicated in FIG. 2 with reference to the edge edge 13b, maintain the height position defined by the transport plane of the belts 8 due to their inherent rigidity, so that in the region of the respective orderly insertion gap 17 a trouble-free overlapping over the adjacent edge 13a of the preceding product of the respective other scale flow is ensured. The engagement surface 16 of the deflector 15, which is convexly curved downward, is in permanent engagement with the marginal edges of the products 13 passing underneath, so that these are deflected reliably regardless of the accuracy of the scale spacing S. Due to / the convex curvature, the radius of which lies here between a quarter and half of the scale spacing S, scratches etc. can be avoided on the products. Due to the use of a relatively small radius of curvature, however, it is also ensured that not several successive edge edges 13a, 13b are evaluated simultaneously. For this purpose, the deflector 15 is further offset from the point of intersection of the inner peripheral edges of the shingled streams 4 and 5 to be combined with one another by an amount lying within half a shed spacing S in the transport direction, so that one over the one in FIG Line indicated by the bisector of the edge edge of a product of one shingled stream that has already passed a wide overlap with the edge of the respectively adjacent product of the other shingled stream before it is itself deflected downward to form the next insertion gap 17.

In the exemplary embodiment on which FIGS. 1 and 2 are based, a disk-like roller which is freely rotatably mounted on a lever 24 is provided to form the deflector 15 and which acts on the product passing underneath rolls. The plane of rotation of the roller forming the deflector 15 runs perpendicular to the transport plane through the bisector. The lever 24 holding the roller is clamped onto a cross member 25 and can be displaced and pivoted relative to the cross member 25 for lateral and vertical positioning of the roller forming the deflector 15. For this purpose, only the clamping device 26 has to be released.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, a rigid runner is provided to form a deflector 15a, which is also received on a crossbar 25 by a releasable clamping connection. The runner 15a is bent at its lower end to form a downwardly convex engagement surface 16. As in the arrangement according to FIG. 2, the engagement surface 16 is not profiled, i. H. designed as a smooth outer surface. With regard to the radius of curvature and the positioning of the engagement surface 16, the same applies as for the arrangement according to FIG. 2. To avoid running marks, the runner forming the deflector 15a can be provided with a plastic coating consisting, for example, of tetrafluoroethylene. The same can of course also be provided in the area of the roller forming the deflector 15 according to FIG. 2.

A further deflector design could consist, for example, in that an approximately mushroom-shaped element is provided, which is arranged with its rounded head facing downwards. In any case, it is a drive-free deflector with a smooth, preferably convex downwardly curved engagement surface and with the transversal angle going to the trans vertical plane of action. Instead of a centrally arranged deflector, two deflectors arranged side by side symmetrically to the bisector of the angle could of course also be provided.

The front edges or side edges of the folded products 13 are at right angles or parallel to the end direction, ie. H. aligned with the direction of the outlet branch 3. For this purpose, at the outlet-side end of the miter area of the inlet branches 1, 2 arranged alignment strips 19 are provided, which are assigned to the outer marginal edges of the shingled stream 6 already united, the running surface of which is oriented perpendicular to the transport plane and parallel to the outer marginal edges of the respectively assigned inlet branch 1 or 2. The alignment belts 19 have a grippy outer surface and are driven at a somewhat higher speed than the transport speed, so that the products 13 released by the clamping belts 11, each of which still have the orientation predetermined by the clamping belts 11, are pivoted such that their front edges are approximately vertical and their side edges are aligned approximately parallel to the running direction of the belts 7 forming the outlet branch 3. The aligning belts 19 can be followed by a vibrating device with vibrating bars 20 that run parallel to the side edges of the shingled stream 6 on the outlet side and perform a perpendicular vibrating movement. In the area of this vibrating device, the products 13 that have already been roughly aligned by the alignment belts 19 are finely aligned.

Claims (10)

1.Device for combining two shingled streams (4 or 5) running side by side, in particular consisting of folded products, into a common product stream (6), with two shingled stream guides (1, 2) converging in a V-shape converging in the transport direction and having the same transport planes End regions (1a, 2a) are designed in the manner of a miter symmetrical to the bisector between their transport directions and have a support-free region (14, 14a) in the area of the intersection of the inner edge edges of the shingled streams (4 and 5) resting on them, one of which with the inner peripheral edges of the shingled streams (4 or 5) which come into engagement and which is arranged above said deflection device (15 or 15a), by means of which the respective area (14, 14a) of the shingled stream guides (1, 2) passes Edge area of the successive products (13) of the two in the running direction a shifting of their shingled streams (4 or 5) having a product corresponding to half a shed spacing (S) can be lowered from the original transport level, characterized in that is characterized in that the deflection device is designed as at least one drive-free deflector (15 or 15a) which has a smooth, camless engagement contour (16). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the camless engagement contour (16) of the deflector (15 or 15a) has a downwardly convex course. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the radius of curvature of the downwardly convex engagement contour (16) is smaller than the scale distance (S), preferably in the range between 1/4 and 1/2 of the scale distance (S). 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (15 or 15a) is adjustable laterally and in height. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engagement contour (16) of the deflector (15 and 15a) relative to the intersection of the inner edge of the two shingled streams to be combined (4 and 5) in the transport direction slightly, preferably around is at most half the scale distance (S) forward. 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (15) is designed as a rotatably mounted, disc-shaped roller which is preferably received on a pivotably mounted, lockable lever (24). 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the deflector (15a) is designed as a rigid runner, which is preferably pivotally mounted and can be blocked. 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for the formation of the deflector (15 or 15a) associated, support-free area of the scale flow guides (1, 2) these have a step (14a) limited by successive band guide sections. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for the formation of the deflector (15 or 15a) associated, support-free area of the scale flow guides (1, 2), this has a gap delimited by successive band guide sections (14). 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims 8 to 9, characterized in that the gap (14) or the step (14a) are delimited by pairs of deflecting rollers (21, 22) arranged symmetrically to the bisector and that the belts (8a) of the the belt guide sections forming end portions (1a or 2a) on the input-load side are deflected on the one hand via a common deflecting roller (22) and on the other hand via parallel individual rollers (23).

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