EP0417503B1 - Method and means for handling piled, preferably folded printed products - Google Patents

Abstract

Above a pile support (1) which is formed by revolvingly driven separating rollers (2), a cuboid pile space (12) for receiving a pile of folded printed products (14) is arranged. The pile space (12) is inclined with one corner (12a) pointing towards the direction of movement (A) of the separating rollers (2). In the region of this corner (12a) of the pile space (12), a suction member (18) is arranged, which can periodically be moved in between two neighbouring separating rollers (2) to grasp and to draw through the corner of the respective lowest printed product (14). The printed products (14), which are freed from the pile by the separating rollers (2) which are moved along the pile base, are placed on a removal conveyor (24), lying on top of one another in the manner of roof tiles. The pile space (12) is inclined with another corner (12b) pointing in the conveying direction (C) of the removal conveyor (24) in such a manner that a shingled formation (S) is formed on the removal conveyor (24), in which the printed products (14) are arranged with one corner (25) leading. At the side of the shingled formation (S), two corners (26, 27) of each printed product (14) are exposed, at which individual printed products (14''') can be grasped and e.g. laterally removed. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for further processing of stacked, preferably folded printed products, according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 6.

From CH-A-598 106 and the corresponding US-A-4 127 262 a device for further processing of stacked printed products of this type is known. In this device, the lowest printed product in the stack is detected in the area of a corner by means of a suction head and drawn between two separating rollers which are moved along the base of the stack and form part of a stack support. Due to the separating roller moving between the lowermost printed product and the overlying printed product, the lowermost printed product is detached from the stack and falls onto a conveyor which is arranged below the stack. The stack is aligned so that it has two side edges that are perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor. The printed products thus detached are led away by the conveyor in a scale formation, in which the printed products lie on top of one another in the manner of roof tiles and with their leading edges run at right angles to the conveying direction of the conveyor.

In practice, this device has shown that the stack has to be pivoted by a small angle of a few degrees in relation to the conveying direction of the conveyor in order to form the desired scale formation on the conveyor, in which, as already mentioned, the printed products run with the leading edge at right angles to the conveying direction of the conveyor. This slight inclination of the stack is necessary because the separation of the printed matter begins at a corner thereof and the detachment of the printed matter continues in a direction which is transverse to the conveying direction of the conveyor, which means that the individual areas of the detached printed matter come to rest one after the other on the conveyor. Such devices with a stack that is slightly inclined relative to the conveying direction of the conveyor are sold by Ferag AG under the name "Schnellanleger RA" (High-Speed Hopper RA).

The devices described above have the advantage of a high degradation performance, but have the disadvantage that access to the individual printed products in the shed formation is associated with a certain effort for the purpose of individual processing of the printed products.

In addition, a device of a similar type is known (CH-A-637 087), but which is of somewhat different construction and in which the stack is not inclined neither to the direction of movement of the separating rollers forming the stack support nor to the conveying direction of the conveyor.

Furthermore, from GB-A-829 518 a device for pulling off the bottom sheet from a stack is known, in which the bottom sheet is gripped by a suction head and pulled down into the effective area by two pull-off rollers. The stack of sheets is inclined with respect to the direction of withdrawal of the rolls, so that the sheets are transported away by the take-off rolls with the corner previously gripped by the suction head. The sheets are pulled off and carried away one by one and one after the other, as a result of which the degradation performance is lower compared to the known devices mentioned above.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a method and a device of the type mentioned at the outset, which, at high output, permits easier processing and processing of individual printed products in the removed scale structure than is possible with the known devices explained at the outset is.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1 and of claim 6.

Due to the fact that the printed products are still placed on the conveyor with mutual overlap, but in such a way that all side edges of the printed products run transversely to the conveying direction of the conveyor and have a corner in the direction of the conveying direction, on the one hand a perfect conveying away in rapid succession from Stack of detached printed matter guaranteed and on the other hand easy access to the individual printed matter possible. In the away This is because the areas of two corners of each printed product and certain areas of side edges are completely exposed. This allows easy handling of the individual printed products.

From EP-A-64 778 a device for dismantling a stack of folded printed products from below is known, in which the product stack partly rests on a conveyor belt. The stack is inclined with respect to this conveyor belt in such a way that the side edges form an angle of 45 ° with the conveying direction. The conveyor belt runs over a vacuum chamber and is perforated, so that the lowest product in the stack is applied to the conveyor belt by the vacuum and pulled away from the latter under the stack.

A conveyor is connected downstream of the conveyor belt and guides the products removed from the stack in a scale formation. This conveyor is now arranged in such a way that its conveying direction also includes an angle of 45 ° with the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, as a result of which the inclined position of the stack relative to the conveyor belt is canceled again by 45 ° and the side edges of the products carried away by the conveyor are at right angles, or run parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor.

Preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention form the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

in Draufsicht eine Vorrichtung zum Weiterverarbeiten von Druckereierzeugnissen;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II in Fig. 1, wobei jedoch gewisse Vorrichtungsteile weggelassen sind;

Fig. 3

in einer der Fig. 1 entsprechenden Darstellung eine Variante einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung; und

Fig. 4

die auf dem Wegförderer gebildete Schuppenformation in Seitenansicht in Richtung des Pfeiles Z in Fig. 1

Die in den Figuren dargestellte Vorrichtung weist eine Stapelauflage 1 auf, welche durch in gegenseitigen Abständen angeordnete, zueinander parallele Trennwalzen 2 gebildet wird. Die Walzen 2 sind an ihren Enden an einer Kette 3 bzw. 4 befestigt, die in einem Kettenkanal 5 (siehe Fig. 2) verläuft. Die endlosen Ketten 3, 4 sind um Umlenkräder 6 bzw. 7 geführt, von denen ein Umlenkrad auf nicht dargestellte Weise angetrieben ist. Die Trennwalzen 2 werden somit entlang einer geschlossenen Umlaufbahn in Richtung des Pfeiles A umlaufend angetrieben.Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

in plan view a device for further processing of printed products;

Fig. 2

a section along the line II-II in Figure 1, but certain parts of the device are omitted.

Fig. 3

in a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, a variant of a device according to the invention; and

Fig. 4

the scale formation formed on the conveyor in a side view in the direction of arrow Z in Fig. 1st

The device shown in the figures has a stack support 1, which is formed by mutually parallel, mutually parallel separating rollers 2 becomes. The rollers 2 are fastened at their ends to a chain 3 or 4 which runs in a chain channel 5 (see FIG. 2). The endless chains 3, 4 are guided around deflection wheels 6 and 7, of which a deflection wheel is driven in a manner not shown. The separating rollers 2 are thus driven all the way along a closed orbit in the direction of arrow A.

Above the stacking support 1 there is a stacking table 8 with stops 9, 10, 11, of which the stops 9 and 10 are designed as corner stops. These stops 9, 10, 11 define a cuboid stacking space 12 (FIG. 1), which is inclined with a corner 12a pointing towards the direction of movement A of the separating rollers 2. This inclination of the stacking space 12 is shown in Fig. 1 by the angle α. This angle α is approximately 20 °. The stacking space 12 is used to hold a stack 13 of folded printed products 14, e.g. Newspapers, magazines and parts thereof (Fig. 2). In the figures, the fold edge of these printed products 14 is designated by 14a, while their side edges are designated by 14b and 14c and their open side by 14d. The corner stop 9 is fixed, while the stops 10 and 11 can be adjusted by means of an adjusting mechanism 15 and 16, respectively, in order to be able to adapt the size of the stacking space 12 to the format of the printed product 14 to be processed.

The separating rollers 2 move during their rotation in the direction of arrow A along the base surface 13a of the stack 13 (FIG. 2) and roll on the lowest printed product 14 in the stack 13. The direction of rotation of the separating rollers 2 is indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 2. It is necessary that the peripheral speed of the separating rollers 2 corresponds to their feed speed. To achieve this, a friction bar is provided adjacent to a chain, which is shown only schematically in FIG. 1 and is designated by 17. The separating rollers 2 roll with their conical end on this friction bar 17, which is adjustable in a manner not shown at right angles to the direction of movement A of the separating rollers 2.

Below the corner 12a of the stacking space 12 defined by the corner stop 9 there is a suction head 18 which is attached to one end of an angle lever 19 (FIG. 2). This angle lever 19 is guided at the other end by means of a roller 20 in a guide rail 21. The angle lever 19 is further connected to a planetary gear 23 by means of a joint 22. The structure of the drive for the suction head 18 and the movement path of the latter generated thereby are described in more detail in the previously mentioned CH-PS 598 106 (or the corresponding US-PS 4 127 262). The suction head 18 can also be periodically connected to a vacuum source, not shown.

The suction head 18 moves periodically between two adjacent separating rollers 2, detects a corner 27 of the lowermost printed product 14 'and pulls this corner 27 between successive separating rollers 2, as shown in Fig. 2. Due to the separating roller 2 entering the opening between the lowermost printed product 14 'and the overlying printed product 14', the lowermost printed product 14 'is launched 13 replaced. The suction head 18 is disconnected from the vacuum source at the appropriate time and moves up again through the space between the two following separating rollers 2 to detect the next printed product 14 Druck, such as that in the aforementioned CH-PS 598 106 and the corresponding one U.S. Patent 4,127,262 is described in more detail. The less pronounced inclination of the stack 13 (α = approx. 20 ° compared to approx. 45 ° in the known device) compared to the previously known device, as shown and described in the aforementioned patents, makes it easier to bend the corner captured by the suction head 18 27 and thus the fold edge 14a, particularly in the case of thick printed products 14.

A conveyor 24 is arranged below the stacking support 1 and under the stacking space 12, the conveying direction C of which forms an angle β with the direction of movement A of the separating rollers 2 (FIG. 1). The stacking space 12 is now inclined with one of its corners 12b in the conveying direction C of the conveyor 24 by an angle γ (FIG. 1) such that the printed products 14 detached from the stack 13 with all side edges 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d transversely to the conveying direction C. of the conveyor 24 running on this conveyor 24 or in the manner of a roof tile on the previously detached printed product 14, as can be seen particularly clearly from the floor plan figure 1. This inclination of the stacking space 12 with respect to the conveying direction C of the conveyor 24 is now selected such that the angle γ mentioned is greater than approximately 15 °. The stacking space 12 is preferably inclined such that this angle γ is between approximately 30 ° and 60 ° and in particular between approximately 30 ° and 45 °.

1, 2 and 4 show, the printed products 14 are placed overlapping on the conveyor 24 and guided away from it in a scale formation S, in which one corner 25 of the printed products 14 runs ahead. As is clear from FIG. 1, two corners 26 and 27, which are located to the side of the scale formation S, are completely free in this scale formation S which is carried away. Furthermore, the folded edge 14a and one side edge 14b are complete and the other side edge 14c and the open side 14d are only partially accessible. For each printed product 14, an L-shaped area 28 is not covered by the next printed product 14 lying above it. This area 28 is thus also accessible.

This is in contrast to the previously mentioned device according to CH-PS 598 106 (or the corresponding US-PS 4 127 262), in which the printed products detached from the stack are led away in a scale formation in which the leading edge of the printed products is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor and in which all corners of the printed products either rest on the preceding printed product or are covered by the next printed product.

Since, as mentioned, the two corners 26 and 27 of each printed product 14 lying to the side of the scale formation S are not in contact with another printed product, it is possible to act individually on the printed products 14 in the region of these corners 26, 27 without difficulty. So it is possible, for example, on one along the Removal conveyor 24 arranged, only schematically shown removal station 29 (FIG. 1) to grasp individual products 14 in the area of corner 27 by hand or with mechanical means and to pull them laterally out of scale formation S in the direction of arrow D. In this way, individual printed products 14 can be removed from the scale formation S very easily, as is shown in FIG. 1 by the printed product 14 dargestellte shown in broken lines. Since the area 28 of each printed product 14 which is not covered by the subsequent printed product 14 is relatively large, the printed product 14 which can be seen from the scale formation S can be easily identified optically in the scale structure. This makes it possible to manually or mechanically easily remove certain printed products 14 from the scale formation S '.

Placing the printed products 14 detached from the stack 13 in the scale formation S shown in FIG. 1 has the further advantage that the height H of the scale formation in the region of the corner 12a of the stack space 12 is relatively low (see FIG. 4). This makes it possible to arrange the conveyor 24 comparatively close to the underside of the stack 13a, so that the drop height of the detached printed products 14 is as small as possible.

FIG. 3 shows a variant of the device according to the invention in a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, in which the detachment of the printed products from the stack 13 and the depositing of the printed products 14 on the conveyor 24 in a scale formation S takes place in the same way as that with the aid of FIG 1 has been explained. Because of this identity between the embodiments according to 1 and 3 are no longer all reference numerals entered in the latter.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs from that according to FIG. 1 in that the conveyor 24 is followed by another conveyor 30 and / or 31. The conveyors 30, 31 have a conveying direction E or F, which forms an angle δ or δ 'with the conveying direction C of the first conveyor 24. The conveying direction E or F of the downstream conveyors 30, 31 is selected with respect to the conveying direction C of the first conveyer 24 so that in the shingled formation S 'carried away by these downstream conveyors 30, 31, the printed products 14 assume a position in which the leading edges 14a and 14b is perpendicular to the conveying direction E and F of the conveyors 30 and 31, respectively. Thus, a "normal" scale formation S 'can be formed in a simple manner from the scale formation S conveyed by the conveyor 24, as is often required for further processing. It should also be pointed out that in the scale formation S 'carried away by the conveyor 30, the leading edge of the printed products 14 is formed by the folded edge 14a, while in the scale formation S' which is led away by the other conveyor 31, the leading edge is formed by the Side edge 14b is formed.

In both of the embodiments shown, the removal conveyor 24 is arranged such that the printed products 14 are led away with the corner 25 in front. However, it is entirely possible to arrange the conveyor 24 with the conveying direction opposite to the conveying direction C, so that the printed products are led away with their corner opposite to the corner 25 and the open side 14d ahead.

In addition, it would also be possible to rotate the conveyor 24 by 90 ° with respect to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, so that the printed products 14 with the corners 26 and 27 can be led away in advance. However, with such a variant, structural changes to the separation roller circulation are necessary compared to the embodiments shown.

Claims (12)

1. A method for the processing of printed products (14), stacked in a stack (13) and preferably folded, in which in succession in each case the lowest printed product (14') in the stack (13), resting on a stack support (1), is picked up in the region of a corner (27), is moved downward by this corner region and is then separated from the stack (13) by a separating element (2), which in the downwardly moved corner region (27) enters between the printed products (14', 14'') lying one above the other and is moved in a direction running transversely to the lateral edges of the stack (13) along its base surface (13a), and the printed products (14) thus separated in succession from the stack (13) are deposited overlapping each other onto a conveyor (24) arranged beneath the stack support (1) and are carried away by it in a scale formation (S), characterised in that the printed products (14) are placed with all lateral edges (14a-14d) running transversely to the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) onto the printed product (14) in each case previously separated from the stack (13), and are carried away with one corner (25) leading.
2. A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that for separation from the stack (13), the printed products (14) are picked up in the region of a corner (27), which in the scale formation (S) which is carried away, becomes a trailing corner.
3. A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that in the scale formation (S) which is carried away, action is taken on individual printed products (14'''), in their region (28) which is not covered by the printed product (14) lying thereabove.
4. A method according to Claim 3, characterised in that action is taken in the region of one of the two exposed corners (26,27) of individual printed products (14''') lying laterally in the scale formation (S) which is carried away.
5. A method according to Claim 4, characterised in that individual printed products (14''') are picked up in the region of one of the exposed corners (27) and are drawn out laterally from the scale formation (S).
6. A device for the processing of printed products (14), stacked in a stack (13) and preferably folded, with a stack support (1), which is formed by cylindrical separating elements (2), driven so as to circulate along a closed path and arranged at distances from each other, with a square-shaped stack chamber (12) provided above the stack support (1), which is placed obliquely with one of its corners (12a) pointing towards the direction of movement (A) of the separating elements (2), with a drivable isolating element (18) arranged beneath the stack support (1), which element is able to be introduced periodically between two adjacent separating elements (2) to pick up and pull through the region of the corner (27) of the lowest printed product (14) in each case pointing towards the direction of movement (A) of the separating elements (2), and with a continuously drivable conveyor (24) arranged beneath the stack support (1), the conveying direction (C) of which forms an angle (β) with the direction of movement (A) of the separating elements (2) and onto which the printed products (14), separated in succession from the stack (13), are deposited overlapping each other, characterised in that the square stack chamber (12) is placed obliquely with one of its corners (12b) pointing in the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) at such an angle (γ) with respect to the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) that the printed products (14) separated from the stack (13) come to rest with all lateral edges (14a-14d) running transversely to the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) and with one corner (25) pointing in the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) on the conveyor (24) or on the printed product (14) previously deposited thereon.
7. A device according to Claim 6, characterised in that the angle (γ) at which the stack chamber (12) is obliquely placed, between the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24) and a lateral face of the stack chamber (12), which adjoins the corner (12b) of the stack chamber (12) pointing in this conveying direction (C), amounts to at least approximately 15°.
8. A device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the stack chamber (12) is placed obliquely at an angle (γ), which lies between approximately 30° and 60°, preferably approximately between 30° and 45°.
9. A device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the stack chamber (12) is placed obliquely with a corner (12b) pointing in the conveying direction (C) of the conveyor (24), which is different from the corner (12a) pointing away from the direction of movement (A) of the separating elements (2) and which is preferably adjacent to the latter.
10. A device according to Claim 6, characterised by a work station (29) arranged along the conveyor (24), at which action is taken on individual printed products (14''') in their region which is not covered by the printed product (14) lying thereabove.
11. A device according to Claim 10, characterised in that the work station is constructed as a removal station (29), at which individual printed products (14''') are picked up in the region of one of the two exposed corners (26,27) lying laterally in the scale formation (S), and are withdrawn laterally from the scale formation (S).
12. A device according to Claim 6, characterised in that a second conveyor (30,31) is arranged after the first conveyor (24), the conveying direction (E, F) of which second conveyor forms an angle (δ ,δ') with the conveying direction (C) of the first conveyor (24) such that in the scale formation (S') which is carried away by the second conveyor (30,31), the leading edges (14a, 14b) of the printed products (14) in each case form a right angle with the conveying direction (E, F) of the second conveyor (30, 31).

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