EP0560836B1 - Arrangement for supplying sheet material to a further sheet transport system of a machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/EP91/02344 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 7, 1993 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 7, 1993 PCT Filed Dec. 6, 1991 PCT Pub. No. WO92/10418 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 1992.A device for feeding sheet material to a sheet transport system leading downstream in a machine, for example a printer, comprises a plurality of sheet material magazine stations, each of which is provided with a feed channel leading into the sheet transport system and with at least one friction roller set which can be selectively driven or stopped. Provision is made for the friction roller sets (28, 50) of the various magazine stations (2, 4) to be provided in each case with a mechanical clutch (72, 74) enabling them to be selectively coupled to a common drive motor, and for the clutches (72, 74) each to be provided with a clutch actuator ( 88, 96 ) cooperating with a control cam member (38 ) common to all the actuators (88, 96 ) and connected to a servomotor (108). In this way a plurality of friction roller sets can be operated with a single servomotor.

Description

The invention relates to a device of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.

Suitable devices are printers, which for example are to print on different types of paper, or also cash dispensers which are intended to issue different banknotes.

From DE 39 07 146 A1 a device of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 for a printer with several paper chutes is already known. Each paper chute is assigned a set of friction rollers, which can be coupled as required so that it conveys a sheet through the assigned feed channel into the further sheet transport system. The advanced sheet transport system includes several pairs of friction rollers that are constantly coupled to a transport motor. Since the friction roller sets assigned to the individual paper chutes may only be actuated individually and twice, they cannot be rotationally connected to the drive motor at all times. They therefore have their own clutches, each with its own drive, which are temporarily activated by a controller. As a result, the number of drives required is increased in the case of a device with several supply stations, so that a complicated structure, large structural dimensions and high costs for the device result.

It is the object of the present invention, a device in the preamble of claim 1 to create the type mentioned, which manages with a smaller number of drives independent of the number of storage stations provided, compared to the known solution, so that overall smaller construction dimensions and lower construction costs result.

This object is achieved by the features described in claim 1.

The friction roller sets of the individual supply stations can optionally be coupled to a common drive motor via mechanical clutches. This can also be the drive motor for the further sheet transport system, for example, since the further sheet transport system must always be activated when sheet material is fed from one of the supply stations. The clutches can be switched optionally by assigned clutch actuators. In order to make the clutch actuation elements as simple as possible and achieve the smallest possible structural dimensions and construction costs in the sense of the above-mentioned task, it is provided according to one feature of the invention that the clutch actuation elements of all friction roller sets interact with a single control element common to all actuation elements, which is connected to a servomotor. In this way, regardless of the number of supply stations, you can make do with a single drive motor for the drive and a servomotor for coupling all friction roller sets.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the friction roller sets in a manner known per se are each adjustably mounted between an applied pressure position on counter bearings and a lifting position via an associated adjusting element; In order to achieve a construction that is as simple as possible and therefore small in construction dimensions and construction costs, the adjusting elements of all friction roller sets in turn interact with a single control cam element which is connected to a servomotor.

To further simplify the device according to the invention, the control cam elements for actuating the clutches on the one hand and for adjusting on the other hand are combined to form a single control cam element which is driven by a servomotor. In this way, a separate control cam element and a further servomotor can be dispensed with, despite the possibility of pivoting the friction roller sets into a lifting position.

So that a single cam element can perform the various control tasks, it is provided according to the invention that this cam element is designed as a control roller rotatably mounted about its roller axis and that on the one hand axial surfaces lying transversely to the roller axis and on the other circumferential surfaces are designed as control surfaces.

In a device with two supply stations, the preferred approach is that the clutches have a common drive clutch disk that is rotationally connected to the drive motor have assigned two output clutch disks, each arranged on one side of the drive clutch disk and coaxial with it, adjustable in the direction of the disk axis, each of which is drive-connected to one of the friction roller sets; the drive clutch disk and the driven clutch disks each have cooperating clutch surfaces. The drive clutch disk located between the driven clutch disks can rotate continuously during a sheet transport operation, the driven clutch disks being coupled or uncoupled as required. Since the drive clutch disc runs empty when the friction roller sets are uncoupled, it can also be easily connected to the main motor for the further sheet transport system.

The output clutch disks are preferably each preloaded by spring means in the direction of the drive clutch disk, these spring means determining the clutch force. For uncoupling, the driven clutch disks are brought out of engagement with the drive clutch disk in the axial direction by means of shift levers engaging them; the shift levers are actuated by the associated control cam element, as will be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment.

The friction roller sets can each be swiveled into a lift-off position, for example to facilitate the insertion of sheet material between the friction rollers and the counter-bearings or to exclude any action of the friction rollers on sheet material running through if the sheet material is gripped by the further sheet transport system. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the friction roller sets comprise, in a manner known per se, one or more rollers, each of which is arranged on a pivot arm on a swivel shaft, the adjusting elements each being by an adjustment lever connected to a pivot axis is formed, which cooperates with the associated control cam element.

The control element for actuating the clutches and the control element for adjusting the friction rollers are, as already mentioned, preferably combined into a single control element, which is connected to a servomotor, preferably a reversible stepper motor. In this way, the control cam element can be adjusted, for example, from a neutral central position in two directions of rotation, one of the two sets of friction rollers being controlled in each direction of rotation, as will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment.

In order to determine the respective rotational position of the cam element, sensor elements are preferably embedded in it, which interact with sensor elements arranged outside the cam element; the sensor elements are connected to a controller which controls the adjusting motor into its respective positions using the signals coming from the sensor elements.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that at least individual control cams of the control cam elements are provided with rotation limit stops, against which the cam follower element interacting with these control cams comes to rest in a selected end position of the control cam element. The rotation limit stops ensure absolutely precise rotation angle positions for the cam element.

Fig. 1

schematisch eine Draufsicht auf einen Teil eines zwei Friktionsrollensätze aufweisenden Gerätes mit Einrichtungen zum Ankuppeln der Friktionsrollen an einen Antriebsmotor sowie zum Abheben der Friktionsrollen von den Gegenlagern;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht der Einrichtung der Fig. 1 in Richtung des Pfeiles II;

Fig. 3

eine Einzelheit aus Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

ein Steuerkurvenelement in zwei verschiedenen Seitenansichten;

Fig. 5

eine Einzelheit aus Fig. 2;

Fig. 6

ein Steuerkurvenelement in einer Frontansicht.

Further details, advantages and features emerge from the following description and the drawing, with reference to the disclosure of everything not described in the text Details are expressly referred to. In the drawing, an embodiment of the invention is shown, which is described in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1

schematically a plan view of a part of a device having two sets of friction rollers with devices for coupling the friction rollers to a drive motor and for lifting the friction rollers from the counter bearings;

Fig. 2

a schematic view of the device of Figure 1 in the direction of arrow II.

Fig. 3

a detail of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

a cam element in two different side views;

Fig. 5

a detail of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6

a cam element in a front view.

1 and 2 schematically show part of a printer with two supply stations 2 and 4, from which strip-shaped sheet material can be fed alternately to the further sheet transport system 6 of the printer. 1, which roughly shows a view in the direction of arrow I in FIG. 2, shows a friction roller set 8 belonging to the sheet transport system, which consists of three rollers 14 arranged on support arms 10 on a pivot shaft 12; the friction roller set 8 can be lifted by rotating the pivot shaft 12 from a plate 16 serving as a counter bearing, so that sheet material can be inserted between the rollers 14 and the plate 16. The rollers 14 are in a known manner by an all, roles with one Drive connecting flexible shaft drivable that does not hinder the lifting movement of the rollers 14.

The supply station 2 is connected to the input of the sheet transport system 6 via a feed channel 18. This feed channel 18 is essentially formed by two plates 20 and 22 which are parallel to one another. The plates 20, 22 form a collecting funnel for the sheet material in the area near the storage station 2. The plate 20 has openings 24 through which the rollers 26 of a set of friction rollers designated as a whole can reach. The plate 22 serves as a counter bearing for the rollers 26. The rollers 26 are fastened to a profiled swivel shaft 32 via support arms 30, so that they can be turned by turning the swivel shaft 32 from the pressure position shown in FIG can be pivoted, in which they release the feed channel 18. An adjusting lever 34 serving as an adjusting element is fixedly connected to the pivot shaft 32, the free end of which carries a cam follower pin 36 which interacts with a control cam element 38. By rotating the control cam element 38, the friction roller set 28 can be adjusted either in its pressing position or in its lifting position.

The second supply station 4 has a feed channel 40 which opens into the entrance of the sheet transport system 6. The feed channel 40 is likewise formed from two plates 42, 44 which are parallel to one another and which form a collecting funnel in their area close to the storage station 4, as shown in FIG. 2. The plate 42 on the left in FIG. 2 has openings 46 through which the friction rollers 48 can reach through a set of friction rollers designated as a whole with 50. The friction rollers 48 are arranged on a common, profiled pivot shaft 54 via support arms 52, so that the friction rollers 48 by rotating the pivot shaft 54 can be adjusted between a pressure position and a lifting position. An adjusting lever 56 serving as an adjusting element is connected to the pivot shaft 54; the free end of which carries a cam follower pin 58 which interacts with the cam element 38, as can also be seen in FIG. 1.

The friction rollers 48 can be driven via a common flexible shaft 60 that does not hinder the adjustment movement of the friction roller set 50. The flexible shaft 60 carries at its left end in FIG. 1 a drive pinion 62 which can be coupled to a drive motor in a manner described below.

In FIG. 1, the rear set of friction rollers 28 in the direction of view indicated by arrow I (see FIG. 2) is not completely shown for reasons of better clarity; the dash-dotted line 64 symbolizes the axis of the pivot shaft 32 and the dash-dotted line 66 symbolizes the axis of the friction rollers 26 or a flexible shaft driving them, which likewise carries at its left end in FIG. 1 a drive pinion 68, which is described in a further below Can be coupled with a drive motor.

The clutch arrangement 70 forms two clutches 72 and 74 for coupling the drive pinions 68 and 62 to a drive motor. It comprises a drive clutch disk 78 which is rotatably arranged on a bearing shaft 76 and which engages via an external toothing with a drive pinion 80 driven by a drive motor (not shown). The drive pinion 80 can be connected to the drive motor, for example, via a belt drive.

The first clutch 72 comprises a slidable and rotatable on the bearing shaft 76 in the direction of the double arrow 82 mounted output clutch disc 84, which is in engagement with the output pinion 68 via external teeth. The output clutch disk 84 is biased in the direction of the drive clutch disk 78 by a helical spring 86 coaxial with the bearing shaft 76.

A shift lever 88 engages between the drive clutch disk 78 and the driven clutch disk 84 and can be pivoted about an axis 90 perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1. When pivoting counterclockwise, the shift lever 88 lifts the output clutch disk 84 from the drive clutch disk 78 against the force of the coil spring 86. As a result, the output clutch disk 84 is uncoupled from the drive clutch disk 78 on the one hand and, on the other hand, braked by the shift lever 88 abutting the output clutch disk 84. The end of the shift lever 88 remote from the output clutch disk 84 interacts with the control cam element 38, which controls the pivoting movement of the shift lever 88. The width of the toothing of the driven clutch disk 84 on the one hand and of the driven pinion 68 on the other hand is dimensioned such that they remain in engagement with each shifted position of the driven clutch disk.

On the right side of the drive clutch disk 78 in FIG. 1, an output clutch disk 92 is arranged, which is rotatably and displaceably mounted in the direction of the double arrow 82 on the bearing shaft 76 and engages with the driven pinion 62. It is pretensioned by a helical spring 94 in the direction of the drive clutch disk 78 and can be disengaged and braked by a shift lever 96 which engages between the drive clutch disk 78 and the driven clutch disk 92 and which is also pivotably mounted about the axis 90. The far end of the output clutch plate 92 of the shift lever 96 in turn interacts with the cam element 38, which the Pivotal movement of the shift lever 96 controls.

From the foregoing it follows that the friction roller sets 28 and 50 can be coupled with a drive motor by a corresponding adjustment of the control cam element 38 by means of the shift levers 88 and 96 and can optionally be adjusted into their pressing position or lifting position by means of the adjusting lever 34 or 56. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the control cam element 38 is designed as a control roller which can be rotated about its roller axis 98. It is provided with a circumferential groove 100, the two mutually facing axial surfaces 102 and 104 of which are designed as control curves, as shown in particular in FIG. 4. The control cam element 38 is connected via a belt drive 106 to a stepper motor 108 which can be operated in both directions of rotation. At the right end of the control cam element 38 in FIG. 1, a control cam 126 is formed on the circumferential surface, the shape of which results in particular from FIGS. 5 and 6. The cam follower pins 36 and 58 of the adjusting levers 34 and 56 rest against this control curve. This control cam has two sections which are symmetrical with respect to an axial plane of symmetry 110 of the control cam element 36 and which are each essentially assigned to one of the cam follower pins 36 and 58 and thus form two control cams.

Fig. 3 shows an example of the shift lever 88. It is designed as a stamped and bent sheet metal part. Two lugs 112 which are upturned from the plane of the drawing in FIG. 3 hold bearing pins 114, via which the shift lever 88 can be pivoted about the axis 90 in a manner not shown in detail. In its upper area in FIG. 3, the shift lever 88 has a semicircular cutout 116 which can rest against an edge area 118 of the associated output clutch disk 84. This edge region 118 lies radially outside of the clutch surface interacting with the drive clutch disk 78. A projection 120 is formed on the lower side of the shift lever 88 in FIG. 3, which engages in the circumferential groove 100 of the cam element 38 and is held by the coil spring 86 for abutment on the axial surface 102. When the projection 120 slides into the recessed area 122 during a rotation of the cam element 38, the shift lever 88 is pivoted clockwise in FIG. 1, so that the output clutch disk 84 is coupled to the drive clutch disk 78. The second shift lever 96 is constructed essentially the same as the shift lever 88, so that a further description is unnecessary. When the projection 121 of the shift lever 96 abutting the axial surface 104 slides into the recessed area 124 of the axial surface 104, the shift lever 96 is pivoted counterclockwise in FIG and coupled with it.

The recessed areas 122 and 124 are offset from one another in the circumferential direction of the circumferential groove 100 by an angle α, as shown in FIG. 3. These two digits are labeled A and B, respectively. When the cam element 38 assumes the central position shown in FIG. 3, both projections 120 and 121 rest on non-recessed areas of the associated axial surfaces 102 and 104, respectively. By turning the control cam element 38 in one or the other direction by an angle α / 2, one of the two projections 120, 121 in each case reaches the assigned recessed area A or B, so that one of the two clutches 72 or 74 is coupled in each case . These two positions are referred to below as "position A" or "position B".

The control curve 126 formed on the right-hand side of the control cam element 38 on its circumferential surface in FIG. 1 is symmetrical in two by the plane of symmetry 110 Sections 126a and 126b are divided, the cam follower pin 36 being assigned to the section 126a and the cam follower pin 58 being assigned to the section 126b. The section 126a has a recessed area 128 at one end. As long as the cam follower pin 36 rests on the non-recessed area of the section 126a, the friction roller set 28 is pivoted clockwise in FIG. 5, ie pressed onto the plate 22. When the cam follower pin 36 slides into the recessed area 128, the friction roller set 28 is raised counter-clockwise from the plate 22.

Correspondingly, section 126b has a recessed area 130; when the cam follower pin 58 slides into the recessed area 130, the friction roller set 50 is pivoted counterclockwise in FIG. 5 and is thus lifted off the plate 44 serving as a counter bearing.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the control curve 126 serving to lift off the friction roller sets 28, 50 is in a middle position, in which both friction roller sets 28 and 50 assume their pressing position. The friction roller set 28 is lifted off by turning the control cam element 38 by the angle β, and the friction roller set 50 is lifted off by a rotation by the angle γ. The position of points A and B in relation to the position of the control curve 126 is also shown in FIG. 6.

The function of the facility is as follows:
In the middle position of the cam element 38 shown in FIG. 3, the two clutches 72 and 74 are open and the associated output clutch disks 84 and 92 are braked. At the same time, the two friction roller sets 28 and 50 are in their pressing position.

If paper material is to be fed from the supply station 2 to the sheet transport system 6, the main motor becomes started so that the drive clutch disk 78 rotates. The control cam element 38 is then rotated by the stepper motor 108 by an angle α / 2, as a result of which the clutch 72 is coupled and the friction roller set 28 is driven. As soon as the sheet material is gripped by the sheet transport system 6, the cam element 38 is rotated further in the same direction, the projection 120 of the shift lever 88 again leaving the recessed area 124, so that the clutch 72 is released again; Finally, the cam follower pin 36 reaches the recessed area 128 of the switching curve 126, so that the friction roller set 28 is pivoted into the lifting position. In this way, the further transport of the sheet material is uniquely provided only by the sheet transport system 6, so that tensioning or bulging of the sheet material is avoided. During this entire time, the projection 121 of the other shift lever 96 remains on a non-recessed area of the axial surface 102 and the cam follower pin 58 on a non-recessed area of the cam 126, ie the clutch 74 is released and braked and the friction roller set 50 is in the pressing position, so that sheet material located between the friction rollers 48 and the plate 44 is held.

When the supply of sheet material from the supply station 2 is to be ended, the friction roller set 26 is put on again by turning back the control element 38, the direction of rotation of the main drive motor is reversed and the clutch 72 is engaged again until the sheet material is retracted so far that it is feeding Sheet material from the second supply station 4 is not hindered.

To feed sheet material from the second supply station 4, the control cam element 38 is rotated in the other direction of rotation; otherwise the process proceeds in the manner already described.

3, 5 and 6, in which both friction roller sets are in the pressing position and are uncoupled, can be adjusted clockwise to position A, in which the friction roller set 28 is coupled to the drive motor , as well as in the end position defined by the recessed area 128, in which the friction roller set 28 is uncoupled again and at the same time is in the lifting position. In the same way, the control cam element 38 can be rotated counterclockwise to position B, in which the friction roller set 50 is in the pressing position and is coupled, as well as in an end position defined by the recessed area 130, in which the friction roller set 50 is uncoupled and in the lifting position .

Claims (11)

1. Device for feeding sheet material in single sheet form or web form to a downstream processing station in a machine, for example a printer, comprising a plurality of friction roller sets (28, 50) which are each allocated to a sheet material magazine station (2, 4) and are each able to be coupled via an associated clutch (72, 74) to a common drive motor, characterized in that the clutches (72, 74) are each provided with a clutch actuator (88, 96) which cooperates with a control cam arrangement (102, 104) common to all the actuators, in that the friction roller sets (28, 50) are each able to be moved, with the aid of an associated shift member (34, 56), between a pressure position and a liftoff position, said shift members (34, 56) cooperating with a common control cam arrangement (126a, 126b), and in that the control cam arrangements (102, 104; 126a, 126b) for the actuators (88, 96) and the shift members (34, 56) are combined in a single control cam member (38) which is connected to a drive motor (108) whose direction of rotation is preferably reversible.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the control cam member (38) is in the form of a control roller mounted for rotation about its roller axis (98), and in that axial surfaces (102, 104) lying transversely to the roller axis (98), on the one hand, and peripheral surfaces (126), on the other hand, are formed as control surfaces.
3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, for a machine having two magazine stations with each of which a friction roller set is associated, characterized in that the clutches (72, 74) have a common driving clutch disc (78) which is connected for rotation to the drive motor and with which are associated two driven clutch discs (84, 92), which are disposed one each side of the driving clutch disc (78), are coaxial with the latter and are movable in the direction of the clutch disc axis and each of which is drivingly connected to one of the friction roller sets (28, 50).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the driving clutch disc (78) meshes by means of peripheral toothing with a drive pinion (80) connected to the drive motor, and in that the driven clutch discs (84, 92) each mesh by means of peripheral toothing with one drive pinion (68, 62) connected to the associated friction roller set (28, 50), the width of said peripheral toothing being in each case greater than the axial shift range of the driven clutch discs (84, 92).
5. Device according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the driven clutch discs (84, 92) are in each case preloaded by spring means (86, 94) in the direction of the driving clutch disc (78), and in that each driven clutch disc (84, 92) has associated with it a control lever (88, 96) which acts on said clutch disc, is aligned substantially radially and is swivellable about a swivel axis (90) extending substantially transversely to the clutch disc axis, the control levers (88, 96) cooperating with the control cam member (38) and preferably being in the form of two-armed levers, each of which has an end intended to bear against the associated driven clutch disc (84, 92) and an end intended to bear against an associated control cam (102, 104) of the control cam member (38).
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the control levers (88, 96) engage in each case between the associated driving clutch disc (84, 92) and the common driving clutch disc (78) and are designed to bear against an edge region (118), lying radially outside the coupling surfaces, of the respective driving clutch disc (84).
7. Device according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the control cam member (38) is in the form of a control roller having a roller axis (98) disposed parallel to the clutch disc axis and has a peripheral groove (100) whose mutually facing axial surfaces (102, 104) are in the form of control cams for, in each case, one of the two control levers (88, 96).
8. Device according to one of Claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the friction roller sets (50) comprise in each case one or more rollers (48) mounted by means of a carrier arm (52) on a swivelling shaft (54), and in that the shift members are each formed by a shift lever (56) which is connected to a swivelling shaft (54) and cooperates with the control cam member (38), each swivelling shaft (54) preferably being preloaded by spring means in the direction of a pressure position of the rollers (48), and the shift lever (56) connected to the swivelling shaft (54) bearing by its free end against an associated control cam (126) of the control cam member (38).
9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the control cam member (38) is disposed with a roller axis (98) aligned parallel to the swivelling shaft (54), and in that the shift lever (56) bears against a peripheral surface, formed as a control cam (126), of the control roller (38).
10. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that sensor members are embedded in each case in the control cam member (38) and cooperate with sensor members disposed under the control cam member (38) to determine the rotational position of the control cam member (38), and in that the sensor members are connected to a control means for operating the shift motor (108).
11. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least some of the control cams (126) of the control cam member (38) are provided with rotation limiting stops (128, 129), against which the cam follower member (36, 58) cooperating with said control cams comes to lie in a selected end position of the control cam member (38).

Images