EP0638503B1 - Device for slowing down signatures in a folding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Provision is made of a device for slowing down signatures transported in a folding machine. The device comprises a multiplicity of rotating grippers for the secure gripping of signatures (20), which come from a conveyor belt system (22) which is located in the folding machine which is running at high speed. Provision is also made of a deceleration drum (10) for slowing down the signatures by means of a gentle velocity profile. The deceleration drum has a multiplicity of pivoting arms (12), which are mounted rotatably on a rotary disc (14) which is rotating about a first axis and are connected, by means of a control lever (16), to a control disc (18), the control disc (18) rotating about a second axis which lies parallel and offset with respect to the first axis. The rotating grippers (26) are fastened to the outer ends of the pivoting arms (12). The rotating grippers grip the leading edge of the signatures coming from the conveyor belt system (22), while their trailing edges are still being controlled by the conveyor belt system. The deceleration drum can alternatively be equipped with a control cam (34) and a sliding connecting system (36) instead of the pivoting arm (12)/rotary disc (14) and control lever (16)/control disc (18) mechanism. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the slowdown of printed copies, in particular a device for the slowdown of folded copies in a folder by a gentle speed profile.

Paddle wheels are commonly used to slow copies in a folder. These paddle wheels comprise a plurality of paddle wheel disks with a number of curved paddle wheel blades extending outwards. The paddlewheel pockets formed from the adjoining paddlewheel blades accommodate specimens emerging from a folder. The curve shape and the notched surface of the bucket wheel blades slow the forward movement of the specimens stored in the bucket wheel pockets until a complete stop. When the respective paddle wheel bag with a specimen contained therein has rotated through approx. 90 °, the specimen arrives in a delivery system.

It is a disadvantage of devices of this type that the specimens enter the paddle wheel pockets at high speeds and are thereby pressed against the blades of the paddle wheel so that the specimens can tear or otherwise be damaged. Another disadvantage of these devices is that it is not possible to target the products to the bottom of the paddle wheel pockets. The reason for this is that a number of factors play a role in the transfer of the specimens from the conveyor belts to the paddle wheel, such as, for example, the paper thickness, the number of pages of a specimen, the type of paper and even the amount of printing ink adhering to it. All of these factors affect the movement of the specimens, so depending on their cumulative Effect the specimen properly lands or rebounds on the bottom of the paddle wheel bag or catches on the edge of a paddle wheel blade. Once an item is inaccurately positioned in the paddle wheel, it will get inaccurate on the delivery belt and the later product stream may have laterally shifted, irregularly spaced or inclined items. This is especially true when large speed reductions (e.g. 5: 1) are required.

The U.S. Patent No. 4,629,175 discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1, with which these disadvantages are to be overcome. The device has several rows of grippers that rotate between a transfer or feed device and a delivery system. The grippers are slowed down by an acceleration / deceleration drive so that they move in the transport direction from the transfer or delivery device to the delivery system at approximately the feed speed up to approximately the speed of the delivery system, and they can move up to the speed in their subsequent movement sections with which they moved before the slowdown are accelerated again. The grippers are mounted on a cylindrical drum that rotates at a constant speed, and the rows of grippers slowed and accelerated by the acceleration / deceleration drive are rotated at a speed equal to that of the drum and are mounted so that they can be offset in relation to the outer surface of the drum.

However, it is disadvantageous in this device that the specimens are subject to deformation, misalignment and / or tearing during the transfer from the feed device to the deceleration drum. Since this transfer comes about because the delay drum so is positioned so that the gripper moves to a position in front of the leading edge of the specimen exiting the feed device, the speed of the specimen controlled by the feed device must be higher than the tangential speed of the gripper on the deceleration drum. This allows the specimen to gain the desired distance from the gripper until it enters the neck of the gripper. The gripper then closes and the speed of the front edge of the specimen suddenly changes and adjusts to the speed of the gripper. At this point, if the trailing edge of the specimen is controlled by the feed device, the specimen can be deformed or even tear. Another disadvantage of this device is that it cannot achieve the high speed deceleration rates required by modern high speed printing presses. This device is built for speed deceleration rates of approximately 3: 1, whereas speed deceleration rates of 5: 1 are now required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for the continued handling of a copy after it has left a folding device in a printing press and has been transported to a delivery system for further processing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for delaying successive specimens following a same speed curve.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which transports successive copies from a folder to a delivery system in a neat manner, wherein Deformation, misalignment or damage to the specimens are minimized.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which transports successive copies from a folder to a delivery system in a stream of shingles, with the distance between the individual successive copies being strictly maintained.

According to the invention, the present complex of tasks is solved by the features of claim 1.

The transport device can be a cutting cylinder, a folding cylinder, a conveyor belt system or another delivery system. The gripper device can be a gripper head or, preferably, a rotating gripper, which is characterized by oppositely rotating, upper and lower rollers, which receive the front edge of the specimen emerging from the transport device in the nip formed between them. The rotating gripper prevents sudden speed changes of the specimen while it is being transferred from the transport device to the decelerator, thereby minimizing deformation, misalignment and possible tearing of the specimen during the deceleration process. The deceleration drum can alternatively be equipped with a cam and lever connection system instead of the swivel arm / turntable and control lever / control plate mechanism. The gripper device preferably grips the front edge of the specimen as it exits the transport device, while the rear edge is still controlled by the transport device.

An advantage of the invention is that in the continued handling of the specimens by the Delay device until the copies are handed over to the delivery system of the product stream which contains hardly any laterally displaced, irregularly spaced or inclined copies.

Another advantage of the invention is the fact that no friction is used in the transport device to slow the specimens, so that the specimens are less likely to be damaged.

An additional advantage of the invention can be seen in the fact that the successive specimens are moved in the same speed curve and therefore their distance from one another never changes.

It is also an advantage that the device according to the invention can achieve speed deceleration rates of approximately 5: 1.

These and other characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as explained below.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführung einer Verzögerungstrommel zum Verlangsamen der Exemplare in einem Falzapparat;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung der in Fig. 1 gezeigten Verzögerungstrommel, welche die Bahn eines Punktes D verdeutlicht, an dem ein Steuerhebel mit einer Steuerscheibe verbunden ist während dieser sich relativ zu einem Punkt C bewegt, an dem ein Schwenkarm mit einer Drehscheibe verbunden ist.

Fig. 3

eine geometrische Reduktion des in den Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Schwenkarm/Steuerhebelpaares, dargestellt als eine stationäre Vier-Hebel-Verbindung.

Fig. 4

eine graphische Darstellung der Winkelgeschwindigkeit (in Rad/Sek.) des Schwenkarms in Abhängigkeit der Position (in Graden) der in den Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Drehscheibe.

Fig. 5

eine graphische Darstellung der Winkelgeschwindigkeit (in Rad/Sek.) der Drehscheibe in Abhängigkeit der Position (in Garden) der in den Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Steuerscheibe.

Fig. 6

eine graphische Darstellung der tangentialen Geschwindigkeit (in ft/min) des Schwenkarms in Abhängigkeit der Position (in Garden) der in den Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Verzögerungstrommel.

Fig. 7

eine graphische Darstellung der Geschwindigkeit (in ft/min) eines Exemplars in Abhängigkeit der Position (in Garden) der in den Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Verzögerungstrommel.

Fig. 8

eine schematische Darstellung, die entsprechend vorliegender Erfindung ein von einem Greiferkopf ergriffenes Exemplar bei dessen Austritt aus einem Förderbandsystem zeigt.

Fig. 9

eine schematische Darstellung einer weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Ausführung einer Verzögerungstrommel und eines rotierenden Greifersystems.

Fig. 10

eine schematische Darstellung der in Fig. 9 gezeigten Verzögerungstrommel/rotierendes Greifersystem, die die Auslage der Exemplare in Stapelform zeigt.

Fig. 11

eine schematische Darstellung der in Fig. 9 gezeigten Verzögerungstrommel/rotierendes Greifersystem, die die Auslage der Exemplare in Schuppenform zeigt.

Fig. 12

eine schematische Darstellung einer anderen erfindungsgemäßen Ausführung der Verzögerungstrommel/rotierendes Greifersystem.

It shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of an embodiment of a delay drum according to the invention for slowing the copies in a folder;

Fig. 2

is a schematic representation of the delay drum shown in Fig. 1, which illustrates the path of a point D, at which a control lever is connected to a control disc while it is moving relative to a point C, where a pivot arm is connected to a turntable.

Fig. 3

a geometric reduction of the swivel arm / control lever pair shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown as a stationary four-lever connection.

Fig. 4

a graphic representation of the angular velocity (in rad / sec.) of the swivel arm as a function of the position (in degrees) of the turntable shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5

a graphic representation of the angular velocity (in rad / sec.) of the turntable as a function of the position (in garden) of the control disk shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6

a graphical representation of the tangential speed (in ft / min) of the swivel arm as a function of the position (in garden) of the deceleration drum shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 7

a graphical representation of the speed (in ft / min) of a specimen as a function of the position (in garden) of the deceleration drum shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 8

is a schematic representation showing, according to the present invention, a specimen gripped by a gripper head when it exits a conveyor belt system.

Fig. 9

is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a deceleration drum and a rotating gripper system according to the invention.

Fig. 10

is a schematic representation of the delay drum / rotating gripper system shown in Fig. 9, which shows the delivery of the copies in stack form.

Fig. 11

is a schematic representation of the delay drum / rotating gripper system shown in Fig. 9, which shows the delivery of the specimens in scale form.

Fig. 12

a schematic representation of another embodiment of the deceleration drum / rotating gripper system according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a deceleration drum 10 according to the present invention for slowing copies in a folder. The drum 10 includes a plurality of pivot arms 12 which are connected to a rotating turntable 14 and can rotate independently of one another. The points of connection of the swivel arm 12 to the turntable 14 form a base circle which is concentric with the center of the turntable (point A). Each control lever 16 is connected at its one end to a respective swivel arm 12 at a point which lies radially outside the bearing point of the swivel arm 12. The other end of each control lever 16 is connected to a rotating scrubbing disc 18. The points of connection of the control levers 16 with the control disk 18 form a base circle which is concentric with the center of the control disk (point B).

The turntable 14 and the control disk 18 rotate about their own centers at the same speed and in the same direction. The centers of the turntable 14 and the control disk 18 are fixed and offset from one another by a distance d, ie by the distance between points A and B, as shown in FIG. 1. The farther the middle are offset from one another, the greater the speed deceleration of the swivel arms 12.

As the two disks 14 and 18 rotate, the point (D) at which the control lever 16 is connected to the control disk 18 moves relative to the point (C) at which the pivot arm 12 is connected to the turntable 14. The path of point (D) relative to point (C) is a circle c, the radius of which is equivalent to the offset distance d between the center of the turntable 14 and the center of the control disc 18, as shown in FIG. 2. This circular path exists for each swivel arm 12 / control lever 16 pairs. Thus there are as many parallel circles as there are swivel arm 12 / control lever 16 pairs. These parallel circles are equally spaced in a base circle around the center of the turntable 14 and in a radius that depends on the length of the control lever 16 and the size of the control disk 18.

The deceleration drum 10 picks up the specimens directly from the cutting cylinder, conveyor belt system, or other transport devices at high speeds. The specimens are gripped safely and slowed down by a gentle speed profile. Each copy is scaled by the drum 10 at slow speed. The exact distance between the flaked specimens depends on the spacing of the specimens from each other when they are transferred to the drum 10 and on the speed deceleration rate of the drum 10. transfer to a single specimen gripper transport system. Due to an improved register accuracy of the specimens moved over a deceleration drum 10, the performance can be reduced a belt delivery, the formation of stacks or blocks, or the performance of other conventional systems.

In order to achieve the desired speed profile, the swivel arm 12 / control lever 16 geometry can be constructed as a stationary four-link connection, as shown in FIG. 3. First, the angular velocity of the swivel arm 12 relative to the position of the turntable 14 is analyzed using the four-part connection model. Figure 4 is a graphical representation of this speed profile. When this speed is determined, the tangential speed of the end of the swing arm 12 can be easily calculated based on the rotation of the turntable 14. The tangential speed of the swivel arm 12 is then calculated on the basis of the angular speed of the turntable 14 around the control disk 18. A graphical representation of the angular velocity of the turntable 14 about the control disk 18 is shown in FIG. 5. The two tangential speeds are then superimposed and the result of the superimposition is the actual tangential speed of the swivel arm 12. A graphical representation of this combined speed is shown in FIG. 6. The geometry is preferably designed such that the maximum tangential speed is substantially the same as the speed of the specimen arriving on the decelerating drum 10 and the minimum tangential speed is substantially equal to the speed of the delivery system receiving the specimens coming from the drum. 7 shows a typical specimen speed profile in accordance with the present invention.

The specimens 20 emerging from a conveyor belt system 22 are gripped by a gripper head 24 attached to the outer end of each swivel arm 12, as in FIG Fig. 8 shown. The gripper head 24 holds the specimen 20 as it moves onto the deceleration drum 10. The gripper head 24 is positioned so that it grips the leading edge of an incoming item 20 and then begins to slow the item down. A control curve, not shown, is provided, which controls the timing of the gripper system. The gripper system is preferably controlled so that the leading edge of the incoming specimen 20 is gripped by the gripper head 24 before the trailing edge of the specimen is released by the conveyor belt system 22.

As the specimen 20 is slowed down on the drum 10, its distance relative to an adjacent specimen decreases, so that a shingled stream is produced. The gripper head 24 has a wedge-shaped notch in the transport direction, so that the gripper head pushes a leading specimen outwards, so as to produce a shingled stream, as shown in FIG. 8. The distance of one copy from the next on the deceleration drum 10 decreases until the copies reach the delivery speed and are released. The copies 20 are then removed from the drum 10 by a delivery system, not shown.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, instead of the gripper head 20, a rotating gripper 26 is provided, which is characterized by a set of counter-rotating upper and lower rollers 28, 30 in order to control the signature 20 on a delay drum 10A, as in FIG. 9 shown. The gap 32 between the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 is the point at which an incoming signature 20 is grasped. The rotation of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 about their respective axes is controlled by a cam or a link system. The tangential surface speed of the top and bottom Rollers 28, 30 as they rotate about their respective axes are superimposed on the tangential speed of the nip 32 around the center of the deceleration drum 10A. The result of this superimposition is a speed which is essentially the same as the speed of the signature 20 emerging from the conveyor belt system 22. This speed adjustment enables control of the leading edge of the signature 20 by the set of upper and lower rollers 28, 30, while at the same time controlling the trailing edge of the specimen by the conveyor belt system 22 without there being any distortion or deformation of the signature 20.

The roller gap 32 is in a position of the exemplar path exactly where the gripper head 24 would be. The rotating gripper 26 has the advantage that it controls the specimen 20 from the moment in which the front edge of the signature 20 has reached the roller gap 32. It is not necessary to wait until the signature 20 enters a gripper neck identified by an opening between the mutually rotating upper and lower rollers 28, 30 of the rotating gripper 26 before the delay drum 10A takes over control of the signature 20. The leading edge of the signature 20 is driven into the approaching nip 32 by the desired amount before the rotation of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 stops about their respective axes. The upper and lower rollers 28, 30 follow a fixed speed curve so that the specimen evenly reduces its speed at which it exits the conveyor belt system 22 up to the speed of the deceleration drum 10A.

To release the specimen 20 by the rotating gripper 26, the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 are rotated about their respective axes in a direction which is the direction in which they move the specimen 20 from the Take over conveyor belt system 22 is opposite. The tangential surface speed of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 as they rotate about their respective axes is subtracted from the tangential speed of the nip 32 rotating about the center of the retard drum 10A to further slow down the specimen 20. By controlling the speed of rotation of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 at the dispensing point, the speed of the specimen 20 can be adjusted to the speed of the delivery system in order to ensure a gentle transfer.

FIG. 9 shows a specimen 20 that enters the approaching nip 32 of the rotating gripper 26. A control cam 34 and a link connection 36 are shown as a means for controlling the speed of the rotating gripper 26, whereby an adaptation to the speed of the specimen 20 controlled by the conveyor belt system 22 can be achieved. The pivot arm 12 / control arm 16 and turntable 14 / control disc 18 mechanism described above and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 is another means of controlling the speed of the rotating gripper 26. Reference numeral 38 shows the desired portion of the through the nip 32 of the moving specimen 20 after the rotation of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 has stopped. The reference number 40 shows the specimen 20 when released from the nip 32 of the rotating gripper 26. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of the rotating gripper 26 In this embodiment, four sets of upper and lower rollers 28, 30 can be mounted on the retard drum 10A, the speed of which is controlled by a cam link system 34, 36. As already mentioned, other devices for controlling the Speed of the upper and lower rollers 28, 30 may be provided.

10 shows a type of delivery, the tangential speed of the specimen 20 being almost zero when it is released from the rotating gripper. The specimen 20 is aligned with a fixed part 44. The risk of damage to the specimen 20 due to the impact against the alignment part 44 is minimized since its tangential speed is almost zero. The specimens 20 collect vertically along the alignment member 44 and form a vertical stack 46.

Fig. 11 shows another type of delivery, wherein the tangential speed of the specimen released by the rotating gripper 26 corresponds to the speed of a tangential delivery system 48, e.g. of a single copy of the gripper transport system or a belt delivery system.

Fig. 12 shows another embodiment of the rotating gripper 26, which is characterized by oppositely rotating upper and lower rollers 28A, 30A attached to the outer end of a swing arm 12A. The swing arm 12A moves to a position in front of a specimen released by a conveyor system 22A. At its inner end, the swing arm 12A is mounted on a rotating disc 50, which is driven by a conventional acceleration / deceleration device as known from US Patent No. 4,629,175. In this embodiment, the tangential speed of the nip 32A around the center of the deceleration drum 10B is not constant. The tangential surface speed of the upper and lower rollers 28A, 30A as they rotate about their respective axes is superimposed on the tangential speed of the nip 32A. The result this overlay is a constant speed that matches the speed of the specimen exiting the conveyor system 22A. The upper and lower rollers 28A, 30A rotate backward to release the specimens 20A in a shingled form.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

10th

Delay drum

10A

"

10B

"

12th

Swivel arm

12A

"

14

turntable

16

Control lever

18th

Control disc

20th

copy

20A

"

22

Conveyor system

22A

"

24th

Gripper head

26

rotating gripper

28

upper roller of the rotating gripper

28A

upper roller of the rotating gripper

30th

lower roller of the rotating gripper

30A

lower roller of the rotating gripper

32

Nip between rolls 28 and 30

32A

Nip between rolls 28 and 30

34

Control curve

36

Link connection

38

Copy part through nip 32

40

Copy approval from nip 32

44

Alignment part

46

vertical stack

48

Delivery system

50

turntable

Claims (17)

1. Device for the slowing of signatures (20, 20A) transported in a folding machine, which device comprises the following features:

   a gripper means (24, 26) for the reliable gripping of the leading edge of a signature (20, 20A) leaving a transport means (22, 22A) in the folding machine running at high speed; and a deceleration drum (10, 10A, 10B) for slowing the signature (20, 20A) through a smooth speed profile,
   characterized

   in that the deceleration drum (10) has at least one pivoting arm (12) which is pivotably mounted on a rotary disc (14) rotating about a first axis;

   in that the at least one pivoting arm (12) is connected to a control disc (18) by means of a control lever (16);

   in that the control disc (18) rotates about a second axis which is parallel and offset to the first axis; and

   in that the gripper means (24, 26) is fastened to an outer end of the at least one pivoting arm (12).
2. Slowing device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the gripper means is a gripper head (24).
3. Slowing device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the gripper means is a rotating gripper (26) which is designed as a set of upper and lower rollers (28, 30) rotating in opposition, and in that the leading edge of a signature (20) coming from a transport means (22, 22A) is received in the nip (32) formed between the said rollers (28, 30).
4. Slowing device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the transport means is a cutting cylinder.
5. Slowing device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the transport means is a folding cylinder.
6. Slowing device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the transport means is a conveyor-band system (22).
7. Slowing device according to Claim 2, characterized in that a multiplicity of gripper heads (24) is connected to a multiplicity of respective pivoting arms (12).
8. Slowing device according to Claim 3, characterized in that a multiplicity of rotating grippers (26) is connected to a multiplicity of respective pivoting arms (12).
9. Slowing device according to Claim 3, characterized in that it comprises the following features:

   at least one rotating gripper (26) having a set of upper and lower rollers (28, 30) which rotate in opposition and which, in the nip (32) formed between them, receive the leading edge of a signature (20) coming from a transport means (22, 22A) of the folding machine and moving at high speed;

   and a pivoting arm (12A) which is rotatably connected at one end to the at least one rotating gripper (26) and at the other end is rotatably connected to a rotating means (10A, 10B) which pivots the pivoting arm (12A) over a smooth speed profile and thus gradually slows the speed of the signature (20A).
10. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the rotating means is a deceleration drum (10A) with a control cam (34) and with an articulaced connection (36).
11. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the rotating means is a deceleration drum (10B) with a rotary disc (50), and the pivoting arm (12A) is mounted rotatably on the said rotary disc (50) rotating about a first axis.
12. Slowing device according to Claim 11 which, furthermore, comprises a control disc (18) which is connected to the pivoting arm (12) by means of a control lever (16) and which rotates about a second axis parallel to and offset from the first axis.
13. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the rotating means is a rotary disc (14) which is driven by an acceleration/deceleration device.
14. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the transport means is a cutting cylinder.
15. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the transport means is a folding cylinder.
16. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the transport means is a conveyor-band system (22A).
17. Slowing device according to Claim 9, characterized in that a multiplicity of rotating grippers (26) is connected to a multiplicity of respective pivoting arms (12A).

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