EP0712370B1 - Device for removing individual cards from a stack of cards - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention addresses the problem of removing the bottom card (3) from a stack of cards (2) disposed in a shaft (1), without producing significant friction between the surfaces of the cards. This problem, which particularly affects plastic cards designed to carry printed data, is solved by the invention by virtue of the fact that the front (4) and rear (5) edges of the bottom card (3) lie between two transfer elements (6, 7) which are driven to rotate about parallel axes (12, 13). The bottom card (3) is first displaced backwards (8) by a short distance and simultaneously separated from the card immediately above it, whereupon the front edge (4) of the card is released and is free to move downwards. The bottom card (3) is then transferred in the opposite direction (9) and falls freely at an angle on to a conveyor.

Description

The invention is based on a device known from DE-A-34 42 123 for removing the bottom plate of a stack of plates guided in a shaft with the features listed in the preamble of claim 1.

The front edge of the lowermost plate lies on a flat contact surface in the circumference of a first push-off element designed as a rotating body. The rear edge of the lowermost plate rests on a rotatably mounted roller, in the area of which two further push-off members are provided, one of which can be moved back and forth as a slide in the plane of the lowermost plate and the other is designed as a rocker.

To remove the bottom plate in each case, the first pushing element initially displaces it a short distance to the rear, while the slide dodges this movement and the rocker is in a rearward-facing basic position. During a further rotational movement of the first push-off element, the front plate edge is released from this push-off element and the slide moves the rear edge of the plate back into its original position. The rear edge of the plate rolls on the stationary roll, whereby the plate is inclined. In this inclined position, the front edge of the plate is supported on an inclined sliding surface, while only the one designed as a swing arm second pushing element acts against the rear edge of the plate and pushes the plate along the sliding surface in the direction of a conveyor located underneath. In this known device, two rear pushing members are required for pushing off the bottom plate, each of which requires its own drive and the movement of which must be coordinated.

The object of the invention is to simplify the known device and to make it suitable for the removal of cards, in particular plastic cards serving as data carriers.

The achievement of this object results from the characterizing features of claim 1.

When separating plastic cards, it is known per se to pull off the bottom card of a stack of cards with the aid of a conveyor belt against which the bottom card is pressed by the weight of the stack of cards. This measure has the disadvantage that there is friction over the entire surface of the card to be removed along the subsequent card. If the cards are printed or provided with other layers of ink, there is a risk of the ink covering rubbing off and therefore smearing the print. This problem occurs especially when handling plastic cards that are designed as data carriers.

In contrast, the invention enables the card to be withdrawn from the stack while avoiding large-area friction and prevents the cards from being bent or otherwise deformed when they are separated.

In the removal according to the invention, there is friction only during the first short pushing-off movement of the card, at the same time distancing the lowest one Card from the next one takes place until the front card edge has been released by the first deportation member. From this point on, there is only a slight friction in the area of the rear edge of the card, while the second pushing element abuts against this rear edge of the card and pushes the card already exposed in the remaining area towards the conveyor below.

Compared to the known device for removing plates from a stack of plates, the object of the invention has the advantage of a structurally simpler arrangement of the push-off members and their drive control. In the subclaims 2 and 3, special features of the invention are listed.

Thereafter, both push-off members are rotatable about mutually parallel axes and together form a crank mechanism, as defined in claim 2.

With the features of claim 3 it is achieved that the rear end of the card is slightly pinched during the first short push-off operation, so that the card cannot fall down arbitrarily when released by the front push-off member. You only need to insert the rear edge of the card into a suitable gap in the shaft wall, into which one or more balls also protrude. These balls are pressed against the spring action by the card edge. The spring action is sufficient to achieve the desired clamping of the card until the second push-off element can hit the rear edge of the card.

In the claims 5 to 8 features of the invention are listed, which describe the careful loading of a shaft with card stacks for separating the cards, which is also to achieve a great performance.

DE-A 40 41 866 discloses a device which can be rotated step by step about a horizontal axis and has a plurality of card stacks for carefully loading a stack of card stacks. This device contains cassettes, each of which receives a stack of cards, and has guide means for holding the cassettes, so that the cassettes are held essentially vertically in the same position during their entire circulation. The invention according to claims 5 to 8 simplifies this known device and contains the principle of operation that a turntable arranged above the shaft is formed with several shafts and is driven so that in the rest position of the turntable, a filling shaft is aligned with the shaft.

This teaching according to claims 5 to 8 is an advantageous further development of the inventive teaching according to claims 1 to 4.

Figur 1:

einen Querschnitt durch einen Schacht für die Aufnahme eines Kartenstapels,

Figur 2:

einen Schnitt durch den Schacht gemäß Figur 1 mit einer geringfügig nach rückwärts verschobenen unteren Karte,

Figur 3:

einen Querschnitt durch den Schacht gemäß Figur 1 mit einer in Abschiebeposition befindlichen unteren Karte,

Figur 4:

eine Draufsicht auf einen Drehteller mit mehreren Füllschächten,

Figur 5:

eine Vorderansicht der Anordnung gemäß Figur 4 und

Figuren 6-8:

einen Schnitt durch einen Schacht gemäß Figur 1 in einer anderen Schnittebene mit Stützen zum Absenken eines einzufüllenden Kartenstapels in mehreren Stellungen.

These and other details of the invention are evident from the drawing. In it, the invention is shown schematically and for example. Show it

Figure 1:

a cross section through a shaft for receiving a stack of cards,

Figure 2:

2 shows a section through the shaft according to FIG. 1 with a lower card slightly shifted backwards,

Figure 3:

2 shows a cross section through the shaft according to FIG. 1 with a lower card in the push-off position,

Figure 4:

a plan view of a turntable with several filling shafts,

Figure 5:

a front view of the arrangement of Figure 4 and

Figures 6-8:

a section through a shaft according to Figure 1 in another sectional plane with supports for lowering a stack of cards to be filled in several positions.

In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, a shaft is symbolically represented by (1), between the shaft walls (26) of which there is a stack of cards (2), the bottom card (3) of which is to be removed and separated.

The stack of cards (2) rests on the front edge of the card (4) on a flat support surface (10) of a first push-off element (6) and on the rear edge of the card (5) on a strip-shaped support (17).

In the same plane as the lowermost card (3), a gap (18) extends in the area of the rear card edge (5), the clear width of which is dimensioned such that the lowermost card (3) can be inserted into the gap (18). At least one, preferably two resiliently supported balls (19) engage in the gap (18). The spring force is set so that the balls are pushed away when the bottom card (3) is inserted into the gap (18), but the spring force is so great that the rear edge area (5) of the balls (19) after insertion is clamped in the gap (18).

The first push-off element (6) is driven so that it can rotate about the axis (12) in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the step-like end of the flat support surface (10) hits against the front edge of the card (4) and causes the lower card (3) to be displaced in the direction of the arrow (8) (see FIG. 2), the rear end of the card (5) in dips the gap (18).

Via a coupling (14), the first push-off element (6) actuates the second push-off element (7), which is designed as a rocker and can be rotated back and forth about the axis (13). Both axes (12, 13) are directed parallel to each other. The coupling (14) is connected to the two via joints (15, 16) Push-off elements (6,7) connected. This creates a four-link chain or crank mechanism, in which the first push-off element (6) serves as a driving element in the sense of a crank.

Of course, it is also possible to impart an oscillating rotary movement about the axis (12) to the first push-off element (6), for example by an angle of ± 180 °.

The coupling (14) is fixed in its articulation in such a way that its push-off nose (11) dodges the rear edge of the card (5), while the lower card (3) is brought into the position according to FIG. 2 by the first push-off element (6). The card (3) is detached almost continuously from the next card in the card stack (2) and only the rear card edge (5) is clamped in the gap (18) by the balls (19). When the first push-off element (6) has carried out a 1/4 movement, the front edge of the card (4) can detach from the support surface (10) of the first push-off element (6) and move downward.

During this first movement section, there is no bending or other deformation of the card. The lower card (3) also comes off almost immediately from the nearest card, so that there is almost no frictional stress on the card surface.

When the first push-off element (6) moves from the position according to FIG. 2 to that of FIG. 3, the movement of the coupling (14) is reversed in the direction of the arrow (9). The push-off nose (11) of the second push-off element (7) hits the rear edge of the card (5) and pushes it out of the gap (18). In this position shown in Fig. 3, the lower card (3) can be free drop, receiving a movement impulse in the direction of the arrow (9) due to the rotary movement of the push-off nose (11). The card (3) can now fall in a controlled manner onto a conveyor, not shown, below the card stack (2), which brings the card to a subsequent working position.

This arrangement described is particularly suitable for separating plastic cards that serve as data carriers. The embossments and imprints customary in such data carriers are largely spared by the card deduction according to the invention because surface friction and deformation are avoided. The separating device according to the invention can, however, also be used with any other cards if they have sufficient rigidity to be able to carry out the push-off movement by the first push-off member (6).

The performance of the separating device according to the invention is extremely high, which is why a device is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which enables the slot to be refilled quickly with card stacks (2). Thereafter, several filling shafts (21) are arranged on a turntable (20), which can be loaded with card stacks (2) from above by hand. In the rest position of the turntable (20), the slot (1) according to FIGS. 1 to 3 is located under one of the filling shafts (21). When the turntable (20) is at a standstill, the stack of cards is then lowered into the slot (1) below can be without single cards can come loose and tilt. For this purpose, according to FIGS. 6 to 8, an arrangement consisting of two supports (23) is provided in the slot (1) according to the invention, which in the position according to FIG. 6 is aligned with the upper edge of the slot (22) and the incoming card stack (2nd ) records. The supports (23) are rotatable in opposite directions about the axes (25). They have cylindrical contact surfaces (24) which roll on the lower card when the supports (23) are lowered and therefore also act gently on the cards (2). In the position according to FIG. 8, the card stack (2) has received its lower support position according to FIG. 1. The supports (23) with their support surfaces (24) have been guided outwards through corresponding cutouts in the shaft walls (26), so that they cannot hinder the separation of the cards.

This described first filling process of the shaft (1) presupposes that there are no cards (3) in the shaft (1). When refilling a shaft (1) in which there are still cards (3), the supports (23) remain in the ineffective position according to FIG. 8.

Instead, work is carried out with retaining fingers, not shown, which close the filling shafts (21) of the turntable (20) at the bottom. Inside the shaft (1), conveniently a few mm below the upper edge of the shaft (22), there is a light barrier, also not shown. This signals when it is passed by the top card (3) of a stack of cards (2), which starts a rotary movement of the turntable (20), which congruently brings a next stack of cards (2) over the slot (1). Now the retaining fingers are withdrawn, whereupon the stack of cards (2) can fall onto the cards (3) located in the slot (1).

PARTS LIST

1

Shaft

2nd

Deck of cards

3rd

bottom card

4th

front edge of the card

5

rear edge of the card

6

first pusher (crank)

7

second push-off element (swing arm)

8th

Direction of movement

9

Direction of movement

10th

flat support surface

11

Push off nose

12th

axis

13

axis

14

Paddock

15

joint

16

joint

17th

strip-shaped support

18th

gap

19th

Bullet

20th

Turntable

21

Filling shaft

22

upper edge of the shaft

23

support

24th

Contact surface

25th

axis

26

Shaft wall

Claims (8)

1. Device for removing the respectively lowermost plate (3) of a plate stack (2) guided in a shaft (1), in which device two push-away members (6,7) are arranged in the plane of the lowermost plate (3) and act on opposite plate edges (4,5), of which the first push-away member (6), mounted below the front plate edge, is designed as a rotatably driven solid of revolution which, in its periphery, has a plane supporting surface (10) for the front edge (4) of the lowermost plate (3) and produces a short lateral movement of the lowermost plate (3), in its plane, opposite the actual push-away direction (8), and of which the second push-away member (7) is designed as an oscillating link which turns way from the assigned rear plate edge (5) during the first push-away operation and is moved oppositely against the rear plate edge (5) for the second push-away operation, characterised in that the device is intended for removing cards (3), in particular plastic cards serving as data carriers, the card (3) being freed by the first push-away member (6) for free fall onto a conveyor, and in that, in the region of the second push-away member (7), a narrow strip-shaped support (17) for the assigned rear edge (5) of the lowermost card (3) and, adjacent thereto, in the card plane a gap (18) with a clear width adapted to the card thickness are provided, in the region of which a clamping member (19) for holding the rearwardly pushed-away rear card edge (5) is situated.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the two push-away members (6,7) are mounted so as to be rotatable about mutually parallel axes (12,13) and are interconnected in articulated fashion by a coupler (14).
3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first push-away member (6) is designed as a rotationally driven crank.
4. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that at least one spring-supported sphere (19) reaches into the gap (18) as a non-positive clamping member for the rear edge (5) of the slightly pushed-away lower card (3).
5. Device for loading a shaft for separating off cards according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a turntable (20) with a plurality of filling shafts (21) is arranged so as to be rotatable stepwise above the shaft (1) and in each case one filling shaft (21) is in alignment with the shaft (1) in the rest position of the turntable (20).
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterised in that, in the shaft (1), rotatably mounted rests (23), which in their starting position are flush with the upper shaft edge (22), are provided for the purpose of placing on the card stack (2) situated in the filling shaft (21), which rests can-be lowered with the card stack (2) resting thereupon down to a position below the supporting plane (10) of the lowermost card (3) on the first push-away member (6).
7. Device according to Claim 6, characterised in that the supporting surface (24) of the individual rest (23) is spherically or cylindrically domed.
8. Device according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterised in that a sensing element, for example a photoelectric barrier, is situated in the shaft (1), which sensing element starts the rotary movement of the turntable (20) when the uppermost card (3) of a card stack (2) passes it, and brings a following card stack (2) into coincidence above the shaft (1), the filling shafts (21) of the turntable (20) being closed off at the underside by retaining fingers driven so as to be capable of moving out of the way.

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