EP0727379A2 - Système de transport de cahiers avec ajustement automatique de phase - Google Patents

Système de transport de cahiers avec ajustement automatique de phase Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0727379A2
EP0727379A2 EP96301071A EP96301071A EP0727379A2 EP 0727379 A2 EP0727379 A2 EP 0727379A2 EP 96301071 A EP96301071 A EP 96301071A EP 96301071 A EP96301071 A EP 96301071A EP 0727379 A2 EP0727379 A2 EP 0727379A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conveyor
phase changer
packer
speed
boxes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96301071A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0727379A3 (fr
Inventor
Hans Joachim Viebach
Ronald W. Hastie
Arthur J. Gawlinski
Kenneth E. Kruze
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
RR Donnelley and Sons Co
Original Assignee
RR Donnelley and Sons Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/569,281 external-priority patent/US5730436A/en
Application filed by RR Donnelley and Sons Co filed Critical RR Donnelley and Sons Co
Publication of EP0727379A2 publication Critical patent/EP0727379A2/fr
Publication of EP0727379A3 publication Critical patent/EP0727379A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/02—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
    • B65H39/04—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles
    • B65H39/043—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles the piles being disposed in juxtaposed carriers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2513/00—Dynamic entities; Timing aspects
    • B65H2513/10—Speed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2513/00—Dynamic entities; Timing aspects
    • B65H2513/50—Timing

Definitions

  • the present invention is generally directed to conveyor systems, and more particularly to a system for collating and conveying signatures having printed subject matter thereon prior to binding of such signatures into books, magazines, and the like.
  • a conventional binding line for assembling signatures into books includes a plurality of packer boxes disposed adjacent to a conveyor in the form of a gathering chain.
  • the gathering chain is subdivided into chain spaces by a plurality of lugs which are adjustably positioned on the chain.
  • the gathering chain and packer boxes are coupled together by packer box clutches and are driven in synchronized fashion by a motor.
  • each packer box is operable at each of a plurality of points of time to release a signature from a position above the conveyor.
  • the signature then free-falls onto a particular chain space.
  • the books are stitched, then trimmed, and otherwise finished by finishing apparatus.
  • the invention overcomes the above problems by automatically adjusting the time at which each of the packer boxes releases a signature above the moving conveyor, based upon the speed of the binding line.
  • a signature conveyor system includes a conveyor for conveying a plurality of sheets in a conveyance direction wherein the conveyor is subdivided into a plurality of conveyor spaces, a motor operable to move the conveyor at a speed in the conveyance direction and a plurality of packer boxes disposed adjacent the conveyor and spaced along the conveyance direction. Each packer box periodically releases one of the sheets from a distance above the conveyor as the conveyor moves past the packer box.
  • the signature conveyor system further includes adjustment means for automatically adjusting the release time relative to the speed of the conveyor.
  • the conveyor comprises a chain having a plurality of spaced lugs defining the conveyor spaces.
  • the adjustment means includes a controller responsive to a signal representing conveyor speed and a phase changer operatively coupled to the packer boxes wherein the phase changer causes the release time to be changed based upon the signal.
  • the controller includes means for operating the phase changer in synchronism with the movement of the conveyor.
  • the signature conveyor system may also include means for synchronously coupling the phase changer to each of the packer boxes.
  • Such means may comprise a common drive shaft, a plurality of first gears coupled to the common drive shaft, a plurality of second gears each associated with one of the packer boxes and connecting means for connecting each of the first gears to a respective one of the second gears.
  • the connecting means may be in the form of chains, belts or other apparatus.
  • a system for periodically transferring sheets having printed subject matter thereon to a conveyor includes a motor for causing the conveyor to move at a selectable speed in a conveyance direction and a plurality of packer boxes spaced along the conveyance direction of the conveyor. Each packer box periodically releases one of the printed sheets above the conveyor at a release time as the conveyor moves past the packer box.
  • a phase changer is operatively coupled between the conveyor and the packer boxes and adjusts the release time relative to the speed of the conveyor.
  • the binding line 10 includes a signature conveyor which may be in the form of a signature carrying saddle chain 12 which is driven in a conveyance direction, indicated by an arrow 14, by a drive system 16.
  • the drive system 16 includes a motor 18 which is operable to drive a shaft 20 at a selectable speed as commanded by a speed command potentiometer SP.
  • the shaft 20 is in turn coupled to a first gear box 21 having an output shaft which drives a wheel 22 on which the signature carrying chain 12 is supported and a first coupling 23.
  • the signature carrying chain 12 is further supported by a plurality of idler wheels 24.
  • a phase changer 26 includes a rotatable input shaft 28 coupled to an output of the first coupling 23.
  • the phase changer 26 further includes a rotatable output shaft 30 which is connected by a second coupling 31 to a rotatable drive shaft 32, wherein the drive shaft 32 acts as a common drive shaft for a plurality of packer boxes 34.
  • the present invention may be adapted for use with any of a number of packer box types.
  • packer boxes of the type disclosed in Hastie U.S. Patent No. 4,869,484, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, may be used, if desired.
  • a packer box 34 includes an input such as a gear sprocket or pulley 36 carried by a driven shaft 38.
  • a chain or timing belt 40 connects each gear sprocket or pulley 36 to an associated gear sprocket or pulley 42 carried by the shaft 32.
  • equivalent mechanical and/or electrical apparatus such as a drive shaft and u-joint, a set of gears, etc.
  • the operation of the packer boxes 34, and thus the time at which each signature is released above the signature carrying chain 12 by each packer box 34, is controlled by the rotation of the shaft 32.
  • a controller 50 is responsive to a speed command signal developed at an output of the speed command potentiometer SP and is coupled to control a stepper motor 52 having a motive power output connected to a control shaft 54 of the phase changer 26.
  • the controller 50 may also receive inputs from position sensors S1 and S2 which may be of any known type, such as a rotary shaft encoder unit, for generating a signal indicative of the rotational position or speed of a shaft.
  • the controller 50 may be responsive to the sensors S1 and S2 to limit movement of the shaft 30 relative to the shaft 28.
  • the controller 50 and the motor 52 may be separate or packaged as an integral unit. In the latter case, the controller 50 and motor 52 may be of the type sold by Pacific Scientific, Motor and Control Division, of Rockford, Illinois, under Model No. 5645.
  • the controller 50 may be programmed in the Basic programming language to control the position of the output shaft of the stepper motor 52 in dependence upon the commanded speed of the motor shaft 20. The programming to effectuate this result may be developed in a straightforward manner based upon empirical measurements of conveyor chain speed versus the required position of the shaft 54 to result in proper positioning of signatures on chain spaces 56 located between adjacent pusher pins or chain lugs 58 carried by the chain 12.
  • the phase changer 26 which may be a conventional phase changer commercially available from Die Qua Corporation of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and manufactured by Tandler under Model No. PD2C1, operates by changing the relative phase, or relative rotational position, between the input shaft 28 and the output shaft 30. The amount by which the phase between the shafts 28, 30 is changed is controlled by the rotational position of the control shaft 54 of the phase changer 26.
  • control shaft 54 is rotated in a first direction
  • control shaft 54 is rotated in a direction opposite the first direction
  • the input and output shafts 28, 30 of the phase changer 26 are parallel and concentric.
  • Different phase changers may have the input and output shafts in other orientations, such as parallel but non-concentric with respect to each other on opposite sides of the phase changer or at an angle (i.e., non-parallel) with respect to each other, in which case the structural interfacing between the phase changer 26, the motor 18, the gearbox 23 and the packer boxes 34 can be modified in a manner evident to one of ordinary skill in the art.
  • each packer box 34 is loaded with a supply of identical signatures, with the signatures in each packer box 34 typically being different than the signatures in the other packer boxes 34.
  • the signature carrying saddle chain 12 is driven by the motor 18 via the drive shaft 20, the gearbox 21 and the wheel 22.
  • the controller 50 then repetitively executes the programming of Fig. 3 to control the stepper motor 52.
  • the controller 50 Based on the magnitude of the speed command signal developed by the speed command potentiometer SP, the controller 50 generates a set of drive signals for the stepper motor 52, which in turn positions the control shaft 54 of the phase changer 26 to control the phase between the input and output shafts 28, 30 of the phase changer 26.
  • the programming executed by the controller 50 begins at a block 100 which checks to determine whether the binding line 10 is running, for example, by checking to determine whether a high state run signal is being developed by a supervisory controller (not shown) on a line 101 coupled to the controller 50. If the line is not running, control remains with the block 100 until a determination is made that the line is running or is decelerating to a stop. If the block 100 determines that the line is running and not decelerating to a stop, control passes to a block 102. The block 102 thereafter checks the speed command potentiometer SP to obtain a current speed command signal and a block 104 compares the current speed command signal against a previous speed command signal developed during an immediately preceding pass through the programming of Fig. 3.
  • a block 106 determines a new position for the control shaft 54 based upon the current speed command signal. The determination may be made by accessing a look-up table which stores signals representing control shaft position as a function of speed command signal magnitude, or by calculating the control shaft position signal from a curve stored in memory or by any other methodology.
  • a block 108 then operates the stepper motor 52 to move the control shaft 54 to the new position at a speed which matches the acceleration or deceleration of the line 10. The acceleration/deceleration is calculated by the controller 50 based upon the difference between the current and immediately preceding speed command signal magnitudes and the time period that elapsed between detection of such signal magnitudes.
  • Control from the block 108 then returns to the block 100.
  • the block 100 determines that the line 10 is decelerating to a stop by detecting the transition of the run signal from a high state to a low state. If this condition is detected by the block 100, a block 110 operates the stepper motor 42 to move the control shaft 54 to a particular position (referred to as a "home position") at which no phase advance is effected by the phase changer 26. Movement to the home position occurs at a speed which matches the deceleration of the binding line 10.
  • the line stop deceleration may be empirically determined by observation of the line 10 or may be determined in any known fashion.
  • control strategy may be replaced by one in which the binding line speed is directly sensed by one or more speed or position sensors which may interface with the controller 50 via A/D converters.
  • the position of the control shaft is controlled as a function of the line speed.
  • the line acceleration/deceleration may be directly sensed, or may be calculated from the speed/position sensor output(s), if desired.
  • control shaft 54 is rotated to an angular position such that the relative phase between the input and output shafts 28, 30 is increased, which causes each signature to be released earlier so that it will fall to the same position within its intended chain space 56 on the signature carrying chain 12 despite the speed increase.
  • the relative phase between the input and output shafts 28, 30 is decreased by moving the control shaft 54 to a different angular position so that each signature will be released later in time whereby it will fall to the same position within the intended conveyor space 56 despite the decrease in speed.
  • Adjusting the release time of the signatures based on the speed of the line 10 is advantageous in that the signatures tend to fall to the same position within each conveyor space on the signature carrying chain 12, regardless of the speed of the binding line 10.
  • the present invention accounts for the free-fall transit time of each signature. Consequently, the occurrence of misplaced signatures on the binding line chain 12 is reduced or eliminated.
  • the size of the conveyor spaces can be made smaller.
  • the speed of the conveyor can advantageously be reduced in proportion to the reduction in chain pin spacing.
  • the speed of the line 10 can be increased to thereby increase the number of books that can be produced by the line 10 per unit time.
  • the present invention reduces the incidence of misplaced signatures during start-up and shut-down of the binding line 10, thus reducing the down-time that would otherwise be required to clear misplaced signatures from the chain 12.

Landscapes

  • Control Of Conveyors (AREA)
EP96301071A 1995-02-17 1996-02-16 Système de transport de cahiers avec ajustement automatique de phase Withdrawn EP0727379A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US390473 1982-06-21
US569281 1984-01-09
US39047395A 1995-02-17 1995-02-17
US08/569,281 US5730436A (en) 1995-02-17 1995-12-08 Signature conveyor system with automatic phase adjustment

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0727379A2 true EP0727379A2 (fr) 1996-08-21
EP0727379A3 EP0727379A3 (fr) 1996-10-23

Family

ID=27013163

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96301071A Withdrawn EP0727379A3 (fr) 1995-02-17 1996-02-16 Système de transport de cahiers avec ajustement automatique de phase

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0727379A3 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0894758A1 (fr) * 1997-08-01 1999-02-03 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour la réalisation d'une assembleuse de matériau en papier
EP0997421A1 (fr) * 1998-10-26 2000-05-03 Grapha-Holding Ag Dispositif d'assemblage de produits imprimés
EP1043254A1 (fr) * 1999-04-06 2000-10-11 Grapha-Holding Ag Margeur de feuilles pour une assembleuse
EP1574354A1 (fr) * 2004-03-10 2005-09-14 Hohner Maschinenbau GmbH Assembleuse et brocheuse avec deux arbres d'entrainement
EP1623945A1 (fr) * 2004-08-05 2006-02-08 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour assembler des pièces plates
EP1488916A3 (fr) * 2003-06-20 2006-09-06 Windmöller & Hölscher KG Dispositif d'application de fonds de sacs
EP1765704A2 (fr) * 2004-06-18 2007-03-28 Roye Weeks Appareil concu pour manipuler des feuilles

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3825247A (en) * 1973-03-08 1974-07-23 Harris Intertype Corp Rotary gathering machine
JPS61229771A (ja) * 1985-04-05 1986-10-14 Hitachi Ltd 搬送制御方式
US4869484A (en) * 1988-04-11 1989-09-26 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company Signature opening apparatus
JPH04269594A (ja) * 1991-02-23 1992-09-25 Dainippon Printing Co Ltd 給紙装置及び丁合装置

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3825247A (en) * 1973-03-08 1974-07-23 Harris Intertype Corp Rotary gathering machine
JPS61229771A (ja) * 1985-04-05 1986-10-14 Hitachi Ltd 搬送制御方式
US4869484A (en) * 1988-04-11 1989-09-26 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company Signature opening apparatus
JPH04269594A (ja) * 1991-02-23 1992-09-25 Dainippon Printing Co Ltd 給紙装置及び丁合装置

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 11, no. 74 (M-568) [2521] , 6 March 1987 & JP-A-61 229771 (HITACHI), 14 October 1986, *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 17, no. 59 (M-1363), 5 February 1993 & JP-A-04 269594 (DAINIPPON PRINTING), 25 September 1992, *

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1283188A1 (fr) * 1997-08-01 2003-02-12 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour la réalisation d'une assembleuse de matériau en papier
EP0894758A1 (fr) * 1997-08-01 1999-02-03 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour la réalisation d'une assembleuse de matériau en papier
EP0997421A1 (fr) * 1998-10-26 2000-05-03 Grapha-Holding Ag Dispositif d'assemblage de produits imprimés
US7055814B1 (en) 1998-10-26 2006-06-06 Grapha-Holding Ag Apparatus for collecting printed products
EP1043254A1 (fr) * 1999-04-06 2000-10-11 Grapha-Holding Ag Margeur de feuilles pour une assembleuse
EP1488916A3 (fr) * 2003-06-20 2006-09-06 Windmöller & Hölscher KG Dispositif d'application de fonds de sacs
EP1574354A1 (fr) * 2004-03-10 2005-09-14 Hohner Maschinenbau GmbH Assembleuse et brocheuse avec deux arbres d'entrainement
US7407461B2 (en) 2004-03-10 2008-08-05 Hohner Maschinenbau Gmbh Gatherer stitcher having two operating shafts
EP1765704A2 (fr) * 2004-06-18 2007-03-28 Roye Weeks Appareil concu pour manipuler des feuilles
EP1765704A4 (fr) * 2004-06-18 2009-03-04 Roye Weeks Appareil concu pour manipuler des feuilles
US7677543B2 (en) 2004-06-18 2010-03-16 Terje Gulbrandsen Sheet handling apparatus
AU2005257998B2 (en) * 2004-06-18 2010-11-25 Terje Gulbrandsen Sheet handling apparatus
DE102004037896A1 (de) * 2004-08-05 2006-03-16 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag Vorrichtung zum Zusammentragen flächiger Werkstücke
US7232125B2 (en) 2004-08-05 2007-06-19 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag Device for collating laminar workpieces
EP1623945A1 (fr) * 2004-08-05 2006-02-08 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour assembler des pièces plates

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0727379A3 (fr) 1996-10-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5730436A (en) Signature conveyor system with automatic phase adjustment
EP0615941B1 (fr) ContrÔle de repérage pour feuilles
EP1803668B1 (fr) Margeur de feuilles avec un cycle de temps ajustable et méthode
CA1194049A (fr) Dispositif de transport de piles de feuilles pour alimenter une emballeuse mecanique
US5826869A (en) High throughput document-processing machine having dynamic speed control
US4518075A (en) Apparatus for gathering and singularizing stacks of paper sheets or the like
EP1652638B1 (fr) Appareil de finition pour feuilles pour un appareil pour la formation d'images
US5818470A (en) System and method for directly feeding paper to printing devices
US5606913A (en) Sheet registration control
US20080110955A1 (en) Method of Operating a Gathering Stapler with Separate Drives
US10071494B2 (en) Motor control system and method for a rotary hole punch system
US5790168A (en) Printing apparatus with movable slitter for printed paper sheet
EP0727379A2 (fr) Système de transport de cahiers avec ajustement automatique de phase
US6004252A (en) Bag making apparatus and method for making plastic bags including a wicket transfer unit and wicket conveyor
JPH04269594A (ja) 給紙装置及び丁合装置
JPH1195505A (ja) モジュール境界に亘る同期用紙送り方法
EP1080946B1 (fr) Méthode et dispositif pour synchroniser le mouvement des distributeurs d'insert dans une machine à insérer
GB2265609A (en) Method of monitoring the transport of print products
JPS62290674A (ja) 複写装置
US6175775B1 (en) Method for optimizing the production output of an apparatus processing flat items
JP3115396B2 (ja) 製本機
EP0148986B1 (fr) Méthode de commande pour une machine à grouper et à envelopper
JPH08277021A (ja) ワークの分割供給装置
JP2836933B2 (ja) 給紙タイミングの矯正装置
JPS59153756A (ja) 紙葉類の集積装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): BE CH DE ES FR GB IE IT LI NL

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): BE CH DE ES FR GB IE IT LI NL

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19970424