EP0853158A2

EP0853158A2 - Apparatus for applying a sheet which is to be ironed in the inserting pincers of an inserting machine

Info

Publication number: EP0853158A2
Application number: EP97203236A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yves Lapauw; Dominique Lapauw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-10-16
Filing date: 1997-10-16
Publication date: 1998-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-16
Also published as: BE1010694A6; EP0853158B1; ES2245459T3; DE69733683D1; EP0853158A3; DE69733683T2

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for applying a sheet which is to be ironed in the inserting pincers of an inserting machine, characterized in that it is equipped with a series of first means for passing the sheet supplied in an arbitrary position with a corner to a series of second means which bring the sheet within the reach of said inserting pincers, which second means pass the gripped sheet in the desired position with an edge to the inserting pincers of the inserting machine.

Description

This invention relates to an apparatus for applying a sheet which is to be ironed in the inserting pincers of an inserting machine.

By "inserting machine" is meant an apparatus which receives the sheet which is to be ironed and which delivers it in the right position to the ironing roller of an ironing machine. Such an inserting machine is described in Belgian patent 905,687 in the name of the applicant. Up to now, this was done manually and an object of the invention is therefore the do this entirely mechanically.

In order to enable this in conformity with the invention at a high rhythm and with technically reliable structures, the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a series of first means for passing the sheet supplied in an arbitrary position with a corner to a series of second means which bring the sheet within the reach of said inserting pincers, which second means pass the gripped sheet in the desired position with an edge to the inserting pincers of the inserting machine.

In an embodiment which solves the problem set forth in a first phase, said first means consist of:

a) a vertical frame along which a first pair of pincers can be moved up and down in order to grip the sheet supplied by a conveyor belt and to bring it in a first upper position and an arm which can turn with respect to this vertical frame in a vertical plane and along which a first grip with rotatable fingers is displaced up and down in order to grip the sheet gripped by the first pair of pincers and to keep it clamped between said fingers;

b) a second pair of pincers mounted on a lever which can be displaced up and downwards and which can be turned in order to grip the end of the sheet caught by said grip and to bring it to an upper position;

c) a conveyor belt for displacing the sheet caught by said grip and released by the first pair of pincers over a certain distance.

Still in the spirit of the invention, said second means consist of:

a) a third pair of pincers mounted on a hinging lever for keeping the sheet with one of its edges stretched between said grip and this third pair of pincers;

b) photo-electric cells which assure the verticality of the sheet suspended from said third pair of pincers by acting on a fourth pair of pincers;

c) a fifth pair of pincers which catches the edge of the sheet which is kept stretched between the above-intended pair of pincers and said pair of pincers;

d) two photo-electric cells which assure the horizontality of the edge mentioned under c) of the sheet;

e) a set of two pairs of pincers which pertain to a turning frame and which pass the edge of the sheet to the pairs of pincers of an inserting machine.

Other details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an apparatus for applying a sheet which is to be ironed to the inserting pincers of an inserting machine. This description is only given by way of example and does not limit the invention. The reference numerals relate to the figures appended hereto.

Figure 1 subdivided in Fig. 1a, 1b, and 1c is according to a perspective view a schematic reproduction of the apparatus according to the invention.

Figures 2 to 17 show, also schematically, the different successive states of the apparatus between the catching of the supplied sheet and the handing over of a corner of this sheet to the inserting pincers of an inserting machine.

The apparatus according to the invention consists of a vertical frame 1 along which a first pair of pincers 2 can be moved up and down by means of an electric motor 3 and this through the intermediary of a chain 4. A movable arm 5 is mounted with respect to the vertical frame 1, which arm may turn at the top with respect to the vertical frame 1. Along the movable arm 5 a grip 6 can be moved up and down. This up and downward movement of the grip 6 is controlled by a motor 7 which controls the reciprocating displacement of a chain which has not been shown in the figures. The grip 6 is mounted on a carriage 8 and comprises two rods 9, provided with fingers 10, which are rotatable around a horizontal geometric axis. The function of such a grip is made clear further with reference to Figures 4 - 8.

As soon as a sheet 11 has been supplied by a first conveyor belt 12, the first pair of pincers 2 goes down until it can catch the sheet 11. It has to be noted that, whatever may be the place were the sheet is caught, there will always be one of the four corners thereof in the lowermost position shown in Figure 3. This position is detected by a photo-electric cell 13. The grip 6 goes down along the movable arm 5 which is, at this moment, in the vertical position. The two rods 9 of the grip 6 slide along the pair of pincers 2. In its lowermost position, which is determined by the photo-electric cell 13, the grip 6 is rotated so that the lower corner 11' of the sheet 11, which is kept clamped between the rods 9 with fingers 10, is directed upwards (Figure 5). The rotation, in both directions, of the grip 6 is controlled by

pneumatic cylinders

14 and 15.

After this rotation of the grip 6, the movable arm 5 is turned over a small angle and the sheet is released at the top by the pair of pincers 2 (Figure 6). Turning of the arm 5 is caused by the action of a cylinder 16 (Figures 6, 7 and 8). The sheet drops down partially onto the conveyor belt 12 and is caught now by a third pair of pincers, 17, opening and closing of which is controlled by cylinder 18.

The pair of pincers 17 is mounted on a turning lever 19, the up and downward movement of which is controlled by pneumatic cylinder 20.

It is to be noted that the pair of pincers 17 and the elements pertaining thereto are mounted on a frame which has not been shown and which goes up and down. One will also notice that the views according to Figures 9 - 17 are rotated 90° with respect to the view according to Figures 2 - 8.

The sheet is now hanging in a position wherein it is caught by a fourth pair of pincers, 21, which is mounted on a turning arm 22 which is itself under the control of a pneumatic cylinder 23. Opening and closing of the pair of pincers 21 is controlled by the photo-electric cell 24'.

The vertical position of the edge 11'' of the sheet 11 is controlled by two photo-electric cells 24 and 25 (Figure 10). Indeed, these photo-

electric cells

24 and 25 influence the stroke of the pneumatic cylinder 23. A pair of pincers 26 grips the lateral edge 11'' of the sheet 11 as soon as it arrives in its correct vertical position (Figures 11 and 12). In this position, the sheet is caught between the pairs of

pincers

17 and 21. During the next step, the pair of pincers 21 is going to release the sheet while the arm 22 with the pair of pincers 21 turns over 90° so that a portion of the sheet 11 is now nicely stretched between the pairs of pincers 17 and 26 (Figure 13). The right position of the pair of pincers 26 is determined by the cylinder 27 while the position in height of the cylinder 27 is set by the cylinder 28.

When arriving in the position according to Figure 9, the sheets rests at the bottom on a conveyor belt 12', the traveling direction of which is shown by the arrow from this figure. The displacement of the conveyor belt 12' is restricted in time and continues until the grip 8 is entirely released.

The next phases concern the last steps wherein the corner of the sheet 11, selected during the previous phases, arrives at the inserting machine. A pair of pincers 29 with an oblique course is brought, by means of the pneumatic cylinder 30, up to the level of the vertical edge 40 of the sheet (Figure 14). The pair of pincers 29 catches the vertical edge of the sheet which remains caught by the pair of pincers 17. While the pair of pincers 26, with cylinder 27, releases the sheet, the pair of pincers 29 is pulled up by cylinder 30 until a horizontal position of the sheet is achieved.

The horizontality of the edge of the sheet is checked by means of two photo-

electric cells

31 and 32. In this position, the sheet is gripped by two pairs of pincers 33 and the pair of pincers 17 is opened. The pairs of pincers 33 pertain to a turning frame 34 which hinges in point 35 and the movements of which are controlled by cylinders 36. Cylinders 37 close and open the pairs of pincers 33.

Both pairs of pincers 33 act simultaneously (

side views

16 and 17 showing only one of these pairs of pincers). The pairs of pincers 33 which are actuated by the cylinders 37 feed the edge of the sheet in the pincers 38 of the inserting machine 39, the working of which is described in the earlier mentioned Belgian patent 905,687 in the name of the applicant.

Claims

An apparatus for applying a sheet which is to be ironed in the inserting pincers of an inserting machine, characterized in that it is equipped with a series of first means for passing the sheet supplied in an arbitrary position with a corner to a series of second means which bring the sheet within the reach of said inserting pincers, which second means pass the gripped sheet in the desired position with an edge to the inserting pincers of the inserting machine.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said first means consist of:

a) a vertical frame (1) along which a first pair of pincers (2) can be moved up and down in order to grip the sheet (11) supplied by a conveyor belt (12) and to bring it in a first upper position and an arm (5) which can turn with respect to this vertical frame (1) in a vertical plane and along which a first grip (6) with rotatable fingers (10) is displaced up and down in order to grip the sheet gripped by the first pair of pincers and to keep it clamped between said fingers;

b) a second pair of pincers (17) mounted on a lever (19) which can be displaced up and downwards and which can be turned in order to grip the end of the sheet caught by said grip (6) and to bring it to an upper position;

c) a conveyor belt (12) for displacing the sheet caught by said grip (6) and released by the first pair of pincers (2) over a certain distance.
An apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said second means consist of:

a) a third pair of pincers (21) mounted on a hinging lever (22) for keeping the sheet with one of its edges stretched between said grip (6) and this third pair of pincers;

b) photo-electric cells (24, 25) which assure the verticality of the sheet suspended from said third pair of pincers (21) by acting on a fourth pair of pincers (26);

c) a fifth pair of pincers (29) which catches the edge of the sheet which is kept stretched between the above-intended pair of pincers (17) and said pair of pincers (29);

d) two photo-electric cells (31, 32) which assure the horizontality of the edge mentioned under c) of the sheet;

e) a set of two pairs of pincers (33) which pertain to a turning frame (34) and which pass the edge of the sheet to the pairs of pincers (38) of an inserting machine (39).