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
  • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
  • B65H29/38—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles by movable piling or advancing arms, frames, plates, or like members with which the articles are maintained in face contact
  • B65H29/40—Members rotated about an axis perpendicular to direction of article movement, e.g. star-wheels formed by S-shaped members

Definitions

• T he OF INVENTION d ung relates to a method and apparatus for A n h e b s of, disposed in a conveying process gen flächi-, sequentie l l successive products erei cons in particular ⁇ sondere Prin, wherein the products while d is F ör d erluies at least partially rest on a conveyor ⁇ medium.
• An object of the invention is to further develop a method of the type mentioned at the outset such that products delivered sequentially from a conveying means can be individually further processed with a reduced mechanical outlay, with the aim in particular also being to achieve that the conveying means only to a small extent or even is not covered at all by the device for lifting the products.
• this object is achieved in that the products are actively pivoted about at least one period of lifting by overcoming gravity about an axis which extends essentially parallel to the direction in which the conveying process is oriented immediately before lifting.
• groups of products can also be conveyed and / or swiveled.
• the product groups can already be formed during the conveying preceding the pivoting, so that the conveying process already takes place in groups.
• the pivoting movement provided according to the invention further ensures that the transfer between two sequentially successive conveying means can take place with the smallest space requirement, since the two conveying means only have to overlap each other only slightly, this overlap being for example in the order of magnitude of the longitudinal extent of a product in the conveying direction.
• the pivot axis which is decisive for the pivoting movement according to the invention coincides at least essentially with a product edge which extends parallel to the direction in which the conveying process is oriented immediately before lifting.
• the products are swiveled around one of their edges, which on the one hand means that the swiveling movement can be carried out with a minimum of space and on the other hand advantageously means that the products only have to be accelerated to an unproblematic extent.
• the edge around which the pivoting movement takes place is advantageously practically not accelerated at all.
• the products can be oriented horizontally or inclined to the horizontal immediately before the start of lifting. It is advantageous if the products rest flat on a correspondingly oriented conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt. However, it is also possible to convey the products by means of grippers, which then transfer the products to a corresponding swivel device for the purpose of pivoting according to the invention. These grippers can hold the products on one or two edges, for example.
• the products are preferably pivoted through an angle between 10 ° and 270 °, the period of lifting that overcomes the force of gravity generally always taking an angular range between 10 ° and 90 °. It is therefore possible according to the invention to first lift the products by an angular range between 10 ° and 90 ° and then, for example by gravity, to pivot them downwards by an angular range between 90 ° and 180 °.
• each product is assigned an individual gripper, the movement of which ultimately determines the speed of the pivoting movement of the products.
• the leading edge of the products can be moved into the grippers immediately before the start of the pivoting movement by the conveying movement. It is also possible to counteract the grippers using a suitable device. towards the leading edge of the products in order to then grip them.
• the leading edge of the products is moved against a, in particular stationary, stop, so that the products at least in some areas stand out from the conveying means in the pivoting direction.
• This stop thus initiates the swiveling movement according to the invention, for example by preventing a further movement in the conveying direction in a region of the leading edge of the products facing away from the swiveling axis, which leads to the fact that the products due to the frictional effect between the conveying means and the products move upwards " bulge ".
• This bulging takes place in a defined direction away from the conveying means, so that the abovementioned stop triggers a controlled and defined initiation of the swiveling movement, whereupon the further swiveling movement upwards can be controlled by a gripper or a suitable supporting means.
• a particularly stationary guide link can also be provided in the area of the conveying means, along which the products are moved with their leading edge at the beginning of the lifting.
• the guide backdrop causes the products to be lifted from the conveying means in the pivoting direction, at least in some areas.
• a stop is then additionally provided at the end of the guide link located in the conveying direction, products with a pre-fold can first be lifted through the guide link, whereupon the lifted products are subsequently opened by the pre-fold adjoining the stop, so that the products, for example can be easily gripped with a 3-finger gripper, one finger of the gripper on the two outer sides of the product and one finger between the pre-fold area and the area opposite the pre-fold area.
• the products can be transported both in scale formation and without mutual overlap.
• the products After being lifted into an at least substantially vertically oriented position, the products can be gripped individually by grippers, in particular on an edge pointing upwards, and fed to further processing.
• the conveying direction of the corresponding gripper path can be essentially perpendicular to that Direction in which the funding process is oriented immediately before the lifting.
• the products After the products have been lifted into an at least substantially vertically oriented position, however, the products can also be pivoted downward under gravity, this pivoting being able to take place about the same pivot axis as the previous lifting.
• the gravity-assisted swiveling downward takes place in particular over an angular range between 90 ° and 180 °.
• the products can be placed on another conveyor or a product stack.
• a particularly efficient operation of the method according to the invention is achieved if the products are processed, in particular opened, stapled, addressed, cut or the like, during the counter-gravity and / or during the gravity-assisted pivoting movement.
• the swiveling movement is not only used to lift the products from the conveying means, but at the same time processing can also take place while saving time during the swiveling movement.
• the bundle of the products comes to lie radially on the inside in relation to the pivoting movement.
• further products can then be inserted into already opened products during the pivoting movement.
• the products can - as already mentioned - be deposited, for example, on a further conveyor.
• the conveying direction of this further conveying means can run essentially perpendicularly or else parallel to the direction in which the conveying process was oriented immediately before the lifting.
• the conveying direction of the products can thus experience, for example, a change in direction of 0 °, 90 °, 180 ° or 270 ° by means of the method according to the invention.
• the further funding can be designed, for example, as a gripper track, as a pocket conveyor, as a saddle conveyor, as a combined pocket and saddle conveyor or else as a conveyor belt.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the sequence of a method according to the invention according to a first variant
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the sequence of a method according to the invention in accordance with a second variant
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the sequence of a method according to the invention according to a third variant with a first and a further funding
• 4 shows a schematic representation of a second method step of a method according to the invention used for stack formation
• FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a second method step of a method according to the invention, including an opening process with a further conveyor designed as a saddle conveyor,
• FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a second method step of a method according to the invention with a further conveyor designed as a conveyor belt
• FIG. 7 is a representation according to FIG. 6 with a compared to
• FIG. 8 shows the end of a conveyor that can be used in the context of the invention with a guide link arranged in its end region
• Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of the sequence of a method according to the invention with a horizontally oriented, having a stop at its end.
• Fig. 1 1 is a schematic representation of the sequence of a method according to the invention with a more detailed representation of the opening process, and
• Fig. 12 is a schematic representation of an opening process with alternative means compared to Fig. 1 1.
• Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a conveyor 1 arranged in a horizontal plane, by means of which printed products 2 are moved in a scale formation in the direction of conveyance A.
• the printed products 2 are moved by the conveying means 1 into its end region 3, where the movement of the printed products 2 ends in the conveying direction A and a swiveling movement about the axis B begins, which extends parallel to the conveying direction A.
• the pivot axis B can coincide with an edge of the products 2 running in the conveying direction A; however, it can also - as shown in FIG. 1 - extend at a distance from said edge.
• Fig. 1 shows that the products 2 must be lifted by gravity from the conveyor 1 over an angular range of approximately 90 ° at the beginning of the pivoting movement under gravity until they are substantially vertical, whereupon further processes can then be used, which Connection with the following figures are explained by way of example.
• FIG. 2 shows a variant of the method according to FIG. 1, in which products 2 transported horizontally in direction A by one in conveying direction A. extending product edge 4 are pivoted upward by approximately 90 °, so that this pivoting movement takes up less space than the pivoting movement according to FIG. 1.
• the products 2 pivoted upwards in the manner mentioned are then conveyed further in the direction C in a substantially vertical orientation , wherein the direction C extends perpendicular to the direction A.
• the conveying movement in the direction C can be accomplished, for example, by means of grippers (not shown) which grip the products 2 on their upper product edge 5, so that the products 2 can be transported hanging in the direction C.
• FIGS. 4 to 7 each show a second method step of the method according to the invention, which immediately follows the lifting of the products 2 by overcoming gravity. 4 to 7, the products 2 are pivoted further by at least 90 ° under the force of gravity.
• FIG. 4 shows that the products 2 pivoted upwards according to the invention can be placed on a stack 8 by a further pivoting, supported by gravity, by approximately 90 °.
• this stack 8 can then be separated, for example downward (arrow D).
• arrow D the direction of arrow E.
• FIG. 5 shows a gravity-assisted pivoting about the pivot axis B following the pivoting up according to the invention not only by an angular range of 90 °, but by an angular range of 180 °.
• these products 2 are opened.
• the products 2 must be oriented radially inward with their collar 9 during the pivoting movement, so that the flower 10 of the products 2 comes to lie radially on the outside during the pivoting movement.
• the products 2 are pivoted from an essentially vertical position, in which the collar 9 comes to rest, to an essentially vertical position, in which However, the collar 9 comes to lie at the top and the flower 10 now located below is open.
• FIG. 6 shows a gravity-assisted pivoting of the products 2 downward by approximately 90 °, essentially corresponding to FIG. 4, and clarifies that after this second method step a further conveying means 12 can also be used, which continues to move the products 2 in the direction A of the first (not shown in FIG. 6) conveyor 1, wherein there is no change with regard to the leading edge 13 between the first conveyor 1 and the further conveyor 12.
• a further conveying means 12 can also be used, which continues to move the products 2 in the direction A of the first (not shown in FIG. 6) conveyor 1, wherein there is no change with regard to the leading edge 13 between the first conveyor 1 and the further conveyor 12.
• FIG. 6 illustrates that the further conveying means 14 according to FIG. 6 can also generate a product stream running in the direction F by simply switching it over, the direction F being oriented opposite to the direction E according to FIG. 6.
• FIG. 7 further illustrates that the two method steps of lifting and then depositing the products 2 according to the invention mean that in the area of the further conveying means 14 a longer edge 15 now runs ahead, whereas in the preceding conveying process running in direction A one shorter edge 16 runs ahead.
• the method according to the invention can therefore be used to ensure that a product 2 which is transported in advance with the shorter edge 16 can be transported in advance with a longer edge 15.
• FIG. 8 shows the end of a conveying means 1 which can be used in the context of the invention with a wedge-shaped guide link 18 arranged in its end region.
• the guide link 18 initiates the lifting of the products 2 according to the invention and enables the products 2 to be gripped at their leading edge 13 by means of a gripper (not shown).
• FIG. 9 shows that, as an alternative to the guide link 18 according to FIG. 8, a stop 19 can also be provided, against which the leading edge 13 of the products 2 abuts due to the conveying process caused by the conveying means 1.
• the continued transport movement of the product 2 then causes the product 2 to bulge in the direction of the intended pivoting movement. This bulging thus also initiates the swiveling movement according to the invention and enables the products 2 to be gripped at their leading edge 13.
• FIG. 10 again illustrates the method according to FIG. 9, the products 2 here not being pivoted directly around one of their longer edges. Rather, the pivoting movement takes place in such a way that the radially inner longer edges of the products 2 are arranged at a distance from the pivot axis B.
• FIG. 11 shows a pivoting according to the invention, which is guided by means of grippers, through 90 ° upwards and a subsequent pivoting, supported by gravity.
• the products 2 are transported in the direction of conveyance A in scale formation by the conveying means 1, whereby they are conveyed on the conveying means 1. are positioned in such a way that both their flower 10 and their collar 9 run parallel to the conveying direction A.
• an initiation of the pivoting movement according to the invention is then effected by means of a stop 19 (see FIGS. 9 and 10).
• the further pivoting movement is essentially effected according to FIG. 11 by two gripper fingers 20, 21, which also carry out the pivoting movement of the products 2.
• the opening and / or expanding element 22 is inserted into the already slightly opened product 2, whereupon the two gripper fingers 20, 21 are then closed, so that the product 2 is held between the two gripper fingers 20, 21.
• FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative way of opening the products 2 in the swiveling process according to the invention compared to FIG. 11.
• the products 2 are first gripped by the two gripper fingers 20, 21 in the region of their edge 13 leading in relation to the conveying means 1.
• an opening and / or spreading element 23 is then moved perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flower 10 of the products 2 in the direction of its bundle 9 into the flower 10, so that the flower 10 is opened in this way.
• 11 or 12 can be carried out on products 2 with or without pre-fold in order to enable subsequent process or processing operations on products 2.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Discharge By Other Means (AREA)
• Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
• Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
• Mechanical Treatment Of Semiconductor (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 2001
  • 2001-01-23 CA CA002401825A patent/CA2401825C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-01-23 DK DK01900360T patent/DK1259450T3/da active
  • 2001-01-23 DE DE50106787T patent/DE50106787D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-01-23 US US10/220,696 patent/US6726000B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-01-23 AT AT01900360T patent/ATE299834T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-01-23 EP EP01900360A patent/EP1259450B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-01-23 WO PCT/CH2001/000048 patent/WO2001064566A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2001-01-23 AU AU2001224976A patent/AU2001224976A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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