EP1445224B2 - Device for forming stacks of flat articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus includes a drive motor (48) for ejecting a stack of printed products (12) from the upwardly open space of a compartment (10) in an ejection direction. The drive motor has a first drive for moving upstream guide elements (60) through the compartment space in the ejection direction, and a second drive for moving downstream guide elements (70) out of the compartment space. The compartment space is bounded by a compartment base (28). The upstream guide element is provided on the upstream side of the compartment space when viewed in the ejection direction. The downstream guide element is provided on the downstream side of the compartment space. The first and second drives are independently operable.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming stacks of flat objects, such as printed products, with the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.

A device of this kind is in CH-A-567 996 and CH-A-609306 disclosed. A top feedable stacking shaft is completed by a pile support. After each fed bundle of stacking shaft is rotated together with the stack support by 180 °. The stacking shaft are associated with hub-driven driving arrangements in order to push away a finished stack from the stacking support.

Another apparatus for forming stacks is known from EP-A-0 586 802 and the corresponding US-A-5,370,382 known. Two stacking devices arranged next to one another are alternately supplied with printed products to be stacked by means of a gripper conveyor. Each stack forming device has below a Vorstapelraumes a shaft whose shaft space is limited on two opposite sides by guide rails: A raised and lowered shaft bottom is raised in each case to receive a stack formed in Vorstapelraum, and then lowered again until they are arranged on it Objects are arranged below the Vorstapelraum limiting slide plates. The shaft bottom is rotatable together with the guide rails by 180 ° to form a finished stack, in which the partial stacks are arranged offset by 180 ° to each other. As a result, articles, such as folded printed products, can be stacked to form stable stacks, which have a greater thickness in one edge area than at the opposite edge area. To eject a finished stack from the shaft of the shaft bottom is completely lowered and a blower in the ejection direction retracted into the shaft.

Furthermore, the disclosure EP-A-1 362 817 a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a generic device which ensures the formation of stable stacks with short cycle times under all circumstances.

This object is achieved with a generic device, which has the features in the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

The shaft space is limited on all four sides. The supplied from the top of the shaft objects can be performed on all sides with their vertical movement in the shaft space with play and still the stacked objects can be held in any shaft rotation in the shaft space and prevented from lateral displacement and rotation. Furthermore, the guide elements which define the shaft in the ejection direction upstream are used for ejecting the finished stack from the shaft. The means for ejecting the respective stack formed are thus associated with the shaft. This offers the possibility to start the ejection of a stack already during the lowering of the shaft bottom.

Particularly preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

in Draufsicht einen Schacht einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2

ebenfalls in Draufsicht den in Fig. 1 gezeigten Schacht mit darin auf dem Schachtboden angeordneten Gegenständen, bereit zum Drehen des Schachtes um 180°;

Fig. 3

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 1 und 2 den Schacht während des Ausstossens eines darin gebildeten Stapels;

Fig. 4

eine Seitenansicht in Richtung des Pfeiles IV der Fig. 1 des in den Fig. 1 bis 3 gezeigten Schachtes;

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht in Richtung des Pfeiles V der Fig. 1 des in den Fig. 1 bis 3 gezeigten Schachtes;

Fig. 6

stark vereinfacht eine erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung in Ansicht mit einem Schacht gemäss den Fig. 1 bis 5, kurz nach der Bildung eines fertigen Stapels zu Beginn des Absenkens des Schachtbodens;

Fig. 7

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 6 die dort gezeigte Vorrichtung, wobei während des weiteren Absenkens des Schachtbodens das Ausstossen des Stapels und in einem Vorstapelraum die Bildung eines Vorstapels bereits begonnen hat;

Fig. 8

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 6 und 7 die Vorrichtung zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt, zu welchem der Schachtboden weiter abgesenkt und das Ausstossen des Stapels weiter fortgeschritten ist; und

Fig. 9

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 6 bis 8 die Vorrichtung mit vollständig abgesenktem Schachtboden kurz vor Beendigung des Ausstossvorgangs.

The present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

in plan view a shaft of an inventive device;

Fig. 2

also in plan view the in Fig. 1 shown shaft with arranged therein on the shaft bottom objects, ready to rotate the shaft by 180 °;

Fig. 3

in the same representation as Fig. 1 and 2 the shaft during the ejection of a stack formed therein;

Fig. 4

a side view in the direction of arrow IV of Fig. 1 in the Fig. 1 to 3 shaft shown;

Fig. 5

a view in the direction of the arrow V of Fig. 1 in the Fig. 1 to 3 shaft shown;

Fig. 6

greatly simplifies a device according to the invention in view with a shaft according to the Fig. 1 to 5 shortly after the formation of a finished stack at the beginning of the lowering of the shaft bottom;

Fig. 7

in the same representation as Fig. 6 the device shown there, wherein during the further lowering of the shaft bottom, the ejection of the stack and in a pre-stacking the formation of a pre-stack has already begun;

Fig. 8

in the same representation as 6 and 7 the device at a later time, to which the shaft bottom further lowered and the ejection of the stack is more advanced; and

Fig. 9

in the same representation as Fig. 6 to 8 the device with fully lowered shaft bottom just before completion of the ejection process.

For now, with reference to the Fig. 1 to 5 the structure and operation of a shaft 10 of an inventive device for Forming stacks of folded printed products 12 described. It should be noted that the device is of course also suitable for stacking unfolded printed products and other flat objects.

Like this the 4 and 5 show, the base of the shaft 10 has a base 14 which is mounted on a fixed table 16 or floor. On the base 14, a vertical axis hollow shaft 18 is mounted, on which at the lower end a sprocket 20 is seated, which is connected by means of a drive chain 22 with a motor, not shown, for rotating the hollow shaft 18. On the upper end of the hollow shaft 18 is rotatably a turntable 24th

How this particular the Fig. 1 to 3 can be removed, is arranged above the turntable 24 and rotatable with this shaft bottom 28, seen in plan view, cross-shaped and at two, with respect to the axis of rotation 18 'of the hollow shaft diametrically opposite locations on the turntable 24 freely cross-piston rods 30 of two cylinder Piston units 32 articulated. The arranged below the turntable 24 cylinder 34 of the cylinder-piston units 32 are in turn hinged to protruding from the turntable 24 support arms 36. By means of the cylinder-piston units 32, the shaft bottom 28 of the in the 4 and 5 raised lower end position 38 and lowered back into it. In Fig. 4 is the sake of clarity, a cylinder-piston unit 32 is not shown and of others, only the coupling to the shaft bottom 38 is visible.

On two opposite sides outside the shaft space 10 ', the shaft 10 each has a vertically extending, in cross-section U-shaped carrier 40. In the free end regions of attached to the two supports 40, horizontally and parallel to each other extending upper and lower plates 42 are vertical bearing shafts 44 freely rotatably mounted, which each pass through a bearing hollow shaft 46. The two viewed in the ejection direction A on one side arranged bearing shafts 44 are each connected to a drive motor 48. The corresponding bearing shafts 44 corresponding opposite bearing shafts 44 are each connected via a reversing gear 50 also with the associated drive motor 48. The two upstream in the ejection direction A arranged bearing shafts 44 are thus synchronously and in opposite directions of rotation by means of a drive motor 48 driven and likewise by means of the other drive motor, the two downstream bearing shafts 44th

In the upper and lower end region of the upstream bearing shafts 44, each first sprocket wheel 52 sits in a rotationally fixed manner about which an endless first chain 54 is guided. These four first chains 54 are further guided around second sprockets 56, which are freely rotatably mounted on the downstream bearing shafts 44. The arranged between the second sprockets 56 bearing hollow shafts 46 are rotatably connected to the downstream bearing shafts 44 and sitting on them rotatably upper and lower third sprockets 58. These are each surrounded by a second chain 60, which are further led to fourth sprockets 62, which upstream of the respective hollow bearing shafts 46 are freely rotatably mounted.

Seen in the ejection direction A on both sides arranged first chains 54 are each connected via a vertical angle section 64 with each other. The right angles of the first chains 54 projecting legs of these two angle sections 64 form guide elements 66 and are in their in the Fig. 1 to 5 shown positions in the direction against the shaft space 10 'before. The parallel to the first chain 54 extending legs of the angle sections 64 serve as together with the guide elements 66 moving lateral limiting elements 68 of the shaft space 10 '.

In the same way 60 two more angle sections 64 'are attached to the second chains, which form further guide elements 70 and in their in the Fig. 1, 2 . 4 and 5 shown positions in the direction against the interior of the shaft space 10 'protrude and limit this seen in the ejection downstream side. Correspondingly, the angle profiles 64 'form further lateral limiting elements 72.

In Fig. 1 the format of the printed products to be stacked 12 is indicated by dash-dotted lines. It can also be seen from this figure that in order to form a stack, the angle profiles 64 and 64 'have been moved by means of the motors 48 into a position in which the printed products 12 supplied from above the shaft space 10' interfere with play in the vertical direction between the guide elements 66 and further guide elements 70 and the limiting elements 68 and further limiting elements 72 can move. In this context, it should be mentioned that the limiting profiles 40 or even only one of them can be detachably fastened to the turntable 24 in order to be able to adapt the shaft space 10 'to the format of the printed products 12 to be processed in the direction at right angles to the ejection direction A. Of course, the dimension of the shaft bottom 28, measured at right angles to the ejection direction, is chosen such that the shaft bottom 28 can be moved without obstacles in the vertical direction.

Fig. 2 shows a situation in which a partial stack 74 rests on the shaft bottom 28. By means of the drive motors 48, the guide elements 66 and further guide elements 70 have been moved toward one another in or against the ejection direction A, so that they rest against the stack 74. As a result, the partial stack 74 when rotating the shaft 10 about the axis of rotation 18 '- as indicated by the double arrow - held stable.

Should after a rotation more items 12 are received in the shaft space 10 ', the guide elements 66 and other guide elements 70 are again away from each other in the in Fig. 1 shown location spent. If, however, after a rotation of the formed finished stack 76 are ejected, the limiting elements 68 and further limiting elements 72 are moved directly in the ejection direction A, as set forth below.

Fig. 3 shows the shaft 10 during the ejection of a finished stack 76 in the ejection direction A from the shaft 10. In addition, starting from the situation as they Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 shows the first chains 54 and second chains 60 driven in the ejection direction A, whereby on the one hand seen in the ejection direction A downstream further guide elements 70 together with the finished stack 76 and then, around the third sprockets 58 around, out of the conveying area of the finished stack 76 out move; to the in Fig. 3 On the other hand, the upstream guide elements 60 push the finished stack 76 from the shaft bottom 28, for example to a Auslegetisch or a removal conveyor. After ejection of a finished stack 76 by means of the two drive motors 48, the angle sections 64, 64 'again in the in the Fig. 1 shown position spent for the formation of a next stack.

Since the angle profiles 64 and 64 'and thus the guide elements 66 formed by them and other guide elements 70 are individually driven by their own drive motors 48, adjustments to the format of the printed products 12 to be stacked can be made in a very simple manner by controlling these drive motors 48 - in ejection direction A - make.

It is possible to supply the printed products 12 to be stacked, for example by means of a staple transporter or belt conveyor, directly to the shaft 10 for stacking. In a preferred manner, however, is in the Fig. 1 to 5 Shaft 10, described above, is part of a device such as that disclosed, for example, in US Pat EP-A-0 586 802 and the corresponding US-A-5,370,382 It is known in which partial stacks 74 are formed in a pre-stacking space arranged above the shaft 10, which stacks are offset from each other by 180 ° in the shaft space 10 '. With regard to the structure and operation of such a device, reference is expressly made to the two cited documents.

In the Fig. 6 to 9 simplified is a device of this kind, equipped with a novel shaft 10, shown at five different times of a work cycle. From the shaft 10, for better clarity, only the shaft bottom 28 with the hinged piston rods 30, the guide member 66 and in Fig. 6 also shown the further guide member 70. In the ejection direction A closes at the shaft 10, for example, designed as a belt conveyor Wegförderer 78. This is intended to wegzufördern the ejected in ejection A finished stack 76 in Wegführrichtung W. Above the shaft 10, a pre-stacking device 80 is arranged with a pre-stacking shaft, not shown, which is closable below by means of mutually movable towards and away from each other slide plates 82. Above the slide plates 82 fork-like intermediate floor elements 84 can be inserted into the pre-stacking shaft and pulled out of this again.

For in the Fig. 6 shown time of a processing cycle, a finished stack 76 is transported away in the removal direction W by means of the removal conveyor 78. Another finished stack 76 rests on the raised shaft bottom 28. This was in a known manner by stacking two partial stacks 74, with carried out in between rotation of the shaft 10 together with in the shaft space 10 'already located first partial stack 74 by 180 ° formed. The slide plates 82 are extended out of the pre-stacking space, while printed on the retracted intermediate floor elements 84 in the meantime supplied printed products 12 are stacked. The shaft 10 is bounded upstream of the guide elements 66 and downstream of the further guide elements 70.

Already during the lowering of the shaft bottom 28 - as soon as the entire finished stack 76 is below the slide plates 82 - be like this Fig. 7 shows, the guide elements 66 and other guide elements 70 moves in the ejection direction A, whereby the other guide elements 70 around the third sprockets 58 around (see Fig. 3 ) are moved out of the path of movement of the ejected finished stack 76 out into the area of the return strand. The current position of the guide member 66 is shown in solid lines, with dotted lines, the situation is indicated, which in the Fig. 6 has taken. The slide plates 82 were retracted into the pre-stacking space after the uppermost printed product 12 of the finished stack 76 was lowered below the slide plates 82. The first partial stack 74 of a next stack to be formed is located on the slide plates 82, which partial stack 74 has reached the slide plates 82 by moving the intermediate bottom elements 84 apart from one another.

To in Fig. 8 shown point of the shaft bottom 28 is almost completely lowered and the finished stack 76 already ejected to about one third from the shaft 10. Once the shaft bottom 28 has reached its lower end position 38 - which in Fig. 9 is shown - the complete ejection of the finished stack 76 from the shaft 10. In the meantime, a further sub-stack 74 has been almost finished created on the slide plates 82, which after the subsequent lifting of the shaft bottom 28 through Moving apart of the slide plates 82 is passed to this. If partial stacks offset by 180 ° to one another, the shaft 10 with the partial stack located therein or the partial stacks therein is rotated by 180 ° in a known manner, in each case before depositing a further partial stack.

The cross-shaped design of the shaft bottom 28 ensures on the one hand a stable support of the stack and on the other hand - with raised shaft bottom 28 - the passing of the guide elements 66 and optionally other guide elements 70 at the extending in and against the ejection direction arms of the shaft bottom 28th

An unillustrated controller controls all drives and functions so that each finished stack 76 has the predetermined sub-stacks with the specific number of printed products.

Characterized in that the serving as ejection elements guide elements 66 are associated with the shaft 10 and thus the ejection process can already take place during the lowering of the shaft bottom 28, with gentle treatment of the printed products 12, a shortening of the cycle times compared to the known prior art possible.

In the in the Fig. 1 to 5 shown embodiment of the inventive shaft, the drive elements 86 for the guide elements 66 by first and second sprockets 52, 56 guided first chains 54 and the other drive elements 88 for the other guide elements 70 by third and fourth sprockets 58, 62 guided second chains 60 formed , These drive elements 86, 88 may be formed in other ways, for example by cylinder-piston assemblies, belt drives, etc.

The shaft according to the invention can be used in various devices for forming stacks of flat objects. So also in such devices in which the stack or partial stack are formed in the shaft itself.

Like this Fig. 4 can be removed, the shaft bottom 28 can center, a running in the ejection A survey, for example, formed of successively arranged freely rotatable rollers, which further stabilizes the stack and prevents that when ejecting the lowest, above the shaft bottom projecting printed products 12 down can bend.

The ejection of finished stacks 76 is also opposite to in the Fig. 1 to 3 shown ejection direction A possible. For this purpose, the guide elements 66 and other guide elements 70 are driven in the opposite direction.

It is also possible to dispense with the hollow bearing shafts 46 and the third sprockets 58 rotatably on the bearing shafts 44 and to arrange the fourth sprockets 62 freely rotatably support the bearing shafts 44.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for forming stacks of flat objects, such as printed products, comprising a compartment (10) whose compartment space (10') is bounded at the bottom by a compartment base (28), on two mutually opposite sides by bounding elements (68, 72) and on a side located upstream in an ejection direction (A) by guide elements (66) and on a side located downstream by further guide elements (70) for the objects (1 2) which can be introduced from above into the compartment space (10'), said objects coming to lie in stack form on the compartment base (28), in order to eject a stack (76) from the compartment space (10'), the guide elements (66) being moved in the ejection direction (A) through the compartment space (10'), and the further guide elements (70) being moved out of the compartment space (10') by means of a drive (48), and the guide elements (66) being connected to one drive (48) and the further guide elements (70) being connected to a further drive (48) and, by means of these drives (48), it being possible for the guide elements (66) to be moved independently of the further guide elements (70), characterized in that the guide elements (66) and the further guide elements (70) are each assigned the abovementioned bounding elements (68, 72) which can be moved together with them, wherein the compartment base (28) can be raised and lowered by means of a lifting drive and, in order to eject a stack (76), the guide elements (66) are moved in the ejection direction (A) as the compartment base (28) is lowered.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the compartment (10) can be rotated about a central vertical axis (18'), the guide elements (66) and further guide elements (70) being moved toward one another at the start of a rotation operation in order to bear at least approximately on the stack (74, 76) in order to stabilize it.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that, when a rotation operation is completed, if further objects (12) are to be fed to the compartment space (10') and are to be deposited on the objects (12) already present therein, the guide elements (66) and the further guide elements (70) are moved away from one another.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that, after a rotation operation has been completed, if a stack (76) is to be ejected from the compartment space (10'), the guide elements (66) and the further guide elements (70) are moved with one another in the ejection direction (A).
5. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, on both sides of the compartment, there is in each case a drive element (86) for the guide elements (66) and in each case a further drive element (88) for the further guide elements (70).
6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, characterized in that the drive elements (86) are connected to a drive motor (48) and the further drive elements (88) are connected to a further drive motor (48), the two drive motors (48) being activated independently of each other.
7. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the drive elements (86) and the further drive elements (88) on each side of the compartment (10) each have an endless pulling element (54, 60), to which the corresponding guide elements (66) and further guide elements (70) are fixed and which, at the end located upstream and at the end located downstream of the compartment (10), is guided around deflection wheels (52, 56, 58, 62).
8. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bounding elements (68, 72) and the associated guide elements (66) and further guide elements (70) are formed by angle profiles (64, 64') running in the vertical direction.

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