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
  • B65H29/66—Advancing articles in overlapping streams
  • B65H29/6681—Advancing articles in overlapping streams merging two or more streams into an overlapping stream
• • 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
  • B65H39/06—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from delivery streams
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/43—Gathering; Associating; Assembling
  • B65H2301/435—Gathering; Associating; Assembling on collecting conveyor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
  • B65H2301/444—Stream of articles in shingled formation, overlapping stream
  • B65H2301/4447—Stream of articles in shingled formation, overlapping stream multiple streams
  • B65H2301/44472—Stream of articles in shingled formation, overlapping stream multiple streams superposed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
  • B65H2301/445—Moving, forwarding, guiding material stream of articles separated from each other
  • B65H2301/4451—Moving, forwarding, guiding material stream of articles separated from each other forming a stream or streams of separated articles

Definitions

• the invention is in the field of general cargo conveyance and general cargo processing and relates to a method and a device according to the preambles of the corresponding independent claims.
• the method and apparatus according to the invention are used to form groups of flat objects, in particular printed products, the flat objects being fed in the form of a plurality of essentially continuous streams, each group carried away generally containing one object from each feed stream, and the flat objects in the groups are arranged essentially in a stack.
• the aforementioned group formation is a frequently used step in the further processing of products obtained from printing presses.
• the signatures of books are compiled into such groups or other printed product parts manufactured in separate printing processes, finished printed products to be combined into shipping units or inserts to be inserted into a main product.
• Different products are usually brought together in the groups and one type of product is usually supplied with each feed stream.
• stack-like printed product groups are formed along a collation line.
• the resulting groups or stacks are conveyed along the collation line, lying one behind the other on an essentially horizontal surface or accommodated in conveyor compartments in which the flat objects are leaned against an inclined wall. In this way, the resulting groups or stacks are conveyed past feed points, a feed stream flowing into the collating line at each feed point and a printed product usually being added to each feed point at each feed point.
• the resulting stacks or groups can be conveyed one behind the other on essentially horizontal conveying supports in terms of the device, for example with a conveyor belt on which simple compartments successive in the conveying direction are formed. It also shows, however, that this type of collating section becomes relatively long in the conveying direction, this length being essentially dependent on the largest formats of the printed products to be expected and on the number of feed points.
• the supply of the printed products to such successively conveyed stacks is also easy to implement, for example directly from scale streams, in which the printed products are fed with the leading edges lying above and the foremost object is pushed down onto a stack conveyed past or falls onto it.
• the printed products must be introduced into the conveyor compartments or between the stacks.
• they are usually fed by a gripper each held at an upper edge and introduced into the conveying compartments from above, that is to say with the unguided, lower edge first.
• the conveying compartments are as narrow as possible to shorten the collating distance, the space for the feed is small and the feed must be carried out with corresponding precision.
• this requires a small relative speed between the conveying compartment and the object to be added and thus a relatively long addition distance and an absolute speed of the print product to be added, which is restricted to the top, so that its unguided, leading edge when adding is not moved uncontrolled by the air flow.
• the objects of a subsequent stack can cover a leading stack gripper.
• the corresponding stack gripper is opened towards the top and thereby raises the objects of the trailing stack covering it.
• the objects to be deposited on the stacks are individually held at upper, leading edges in a feed direction which is the same as the conveying direction of the collating section, their speed being lower than the speed of the scaled stacks on the collating section.
• the feed is controlled in such a way that the unguided trailing edge of an object to be fed is positioned on a guide surface or on an already stacked object and by the speed difference in the stack gripper and thereby also under the lifted objects of the . following stack are pushed.
• the feeding gripper is opened and the stack gripper is closed.
• Publication DE-19643395 also suggests a gathering method based on the idea of a shingled stack stream.
• the rectangular or possibly square printed products to be fed at a feed point are not actually on a stack that is being conveyed past positioned, but they are placed in the form of a shingled stream on a group stream which may already consist of several shingled streams.
• all the shingled streams placed one on top of the other in the group flow have the same shingle spacing and leading areas of the printed products of each group are aligned with one another but separated from one another by trailing areas of printed products from leading groups.
• this shingled group stream At a head end of this shingled group stream, at which leading areas of printed products belonging to a foremost group lie on top of one another (there is no leading group whose objects lie in between), these leading areas are detected and accelerated, whereby the group is drawn from the group stream as a stack and is separated from it.
• DE-19643395 proposes to guide the stacks pre-formed in the group stream laterally. This is made possible by the fact that the printed products are conveyed diagonally in the group flow, i.e. with a leading corner.
• the longitudinal edges of a stream of shingles of diagonally conveyed, rectangular or square printed products are not straight but serrated, so that the individual sheds on both sides of the stream can be guided with guide means that engage the spikes (for example, guide bolts that are also conveyed) in the area of their corners opposite one another transversely to the conveying direction ,
• the printed products to be fed to the group stream with a diagonal scale arrangement are fed in feed streams in which the product edges are aligned perpendicular or parallel to the conveying direction and which meet the stack stream obliquely, and each printed product is deflected in the direction of the diagonal conveying for its positioning on the group stream. For this redirection forces must be exerted on the printed products that are taken up by the guide bolts.
• the position of the guide pins must be aligned with the largest format to be expected of the printed products to be stacked and with the distance between the scales. All smaller-sized products are aligned to one or the other of the guided corners depending on the feed direction and only guided on one side; very small products may remain completely unguided. Feeds are only possible from above and the leading edges in the feed streams must be on top.
• the object of the invention is to provide a method and a device which are used to form groups from flat objects fed into feed streams and which, like the system according to DE-19643395, are based on a group stream consisting of a plurality of shingled streams lying one on top of the other ,
• the method and device according to the invention should, however, enable improvements over the prior art not only with regard to format independence, flexibility and simplicity in terms of the device, but also with regard to the shortening of the collating path.
• the alignment of the objects in the groups to be formed should be determined much less by the method or the device and should be largely adaptable to the properties of the objects and the stack stability.
• the flat objects from which groups are to be formed are fed in feed streams.
• a group stream in which a plurality of scale streams lie on top of one another, and groups are separated from the group stream from the head end of the group stream by grasping leading object areas lying on top of one another and by accelerating the gripped objects, as is also done according to DE-19643395 becomes.
• the objects in the feed streams with respect to their alignment relative to the conveying direction and with respect to one another, already arranged as they should be arranged in the group stream, and the feed streams are brought together in parallel with the planar extent of the objects, essentially without a change in direction.
• the group stream and the feed streams are funded on appropriate funding requirements.
• the conveyor supports and thus the objects of the streams to be merged and the merged streams are arranged parallel to one another transversely to the conveying direction, the projections of the streams run on one level parallel to the parallel alignment of the conveyor supports mentioned parallel to one another or coincide and the projections of the currents run at an acute angle to one another perpendicular to the parallel alignment of the conveyor supports.
• the distance between the objects (scale spacing) and the speed are the same, and for the merging, suitable means are used to ensure that the streams are in phase in such a way that edge regions of the objects of different scale streams leading in the group stream are aligned with one another.
• the leading edge areas are detected and accelerated by a clamping and accelerating means that acts as far as possible over the entire width of the group stream, while the objects of at least one next group are pressed in such a way that they do not accelerate with the group to be separated and thus relative to the group stream can be moved.
• the device for carrying out the method according to the invention can be implemented with the simplest of means, for example with a system of conveyor belts and / or conveyor belt pairs for combining the feed streams, with one Pressing means at the head end of the group stream directly in front of the separation point and with a separation means acting at the separation point, wherein the pressing means and the separation means can also be designed as pairs of conveyor belts that can be pressed against one another. All conveying means in front of the separation point have the same first speed, the clamping and accelerating means has a higher speed than the first speed, which is adapted to the ratio of the length of the objects in the conveying direction to the scale distances.
• Figure 2 shows a further plurality of scale streams of rectangular and square, flat objects and two groups formed therefrom;
• FIG. 3 shows parts of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention for separating groups from the head end of the group stream (section parallel to the conveying direction);
• FIG. 4 shows the device parts according to FIG. 3 in a schematic three-dimensional representation with a group flow, in which the flat objects are laterally offset from one another, that is to say are not aligned with a center line or with a lateral edge;
• FIG. 5 shows parts of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention for combining a plurality of feed streams into a group stream.
• FIG. 1 shows parts of four exemplary feed streams 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 of four different types of flat objects 11, 12, 13 and 14.
• the feed streams are shown in an arrangement such as the method according to the invention for merging into one Group stream (not shown) required.
• a group 2 separated from the group stream which has an article 11, 12, 13 and 14 from each feed stream 1.1 to 1.4, leading edge regions of the articles in the group being aligned with one another and the lateral arrangement of the articles in the group corresponds to the relative arrangement of the feed streams before the merging.
• the arrows Fl, F.2, F.3 and F.4 and the dash-dotted line Ll represent the conveying directions of the shingled streams (aligned with the centers of gravity of the objects), the dash-dotted lines L.2 to L.4 are projections of the dash-dotted line Ll on the conveyor path of the feed streams F.2 to F.4.
• the objects 11 of the feed stream 1.1 are rectangular
• the objects 12 of the feed stream 1.2 are triangular
• the objects 13 of the feed stream 1.3 are rectangular
• the objects 14 of the feed stream 1.4 are round.
• All feed streams 1.1 to 1.4 are scale streams (distance between the objects smaller than the length of the objects in the conveying direction).
• the leading edge areas are at the bottom, in the other scale streams at the top.
• the objects lie essentially in planes transverse to the paper plane of the figure and the conveying directions run parallel to this paper plane.
• the conveying directions are still fed at an acute angle to one another parallel to the paper plane, as indicated by the dash-dotted lines L1 to L.4, and the objects are still in planes transverse to the paper plane.
• the leading edge areas of the objects have the same spacing from one another (scale spacing) and the feed streams are aligned (synchronized) with one another in such a way that the leading edge areas of the objects of merged feed streams lie essentially one above the other.
• the objects 12 and 13 lie eccentrically between the objects 11 and 14. This is achieved by shifting the feed streams 1.2 and 1.3 transversely to the conveying direction (distance between the arrows F.2 and F.3 from the dash-dotted lines L .2 or L.3).
• the method according to the invention in no way limits the format of the objects which are to be brought together in a group and also does not restrict their relative, lateral arrangement in the group (arrangement transverse to the conveying direction). The only requirement is that leading edge areas of objects belonging to a group are essentially aligned with one another (so precisely that they can be detected with one another when the groups are separated).
• FIG. 2 shows in section (planar extent of the objects transversely to the paper plane) a group stream 3 formed from four feed streams 1.5 to 1.8 lying one on top of the other, the feed streams comprising objects of different sizes, rectangular and flat 15 to 18.
• the feed streams lie directly on top of one another in the group stream; they are shown at a distance from one another in FIG.
• the alignment of the leading edge areas of all feed streams is clearly evident from this.
• FIG. 2 shows two exemplary groups 2.1 and 2.2, which can be formed from the group stream 3 depending on the lateral orientation of the feed streams. In both groups, the leading edges are aligned.
• the objects in group 2.1 are 15 to 18 are arranged on a common center line, in group 2.2 they are aligned on a lateral edge.
• FIG. 3 likewise shows, in a section parallel to the conveying direction, those parts of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention which are arranged in the region of the head end of the group stream 3 and essentially serve to separate groups 2 from this head end.
• the group stream is conveyed on a conveyor support 20 against its head end.
• a pressing means 21 is provided, for example pressing elements 22 which move with the group stream and whose distance from one another corresponds to the scale spacing in the group stream 3 and by means of which the group stream is pressed against the conveying support 20.
• a clamping and accelerating means 23 is provided for the separation of groups, for example in the form of a press wheel 24, which cooperates with a removal conveyor 25 and which has indentations 26 on its circumference, such that it rotates a rhythmic sequence generated by time-spaced pressing steps in which it is pressed against the removal support 25.
• a press wheel 24 which cooperates with a removal conveyor 25 and which has indentations 26 on its circumference, such that it rotates a rhythmic sequence generated by time-spaced pressing steps in which it is pressed against the removal support 25.
• grippers conveyed past and grasping this at the head end of the group stream 3 can also be used as clamping and accelerating means.
• the Wegsellier 25 and the pressing peripheral parts of the press wheel 26 have the same speed, which is at least as much greater than the speed of the group stream 3 or the conveying pad 20 and the pressing elements 21, that a group 2 to be separated is so far in one conveying cycle - is changed that the trailing edge of the longest counter in the conveying direction Stand is drawn from the group stream 3. While the group stream 3 is conveyed in a conveying cycle by a scale distance, the separated groups must be conveyed away in the conveying direction by at least the length of the group in one conveying cycle. The rhythm of the pressing steps must be matched to the scale spacing in group stream 3.
• the distance between the downstream end of the action of the pressing means and the clamping and the head end of the group stream 3 is advantageously chosen such that the trailing areas of the objects of the group to be separated are no longer exposed to this effect.
• the pressing force to be generated by the clamping and accelerating means is large enough to pull the objects of the foremost group out of the group stream 3 without any slip.
• the pressing force to be generated between the pressing means 21 and the conveying support 20 is large enough to prevent entrainment of objects with a group to be separated, to which they do not belong, due to the mutual friction of the objects in and between the shingled streams.
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic, three-dimensional representation of the pressing means 21 for pressing the head end of the group stream 3 against the conveyor support 20 and the clamping and accelerating means 23 for separating the groups 2 from the head end of the group stream 3.
• Both means advantageously act the entire width of the group stream 3.
• they consist, for example, of rows of pressing elements or clamping and acceleration elements which are arranged transversely to the conveying direction and can be actuated essentially independently of the local thickness of the group stream 3 or group 2 (for example, can be pressed against the conveying support) ) are. All of these elements are beneficial ternally movable across the conveying direction and thereby adjustable so that they do not act on object edges.
• the objects in group 2 shown in FIG. 4 are laterally offset from one another, that is to say they are neither aligned to a common center line nor to a common longitudinal edge, as is shown in FIG. 2.
• Such a laterally offset arrangement makes it essential that both the pressing means and the clamping and accelerating means act as far as possible over the entire width of the group flow.
• the groups have a thickness that is as uniform as possible over the width and that, for example, thick folded edges do not destabilize objects lying on one another.
• the separation of the groups from the head end of the group stream can have the same direction as the conveyance of the group stream against its head end or it can run at an angle to this conveying direction.
• FIG. 5 shows in a very schematic manner (section parallel to the conveying direction) the parts of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention which are used to combine feed streams (1.1 to 1.3) to form a group stream 3.
• These parts are simple conveyor belts and conveyor belt pairs that can be pressed against each other.
• the figure illustrates how close to one another the junction points can be arranged in such a device.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
• Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
• Extrusion Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Machines For Manufacturing Corrugated Board In Mechanical Paper-Making Processes (AREA)
• Collation Of Sheets And Webs (AREA)
• Forming Counted Batches (AREA)
• Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=4568712

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2002
  • 2002-08-28 AT AT02754097T patent/ATE342219T1/de active
  • 2002-08-28 EP EP02754097A patent/EP1456106B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-08-28 US US10/499,135 patent/US7431280B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-08-28 AU AU2002322957A patent/AU2002322957B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-08-28 JP JP2003554555A patent/JP3999202B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-08-28 RU RU2004118849/12A patent/RU2305060C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-08-28 WO PCT/CH2002/000469 patent/WO2003053831A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-08-28 CA CA002471025A patent/CA2471025C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-08-28 DE DE50208440T patent/DE50208440D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-08-28 PL PL369508A patent/PL206156B1/pl unknown
  • 2002-08-28 DK DK02754097T patent/DK1456106T3/da active
  • 2002-08-28 ES ES02754097T patent/ES2272751T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

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