EP1475329A1 - Method and device for the formation of a stream of flat articles of different type, in particular a stream of articles fed for stacking - Google Patents

Abstract

The method is for the creating of a stream of flat objects of different object types (A,B,C), whereby by a number of feed guides (23.1,23.2,23,3) each allocated to an object type, objects are laid upon a transporting surface (22). Overlapping formations (26.1,26.2,26.3), each comprising at least one object, are made available in the feed guides and are then laid on the transporting surface each as a whole. The overlapping formations are made available in an intermediate conveyor (24), whereby the objects from a source (25) are fed to the inlet of the intermediate conveyor and then delivered from its outlet to the transporting surface. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a device for the creating of a stream of flat objects of different object types; and (b) a use for the proposed method which is to create a feed stream of printed products to a stacking device.

Description

The invention is in the field of general cargo processing and relates to a method and a device according to the preambles of the corresponding independent Claims. Method and apparatus serve to produce a Stream of flat objects of various types of objects, in particular a feed stream for a stack. The flat objects are in particular Printed matter such as newspapers, magazines and / or brochures that belong to Stacking or packages are processed, the stacks or packages a plurality of printed product types included.

In particular for the dispatch become from printed products, like newspapers, magazines or leaflets created from strapping and / or wrapping then pacts arise. For deliveries to retailers are in such packages often contain printed products of various types, each in a varying number. The different print product types are used for creating the packages for example, taken from storage formations (reels, rods, stacks, packages) or they are fed to the stacking directly from the printing press on-line.

According to the state of the art, stacks or packages of printed products created by, for example, a shingled stream of the printed products to be stacked fed to a stacking shaft and stored in this. When in the stacking shaft resulting stack has a predetermined height, or a predetermined number contains printed products, it is pushed out of the stacking shaft, if necessary directly into a strapping device in which by strapping and / or wrapping from the stack a package is created.

For producing stacks containing different types of printed products becomes a device carrying the resulting stack to a plurality of supply moves, with a print product type being added to each feed, or it is to create a feed stream in which the different types of Fed printed products in the order to be implemented in the stack sequence become.

The creation of supply streams from various printed products is for example known from the bindery, where, for example, for the supply to Stapling or tying streams are created, in which the different signatures already in the order provided for the finished book. The Creation of such streams is described for example in the publication EP-579940 (Kolbus GmbH). On a conveyor belt of a series of over the Conveyor belt arranged Zuführungsstellen ever filed a type signatures. there corresponds to the assignment of the feed points to signature types of the order the signatures in the book block and the feed points and the conveyor belt are synchronized such that by depositing on the conveyor scale sections each one corresponds to a book block, that is of each type of signature contain one copy in the correct order.

Since a copy of each signature type is to be stored for each book block, this can System according to EP-0579940 are operated regularly clocked, the speed the conveyor belt is set such that there is in each conveyor cycle a Distance that corresponds to the distance between the feed points plus one corresponds to desired scale distance, and wherein the delivery in the feed points to the ratio of the length of the scale formations to be created Interfaces between the feeding points is adjusted. Is the distance between the feeding points greater than the length of the shingle stream sections to be created, a signature can be issued in each cycle at each feed point. For example, if the distance between the feeders is smaller only in every second or third cycle led flake sections and the charges at the feeders are set up accordingly.

With a same system, it is also possible to create scale flow sections, which are individualized in that they are only of selected types of flat Contain items one each, as for example for individualized adding from supplements to, for example, daily newspapers. For such Individualization of the shingled sections to be created only need in appropriate bars the affected additions are suppressed. The system but can be operated in the above-mentioned manner rigidly clocked. A Delivery of more than one item per delivery and a change of order the dispensed objects in the shingled sections are not possible.

A system that allows a stream of different types of printed products without the The above limitations can be created, is in the publication EP-1029705 (F502). In this system, a continuously operated staple transporter used, with the help of which products in the current to be created held by individual brackets individually, at regular intervals from each other and conveyed at a substantially constant speed. For each feeder Furthermore, a conveyor system is provided, the individually movable Gripper has. These are loaded with one product each and before the feed point buffered. Of the buffered products become according to the individual product sequence taken from the buffer and to appropriate Passing brackets of the staple transporter. A created with this system Electricity is not subject to any conditions regarding number and order of different product types in the created stream. This very high flexibility will but paid by a very expensive device and a relatively expensive Control. Also this system is operated rigidly clocked, whereby in each At each feed point, a clamp of the staple transporter is positioned is, that is, a levy would be possible, but these levies accordingly of the product sequence to be created are partially suppressed.

The invention now has the task of providing a method and a device create, with which it becomes possible, a stream from different types of flat Creating objects, the sequence of objects in the stream less should be subject to more stringent conditions than the system according to EP-579940 is the case. Nevertheless, the device and its control but be much easier than this is the case according to EP-1029705. contraption and methods according to the invention are particularly easy to varying numbers of objects to be arranged directly behind one another in the stream to be created of a type to be customizable, that is, they are very universally applicable and also be expandable.

This object is achieved by the method and the device, as in the Claims are defined.

According to the inventive method is as in the prior art for the current to be created essentially a conveying surface and for each type a supply provided by articles, wherein the feeds in Zuführungsstellen open above the conveying surface. The items are taken from the feeders fed to the feed points and stored there on the conveying surface to to be carried away by the conveyor surface at other feeders over. Instead, however, as in the prior art, the objects individually store and to clock the system according to these individual charges as a whole, respectively behind each feed point (upstream of the feed point) a Shed formation of a given number of items provided, which Shed formation is then deposited as a unit on the conveying surface. there it is of course also possible to provide and deliver a single item, or a "scaly formation" consisting of only one object.

For the provision of the dandruff formations to be deposited is between a Article source (e.g., feeder or winding station) and the conveying surface an intermediate conveyor used, which intermediate conveyor independent of Zwischenförderem and sources of other sources, and advantageously also independent controllable or active / passive from the item source assigned to it is switchable. An intermediate conveyor is active, on the one hand, if one is provided Scrap formation should be stored, and on the other hand, if a new scaly formation is to be provided, these two phases of activity itself advantageously at least partially overlap. The object source provides Items out, so is active when deployed a new dandruff formation shall be.

The device according to the invention has a main conveyor and a plurality feeds directed to the main conveyor, the main conveyor an advantageously continuously driven conveying surface, on the can be stored by the feeder coming objects, and wherein each feeder an object source and an object source between and Has conveying surface arranged intermediate conveyor. The feeds are independent controllable from each other, item sources and intermediate conveyor of a feeder are advantageously also individually controlled, that is essentially active / passive switchable. The main conveyor is for example a conveyor belt, For example, the intermediate conveyors are also conveyor belts, in particular counter-rotating operated conveyor pairs or pairs of similar subsidies, between where the scale formation is trapped. The from the main conveyor away-facing inputs of the intermediate conveyor are advantageously such universally equipped, that the coupling of different object sources (Feeder, winding station, on-line feeder on a conveying surface loose or by means of individually conveyed gripper, so that the objects in front of the entrance can be buffered in the intermediate conveyor).

The intermediate conveyor advantageously open diagonally from above and with the Main conveyor rectified to the main conveyor and are used for depositing the Scaly formations, for example, operated at a speed in the is essentially the same as the speed of the main conveyor, that the scale spacing of the imbricated formation substantially the same size as the scale spacing of the on the conveying surface of the main conveyor resulting scale flow.

The main conveyor is advantageously operated at a constant speed. The delivery of the imbricated formations can be permanently clocked, so that the scale formations deposited on each feed point on the conveying surface of the main conveyor substantially separate scale flow sections form. On the other hand, the deposition at successive Zuführungsstellen also adapted to the lengths of the previously deposited scale formations in such a way be that at successive Zuführungsstellen deposited flak formations on the conveying surface of the main conveyor a coherent scale flow section form, in the so deposited by successive feeds Scale formations overlap each other. If such a created Schuppenstrom downstream of a stacking shaft, it is advantageous to intervene on the main conveyor than ever a plurality of scale flow sections or as contiguous scale section preformed stacks to create gaps that allow ejection of the stack without intervention in the feeder. If the too generating stream is fed to a stack, it is also possible to use the main conveyor operate intermittently (start-stop operation), that is during the deposit to stop the scaly formations. In such a case arises on the Conveying surface of the main conveyor is not one consisting of shingled sections Schuppenstrom but a stack consisting of part stacks, in which the Partial stacks can overlap each other or are arranged one behind the other.

Method and device according to the invention are particularly suitable for the creation a feed stream for creating packages of printed products, Each package contains print products of different types. It can the selection of printed product types and the number of printed products per type in each Package same or different within given limits. In the same, However, according to the invention, it is also possible to produce packages which are simple in nature of the different types of printed products, each contains only one product.

Figur 1

das Prinzip des erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens, anhand einer sehr schematisch dargestellten Vorrichtung gemäss Erfindung;

Figuren 2 bis 3

zwei beispielhafte Steuerschemas für die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 1;

Figuren 4 und 5

zwei beispielhafte Ausführungsformen von Zwischenförderem für die erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung;

Figur 6

eine Anlage zum Erstellen von Druckproduktepaketen, in welcher Anlage Verfahren und Vorrichtung gemäss Erfindung zur Anwendung kommen.

Method and apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the following figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

the principle of the inventive method, based on a very schematically illustrated device according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 to 3

two exemplary control schemes for the device according to Figure 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5

two exemplary embodiments of intermediate conveyor for the inventive device;

FIG. 6

a system for creating printed product packages, in which system method and apparatus according to the invention are used.

FIG. 1 shows in a very schematic way a first, exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. The apparatus used to carry out the method comprises a main conveyor 21 having a conveying surface 22 (shown schematically in phantom) and three feeders 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3, each of which feeds an intermediate conveyor 24 (shown schematically in phantom) and an article source 25 (shown schematically as a stack). By the feeder 23.1 a type A of flat objects is deposited on the conveying surface 22, by the feeder 23.2 a type B and by the feeder 23.3 a type C.

The objects of the three types of objects A, B and C are shown in FIG different hatching different from each other, but are all shown the same size. The processable with the inventive method article types but are not subject to such conditions, that is, they can have very different thicknesses and formats or they can all be the same size. Likewise, it is not a prerequisite for the inventive method, that the scale distances D in the current to be created or in the in the Zwischenförderem 24 provided scurf formations 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 all are the same, as shown in the figure 1.

The current to be created in the method according to FIG. 1 should have, for example, coherent scale flow sections 27, which each have two objects of the type A, four objects of the type B and one object of the type C. The scoop formations 26.1, 26.2 and 26.3 provided in the intermediate conveyor 24 are therefore to be stored overlapping each other. Furthermore, 27 gaps 28 should be left between the scale flow sections, which correspond to three stored objects. A dispensing cycle must therefore comprise ten bars (for seven objects and the gap 28). The main conveyor 21 sets in each cycle travels a distance corresponding to the scale distance D. In FIG. 1, cycles and cycles Z _L are indicated as conveying paths. The intermediate conveyors 24, as long as they are active, move back a distance in each cycle, which returns to the scale distance of the imbricated formation to be provided (for FIG. 1 = D).

As already mentioned above, according to Figure 1, the main conveyor and the intermediate conveyor operated at the same speed. This is not necessarily necessary. It is easily possible, the intermediate conveyor at different speeds as the main conveyor and with mutually different speeds to operate and the scales spaced in the provided Adjust scaly formations accordingly. It is also not a requirement for the inventive method that stored in all on the main conveyor Scale formations the scale distances are the same size.

As already described above, the article sources 25 and the intermediate conveyors 24 of the individual feeds 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3 advantageously individually controllable, as in the figure 1 very schematically with the six control units and corresponding (shown in dashed lines) data lines is shown. ever a pair of the control units are associated with a feeder and with accordingly 23.1 ', 23.2' and 23.3 '. Each pair has a subject source Unit 25 'and an intermediate conveyor controlling unit 24' on. Of course the control units do not need to be hardware units.

If the shingled formations provided in an intermediate conveyor do not spaced from each other, that is, if in this intermediate conveyor a continuous Shingled stream is present, of which one section is filed per activity phase is, it is not necessary that object source and intermediate conveyor can be controlled independently of each other.

Figure 2 shows a control scheme for the embodiment of the inventive method, as shown substantially in the figure 1. On the abscissa (time axis) the clocks are numbered consecutively and cycles Z _{T are} plotted as time units, on the ordinate the states (a = active, p = passive) of the individual components (extracted: main conveyor or intermediate conveyor, dashed: object source).

The main conveyor 21 is permanently active. In the feeder 23.1, in whose intermediate conveyor 24 mutually spaced scale formations 26.1 are provided by two objects of the type A, respectively, the intermediate conveyor 24 and the article source 25 for depositing or providing an imbricated formation 26.1 in the cycles 1 and 2 of each cycle Z _T active. The intermediate conveyor alone is active in a number of subsequent cycles (according to FIG. 1: cycles 3 and 4), in which a distance 29 is created between the scale formations 26. 1 provided. In the remaining cycles of each cycle Z _T , intermediate conveyors 24 and article source 25 of feeder 23.1 are passive.

In the same way are in the feeder 23.2 in the bars 3 to 6 (Drop and Provide) intermediate conveyor and item source and in bars 7 and 8 (Distance 29) only the intermediate conveyor active, in the remaining bars are both passive. In the feeder 23.3 are in the bars 7 (delivering or providing) Intermediate conveyor and object source active, in bars 8 and 9 (distance 29) is the intermediate conveyor alone active, in the remaining bars are both passive.

The synchronization of depositing and providing is to the length of the intermediate conveyor adapt, that is, the number of scales provided, which have space in the intermediate conveyor. In the figure 2 begin depositing and providing (active phase of intermediate conveyor and item source) in all feeders simultaneously. This is not the case in Figure 1, where the same lengths the three intermediate conveyors and the same distances in all intermediate conveyors 29 at different lengths of the scale formations 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 different Phase shifts between storage and provision condition. The distances 29 (in bars) between provided scaly formations are especially at the processing of article types whose extent differs in the conveying direction may be different in the various intermediate conveyors long to choose. It is also possible to equal and independently the stroke of all intermediate conveyors constant from the number of items to be deposited in a deposit step to hold, in such a way that the sum of the bars, which for the putting down and the distance to be available is constant.

Also, the scale spacing D can in the scurf formations 26.1, 26.2, and 26.3 of the individual intermediate conveyor 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3 and accordingly created in the Shingled flow on the main conveyor 21 may be different.

From Figure 2 it can be seen that for the production of individually different composite scale flow sections 27 on the main conveyor, ie of scale flow sections, each of the object types A, B and C have different numbers, either the cycles Z _T or the gaps 28 of different lengths have to be. The individual feeds 23.1, 23.2, 23.3 and in the feeds of each of the intermediate conveyor 24 and the article source 25 are then to be controlled in accordance with the number of articles to be dispensed or delivered in each cycle, which may possibly be costly.

FIG. 3 shows a further control scheme for a device, as shown very diagrammatically in FIG. 1, whereby according to this control scheme it is considerably easier to produce on the main conveyor 21 individually differently composed and differently long scale flow sections 27 or groups of scale flow sections.

According to this control scheme are for each feeder 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3 discharge cycles reserved (for example 23.1: bars 1 to 4; 23.2: bars 5 to 10; 23.3: bars 11 to 13, gap 28: bars 14 to 16), the number of these reserved bars being as large as possible Shed formation 26 to be delivered corresponds to (e.g., 23.1: a maximum of four objects; 23.2: max. six objects; 23.3; 23.3: max. three items). When on all feeders of these largest scale formations are stored on the main conveyor related scale flow sections 27. If smaller Shed formations are stored between the stored ones Scales formations gaps.

For the cycle Z _T shown in FIG. 3, for example, supply 23.1 applies: max. discard four items, provide three items; Feeder 23.2: max. discard six items, provide six items; Feeder 23.3: max. drop three items, provide an item. The number of items contained in the dandruff formations displayed in the cycle shown depends on how many have been deployed in corresponding previous cycles. Depending on the length of the various intermediate conveyors, or on the number of separate shingled formations that can be accommodated in it, whether the shingled formations provided in the cycle shown are stored in the next or a later cycle.

Figures 4 and 5 show two examples of feeds 23 applicable in the device according to the invention, each having an article source 25 and an intermediate conveyor 24. In Figure 4, the article source 25 is a stack to be dismantled from below, as is the case in a feeder, and Intermediate conveyor is a per se known, twisted conveyor loop, which is realized for example with an inner stationary track freely rotating rollers and the outside with a resiliently pressed against the rollers circumferentially driven belt. The prepared dandruff formations are conveyed between rollers and tape. A feed with an intermediate conveyor designed as a twisted conveyor loop is particularly suitable for narrow space conditions and is very suitable for a manual supply of objects, wherein an operator can very comfortably serve several feeders.

The article source 25 according to FIG. 5 is arranged above the main conveyor 21 Feeder and the intermediate conveyor 24 is considered to be substantially rectilinear realized running pair of counter-driven conveyor belts, wherein the two conveyor belts are resiliently pressed against each other and the objects be encouraged in between.

Figure 6 shows an installation for making packages of printed products, each package having printed products of three different types A, B, C. In the installation, a current is generated in which the articles are conveyed into shingled flow sections 27, wherein in each shingle flow section a stack or package is preformed. This stream is fed into a stacking device 30 in which a stack 31 of each scale flow section 27 is created. The stacks 31 are then fed into a strapping device 32 in which each stack is strapped to become a package 33.

For the creation of the current are, as already in connection with the figure 1 described a main conveyor 21 and three feeders 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3 in use, which are controlled, for example, according to FIG. The feeds point in 6 not shown sources of printed products and intermediate conveyor 24th according to FIG. 4. The main conveyor 21 is realized as a conveyor belt.

If the print product types A, B, and C have different formats, it is advantageous, as shown in Figure 6, the furthest from the stacking device 30 remote feeder 23.1 the largest printed products to assign and the am Next arranged at the stacking device 30 feed 23.3 the smallest Printed products. So it becomes possible, despite the different formats stable stacks to create. It turns out that it is possible without problems, with the in the figure 6 Arrangement shown to produce mixed stacks or packages in which only a part of the flat items are printed products and further example CDs contained in corresponding cases or other flat objects. Out Figure 6 also shows how easy the arrangement is to further feed can be extended.

Instead of the stacking device shown in FIG. 6, the scale flow sections, that on the main conveyor downstream of the last feeder 23.3 are promoted during this promotion to a stack on each other be pushed. For this it is necessary that of the individual feeders deposited scale formations overlap each other. A device that turns for such a Aufschieben is, for example, described in the Publication DE-19533086 (or US-5733099, F391).

Claims (16)

Method for producing a stream of flat objects of different types of objects (A, B, C), wherein objects having a plurality of feeds (23.1, 23.2, 23.3), each associated with an article type (A, B, C), are conveyed on a conveying surface (22) are deposited, characterized in that in the feeder lines (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) shed formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) each comprising at least one object are provided and that the shed formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) provided each deposited as a whole on the conveying surface (22). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the scale formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) are provided in an intermediate conveyor (24), wherein objects from an article source (25) are fed into an entrance of the intermediate conveyor (24) and later from an exit of the Between conveyor (24) are placed on the conveying surface (22). Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in the intermediate conveyor (24) successively provided scale formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) are spaced from each other. Method according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the intermediate conveyor (24) for the depositing and for providing and the article source (25) for the provisioning is actively switched. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the feeds (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) are controlled such that in successive feeds (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) stored imbricated formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) on the conveying surface (22) overlap and form a scale flow section (27). A method according to claim 5, characterized in that all scale flow sections (27) have a same composition. Method according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that gaps (28) are generated in the created stream between successive shingle flow sections (27). Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in a cycle (Z _T ) by each feed an imbricated formation (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) can be stored and that in each cycle (Z _T ) for the deposit by each feeder ( 23.1, 23.2, 23.3) a plurality of clocks is reserved. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that in each cycle (Z _T ) are reserved for a gap (28) in the current to be generated clocks. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that by at least one feed (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) successively different sized scale formations (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) are stored. Apparatus for generating a stream of flat objects of different types of objects (A, B, C), wherein for each type of object (A, B, C) a supply (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) is provided, with the objects on a conveying surface (22) a main conveyor (21) are able to be deposited, characterized in that the feeds (23.1, 23.2, 23.3) each have an article source (25) and an intermediate conveyor (24) and that the individual feeds can be driven independently of one another in dependence on the size of the imbricated formations to be supplied are. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that in at least part of the feeds, the article source (25) and the intermediate conveyor (24) are driven independently controlled. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the intermediate conveyor (24) are individually active / passive switchable. Device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the intermediate conveyor (24) each have two conveying means which are resiliently pressed against each other. Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the two conveying means each have two counter-rotating conveyor belts or a conveyor belt cooperating with a passive roller conveyor. Use of the method according to one of claims 1 to 10 or one Device according to one of claims 11 to 15 for the creation of a feed stream from printed products to a stacking device.

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