EP1547950B1 - Method and device for stabilizing and positioning flat objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The stabilizing and positioning method involves localizing the position of the edge (20) of a product (16) in or counter to a conveying direction (F) so that the edge passes only into a receiving section (27) and not into an intermediate region (29) between two receiving sections. The edge of the product is delimited by delimiting components (24,26). The position of the edge of the product is localized, by moving a delimiting component into the conveying stream. The receiving section is formed between the delimiting components.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for stabilizing and positioning of flat objects, in particular printed products, during transport.

Flexible articles, such as printed products, tend to bend and even fan out during transport in a suspended position, especially at higher conveying speeds due to air resistance. In order to prevent uncontrolled bending or fanning of the product, it is known to partially support the products by a support on which slides the non-held edge along.

From the EP-A 0 481 914 a generic method and a generic device are known in which or in which the lower edge of the products is brought by mitbewegte guide elements in a well-defined position. Here, rod-shaped guide elements are introduced transversely to the conveying direction between two products in the flow and moved with the products via a stabilizing section of the conveyor line. The guide elements are introduced in the vicinity of the held product edge and moved down in the course of the stabilization distance to the edge not held. As the guide passes along the product, it is stabilized. The non-held edge finally occupies a position defined by the position of the guide element.

The known device is relatively inflexible, as with a change in the product length and the trajectory of the guide elements must be adjusted.

The invention has for its object to further develop the known method and the known device such that products of different formats can be stabilized without major structural adjustments.

The object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by an apparatus having the features of claim 8. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

According to the invention, at least one leading and one trailing limiting element are present, which are moved into the delivery flow in a stabilizing section of the conveying path. The term "delivery flow" refers to that spatial region which is swept by the products as they move in the conveying direction. The stabilizing section is that section of the conveying path in which at least one of the leading and trailing boundary elements is located in the flow. The leading or trailing limiting element limits the position of the non-held second edge in or against the conveying direction. It is not necessary, but possible, that the second edge is touched by one or both limiting elements and thereby guided. To ensure that the second edge only passes into the receptacle between the leading and trailing boundary element, but not in the intermediate area between two shots, is According to the invention a further limiting element available. This is moved into the flow before or in the initial region of the stabilization section.

Preferably, a plurality of leading and trailing boundary elements are moved alternately one behind the other along a closed orbit which preferably extends at least partially parallel to the stabilization section. Preferably, they are only in the area of the second edge of the product to be adjacent. Such an arrangement is particularly easy to implement.

The further limiting element is preferably likewise moved along a closed circulation path, for example by being attached to a wheel arranged at the beginning of the stabilization section. Its movement is preferably synchronized with the movement of the leading and trailing limiters and the conveyed products.

The leading and trailing boundary elements can also be part of a device to which the subsidized products are to be transferred. For example, the leading and trailing boundary elements may be formed by the jaws of grippers of a gripper conveyor. The further limiting element also serves here to introduce the second edge in a well-defined manner in the receptacle, which is formed in this case by the gripper.

Fig. 1

eine erfindungsgemässe Stabilisierungsvorrichtung in Verbindung mit einer Fördereinrichtung und einer Andrückeinrichtung;

Fig. 2a-d

verschiedene Momentaufnahmen der Stabilisierungsvorrichtung aus Fig. 1 in einer Detailansicht im Anfangsbereich des Stabilisierungsabschnitts;

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht der Stabilisierungsvorrichtung in Förderrichtung im Anfangsbereich des Stabilisierungsabschnitts;

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht der Stabilisierungsvorrichtung in Förderrichtung im Endbereich des Stabilisierungsabschnitts;

Fig. 5

ein vor- und ein nachlaufendes Begrenzungselement in Seitenansicht;

Fig. 6

eine weitere erfindungsgemässe Stabilisierungsvorrichtung in Verbindung mit einer Fördereinrichtung und einem zum Wegtransport dienenden Greiferförderer.

Examples of the invention are shown in the drawings. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

a stabilizing device according to the invention in conjunction with a conveyor and a pressing device;

Fig. 2a-d

different snapshots of the stabilization device Fig. 1 in a detailed view in the beginning of the stabilization section;

Fig. 3

a view of the stabilizing device in the conveying direction in the initial region of the stabilizing section;

Fig. 4

a view of the stabilizing device in the conveying direction in the end region of the stabilizing section;

Fig. 5

a front and a trailing limiting element in side view;

Fig. 6

a further stabilizing device according to the invention in conjunction with a conveyor and a gripper conveyor serving for transporting away.

FIG. 1 shows a stabilizing device 10 according to the invention in connection with a conveying device 12 and a pressing device 22. Fig. 2a-d show various snapshots of the device in the beginning of the stabilization section. Fig. 3 shows a view of the stabilizing device in the conveying direction in the initial region of the stabilizing section along the line AA in Fig. 1 , Fig. 4 shows a view of the stabilizing device in the conveying direction along the line BB in Fig. 1 ie immediately before the action of the pressing device 22 on the positioned products 16.

The printed products 16 are conveyed by the conveyor 12 in a suspended position along a straight conveyor section 11 in a horizontal conveying direction F. A first edge 18 of the product 16 is gripped by a respective gripper 14 of the conveyor 12. The edge 18 opposite this second edge 20 is deflected by the air resistance from its ideal position, especially at higher conveying speeds, in which it is located substantially below the first edge 18. The stabilizing device 10 serves to stabilize the lower edges 20 of printed products 16 or to limit their position, in particular to bring them back into this ideal position. This makes it possible in this case that the lower edge 20 can be provided by a pressing device 22 with a supplementary product 38, for example an adhesive tape section. The pressing device 22 is in detail in the not pre-published CH Patent Application No. 2003 1602/03 described, which is referred to here. Instead of the pressing device 22, further processing stations, eg gripper conveyor, cutting, labeling can be present.

The stabilization device 10 comprises a plurality of leading boundary elements 24 and trailing boundary elements 26, which are arranged alternately behind one another and are moved along a common circulation path U. In a stabilization section S of the conveying path of the conveyor 12, the limiting elements 24, 26 in the flow 54 of the Products 16 introduced. The orbit U in the present case has two elongated straight sections U2, U4 which run parallel to the conveying direction F in the stabilizing section S and are connected by semicircular end sections U1, U3. The upstream end portion U1 marks the initial region S1 of the stabilizing portion S. The stabilizing device 10 comprises two further limiting elements 28 which are formed by two cams 31 of a cam wheel 30 arranged in the initial region S1.

In each case, a leading delimiting element 24 and a subsequent trailing limiting element 26 form a receptacle 27 for the lower edge 20 of a printed product 16. The cams 31 and further delimiting elements 28 serve to separate the intermediate region 29 between two receptacles 27 at least in the initial region S1 of the stabilizing section S cover so that the lower edge 20 of the printed product 16, regardless of their current position only in a receptacle 27, but can not get into the intermediate region 29.

In the present case, the boundary elements 24, 26 are wedge-shaped in side view and have flat boundary surfaces 44 and 42, which are at least in the course of the stabilization section S parallel to the desired position of the products 16, that is vertically oriented here. Another form of the limiting elements 24, 26 is possible. The leading or trailing boundary elements 24, 26 are each at regular intervals d1, d2 (see Fig. 2a ) are arranged on a conveying member 46 through which the orbit is substantially defined. In the semicircular end portion U1 at the beginning of the stabilization section S approach the front and trailing boundary elements 24, 26 from below the flow 54. They sting from below between each two successive products 16, to finally be oriented in the straight portion U1 with their boundary surfaces 42, 44 parallel to the products 16.

The further limiting elements 28 are moved during the movement of the cam wheel 30 along a circular path of movement K, which coincides over an angle of 180 ° with the end portion U1 of the movement path U of the limiting elements 24, 26 or parallel thereto. The cams 31 each have the approximate shape of a circle segment with two substantially radially oriented first and second flanks 31a, 31b with an opening angle α of about 90 ° (see Fig. 2b ). Instead of a lateral surface 31c, which, as here, has the shape of a circular arc section, the outer termination can also be shaped in other ways. Furthermore, only one or more than two cams may be present.

The cam wheel 30 and the conveying member 46 for the leading and trailing limiting elements 24, 26 are driven via a drive device 40 which is coupled via a drive element 41 with the pressing device 22. As in Fig. 3 is shown, the drive element 41, the conveying member 46 and the cam wheel 30 are arranged on a common shaft 48 and are therefore moved synchronously. Also in Fig. 3 a preferred embodiment is shown, in which mirror-symmetrical to a vertical, running in the conveying direction plane two rounds with limiting elements 24, 26, 28 are present. Between these grip the holding elements 32 of the pressing device 22 and approximately centrally on the products 16, as will be explained below.

As in Fig. 2a-d are the distance d1 between a respective front and a trailing limiting element 24, 26 and the distance d2 between each a trailing and a leading limiting element 26, 24 and the angle α between the flanks 31a, 31b of the cam wheel 30 and the rotational speeds of the conveying member 46 and the cam wheel 30 are adapted to one another in such a way that the intermediate region 29 located between two receptacles 27 in the initial region S1 is covered by the cam 31 when a product 16 approaches the stabilizing portion S (see FIG Fig. 2a and 2b ). Thus, the product 16 entering the stabilization section S can not get into this intermediate region 29. In the further course, a receptacle 27 is brought from below to the product 16 ( Fig. 2c ). The second flank 31b of the cam 31 protrudes counter to the conveying or rotation direction in front of the boundary surface 44 of the leading limiting element 24. Fig. 2d shows the state in which the further limiting element 28, ie the cam 31, is replaced by the leading delimiting element 24. Here, aligned transversely to the conveying direction F, the rearwardly directed second edge 31b of the cam 31 with the also rearwardly directed boundary surface 44 of the leading limiting element 24. The position of the newly occurred product 16 in the conveying direction F is thus limited by the leading delimiting element 24. Now follows a trailing limiting element 26 from below into the flow 54. It is followed by a further limiting element 28 in the form of the second cam 31, so that entry of the edge 20 in the upstream subsequent intermediate region 29 is prevented. The second cam 31 reaches the beginning the stabilizing portion S a position in which its first edge 31a is aligned with the boundary surface 42 of the now vertically oriented trailing limiting element 26. In this way, the lower edges 20 of the products 16 are gently guided into the receptacles 27 and the intermediate regions 29 reliably closed. The lateral surface 31 c urges the product 16 out of the intermediate region 29.

The cam wheel 30 has the advantage that it prevents the penetration of product parts into the intermediate regions 29 in the critical initial region S1 of the stabilizing section S in a simple manner, but only rotates and does not have to be moved over the entire stabilizing path S. It is easy to manufacture and to drive with little effort.

As in Fig. 1 4, the products 16 are accompanied by the stabilizing section S by the leading and trailing limiting elements 24, 26 at the same speed, so that the position of the lower edge 20 is well defined. A touch can, but does not have to take place.

In the example shown, the stabilizing device 10 operates according to a pressing device 22 CH Patent Application No. 2003 1602/03 together. This has arranged on a wheel holding elements 32, each comprising a pivotable support member 34 and a movable bending element 36. Shortly before the end region S2 of the stabilization path S, the holding elements 32 are brought from below to the products 16 and engage, transversely to the conveying direction laterally offset from the limiting elements 24, 26, at the lower edge 20 at.

This situation is in Fig. 1 as in Fig. 4 in a view in the conveying direction F shown. At the end region S2 of the stabilization path S, the delimiting elements 24, 26 are removed again from the delivery flow 54 when passing through the curved section U3. The products 16 are now guided solely by the holding elements 32. By moving each of two holding elements 32 to each other, the supplementary products 38 are wrapped around the lower edge 20. The conveying member 46 is supported and guided by guide means 52.

In an alternative embodiment, the trailing limiters 26 may be provided with a pivoting mechanism so that the lower edge 20 may be fixed between the limiters 24, 26. This is in Fig. 5 The trailing limiters 26 are biased in a forwardly inclined position (shown by solid lines). By means of a slide control 50 they are tilted in a vertical position (broken lines). It follows that the stabilizing device may also comprise a gripper conveyor whose grippers are formed by two respective delimiting elements 24, 26. This fixed product layer can be followed by exact processing operations.

Fig. 6 shows a further example of a stabilizing device according to the invention 10. This serves to a reliable transfer of products 16 from a conveyor 12, in which they are held by gripper 14 and conveyed in a hanging position in the conveying direction F, to another gripper conveyor 56. The stabilization device 10 includes as in the example Fig. 1-5 leading and trailing boundary elements 24, 26 which limit the position of the lower product edge 20 in or against the conveying direction F in the course of the stabilization section S. The boundary elements 24, 26 are moved as in the above example by a circulating conveyor member 46 along a closed orbit U. As in the above example, this is composed of straight sections U2, U4 and circular sections U1, U3 oriented in the conveying direction. The trailing boundary elements 26 are wedge-shaped and oriented radially outward. The leading boundary elements 24 are also wedge-shaped. They are pivotable about a transverse to their direction of movement or to the conveying direction F pivot axis 60 of a in the sections U4 and U1 tangentially or secantially to the orbit U oriented position in the course of section U2 radially outwardly oriented position. The pivoting serves to drive in the initial region S1 of the stabilizing section S first under the edge 20 to be narrowed and, during the folding up of the stabilizing section S, to block any product parts bent forwards in the conveying direction F. In order to limit curved product parts against the conveying direction F, further limiting elements 28 act on the products 16 in front of and at the beginning region S1. They pierce from below into the flow 54 and accompany a product 16 over a part of its path with preferably the same web speed, wherein a forwardly directed guide surface 31a is preferably oriented approximately parallel to the product 16. It is also possible that the further limiting element 28 at a distance from the ideal position of the product in the Injecting flow 54 and the product catches up to the beginning of S1 and thus brings into the ideal position.

In the initial area S1 overlap the movement paths U, U 'of the leading or trailing and the other limiting elements 24, 26, 28. Here, the further limiting element 28 is functionally replaced by a trailing limiting element 26. For this purpose, at a certain point in time the forwardly delimiting boundary surface 42 aligns with the guide surface 31a. As soon as the trailing limiting element 26 delimits the product position 16, the further limiting element 28 is removed from the delivery stream 54. This is preferably done by means of a mechanical link control with a control link 50. Similarly as in Fig. 5 shown, the further limiting element 28 is held in a tangential to its orbit U 'extending position and is brought by the control link 50 in a position in which it is oriented radially to the orbit. The influence of the control link 50 ends in the initial region S1.

In the end region S2 of the stabilization section S, open grippers 58 approach the products 16. These grip the products 16 in the area of the lower edge 20 which is now bounded. The grippers 14 of the conveyor 12 are then opened and the products are transferred to the gripper conveyor 56.

The limiting elements 24, 26, 28 and the gripper conveyor 56 are preferably driven synchronously, in particular with the same drive device (not shown).

The further limiting element 28 according to Fig. 6 can also instead of the cam wheel 30 in the arrangement according to Fig. 1 be used and vice versa.

The combination of leading and trailing boundary elements 24, 26 with a further limiting element 28 has the advantage that the leading and trailing boundary elements 24, 26 can be made relatively simple and compact. By pre-positioning the edge 20 to be positioned by the further limiting element 28 before or at the beginning of the stabilizing section S, the leading and trailing limiting elements 24, 26 themselves do not have to travel long distances in order to capture individual product parts and bring them into the ideal position. A simple rod or wedge shape of the leading and trailing boundary elements 24, 26, the dimension of which only needs to be a fraction of the product length, is therefore sufficient. It is sufficient that the boundary elements only influence the second edge; it is not necessary to drive along the entire product.

Claims (15)

1. Method of stabilizing and positioning sheet-like articles (16), in particular printed products, which are transported in a hanging position, retained in the region of a first edge (18), and conveyed in a conveying direction (F) along a conveying section (11), by a conveying arrangement (12), it being the case that, in a stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (11), delimiting elements (24, 26) are introduced into the conveying stream (54), are moved along in the conveying direction (F), and are removed again from the conveying stream (54), these delimiting elements localizing the position of the articles (16) at at least one location of the stabilizing portion (S), characterized in that the position of a second edge (20), which is located opposite the first edge (18), counter to the conveying direction (F) is delimited by a trailing delimiting element (26), in that the position of the second edge (20) in the conveying direction (F) is delimited by a leading delimiting element (24), a receiving means (27) for the second edge (20) being formed between a respective leading delimiting element (24) and a delimiting element (26) which follows the latter in the conveying direction (F), in that, by virtue of at least one further delimiting element (28) being moved into the conveying stream (54) upstream of, or in, the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing portion (S), the position of the second edge (20) in and/or counter to the conveying direction (F) is localized such that the second edge (20) passes only into the receiving means (27) and not into the intermediate region (29) between two receiving means (27), and in that the further delimiting element (28) is removed from the conveying stream over the course of the stabilizing portion (S).
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the further delimiting element (28) is removed from the conveying stream (54) again as early as the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing portion (S).
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a plurality of trailing and leading delimiting elements (24, 26) are moved alternately one behind the other along a continuous circulatory path (U) which, at least in part, runs essentially parallel to the stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (11).
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the leading and trailing delimiting elements (24, 26) each have a delimiting surface (42, 44) which, at least over part of the stabilizing portion (S), is directed toward the articles (16) and is oriented preferably essentially parallel to the articles (16).
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate region (29) between in each case two receiving means (27) is covered by the further delimiting element (28) upstream of and/or in the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing portion (S), with the result that the second edge (20) of the article (16) can pass only into a receiving means (27).
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, over the course of the stabilizing portion (S), the leading delimiting elements (24) are moved out of a position in which they do not project into the conveying stream (54), in particular a position in which they run essentially as a tangent or secant in relation to their circulatory path (U), into a position in which they project into the conveying stream (54), in particular are pivoted into a position in which they run perpendicularly to the circulatory path (U).
7. Method according to Claim 6, characterized in that the at least one further delimiting element (28) is moved along a continuous circulatory path (U') which, upstream of the stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (11), runs, at least in part, in the conveying .direction (F), and in that the further delimiting element (28) is introduced into the conveying stream (54) before the beginning of the stabilizing portion (S) and is removed from the conveying stream (54) in the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing portion (S) such that it no longer performs a delimiting action.
8. Apparatus for implementing the method according to one of Claims 1-7, having a conveying arrangement (12) for retaining the articles in the region of a first edge (18), and for conveying in a conveying direction (F) along a conveying section (11), and having a plurality of delimiting elements (24, 26) which, in a stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (11), can be introduced into the conveying stream (54), moved along therewith and removed therefrom again, having:

   - at least one trailing delimiting element (26), which is capable of localizing the position of a second edge (20), which is located opposite the first edge (18), counter to the conveying direction (F);

   - at least one leading delimiting element (24), which is capable of localizing the position of the second edge (20) in the conveying direction (F), a receiving means (27) for the second edge (20) being formed, at least over the course of the stabilizing portion (S), between a respective leading delimiting element (24) and a delimiting element (26) which follows the latter in the conveying direction (F);

   - at least one further delimiting element (28), which is capable of localizing the position of the second edge (20) in and/or counter to the conveying direction (F);

   - a drive arrangement (40) for moving the leading and trailing delimiting elements (24, 26) along a continuous circulatory path (U);

   - a drive arrangement (40) for moving the further delimiting element (28),

   - the delimiting elements (24, 26, 28) being formed and driven such that the second edge (20) passes only into the receiving means (27) and not into the intermediate region (29) between two receiving means (27),

   - and the further delimiting element (28) being removed from the conveying stream over the course of the stabilizing portion (S).
9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that the circulatory path (U) of the leading and trailing delimiting elements (24, 26) in the stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (11) runs essentially parallel to the conveying section (11).
10. Apparatus according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized by a cam wheel (30) with at least one cam (31) which is arranged in a rotatable manner at the beginning of the stabilizing portion (S), the further delimiting element (28) being formed by the at least one cam (31).
11. Apparatus according to Claim 10, characterized in that the at least one cam (31) has essentially radially oriented first and second flanks (31a, 31b) and a lateral surface (31c) running in the circumferential direction therebetween.
12. Apparatus according to Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the cam wheel (30) and the leading and trailing delimiting elements (24, 26) are formed, and driven in a synchronized manner, such that the second flank (31b) is aligned with the leading delimiting element (24) and the first flank (31a) is aligned with the trailing delimiting element (26) at least at one point of the stabilizing section (S), preferably in each case in the starting region of the stabilizing section (S).
13. Apparatus according to either of Claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the intermediate region (29) between two receiving means (27) is covered by the lateral surface (31c) at least in the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing section (S).
14. Apparatus according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the leading delimiting elements (24) can be moved, in particular pivoted, between a position in which they do not project into the conveying stream (54), in particular a position in which they run essentially as a tangent or secant in relation to their circulatory path (U), and a position in which they project into the conveying stream (54), in particular into a position in which they run perpendicularly to the circulatory path (U).
15. Apparatus according to Claim 14, characterized in that the trailing and the further delimiting elements (26, 28) are formed, and driven in a synchronized manner, such that the trailing and the further delimiting elements (26, 28) are aligned with one another at least at one point of the stabilizing section (S), preferably in each case in the starting region (S1) of the stabilizing section (S).

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