EP1595832B1 - Device and method for selectively pulling a sheet out of a stack of multiple sheets or taking over a sheet from a separation cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

The feed system for letter wrappers has a suction roller (5) which removes wrappers from a stack (2) and accelerates them for transfer to a processing station. Alternatively it can receive cut sections from a cutter unit (3) which are transferred to it by a suction belt. Independent claims are included for: (A) letter wrapping machines fitted with the system; and (B) a method for transferring letter wrappers using the system.

Description

I. Field of application

The present invention relates to a device and a method for selectively drawing a blank, in particular a Briefhüllenzuschnitts, from a stack of multiple blanks or to take over a blank from a cutting device that separates the blank from a web. For the purposes of the present invention, blanks can be not only envelope blanks but also, for example, blanks or blanks for covers for closing containers, in particular food containers.

II. Technical background

There are two types of envelope making machines known. In machines of a kind already cut, provided in batches envelope envelopes are fed by way of a so-called cut sheet feeder and processed into envelopes. Such machines are usually referred to as sheet machines, wherein the term "sheet" is intended to indicate that separable existing cut sheets are processed. In contrast, in machines of the other type, a material or paper web wound up on a supply roll is processed into envelopes. The material web becomes direct pulled from the supply roll into the machine and trimmed at a suitable point of the processing section of a cutting device, so that only the letter envelope blanks arise within the envelope production machine. Such machines are referred to as roller machines.

Also known are so-called combination machines, in which the operator of the machine can decide depending on the needs or other circumstances, whether he wants to process individually present blanks by way of sheet feeder or wound on a supply roll material or paper web. Fig. 3 shows the range of a known from the prior art combination machine in which either optionally present blanks or a web can be fed or can.

If the combination machine is to be operated in the operating mode of the cut sheet feeder, use is made of the cut sheet feed device 7. The lowermost blank of a stack consisting of several blanks 2 is thereby pulled out of the stack 2 by means of a suction-loaded, clockwise rotating first segment roller 8.

Segmented rollers are known per se in the prior art and have two different radii, each of which extends over a certain circumferential area of the roller, so that in each case a possibly rounded shoulder in the radial direction is formed at two points of the circumference. The segment roller usually rotates at a constant speed and cooperates with a preferably made of rubber mating roll, which is passively driven by the segment roller. The letter envelope sections move between the segment roller and the counter roller, with only that peripheral region of the segment roller having the larger radius coming into contact with the blank. The paragraph of the segment roller, which first comes into contact with the blank to be accelerated, is referred to as barrel edge. Since a segment roller accelerates the blank after the detection by means of the barrel edge, it is also referred to as a tear roller.

In Fig. 3 the segment roller 8 accelerates the cut drawn from the stack 2 to the so-called cycle speed of the envelope production machine and delivers it register-accurate to the suction-air-charged transport roller 9, which rotates counterclockwise. The transport roller 9 in turn delivers the blank to a clockwise rotating vacuum guide roller 10, which forwards the blank to a first workstation 11 of the envelope production machine. The vacuum guide roller 10 is a cylindrical roller with suction air openings in the lateral surface, with the help of which the blanks are temporarily held at the roller circumference.

If the known envelope production machine, in contrast to the sheet feeder pull a web 12 from a supply roll, so is of the in Fig. 3 shown web feed device 13 use made. The material web 12 coming from a supply roll (not shown) is fed to a form-cutting device 14 via a plurality of guide rollers, which are of no further interest here, which performs mold cuts essentially at the two edges of the material web. In Fig. 3 Immediately below the shape-cutting device 14, a one-piece material web 12 is still transported. A subsequent separating cutter 15 then finally separates envelope cutouts from the material web 12.

A second intake air-loaded, clockwise rotating segment roller 16 then detects the severed blank with its barrel edge and accelerates it to the cycle speed. Finally, the transfer of the accelerated blank takes place on the vacuum guide roll 10, which transports it to a subsequent workstation 11.

The known combination machine according to Fig. 3 has several disadvantages. For example, the manufacturing and maintenance costs associated with the two segment rollers 8 and 16 are relatively high, which is naturally undesirable. In addition, the so-called format change times, ie the time required to convert the machine from a first envelope format to a second envelope format, are relatively long, in particular two segment rollers 8 and 16 must be replaced. In addition, the combination machine requires according to Fig. 3 in addition to the two segment rollers 8 and 16 additional transport or diverting rollers, which must be cyclically charged with suction in part. On the one hand, this leads to increased noise generation and, on the other hand, to an increased space requirement.

III. Presentation of the invention a) Technical task

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a device or a method for selectively drawing a blank, in particular a Briefhüllenzuschnitts, from a stack of multiple blanks or to take over a blank from a cutting device, the or the same time the cost of production It also reduces machine maintenance, reduces machine footprint and results in less noise generation.

b) Solution of the task

This object is achieved by means of a device or a method having the features of the independent claims 1 and 7, respectively. Further embodiments of the present will become apparent from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, it is proposed according to the state of the art Fig. 3 Known vacuum guide roller form as Saugluftbeaufschlagte segmented roller, by means of either the blank of the multiple blanks comprehensive stack retractable and accelerated to the cycle speed or instead of the taken over by the cutting cutter blank on the cycle speed can be accelerated. The advantage of the invention is that the blanks both in a single sheet feeder and when separating the blanks from a web of material by means of a single intake air Segmented roller accelerated to cycle speed and accurate register to a subsequent workstation for processing the blank can be delivered in a work cycle. This also has the advantageous consequence that the known from the prior art transport and deflection rollers, such as the transport roller 9 in Fig. 3 are no longer required, so that eliminates the associated costs for production and maintenance as well as no noise can be generated by these no longer existing rollers. The format changeover times can be considerably reduced because only a single segmented roller has to be exchanged as part of the conversion to another envelope format.

In web operation, the segmented roller according to the invention can not take over the cut blanks naturally directly from the cutting device, since first a section of the web with such a length must pass through the cutting device, which corresponds to the desired length of the blank. Preferably, therefore, a transport belt device is arranged between the separating cutting device and the segment roller, which may in particular be a suction belt device, on the conveyor belts of which the blanks are held by means of suction air. Both a conveyor belt device with one or more of the transport plane immediately adjacent disposed counter-feed rollers and a Sauggurteinrichtung generate less noise than cyclically acted upon with suction air transport rollers.

If necessary, the conveyor belt device between separating cutting device and segment roller can be arranged movably or removably away from the segment roller in order to provide sufficient space for the arrangement of the cut sheet feeder device in single-sheet operation. Likewise, if required, the cut sheet feeder can be moved away from the segment roller, if necessary for the arrangement of the conveyor belt device for the purpose of railway operation. The corresponding mobility of the conveyor belt device and / or the cut sheet feeder can be achieved by their storage in suitable linear of the pivot guides. It is also conceivable, the conveyor belt device or possibly the entire web feed on the one hand On the other hand, the sheet feeder on the other hand in the modular design, so that each not used module can be completely removed and stored.

c) embodiments

Fig. 1:

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, die Zuschnitte aus einem mehrere Zuschnitte umfassenden Stapel einzieht und auf Taktgeschwindigkeit beschleunigt;

Fig. 2:

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, die mittels einer Trennschneideeinrichtung von einer Materialbahn abgetrennte Zuschnitte übernimmt und auf Taktgeschwindigkeit beschleunigt; und

Fig. 3:

eine schematische Schnittansicht des vorderen Bereichs einer aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Kombinationsmaschine für wahlweisen Einzelblatt- oder Bahnbetrieb.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1:

a schematic sectional view of a device according to the invention, the blanks from a multiple blanks comprehensive stack moves and speeds up to clock speed;

Fig. 2:

a schematic sectional view of a device according to the invention, which takes over by means of a separation cutting device separated from a web blanks and accelerated to cycle speed; and

3:

a schematic sectional view of the front portion of a known from the prior art combination machine for selective single sheet or web operation.

Fig. 1 shows the device 1 according to the invention in a configuration provided for the cut sheet feeder. The separating cutter 3 is not needed in this configuration, and in the hatched portion A below the separating cutter 3, in the illustrated embodiment, there are no transporting means.

In a known Einzelblatteinzugvorrichtung 17 is a stack 2, which consists of a plurality of stacked envelope pieces. About a suction-induced deflecting roller 18 which rotates counterclockwise, the bottom cut of the stack 2 of the constant speed fed in a clockwise rotating segment roller 5. The likewise suction-air-cooled segment roller 5, with its barrel edge (not shown here) grips the supplied blank at a predetermined distance from its leading leading edge and accelerates it register-accurate to the stroke speed of the envelope production machine. For this purpose, the segment roller 5 in a conventional manner Saugluftbohrungen in their segment insert strips and in their trailing each in the direction of rotation lateral surface areas. After the blank has adhered to the segment roller 5 adhering a certain angular distance, it is finally delivered at clock speed to the suction-loaded transport roller 19, which rotates counterclockwise and further transported the blank in the embodiment shown to the subsequent Fensterausschneidestation 20 of the envelope production machine. Alternatively, the segment roller 5 can pass the blank to a substantially flat, lying below transport path, which may be, for example, a conveyor belt device.

Fig. 2 shows the device 1 according to the invention in the configuration for taking over and accelerating a separated from a material web 4 letter envelope, ie in the configuration of the web operation. In the Fig. 1 shown Einzelblatteinzugvorrichtung 17 is not needed in this mode and has therefore been removed. As can be seen, the material web 4 is supplied from a supply roll (not shown) via a plurality of deflection or transport rollers to a separating cutting device 3. The separating cutter 3 separates a blank of a predetermined length from the material web 4 in a manner known per se. The severed blank is conveyed by means of a conveyor belt device 6, which extends substantially in the hatched area B, the hatched area A in Fig. 1 corresponds, transported to the suction-air-charged segment roller 5.

The clockwise rotating segment roller 5 engages here with her in Fig. 2 not shown barrel edge the blank at a predetermined distance from its leading leading edge and speeds it up to clock speed. After passing through a certain angular distance, the segment roller 5 the accelerated blank to the counterclockwise rotating, suction-air-loaded transport roller 19, which in turn transported him to a subsequent workstation of the envelope production machine. In a manner known per se, the segment roller 5 cooperates with a counter-clockwise rotating counter-roller 21 during the detection and acceleration of the blank. The passage gap between segment roller 5 and counter roller 21 is adjustable by moving the counter roller 21 on the segment roller 5 to or away from the segment roller 5. In addition, the counter-roller 21 is preferably sprung by coating with a rubber jacket.

1. a) Entsprechend Fig. 1 fungiert sie als Einzelzuschnitt-Einzugswalze, die mit ihrer Fasskante Einzelzuschnitte aus einem mehrere Zuschnitte umfassenden Stapel registergenau einzieht und den eingezogenen Zuschnitt anschließend auf Taktgeschwindigkeit der Briefhüllenherstellungsmaschine beschleunigt.
2. b) Entsprechend Fig. 2 fungiert sie bei einer die Materialbahn 4 einziehenden Briefhüllenherstellungsmaschine als Beschleunigungswalze, die den von der Materialbahn 4 abgetrennten Zuschnitt mit Hilfe ihrer Fasskante taktgenau übernimmt und anschließend auf die Taktgeschwindigkeit der Briefhüllenherstellungsmaschine beschleunigt.

Like that Fig. 1 and 2 can be seen, the segment roller 5 thus alternately or alternatively take over the following two functions:

1. a) accordingly Fig. 1 it acts as a single-feed pickup roller, which with its drum edge individual blanks from a stack comprising several blanks registers exactly and then accelerates the drawn blank on cycle speed of the envelope production machine.
2. b) accordingly Fig. 2 it acts on a material forming the web 4 envelope production machine as acceleration roller, which accepts the severed from the web 4 blank with the help of their barrel edge clock exactly and then accelerated to the cycle speed of the envelope production machine.

The segment roller 5 thus combines the two functions of the known from the prior art first and second segment roller 8 and 16 (see Fig. 3 ) in a single roller. As by comparing the Fig. 1 and 2 on the one hand with the Fig. 3 On the other hand, it is clear that in the hatched areas C and D of Fig. 3 existing deflection or transport rollers. This results in the advantages according to the invention of lower manufacturing and maintenance costs, a smaller space requirement and a reduced Noise generation, since several, required in the prior art, cyclically acted upon by suction rolls omitted.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

stack

3

Separation cutter

4

web

5

segment roll

6

transport means

7

Sheet feeder device

8th

first segment roller (prior art)

9

transport roller

10

Vakuumleitwalze

11

workstation

12

web

13

web supply

14

Topiary facility

15

Separation cutter

16

second segment roller (prior art)

17

Sheet feeder device

18

deflecting

19

transport roller

20

Fensterausschneidestation

21

backing roll

A

hatched area

B

hatched area

C

hatched area

D

hatched area

Claims (7)

1. Device for alternately, as desired, drawing in a blank from a stack (2) of several blanks or accepting a blank from a cutting unit (3) that separates the blank from a web of material (4), this device comprising a vacuum guide roller by way of which alternately, as desired, the blank originating from the stack or accepted from the cutting unit can be forwarded, in a single cycle, at line speed, to a subsequent workstation where the blank will be further worked,
   characterized by
   the vacuum guide roller being a segmented roller (5) provided with vacuum capability, by way of which alternately, as desired, the blank from the stack (2) can be drawn in and accelerated to line speed or the blank accepted from the cutting unit (3) can be accelerated to line speed.
2. Device in accordance with Claim 1,
   characterized by
   a conveyor belt (6) being located between the cutting unit (3) and the segmented roller (5) for the purpose of accepting the blank from the cutting unit (3).
3. Device in accordance with Claim 2,
   characterized by
   the conveyor belt (6) being a belt with vacuum capability.
4. Device in accordance with Claim 2 or 3,
   characterized by
   it being possible to separate the conveyor belt (6) from the segmented roller (5) for the purpose of drawing the blank from the stack (2).
5. Device in accordance with one of the foregoing Claims,
   characterized by
   a single-sheet infeed device (17) being provided which, for the purpose of accepting the blank from the cutting unit (3), can be detached from the segmented roller (5).
6. Envelope manufacturing machine with a device in accordance with one of the foregoing Claims for alternately, as desired, drawing a blank from a stack (2) of several blanks or accepting a blank from a cutting unit (3).
7. Process for alternately, as desired, drawing in a blank from a stack (2) of several blanks or accepting a blank from a cutting unit (3) that separates the blank from a web of material (4), wherein either the blank originating from the stack or the blank accepted from the cutting unit can be accelerated to line speed and then, within a single cycle, forwarded to a subsequent workstation where the blank will be further worked,
   characterized by
   the drawing of the blank from the stack (2) and the acceleration of the blank originating in the stack (2) to line speed, on the one hand, and the acceleration of the blank accepted from the cutting unit (3) to line speed, on the other hand, being effected in both cases with the same segmented roller (5) which can be provided with vacuum capability.

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