EP1619151A2 - Sheet-feeder with facilitated removal, installation or replacement of components and method for calibrating double feed detection - Google Patents

Abstract

The sheet feeder (100, 100") has a feeder housing (111, 112) containing a rotating grips to pull sheets from a stack. The grips are on at least one grip shaft (220, 220', 220"). There are also several cams (331, 332) to control the sheet separating elements. These cams are on a separate camshaft, separated from the grip shaft.

Description

The invention relates to a feeder for feeding sheets according to the preamble of claim 1.

Typically, devices of the type mentioned are used to feed sheets to a sheet processing apparatus. In post-press, a plurality of such feeders are often used to collect different sheets on a collection line. Depending on the device, the collected sheets are subsequently stapled or adhesively bonded, for example.

Among the large number of different investors, there are those in which a stacking sheet is arranged above the collection line, and grippers which are arranged on a gripper drum, deduct the respective lowest sheet of the stack and feed the collection line. In order to peel off only the lowermost sheet of the stack, and thus avoid double sheets, sheet separating elements are used, which ensure that the grippers on the gripper drums extract only one sheet at a time. Typically, the sheet separation elements, such as retention fingers, suction air grippers or fuzzers, are mechanically cam controlled. These cams for the sheet separating elements and the gripper drums are mounted in the prior art on a shaft which is mounted in the side walls of the investor. The installation or removal of such a wave, which is stored in the side walls, is very cumbersome. The replacement of components on this shaft, such as a gripper drum or different cams, is considerably complicated by the installation position of the shaft and usually possible only within the rather difficult to access housing of the investor. Often in such work the gripper drums are in the way of the cam discs or vice versa.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a feeder for feeding sheets, in which the installation or removal or change of elements, such as grippers, drums or cams for controlling Bogenseparierungselementen is facilitated. This object is achieved by means of the investor according to the invention Feeding of sheet solved with the features mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1. Further features emerge from the subclaims.

Accordingly, the grippers or gripper drums are arranged on at least one gripper shaft and the plurality of curves for controlling Bogenseparierungselementen arranged on a separate from the at least one gripper shaft camshaft.
The separation of the gripper shaft and the cam shaft reduces the number of elements on the respective shaft. As a result, the individual waves are easier to handle and access to elements that lie further inward on a shaft is facilitated. This is especially true for such elements which are disk-shaped and are displaceable only along the axis of the respective shaft and removable from the shaft. Such elements require that all other elements located between this element and the end of the shaft be removed first before this element can be removed. Accordingly, the time required to remove the other elements is shortened by having fewer elements mounted on the shaft. The installation or removal of the entire shaft is facilitated by the reduced number of elements on the respective shaft.

In an advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the at least one gripper shaft and the cam shaft on a common drive. As a result, synchronicity of the movement sequences of camshaft and gripper shaft can be achieved in a relatively simple manner.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the least one gripper shaft with a gear with the camshaft is connectable. For example, the transmission may be two gears mounted on the respective shaft and engaged with each other. Alternatively, other transmissions, such as a toothed belt or other mechanisms known in the art can be used. Advantageously, the transmission between gripper shaft and cam shaft also includes a coupling with which the camshaft can be disengaged from the gripper shaft.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the feeder according to the invention, the gripper shaft is mounted in a gripper shaft unit, the feeder housing having at least one receiving space for the gripper shaft unit to which the gripper shaft unit together with the gripper shaft and the grippers is releasably fastened. This makes it possible to assemble the gripper shaft unit outside the feeder housing and only then insert it into the feeder housing. When changing elements on the gripper shaft, the gripper shaft can be easily removed from the feeder housing together with the gripper shaft unit and dismantled, assembled or maintained outside the feeder housing. This represents a significant simplification of such work, since the gripper shaft unit is excellently accessible in the removed state. In addition, the production of the entire investor is facilitated by this measure, since the feeder and the gripper shaft unit can be made in parallel and can be joined together at a later date in a simple manner. Since the camshaft is not in the gripper shaft unit, in addition, in an eventual replacement of elements on the gripper shaft, and thus an expansion of the gripper shaft unit, the adjusted position of the camshaft is not changed. This eliminates annoying readjustments on the cam shaft when the gripper shaft unit is reinstalled together with the gripper shaft.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the camshaft is mounted in a camshaft unit, wherein the feeder housing has at least one receiving space for the cam shaft unit on which the cam shaft unit can be fastened together with the cam shaft around the curves for controlling the Bogenseparierungselemente. This has the same advantages that arise from the storage of the gripper shaft in a gripper shaft unit regardless of the feeder housing. Again, the camshaft assembly can be assembled outside the feeder housing, disassembled and maintained. Likewise eliminates annoying readjustments on the gripper shaft when the camshaft unit is reinstalled together with the camshaft.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention two of the gripper shaft units are releasably fastened in an investor and releasably securable between the gripper shaft units a cam shaft unit, wherein the cam shaft unit includes the curves for controlling the Bogenseparierungselemente the entire investor. Advantageously, a coupling between the two gripper shaft units is provided, which enables a transmission of the drive from the first gripper shaft unit to the second gripper shaft unit. The provision of two gripper shaft units essentially means the division of a longer gripper shaft into two shorter gripper shafts. As a result of the series connection of several gripper shaft units in the case of several investors, this results in a long segmented gripper shaft in which comparatively short gripper shaft segments can be installed or exchanged individually. The cams for controlling the sheet separating elements of both gripper shaft units are advantageously collected on the one cam shaft unit.

In an advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the sheet separation elements are at least one of the following suction air grippers, suction air supply, retention fingers. The suction air gripper is a gripper which sucks the front end of the lower sheet of the stack due to a negative pressure on the Saugluftgreifer and brings down into the reach of the gripper of the gripper drums. The suction air supply is controlled so that the suction air is cut off on Saugluftgreifer when the gripper of the gripper drums has detected the bottom sheet, or is turned on when the Saugluftgreifer should take the next sheet. The retention finger serves to separate sheets that are above the lowermost sheet of the stack from the lowermost sheet. Further sheet separating elements could be, for example, blowing air nozzles which fan out the lower stack in the region of the suction air gripper so that no further sheet adheres to the lowermost sheet.

In a further embodiment of the feeder according to the invention, the at least one gripper shaft has grippers for withdrawing sheets from two stacks. Basically are also grippers for the removal of more than two stacks conceivable with increasing number of stacks but also increases the length of the gripper shaft and thus reduce the benefits of segmentation of the gripper shaft.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the feeder according to the invention, the feeder collects the sheets in a collecting channel, wherein the channel is arranged substantially vertically, and wherein the width of the channel is automatically adjustable. By adjusting the width of the channel, the number of sheets to be collected in the collecting channel can be taken into account. On the one hand, the channel should be as narrow as possible, so that the bow can be better managed, on the other hand, the channel must not be too narrow, so that the stack collected sheet can be well transported in the collection channel and not damaged by friction with the collecting channel walls, the bows. Depending on the number of investors and thus depending on the respective collective order varies the required channel width.

The invention also relates to a collecting device with a drive unit and at least one feeder according to claim 1, wherein the collecting device additionally comprises a contact unit for manual installation. This makes it possible to feed already pre-collected stacks more sheets when the pre-collected stacks are inserted into the manual insert

• -- Bereitstellen eines Transportpfades für einzelne Bogen,
• -- Bereitstellen von einem Dickendetektor entlang des Transportpfades,
• -- Auslösen eines Probebogens, bei dem der einzelne Probebogen entlang des Transportpfades transportiert wird,
• -- Messen eines Dickenwertes des Probebogens an dem Dickendetektor,
• -- Abspeichern des Dickenwertes für den Probebogen in einer Steuerung,
• -- Vergleichen des Dickenwertes des Probebogens mit den Dickenwerten der Normalbogen, die der Dickendetektor im Normalbetrieb misst,
• ― Ausgeben eines Signals, wenn der Dickenwert eines Normalbogens im Normalbetrieb etwa ein Vielfaches des Dickenwerts des Probebogens beträgt.

The invention also relates to a method for double-sheet control, in particular in a book production line with the steps

• Providing a transport path for individual sheets,
• Providing a thickness detector along the transport path,
• Triggering a test sheet in which the single sample sheet is transported along the transport path,
• Measuring a thickness value of the sample sheet at the thickness detector,
• Storing the thickness value for the test sheet in a controller,
• Comparing the thickness value of the test sheet with the thickness values of the normal sheet which the thickness detector measures in normal operation,
• - Outputting a signal when the thickness value of a normal arc in normal operation is about a multiple of the thickness value of the sample sheet.

This method eliminates the need to make an absolute thickness measurement. In principle, the thickness detector provides only an electronic signal, which it can use as a standard of comparison between the normal arc and the sample sheet. Such a calibration is independent of the material of the sample sheet, the thickness or environmental conditions such as humidity, temperature, etc., since the calibration by the sample sheet advantageously takes place immediately before normal operation, so that these environmental conditions have hardly changed for normal operation.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method for double sheet control, the step of providing comprises providing a thickness detector in the transport path of a cover feeder of a multi-pincer adhesive binder. In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention for double-sheet control, the step comprises the provision of a detector in the transport path of each feeder of a collection unit of a multi-stick adhesive binder. Accordingly, advantageously, the step of triggering a sample sheet comprises triggering a respective sample sheet from a plurality of investors in a collection unit. This majority of investors may be either all investors in the collection unit or at least all investors of the collection unit who will be used for a future collection order.

In a further embodiment of the method for double-sheet control, the step of measuring comprises the capacitive measurement of the sheet thickness. On the other hand, other measuring methods known to those skilled in the art, such as triangulation, transmitted light, ultrasound, etc., are also conceivable.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Vorderansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Rückansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers ohne eingebaute Greiferwelleneinheit bzw. Kurvenwelleneinheit,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Greiferwelleneinheit,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Kurvenwelleneinheit,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Schnittansicht zweier erfindungsgemäßer Anleger, die miteinander verbunden sind,

Fig. 6

eine schematische seitliche Schnittdarstellung einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers,

Fig. 7

eine schematische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Sammeleinheit mit Antrieb und manueller Anlage.

Fig. 8

Einen Querschnitt durch eine Ausführungsform eines Anlegers einer Buchfertigungsstrecke

Preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In a schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a front perspective view of the investor according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a perspective rear view of the investor according to the invention without built gripper shaft unit or camshaft unit,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of an embodiment of a gripper shaft unit according to the invention,

Fig. 4

a perspective view of an embodiment of a cam shaft unit according to the invention,

Fig. 5

a schematic sectional view of two inventive investors, which are interconnected,

Fig. 6

a schematic sectional side view of an embodiment of the investor according to the invention,

Fig. 7

a schematic representation of an embodiment of a collecting unit according to the invention with drive and manual system.

Fig. 8

A cross section through an embodiment of an investor a book production line

The feeder 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has four stack supports 101, 102, 103, 104 for sheets. As can be seen in Fig. 6, located below the stack supports 101, 102, 103, 104 of the collection channel 140, which extends over the entire length of the investor. The lowermost sheet in a stack on a stack support 101, 102, 103, 104 is detected by a suction air gripper 370 near the leading edge, sucked by negative pressure, and deflected downward by the suction air gripper 370. As soon as the lowermost sheet has been deflected in such a way, the overlying sheets are restrained by the retaining finger 360, which is pivoted under the stack of sheets for this purpose. Grippers 236, 237 mounted on gripper discs 231, 233, which are part of the gripper drum 231, 232, grip the deflected leading edge of the lower sheet and pull the sheet from the underside of the stack, over the guide surface 130 in FIG Direction collecting duct 140. The sheet is supported by the gripper discs 231, 233.

In the lower region of the collecting channel, drivers 170 are arranged, which are pivotally attached to a chain 173 about a hinge 172. The free end of the driver 170 extends in a gap 142 in the guide surface 141 of the collecting channel 140. The guide surface 141 of the collecting channel 140 is movably mounted on guide rods 143 and can by means of the driven lever 147, which is pivotally mounted about the pivot point 149, along the Guide rods 143 are moved so that the width of the collecting channel 140 can be changed. This width adjustment is done automatically based on data regarding the thickness of the stack of sheets to be collected in the collection channel 140.

The housing of the feeder 100 is essentially formed by side walls 111, 112 and cross braces 120, which connect the side walls 111, 112 together. As can be seen in FIG. 2, a receiving plate 160 is also arranged between the side walls 111, 112 of the feeder housing. The cross brace 120 and the receiving plate 160 are advantageously releasably bolted to the side walls 111, 112.

The receiving plate 160 shown in FIG. 2 has receiving locations 161, 162 for gripper shaft units 200 and a receiving space 165 for a camshaft unit 300. The gripper shaft unit 200 is shown in FIG. Accordingly, the gripper shaft unit 200 consists of a bottom plate 205 to which side walls 211, 212 are fixed, wherein in the side walls 211, 212, the gripper shaft 220 is rotatably mounted.
In addition, the gripper shaft 220 is supported by the supports 213, 214. Two gripper drums 230, 232 together with the gripper discs 231, 233 are mounted on the gripper shaft 220. These are essentially disc-shaped and are attached laterally to the gripper shaft 220. In addition, located on the gripper shaft 220, a gear 250. The ends of the gripper shaft 220 have grooves 241, 242 on. By means of a coupling 270 (see FIG. 5), adjacent gripper shafts 220, 220 ', 220 "can be connected to one another, so that these gripper shafts 220, 220', 220" can be driven together. Such Gripper shaft unit 200 may be assembled outside the feeder to be subsequently installed on the corresponding receiving space 161, 162 in the feeder.

Fig. 4 shows a cam shaft unit. The cam shaft unit 300 also has two side walls 311, 312 and a bottom plate 305 connecting the two side walls 311, 312. On the cam shaft 320, a gear 350 is mounted. Although only one tooth of the gear 350 has been drawn in FIG. 4, this gear 350 is a common gear having a plurality of teeth. This gear is engaged with the gear 250 of the gripper shaft unit. Thereby, the drive of the hook shaft unit 200 is transmitted to the cam shaft unit 300. Furthermore, 320 cam discs 331, 332 are arranged on the camshaft. These cams 331, 332 have inboard cam surfaces 333. Impellers 345 run along these cam surfaces 333. The impellers 345 are located at the end of levers 341, 342. The levers 341, 342 are pivotally mounted about a shaft 347, wherein the shaft 347 is mounted in a strut 314 which is fixed to the bottom plate 305 of the cam shaft unit 300. At the free end of the levers 341, 342 are not shown further lever that transmit the control movement of the cam surface 333 on the sheet separating elements 360, 370. The camshaft unit 300 can also be assembled separately from the feeder 100 and then completely installed at the receiving location 165 in the feeder. When installing the camshaft unit 300, the gear 350 comes into contact with the gear 250 of the gripper shaft unit 200. In a further embodiment, a coupling between the gears 250, 350 may additionally be provided. In an alternative embodiment, the drive is not transmitted via two gears 250, 350, but by other suitable means, such as a toothed belt drive.

5, two feeders 100, 100 "are arranged side by side, and a first gripper shaft unit 200 and another gripper shaft unit 200 'are installed in the first feeder 100. The elements of the second gripper shaft unit 200' correspond to the elements of the first gripper shaft unit 200, but are provided with one Comma (') marked. The first Gripper shaft 220 is coupled with a clutch 260 to the gripper shaft 220 ', the second gripper shaft unit 200. The gripper shaft 220 'of the second gripper shaft unit 200 is in turn coupled via a coupling 270 with the next gripper shaft 220 "in the adjacent feeder 102' through the side wall 111" and 112. In this way, the gripper shaft 220, 220 ', 220 "can be arbitrarily extended via the coupling 260, 270. Like elements in the second feeder 102' are identified by the same reference numerals of the first feeder 100 with two additional reference marks (").

In Fig. 7, a collecting unit 1000 is shown. This has a drive unit 400 with a drive 410, for example an electric motor, and a collecting duct 440, which adjoins a collecting duct 140 of an investor 100. Also, the collection channel 440 of the drive unit has a Kanalverstelleinheit 450. In addition, the drive unit 400 has comparable cross struts 420 and side walls 411, 412. The cross braces 420 are aligned with the cross braces 120 of respective investors 100. In FIG. 7, the drive unit 400 is connected to only one feeder 100, but it will be understood that a larger number of identical investors 100, 100 "from the drive unit 400 In addition, the collecting unit 1000 has a contact unit 500, which is arranged upstream of the feeder 100 in the collecting direction, which also has a channel 540 and channel adjustment units 550. Also in the application unit 500, the cross struts 520 are aligned with the cross struts 120 and 120, respectively 420 of the other units The application unit 500 is used for manual insertion of sheets or stacks of sheets.

In Fig. 8, a cross section of an investor 100 is shown. Sheets which are stacked on a stack support 101 are fed by gripper drums via a guide plate 130 to the collection channel 140. Behind this first baffle 130 further baffles 151, 153 are arranged, which form a channel parallel to the collection channel 140, in which the individual sheets of this feeder 100 are pre-accelerated before they are fed to the collecting channel 140. In the baffles 151, 153 openings 152, 154 are provided by the sensors 155, 156 interact with each other. These are used for the capacitive measurement of the supplied sheet. The skilled person is clear that also here other sensors for determining the thickness of the sheet, such as ultrasound, transmitted light or other methods can be used. By means of the sensors 155, 156, which determine a thickness value of the individual sheets, a double-sheet control can be carried out. For this purpose, a single sheet is requested from each stack support 101 of the feeder 100 in a test run, which is carried out in the set-up operation of a multi-pincer adhesive binder, and fed to the collecting duct 140. In this case, this arc passes through the sensors 155, 156, which thereby determine a value which is representative of the thickness of the supplied sheet. This value, which is representative of the thickness of the sheet of each investor, is stored in the controller 199. In normal operation of the multi-pincer bonding apparatus, a comparison measurement is also performed on each sheet fed to the collection channel 140 with the sensors 155, 156. If the value measured during the test operation deviates from the value of the sheets measured in normal operation, that is to say if it is substantially a multiple of the thickness value determined in the test run for this sheet from this feeder, the controller 199 is notified thereof is then a double or multiple sheet, which would be fed and thus a faulty book block is collected. The controller 199 may then take appropriate action to treat this erroneously collected book block 1 separately. By this method of double sheet control, in which only a certain value for a thickness of a sheet is determined, parameters of the sheet such as material, printing, etc., as well as environmental conditions, such as humidity, etc., largely insignificant, since the value of the sample sheet with identical normal bow of the same investor, and this immediately before normal operation, so that environmental conditions hardly change.

Since in a book binding process sheets are not always created from all investors who create sheets for such a collection channel 140, in the test run it is only necessary to calibrate corresponding sheets from the order-specific investors used.

List of reference numbers

100, 100 "

investor

101

stack support

102

stack support

103

stack support

104

stack support

111, 111 "

Investors housing wall

112, 112 "

Investors housing wall

120, 120 "

cross brace

130

baffle

140

collecting duct

141

baffle

142

gap

143

guide rod

147

lever

149

pivot point

151

baffle

152

opening

153

baffle

154

opening

155

sensor

156

sensor

160

mounting plate

161

recording space

162

recording space

165

recording space

170

takeaway

172

joint

173

Chain

199

control

200

Gripper shaft unit

205

baseplate

211.211 '

Side wall

212, 212 '

Side wall

213

support

214

support

220, 220 ', 220 "

gripper shaft

230, 230 '

gripper drum

231, 231 '

gripper plate

232, 232 '

gripper drum

233, 233 '

gripper plate

236

grab

237

grab

241

groove

242

groove

250

gear

260

clutch

270

clutch

300

Camshaft unit

305

baseplate

311

Side wall

312

Side wall

314

strut

320

camshaft

331

cam

332

cam

333

Curve tread

341

lever

342

lever

345

Wheel

347

wave

350

gear

360

Retaining fingers

370

Saugluftgreifer

400

driving element

410

drive unit

411

Side wall

412

Side wall

420

cross brace

440

channel

450

Kanalverstelleinheit

500

applying unit

550

Kanalverstelleinheit

520

cross brace

540

channel

1000

collecting device

Claims (10)

A feeder (100, 100 ") for feeding sheets to a feeder housing (111, 112, 120) and grippers (236, 237) rotating inside the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) for drawing sheets from a stack, the grippers (236, 237) are arranged on at least one gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 ") and a plurality of curves (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separation elements (360, 370),
characterized,
in that the plurality of curves (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separation elements (360, 370) are arranged on a camshaft (320) separate from the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 "). Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 ") and the camshaft (320) have a common drive. Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 ") is connected to the camshaft (320) by a gear (250, 350). Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 ") is mounted in a gripper shaft unit (200, 200'), wherein the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) has at least one receiving space (161, 162) for the gripper shaft unit (200, 200 '). ), on which the gripper shaft unit (200, 200 ') together with the gripper shaft (220, 220', 220 ") and the grippers (236, 237) is detachably fastened. Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the camshaft (320) is mounted in a camshaft unit (300), wherein the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) has at least one receiving station (165) for the camshaft unit (300) on which the camshaft unit (300) together with the camshaft ( 320) and the curves (236, 237) is releasably attachable. Device according to claim 1
characterized,
that in a feeder (100, 100 ") two of the gripper shaft units (200) are releasably attachable and ( ', 200 200, 200 between the gripper shaft units") comprises a camshaft unit (300) is releasably attachable, wherein the camshaft unit (300), the curves ( 236, 237) for controlling the sheet separating elements (360, 370) of the entire feeder (100, 100 "). Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the sheet separation elements (360, 370) are at least one of the following: suction air gripper (370), suction air supply, retention fingers (360). Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220 ', 220 ") has grippers (236, 237) for withdrawing sheets from two stacks. Device according to claim 1
characterized,
in that the feeder (100, 100 ") collects the sheets in a collecting channel (140), wherein the collecting channel (140) is arranged substantially vertically, and wherein the width of the collecting channel (140) is automatically adjustable. Method for double sheet control, especially in a book production line with the steps: Providing a transport path for individual sheets, Providing a thickness detector (155, 156) along the transport path, Triggering a test sheet in which the single sample sheet is transported along the transport path, Measuring a thickness value of the sample sheet on the thickness detector (155, 156), Storing the thickness value for the sample sheet in a controller (199), Comparing the thickness value of the test sheet with the thickness values of the normal arc which the thickness detector 155, 156 measures in normal operation, - Outputting a signal when the thickness value of a normal arc in normal operation is about a multiple of the thickness value of the sample sheet.

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