EP1787933A1 - Apparatus and method for conveying of sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

Conveying modules (1,2,3,4) have parallel suction belts (11,11a) that exert negative pressure under a printed sheet (200). The belts are guided by mutually spaced deflection rollers (300, 300a) at a start/end of a conveying module (1,2), all positioned on a common shaft (20). A conveying module (2) is designed as a switch with two swivel positions (8,9) to reroute a sheet. The switch is mounted about a swivel axis (19,19a). The end of a conveying module is displaced with respect to the start of the subsequent conveying module (3,4) in order to transfer a printed sheet. An independent claim is included for a method for operating a device for conveying sheet-like articles.

Description

The invention relates to a device for conveying sheet-like objects, in particular printed sheets, from a sheet-like objects processing machine, in particular a sheet-fed press, with the subsidized arcuate objects optionally different delivery routes are zuleitbar, especially at the end of various discard piles are arranged to the objects store in different filing stacks. The invention further relates to a method for use with such a device.

In the field of sheet-processing machines, for example, sheet-fed printing presses using different printing processes such as offset printing, gravure printing, flexographic printing, etc. have been used worldwide for many years to print on different materials. In particular, at high volumes and / or thick materials, it is necessary to ensure a continuous flow of material through a printing press, so that the printed sheets are placed after your printing without stopping the printing press or the printing process on stacks. For this purpose, it is provided to use a device for conveying the sheets between a sheet-fed printing machine and a stack of stacks, which feeds the sheets coming out of the machine optionally via two different conveying paths to two different stacks of stacks.

For this purpose, chain conveyors are used, which have a revolving chain on which a plurality of grippers are arranged, by means of which a sheet is gripped at one edge, so as to carry the sheet with the revolving chain.

Such devices are known for example from the DE 24 30 212 , which describes an off sorting device, with the incorrectly printed sheets can be placed on another discard pile for sorting out instead of on a normal conveying path to a discard pile via an alternative conveying path. The printed sheets are thereby promoted by a first circulating chain conveyor to a first discard pile. Along the conveying path of the sheets of the first chain conveyor, an optionally switchable removal drum is arranged which removes printed sheets from the grippers of the first chain conveyor and feeds them to a second chain conveyor which feeds the sheets via a second conveying path to a second stack if a color density meter is insufficient in print quality Has been established.

The DE 103 29 833 also describes a delivery device for sheets, in which case the printed sheets are promoted to aufeinender following storage positions on a single multiple gripper having chain conveyor, where either the sheets can be stored. In order to deposit the sheets at a first position, the grippers are released at the relevant position and the sheets are deflected out of a conveying path by means of a pivotable sheet guiding device.

In the first storage position, the sheet guiding device is thus e.g. designed as a mechanical switch to remove waste sheets or sample sheets from the chain conveyor and redirect to a first storage position.

A disadvantage of the devices used hitherto, must always be present in addition to a conveyor additional guide devices for the printed sheets, as the sheets in the chain conveyors used otherwise would hang down. If in particular thicker and stiffer materials such as plastic sheets are printed, there is a risk that the grippers of the chain conveyors will be pried open by the weight of the single sheets and the sheet will fall out in an uncontrolled manner.

Guide elements such as rods or rollers can prevent this, but represent additional structural measures and can also scratch an already printed back of the sheets. A further disadvantage is that, in particular when using radiation-curing printing inks, the driers used generally have to be applied in the intermediate space of the circulating chain of the chain conveyor, which represents a considerable handling restriction.

It is also disadvantageous that the function of a mechanical switch must be integrated as a separate device in a conveyor device in order to achieve a diversion of the conveyed sheets.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for conveying arched objects, which overcomes the said disadvantages and with which it is possible to optionally provide at least two different switchable conveying paths, e.g. to fill different output stacks with arcuate objects without the working process of the sheet processing machine, e.g. a press needs to be stopped so the machine can work continuously. The object of the invention is furthermore to ensure a handling and accessibility of drying devices in sheet-fed presses.

This object is achieved by a device comprising at least one delivery module which has at least one endlessly circulating suction belt which exerts a negative pressure on the underside of an object to be conveyed and conveys the object from the beginning to the end of the delivery module, wherein at least one conveyor module is designed as a mechanical switch to redirect a conveyed curved object in its conveying path. The object is further achieved by the method according to the invention.

In the context of the invention, a suction belt is understood to mean a conveyor belt by means of which a vacuum can be exerted on a curved object through openings in the belt surface, so that the object is sucked to the surface of the conveyor belt. For this purpose, e.g. at least partially, a conveyor belt having passage openings is guided tightly over a chamber open to the conveyor belt underside, in which a negative pressure is generated, so that air is sucked into the chamber through the openings in the conveyor belt. Here, alternative embodiments are also possible to realize a suction belt in the context of the invention.

The essential idea of the invention is that now instead of a chain conveyor with grippers for conveying the arcuate objects and further necessary guide devices according to the invention, the carriage of the arcuate objects by means of at least one suction belt takes place, which holds on the one hand by the suction effect the objects to be conveyed and on the other hand, the objects also supported, so that they can not sag. Also results in this embodiment no longer possible that objects can solve, as may be the case with the previously used grippers or that an existing printing the back of the objects resting on the suction belt objects can be damaged.

Furthermore, it is essential for the invention that the transport of objects takes place by means of at least one conveyor module and preferably by means of a plurality of conveyor modules, which are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. At least one conveying module, preferably all have at least one suction belt for conveying the objects, and at least one conveying module is designed to operate as a mechanical switch by means of an object to be conveyed at least two different routes can be passed. Depending on the number of points, any number of different conveying paths can be realized.

In this case, a conveying path in a preferred embodiment of the invention can be composed of a plurality of conveying modules.

In an application of the invention in conjunction with printing machines, such an apparatus according to the invention can be used, for example, to guide printed sheets from a printing press to various stacking stacks, e.g. to enable a continuous printing operation. However, any other applications are possible, e.g. generally in sorting plants in which arcuate objects should pass through different conveying paths, as the case may be.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that a conveyor module forming a switch can assume at least two mechanical positions in order to guide conveyed curved objects to at least two conveying paths. A changeover between these positions can be made, for example, via a higher-level control. To achieve the change of a conveying path, e.g. the end of acting as a switch conveyor module relative to the beginning of the respective subsequent conveyor module be displaced.

In particular, when the beginning (seen in the conveying direction) of a conveyor module is stationary, a displacement of the end of this conveyor module can be easily made during a conveying operation, since even during the switching time objects can still be directed to the conveyor module, eg directly from a machine, the arcuate objects processed or from a previous conveyor module. Preferably, the switching will be such that one or more objects are completely on the suction belts during the switching period and does not protrude beyond an end region of a conveyor module.

By displacing the end of a conveyor module, this end can be positioned opposite to a beginning of at least two alternative conveyor paths, e.g. may be given by the respective beginning of at least two further conveyor modules, so as to transfer a promoted object to another conveyor or to another conveyor module.

According to the invention, it may be provided that a conveying path is composed at least in regions of at least two conveying modules, between which an arcuate object, in particular seamlessly, can be transferred. In this case, all conveying modules preferably have the construction according to the invention with suction belts, wherein at least one conveying module is designed as a mechanical switch.

In this case, a conveyor module, which forms a switch, be rotatably mounted about a pivot axis and selectively switched to individual pivot positions, wherein in each pivot position followed by an alternative conveying path. In particular, a pivot axis may be formed by a rotation axis about which a suction belt circulates by means of deflection rollers.

In principle, the construction of a conveyor module is such that the at least one suction belt revolves endlessly and the region between two deflecting positions at the beginning and end of a conveyor module defines the conveyor path. The deflection can be effected by deflection rollers which are arranged at the respective deflection positions.

In a preferred embodiment, a delivery module may have a plurality of parallel, in particular spaced suction belts. For example, in this case the spaced suction belts can be guided over each deflecting rollers spaced apart from each other, wherein the deflection rollers are all arranged on a rotation axis at a beginning / end of a conveyor module. In this case, each deflection roller may have its own rotary shaft, or all the deflection rollers may be arranged at a deflection position on a common rotary shaft.

In a preferred embodiment, it may be provided that a conveying path extends over adjacent conveying modules, wherein a transfer of a conveyed object can take place particularly securely and in particular tangentially between two conveying modules, if the deflection rollers at the beginning / end of a conveying module between the deflection rollers at the end / Beginning of an adjacent conveyor module are arranged. This is possible if, as mentioned above, the individual deflection rollers at a deflection position of a conveyor unit are at a distance from one another, in each of which the deflection rollers of another conveyor module are in position. This can result in a toothing between two adjacent conveyor modules.

With such a gearing, e.g. the pulleys at a beginning / end of two adjacent conveyor modules have a common rotary shaft. Likewise, the pulleys at the beginning / end of the conveyor modules may have separate parallel rotary shafts with separate or a common axis of rotation. Separate rotary shafts will at least be provided if one of two conveyor modules forms a switch.

Figur 1:

Eine Übersicht einer Fördervorrichtung mit einer Weiche in einer ersten Position

Figur 2:

Eine Übersicht einer Fördervorrichtung mit einer Weiche in einer zweiten Position

Figur 3:

den Übergang zwischen zwei Fördermodulen mit gemeinsamer Drehwelle bei den Umlenkrollen

Figur 4:

den Übergang zwischen zwei Fördermodulen mit getrennter Drehwelle bei den Umlenkrollen

Figur 5:

zwei Fördermodule mit dazwischen angeordneter Leiteinrichtung

Figur 6 :

eine Vorrichtung zur Aufnahme von Probebögen im eingeschwenkten Zustand

Figur 7 :

eine Vorrichtung zur Aufnahme von Probebögen im ausgeschwenkten Zustand

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the following figures. Show it:

FIG. 1:

An overview of a conveyor with a switch in a first position

FIG. 2:

An overview of a conveyor with a switch in a second position

FIG. 3:

the transition between two conveyor modules with a common rotary shaft at the pulleys

FIG. 4:

the transition between two conveyor modules with separate rotary shaft at the pulleys

FIG. 5:

two conveyor modules with guide arranged therebetween

FIG. 6:

a device for receiving sample sheets in the pivoted state

FIG. 7:

a device for receiving sample sheets in the swung-out state

The figures discussed below show an example of the application of the device according to the invention in a printing machine for printing sheets. However, the following described features may refer to conveyor for any application.

Figure 1 shows schematically the construction of a device according to the invention for conveying arched objects, e.g. of printing sheets of a printing press, which essentially comprises four conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 in this embodiment. The printed sheets 200 are printed after the last printing unit of an upstream unillustrated printing machine by means of a transfer system, not shown, e.g. a known chain gripper system on the first conveying module 1 in the conveying direction and there deposited on the conveyor belts 10, which hold the sheets 200 by means of negative pressure. For this purpose, the conveyor belts 10 are designed as continuously running suction belts 11 whose speed is preferably synchronized with the printing speed of the printing press.

In another embodiment, the suction belts 11 of the respective conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 each work independently of each other and can be driven by separate drives, not shown. This makes it possible to change the distance of the printed sheets 200 to each other by each successive conveyor modules have different conveyor belt speeds, so time-critical processes, for example during the switching process of the conveying path of the sheets to optimize in this embodiment, for example, from the discard pile 5 to the discard pile 6 or vice versa.

The structure of such suction belts 11 is known in the art and will not be described in detail here.

Above the conveyor belts 10 of the conveyor module 1 additionally drying devices 100 may be attached to fix or applied during the printing process in the upstream printing press inks. When using radiation-curing inks, these are e.g. UV dryer.

Advantageously, depending on the application and requirement drying systems of different types can be used here, since there are no structural restrictions as in the conventional construction mentioned above. Since drying systems, such as UV dryers, also emit a significant amount of heat, which can lead to unacceptable heating of machine parts or even deformation or damage of the sheets 200, it can be provided as the inner region of the endless closed conveyor belts 10 as Cooling device, eg perform as a cooling plate 15 which may be connected to a separate cooling device, not shown, via leads 16 and 17. In this case, a cooling surface of a cooling device can be in contact with the underside of a suction belt 11.

This ensures that both a sheet 200 is cooled during its passage under the drying devices 100 from its back, as well as the suction belts 11 are cooled themselves, which can be irradiated in the absence of a printed sheet, for example, from the UV dryer and thereby otherwise uncontrolled would heat up or even be destroyed.

Furthermore, it can be avoided that the mechanical parts of the transport system heat up unacceptably, which can lead to a malfunction of the machine or even to a hazard to the operator.

The conveyor module 2 following the conveyor module 1 is here designed according to the invention as a mechanical switch to selectively supply the printed sheets 200 via a first conveyor path to a first storage stack 5 or via a second conveyor path to a second storage stack 6. In this case, the first conveying path is essentially formed by the following conveying module 3 and the second conveying path by the conveying module 4.

For this purpose, the conveyor belt 10a, or the lying in the conveying direction end of the conveyor module 2, in particular the entire conveyor module in one of the two positions 8 or 9 is shifted to the printed sheets 200 either via the downstream conveyor module 3 to the first storage stack 5 or via the downstream Promote conveyor module 4 to the second discard pile 6.
FIG. 1 shows the delivery module 2 in the position 8, whereby the printed sheets 200 are forwarded to the delivery module 3 and from there to the delivery stack 5.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows the delivery module 2 in the position 9, whereby the printed sheets 200 are directed to the delivery module 4 and from there to the delivery stack 6. Switching between the two alternative routes, i. either via the conveyor module 3 or the conveyor module 4 takes place here in that the lying in the conveying direction end of the conveyor module 2 is pivoted about the axis of rotation 19, which is given by the shaft around which the conveyor belts 10,11 run around.

The transfer of the sheets 200 between the respective conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 can be carried out seamlessly, for example, by the fact that the adjacent conveyor modules individual suction belts 11, 11a, of which a conveyor module may have a plurality of parallel, are arranged offset in the sheet running direction, that results in a toothing adjacent conveyor modules, which causes a sheet 200 is transferred seamlessly during the transfer from one conveyor module to the next conveyor module and is always kept by the suction of the suction belts.

The staggered arrangement of the individual suction belts 11 and 11a of adjacent conveyor modules with respect to one another may be e.g. As shown in Figure 3 be configured so that the respective pulleys 300 and 300a are at the end or beginning of the adjacent conveyor modules on a common geometric axis of rotation 19, wherein the axis of rotation 19 does not necessarily have to be formed by a common mechanical shaft. Here, all pulleys are arranged coaxially.

In particular, during the transition from the conveyor module 1 to the conveyor module 2, the common axes of rotation 19 and 19a may be identical and be formed by the common shaft 20. This shaft 20 then forms the shaft about which the conveyor module 2 can be rotated in order to shift its end to the two aforementioned positions 8 and 9, respectively.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, a transfer by a partial offset or toothing of the pulleys 300 and 300a of the adjacent suction belts 11 and 11 a, depending on the structural design and requirement. In this case, the axes of rotation 19 and 19a of the deflection rollers 300 and 300a of the respective suction belts 11 and 11a are parallel to one another and are preferably arranged as close together as possible, so as to allow an approximately seamless transfer of the sheets 200 between the conveyor modules.

In both of the above embodiments, the teeth of the pulleys 300, 300a adjacent conveyor modules is achieved in that each conveyor module has a plurality of parallel suction belts 11 and 11a, which run over several lying on a shaft or separate waves pulleys 300 and 300a, wherein a conveyor element associated deflection rollers to each other have a distance in which the deflection rollers of an adjacent conveying element are arranged.

In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, between adjacent conveyor modules, e.g. the conveying modules 1 and 2, a guide 30 may be arranged, which can be operated as an infeed or pull-out with one of the adjacent conveyor modules independent or synchronized speed. Such a guide 30 may be formed by two rollers between which a bottom passes.

In a first embodiment, the drive of the suction belts 11 and 11 a of the conveyor modules 1 and 2 via a common shaft 20, on which the pulleys 300 and 300 a are fixed and thus simultaneously operate as drive rollers, so that no speed change or slip in the transfer of Bows 200 is transferred from the conveyor module 1 to the conveyor module 2 on the sheet. Furthermore, it may be provided to prevent a possible slip at the moment of switching over the mechanical switch formed by the conveyor module 2 from the position 8 to the position 9 in that the pivotal movement of the switch or the conveyor module 2 takes place control technology, if no Sheet in the transfer area from the conveyor module 1 to the conveyor module 2 and in the transfer area from the conveyor module 2 to the conveyor module 3 or the conveyor module 4 is located, so exactly in the gap between two successive sheets 200th

In order to facilitate the transfer, in particular of very rigid materials, provision may be made for a guide device 30 to be provided above the suction belt belts 11 and 11a in the region of the axes of rotation 19 and 19a, whereby it is possible to press the sheets 200 against the following suction belts 11a and thus the To allow holding effect. Such guide devices can continue to be provided on all other transfer areas between the respective conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 or on the output side to the storage stacks 5, 6.

The guide devices 30 can be realized by guide plates, guide rods, or live or driven guide rollers. Especially with short bends, it is advantageous if the guide devices 30 are designed as a feed train or as a pull-out unit, whereby a possibly deficient force effect of the vacuum-loaded suction belts in the transfer areas between the respective conveyor modules is compensated and thus secure transport of the sheets is guaranteed.

The functional sequence is described essentially as follows.
After printing the sheets 200 in an upstream sheetfed press, not shown, the printed sheets 200 are stored by means of a chain delivery, not shown on the suction belts 11 of the first conveyor module 1, wherein the conveying speed of the chain display and the suction belts 11 of the conveyor module 1 are the same and work synchronized with each other , If the switch of the conveyor module 2 is in position 8, after the transfer of the sheets 200 from the conveyor module 1 to the conveyor module 2, these are transported via the conveyor module 3 to the stack 5 and deposited thereon.

During the filling of the stacker 5, the upper working level of the stacker 5 is maintained at a substantially constant level by measuring the working level via sensor means 51 and the sheet stack is lowered by means of an unillustrated lifting device continuously or in steps, so as to allow a safe deposition of the sheets 200 on the sheet stack 5. The reaching of the maximum stack height in the stack 5 is detected by a sensor device 50 and passed to a higher-level control, not shown.

This switches the conveyor module 2 designed as a mechanical switch in the time between two successive sheets 200 from the position 8 to the position 9, so that the subsequent sheets 200 are deposited on the discard pile 6 via the delivery module 4. The switching can take place, depending on the design of the conveyor module 2, for example by means of one or more pneumatic cylinders, not shown, or by means of electric motors.

The now filled discard pile 5 is acoustically and / or visually displayed to the operator via the controller so that the operator can remove the discard pile 5 by means of a suitable lift truck from its position and replace it with an empty carrier. As soon as the filing stack 5 has been replaced, the bottommost depositing surface of the empty filing stack 5 is moved with said lifting device to the said upper working level and is now available for refilling. This state is detected via the sensors 50 and 51 and optionally via further sensors and forwarded to the higher-level control device.

After reaching the maximum stack height in the storage stack 6, the conveyor module 2 switches back to the position 8, so that now again the sheets 200 are passed through the conveyor module 3 to the storage stack 5. If the replacement of the filled filing stack 5 against an empty filing stack 5 does not take place within the time span for filling the filing stack 6, then no release signal to the conveying module 2 for switching over the working positions and the entire system stops via the higher-level control.

Analogously, this procedure applies in the same way to the filing stack 6 and the sensor devices 52, 53. However, since the maximum height of the filing stack 6 may be higher than the maximum height of the filing stack 5 due to the structural design, it may be expedient for the sensor device 52 To perform slidable in height so as to realize either the same stack heights or different stack heights of the storage stacks 5 and 6.

In order to ensure continuous production operation, it may be provided in a first embodiment of the invention that the conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 continuously run at a synchronized speed with each other and with a synchronized with the upstream printing machine speed.

In a second embodiment of the invention, it may be provided that the speeds of the individual conveyor modules 1, 2, 3, 4 are different from each other and different from the speed of the printing press, for example, depending on the considered conveyor module, the distance of the printed sheets to each other to vary.

This makes it possible to optimize time-critical processes such as the switching of the conveying path from the position 8 to the position 9 in the conveyor module 2. If, for example, the distances between successive sheets 200 are increased by a higher speed of the conveyor module 2 relative to the conveyor module 1, more time is available for switching the conveyor module 2 between positions 8 and 9, which means increased safety. In order to enable the sheet transfer between two successive conveyor modules, it may be provided to subdivide the suction belts and their suction along the conveying direction as shown in Figure 5 into individual sections 90, 91, 90a, 91a, each independently with vacuum or Negative pressure can be applied.

In addition, it can be provided that the guide devices 30, which are designed as a feed-in unit or a pull-out unit, can be designed as independent units whose speed can be optionally adapted to the adjacent conveyor modules.

The operation is then e.g. as follows.

If, as shown schematically in FIG. 5, for example, a sheet 200 is located on the conveyor module 1 shortly before the transfer point to the delivery module 2, the sheet is initially held above the portion 91 charged with vacuum. During further transport, the sheet 200 gets into the designed as a pull-out guide 30 and is now additionally held by this.

At this time, the speed to the guide 30 is equal to the speed of the conveyor module 1. Once the sheet 200 is passed through the guide 30 or shortly thereafter, the vacuum in the section 91 of the conveyor module 1 is turned off, so that the sheet 200 only through the guide 30 is guided. While the sheet 200 is being conveyed by the guide 30, the speed of the guide 30 is equalized to the speed of the feed module 2, so that the sheet 200 can be caught and held by the suction belts 11a of the conveyor module 2 in the portion 90a without slippage. As soon as the sheet has moved out of the guide 30, the speed of the guide 30 is again adjusted to the speed of the conveyor module 1. During this phase, there is no arc in the guide 30. The section 90a of the conveyor module 2 can be applied depending on the design and requirement with a constant vacuum / negative pressure or be connected in a similar manner as the section 91 and 91 a.

In order to additionally protect the resting sheet surfaces, it may be expedient not only to switch off the vacuum in the sections 90, 91, 90a, 91a but additionally to generate a slight overpressure over the suction belts, so that the sheets float on an air cushion.

Furthermore, an output device for taking sample sheets may be provided. For this purpose, it is provided that the conveyor module 2, which is located, for example, at the time in the position 8, specifically to pivot in the position 9, so as to direct one or more sample sheets on the conveyor module 4. At the same time an additional tray 7 is pivoted above the storage stack 6, in which fall the sample sheets. If the switch is already in the position 9, then only the additional tray 7 is pivoted in to receive the sample sheets.

The removal of the sample sheets is advantageously carried out manually by the operation of a button by the operator and as long as the button is pressed. Alternatively, it may be provided to be able to remove a certain number of sample sheets by specifying a number of desired sample sheets in the higher-level control via the operator software and these are automatically stored in the tray 7 upon actuation of a probe by the operator.

It can also be provided to use the tray 7 for storing waste sheets. Each time the press is started up, waste prints are produced until the print image has stabilized, as well as when the press is shut down as soon as the inking units are shut down. These prints do not have the required quality characteristics of the desired print and must be discarded. For this purpose, the Makulaturbögen arising during startup and shutdown of a printing press are automatically conveyed into the tray 7, thereby also that a certain free selectable number of spoof sheets each for startup and shutdown of the press are stored in the control software.

The control causes these numbers of spoof sheets are automatically promoted during booting or shutdown of the printing press in the tray 7. Here they can be manually removed by the operator without affecting the subsequent production flow.

The tray 7 is pivoted in a similar manner as the conveyor module 2 in the conveying path of the arcuate object. For this purpose, the tray 7 is designed as a collecting basket 7a and rotatably supported by the shaft 70 and connected, for example, with a pneumatic cylinder, not shown, that upon actuation of the pneumatic cylinder, the tray 7 from a first rest position 71 as shown in Figure 7 in a second working position 72 like is pivoted in Figure 6 shown. In this position 72 shown incoming sheets fall into the tray. 7

Once the desired or predetermined number of sample sheets or waste sheets have been conveyed into the tray 7, the tray 7 pivots back into the rest position 71, where the sample sheets or spoiled sheets can be easily removed by the operator. The tray 7 can be designed in a simple manner as a collecting basket, for example as a trough-shaped bent sheet metal or as a grid or the like. Its capacity to accommodate sheets may be limited to a few tens of sheets.

Furthermore, it may be provided that additionally mounted guide elements 73 are attached to the underside of the tray 7, which support the deposition of the sheets 200 in the storage stack 6 when the tray 7 is in the position 71 and the transport of the sheet material over the Delivery module 4 takes place in the storage stack 4.

Claims (21)

Device for conveying arch-shaped objects, in particular printed sheets, wherein conveyed arch-shaped objects are selectively fed to different conveyor paths, in particular at the end of various storage stacks are arranged, characterized in that it comprises at least one conveyor module (1, 2, 3, 4), the at least one endless circulating suction belt (11) which exerts a negative pressure on the underside of an object to be conveyed (200) and the object (200) from the beginning to the end of the conveyor module (1, 2, 3, 4) promotes at least one Conveying module (2) is designed as a mechanical switch to redirect a supported arcuate object (200) in its conveying path. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a conveying module (2) forming a switch can assume at least two mechanical positions (8, 9) in order to guide conveyed curved objects (200) to at least two conveying paths, in particular for which the end of this conveying module ( 2) relative to the beginning of the respective subsequent conveyor module (3, 4) is displaceable. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that by a displacement of the end of a conveyor module (2) this end relative to a beginning of at least two further conveyor modules (3, 4) is positionable to a conveyed object (200) to another conveyor module (3, 4). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a conveyor module (2), which forms a switch, is rotatably mounted about a pivot axis (19, 19a) and optionally in individual Pivoting positions (8.9) can be switched, in particular wherein a pivot axis (19,19a) is formed by an axis of rotation about which a suction belt (11,11 a) rotates. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a conveyor module (1,2,3,4) has a plurality of parallel, in particular spaced suction belts (11). Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that spaced suction belts (11) over spaced pulleys (300) are guided, wherein the deflection rollers (300, 300a) at a beginning / end of a conveyor module (1,2) all on a rotation axis (19, 19a), in particular on a common rotary shaft (20) are arranged. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the deflection rollers (300) at the beginning / end of a conveyor module (1) between the deflection rollers (300a) at the end / beginning of an adjacent conveyor module (2) are arranged. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the deflection rollers (300, 300a) at a beginning / end of two adjacent conveyor modules (1, 2) have a common rotary shaft (20). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a delivery module (1) comprises a cooling device (15), in particular a cooling plate, by means of which a suction belt (11) and / or an object (200) lying on it can be cooled. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a conveying module (1,2) at least in the region of its beginning / end with respect to the suction of at least one suction belt in at least two functional areas (90, 91, 90a, 91 a) is divided. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a conveyor at least partially from at least two conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) composed, between which an arcuate object (200), in particular seamless, can be transferred. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) have separate drives whose speed is independently adjustable. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) have the same, in particular synchronized conveying speed or different speeds, in particular for which the conveying modules have separate drives. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between two conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) at least one guide means (30) is arranged to the transfer of an arcuate object (200) between the conveyor modules (1, 2, 3 , 4), in particular wherein by means of a guide (30), the conveying speed of an object (200) between the conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) is changeable, for which the conveying speed of the guide (30) during a sheet transfer to the speeds the adjacent conveyor modules (1, 2, 3, 4) is adaptable. Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the conveying speed of a guide device (30) is variable. Device according to one of the preceding claims 14 or 15, characterized in that a guide device (30) is designed as a feed train or as a pull-out unit. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a device (7) for receiving sample sheets, in particular which can be pivoted into a conveying path. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the device (7) for receiving sample sheets additional guide means (73) which support the deposition of the subsidized objects (200) in a storage stack (6) when the device (7) from the Transport path of the objects (200) is swung out. Method for operating a device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of a delivery module designed as a switch (2) is switched in response to a signal. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the signal comes from at least one sensor (51, 53) by means of which the stack height of the objects (200) deposited in a storage stack (5, 6) is detected. Method according to one of the preceding claims 19 or 20, characterized in that a device (7) for receiving sample sheets is pivoted into a transport path, in order to automatically turn on / off a machine or a separate request automatically a number of objects (200 ) in this device (7).

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