EP2133295A1 - Device and method for removing flat print products from a pile and transferring the print products to a running transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a sorting device (11) for sorting the printing product (4) from a pile (19). A rotary conveyor device (13) is provided for taking the sorted printing product and for conveying a transport device (1). The conveyor device has a rotational axis (50), and a gripper (49) takes over the printing product in the gripping plane. The gripping plane of the gripper is arranged in a center plane of the transport device. An independent claim is included for a method for taking flat printing product from a pile and for handing the printing product in a running transport device.

Description

The invention relates to a device for removing flat printed products from a stack and for transferring the printed products to a running transport device, with a separating device for separating the printed products from the stack and a rotating conveyor for taking over the separated printed products and for feeding to the transport device, wherein the conveyor an axis of rotation and at least one gripper receiving the printed products in a gripping plane and the transport device have a transport direction and a vertical center plane extending in the transport direction, and wherein the axis of rotation is aligned at least approximately at right angles to the median plane. In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding method for removing flat printed products from a stack and for transferring the printed products to a moving transport device.

From the CH 617905 A5 For example, a rotary feeder is known in which off-center folded, flat printed products can be individually peeled off a stack in a magazine, opened and dropped onto the gathering chain of a saddle stitcher. For this purpose, the separated by suckers printed products are sequentially seized by a continuously rotating, equipped with a gripper trigger drum and accelerated to the speed. At a sheet stop, the printed products undergo a change of direction and are then opened by two counter-rotating drums also equipped with grippers. The first opening drum engages the first, with an overfold provided leg of the respective printed product, while the second opening drum detects the shorter leg. This is followed by the bow discharge, wherein the opened printed products only have a velocity component of 90 ° to the transport direction of the gathering chain. The printed products are in free fall for a short distance, until their respective inner side impacts on the saddle of the gathering chain or on the back of already pre-collected printed products. By touching the catch of the collecting chain, the printed products are accelerated to their transport speed.

In this solution, the printed products are greatly accelerated when gripped by the trigger drum. The following change of direction at the sheet stop causes a deceleration and a re-acceleration of the printed products, thus requiring additional process time and can lead to undesirable marks on the printed products or deformation of the printed products. Since the printed products are not pre-accelerated to their speed when dropped onto the gathering chain, the drivers of the gathering chain hit the discarded printed products at a high impact speed. As a result, the printed products can be compressed so much that their reliable acceleration is no longer guaranteed by the driver and the final position of the respective printed product compared to the pre-collected printed products or the driver can vary greatly. As a result, this can lead to quality limitations in the end product as well as to process disturbances and thus to a reduced production output. Finally, bow release is uncontrolled in freefall and is also affected by the grammage, page circumference, build up, production speed, and format of the printed products. In order nevertheless to ensure that the printed products are each dropped between two consecutive carriers of the gathering chain, a relatively large chain pitch, ie a large driver spacing is required. At the same cycle time, therefore, the chain speed must be increased, which further complicates the processing process and can lead to quality problems.

With the EP 1024099 A1 A device has been provided for opening and depositing a folded, flat printed product on a moving conveyor of a high-performance machine with a processing speed of more than 16,000 printed products per hour, in which, by arranging additional acceleration rollers or drums, a pre-acceleration of the printed products up to the speed of the transport device and a drop can be achieved at least partially in the direction of movement of the transport device.

However, this solution can not eliminate the disadvantage of the relatively large discharge height and the associated undefined free fall of the printed products. In order to achieve high production performance with appropriate process reliability, the printed products must, however, defined as possible isolated, opened, promoted and transferred to the transport device.

The CH 695052 A5 relates to a device for removing flat printed products from a plurality of stacks and for collecting the printed products along a collecting path formed by a transport device and a plurality of conveyors, wherein the conveyors are used to feed the printed products to the transport device. This type of machine, which differs from the aforementioned prior art, is a so-called gathering machine, which, for example, is coupled to a subsequent adhesive binder. Opening the printed products is neither provided nor required. In this solution, the axes of rotation of the conveyors are each arranged at right angles to a vertical center plane of the transport device aligned in the transport direction of the transport device, so that the printed products are respectively dropped onto the transport device in the transport direction. The printed products are initially in the stacks one above the other. In each case, the lowermost printed product is partially separated from the stack by means of a separating device consisting of suckers, grasped by grippers arranged on the drum of the respective conveying device, completely removed from the stack and conveyed to the transport device. Thus, the conveyors are formed by the surface of the respective drum and cooperating with this gripper.

Between the drum surface and the grippers parallel to the axis of rotation of the conveyor and thus perpendicular to the median plane of the transport device extending gripping level is formed, which corresponds to the contact surface of the drum and gripper without an intermediate print product and in which the gripper takes over the printed products from the singler.

As the stack height increases, however, the weight of the printed products forming the stack increases, which can lead to separation problems. Therefore, such stacking compartments are limited in height and limited suitable as a buffer for upstream feeders, such as roll systems. In addition, in this solution without expensive additional equipment no so-called rods, i. from a variety of standing side by side stacked, umbandelten printed products manufactured intermediates can be used. Because of the circulation around the drum required with this technology, rigid printed products can hardly be processed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simplified device and a corresponding method for removing folded printed products from a stack and for depositing the printed products on a moving transport device, with which the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated or the advantages known from saddle stitchers and collating machines are combined , In particular, the process reliability, the quality of the end products and the production performance should be improved, separation problems should be avoided and a simple, yet sufficient buffering of printed products should be possible.

According to the invention this is achieved in that the gripping plane of the at least one gripper is arranged substantially in the center plane of the transport device. In this case, the printed products are taken over substantially in the center plane of the transport device, conveyed and transferred to the transport device.

As a result, the number of required transfer points for the printed products and the resulting process risk can be significantly reduced. In addition, both the direction changes in conveying, as well as the associated deceleration and re-accelerating the printed products omitted. By a tangential approach of the conveyor to the transport device, a relatively low discharge height can be realized. The result is advantageously a compact solution with a continuously operating conveyor. In addition, the accessibility to the individual components is improved and the process running can be better tracked and monitored by the machine operator. As a result of the inventive arrangement of the gripping plane of the gripper and the corresponding orientation of the printed products, the orientation of the stack is either from the outset substantially horizontal or at least not vertical. Thus, a suitable for buffering the printed products magazine can be used advantageously, which can also accommodate rods formed from printed products. Finally, the speed of the printed products compared to the speed of the transport device at the time of sheet discharge can be arbitrarily reduced. Since no deformation of the printed products is required contrary to the known withdrawal or Öffnungsrornrneln for takeover, conveying and transfer, the printed products remain during their passage through the inventive device in a substantially extended position, so that even rigid printed products can be processed.

In a first embodiment of the invention, at least one provisioning means is arranged in the area in front of a transfer point for the printed products located between the separating device and the conveying device, which provides the printed products to the gripper with at least one edge aligned substantially in its gripping plane. In this case, the at least one provisioning means is designed as a stack receiving and a stop and the separating device exhibiting, the conveyor adjacent magazine or as a arranged between the separating device and the conveyor feeder for the printed products. The printed products will be aligned before the transfer point with at least one edge substantially in the gripping plane of the at least one gripper and either taken directly after the separation at the transfer point or after the separation initially supplied to the transfer point.

Due to the possibility of directly taking over the printed products or the alternative interposition of the feed device, the device and the method according to the invention can advantageously be adapted to the respective process requirements.

In a next embodiment of the invention, a sheet opener is arranged between the separating device and the transport device. Thus, the printed products during feeding or conveying and either in the same plane in which the take over, conveying and transferring takes place or in an upstream, angled thereto level, also opened and handed over in the open state to the transport device. As a result, the solution is also advantageous for devices with a saddle-shaped collecting chain, such as saddle stitcher, thread stitcher or the like.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the conveyor has a driven rotor with at least one rotor arm. On each rotor arm a gripper is arranged with a pair of gripping elements for the printed products, wherein at least one gripping element of each pair is designed to be movable. The at least one gripper is mounted on a support lever equipped with a first and a second end of the lever, wherein the first end of the lever is connected via a hinge to a rotor arm of the rotor and at the second end of the lever a roller for a arranged on a frame of the device control cam is arranged. Thus, the position of the gripper can be controlled defined during its rotation about the axis of rotation of the rotor, which allows both in the acquisition and in the transfer of the printed products a parallel alignment to be taken over the printed product or to the transport direction of the transport device.

In a further embodiment, the conveying device has its own drive motor, in particular a servomotor, so that it can advantageously be operated separately from the downstream transport device and its working speed can be varied both in accordance with the respectively upstream and downstream devices.

The at least one gripper is connected to a arranged on the support lever control element for the gripping elements. As a result, the gripper can be controlled directly and individual printed products can be targeted. In addition, the direct control of the gripper allows individual adjustment of the closing and opening times.

A measuring device for the thickness measurement of the printed products is advantageously arranged on the at least one gripper. This can be used to determine whether the gripper has detected a printed product, several printed products or no printed product. In the case of a process error, the following subprocesses can be suppressed and thus the waste reduced. If impermissibly several printed products have been detected, they can be discharged in a subsequent sub-process.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the sheet opener is arranged in the region of the conveyor and in the conveying direction of the conveyor immediately after the separating device and has an opening device and a downstream in the conveying direction of the printed products guide element. The opening device has a pivotable sword and the guide element is sickle-shaped. This allows the printed products to be opened during conveyance and without additional acceleration or deceleration. The frontal detection of Überfalzes by the sword allows a safe opening even small Überfalzlängen, so that compared to the prior art, an improved process reliability can be achieved.

At least one print head and / or at least one glue head is arranged in the region of the guide element and / or the feed device. This allows the printed products additionally provided with information during conveying and / or feeding and / or glued onto already located on the transport device printed products.

In addition, the guide element has an input part and an output part, which are designed to be adjustable against each other. Thus, a simple format setting can be made according to the printed products to be processed.

The printed products, after removal from the stack, i. after the separation, taken over by a rotating gripper and released from the gripper during the transfer to the transport device, wherein the respective gripper is aligned parallel to the stack or to the transport device before the transfer and even before the transfer of a printed product and this orientation until is retained after the takeover or after the transfer of the printed product. In this way, the respective printed product can be removed by the gripper substantially parallel to the stack and also transferred to it substantially parallel to the transport device. This results in a relatively smooth flow of material, the printed products are conveyed defined and passed controlled to the conveyor. Thus, smaller chain pitches can be realized on the transport device, resulting in a reduction of the transport speed with the same production capacity result and in this way contributes to the improvement of process safety.

Further advantageous features will become apparent from the following description and the drawings.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2

eine auf die wesentlichen Bauteile beschränkte Vorderansicht der erfin- dungsgemässen, mit einem alternativen Antrieb ausgestatteten Vorrichtung, in einer gegenüber der Fig. 1 vergrösserten Darstellung;

Fig. 3

eine Seitenansicht auf die in Fig. 2 dargestellte Vorrichtung, mit Blickrich- tung zum Führungselement;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels mit einer der Fördervorrichtung vorgelagerten Vereinzelungsvorrichtung.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing, to which reference is made with respect to all details not mentioned in the description, based on embodiments. In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an inventive device;

Fig. 2

A limited to the essential components front view of the inventive, equipped with an alternative drive device, in a relation to the Fig. 1 enlarged view;

Fig. 3

a side view of the in Fig. 2 illustrated device, with viewing direction to the guide element;

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a second embodiment with an upstream of the conveyor singulator.

The Fig. 1 shows a trained as a gathering chain transport device 1 of a known saddle stitcher, not shown, on which by means of an investor 2 with an overlap 3 (Fig. Fig. 2 ), formed in the form of folded sheet, flat printed products 4 are placed between two adjacent carriers 5 and further promoted there in a transport direction 6. For this purpose, the transport device 1 on two pads 7, which collide saddle-shaped on a ridge 8. Of course, the solution is not limited to a transport device 1 designed as a gathering chain of a saddle stitcher, ie the feeder 2 can also be combined with the transport device of a thread stitcher, the collecting channel of an adhesive binder, the collection channel of a inserting machine or with a suitable conveyor belt. Of course, also unfolded printed sheets can be processed.

The investor 2 carried by a frame 9 has a magazine 10, a singulator 11, a sheet opener 12 and a rotating conveyor 13 for the printed products 4. Both the magazine 10 and the singulator 11 are above the conveyor 13, i. immediately adjacent to this arranged in the frame 9. If no opening of the printed products 4 is required for the processing steps following the transport device 1, the sheet opener 12 can be dispensed with.

The magazine 10 has two side plates 14, 15, a bottom plate 16 and a stop 17 for the magazine 10 in each case with their trained here as a back Edge 18 recorded down, a stack 19 forming printed products. 4

Both between the stop 17 and the bottom plate 16 and between the stop 17 and the side plate 15, a lower or a lateral free space 20, 21 is formed, which serve to strip the separated from the stack 19 printed products 4. At the stop 17 is a on the lower free space 20 and the side plate 15 a on the lateral free space 21 aligned sensor 22, 23 attached. The magazine 10 is arranged obliquely in the frame 9, i. it has with respect to the ridge 8 of the transport device 1 in the direction of the lateral clearance 21 opening angle α, whereby the printed products 4 are defined regardless of the format on the side plate 14 and also abut. Of course, only a single side plate can be used. The magazine 10 can also be arranged horizontally, ie parallel to the transport device 1 in the frame 9, in which case the positioning of the printed products 4 by a corresponding adjustment of the side plates 14, 15 of the magazine 10 takes place.

The separating device 11 is arranged in the region of the lower free space 20 of the magazine 10 and has a number of suckers 24 and not shown separating needles.

The in the conveying direction 25 of the printed products 4, between the magazine 10 and the transport device 1 and immediately after the singulator 11 arranged sheet opener 12 is connected via a first fastener 26 to the magazine 10 and a in Fig. 2 shown, second fastener 27 connected to the frame 9 of the investor 2. Of course, other fasteners can be used. For format adaptation, a first adjusting device 28 is arranged between the first fastening element 26 and the side plate 15 of the magazine 10, and a second adjusting device, not shown, is arranged in the magazine itself.

The sheet opener 12 consists of an opening device 29 and a subsequent, two-part guide member 30 which is sickle-shaped. As in Fig. 2 illustrated, the opening means 29 has a guide member 30 fixed to the holder 31, which carries a for receiving a sword 32, slotted sleeve 33. The sleeve 33 is pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation 34 in the holder 31 and the other end connected to a pivot drive 35, which can be operated manually, pneumatically or by motor. The guide member 30 has an input part 36 and an output part 37, which are each secured with screws 38 on a common holding element, not shown, against each other adjustable. At the input part 36 and the output part 37 of the guide member 30 are on both sides only two in Fig. 1 shown guide rails 39 for the printed products 4 attached. Both before and behind the input part 36 of the guide member 30, a further sensor 40 is arranged in each case, wherein in Fig. 2 however, only the front sensor 40 is shown. Both sensors 40 are attached to the holder 31 of the opening device 29.

Corresponding Fig. 1 On the frame 9, a boom 41 with a first support arm 42 for a first printhead 43 and a second, frame-side support arm 44 for a second printhead 43 is arranged. The print heads 43 are respectively aligned with the guide element 30 of the sheet opener 12 or on the leg 45, 46 of the printed products 4 guided thereon and connected to a feed, not shown, for a corresponding working medium, such as printing ink.

In the Fig. 2 conveyor 13 shown in more detail has a driven, star-shaped rotor 47 with three rotor arms 48, which each carry a gripper 49 for the printed products 4. Of course, the rotor 47 may also be equipped with more or less than three rotor arms 48. The rotor 47 is rotatable about an axis of rotation 50 and received by a drive shaft 51 in a bearing block 52 of the frame 9 ( Fig. 1 ).

The axis of rotation 50 of the conveyor 13 is arranged horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction 6 of the transport device 1 and at the same time parallel to the orientation of the stack 19 and thus at right angles to the stop 17 of the magazine 10. Of course, the rotational axis 50 of the conveyor 13 also slightly deviate from the rectangular position relative to the transport direction 6 of the transport device 1, which advantageously allows greater freedom in the formation of the conveyor 1.

Laterally offset to the drive shaft 51, a drive motor 53 is arranged on the frame 9, which is designed for example as a stepping motor, as a servomotor or as a torque motor and allows both a uniform and a non-uniform rotational movement of the conveyor 13 ( Fig. 2 ). By means of a non-uniform rotational movement, the rotor 47 can be accelerated / decelerated operated and optimized in this way. Of course, the angular velocity of the rotor 47 and thus also the peripheral speed of the printed products 4 can be varied in accordance with the leading feeder 2 or the trailing transport device 1.

The drive motor 53 has a first toothed belt wheel 54, while the drive shaft 51 has a second, not shown toothed belt wheel. Around both toothed belt wheels runs a rotor 47 driving toothed belt 55 around. As in Fig. 1 Alternatively, a drive motor 53 'sitting directly on the drive shaft 51 may alternatively be arranged. Advantageously, the drive motors 53, 53 'here not shown measuring means for detecting the rotational position and / or the engine speed, which allow a return information about the actual drive position to the drive control. Such measuring means are, for example, absolute rotary encoder, incremental encoder or resolver, as already shown in EP 917965 A1 known. This makes it possible to ensure an angle-synchronous movement of the conveyor 13 relative to the transport device 1.

The grippers 49 are each equipped with a pair of gripping jaws 56 formed as gripper jaws, wherein at least one gripping element 56 is designed to be movable. The gripper elements 56 of a pair each have a contact surface 57 which abut against each other without an intermediate printed product 4 and form a gripping plane 58, in which a gripper 49, the corresponding printed product 4 of the singulator 11 takes over. As in Fig. 3 shown, the grippers 49 are positioned such that their gripping plane 58 is arranged in the median plane 59 of the transport device 1. This results in a product orientation of the printed products 4 located in the conveying device 13 in a vertical center plane 59 of the transporting device 1 formed at right angles to the axis of rotation 50 and in the transport direction 6. In this center plane 59, the entire conveyor 13 is arranged substantially, whereby the taking over, conveying and transfer of the printed products 4 also takes place substantially in this center plane 59.

The grippers 49 each sit on a support lever 60 which is attached to a first lever end 61 by means of a hinge 62 on the respective rotor arm 48 and at a second lever end 63 carries a positively guided in a control cam 64 roller 65 ( Fig. 2 ). On the support lever 60, that is, between this and the associated gripper 49, a pneumatically operated control element 66 for the gripping elements 56 and a measuring device 67 for determining the thickness of the respectively withdrawn printed product 4 are arranged.

For this purpose, the control element 66 for each gripper element 56 on a pneumatic cylinder, not shown. Of course, the control 66 can also be operated otherwise, for example hydraulically or electrically. The triggering of the gripper movement by the control element 66 takes place according to the specification of the machine control unit. Thus, for example, a false or double deduction at upstream investors 2 lead to the suppression of the gripping movement.

During operation of the feeder 2, first the pressure product 4 resting against the stop 17 and the side plate 14 with its back, ie the edge 18, in the region of the lower free space 20 by means of the singling device 11, ie by means of the sucker 24 and the separating needles (not shown), lifted from the following printed product 4 of the stack 19 and spent in the gripping plane 58 of a moving in the direction of the printed product 4 gripper 49. Subsequently, the printed product 4 is detected by the gripping elements 56 at this edge 18. Naturally can be detected with appropriate supply of the printed product 4, another edge, for example, a side edge.

The separated in this way printed product 4 is guided by means of the circulating in the conveying direction 25 rotor 47 in a clockwise direction over the sword 32, which in this case the 45 provided with the overfold leg 3 45 lifts slightly from the other leg 46 of the printed product 4. Depending on whether the printed products to be processed 4 are provided with a formed as a prefold or Nachfalz overfold 3, the sword 32 is pivoted before the processing of the respective order with the pivot drive 35 about the axis of rotation 34, so that it with the corresponding leg 45, 46 of the printed product 4 comes into engagement.

The position of the sword 32 is either set manually or pre-selected by a motor. Alternatively, the required position can also be adjusted automatically. For this purpose, the sensors 40 arranged on the opening device 29 monitor the presence of a leg 45 in front of and a leg 46 behind the guide element 30. If this is not the case, the starting point is an unopened printed product 4 with an overfold 3 formed on the other leg and the position of the sword 32 automatically adapted to the correct opening of the next printed product 4 via the accordingly controlled by the machine control rotary actuator 35.

In addition, an automatic format adaptation can be carried out for each job by first determining the back length and, by means of the sensor 23 attached to the side panel 15 of the magazine 10, the leg length of a printed product 4, ie its format, via the sensor 22 arranged on the stop 17. Accordingly, the distance of the sheet opener 12 is adapted to the printed products 4 by the first adjusting device 28, wherein at the same time the input part 36 of the guide member 30 is displaced telescopically relative to the output member 37. Also, with the second adjusting device, not shown, a corresponding displacement of the side plates 14, 15 of the magazine 10.

The further rotating rotor 47 conveys the open printed product 4 withdrawn from the stack 19 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 50 and in the transport direction 6 of the transport device 1, in FIG Fig. 2 lying in the plane of the drawing, vertical center plane 59 such over the guide member 30 that a leg 45 in front and the other leg 46 is behind the guide member 30. The guide rails 39 support the conveyance of the printed product 4 along the guide member 30 and prevent lateral folding down of the legs 45, 46. While the legs 45, 46 of a printed product 4 are guided past the printheads 43, they can, if necessary, with information For example, an address to be printed. In this case, a printing of only one leg or both legs is possible, wherein the pressure can be done both on the inside and on the outside of the leg. The open in this way and possibly provided with additional information printed product 4 is in the open state and with his back, ie the edge 18 parallel to the ridge 8 of the transport device 1 on this, ie between two adjacent carrier 5 of the transport device 1, stored.

When revolving around the control cam 64, the rollers 65 and thus the gripper 49 attached to them describe a substantially circular movement about the axis of rotation 50. In the area immediately before to a transfer point 68 of the printed products 4 from the magazine 10 and in the area immediately before to However, a transfer point 69 of the printed products 4 to the transport device 1 is the grippers 49 imposed by the correspondingly shaped control cam 64 and the joint 62, a superimposed movement in or against the conveying direction 25, so that the grippers 49 each have a corresponding relative movement to the rotating rotor 47 and the rotor arms 48 experience and are therefore aligned in these areas parallel to the magazine 10 and the ridge 8 of the transport device 1. At the transfer point 68 of the printed products 4, the gripping elements 56 are closed by means of the control element 66 and opened again at the transfer point 69. Both the acquisition by the Geifer 49 of the conveyor 13, the transport and the transfer of the printed products 4 are in a continuous Movement, ie realized without changing direction, wherein the storage of the printed products 4 in the transport direction 6 of the transport device 1 and at approximately the same speed as that of the transport device 1 takes place. The printed products 4 are thus not only conveyed in the median plane 59 of the transport device 1, but also opened and deposited on the transport device 1. Therefore, the center plane 59 may also be referred to as a work plane.

As an alternative to the stationary during the opening of the printed products 4 sword 32, not shown, along a certain sector of the guide member 30 with the respective gripper 49 mitlaufend trained gripping elements can be arranged and operated by a crank mechanism, also not shown.

The feeder 2 further, analogously trained investors 2 can be upstream and / or downstream, so that several printed products 4 are collected on the transport device 1 and provided for subsequent processing, for example, for stapling in a wire or thread stitching device, not shown can. In order to prevent further impeccable printed products 4 from being deposited on a printing product located on the transport device and identified as defective, the opening of the gripper 49 at the transfer point 69 can be suppressed. The respective printed product 4 then remains in the gripper 49, is guided past the magazine 10 in a renewed handling of the conveying device 13 and only subsequently deposited onto the transport device 1 or onto a printed product conveyed by the latter and recognized as faultless. In this way, can react promptly after detecting defective printed products and the emergence of further waste can be reduced.

By means of one or more of the other investors, as an alternative to the printed products 4, other flat materials, such as DVD, CD case bags, samples or the like can be supplied. In this case, for example, two glue heads 43 'are arranged on the support arms 42, 44 instead of the print heads 43 and connected to a corresponding adhesive feed. After essentially analogously proceeding separation and removal of the flat materials from the stack 19 become these glued on the surface during the transport with the conveyor 13, ie with their grippers 49 Transportes and then glued to a already located on the transport device 1 printed product 4. The fixation of the glued flat materials is carried out with not shown pressure rollers or brushes.

The Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of an investor 2 'with a spatially separated from the conveyor 13, this upstream singulator 11'. For this purpose, a magazine 10 'is arranged horizontally on a frame 9 of the conveyor 13 separate from the frame 9', which accommodates the separating device 11 '. Between the magazine 10 'and the conveyor 13, an existing from two horizontally arranged conveyor belts 70 feeder 71 is mounted and connected to fasteners, not shown, with the racks 9, 9'. Of course, the feeder 71 may also have other means of transport, such as grippers.

The frame 9 'and thus both the magazine 10' and the separating device 11 'are arranged laterally offset and angled to the frame 9 of the conveyor 13, that in addition to the feeder 2 sufficient space for the transport device 1 and adjacent investors 2 remains. In this way, in addition to the center plane 59, in which the printed products are fed to the conveyor 13, conveyed, opened and stored on the transport device 1, a second vertical plane 59 ', which is angled to the center plane 59 of the transport device 1 is formed. Since the separation and feeding of the printed products 4 to the center plane 59 takes place in the second plane 59 ', the second plane 59' can be referred to as the feed plane. In order to connect the components of the feeder 2 'arranged in the two planes 59, 59', the conveyor belts 70 of the feeder 71 each have a corresponding angled portion 72. Either instead of or in the region of the guide element 30 attached printing or glue heads 43, 43 'or in addition to these, further printing or glue heads 43, 43' can be arranged in the area of the feed device 71. The other components of the Anlegers 2 'are formed and arranged analogously to the first embodiment.

The operation of the feeder 2 'substantially corresponds to the operation of the feeder 2 of the first embodiment. Due to the spatially separated arrangement of the separation of the subsequent conveying, opening and depositing process, however, additional processing options, such as labeling, gluing, folding or positioning of the printed matter to be supplied to the conveyor 13 4, but also a plugging or sticking can advantageously in an intermediate feed other printed products or other flat products.

Alternatively, the opening of the printed products may also be preceded in the area of the feeder, i. in this case, not shown, a corresponding bow opener 68 is arranged before the transfer point. Because there is a linear transport of printed products in this area, they can be opened even more easily than with rotary transport.

In the first embodiment, the stack 19 receiving and the stop 17 and the singulator 11 having, the conveyor 13 adjacent magazine 10 and in the second embodiment, the arranged between the singulator 11 and the conveyor 13 feeder 71 for the printed products 4 as a provisioning means 73, 73 'of the respective printed product 4, wherein the printed product 4 is provided with the edge 18 substantially in the gripping plane 58 of the gripper 49.

Claims (21)

Device for removing flat printed products (4) from a stack (19) and for transferring the printed products (4) to a moving transport device (1), with a separating device (11, 11 ') for separating the printed products (4) from the stack ( 19) and a rotating conveyor (13) for taking over the separated printed products (4) and for feeding to the transport device (1), wherein the conveyor (13) has an axis of rotation (50) and at least one of the printed products (4) in a gripping plane (58 ) receiving gripper (49) and the transport device (1) have a transport direction (6) and a vertical, in the transport direction (6) extending center plane (59), and wherein the rotation axis (50) is aligned at least approximately at right angles to the median plane (59) , characterized in that the gripping plane (58) of the at least one gripper (49) is arranged substantially in the median plane (59) of the transport device (1). Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one provisioning means (73, 73 ') is arranged in the region in front of a transfer point (68) for the printed products (4) located between the separating device (11, 11') and the conveying device (13) which provides the printed products (4) to the gripper (49) with at least one edge (18) aligned substantially in its gripping plane (58). Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one provisioning means (73, 73 ') as a stack (19) receiving and a stop (17) and the separating device (11) exhibiting, the conveyor (13) adjacent magazine (10 ) or as a between the separating device (11 ') and the conveyor (13) arranged feed device (71) for the printed products (4) is formed. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that between the separating device (11, 11 ') and the transport device (1) a sheet opener (12) is arranged. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the conveyor (13) has a driven rotor (47) with at least one rotor arm (48), at each rotor arm (48) a gripper (49) with a pair of gripping elements (56 ) arranged for the printed products (4) and at least one gripping element (56) of each pair is designed to be movable. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the conveyor (13) has its own drive motor (53, 53 '), in particular a servo motor. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one gripper (49) on a with a first and a second end of the lever (61, 63) equipped support lever (60) is fixed, wherein the first lever end (61) via a joint (62) is connected to a rotor arm (48) of the rotor (47), and a roller (65) for a control cam (64) arranged on a frame (9) of the apparatus is arranged on the second lever end (63). Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the at least one gripper (49) with a on the support lever (60) arranged control element (66) for the gripping elements (56) is connected. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that on the at least one gripper (49) a measuring device (67) for a thickness measurement of the printed products (4) is arranged. Device according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the sheet opener (12) in the region of the conveying device (13), in a conveying direction (25) of the conveyor (13) is arranged immediately after the singulation device (11). Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the sheet opener (12) has an opening device (29) and a downstream in the conveying direction (25) guide member (30). Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the opening means (29) comprises a pivotable sword (32). Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the guide element (30) is sickle-shaped. Device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the guide element (30) has an input part (36) and an output part (37), which are designed to be adjustable against each other. Device according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that at least one print head (43) and / or at least one glue head (43 ') is arranged on the guide element (30) and / or on the feed device (71). Method for removing flat printed products (4) from a stack (19) and for transferring the printed products (4) to a moving transport device (1), in which the printed products (4) are separated from the stack (19) by means of an axis of rotation ( 50) and at least one gripper (49) conveying means (13) in a gripping plane (58) and the transport device (1) at least approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation (50) are supplied, wherein the transport device (1) has a vertical, in a transport direction (6) of the transport device (1) aligned center plane (59), characterized in that the printed products (4) substantially in the center plane (59) of the transport device (1) taken over, conveyed and transferred to the transport device (1). A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the printed products (4) taken directly after singulation at a transfer point (68) by the conveyor (13) or after the separation first to the transfer point (68) are supplied. A method according to claim 17, characterized in that the printed products (4) before the transfer point (68) with at least one edge (18) substantially in the gripping plane (58) of the at least one gripper (49) are aligned. A method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the printed products (4) at a transfer point (69) to the transport device (1) are passed, wherein the at least one gripper (49) even before the transfer point (68) parallel to the at least an edge (18) of the print product to be accepted (4) and already before the transfer point (69) parallel to the transport device (1) is aligned and this alignment is maintained until immediately after the transfer point (68) and the transfer point (69). Method according to one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the printed products (4) are opened during the feeding or conveying and transferred in the open state to the transport device (1). Method according to one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the printed products (4) are labeled and / or glued during the feeding and / or conveying.

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