EP2133295B1 - 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 moving 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 this case, the gripping plane of the at least one gripper is arranged substantially in the center plane of the transport device. In addition, at least one provisioning means is arranged in front of a takeover point for the printed products between the separating device and the conveying device, which provides the printed products to the gripper with at least one edge aligned essentially in its gripping 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 seizes the first, with an over folded leg of each 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 For example, a device has been provided for opening and depositing a folded, flat printed product onto a traveling conveyor of a high-performance machine having a processing speed of more than 16,000 printed products per hour, by pre-accelerating the printed products through the placement of additional accelerator rollers or drums to the speed of the conveyor and a discharge 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 line 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, a gripping plane running parallel to the axis of rotation of the conveyor and thus perpendicular to the median plane of the transport device is formed, which corresponds to the contact surface of the drum and gripper without a printed product therebetween 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 WO 98/03419 discloses a device or method for removing flat printed products from a roll and for transferring the printed products to a moving transport device.

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 by the fact that the at least one provisioning means is designed as a magazine receiving the stack and having a stop and the separation means, which is adjacent to the conveying device. The printed products will be

 aligned with at least one edge substantially in the gripping plane of the at least one gripper before the transfer point and taken directly after the separation at the transfer point.

In one 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 gathering 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, the first end of the lever being connected to a rotor arm of the rotor via a hinge and a roller for a control cam arranged on a frame of the device being arranged on the second end of the lever 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 conveying device 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 guide element., The opening device has a pivoting 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 adjustment can be made according to the processed print products.

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 erfindungsgemässen, 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 nicht erfindungsgemäßen 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 non-inventive 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 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, it is possible to react promptly after detecting defective printed products and to reduce the generation of further waste.

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 this glued on the surface during the transport with the conveyor 13, ie with their grippers 49 transport and then glued to a already located on the transport device 1 printed products 4. The fixation of the glued flat materials is carried out with not shown pressure rollers or brushes.

The Fig. 4 shows a second non-inventive 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 grapples.

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 (19)

1. Device for removal of flat printed products (4) from a stack (19) and for transfer of the printed products (4) to a continuous transporter (1), with a separating device (11) for separation of the printed products (4) from the stack (19) and a rotary conveyor (13) to receive the separated printed products (4) and feed them to the transporter (1), in which the conveyor (13) has an axis of rotation (50) and at least one gripper (49) receiving the printed products (4) in a gripping plane (58) and the transporter (1) has a direction of transportation (6) and a vertical centre plane (59) running in the direction of transportation (6), and in which the axis of rotation (50) is aligned at least approximately at right angles to the centre plane (59), in which the gripping plane (58) of the at least one gripper (49) is located essentially in the centre plane (59) of the transporter (1) and in which at least one supply means (73) is located in the area ahead of a receiving point (68) for the printed products (4) located between the separating device (11) and the conveyor (13) and supplies the printed products (4) to the gripper (49) with at least one edge (18) aligned essentially in its gripping plane (58), characterised in that the at least one supply means (73) is in the form of a magazine (10) adjacent to the conveyor (13) which receives the stack (19) and has a stop device (17) and the separating device (11).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that a sheet opener (12) is located between the separating device (11) and the transporter (1).
3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the conveyor (13) has a driven rotor (47) with at least one rotor arm (48) and on each rotor arm (48) there is a gripper (49) with a pair of gripping elements (56) for the printed products (4), at least one gripping element (56) in each pair being in movable form.
4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the conveyor (13) has its own drive motor (53), notably a servomotor.
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the at least one gripper (49) is fixed to a supporting lever (60) having a first and a second lever end (61, 63), in which the first lever end (61) is connected to one rotor arm (48) of the rotor (47) by a hinged joint (62) and on the second lever end (63) there is a roller (65) for a control cam (64) fitted on a frame (9) of the device.
6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the at least one gripper (49) is connected to a control (66) for the gripping elements (56) located on the supporting lever (60).
7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that a measuring device (67) for measuring the thickness of the printed products (4) is located on the at least one gripper (49).
8. Device according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterised in that a sheet opener (12) is located in the area of the conveyor (13), in a conveying direction (25) of the conveyor (13) immediately after the separating device (11).
9. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the sheet opener (12) has an opening device (29) and a downstream guide element (30) in the conveying direction (25).
10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that the opening device (29) has a swivel-mounted knife (32).
11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the guide element (30) is crescent shaped.
12. Device according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the guide element (30) has an inlet part (36) and an outlet part (37) which are designed to be mutually adjustable.
13. Device according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that at least one print head (43) and/or at least one glue head (43') is located on the guide element (30) and/or on the feeding device (71).
14. Method for removal of flat printed products (4) from a stack (19) and for delivery of the printed products (4) to a continuous transporter (1), in which the printed products (4) are taken individually by a separating device (11) from the stack (19) in a gripping plane (58) by means of a conveyor (13) which has an axis of rotation (50) and at least one gripper (49), and are delivered to the transporter (1) at least approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation (50), in which the transporter (1) has a vertical centre plane (59) aligned in one of its directions of transportation (6), and in which the printed products (4) are essentially received in the centre plane (59) of the transporter (1), conveyed and transferred to the transporter (1), characterised in that at least one supply means (73) located in the area ahead of a receiving point (68) for the printed products (4) located between the separating device (11) and the conveyor (13) supplies the printed products (4) to the gripper (49) with at least one edge (18) aligned essentially in its gripping plane (58) and that the at least one supply means (73) is in the form of a magazine (10) adjacent to the conveyor (13) which takes the stack (19) and has a stop device (17) and the separating device (11).
15. Method according to claim 14, characterised in that immediately after separation the printed products (4) are received by the conveyor (13) at a receiving point (68).
16. Method according to claim 15, characterised in that ahead of the receiving point (68) the printed products (4) are aligned with at least one edge (18) essentially in the gripping plane (58) of the at least one gripper (49).
17. Method according to claim 15 or 16, characterised in that the printed products (4) are transferred to the transporter (1) at a transfer point (69), whereby already ahead of the receiving point (68) the at least one gripper (49) is aligned parallel to the at least one edge (18) of the printed product (4) to be received and already ahead of the transfer point (69) is aligned parallel to the transporter (1) and said alignment is retained until immediately after the receiving point (68) and/or the transfer point (69).
18. Method according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterised in that the printed products (4) are opened during supply or conveyance and are transferred opened to the transporter (1).
19. Method according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterised in that the printed products (4) are labelled and/or glued during supply and/or conveyance.

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