EP2322456A2 - Document stacking device - Google Patents

Abstract

The stacking device (1) has a collecting container (10) for receiving a document stack from multiple documents that are stacked in a stacking direction. A depositing device is provided for transferring a document to be stacked in the collecting container. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for operating a stacking device; and (2) an arrangement with a feeding device.

Description

Technical area

The invention generally relates to lettering machines for marking documents, in particular open booklet-type documents such as e.g. Security documents, passport documents, passports and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to lettering machines in which tickets are printed from a plurality of booklet-like documents and provided as a stack of documents by means of a stacker in a picking area for later removal.

State of the art

Inscription machines for labeling individual booklet-type documents are known from the prior art. For example, the document shows WO 2008/064867 A1 a device in which an open-booklet-type document is placed in a drawer. Then the drawer with the inserted document is moved into a labeling area to describe the booklet-like document. To remove the document, the drawer is moved back again, so that the document described can be removed.

However, such a labeling machine is not suitable for labeling of hefty documents in larger numbers, since each document to be printed must be inserted separately and manually in the drawer.

Therefore, labeling machines are generally known, which can be equipped with a lot of several documents to be printed in order to label them one after the other with correspondingly personalized information. The booklet-type documents are automatically taken out of a document container one after the other and fed to a labeling station in which they are labeled, e.g. printed, stamped or the like. After labeling, the documents are stacked in a removal box from which the lot of printed documents can later be removed. Usually, the documents are transported by means of a conveyor to the labeling station. After the labeling station, the documents can be transported to various other stations, such as a laminating station, a check station for checking security features, and the like, until the printed document is finally placed in the bin for removal.

The removal container generally has a substantially cylindrical shaft with an internal cross section, the shape and size of which is substantially matched to the shape and size of unfolded, leaflet documents to be stacked therein so that the documents are stacked as flush as possible (ie, rectified) can be. In general, in this type of a withdrawal container, the labeled booklet-type documents are inserted from above into the removal container, so that they come to lie stacked on one another. However, it may happen that due to a slight tilting of the booklet-like document at the upper end of the removal container this tilted when bringing into the removal container and twisted and does not properly on the bottom of the removal container or on the top document located therein comes to rest and so disturbs the stacking arrangement for subsequent documents.

Furthermore, it may happen that individual pages fold up while falling into the removal container and thus the printed document with one or more folded pages can come to lie on the document stack in the removal container. Subsequent documents, which are brought into the removal container, then come to lie on the folded-up side and there is a risk that this will be kinked or otherwise damaged. If such an error occurs when stacking the documents, a manual intervention in the labeling machine may be necessary, whereby the production process must be interrupted in order to eliminate the error.

In addition, it may happen when stacking the open labeled documents in the removal container that bend due to the residual stress of an open document, the two unfolded cover wings to each other. As a result, a further document located thereon can not rest completely, resulting in a height of the document stack which is higher than intended, so that under certain circumstances the topmost document of the document stack protrudes beyond the upper edge of the removal container. In particular, the removal container laterally supplied documents that are to be stored in the removal container, then could collide with the protruding from the container withdrawal document and thus damage this or may come from the stack assembly. Although it is possible to compress the document stack by means of a plunger or another pressing device, such a device is generally complicated to implement.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved stacking apparatus with which open booklet-type documents can be stacked, thereby reducing the risk of occurrence of possible stacking faults, and causing mechanical stress between the booklet panels Stacking errors can be avoided.

Disclosure of the invention

This object is achieved by the stacking device according to claim 1 and by the method for operating a stacking device and by the arrangement according to the independent claims.

Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

• einen Entnahmebehälter zur Aufnahme eines Dokumentenstapels aus mehreren in einer Stapelrichtung gestapelten Dokumenten;
• eine Ablegevorrichtung zum Übernehmen eines in dem Entnahmebehälter zu stapelnden Dokuments, wobei die Ablegevorrichtung mindestens zwei voneinander beabstandete Auflageelemente umfasst, die jeweils einen oder mehrere Auflagebereiche zum Tragen des Dokuments aufweisen;
• eine Betätigungseinheit zum Betreiben der Auflageelemente der Ablegevorrichtung, um zum Ablegen des zu stapelnden Dokuments auf den Dokumentenstapel die das Dokument tragende Auflagebereiche zunächst in der Stapelrichtung des Dokumentenstapels und schließlich schräg oder senkrecht zur Stapelrichtung aus dem Entnahmebehälter heraus zu bewegen, so dass das zu stapelnde Dokument auf dem Dokumentenstapel abgelegt wird.

According to a first aspect, a stacking device is provided for stacking documents, in particular for a labeling machine for labeling the documents. The stacking device comprises:

• a removal container for receiving a document stack from a plurality of documents stacked in a stacking direction;
• a depositing apparatus for receiving a document to be stacked in the extraction container, the deposition apparatus comprising at least two spaced-apart support members each having one or more support portions for supporting the document;
• an operating unit for operating the support elements of the depositing device in order to move the document bearing support areas first in the stacking direction of the document stack and finally obliquely or perpendicular to the stacking direction out of the removal container for placing the document to be stacked on the document stack, so that the document to be stacked is stored on the document stack.

An idea of the above stacking arrangement is to position the unfolded document as possible over the shaft of the removal container and then guided, ie controlled to lead into the removal container, while at the same time the underlying document stack is depressed by the support areas as far as available. This ensures that the transport of the unfolded booklet-like document is not hindered in the removal container.

Furthermore, the support elements can each protrude from actuated by the actuator shaft, so that the bearing areas of the support elements are pivotable by rotating the shafts, wherein the actuating unit is formed to rotate the shafts synchronously in opposite directions of rotation. The fact that the pivoting of the two support elements is synchronized with each other, the resting unfolded document always remains aligned parallel to the stacking surface of the document stack. By pivoting the support elements, they simultaneously press on any document stack underneath and thus continue to ensure that the document stack is compressed. The support element is pivoted so far that it moves laterally out of the removal container and thus deposits both the resting opened unfolded document on the document stack and takes away the pressure on the document stack. In this way, a guided depositing of an unfolded document on the document stack in the removal container can be realized.

In particular, the support elements can protrude in the radial direction or offset from the waves in the radial direction.

According to one embodiment, one or more support elements can be arranged on the shafts in each case. In particular, two, with respect to the respective shaft opposite support elements can be arranged on the shafts in each case.

Furthermore, one or more of the support elements may have a V-shaped section, wherein at ends of legs of the V-shaped portion of the support area is provided.

According to one embodiment, the removal container may have a movable bottom, wherein a drive unit is provided to move the bottom of the removal container so that the topmost document of the Document stack is located in a predefined area or at a predefined position.

Furthermore, the actuating unit can be designed so that after depositing the document to be stacked on the document stack bearing areas on which no document to be stacked, to move in the stacking direction of the document stack, so that the document stack is compressed, and finally obliquely or perpendicular to Stacking direction to move out of the removal container.

According to a further aspect, a method is provided for operating a stacking device for stacking documents, in particular for a labeling machine for labeling the documents. The stacking device comprises a removal container for receiving a stack of documents from a plurality of stacked in a stacking direction documents and a depositing device for taking over a container to be stacked in the container, the depositing device comprises at least two spaced-apart support elements, each having one or more support areas for supporting the document , To deposit the document to be stacked on the stack of documents supporting the document support areas in the stacking direction of the document stack and finally obliquely or perpendicular to the stacking direction out of the removal container moves out, so that the document to be stacked is placed on the document stack.

According to a further aspect, an arrangement is provided with a feeding device for feeding the documents to be stacked and with the above stacking device, wherein the stacking device takes over the document to be stacked from a transfer area of the feeding device.

The feeding device may be designed to transport the opened booklet-like document to the transfer area in such a way that the fold of the document moves parallel to the transporting direction.

Further, the feeder may have feed grooves for receiving an edge of the document to be stacked so that the document is held in the feed grooves.

The feeder may include a release device in the transfer area configured to enlarge the feed groove to release the document so that the edge of the document moves out of the feed groove.

Brief description of the drawings

Figur 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer perspektivischen Draufsicht auf eine Anordnung mit einer Zuführungsvorrichtung und einer Stapelungsvorrichtung für eine Beschriftungsmaschine für aufgeschlagene heftartige Dokumente;

Figur 2

eine schematische Querschnittsansicht der Anordnung der Fig. 1 in einer Schnittebene parallel zu einer Transportrichtung für die Dokumente;

Figur 3

eine schematische Querschnittsansicht der Anordnung der Fig. 1 in einer Ebene senkrecht zur Transportrichtung der zu stapelnden Dokumente;

Figur 4

eine weitere Querschnittsansicht der Anordnung der Fig. 1 senkrecht zur Zuführungsrichtung der Dokumente durch die Stapelungsvorrichtung sowie den Entnahmebehälter;

Figur 5

eine perspektivische Draufsicht auf eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Stapelungsvorrichtung für zwei Entnahmebehälter; und

Figur 6

eine schematische Querschnittsdarstellung einer Freigabeeinheit zum Freigeben des zugeführten Dokuments aus der Zuführungsvorrichtung.

Preferred embodiments will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic representation of a perspective plan view of an arrangement with a feeding device and a stacking device for a labeling machine for open booklet-like documents;

FIG. 2

a schematic cross-sectional view of the arrangement of Fig. 1 in a sectional plane parallel to a transport direction for the documents;

FIG. 3

a schematic cross-sectional view of the arrangement of Fig. 1 in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction of the documents to be stacked;

FIG. 4

a further cross-sectional view of the arrangement of Fig. 1 perpendicular to the feed direction of the documents by the stacking device and the removal container;

FIG. 5

a top perspective view of another embodiment of a stacking device for two removal containers; and

FIG. 6

a schematic cross-sectional view of a release unit for releasing the supplied document from the feeder.

Description of embodiments

In the FIGS. 1 to 3 For example, various views of a stacking arrangement for stacking documents, particularly open booklet-type documents, are shown. Such documents may be, for example, identity documents (eg passports), security documents and the like. Such a stacking arrangement can be used for example in labeling machines for labeling the documents, wherein a lot of several such documents is automatically labeled and the labeled documents are stored or stacked in a removal container. After completing the labeling of the documents, the document stack can then be removed from the removal container.

The stacking device 1 is coupled to a feeding device 2, via which an unfolded heavy-type document, which is to be deposited next on the document stack, can be fed to the stacking device 1. The feed device 2 comprises two guide grooves 3 arranged parallel to the transport direction of the document, in each of which an edge of a cover leaf of the opened booklet-like document is guided. In the embodiment shown, it is further provided that the fold of the staple-like document is aligned parallel to the transport direction.

In at least one of the guide grooves 3, a conveyor belt 4 is provided, which is driven by a corresponding drive roller 5, and positively entrains an edge of the document located in the guide groove 3 and thus moved in the guide groove 3 and in the guide grooves 3 in the transport direction. Alternatively, the conveyor belt outside the guide grooves 3 on the to be transported document act to take this by adhesion.

In the illustrated embodiment, the guide groove 3 is formed by two mutually parallel webs 6, between which the guide groove 3 is formed with a width sufficient to receive the edge of the respective cover wing and tilting of the edge against which defined by the guide grooves 3 Management level. With the aid of the feeding device 2, therefore, an opened booklet-like document is transported to the stacking device 1.

The feeding device 2 has a transfer section 7, on which a transfer of the document from the feeding device 2 to the stacking device 1 is to be carried out. For this purpose, in the transfer section 7, a release device 8 (see Fig. 2 ) is provided, in which a web portion 6a of the webs 6, which faces the stacking device 1, is pivotable or foldable. By pivoting the web portion 6a, the guide groove 3 is increased and thus released the edge of the booklet-like document, so that this fall out of the guide grooves 3 by gravity or can be easily removed.

The transfer section 7 is arranged substantially above a removal container 10. To detect when the document has reached the transfer section 7, position sensors 9, for example in the form of light barriers or the like, are provided. With the aid of a control unit (not shown), upon reaching the transfer area 7, detected by the position sensors 9, the feed movement of the document can be stopped first, and then the document can be released with the aid of the release device 8.

The removal container 10 has a shaft in which the documents are to be stacked for later removal. The documents or the Document stack can be removed from the assembly either together with the removal container 10 or the document stack can be removed from the shaft of the removal container 10.

The stacking device 1 is arranged directly in the transfer section 7, in particular below the web section 6a. The stacking device 1 comprises a laying device with two opposing shafts 11, on each of which two mutually opposite support elements 12 are arranged. The support elements 12 are substantially wing-like in the radial direction from the shaft 11 and each comprise two support portions 13, which are formed at the ends of two legs 14 of a V-shaped portion of the support member 12. The support regions 13 represent the ends of the support element 12 remote from the shaft axis. The support elements 12 may preferably be made of a metal sheet, with the ends of the legs 14 forming the support regions 13. The bearing portions 13 may be provided with plugs, preferably rubber plugs, to effect high friction with a surface of the document. As mentioned, the support elements 12 can protrude in the radial direction from the shaft 11 or, as shown in the figures, be arranged offset to the radial direction. For this purpose, a spacer element 16 is preferably provided, which is connected to the shaft 11 and has the offset from the axis of rotation of the shaft 11 mounting surfaces 17 to which the respective support element 12 is attached.

Preferably, two support elements 12 are provided on the shafts 11, which offset from one another by 180 ° from the shaft 11 extend. Under certain circumstances, only one or more than two support elements 12 may be provided per shaft.

During the release of the document in the transfer section 7, a support element 12 of each shaft 11 is positioned so that the document placed thereon is carried parallel to the stacking direction, ie the respective support elements 12 protrude from the respective shaft 11 via the shaft of the shaft The container is then held by the support areas 13 or it falls over a small distance to this, so that ultimately the document is supported by the four support areas 13 of the two spaced support elements 12. The fold of the document is then arranged substantially between the support areas 13. The V-shaped design ensures that the fold does not rest on another area of the support element 12. The inner sides of the legs 14 are converging and meet in an alignment area. The alignment areas of the support elements 12 define a straight line to which the folds of the documents to be stacked are to be aligned. Furthermore, if the open document slightly collapses when resting on the support areas 13, then the fold moves between the legs 14 of the support elements. In this case, the fold can be guided along the inside of one of the legs 14 to the alignment areas and aligned in the alignment areas.

For stacking the document on the document stack in the removal container 10, the shafts 11, driven by a suitable actuation unit, are then rotated synchronously in mutually opposite directions of rotation, preferably at the same rotational speed. In this case, the support elements 12 pivot against each other so that the support elements 12 screw in from above into the removal container 10. As a result of the movement of the support regions 13, the document lying thereon is correspondingly transported into the removal container 10.

During this movement of the support areas 13, the underside of which can simultaneously compress a stack of documents already in the removal container 10 in the stacking direction and press down any folded pages of the document before the document to be supplied is deposited on the document stack. If the support areas 13 have reached the stack of documents located in the removal container 10, the respective support element 12 is rotated by a further rotation of the shafts 11 through a container opening 15 laterally led out of the removal container 10 and thus released the document to be supplied. After the document has been deposited on the document stack, the shafts 11 are further rotated accordingly, so that in each case a next support element moves into the removal container 10 in the stacking direction. As a result, the bearing areas 13 pass over the uppermost document of the document stack and can push it in the direction of the document stack, ie downwards, so that the height of the document stack is reduced. At the same time, as a result, previously slightly raised individual pages of the opened document can be pressed down in order to reduce the risk of folding pages when placing a next document on the document stack. Before adopting a next document in the transfer section 7, the shafts 11 are driven so that the support areas 13 of the corresponding support elements 12 are positioned to take over the document.

In order to ensure that a resting on the support elements 12 document does not fall on the upper document of the document stack when pivoting the support element 12 and there is a risk that the document is twisted while falling, is provided, the removal container 10 with a movable bottom 18 to be provided which is movable in the shaft of the removal container 10. The movable floor 18 is driven by a corresponding drive unit 19, so that the topmost document of the document stack is always located in a specific area or at a specific, predefined position in the removal container 10. For this purpose, for example, a position sensor, for example in the form of a light barrier and the like, may be provided in the removal container 10, which detects the position of the uppermost document of the document stack. The area in which the topmost document of the document stack is located is preferably selected so that upon pivoting of the support elements 12 they can press on the topmost document of the document stack and thus cause compression of the document stack. In the process, too accidentally press down pages of the document. At the same time, this makes it possible for the document to be fed to the document stack not to drop onto the document stack so that accidental rotation or tilting or collapse of the opened document during placement can be precluded.

In FIG. 5 a further embodiment of the stacking device 1 is shown, in which two removal containers 10 are arranged one behind the other in the feed direction of the document, so that a document to be fed can optionally be placed in a first or second removal container 10. The selection of the removal container 10 is made by the control of the feeder 2 and the release device 8, so that the document is transported either in a first, the first removal container 10 associated transfer area or in a second, the second removal container 10 associated transfer area 7 , The web portion 6 a is formed so that it extends over both transfer areas 7. The release device 8 is designed to release the document when the document has been moved by the delivery device 2 via the corresponding selected collection container 10.

In FIG. 6 schematically a release device 8 is shown in cross section. It can be seen the guide groove 3 between an upper of the webs 6 and the pivotable web portion 6a, which is arranged near a groove opening opposite side of the guide groove 3 pivotally. The pivotable web portion 6a is connected at a point remote from the pivot axis via a control rod 19 with a thumbwheel 20. The control rod 19 is secured with the setting wheel 20 at a remote from the pivot point 21 of the steering wheel 20 attachment point 22. The steering wheel 20 is driven at the pivot point 21 by an encoder 23, so that it is rotated. When the setting wheel 20 is rotated, the pivotable web section 6a can thus be moved into a releasing or non-releasing position, controlled by the control unit (not shown).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

stacker

2

feeder

3

guide

4

drive belts

5

capstan

6

web

7

Transfer section

8th

release device

10

removal container

11

wave

12

support element

13

support area

14

leg

15

Behälterausnehmung

16

spacer

17

mounting surface

18

movable floor

19

control rod

20

thumbwheel

21

pivot point

22

attachment point

23

positioning element

Claims (13)

Stacking device for stacking documents, in particular for a labeling machine for labeling the documents; full: - A removal container for receiving a document stack of a plurality of stacked in a stacking direction documents; a depositing device for taking over a document to be stacked in the removal container, the depositing device comprising at least two mutually spaced support elements each having one or more support areas for supporting the document; an operating unit for operating the support elements of the depositing device in order to move the document bearing support areas first in the stacking direction of the document stack and finally obliquely or perpendicular to the stacking direction out of the removal container for depositing the document to be stacked on the document stack so that the stack to be stacked Document is placed on the document stack. The stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the support members each project from shafts actuated by the actuator so that the support portions of the support members are pivotable by rotating the shafts, the actuator being configured to rotate the shafts in opposite directions of rotation in synchronism. Stacking device according to claim 2, wherein the support elements in the radial direction or to the radial direction offset from the waves project. Stacking device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein on the shafts in each case one or more support elements are arranged. Stacking device according to claim 4, wherein on the shafts in each case two, with respect to the respective shaft opposite support elements are arranged. The stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support members have a V-shaped portion, wherein at ends of legs of the V-shaped portion of the support portion is provided. The stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the removal container has a movable bottom, wherein a drive unit is provided to move the bottom of the removal container so that the topmost document of the document stack is in a predefined area or at a predefined position , Stacking device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the actuating unit is further configured to after depositing the document to be stacked on the document stack bearing areas on which no document to be stacked rests in the stacking direction of the document stack, so that the document stack is compressed, and finally to move obliquely or perpendicular to the stacking direction out of the removal container out. Method for operating a stacking device for stacking documents, in particular for a labeling machine for labeling the documents, the stacking device comprising: - A removal container for receiving a document stack of a plurality of stacked in a stacking direction documents; - A depositing device for taking over a document to be stacked in the removal container, wherein the depositing device at least two spaced apart Comprises support elements, each having one or more support areas for supporting the document;
wherein for depositing the document to be stacked on the stack of documents supporting the document support areas in the stacking direction of the document stack and finally obliquely or perpendicular to the stacking direction are moved out of the removal container, so that the document to be stacked is placed on the document stack. Arrangement with a feeding device for feeding documents to be stacked and with a stacking device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the stacking device takes over the document to be stacked from a transfer area of the feeding device. Arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the feeding device is designed to transport an opened booklet-like document to the transfer area such that the fold of the document moves parallel to the transporting direction. Arrangement according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the feeding device has feed grooves for receiving an edge of the document to be stacked so that the document is held in the feed grooves. Arrangement according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the feed device in the transfer area comprises a release device which is adapted to enlarge the feed groove for releasing the document, so that the edge of the document moves out of the feed groove.

Images