EP2867148A1

EP2867148A1 - Rotating device for flat products or for a stack thereof

Info

Publication number: EP2867148A1
Application number: EP13732886.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sven STAEHLI
Original assignee: Kern AG
Current assignee: Kern AG
Priority date: 2012-06-29
Filing date: 2013-06-25
Publication date: 2015-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2033-06-25
Also published as: US20150246786A1; CH706657A1; WO2014001307A1; EP2867148B1; SG11201408727SA; US9555991B2

Abstract

In a device for rotating a stack of flat sheet-like or film-like products or a stack thereof, at least two drive-roller pairs (11, 12; 13, 14) which are arranged next to one another but spaced apart from one another are provided for the transport of the products (1), the drive speed of which can be varied in such a way that the two roller pairs can be operated at different speeds, directed in the same transport direction.

Description

TURNING DEVICE FOR FLUID PRODUCTS OR FOR A STACK

FROM THAT

The present invention relates to a device for rotating stacks of sheet or foil-like

Products, such as in particular of documents, letters and the like, according to the preamble of claim 1, and a method for rotating at least one sheet or sheet-like product, in particular the rotation of groups, that is, loose stacking of multiple documents or sheets. In particular, the present invention relates

The invention relates to a device for rotating documents and letters and the like, for example when being fed into a packaging device, such as for enveloping in envelopes.

In today's inserting technology, the documents are usually printed 2-up, ie 2 documents next to each other and processed. The documents usually have that

standardized format DIN-A4, Letter or Legal and are portrait (portrait) printed. On the other hand, in today's inserting technique, preferably in envelopes

enveloped, which have the opening and thus the envelope flap on the long side. For the processing of

Applications where the documents are folded to be packaged in C5, C6 / 5 or similar envelopes are fed the short edge of the portrait

Original document by folding automatically to the long edge of the folded format. Thus, the portrait with the short edge fed document in the folded Format with the long edge first in the envelope to be packed.

If, for example, portrait-fed documents are to be packed on a single machine in a C4 envelope, then the documents must be rotated 90 ° in order to be able to transport and insert them with the long edge (landscape) without deflecting them 90 ° (which means to transport laterally), which is then the processing of folded

Would prevent applications. The direction of rotation to the left or right is usually determined by the position of the

Window in the envelope.

In patent CA1077534 (family: DE2829221A1 / US4155440A) entitled "Document Turning Station", it is proposed to rotate a document by 90 ° through a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel and rotating at different speeds

Document. The central axis in the transport direction thus shifts permanently in this variant of the rotation.

In DE 10219569A1 entitled "Rotary device of an ID card", a rotating device is proposed which rotates by means of rotating balls and a stop ID cards to this stop. This method has the disadvantage that it can only be used for rigid objects; one

single document would be bent and damaged

Stack of documents could not be processed because it would slip apart. In addition, the process is on it instructed to transport the object to be rotated along a curved edge, which would not be possible with a corner of a sheet of paper.

No. 5,114,137 entitled "Right Angle Turn Table and Method" describes a rotating device for rotating documents by means of two conveyor belts operated at different speeds. The disadvantage is the long space requirement, the inaccurate rotation with

then required lateral straightening, which often causes the edge to run up and thus to thin sheets

May cause interference. Further, with this solution, a stack of documents can not be processed because the document rests only on the bottom of two bands and above is guided only by light rollers. In addition, a stack of documents would hit when on the

Stop roller that triggers the rotation,

slide apart. Further, the stop initiating the rotation and around which the document is rotated carries the risk of damaging the sheet edge.

In DE 102007054822A1 a "device for turning flat objects, in particular of

Due to the free rotation this is not suitable for the rotation of light sheets of paper, which would slip uncontrollably due to the very low weight.A twisting a stack of sheets is not possible in any way, as this would also slip into it. The unit requires a lot of space. The addition

Aligning the entire unit to achieve a good spin result also requires a large one

Number of identical objects to be rotated for optimization, while the requirements of the task from object to object different thicknesses and numbers

Leaves can occur.

The object of the present invention is to provide another solution for turning sheet-like

Products, in particular documents individually or as a stack, letters and the like, to propose, which allows increased throughput during the turning process, takes up little space, a variable thickness to be processed and the processing of several loosely stacked documents and this without the transport axis to move permanently ,

According to the invention, a device according to the wording of claim 1 is proposed, as well as a method according to the wording of claim 9.

The present invention proposes a solution with which this turning operation can be carried out with significantly higher throughput and lower loads for both the documents and the machine elements. The objects to be rotated are individual documents or groups of documents consisting of several documents stacked on top of each other or, more generally, flat objects. It can also be around elsewhere

Envelopes unfilled, filled, with open or

act closed flap. The documents or

Document groups are fed portrait (longitudinal) of the chain of input modules. The turning device has the

The task is to rotate the documents / document groups by 90 ° either clockwise or counterclockwise, so that they can subsequently be fed landscape (transverse) to the inserting module. Of course, the rotation is also landscape - portrait or of documents

Edge equality or non-rectangular shape possible.

Documents that are already delivered in the correct orientation, for example, folded documents, must without turning through the rotating device

can be transported.

The center of the document should be on the same axis both before rotation and after rotation.

During the turning process, the center of the

Document, however, drive a curve of any shape.

Stopping the documents with subsequent turning in place during start / stop operation takes a relatively long time, so that in the future required cycle times can no longer be achieved become. What is required is therefore a principle that controls the documents within a short time by 90 ° in the desired direction, but without the document permanently moving laterally and optionally also allows the further transport of non-rotating documents.

The rotation of the documents is realized by two pairs of rollers rotating at different speeds, thus causing the document clamped between the rollers (or the clamped document group) to rotate. The two pairs of rotating rollers can each have a separate drive.

It is suggested that the pairs of roles with

different speed in the same

Direction of transport direction directed rotate and the transport of documents is not interrupted, i. that no

Start / stop operation is present, as known in part from the prior art.

Further variants of the device as well as de inventive method are characterized in the dependent claims.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Showing: 1 shows schematically the alignment of the documents before and after the rotating device,

2a-2c schematically show the turning operation of a document in the device according to the invention; before, during and after the turning process,

3 in perspective the structure of a rotating device,

Fig. 4 seen in view in the transport direction the

Turning device, as shown in Figure 3,

5a-c schematically forward and downstream transport rollers during the turning operation and during the transport of documents,

6 shows schematically a pair of rotary rollers of the device according to the invention, and

7 shows the rotary roller geometry of the rotary roller pair from FIG. 6.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a transport device, wherein in the transport direction A, the document 1 is transported, which is initially transported rectangular in the longitudinal direction. In order finally to be fed correctly to an inserting unit with envelope 5, the document 1 must be rotated by 90 ° in a turning device 9. It is advantageous that on the same transport already from the beginning correctly

transported documents 3 without rotation of an envelope 7 can be supplied. Schematically, this is in Fig. 1 along the transport direction B, wherein in

Area 9 no rotation occurs.

In a special case, it is also possible to process rotating and non-rotating objects as desired in the device, that is to say to a rotating one, e.g. also follow an object not to be rotated, which is transported without rotation through the device while the previous one has been rotated.

FIGS. 2a-2c schematically show the turning process for a document 1 in the rotating device 9, in FIG. 2a before the start of the turning operation, in FIG. 2b during the turning process, and in FIG

Turning process.

To take over the documents 1 rotate both pairs of rollers 11, 12 and 13, 14 of the rotating device 9 with the same

Speed. The decisive factor is that the speeds of the two pairs of rotating rollers increased at the right time, respectively. be reduced to start the rotation. Depending on the desired direction of rotation is the

Speed of the left pair of rotary rollers 11, 12

reduced and that of the right pair of rotary rollers 13, 14 is increased (in the transport direction, for rotation in

Counterclockwise) or vice versa (clockwise). Equally crucial is that the two speeds are readjusted at the right time so that the Document rotated exactly 90 ° just transported. This speed adjustment at the right time causes symmetrically fed documents to remain symmetrically under the rollers even after rotation. The advantage over rotation in start / stop operation, where the documents are stopped and rotated in place, is that the rotational movement is smooth during transport. This avoids the time-consuming start / stop. At least as important is that the fluidity of the document stack does not

slips or sheds (slipping of individual sheets in the stack) in contrast to a start / stop movement, where this is hard to avoid. By the

Timely and accurate change of the speed of the two rotary roller drives will also ensure that the document still after the rotation

symmetrically located under the rollers and is symmetrically transported out of the rotating device. Subsequently, the rotated document is taken over by two further, equally fast rotating transport rollers and transported away, as subsequently explained in more detail with reference to FIG.

In extreme cases, a pair of rotary rolls can also be set to zero

be slowed down and the speed of the other

Turning roller pair is increased by the corresponding amount. In this case, the document is rotated directly around the stationary pair of rollers. FIGS. 2a-2c show the turning process with 3 graphics (illustration on the left) including the schematic course of the velocity profiles (illustration on the right). The middle curve 16 represents the path of the center M of the document 1. Since the rotation is started before the center of the document has reached the rollers, the document is conveyed out of the center of the transport axis A. Since the rotation continues after the center of the document has passed through the turning rollers, the center is subsequently shifted again, so that at the completion of the turning operation, the center of the

Document again as required on the. Middle of the

Transport axis A is located. For this reason, the above invention differs from on-the-spot turning. In a turn-by-turn operation with start and stop, when the documents are centrally located on the turntable, the document is rotated about the near-immovable center.

In the right-hand illustration of the schematic profile of the velocity profiles of the pairs of pairs of revolving rollers 11, 12 and 13, 14, the point in time at which the center of the document D1 is at the position shown in the left-hand illustration

drawn position is shown schematically as a dash 21. In Fig. 2a, the document is on

Start of rotation, in Fig. 2b in center of rotation (denoted by 23), and in Fig. 2c after completion of rotation

(indicated at 25). The exact time of the speed change can be determined by monitoring the position and speed by means of suitable sensors, preferably light barriers and

Encoder and corresponding calculations of the controller are defined depending on the document length.

In Figures 3 and 4, the structure of a rotating device in perspective and front view is shown schematically. According to a variant, the two are

Roll pairs 11, 12 and 13, 14 individually by

For example, servomotors 33, 36 driven. The drive can be done for example by means of belts 41, 43, wherein the transmission of the drive is effected on corresponding shafts on which the pairs of rollers are mounted.

In order to ensure the secure processing of entire groups (stacks) of documents, preferably both the upper and the lower revolving rollers are driven, since a merely revolving counter-pressure roller usually results in shearing / carrying out of the stack.

The overdrive from the lower to the upper roller can be done via gears 31, 32. Since both individual documents and groups must be processed to a thickness of a few millimeters, the upper shaft 34, 35 are sprung and can go upwards.

The two upper shafts 34 are stored for example in a common bearing block, so that they together after can be pressed up and no skewing can result, which may be negative on the

Accuracy of the rotational movement would affect.

Instead of the gears to the overdrive of the sprung rollers are also solutions by means of toothed belt or other

known machine elements conceivable, as well as the

Use of two separate drives for the upper and lower drive rollers.

The storage in a common storage block is a possible embodiment. The separate storage is in any case also possible, for example, to be able to process objects of the same thickness on the left and right.

Other embodiments such as elastic rollers instead of suspension or the complete abandonment of suspension when processing only thin objects are conceivable.

In addition to the aforementioned form of a typical drive roller, it is of course also possible spherical

To use drive rollers or similar.

Thus, even smaller document formats can be transported through the rotating device, for example, additional transport rollers can be placed before and after the rotary rollers, as shown in Fig. 5a, 5b and 5 shown schematically. 5a shows two transport roller pairs 51, 53 and 52, 54, which are arranged upstream of the rotating device, and also two pairs of transport rollers 61, 62 and 63, 64 connected downstream of the rotating device 9. The distance of the additional transport rollers should be chosen so that even the smallest format always becomes at least two adjacent pairs of rollers. The upper transport rollers are preferably spring-mounted, so that

different thicknesses of documents and document groups can be processed. The pairs of transport rollers are analogous to the rotary rollers for the reasons mentioned above

preferably powered up and down. If necessary, several such pairs of transport rollers in a row

be used.

However, these additional transport rollers must be lifted for the turning process (and ideally also disengaged) so that documents to be rotated are clamped and driven only by the two pairs of rotating rollers. It is also conceivable that the lower transport rollers are still slightly lowered to avoid contact with the rotating documents safely. The lifting can be done in a suitable form by means of magnets, cylinders, levers, motors, etc. Figure 5a shows the additional transport rollers during the turning operation of a document, that is in the raised or lowered state, so that the area between the upper and lower roller pairs is released.

In contrast, Fig. 5b shows the state when feeding or transport away the document, where the additional Transport roller pairs are closed and thus one

Allow transport of the document. Fig. 5b can also represent that situation where all

Transport rollers engaged for transporting

smaller, non-rotating documents. FIG. 5 c shows the roller pairs of FIGS. 5 a and 5 b in plan view. The pairs of revolutions 11,12,13,14 have separate axes and left and right separate drives B resp. C. The pairs of transport rollers have the two upper ones

Roll on a common shaft and the two lower on a common shaft. The axis does not have to

be continuous, but this is advantageous so that the roles run the same speed on the left and right. Ideally, the upper and lower rollers are driven; possibly only the lower ones while the upper ones run free. The roles shown in dashed lines need only for very short to be processed minimum lengths of documents compared to the lengths to be rotated.

When processing only sufficiently long objects, the additional roles to be lifted for the turning process can be omitted.

Of importance is the shape of the revolving wheels. To prevent a squeezing or tearing of the paper, the

Print area between paper and rolls very small. Ideally, this is a point contact, as shown in Fig. 6, but in the

Practice is hardly feasible. The material of the revolving roll On the one hand, it must have a high degree of friction with respect to the paper and, on the other hand, allow slight relative rotational movements.

Fig. 7 shows a detail of the contact area of

Rotary rollers, such as the rotary rollers 11, 12.

The illustrations in FIGS. 1 to 7 are of course only examples for a better explanation of the present invention. In particular, the materials used for the rolls are not primary

Part of the present invention and roles

Rubber, polyurethane, other suitable polymeric materials, coatings using corundum surfaces and possibly even surprisingly smooth surfaces, if sufficient pressure is applied, are possible.

The present invention can be used at various locations within a document processing machine. As already mentioned, the invention is described, for example, for rotating documents such as sheets, but it is generally possible to speak of flat objects or products. these can

especially from stacked leaves, or from

Envelopes that are filled or unfilled and have an open or closed flap are made.

The processing of different document sizes is an advantageous feature and therefore the Embodiment with, for example, liftable roles before and after the actual rotating device a possible embodiment.

The angle of rotation for the documents does not have to be exactly 90 °. Even with angles smaller or greater than 90 °, the desired result can be achieved by subsequently aligning the documents together with an alignment possibility.

By its design, the device is of course also able to correct distortions of documents or stacks thereof.

Suitable guide plates can prevent the corners of the documents from fluttering unintentionally during the turning process.

A possible unfolding of the turning device simplifies the removal of a paper jam.

Compared to the known methods for rotating documents, the present invention provides a higher achievable throughput. The continuous movement of the rotation and the absence of start / stop, the paper transport is gentler and the risk of damage and the

Scarring or messing up the stack or individual sheets in it or paper jams. The simple one Mechanical design offers the advantage that the moving components have a low mass. This allows the system to be stopped within a very short time to respond to influences of subsequent systems. By avoiding start / stop processes, the

Machine components are spared and less power is required. The device requires little space and is able to turn especially controlled stacked products.

Claims

claims

1. Apparatus for rotating flat sheet or sheet-like products or a stack thereof, characterized by at least two adjacent

spaced from each other

Drive roller pairs (11, 12, 13, 14) for the transport of products (1) whose drive speed is variable so that the two roller pairs with

different speed, directed in the same direction of transport can be operated.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one pair of rollers, the speed relative to the transport speed is reduced.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the speed of the one roller pair can be reduced and that of the other can be increased.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the roller pairs have separate drives (33, 35).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the product the pairs of rollers

is fed symmetrically to the pairs of rollers.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the position of the product by means of sensors such as photoelectric sensors or rotary encoder can be detected, which sensors are connected to the or the drives of the roller pairs.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that before and / or after the pairs of rollers further transport roller pairs (51, 52; 53, 54/61, 62; 63, 64)) are provided, wherein the rollers, if necessary

are formed separable from each other to allow free rotation during the rotation of the product.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the device optionally a

Turning or a straight transport of products without turning allows.

9. A method for rotating at least one sheet-like or sheet-like product or a stack thereof, characterized in that the product is supplied two juxtaposed spaced conveyor roller pairs, after engagement of the product by the two pairs of rollers, the speed of at least one of the roller pairs is changed in that the product is rotated until the desired rotation is completed, whereupon the speed of the two pairs of rollers is restored is set equal for the further transport of the

Product.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the speed of the one roller pair increases during the turning operation and that of the other is reduced.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the position, speed and length of the product is detected by means of sensors for controlling the speed of the two roller pairs.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the product fed symmetrically to the transport axis in front of the rotating device and after the

Turning device is issued symmetrically to the transport axis.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that upstream and / or downstream of the two pairs of rollers further pairs of transport rollers are operable so that the rollers of the other pairs of transport rollers are separated during the turning operation of the product, to a passing through the product to allow through the other transport rollers during the turning operation.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the product can be either rotated or transported untwisted.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that the product is a rectangular

Document is symmetrical which the roller pairs

is fed and the position of the center of the

Document is changed, such that a turning operation, the center movement is changed with respect to the axis of symmetry of the direction of movement of the document until the center comes to rest on the axis of symmetry, whereupon the rotation is completed and the document is transported.