GB1579961A

GB1579961A - Book stacking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1579961A
Application number: GB1277877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: OSAKO SEISAKUSHO KK
Current assignee: OSAKO SEISAKUSHO KK
Priority date: 1976-07-28
Filing date: 1977-03-25
Publication date: 1980-11-26
Also published as: DE2729222A1; JPS5432219B2; JPS5315929A; IT1086717B

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BOOK STACKING APPARATUS (71) We, KABUSHIKI KAISHA OSAKO SEISAKUSHO, a Japanese Company of No.

458 Banchi, Ooaza Ryoke, Urawa-shi, Saitama-ken, Japan, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in the following statement: This invention relates to a book, or like article, stacking apparatus and to a method of stacking such articles.

Conveyors for transporting books from a station to another station are known. It is also known to provide conveyors with means for delivering books so that the books form a stack at the said another station. The means for delivering books is adapted to turn over selected books so that they are received with their upper faces turned to face downwardly at the said another station.

The stack of books received at the said another station thus comprises a plurality of superimposed groups of books, the spines of the books in each group being arranged in the same disposition and books in alternate groups facing downwardly and having their superimposed spines extending parallel to but spaced laterally from the superimposed spines of books in intermediate groups.

In this manner, any tendency of the stack of superimposed groups of books to topple is reduced and a stack of books can more easily be packed than can a stack of books in which all of the books in the stack are arranged in the same disposition. Also the arrangement of the books in the stack is such that the books can easily be counted.

According to the present invention there is provided a book or like article stacking apparatus which comprises a primary conveyor for the delivery of books or like articles to a diverter spaced above a first and a second auxiliary conveyor each adapted to receive books or like articles from the diverter and to deliver said books or like articles turned from the substantially vertical to the substantially horizontal to a stacking means and control means adapted to operate said diverter to switch the flow of books or like articles from the primary conveyor to either of the first or second auxiliary conveyors, whereby batches of a predetermined number of books or like articles are diverted in turn to each auxiliary conveyor, the arrangement being such that the batch from said first auxiliary conveyor have their splines aligned in a direction opposite that of the batch from the second conveyor.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of stacking a plurality of books or like articles which comprises, supplying books or like articles in a substantially vertical orientation to a diverter, diverting a predetermined number of books or like articles along one of two auxiliary paths thereby to form a stack of a predetermined number of substantially horizontally orientated books or like articles and, removing said stack.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of one method of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a conveyor and apparatus for turning over and stacking a predetermined number of bound books in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a diverter of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a delivery station of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a delivery surface and a feeding device of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, a conveyor 1 conveys bound books 2 with the spines of bound books forming leading edges thereof.

The conveyor 1 has adjacent thereto a transducer 3 which is operated when a light beam thereof is interrupted by the spine of each book when the book approaches an end of the conveyor 1. The conveyor 1 has below the said end thereof a diverter 4 for diverting bound books delivered from the conveyor to either a first turn over conveyor 5 or a second turn over conveyor 6, the leading ends of both of the conveyors 5 and 6 being below the diverter 4 and the turn over conveyors 5 and 6 being arranged to turn over in opposite directions books delivered from the conveyor 1. The turn over conveyors 5 and 6 are driven in synchronism with one another and a pulley 8 of the turn over conveyor 5 has driven in synchronism therewith a toothed wheel 71 having teeth 71 and spaces 71 therebetween.

The teeth 71 of the toothed wheel 71 interrupt a light beam of a transducer 7 when the turn over conveyors 5 and 6 are operated and the transducer 7 generates pulses in synchronism with movement of the turn over conveyors 5 and 6.

The turn over conveyors 5 and 6 deliver bound books to a first delivery station 9 located below the turn over conveyors 5 and 6. The first delivery station 9 has located therebelow a second delivery station 10.

The second delivery station 10 is located above a delivery surface 11. The delivery surface 11 has located adjacent thereto a feeding device 12 for moving books stacked on the delivery surface 11 away from a position below the second delivery station 10.

The diverter 4 is secured to a spindle 13 rotatably mounted in a frame (not shown) and is pivoted on the central longitudinal axis of the spindle by operation of a pneumatic cylinder 14 having a ram 15, the ram being connected to the spindle 13 by means of a linkage 16. When the ram 15 is moved in a direction along its longitudinal axis, the linkage 16 turns the spindle 13 thereby pivoting the diverter 4 on the axis of the spindle. In an operative position of the pneumatic cylinder 14, the diverter 4 is moved by the ram 15 to the full line position shown in Figure 2 and in an inoperative position of the pneumatic cylinder 14, the diverter 4 is moved to the chain-dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

The first and second delivery stations 9 and 10 each comprise a pair of levers 17 and 18, each lever having two arms which together form a right angle and one of the two arms being pivotally mounted on the frame. The lever 17 has an arm 20 and the lever 18 has an arm 21, the arms extendina towards one another and being pivotally connected tofrether. The lever 20 extends on opposite sides of the lever 17 and the end of the lever 20 remote from the lever 21 is pivotally connected to the ram of a pneumatic cylinder 19. In an inoperative position of the pneumatic cvlinder 19, the levers 17 and 18 are in the full line position shown in Figure 3 and when the pneumatic cylinder 19 is operated the levers 17 and 18 are moved by the ram of the cylinder to the chain-dotted -line position shown in Figure 3.

Each of the delivery stations 9 and 10 has an associated pneumatic cylinder 19 which can be operated independently of the other pneumatic cylinder 19 so that bound books 2 can be delivered successively from the turn over conveyors 5 and 6 to each of the delivery stations and subsequently to the delivery surface 11.

The pneumatic cylinders 14 and 19 are operated by a control circuit 22 which has three inputs and four outputs. A first input to the control circuit 22 is connected to the transducer 7, a second input to the control circuit 22 is supplied with pulses from a counter 23, which counts pulses generated by the transducer 3 and thus counts the bound books as they are delivered from the conveyor 2, and a third input to the control circuit 22 is supplied with pulses from a counter 24, which is an accumulating counter for counting the total number of bound books delivered from the conveyor 2. A third counter 25 is also connected to the transducer 3 and counts the number of bound books delivered from the conveyor 2 for a predetermined period, for example twenty-four hours.

A first output of the control circuit 22 is connected to a circuit 26 for operating the pneumatic cylinder 14, a second output of the control circuit 22 is connected to a circuit 27 for operating a pneumatic cylinder 19 of the first delivery station 9, a third output of the control circuit 22 is connected to a circuit 28 for operating a pneumatic cylinder 19 of the second delivery station 10 and a fourth output of the control circuit 22 is connected to a circuit 29 for operating the device 12.

In operation, as bound books are sequentially delivered from the conveyor 1 they are counted by the counter 23 and the count is memorised in the circuit 22. Assuming that the diverter 4 is in the full line position shown in Figure 2, the books conveyed by the conveyor 1 are delivered from the conveyor and are guided by the diverter 4 to the first turn over conveyor 5. The books are thus reversed, so that a former upper surface of each book subsequently is a lower surface, and the books are delivered by the first turn over conveyor 5 to the first delivery station 9 which is in the full line position shown in Figure 1.

When the counter 23 has counted a count corresponding to the count memorised in the circuit 22, five for example, which is indicative of a predetermined number of bound books having been delivered from the conveyor 2, a signal is transmitted from the control circuit 22 to the circuit 26 for operating the pneumatic cylinder 14 and the cylinder is thus de-activated whereby the diverter 4 is pivoted to the chain-dotted line position shown in Figure 2 and the supply of books to the first position shown in Figure 2 and the supply of books to the first turn over conveyor 5 is cut off and subsequent books delivered from the conveyor 2 are guided by the diverter 4 to the second turn over conveyor 6 which reverses the books in an opposite direction to the direction of reversal of books effected by the first turn over conveyor 5.

However, before the books pass from the second turn over conveyor 6 to the first delivery station 9, a pulse is transmitted from the control circuit 22 to the circuit 27, after a suitable delay derived in the control circuit from pulses received from the transducer 7, to enable all the books delivered from the conveyor 2 to the first turn over conveyor 5 to be delivered by the turn over conveyor 5 to the first delivery station 9, and the circuit 27 operates the pneumatic cylinder 19 of the first delivery station 9 causing the arms 17 and 18 of that station to move to the chain-dotted line position shown in Figures 1 and 3 thereby releasing the books stacked on the first delivery station 9 to the second delivery station 10.

The books delivered to the second turn over conveyor 6 are reversed and transported by the second turn over conveyor 6 to the first delivery station 9, the arms 17 and 18 of which are moved to the full line position shown in Figures 1 and 3 when the pneumatic cylinder 19 of the first delay station 9 is de-activated and the process is repeated as with the first turn over conveyor 5.

While books are being delivered to the first delivery station 9 by the second turn over conveyor 6, the books previously delivered to the first station 9 and subsequently stacked on the second delivery station 10, the remain supported on the delivery station 10. When the books delivered to the first station 9 by the second turn over conveyor 6 are released by the first delivery station 9, they fall onto the stack of books already supported on the second delivery station 10 but the superimposed spines of the books are positioned above edges distant from and parallel to the superimposed spines of the lower stack of books already supported on the second delivery station 10. The circuit 28 receives a pulse from the control circuit 22 at a predetermined interval subsequent to operation of the arms 17 and 18 of the first delivery station 9 to release books delivered to the first delivery station 9 from the second turn over conveyor 6. In this manner, the two superimposed stack of books supported on the second delivery station 10 are released by the station and are received on the delivery surface 11.

After a predetermined number of operations of the first and second delivery stations 9 and 10, a predetermined number of books have been stacked on the delivery surface 11 and the circuit 29 receives a pulse from the control circuit 22 and the feeding device 12 is thereby operated to feed the stack on the delivery surface 11 from a position below the second delivery station 10.

It will be appreciated that the control circuit 22 may be arranged to selectively determine operation of the diverter 4 and the arms 17 and 18 of the first and second delivery stations 9 and 10, in accordance with signals received from the transducer 3, so that a predetermined number of books may be stacked on the delivery surface 11 prior to operation of the feeding device 12.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A book or like article stacking apparatus which comprises a primary conveyor for the delivery of books or like articles to a diverter spaced above a first and a second auxiliary conveyor each adapted to receive books or like articles from the diverter and to deliver said books or like articles turned from the substantially vertical to the substantially horizontal to a stacking means and control means adapted to operate said diverter to switch the flow of books or like articles from the primary conveyor to either of the first or second auxiliary conveyors, whereby batches of a predetermined number of books or like articles are diverted in turn to each auxiliary conveyor, the arrangement being such that the batch from said first auxiliary conveyor have their splines aligned in a direction opposite that of the batch from the second conveyor.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the stacking means comprises a first delivery station adapted to receive a batch of a predetermined number of books or like articles from the auxiliary conveyors.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the stacking means also comprises a second delivery station adapted to receive a batch of books or like articles from the first delivery station.

4. An apparatus according to either of claims 2 or 3 wherein the stacking means further comprises a delivery surface adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed batches from a said delivery station, said superimposed batches being removed manually or mechanically from said surface.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control means includes means for counting the books or like articles delivered from the primary conveyor and means to actuate the diverter after every predetermined number of books or like articles to switch the flow thereof from one auxiliary conveyor to the other auxiliary conveyor.

6. An apparatus according to anv one of the claims 3 to 5 wherein each delivery

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. of books to the first position shown in Figure 2 and the supply of books to the first turn over conveyor 5 is cut off and subsequent books delivered from the conveyor 2 are guided by the diverter 4 to the second turn over conveyor 6 which reverses the books in an opposite direction to the direction of reversal of books effected by the first turn over conveyor 5. However, before the books pass from the second turn over conveyor 6 to the first delivery station 9, a pulse is transmitted from the control circuit 22 to the circuit 27, after a suitable delay derived in the control circuit from pulses received from the transducer 7, to enable all the books delivered from the conveyor 2 to the first turn over conveyor 5 to be delivered by the turn over conveyor 5 to the first delivery station 9, and the circuit 27 operates the pneumatic cylinder 19 of the first delivery station 9 causing the arms 17 and 18 of that station to move to the chain-dotted line position shown in Figures 1 and 3 thereby releasing the books stacked on the first delivery station 9 to the second delivery station 10. The books delivered to the second turn over conveyor 6 are reversed and transported by the second turn over conveyor 6 to the first delivery station 9, the arms 17 and 18 of which are moved to the full line position shown in Figures 1 and 3 when the pneumatic cylinder 19 of the first delay station 9 is de-activated and the process is repeated as with the first turn over conveyor 5. While books are being delivered to the first delivery station 9 by the second turn over conveyor 6, the books previously delivered to the first station 9 and subsequently stacked on the second delivery station 10, the remain supported on the delivery station 10. When the books delivered to the first station 9 by the second turn over conveyor 6 are released by the first delivery station 9, they fall onto the stack of books already supported on the second delivery station 10 but the superimposed spines of the books are positioned above edges distant from and parallel to the superimposed spines of the lower stack of books already supported on the second delivery station 10. The circuit 28 receives a pulse from the control circuit 22 at a predetermined interval subsequent to operation of the arms 17 and 18 of the first delivery station 9 to release books delivered to the first delivery station 9 from the second turn over conveyor 6. In this manner, the two superimposed stack of books supported on the second delivery station 10 are released by the station and are received on the delivery surface 11. After a predetermined number of operations of the first and second delivery stations 9 and 10, a predetermined number of books have been stacked on the delivery surface 11 and the circuit 29 receives a pulse from the control circuit 22 and the feeding device 12 is thereby operated to feed the stack on the delivery surface 11 from a position below the second delivery station 10. It will be appreciated that the control circuit 22 may be arranged to selectively determine operation of the diverter 4 and the arms 17 and 18 of the first and second delivery stations 9 and 10, in accordance with signals received from the transducer 3, so that a predetermined number of books may be stacked on the delivery surface 11 prior to operation of the feeding device 12. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A book or like article stacking apparatus which comprises a primary conveyor for the delivery of books or like articles to a diverter spaced above a first and a second auxiliary conveyor each adapted to receive books or like articles from the diverter and to deliver said books or like articles turned from the substantially vertical to the substantially horizontal to a stacking means and control means adapted to operate said diverter to switch the flow of books or like articles from the primary conveyor to either of the first or second auxiliary conveyors, whereby batches of a predetermined number of books or like articles are diverted in turn to each auxiliary conveyor, the arrangement being such that the batch from said first auxiliary conveyor have their splines aligned in a direction opposite that of the batch from the second conveyor.

6. An apparatus according to anv one of the claims 3 to 5 wherein each delivery

station comprises a plurality of arms moveable between an operative position in which the arms extend into a delivery path of the articles and support articles delivered thereto, and an inoperative position in which the arms are clear of the delivery path, movement of the arms being effected by actuating means controlled by said control means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the actuating means comprises a piston and cylinder device and a linkage connecting the piston to the arms, operation of the piston being controlled by the control circuit.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each auxiliary conveyor comprises a pair of endless belts, each of the belts extending about a plurality of pulleys and at least one of which is adapted to be driven, and portions of the belts extending parallel to one another so that when a book or like article is inserted between the parallel portions of the belts and said pulley is driven, the article is conveyed by the belts.

9. A method of stacking a plurality of books or like articles which comprises utilizing an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A stacking apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of stacking articles substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.