GB1598964A - Method of conveying articles - Google Patents

Description

(54) METHOD OF CONVEYING ARTICLES (71) We, BIELOMATM LEUZE & Co., a Kommanditgesellshaft organised under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, of Max-Planck-Strasse 15, 7442 Neuffen, Federal Republic of Germany 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 and by the following statement: The invention relates to a method of conveying articles in particular laminae or the like, using a conveyor device which comprises a flexible conveyor element and stop member fixed on the conveyor element and projecting from it which convey the articles disposed therebetween. A conveyor device on a machine for cutting the margins from printed products has been disclosed in German Patent No.

1 217 335, in which stop members are fixed on a revolving chain and project perpendicularly from this chain. A take-up unit is provided along a rectilinear course of the chain. A lamina is placed on the chain between two stop members by a lowerable table or by a fork.

With this device, the laminae are therefore supplied from above and the charging device for this purpose is complicated and susceptible to failure.

A device for conveying and aligning superimposed printed brochures which functions in a step-wise fashion is disclosed in German Patent No. 1 275 989. In this device, rear stops projecting from a revolving conveyor are provided for preventing the brochures from sliding backwards. Alignment is effected by virtue of the fact that, before the rear stops are able to act, the conveyor belt pushes the brochures against a fixed stop which does not move with the conveyor and the conveyor belt comes to a stand still in this position. This device is only suitable for step-wise operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of conveying articles which uses a device of the type mentioned above which is able to function safely and reliably and is of a simple structure.

According to the invention there is provided a method of conveying articles between a take-up station and a removal station, wherein a conveyor device is used which comprises flexible conveyor means and stop members fixed on the conveyor element and projecting therefrom to guide the articles therebetween, the conveyor means being curved away from the stop members in the region of the take-up and removal stations, whereby the distance between at least portions of the stop members remote from the conveyor means increases at the said stations, the stop members having front and rear contacting surfaces which clamp the articles between two adjacent stop members.

The conveyor means is normally guided straight over the conveying run and the stop members are arranged on the conveyor means in such a way that the surfaces holding the articles project substantially at right angles from the conveyor means. As they pass through the curved sections at the take-up and removal stations, adjacent stop members extend at an angle to each other so that the gap at which the article lies or is to lie opens and the article may be removed. This type of device is particularly preferred. However, it is alternatively possible to guide toe conveyor means over its transporting run along a curved track, for example on a circular track, and to cause the two stop members to open at a section of even greater curvature.

The conveyor means preferably comprises at least one band and/or belt, more preferably a toothed belt.

In spite of its extremely simple structure, the conveyor device automatically effects alignment in the case of layered articles such as, for example, layered stacks, laminae or the like.

Thus, when this device is used for its preferred application as a conveyor in a paper processing machine or printing machine, then alignment is carried out automatically before each unit. The stop members can preferably have a shoulder overlapping the article. The articles are thereby held together to a certain extent in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and are also held securely on the conveyor device even at relatively high operating speeds.

The device ensures that the individual articles are taken up, conveyed and delivered at accurately determined intervals. In addition to step-wise operation, continuous running of the conveyor device is also possible and particularly preferred. Moreover, the conveyor device may be simply regulated to different sizes of articles.

For this purpose, a front and/or rear stop member may each be arranged to be adjustable longitudinal of the conveyor element or the front and rear stop members may each be arranged on different sections of the conveyor means which run in parallel but may be offset to each other.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shown a side view of a first embodiment of conveyor device for use according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a part of a second embodiment of a conveyor device for use according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a conveyor element with a stop member fixed thereon, on an enlarged scale; Figure 4 shows a section through a conveyor device as viewed in the conveying direction, and Figure 5 shows a modification in the section shown in Figure 4.

The conveyor device 11 shown in Figure 1 is constructed as a belt conveyor comprising a conveyor belt 12, preferably in the form of a toothed belt, which runs round front and rear rollers 13 and 14, one of which is driven. The conveyor belt 12 has two substantially horizontal rectilincar runs the upper one of which effects conveying. Front and rear stop members 15 and 16 are each fixed on the belt 12 and an article 17, preferably a lamina or a stack of laminae, is conveyed between them in the conveying direction 18.

The stop members 15 and 16 are rails or plates which are fixed on the conveyor belt 12 in such a way that they always project perpendicularly from the outer front face thereof. In the embodiment shown the front and rear articlecontaining surfaces 19 and 20 against which the articles 17 rest are exactly at tight angles to the surface of the conveyor belt. It would alternatively be possible to use another angle, for example for conveying an article having a sloping edge. For example, in the case of an article having a rhombic side view, both working surfaces 19 and 20 could be inclined at the same angle, whereas in the case of other shapes, different angles are possible for the two working surfaces, circumstances permitting.

However, care must then be taken that the opening procedure described below produces a sufficiently large angle to release the article.

The articles 17 are pushed from a table 21 on to the conveyor belt 12 in the conveying direction 18 by means of a feed arrangement (not shown). The procedure is substantially synchronized so that pushing begins when the front stop member 15 is positioned in front of the article. The feed arrangement can push the article right against the front stop 15 but this is notnecessary. The rear stop member 16 which had pivoted away on the rear guide roller owing to the curvature of the conveyor belt 12, then emerges behind the article. During transfer from the curved path of the conveyor belt 12 into the straight section 22 of the conveyor, the rear stop member 16 makes contact with the rear edge of the article and pushes the articles 17 against the front stop member 15. The distances between the two stop members may be regulated in such a way that the articles 17 are kept in contact therewith and are clamped.

Each article 17 taken up at the take-up position 23 in this way and optionally clamped is conveyed in the conveying direction 18 to a removal station 24. In the embodiment shown, this is located in the area of the front drive roller 13. When the section of the conveyor belt on which the front stop member 15 is fixed runs on to the drive or guide roller 13, the stop member is pivoted away from the front edge of the article 17 in an anticlockwise direction so that this front edge is released. The rear stop member 16 pushes the article 17 straight on to a position where it is, for example, taken over by a subsequent conveyor 25 running as an extension of the rectilinear conveying section 22.

Figure 2 shows part of an embodiment in which the removal station 24' is not located in the immediate vicinity of one of the return rollers 13' but in the vicinity of an additional roller 26 on which the conveyor belt 12' is deflected by a relatively small amount. A relatively small gap at the front edge of the article 17 is thereby opened up and the article 17 can, for example, be conveyed downwards from conveyor belt 12 by a transfer member, for example a slide, running transversely to the conveying direction 18. A take-up unit could be designed in the same way. The change in the curvature at the take-up or removal station in relation to the transporting run need not be effected by rollers. Any desired guide may be used here.

Figure 3 shows a front stop member 15 which has a front working surface 19 on which an article 17 in the form of a stack of laminae loaded and pushed flat. The working surface 19 is somewhat lower than the surface above it and there is thus provided an inclied shoulder 27 which pushes the upper laminae downwards somewhat and thus ensures that the stack is held together firmly. The article is thus held positively and could even be conveyed, for example, overhead or in a vertical direction.

The conveyor belt 12 is a toothed belt with an inlaid reinforcement 28 on which the stop member 15 in the form of a rail or plate (depending upon the width of the article) is secured by means of rivets 29 or screws. Owing to the synchronization with which a toothed belt runs and owing to its relatively large degree of rigidity, it is particularly suitable as a flexible conveyor belt for use in the invention.

Figure 4 shown a modification in which two conveyor belts 12a and 12b are used, the belts running adjacent to each other in parallel. The belts run over rollers 14a and 14b arranged rotatably on a common shaft 30. As the belts 12a and 12b are toothed belts, they run synchronously. In Figure 4, the rear stop member consists of two separate plates 1 6a and 1 6b which are each fixed adjacent to each other on one of the belts 12a and 12b. The rear stop member can, however, also consist of a plate overlapping both belts whereby both belts are simultaneously held at a constant distance transversely to the conveying direction. The front stop member 18' projects over at least one part of both belts 12a and 12b and is clamped by means of a tension rail 32 on the edge zones of both belts and a tension bolt 31 projecting theough the gap between the two belts and a nut. In this way, the distance of the front stop member 15' from the rear stop members 16a and 16b may be adjusted.

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of a conveyor device in which the distance between the two stop members may be adjusted. In this case, three toothed belts 12c, 12d and 12e, forming the conveyor element are guided on three rollers 14c, 14d and 14e. One stop member 1 6c and 1 6e is arranged on each of the outer belts 12c and 12e and a front stop member 15d is arranged on the middle belt 12d. The rollers 1 4c and 1 4e are rigidly fixed to a shaft 30', but it is possible to adjust manually the relative rotational position between the middle belt 14d and the belts 14c and 14c so that it is thereby possible to regulate the distance between the front and rear stop members.

Other means of regulation are also possible, for example by adjusting the stop members in long- itudinal slits in the band, or by suspending or inserting the stop members in successive rows of holes.

In the embodiments shown, it is particularly advantageous for the articles to lie directly on the conveyor belt 12 and thus not to be exposed to relative motion. However, it is also possible to guide the articles on a separate conveyor device or a table which is not identical to the conveyor belts 12. For example, the stop elements 15, 16 could project through slits in the table and conveying could be effected by a conveyor element in the form of a chain or other flexible element.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of conveying articles between a take-up station and a removel station, wherein a conveyor device is used which comprises flexible conveyor means and stop members fixed on the conveyor element and projecting therefrom to guide the articles therebetween, the conveyor means being curved away from the stop members in the region of the take-up and removal stations, whereby the distance between at least portions of the stop members remote from the conveyor means increases at the said stations, the stop members having front and rear contacting surfaces which clamp the articles between two adjacent stop members.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the conveyor means comprises at least one band or belt.

3. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the conveyor means comprises at least one toothed belt.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the take-up and/or removal station is located at a deflection point on the conveyor means.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the stop members are projections rigidly fixed to the conveyor means and projecting substantially at tight angles therefrom.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the articles are stacks of laminae, and the stop members act to align the laminae in a stack with one another.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the stop members has a shoulder which overlaps an article carried by the conveyor means.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the front and rear stop members is arranged to be adjustable in a longitudinal direction on the conveyor means.

9. A method according to Claim 8, wherein the front and/or rear stop member is adjustably fixed by clamping between two bands running in parallel at the same speed.

10. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the front and rear stop members are arranged on different parallel sections of the conveyor means which are offset with respect to each other.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the take-up and/or removal station is situated at the end of the conveyor means to enable transfer to be effected in the conveying direction.

12. A method of conveying articles, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. belts run over rollers 14a and 14b arranged rotatably on a common shaft 30. As the belts 12a and 12b are toothed belts, they run synchronously. In Figure 4, the rear stop member consists of two separate plates 1 6a and 1 6b which are each fixed adjacent to each other on one of the belts 12a and 12b. The rear stop member can, however, also consist of a plate overlapping both belts whereby both belts are simultaneously held at a constant distance transversely to the conveying direction. The front stop member 18' projects over at least one part of both belts 12a and 12b and is clamped by means of a tension rail 32 on the edge zones of both belts and a tension bolt 31 projecting theough the gap between the two belts and a nut. In this way, the distance of the front stop member 15' from the rear stop members 16a and 16b may be adjusted. Figure 5 shows another embodiment of a conveyor device in which the distance between the two stop members may be adjusted. In this case, three toothed belts 12c, 12d and 12e, forming the conveyor element are guided on three rollers 14c, 14d and 14e. One stop member 1 6c and 1 6e is arranged on each of the outer belts 12c and 12e and a front stop member 15d is arranged on the middle belt 12d. The rollers 1 4c and 1 4e are rigidly fixed to a shaft 30', but it is possible to adjust manually the relative rotational position between the middle belt 14d and the belts 14c and 14c so that it is thereby possible to regulate the distance between the front and rear stop members. Other means of regulation are also possible, for example by adjusting the stop members in long- itudinal slits in the band, or by suspending or inserting the stop members in successive rows of holes. In the embodiments shown, it is particularly advantageous for the articles to lie directly on the conveyor belt 12 and thus not to be exposed to relative motion. However, it is also possible to guide the articles on a separate conveyor device or a table which is not identical to the conveyor belts 12. For example, the stop elements 15, 16 could project through slits in the table and conveying could be effected by a conveyor element in the form of a chain or other flexible element. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of conveying articles between a take-up station and a removel station, wherein a conveyor device is used which comprises flexible conveyor means and stop members fixed on the conveyor element and projecting therefrom to guide the articles therebetween, the conveyor means being curved away from the stop members in the region of the take-up and removal stations, whereby the distance between at least portions of the stop members remote from the conveyor means increases at the said stations, the stop members having front and rear contacting surfaces which clamp the articles between two adjacent stop members.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the conveyor means comprises at least one band or belt.

3. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the conveyor means comprises at least one toothed belt.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the take-up and/or removal station is located at a deflection point on the conveyor means.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the stop members are projections rigidly fixed to the conveyor means and projecting substantially at tight angles therefrom.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the articles are stacks of laminae, and the stop members act to align the laminae in a stack with one another.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the stop members has a shoulder which overlaps an article carried by the conveyor means.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the front and rear stop members is arranged to be adjustable in a longitudinal direction on the conveyor means.

9. A method according to Claim 8, wherein the front and/or rear stop member is adjustably fixed by clamping between two bands running in parallel at the same speed.

10. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the front and rear stop members are arranged on different parallel sections of the conveyor means which are offset with respect to each other.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the take-up and/or removal station is situated at the end of the conveyor means to enable transfer to be effected in the conveying direction.

12. A method of conveying articles, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.