GB2211828A

GB2211828A - Sheet deposit means

Info

Publication number: GB2211828A
Application number: GB8825752A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Zimmermann; Guenter Wolf
Original assignee: Kombinat Polygraph Werner Lamberz VEB; Polygraph Leipzig Kombinat Veb
Current assignee: Kombinat Polygraph Werner Lamberz VEB; Polygraph Leipzig Kombinat Veb
Priority date: 1987-11-04
Filing date: 1988-11-03
Publication date: 1989-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-03
Also published as: GB8825752D0; GB2211828B; DD265606A1; DE3836984A1; JPH01156274A

Description

SHEET DEPOSIT MEANS 2 2 2 The present invention relates to sheet deposit

means, for example sheet deposit means at a sheet treating and processing machine.

An intermediate stacking device at a sheet processing machine is disclosed in DE-AS 12 31 721. When the sheet stack has reached the desired height, it is necessary to carry out a stack change. In that case, a non-stop roller blind conveyor, on which the sheets are deposited temporarily, is moved out above the sheet stack. After the stack change has taken place, the empty stack table is driven below the conveyor. This is thereafter wound up, in the manner of a roller blind, out of the sheet deposit region and the formed intermediate stack is lowered onto the stack plate. In that case, a movement of the sheets takes place relative to one another due to the different heights of the conveyor and the stack plate, which acts negatively on, for example colour-printed sheets with sensitive colour-intensive printing, in that this can smear.

In addition, a device for exchanging of sheet stacks during the running of the machine is disclosed in DR 864 400. Rods are pushed in between a sheet layer as closely as possible to the upDer edge of the stack and form a comb. Thereafter, support transoms are raised against this comb so that a small stack can be deposited on this comb. In the meantime, the full loaded stack plate is replaced by an empty one and again moved below the comb until this rests on the stack plate and the individual rods can be removed. 25 As further variant, the possibility exists of replacing the combforming rods by a stack plate. The disadvantage of both forms of equipment is that either only - 2 one of the variants can be built in or that, on installation of both variants, different initial drop heights result for each variant, which make necessary an adaptation of stack limiting elements and safety circuits. Only one variant at a time can be adapted to the optimum 5 initial drop height.

There is thus a need for sheet deposit means able to provide a sheet deposit which, for example, does not prejudice the quality of printing on the sheets and which may need only a small effort in the case of changeover. In particular, such a sheet deposit should preferably make it possible to stack sheets selectably onto a rollerblind type conveyor or onto a stack support plate with equal initial drop height.

According to the present invention there is provided sheet deposit means comprising a roller-blind type sheet conveyor guided at each of its lateral edges in upper and lower guide rails and movable above a stacking zone, and carrier means for a stack support plate, the carrier means being attached to the lower guide rails.

In a preferred embodiment, the sheet deposit means, which may be part of sheet handling means including a sheet treating or process- ing machine, serves for reception of sheets which are conveyed out of the machine, by means of a nonstop roller blind conveyor, which is guided at both sides in the guide rails and introducible above a sheet stack, an attachment device for the insertion of stack plates being attachably associated with the lower guide rail of the conveyor and preferably extending between the upper and the lower guide rail. The attachment device preferably comprises a respective base member attached to each lower guide rail, a plate carrier rail connected to the base 3 member by a plurality of angle levers which are pivotable to displace the base member relative to the guide rail, and displacing means connect ed by a coupling link to the levers and operable to pivot the levers against a resilient bias.

The displacing means may comprise a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit and the bias may be provided by a spring connected between the base member and the coupling link.

Preferably, the carrier rail is arranged to be movable between a first position for receiving a stack support plate and a second position clear of the location of such plate when carried by the carrier rail.

An advantage of sheet deposit means embodying the invention is that stacklimiting elements required for stack formation, as well as safety circuits,do not require adaptation, since the initial drop height remains unchanged.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particular ly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of sheet deposit means embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of an attachment device of the sheet deposit means; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section along the line A-A of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown sheet deposit means which, for sheet deposit in the case of non-stop stack change, is equipped with a non-stop roller blind conveyor 23. The arrangement and course of movement of the conveyor are not explained more closely, since these are explained in DE-AS 12 31 721. In the case of deposit of sheets with colour-sensitive printing, an inserted auxiliary table serves as the final stack plate and attachment devices 21 are provided for the insertion of stack plates 5 and 5.1.

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the sheet deposit means with stack base plate 2, which hangs on chains 1 and on which sheets 3 are deposited to form a sheet stack 4. Fig. 1 also shows a part of one of the attachment devices 21 according to the invention. The plate extended over the stack 4 is provided at both sides with guide pins 7.1 and 7.2 and is guided in receiving rails 9. Auxiliary fingers 22 are arranged above the stack 4. The further plate 5.1, which is disposed in a setting of readiness, is arranged outside the sheet deposit region. This plate is in turn associated with guide rails 8 arranged at both sides. Also present is a shaft 6 with front abutments 20 mounted thereon, the shaft being illustrated in tilted-down setting.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of one of the attachment devices 21, which is secured by screws 10 to a lower guide rail 8.1 and serves for the reception of the plate 5. The devices 21, each consisting of the parts 9 to 19, are arranged to be mountable and demountable as a complete sub-assemblies at both sides of the stacking region between the guide rails 8, which receive a nonstop roller blind conveyor 23 and which each comprise an upper guide rail 8.2 and a lower guide 8.1. The receiving rails 9 for the plate 5, in particular its guide pins 7.1 and 7. 2, are arranged between the guide rails 8 to be displaceable 291 outwardly out of the guide region of the plate. In effect, each rail 9 is constructed as a coupler of a double rocker of the respective device 21, each device comprising fulcrum pins 12.2 and 13.2, first and second angle levers 12 and 13 with drive arms 12.1 and 12.2 respect ively, and pivot pins 12.3 and 13.3. The fulcrum pins 12.2 and 13.2 are firmly connected with support plates 12.4 and 13.4 supporting the respective rail 9. The levers 12 and 13 are connected by means of further pivot pins 12.5 and 13.5 with a coupler 14, which is connected by a pivot pin 15.1 with a drive lever 15 pivotable about a fulcrum pin 15.3 on a bearing block 15.4. The piston rod 16 of the single acting pneumatic piston-cylinder unit 17 is connected by a second hinge pin 15.2 with the lever 15, the unit 17 being mounted on a holder 17.2 by way of a pivot pin 17.1. A tension spring 18 acting against the unit 17 is connected between the coupler 14 and a bracket 19. The support plates 12.4 and 13.4, the bearing block 15.4, the holder 17.2 and the bracket 19 are all fastened to a common base member 11. The base member 11 is fastened bv the screws 10 to the lower guide rail 8.1.

In use, printed sheets 3 are conveyed by the grippers of the sheet deposit to the deposit zone and deposited on the sheet stack 4. When the stack 4 has reached the desired height, a limited lowering step of the stack 4 is initiated by a pulse, the auxiliary fingers 22 are pivoted inwardly and the conveyed sheets deposit thereon. The front abutments 20 are pivoted into the operative setting of the sample sheet removal, whereafter the stack plate 5.1 disposed in the setting of readiness is pushed by means of the laterally mounted guide pins 7.1 and 7.2 through the guide rails 8 into the receiving rails 9. The front abutments 20 are pivoted back into their basic setting and the auxiliary fingers 22 free the sheets 3 received in the meantime. These are deposited on the inserted stack plate 5. The emptied stack base plate 2 is again driven upwardly until the stack plate in the receiving 6 rails 9 is lifted out with the formed stack 4. The lifting of the stack is stopped by way of a scanning device (not shown). Subsequently, the receiving rails 9 are drawn out of the stack plate region. For this purpose, the pneumatic system of each piston-cylinder unit 17 is switched off and the associated tension spring 18 comes into action, so as to draw the rails 9 by way of the angle levers out of the stack plate region. The forming sheet stack 4 is lowered bywayof a stack height scanning device (not shown).

Subsequently, a new stack plate 5.1 is brought into the setting of readiness.

Each rail 9 is brought back into the initial setting for the insertion of the stack plate 5 by the switching-on of the pneumatic systems. In that case, the piston rod 16 of each unit 17 is extended, the angle lever 15 is pivoted about the pin 15.3 and the coupler 14 is displaced in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the coupler being illustrated in Fig. 2 in one end position. The angle levers 12 and 13 are pivoted about the pins 12.2 and 13.2 and push the rail 9, which rests on the support plates 12.4 and 13.4, into the receiving region of the stack plate 5. The tension spring 18 is tensioned in that case.

W

Claims

- 7 CLAIMS

1 Sheet deposit means comprising a roller-blind type sheet conveyor guided at each of its lateral edges in upper and lower guide rails and movable above a stacking zone, and carrier means for a stack support 5 plate, the carrier means being attached to the lower guide rails.

2. Sheet deposit means as claimed in claim 1, the carrier means being arranged to extend between the upper and lower guide rails.

3. Sheet deposit means as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, the carrier means comprising a respective base member attached to each lower guide rail, a plate carrier rail connected to the base member by a plurality of angle levers which are pivotable to displace the base member relative to the guide rail, and displacing means connected by a coupling link to the levers and operable to pivot the levers against a resilient bias.

4. Sheet deposit means as claimed in claim 3, the displacing means comprising a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit.

5. Sheet deposit means as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4, the bias being provided by a spring connected between the base member and the coupling link.

6. Sheet deposit means as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 5, wherein the carrier rail is arranged to be movable between a first position for 8 receiving a stack support plate and a second position clear of the location of such plate when carried by the carrier rail.

7. Sheet deposit means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Sheet handling means comprising a sheet treating or processing means and sheet deposit means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the conveyor being arranged to convey sheets out of the machine.

Published 1989 at The Patent Office. State House.6671 High Rolborn. London WC1R4TP- Further coples maybe obtained from The Patent OfElce. Sales Branch. St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent 13PF: =R: PrinLed by Muluplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray. Kent. Con. 1187