GB2412104A - Plural parallel conveyors with adjustable relative positions - Google Patents

Plural parallel conveyors with adjustable relative positions Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2412104A
GB2412104A GB0406021A GB0406021A GB2412104A GB 2412104 A GB2412104 A GB 2412104A GB 0406021 A GB0406021 A GB 0406021A GB 0406021 A GB0406021 A GB 0406021A GB 2412104 A GB2412104 A GB 2412104A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
tabs
track
document
handling apparatus
documents
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0406021A
Other versions
GB0406021D0 (en
Inventor
Robert Oliver Iddon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PFE International Ltd
Original Assignee
PFE International Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by PFE International Ltd filed Critical PFE International Ltd
Priority to GB0406021A priority Critical patent/GB2412104A/en
Publication of GB0406021D0 publication Critical patent/GB0406021D0/en
Publication of GB2412104A publication Critical patent/GB2412104A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
    • B65G15/10—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
    • B65G15/30—Belts or like endless load-carriers
    • B65G15/32—Belts or like endless load-carriers made of rubber or plastics
    • B65G15/42—Belts or like endless load-carriers made of rubber or plastics having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections
    • B65G15/44—Belts or like endless load-carriers made of rubber or plastics having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections for impelling the loads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G17/00—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface
    • B65G17/26—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface comprising a series of co-operating units, e.g. interconnected by pivots
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/02—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
    • B65H39/04—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles
    • B65H39/043—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles the piles being disposed in juxtaposed carriers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/02—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
    • B65H39/04—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles
    • B65H39/055—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources from piles by collecting in juxtaposed carriers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2220/00—Function indicators
    • B65H2220/09—Function indicators indicating that several of an entity are present
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/43—Gathering; Associating; Assembling
    • B65H2301/435—Gathering; Associating; Assembling on collecting conveyor
    • B65H2301/4353—Gathering; Associating; Assembling on collecting conveyor with compartments, e.g. the articles being substantially horizontal in each compartment
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
    • B65H2404/20—Belts
    • B65H2404/23—Belts with auxiliary handling means
    • B65H2404/232—Blade, plate, finger
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
    • B65H2404/20—Belts
    • B65H2404/26—Particular arrangement of belt, or belts
    • B65H2404/264—Arrangement of side-by-side belts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/10—Size; Dimensions
    • B65H2511/11—Length

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
  • Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)

Abstract

Document handling apparatus comprises a track 3 and at least one document storage hopper, the track comprising at least one group of conveyor belts 9, 10, each group comprising a first belt with a plurality of upstanding first tabs 5 thereon, and a second belt with a plurality of upstanding second tabs 5 thereon, and means to move the second belt relative to the first to move the first tabs relative to the second tabs. First means may be provided for driving the first belt and independent second means may be provided for driving the second belt. Alternatively, means 15 may be provided for driving both belts and a clutch 16 may be provided which may be disengaged to allow the first belt to be driven independently of the second belt.

Description

Document Assembly Apparatus
Description
The present invention relates to apparatus for assembling documents, for example for assembling documents for bulk mailings, such as when a letter and various additional documents are to be mailed in the same envelope.
Traditionally, such documents are assembled by means of a track continuously running past several different hoppers loaded with the documents. The hoppers are synchronized with the track such that documents from each hopper are dispensed onto the moving track at predetermined intervals so as to form successive stacks of the relevant documents to be mailed. The stacks are moved along the track by upstanding pawls or tabs at fixed spaced intervals along the track. At the end of the track each stack is inserted into an envelope to be mailed to the intended recipient. Generally the hopper at the furthest, upstream, end of the track dispenses a document first, and subsequent hoppers dispense successive documents on top of the stack. The hopper at the near, downstream, end contains appropriately sized envelopes into which the stack of documents is inserted.
Traditionally the hoppers are spaced one from the other, and the upstanding tabs are spaced along the track, by at least the maximum length of insert document measured in the direction of travel of the insert, so that the machine can accommodate any range of document sizes up to this maximum. However, such a machine is inefficient when a series of short documents are to be stacked and inserted into envelopes since, with a fixed l maximum paper travel speed, only the same number of packages can be assembled. The machine would be more productive if the pitch of the assembly line could be adapted to the length of the document to be assembled. For example the ideal pitch would be just slightly larger than the insert that is being assembled. This would minimise the dead time, i.e. the time that the track is moving itself but not moving paper.
According to the present invention there is provided a document handling apparatus comprising a document moving track, and at least one document storage hopper for dispensing documents onto the track, wherein the track comprises at least one group of conveyor belts comprising a first conveyor belt having a plurality of upstanding first tabs at spaced intervals along its length, and a second conveyor belt having a plurality of upstanding second tabs at spaced intervals along its length, and means for moving the first conveyor belt relative to the second conveyor belt to move the first tabs to a position spaced from the second tabs.
According to one embodiment of the invention there is provided first means for driving the first conveyor belt and second independent means for driving the second conveyor belt.
Alternatively means are provided for driving both the first and the second conveyor belts and a clutch connects the first and second belts. The clutch can be disengaged so that the first belt can be driven independently of the second belt to move the first tabs out of alignment with the second tabs.
Hoppers are preferably provided to store and release documents and envelopes onto the track.
Preferably two laterally spaced groups of conveyor belts are provided.
Sensors may be incorporated for measuring the length of the documents and controlling the relative positions of the first and second tabs in dependence thereon.
An assembly arrangement according to the present invention is more efficient and flexible than hitherto known systems.
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la and lb show a traditional document assembly apparatus operating with long documents in figure la and short documents in figure lb. Figure 2 shows apparatus according to the present invention in side view, used for short documents.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the track and one embodiment of a drive mechanism for the apparatus of figure 2 in a first operational mode.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the track and one embodiment of a drive mechanism of the apparatus of figure 2 in a second operational mode.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the track and a second embodiment of a drive mechanism of the apparatus of figure 2 in the first operational mode.
Figures la and lb show a known system for assembling documents into stacks 4 ready for insertion into an envelope 6. A set of documents is stored in each of the two hoppers l and 2 and individual documents are transferred at predetermined intervals to a moving track 3 so that each document from hopper l falls on top of a respective document from hopper 2. A third hopper 3 stores envelopes of an appropriate size depending upon the size of the documents in hoppers l and 2 and releases an envelope 6 at a suitable time so that a stack of documents 4 from hoppers l and 2 can be inserted into it.
Each stack 4 of documents is separated by an upstanding drive pawl or tab 5 fixed to or integral with the track 3 which drives the stack along, on the track 3, and prevents the respective stack slipping back on the track. These tabs 5 are spaced at fixed intervals along the track 3.
In figure lb shorter documents, approximately half the length of those in figure la, are placed in each of the hoppers l and 2 and appropriately sized shorter envelopes 6 are placed in the envelope hopper 3. It will be seen from a comparison of figures la and lb that this apparatus works equally well for shorter documents but that there are relatively large expanses of the track 3 which are not being fully utilised. This is inefficient since shorter documents cannot be assembled more quickly than larger ones for any given track speed.
Figure 2 shows apparatus adapted according to the invention. Again reservoirs of documents are placed in each of the hoppers l and 2 and envelopes 6 are placed in the hopper 3. In this case the tabs 5 are more frequently spaced, approximately at twice the pitch of those in figures la and lb along the track 3. Thus twice as many stacks of documents 4 can be accommodated in the same linear interval of the track 3. Thus the apparatus of figure 2 can operate at twice the speed of the apparatus of figures la and lb without increasing the speed of the track 3, and is thus more efficient.
Figure 3 shows in more detail the track 3 of figure 2.
The track 3 comprises two laterally spaced groups of conveyer belts, in this case two pairs 9, lO. Each of the four belts 9, lO has separate upstanding tabs 5 mounted at intervals along the belt. The belts are driven on pulleys It mounted to a shaft 12 which is driven by drive belts 13 connected to a motor via a gear arrangement 15 in a known manner. In figure 3 the tabs 5 on each of the four conveyer belts 9, lO are aligned.
Thus the spacing between each set of tabs 5 along the track 3 is at a maximum and the largest length of paper or document can be accommodated.
In figure 4 the same arrangement is shown in which the tabs 5 on one of each pair of conveyer belts are spaced from the tabs 5 on the other of each pair. Specifically, as illustrated, the tabs 5 on the outer belts of each pair 9, lO are aligned with each other and the tabs 5 on the inner belt of each pair are also aligned with each other but spaced from the tabs on the outer belts. This arrangement would be suitable for use with short documents and would achieve the effect shown in figure 2.
The arrangement shown in figures 3 and 4 uses one of each pair 9, lO of the belts as main tracks 9 and the other of each pair 9, lO as slave tracks. In this case the main track is formed by the outer belts of each pair and the slave track is formed by the inner belts of each pair. The slave tracks are connected to the main tracks by means of a clutch 16. The clutch 16 can be disengaged to move the slave tracks forward by half the distance between successive tabs 5, as shown in figure 4, so that successive tabs 5 of the track 3 as a whole are positioned at half the separation of the tabs on a single belt. The clutch 16 is then re-engaged such that all of the belts move together, even though the tabs 5 are out of alignment. This is shown in figure 4.
Shown in figure 5 is an arrangement in which each of the belts of a pair, i.e. each of the track sections is driven independently. For example a motor 18 drives the outer belts of each pair 9, 10 and a motor 19 drives the inner belts of each pair 9, 10. The motors 18, 19 can drive the belts so that the tabs 5 are either aligned (as in figures 3 and 5) or nonaligned (as in figure 4).
More than two conveyor belts may form each group, for example to cope efficiently with a wider range of lengths of documents. If each group 9, 10 comprises three belts, and each have equally spaced tabs, then documents of a range down to one I third of the maximum length can be efficiently handled.
Sensors and detectors can be arranged along the tracks or in the hoppers in relevant positions to determine the length of a document and/or the length of an envelope, and a control system can be incorporated, for example to control the positions of the tabs 5 in dependence upon the length of the document or the envelope as sensed in one or more of the hoppers, or as sensed on the track 3.

Claims (9)

1. A document handling apparatus comprising a track for carrying documents, and at least one document storage hopper for dispensing documents onto the track, wherein the track comprises at least one group of conveyor belts comprising a first conveyor belt having a plurality of upstanding first tabs at spaced intervals along its length and a second conveyor belt having a plurality of upstanding second tabs at spaced intervals along its length, and means for moving the first conveyor belt relative to the second conveyor belt to move the first tabs to a position spaced from the second tabs.
2. A document handling apparatus according to claim 1 comprising first means for driving the first conveyor belt and second independent means for driving the second conveyor belt.
3. A document handling apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for driving both the first and the second conveyor belts and a clutch connecting the first and second belts and wherein the moving means comprises means to disengage the clutch so that the driving means can drive the first belt independently of the second belt to move the first tabs out of alignment with the second tabs.
4. A document handling apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising an envelope hopper, and means for inserting documents into envelopes and wherein the document hopper is arranged to release documents onto the conveyor belt upstream of the means for inserting.
5. A document handling apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the track comprises a second group of conveyor belts laterally spaced from the first group.
6. A document handling apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims comprising means for sensing the length of at least one document.
7. A document handling apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6 comprising means for sensing the length of an envelope.
8. A document handling apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7 comprising means for controlling the relative positions of the first and second tabs in dependence upon the output of at least one of the document or envelope sensing means.
9. A document handling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 2 and figures 3 and 4 or figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
GB0406021A 2004-03-17 2004-03-17 Plural parallel conveyors with adjustable relative positions Withdrawn GB2412104A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0406021A GB2412104A (en) 2004-03-17 2004-03-17 Plural parallel conveyors with adjustable relative positions

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0406021A GB2412104A (en) 2004-03-17 2004-03-17 Plural parallel conveyors with adjustable relative positions

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0406021D0 GB0406021D0 (en) 2004-04-21
GB2412104A true GB2412104A (en) 2005-09-21

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Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011010169A1 (en) * 2009-07-24 2011-01-27 Quin Systems Limited Apparatus and method for collating products
EP2527275A1 (en) * 2011-05-24 2012-11-28 Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach Drive device, conveyor apparatus and method of using
EP2810882A1 (en) * 2013-06-05 2014-12-10 Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller GmbH & Co. KG Multiple traction belt apparatus and packaging plant
EP2098867A3 (en) * 2008-03-07 2015-03-18 Sysmex Corporation Analyzer and transportation device
CN105836369A (en) * 2016-04-27 2016-08-10 太仓宝达齿条有限公司 Recovery device for waste gears
EP3127838A3 (en) * 2015-07-17 2017-05-03 CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA Object recording device for reception and dispensing of objects
IT201700052420A1 (en) * 2017-05-15 2018-11-15 Blue Team Tech S R L TRAY CONVEYOR MACHINE.

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1159847A (en) * 1997-08-20 1999-03-02 Sony Corp Conveyer
US20020056610A1 (en) * 2000-10-18 2002-05-16 Seggern Jorn Von Conveyor apparatus

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1159847A (en) * 1997-08-20 1999-03-02 Sony Corp Conveyer
US20020056610A1 (en) * 2000-10-18 2002-05-16 Seggern Jorn Von Conveyor apparatus

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2098867A3 (en) * 2008-03-07 2015-03-18 Sysmex Corporation Analyzer and transportation device
EP3650865A1 (en) * 2008-03-07 2020-05-13 Sysmex Corporation Analyzer and transportation device
WO2011010169A1 (en) * 2009-07-24 2011-01-27 Quin Systems Limited Apparatus and method for collating products
US8770911B2 (en) 2009-07-24 2014-07-08 Quin Systems Limited Apparatus and method for collating products
EP2527275A1 (en) * 2011-05-24 2012-11-28 Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach Drive device, conveyor apparatus and method of using
DE102011102432A1 (en) * 2011-05-24 2012-11-29 Weber Maschinenbau Gmbh Breidenbach driving device
EP2810882A1 (en) * 2013-06-05 2014-12-10 Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller GmbH & Co. KG Multiple traction belt apparatus and packaging plant
CN104229202A (en) * 2013-06-05 2014-12-24 莫迪维克贸易有限公司 Race track conveyor and packaging facility
US9096377B2 (en) 2013-06-05 2015-08-04 Multivac Sepp Haggenmueller Gmbh & Co. Kg Race track conveyor and packaging facility
EP3127838A3 (en) * 2015-07-17 2017-05-03 CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA Object recording device for reception and dispensing of objects
CN105836369A (en) * 2016-04-27 2016-08-10 太仓宝达齿条有限公司 Recovery device for waste gears
IT201700052420A1 (en) * 2017-05-15 2018-11-15 Blue Team Tech S R L TRAY CONVEYOR MACHINE.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0406021D0 (en) 2004-04-21

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)