JP3452087B2 - Signature sorting device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a signature sorting device for separating a predetermined number of signatures from a signature bundle composed of a plurality of signatures. This signature sorting device is used, for example, when supplying a predetermined number of signatures to a bookbinding machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a signature sorting device as described above,
The applicant of the present invention has proposed the following signature sorting device in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-286284. In this signature sorting apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, a bundle of signatures 8 is placed on a first table 51 and a second table 52, and the second table 52 is attached to the table 51 as indicated by arrow A. Move diagonally upward. At this time, the second table 5
The part of the signature bundle that is placed on the table 2 moves in parallel with the second table 52, and as a result, a wedge-shaped space R is formed at the lower end of the signature bundle.

Below the first table 51 and the second table 52, there is provided in advance a signature separating device 53 capable of reciprocating linear movement in the vertical direction in the figure. By moving upwards across 51 and 52 to enter the space R, and further protruding upward, the folded bundle of sheets is separated into the left and right sides of the drawing. However, in this signature sorting apparatus, as shown in FIG.
The rear portion 8b of the signature 8 which is moved in parallel with the second table 52 and is divided by the second table 52 is moved to the second portion by its own weight and elastic restoring force.
There is a problem in that the portion 8b which comes off the table 52 and returns to the inside of the space R is pushed and bent by the tip of the signature separating device 53 which moves upward as shown in FIG. It was

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional signature sorting apparatus, and is a signature projecting across a table on which a signature bundle is placed. In the signature sorting device that separates the bundle of signatures by the separating device, it is possible to prevent the signature from colliding with the tip of the signature separating device and to be bent, so that the signatures can always be sorted accurately. The purpose is to

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a signature sorting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a main table on which a bundle of signatures is placed in an upright arrangement and a relative table with respect to the main table. A sorting table that forms a space at the bottom of the signature bundle by moving, a signature separating means that moves so as to enter the above space across the signature mounting surface of the main table, and a movement of the signature separating means. It is characterized in that it has a stopper that is arranged on the road and that moves between a retracted position that retracts to the back side of the sorting table and a projecting position that projects to the signature mounting surface side of the sorting table.

The movement form of the stopper is not limited to a particular form, but, for example, a movement form in which the stopper is rotated around a rotation fulcrum located on the back side of the sorting table can be adopted.

The structure of the stopper itself is not limited to a specific one, but it can be composed of, for example, a stopper belt which is an endless belt which rotates and rotates. The stopper belt is rotated and rotated so that the traveling side in contact with the signature moves in the direction from the signature toward the sorting table. When a stopper belt is used, a drive roller is arranged on the back surface side of the sorting table, and the stopper belt can be rotated by making contact with the drive roller.

[0008]

When the sorting table moves with respect to the main table, a space is formed at the bottom of the signature bundle placed on the main table. The signature separating means is inserted into the space, and is further moved through the signature to separate the signature bundle into two bundles. When the sorting table moves to form a space at the bottom of the bundle of signatures, the stopper projects toward the signature mounting surface of the sorting table. As a result, the rear lower end of the signature that moves together with the sorting table is prevented from backing back due to the elastic restoring force or the like by the stopper, and the signature is prevented from coming off the sorting table. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leading end of the signature separating means that enters the signature bundle from colliding with the signature.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a signature sorting device according to the present invention. This signature sorting device has a main table 1, a sorting table 2 and a signature separating device 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the main table 1 is composed of two flat plates which are arranged in parallel with each other with a space therebetween, and the sorting table 2 is arranged between the main tables 1. Further, the signature separating device 4 is located between the sorting tables 2.

The signature separating device 4, as shown in FIG.
It is connected to an air cylinder 22 and is driven by the air cylinder to reciprocate up and down in the vertical direction in the drawing.
In FIG. 1, the sorting table 2 is connected to an air cylinder 6, and is driven by the air cylinder to reciprocally move parallel to the main table 1 in an obliquely vertical direction as indicated by an arrow BB ′. A support plate 16 is provided on the left side above the main table 1 so as to be movable in parallel in the horizontal direction in the drawing.
A holding plate 9 driven by an air cylinder 11 is arranged on the upper right side of the main table 1, and a holding unit 20 is provided at the lower end of the holding plate 9. The presser unit 20 includes a lower presser plate 10 which is rotatable around a fulcrum 13, and the lower presser plate 10.
And an air cylinder 12 that drives to open and close.

The plurality of signatures 8 are arranged on the main table 1 in an upright state in a state of being sandwiched between the support plate 16 and the pressing plate 9. Further, the lower end portion of the right side surface of the bundle of signatures 8 is pressed by the lower pressing plate 10. The signatures 8 are arranged with the fold side down and the spread side up.

The signature separating device 4, as shown in FIG.
A side plate 26 that is long in the vertical direction, three rotatable rollers 27, 28, 29 provided on the upper end of the side plate 26, and the side plate 2
6, two rollers 30 and 31 provided at the lower part of 6, a separation belt 32 that is stretched between two upper and lower rollers 27 and 30 on the left side, and two upper and lower rollers 29 and 31 on the right side and the uppermost position. And a separation belt 33 hung between the rollers 28.

The side plate 26 is an air cylinder 22 shown in FIG.
It is reciprocated in the vertical direction of FIG. 5, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the main table 1 by being driven by. The left and right separation belts 32 and 33 are fixed to machine frames 34a and 34b whose positions are immovable by bolts 35, respectively. The separation belts 32 and 33 are in surface contact with each other under pressure between the upper left roller 27 and the uppermost roller 28.

As shown in FIG. 4, a stopper unit 21 is provided between the sorting tables 2 facing each other. This stopper unit 21 is, as shown in FIG.
Stopper body 2 that is rotatable around the rotation fulcrum 14
3, a stopper belt 3 that is rotatably wound around the stopper body 23, an air cylinder 5 that rotates the stopper body 23, and a drive roller 7 that contacts one end of the stopper belt 3. is doing. The drive roller 7 is driven by a drive source (not shown) such as a motor to rotate. Following the rotation of the drive roller 7, the stopper belt 3 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing as indicated by arrow D. Instead of the driving roller 7, a drum-shaped, disc-shaped, or cylindrical driving member 7 having the same shape as the driving roller 7 but not rotating can be used. In this case, when the stopper body 23 circulates around the drive member, the stopper belt 3 circulates as indicated by an arrow D due to the frictional force between the stopper belt 3 and the drive member 7. According to this method, a drive source for rotating the drive roller 7 is not required, so that the structure is extremely simple.

The operation of the signature sorting apparatus having the above structure will be described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the sorting table 2, that is, the signature mounting surface is arranged at the same position as or slightly lower than the upper surface of the main table 1, that is, the signature mounting surface. The figure shows a state in which the sorting table 2 is arranged slightly below the main table 1.

In this state, a plurality of signatures 8 are placed on the main table 1, and the signature bundle is held by being pressed by the support plate 16 and the pressing plate 9 from the left and right in the figure. Also,
The lower part of the right side surface of the signature bundle is pressed by the lower presser plate 10 of the presser unit 20. At this time, in each of the signatures 8 forming the bundle of signatures, the fold portion side faces downward and the spread side faces upward. The swelling of the fold portion of each signature 8 is crushed by pressing the bundle of signatures by the pressing members of the support plate 16, the pressing plate 9 and the lower pressing plate 10, and each signature 8 is firmly held in a vertical state. It

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower presser plate 10 is driven by the air cylinder 12 to move the fulcrum 13
Rotate counterclockwise around. At the same time, the sorting table 2 is driven by the air cylinder 6 to move in parallel diagonally upward as indicated by the arrow B to separate a predetermined number of folds (ie, bottoms) on the right side of the signature 8. Begin to. After a short delay, the stopper belt 3 is driven by the air cylinder 5 to rotate and move in the clockwise direction (direction of arrow E) in the figure, and protrudes to the upper surface of the sorting table 2, that is, the signature stacking surface side. Since the stopper belt 3 is in contact with the driving roller 7, it rotates around the fulcrum 14 while rotating in the clockwise direction (arrow D direction) in the figure. A parallel movement of the sorting table 2 and a rotational movement of the stopper belt 3 in the E direction form a wedge-shaped space R at the bottom of the bundle of signatures 8.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the sorting table 2 and the stopper belt 3 are moved to a position away from the ascending / descending movement path of the signature separating device 4 to greatly expand the space R. Then, driven by the air cylinder 22, the signature separating device 4 rises and enters the space R, and further penetrates the signature bundle in the vertical direction. By this upward movement of the signature separating device 4, the signature bundle is separated into two bundles, a sorting bundle 8c placed on the sorting table 2 and an original bundle 8d remaining on the main table 1. Sorting bundle 8
c is a desired number of copies of the signature bundle. The pressing plate 9 moves backward immediately after the signature separating device 4 enters the space R. The separated sorting bundle 8c is then sandwiched by, for example, a robot hand (not shown), and then carried to a predetermined storage position of, for example, a bookbinding machine (not shown).

As the signature separator 4 moves up through the bundle of signatures, in FIG. 5, each of the five rollers 27-31 translates upward together with the side plate 26. Then, the left belt 32 is gradually stretched above the main table 1 while being stretched over the left roller pair 27, 30. At the same time, the right belt 33 gradually extends above the main table 1 while being stretched over the right roller pair 29, 31 and the uppermost roller 28. Since the belts 32 and 33 are themselves fixed to the machine frames 34a and 34b, when the entire signature separating device 4 penetrates between the original bundle 8d and the sorting bundle 8c of the signature bundle and rises. , Each belt 3
Although 2 and 33 respectively rotate around the side plate 26, they maintain surface contact with the side surfaces of the original bundle 8d and the sorting bundle 8c without having a relative speed. As a result, the aligned state of the signatures 8 is not disturbed by the signature separating device 4 moving upward.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the sorting table 2 is moved obliquely upward to form the space R in the lower part of the signature bundle, the stopper belt 3 is placed from the lower position of the sorting table 2 to its upper surface. Stick out to the side. The protruding stopper belt 3 prevents the rear lower end of the sorting bundle 8c, which moves on the sorting table 2 from moving away from the sorting table 2 and returning to the space R. , A signature separating device 4 that moves upward
The upper end of the sheet reliably prevents the signature 8 from being bent or damaged.

Further, since the stopper belt 3 is provided on the ascending / descending movement path of the signature separating device 4, the signature bundle 8
It is possible to reliably prevent the lower end of the rear side of c from colliding with the signature separating device 4. Moreover, since the stopper belt 3 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2, that is, the traveling side in contact with the lower rear end of the bundle of signatures 8c moves in the direction from the signature 8 toward the sorting table 2, The sorting bundle 8c is not pushed upward by the stopper belt 3 above the sorting table 2, so that
It is possible to reliably prevent the rear lower end of the signature bundle 8c from jumping out toward the signature separating device 4 side and hitting it.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.
For example, the configuration of the signature separating device 4 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

[0024]

According to the signature sorting apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the signatures are prevented from colliding with the leading edge of the signature separating device from being bent or broken, so that the signatures are always accurately. Can be sorted.

According to the signature sorting apparatus of the second aspect, it is possible to prevent the signature bundle, particularly the stopper belt from hitting the lower end of the sorting bundle, without damaging the signature.

According to the signature sorting apparatus of the third aspect, when the space R for sorting is formed at the bottom of the bundle of signatures, the sorting bundle, especially the lower end of the sorting bundle is pushed upward by the stopper belt. This can reliably prevent the signature on the sorting bundle side from returning to the sorting space R and hitting the tip of the signature separating device.

According to the signature sorting device of the fourth aspect, the structure of the stopper belt itself can be made very simple even when the stopper belt is rotated and rotated.

According to the signature sorting device of the fifth aspect, when the signature separating means penetrates the signature bundle, the signature bundle is prevented from being damaged or being crumpled by the separation belt. it can.

[0029]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an embodiment of a signature sorting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a sorting space is formed at a bottom portion of a folded bundle in the same signature sorting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the signature separating device enters the bundle of signatures and sorts them in the signature sorting apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the signature sorting device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing an example of a signature separating device.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a main part of a conventional signature sorting device.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing a state in which a separation error has occurred at the bottom of the folded bundle in the conventional device shown in FIG.

8 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bottom portion of the signature is erroneously bent in the conventional apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Main table 2 Sorting table 3 Stopper belt 4 signature separator 5 Air cylinder 6 Air cylinder 7 drive roller 8 signatures 8b Rear lower end of folded bundle 8c sorting bundle 8d original bundle 9 Presser plate 10 Lower presser plate 11 Air cylinder 12 Air cylinder 13 fulcrum 14 rotation fulcrum 16 Support plate 20 Presser unit 21 Stopper unit 23 Stopper body

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-5-85660 (JP, A) JP-A-5-221577 (JP, A) JP-A-5-85661 (JP, A) JP-A-57- 112266 (JP, A) JP 52-20126 (JP, A) JP 5-286285 (JP, A) JP 5-104884 (JP, A) JP 5-286284 (JP, A) Actual Kaihei 6-29864 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B42C 1/00-1/12

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. In a signature sorting device for separating a predetermined number of signatures from a signature bundle composed of a plurality of signatures, a main table on which the signature bundles are placed in an upright arrangement, and a relative table to the main table. Table for sorting to form a space under the bundle of signatures by moving automatically, a signature separating means for moving so as to enter the above space across the signature mounting surface of the main table, and a signature separating means And a stopper that moves between a retracted position that retracts to the back side of the sorting table and a protruding position that projects to the signature mounting surface side of the sorting table. A signature sorting device. 2. The signature sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stopper rotates between a retracted position and a projected position by rotating around a rotation fulcrum located on the back side of the sorting table. A signature sorting device. 3. The signature sorting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stopper is a stopper belt that is rotatably rotated so that a traveling side in contact with the signature moves in a direction from the signature to the sorting table. A signature sorting device having: 4. The signature sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the stopper belt is rotated by contacting a driving roller arranged on the back side of the sorting table. 5. The signature sorting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the signature separating means is a side plate that moves up and down with respect to the main table, and a relative side plate. A signature sorting apparatus having a separating belt that is rotated by a circular movement but does not move relative to the signature.