WO1997007482A1

WO1997007482A1 - Sheet counting apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1997007482A1
Application number: PCT/SE1996/001008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Lundberg
Original assignee: Jan Lundberg
Priority date: 1995-08-15
Filing date: 1996-08-13
Publication date: 1997-02-27
Also published as: SE9502839L; SE515016C2; AU6759896A; SE9502839D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a sheet counting apparatus (1) comprising an overhung or cantilever tongue-like element (3) which is provided on one side thereof with a nozzle orifice (4) placed under subpressure and which is arranged to pivot so that when contacting a sheet corner (5) the corner will be sucked firmly to the element (3) and which during its continued movement separates the corner from the corner of a following sheet, wherein a cantilever corner strip-off pin (8, 8') is arranged to orbit the tongue-like element (3) so as to strip-off the firmly held sheet corner (5) and move the corner from the one side of the tongue-like element (3) to its other, opposite side, the number of sheets thus moved being counted by means of a counter means. The tongue-like element (3) and the corner strip-off pin (8, 8') project outwardly from the sheet counting apparatus (1) in mutually the same directions, wherein rows of sheet bundles are able to move freely past the sheet counting apparatus (1) for counting the nubmer of sheets in respective bundles, or wherein the sheet counting apparatus (1) is able to move past the sheet bundles to the same end.

Description

SHEET COUNTING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to sheet counting apparatus in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1.

Such sheet counting apparatus are known from U.S. 3,838,255, U.S. 3,962,564 and G.B. 2,106,871, for instance.

Hitherto, known sheet counting apparatus of the aforesaid kind are preferably intended for sheet bundles that are handled manually while lying on a horizontal supporting surface, such as a table, wherein one corner of the bundle is inserted manually into a V-shaped aperture in the sheet counter, located between the corner strip-off pin drive means and the tongue-like element drive means, wherein the corner strip-off pin and the tongue-like element project out from their respective drive means towards one another.

However, to enable automated handling of sheet bundles, it is desirable, when counting the sheets, that only this corner of the bundle need be moved to a position adjacent the sheet counter, and that the sheet bundle can then be transported in the same direction. It is therewith important that the corner of the sheet bundle need not be inserted into the sheet counter in order to count the number of sheets in said bundle and thereafter moved out of the counter for further transportation. It is also important that a) the sheet counter does not include components, such as drive means or the like, in the region of the direction in which the sheet bundle is transported, and that b) the counter has small dimensions, is of simple construction, is inexpensive in operation, and has a long useful life.

In order to achieve automated index cutting of flaps on sheet bundles, it has been found beneficial to transport the sheet in rows with the sheets hanging from their one edge (cf. SE

500 937), wherein the sheets are advanced along a path and pass a plurality of stations at which the bundles are stopped, the sheets counted and index cutting carried out. It is also desirable to be able to carry this out in a reverse manner, by moving the sheet counter past the sheet bundles for counting the sheets therein. Because the hitherto known sheet counting apparatus have the drawback that a corner of the sheet bundle must be inserted into a region located between the corner strip-off pin drive means and the tongue-like element drive means, it is not possible to transfer the bundles on the sheet counter in the manner envisaged by the present invention.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide sheet counting apparatus of the aforedefined kind which will enable a row of sheet bundles to move freely past the counter in counting the number of sheets in respective bundles, or conversely which will enable the sheet counter to be moved past the sheet bundles to the same end. This has not been possible with the sheet counting apparatus known hitherto, but has been made possible by the present invention which has the characteristic features set forth in the following Claims.

Publication WO A 91 20059 teaches a counter in which the tongue-like element and the corner strip-off pin are over¬ hung, or of cantilever construction, and project out from the counter in mutually the same direction. This counter differs from the inventive counter, however, by virtue of the fact that its tongue-like element does not pivot forwards and backwards in order to separate, or strip, sheets from a sheet bundle one by one. As a result, the known sheet counter has the limitation that the sheet bundles in which the sheets shall be counted must be handled while laying on a table, wherein in order to count the sheets it is necessary to rest one corner of the bundle on the stationary tongue-like element. The sheet counter taught by this publication cannot therefore be simply "lifted over" to the sheet counter according to the present patent document, wherein the bundle of sheets to be counted pass the counter while hanging from one edge.

Because the construction of the inventive sheet counter enables very high counting speeds to be achieved, it has been found suitable in certain cases to replace the mechanically operating pressure-sensing membrane with an optical sensing device which, in given instances, functions to register a mark that is provided on each sheet in conjunction with applying print thereto.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a side view of an inventive sheet counter mounted in its working position;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the sheet counter as seen in the direction of arrows A-A in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the sheet counter;

Fig. 4 illustrates schematically the path travelled by the counter-mounted corner strip-off pins around the tongue-like element, and also movement of the tongue-like element; and

Fig. 5 illustrates, similar to Fig. 4, the path travelled by the counter corner strip-off pins around the tongue-like element and the movement of the tongue-like element, although in smaller steps than in Fig. 4.

The sheet counter 1 illustrated in Figs. 1-3 includes generally an overhung or cantilever stator part 2 which pivotally carries a tongue-like element 3 which has provided on one side thereof a subpressure-adjusted nozzle orifice 4 and which is constructed to perform a swinging movement so that upon contact with one corner 5 of a sheet , the sheet corner will be sucked firmly to said element and during continued movement thereof will be separated or stripped from the corner of a following sheet. The counter 1 also includes a rotor part 6 which is joumalled for rotation about the stator part 2 and which carries two diametrically opposed, overhung corner strip-off pins 8, 8¹ rotatably mounted in respective bearings 7, 7¹ and movable around the tongue-like element 3 in a manner to strip-off the sheet corner 5 sucked against the tongue-like element and move said corner from one side of said element to its other, opposite side. Also included is a counter for counting the sheets thus stripped- off or moved.

The tongue-like element 3 and respective corner strip-off pins 8, 8¹ project from the sheet counter in mutually the same direction so as to enable rows of sheet bundles to move freely past the counter 1 for counting the sheets in respec- tive bundles, or to permit the sheet counter 1 to move past the sheet bundles to the same end.

The counting apparatus preferably comprises a programmable computer or microprocessor (not shown) which functions to count a predetermined number of sheets by registering or recording each sheet as it is sucked against the tongue-like element 3, through the medium of a pressure sensing membrane (not shown). The computer also functions to control an electric motor 9 which drives the sheet counter 1 and which carries on its output shaft 10 a rotationally fixed toothed pulley means 11 for coaction with a toothed drive belt 12 which engages with teeth on the periphery 13 of the rotor part so as to drive the rotor part 6 of the sheet counter 1. The motor 9 is preferably a stepping motor with which the number of rotations or partial rotations performed thereby can be counted with extreme accuracy and therewith compared and checked with the number of sheets counted by the counter in the sheet counting apparatus 1.

The stator part 2 has the form of a cylindrical body (see Fig. 3) having a lower base which projects out in the form of a cylindrical neck 13 which is concentrical with the stator part and the end part of which has an external screw thread 14 which enables the sheet counter to be mounted in an opening in a mounting plate 16 or the like and there held with the aid of a nut 15, as shown in Fig. 1.

Translation of the rotary movement of the rotor parts 6 to pivotal movement of the tongue-like element 3 arranged on the upper side of the stator part 2 is effected forcibly with the aid of an internally toothed ring 17 on the rotor part 6 (Fig. 3) which engages with and drives a toothed drive wheel 18 which is rotatably mounted on the stator part 2 and on which there is pivotally mounted a link arm 19 which is pivotally connected to the tongue-like element 3 such that the element, which is pivotally mounted at one end-edge, will be swung forwards and backwards during rotation of the drive wheel 18.

The tongue-like element 3 preferably comprises a flattened tube 19 whose one end 20 is closed and whose other end 21 is connected in an airtight fashion with a holder 22 that has a journal lug 23 which pivotally receives a pin 24 projecting out from the end of the stator part 2. The nozzle orifice 4 is connected with a pump means (not shown) connected to the sheet counter, via a cavity in the tongue-like element, a passageway 25 provided in the holder and the pin 24, and a bore 26 extending through the stator part 2. The pump means functions to generate a subpressure in the nozzle orifice 4, such that the tongue-like element 3 will suck a corner 5 of a sheet firmly to the tongue-like element 3 as said element swings reciprocatingly and makes contact with said corner, while continued movement of said element separates said corner from the corner of a following sheet.

As will be seen in Fig. 3, the rotor part 6 comprises a ring- like body in which diametrically opposed bores 27, 27' are provided as bearing housings for pivotally receiving a respective trunnion 28, 28', each carrying on one free end thereof a respective corner stripping pin 8 and 8' . The other free end of respective trunnions carries a respective toothed pulley 29 and 29', said pulleys being fixed against rotation on said other free end. Toothed drive belts 30, 30' extend between said pulleys and a further pulley 31 which is common to the toothed pulleys 29 and 29' and which is non-rotatably mounted on the end-part of said stator part. As the rotor part rotates about the stator part 2, the aforedescribed drive arrangement causes respective corner strip-off pins 8, 8' to encircle the tongue-like element 3 at the same time as said element is caused to rotate about its own axis X, X' via the toothed drive belts (see Figs. 3 and 4).

Each corner strip-off pin 8, 8" has the form of an angled arm whose one part 32, 32' is affixed to the end of its respec¬ tive trunnion and extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said trunnion, and whose other part 33, 33' extends outwardly from the sheet counter parallel with the rotational axis of the tongue-like element 3. As the trunnions 28, 28' rotate, the aforesaid other part 33, 33' of respective corner strip-off pins rotates in a path around an eccentric axle parallel with the tongue-like element 3. Respective corner strip-off pins 8, 8' are turned in mutually the same direc¬ tion during their movement around the tongue-like element 3 and pass close to the tongue-like element during a part of their circuitry or orbital movement so as to strip-off the corner 5 of a sheet held to said element by suction and move said corner from one side of said element 3 to its other, opposite side (see Fig. 5). As will be seen from Fig. 3, that part 32, 32' of respective corner stripping pins 8, 8' that is fixed to the ends of respective trunnions 28, 28' can be adjusted longitudinally by means of a radial receiving hole 33, 33' on one end of the trunnion and a setting screw 34, 34' provided on respective trunnions to this end, therewith enabling the path moved by respective corner strip-off pins around the tongue-like element 3 to be changed in accordance with the positional fixing of said pins. This arrangement enables the orbital path followed by respective corner strip-off pins 8, 8' to be changed so that transfer of the sheet corner 5 from said one side of the tongue-like element 3 to its other, opposite side will be guaranteed irrespective of the nature of the sheet (e.g. irrespective of sheets of mutually different weights and thicknesses or different rotational speeds of the sheet counter) .

Fig. 5 illustrates the orbital path travelled by the corner strip-off pins 8, 8' around the tongue-like element when the arms are set to a length of 26 mm, in steps of 10° to a rotational angle of 90° for respective corner strip-off pins around the tongue-like element 3. The Figure also shows the movement path of the tongue-like elements in steps of 20° to a rotational angle of 180°. It will be understood that in the case of the illustrated embodiment which includes two corner strip-off pins 8, 8', the tongue-like element will be synchronized to twice the speed of the corner strip-off pins 12.

The arrangement of two corner strip-off pins 8, 8' also enables the counter 1 to count two sheets with each revolu¬ tion when the pins are placed symmetrically, i.e. diametri¬ cally opposed to one another. Another advantage is that the centrifugal forces generated by said rotation are essentially balanced-out, therewith subjecting bearings and other movable parts to less wear than would otherwise be the case and enabling the counter to be operated at elevated rotational speeds.

It will be understood that the aforedescribed embodiments of the inventive sheet counting apparatus can be modified in many ways within the scope of the following Claims by one of normal skill in this art. For instance, it is conceivable to construct the apparatus to drive only one single corner strip-off pin or to drive more than two such pins around the tongue-like element.

Claims

1. Sheet counting apparatus (1) comprising an overhung or cantilever tongue-like element (3) which is provided on one side thereof with a nozzle orifice (4) placed under sub- pressure and which is arranged to pivot so that when contact¬ ing a sheet corner (5) the corner will be sucked firmly to said element (3), and which during its continued movement separates said corner from the corner of a following sheet, wherein a cantilever-mounted corner stripping pin (8, 8') is arranged to orbit the tongue-like element (3) so as to strip- off the firmly held sheet corner (5) and move said corner from said one side of the tongue-like element (3) to its other, opposite side, while counting the number of sheets thus moved sheet with the aid of counter means, characterized in that the tongue-like element (3) and the corner stripper pin (8, 8') project outwardly from the sheet counting apparatus (1) in mutually the same directions, wherein rows of sheet bundles with sheets hanging from one edge are able to move past the sheet counting apparatus (1) for counting the number of sheets in respective bundles, or wherein the sheet counting apparatus (1) is able to move past the sheet bundles for counting the number of sheets in respective bundles.

2. Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus includes a stator part (2) which carries the tongue-like element (3), and a rotor part (6) which is mounted in a bearing that rotatably carries the corner strip- off pin (8, 8') for driven rotation around the stator part, wherein rotation of the rotor part (6) causes the tongue-like element (3) to pivot; in that the corner strip-off pin (8, 8') extends parallel with the tongue-like element and is joumalled excentrically in the rotor part (6); and in that as the rotor rotates the corner strip-off pin orbits around the tongue-like element with the corner strip-off pin constantly facing in one and the same direction.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rotor part includes an internal toothed ring (17) for translating rotary movement of the rotor part (6) to pivotal movement of the tongue-like element (3), wherein the toothed ring (17) engages with and drives a rotatable toothed drive wheel (18) on the stator part, and wherein the drive wheel has pivotally mounted thereon a link arm (19) which is pivotally connected to the tongue-like element (3) so that the tongue-like element, which is pivoted at one end thereof, will swing reciprocatingly as the drive wheel (18) rotates.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a toothed pulley (31) is non-rotatably mounted on the stator part (2), and in that a toothed pulley (29, 29') is non-rotatably mounted on the corner strip-off pin, wherein an endless toothed drive-belt (30, 30') extends between said pulleys for driving the corner strip-off pin (8, 8').

5. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 2-4, charac- terized in that the corner strip-off pin (8, 8') has the form of an angled arm that has a freely outwardly projecting part (33, 33') which when rotating swings about an eccentric axle parallel with the tongue-like element (3).

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the apparatus includes two orbiting, diametrically opposed corner strip-off pins (8, 8') whose angular speeds are synchronized to half the angular speed of the tongue-like element (3).