WO2003068644A1

WO2003068644A1 - Device for separating the signatures advancing in the form of bundles along conveyor belts

Info

Publication number: WO2003068644A1
Application number: PCT/IT2003/000057
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aldo Perobelli; Giorgio Pessina
Original assignee: O.M.G. Di Giorgio Pessina E Aldo Perobelli S.N.C.
Priority date: 2002-02-11
Filing date: 2003-02-07
Publication date: 2003-08-21
Also published as: AU2003219512A1; ITMI20020254A0

Abstract

A device for separating signatures (S) advancing in the form of a bundle, said device comprising: a mechanism made up of elements (8, 8') with triangular or curved section suited to form a narrowing and a subsequent widening on the sides of the bundle of signatures (S) while these are advancing on a conveyor belt (2); and nozzles (10, 10') blowing air on the sides of the bundle with a consequent assistance in the separation of the signatures (S).

Description

"DEVICE FOR SEPARATING THE SIGNATURES ADVANCING IN THE FORM OF BUNDLES ALONG CONVEYOR BELTS"

The present invention relates to a device for separating the signatures according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known that the pages constituting a book or magazine are made up of one or more folded sheets, which, in the language of the specific sector, are called signatures.

These signatures, obtained through printing machines, for a greater accuracy in the manufacture thereof, are charged with electrostatic electricity so as to be more easily and accurately folded. Once these signatures have been folded, they are piled up in order to form bundles that are pressed and tied.

When these bundles are put on conveyor belts and untied, owing to the electrostatic charge and to the pressing force, the signatures forming the bundles remain sticked together thus forming compact bundles of many signatures that make it difficult to take them away for subsequent processes, unless a hard manual intervention to detach them takes place.

The present invention comprises a combination of mechanisms allowing to automatically separate these signatures. The following description, illustrated in the attached drawings, will make it clear in the details an embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a side view of the device according to the invention, FIGURE 2 shows a plan view of the device, FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a detail of the device, FIGURE 4 shows two embodiments of the mechanism to separate the signatures.

Referring to figure 1 , a compact bundle of signatures S is indicated by 1 , a first conveyor belt for the bundle of signatures is shown by 2, a second conveyor belt that can be horizontal or downwardly or upwardly slanting is shown by 3. As it can be seen in figures 1 and 2, at both sides of bundle 1 two lateral guides 4, 4' are placed, one or both of which are adjustable according to arrows 5 depending on the size of the bundle. Conveyors belt 2 and 3 are connected each other by rollers 6, and bundle 1 moves forward through conveyor belt 2 in the direction shown by arrow 7, thus meeting along its advancing path a mechanism made up of elements 8, 8' arranged close to side guides 4, 4'. As shown in figure 4, these elements 8, 8' have a triangular or curved section and, as it is visible in figures 1 and 2, these elements are preferably arranged sloping with respect to feed 7 and can rotate according to arrow 9 and be moved towards the edges of bundle 1, thus forming a narrowing and a progressive widening in the advancing direction 7 of signatures S. This narrowing causes a progressive camber and a subsequent progressive straightening of signatures S, forming, due to the camber, a space between signatures S, as shown in figure 2 by dashed areas.

After the signatures S have reached the point of narrowest restriction, they begin to straighten with the progressive increasing reciprocal distance also due to the aid given by blowing nozzles 10, 10' arranged at sides of bundle 1, with the consequent help in obtaining a better detachment of the signatures. Nozzles 10, 10' are adjustable according to the size of signatures S, which form bundle 1.

As a consequence of the detachment of signatures S, the latter tend to bend forward in the advancing direction, on second conveyor belt 3, as shown in figure 1. This operation is helped by a bar 11 linked to a vibrating device 12 that is adjustable according to arrow 13 depending on the size of signatures S forming the bundle 1. Bar 11 is fixed to a support 14, through vibration dampeners, on an element 15 so that support 14 is adjustable according to arrow 16 depending on the size of signatures S. Furthermore vibrating bar 11 is preferably adjustable according to arrow 17 (figure 3) through support 14. The signatures S, sloping forward in the advancing direction, come to elevating belts 18 by arranging themselves on these in an imbricate way due to the speed difference between conveyor belts 2, 3 and elevating belts 18, the signatures S being correctly separated thanks to the combination of the above mentioned mechanisms. After the path with elevating belt 18, the signatures S lay on a feeder 19 or the like wherein they are easily processed without any difficulties since they are no longer sticked each other.

Practical-constructive changes may be made to the invention without departing from the inventive scope as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A device for separating the signatures (S) advancing in the form of a bundle (1), said device being characterized in that it comprises a mechanism made up of elements (8, 8') suitable to form a narrowing and a subsequent progressive widening on the sides of the bundle (1) of signatures (S) while these are advancing (7) along the path of a conveyor belt (2).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the signatures are comprised between lateral guides (4, 4') adjacent to elements (8, 8') having triangular or curved section.

3. A device according to each one of the previous claims, characterized in that said elements (8, 8') are slanting with respect to the progress (7) of the conveyor belt (2) and are adapted to pivot according to the arrow (9), when moved towards the edges of the bundle (1) by forming said narrowing and widening thus causing respectively a camber and a progressive straightening of the signatures (S) with the consequent detachment of the same.

4. A device according to each one of the previous claims, characterized in that nozzles (10, 10') are provided which are suited to blow air on the sides of the bundle (1) of signatures (S) thus helping in obtaining a better separation of same.

5. A device according to each one of the previous claims, characterized in that a vibrating bar (1 1) helps in bending the signatures (S) on an elevating belt (18) which conveys the signatures (S) in a feeder (19) or the like.

6. A device according to each one of the previous claims, characterized in that the lateral guides (4, 4') and the bar (11) are adjustable according to the size of the signatures (S).