EP1619151B1 - Sheet-feeder with facilitated removal, installation or replacement of components - Google Patents

Abstract

The sheet feeder (100, 100") has a feeder housing (111, 112) containing a rotating grips to pull sheets from a stack. The grips are on at least one grip shaft (220, 220', 220"). There are also several cams (331, 332) to control the sheet separating elements. These cams are on a separate camshaft, separated from the grip shaft.

Description

The invention relates to a feeder for feeding sheets according to the preamble of claim 1 and 2.

Typically, devices of the type mentioned are used to feed sheets to a sheet processing apparatus. In post-press, a plurality of such feeders are often used to collect different sheets on a collection line. Depending on the device, the collected sheets are subsequently stapled or adhesively bonded, for example.

Among the multitude of different feeders, there are those in which a stacking sheet is arranged above the collecting line, and grippers which are arranged on a gripper drum pull off the respectively lowest sheet of the stack and feed the collecting line. In order to peel off only the lowermost sheet of the stack, and thus avoid double sheets, sheet separating elements are used, which ensure that the grippers on the gripper drums extract only one sheet at a time. Typically, the sheet separation elements, such as retention fingers, suction air grippers or fuzzers, are mechanically cam controlled. These cams for the sheet separating elements and the gripper drums are often mounted in the prior art on a shaft which is mounted in the side walls of the investor. Solutions using two separate waves are described below.

The US 3,825,247 shows a signature collection device with a signature conveyor, containers for receiving the signatures in stacks and means for transferring the signatures from the container to the conveyor. This device has a suction device which lifts a lowermost signature from the stack, a separating device for retaining the remaining stack and a gripper drum, which grips the signature with grippers and passes them on to the signature conveyor.
Gripper drum and suction device are controlled by different shafts. In this case, the one shaft is designed as a sleeve, which is connected to the other shaft via a gear.

The US 5,586,756 shows a feeder of a collator. The feeder has a gripper drum with grippers for gripping a signature, the gripper drum rotating about a first axis. Next, the investor has suction elements for lifting a signature from the stack. The suction elements are controlled via a linkage, which is connected via a lever with mounted on a cam control console in engagement, wherein the cam rotates about a second axis.

Both investors with only one wave, as well as in the investors described with two waves, which are characterized by a complicated structure, the installation or removal of such waves, which are stored in the side walls, very cumbersome. The replacement of components on one of the shafts, such as a gripper drum or of different cams, is considerably more difficult due to the installation position of the shafts and is usually possible only within the rather difficult to access housing of the investor. Often in such work the gripper drums are in the way of the cam discs or vice versa.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a feeder for feeding sheets, in which the installation or removal or change of elements, such as grippers, drums or cams for controlling Bogenseparierungselementen is facilitated. This object is achieved by means of the investor according to the invention Feeding of sheets with the features mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1 and 2 solved.

Accordingly, the grippers or gripper drums are arranged on at least one gripper shaft and the plurality of curves for controlling Bogenseparierungselementen arranged on a separate from the at least one gripper shaft camshaft. The separation of the gripper shaft and the cam shaft reduces the number of elements on the respective shaft. As a result, the individual waves are easier to handle and access to elements that lie further inward on a shaft is facilitated. This is especially true for such elements which are disk-shaped and are displaceable only along the axis of the respective shaft and removable from the shaft. Such elements require that all other elements located between this element and the end of the shaft be removed first before this element can be removed. Accordingly, the time required to remove the other elements is shortened by having fewer elements mounted on the shaft. The installation or removal of the entire shaft is facilitated by the reduced number of elements on the respective shaft.

In a variant of the feeder according to the invention, the gripper shaft is mounted in a gripper shaft unit, wherein the feeder housing has at least one receiving space for the gripper shaft unit, to which the gripper shaft unit together with the gripper shaft and the grippers is detachably fastened. This makes it possible to assemble the gripper shaft unit outside the feeder housing and only then insert it into the feeder housing. When changing elements on the gripper shaft, the gripper shaft can be easily removed from the feeder housing together with the gripper shaft unit and dismantled, assembled or maintained outside the feeder housing. This represents a significant simplification of such work, since the gripper shaft unit is excellently accessible in the removed state. In addition, the production of the entire investor is facilitated by this measure, since the feeder and the gripper shaft unit can be made in parallel and can be joined together at a later date in a simple manner. Since the camshaft is not in the gripper shaft unit, also in an eventual exchange of elements on the gripper shaft, and thus an expansion of the gripper shaft unit, the adjusted position the camshaft not changed. This eliminates annoying readjustments on the cam shaft when the gripper shaft unit is reinstalled together with the gripper shaft.

In a further variant of the feeder according to the invention, the camshaft is mounted in a camshaft unit, wherein the feeder housing has at least one receiving space for the camshaft unit on which the camshaft unit together with the camshaft about the curves for controlling the sheet separation elements can be fastened. This has the same advantages that arise from the storage of the gripper shaft in a gripper shaft unit regardless of the feeder housing. Again, the camshaft assembly can be assembled outside the feeder housing, disassembled and maintained. Likewise eliminates annoying readjustments on the gripper shaft when the camshaft unit is reinstalled together with the camshaft.

In an advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the at least one gripper shaft and the cam shaft on a common drive. As a result, synchronicity of the movement sequences of camshaft and gripper shaft can be achieved in a relatively simple manner.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the least one gripper shaft with a gear with the camshaft is connectable. For example, the transmission may be two gears mounted on the respective shaft and engaged with each other. Alternatively, other transmissions, such as a toothed belt or other mechanisms known in the art can be used. Advantageously, the transmission between gripper shaft and cam shaft also includes a coupling with which the camshaft can be disengaged from the gripper shaft.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention two of the gripper shaft units are releasably fastened in an investor and releasably securable between the gripper shaft units a camshaft unit, wherein the camshaft unit includes the curves for controlling the Bogenseparierungselemente the entire investor. Advantageously, a coupling between the two gripper shaft units is provided, which enables a transmission of the drive from the first gripper shaft unit to the second gripper shaft unit. The provision of two gripper shaft units essentially means the division of a longer gripper shaft into two shorter gripper shafts. As a result of the series connection of several gripper shaft units in the case of several investors, this results in a long segmented gripper shaft in which comparatively short gripper shaft segments can be installed or exchanged individually. The cams for controlling the sheet separating elements of both gripper shaft units are advantageously collected on the one cam shaft unit.

In an advantageous embodiment of the investor according to the invention, the sheet separation elements are at least one of the following suction air grippers, suction air supply, retention fingers. The suction air gripper is a gripper which sucks the front end of the lower sheet of the stack due to a negative pressure on the Saugluftgreifer and brings down into the reach of the gripper of the gripper drums. The suction air supply is controlled so that the suction air is cut off on Saugluftgreifer when the gripper of the gripper drums has detected the bottom sheet, or is turned on when the Saugluftgreifer should take the next sheet. The retention finger serves to separate sheets that are above the lowermost sheet of the stack from the lowermost sheet. Further sheet separating elements could be, for example, blowing air nozzles which fan out the lower stack in the region of the suction air gripper so that no further sheet adheres to the lowermost sheet.

In a further embodiment of the feeder according to the invention, the at least one gripper shaft has grippers for withdrawing sheets from two stacks. Basically are also grippers for the removal of more than two stacks conceivable with increasing number of stacks but also increases the length of the gripper shaft and thus reduce the benefits of segmentation of the gripper shaft.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Vorderansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Rückansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers ohne eingebaute Greiferwelleneinheit bzw. Kurvenwelleneinheit,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Greiferwelleneinheit,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Kurvenwelleneinheit,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Schnittansicht zweier erfindungsgemäßer Anleger, die miteinander verbunden sind,

Fig. 6

eine schematische seitliche Schnittdarstellung einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Anlegers,

Fig. 7

eine schematische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Sammeleinheit mit Antrieb und manueller Anlage.

Fig. 8

Einen Querschnitt durch eine Ausführungsform eines Anlegers einer Buchfertigungsstrecke

Preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In a schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a front perspective view of the investor according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a perspective rear view of the investor according to the invention without built gripper shaft unit or camshaft unit,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of an embodiment of a gripper shaft unit according to the invention,

Fig. 4

a perspective view of an embodiment of a cam shaft unit according to the invention,

Fig. 5

a schematic sectional view of two inventive investors, which are interconnected,

Fig. 6

a schematic sectional side view of an embodiment of the investor according to the invention,

Fig. 7

a schematic representation of an embodiment of a collecting unit according to the invention with drive and manual system.

Fig. 8

A cross section through an embodiment of an investor a book production line

The in the FIGS. 1 and two feeders 100 shown have four stack supports 101, 102, 103, 104 for sheets. As in Fig. 6 can be seen, is located below the stack supports 101, 102, 103, 104 of the collection channel 140, which extends over the entire length of the investor. The lowermost sheet in a stack on a stack support 101, 102, 103, 104 is detected by a suction air gripper 370 near the leading edge, sucked by negative pressure, and deflected downward by the suction air gripper 370. As soon as the lowermost sheet has been deflected in such a way, the overlying sheets are restrained by the retaining finger 360, which is pivoted under the stack of sheets for this purpose. Grippers 236, 237 mounted on gripper discs 231, 233, which are part of the gripper drum 231, 232, grip the deflected leading edge of the lower sheet and pull the sheet from the underside of the stack, over the guide surface 130 in FIG Direction collecting duct 140. The sheet is supported by the gripper discs 231, 233.

In the lower region of the collecting channel, drivers 170 are arranged, which are pivotally attached to a chain 173 about a hinge 172. The free end of the driver 170 extends in a gap 142 in the guide surface 141 of the collecting channel 140. The guide surface 141 of the collecting channel 140 is movably mounted on guide rods 143 and can by means of the driven lever 147 which is pivotally mounted about the pivot point 149, along the Guide rods 143 are moved so that the width of the collecting channel 140 can be changed. This width adjustment is done automatically based on data regarding the thickness of the stack of sheets to be collected in the collection channel 140.

The housing of the feeder 100 is essentially formed by side walls 111, 112 and cross braces 120, which connect the side walls 111, 112 together. As in Fig. 2 can be seen, a receiving plate 160 is disposed between the side walls 111, 112 of the feeder housing. The cross brace 120 and the receiving plate 160 are advantageously releasably bolted to the side walls 111, 112.

In the Fig. 2 shown receiving plate 160 has receiving slots 161, 162 for gripper shaft units 200 and a receiving space 165 for a cam shaft unit 300. The gripper shaft unit 200 is in Fig. 3 shown. Accordingly, the gripper shaft unit 200 consists of a bottom plate 205 to which side walls 211, 212 are fixed, wherein in the side walls 211, 212, the gripper shaft 220 is rotatably mounted.
In addition, the gripper shaft 220 is supported by the supports 213, 214. Two gripper drums 230, 232 together with the gripper discs 231, 233 are mounted on the gripper shaft 220. These are essentially disc-shaped and are attached laterally to the gripper shaft 220. In addition, located on the gripper shaft 220, a gear 250. The ends of the gripper shaft 220 have grooves 241, 242 on. Via a coupling 270 (cf. Fig. 5 ) adjacent gripper shafts 220, 220 ', 220 "connected to each other, so that these gripper shafts 220, 220', 220" are driven together. Such Gripper shaft unit 200 may be assembled outside the feeder to be subsequently installed on the corresponding receiving space 161, 162 in the feeder.

Fig. 4 shows a cam shaft unit. The cam shaft unit 300 also has two side walls 311, 312 and a bottom plate 305 connecting the two side walls 311, 312. On the cam shaft 320, a gear 350 is mounted. Although in Fig. 4 only one tooth of the gear 350 has been drawn, this gear 350 is a conventional gear having a plurality of teeth. This gear is engaged with the gear 250 of the gripper shaft unit. Thereby, the drive of the hook shaft unit 200 is transmitted to the cam shaft unit 300. Furthermore, 320 cam discs 331, 332 are arranged on the camshaft. These cams 331, 332 have inboard cam surfaces 333. Impellers 345 run along these cam surfaces 333. The impellers 345 are located at the end of levers 341, 342. The levers 341, 342 are pivotally mounted about a shaft 347, wherein the shaft 347 is mounted in a strut 314 which is fixed to the bottom plate 305 of the cam shaft unit 300. At the free end of the levers 341, 342 are not shown further lever that transmit the control movement of the cam surface 333 on the sheet separating elements 360, 370. The camshaft unit 300 can also be assembled separately from the feeder 100 and then completely installed at the receiving location 165 in the feeder. When installing the camshaft unit 300, the gear 350 comes into contact with the gear 250 of the gripper shaft unit 200. In a further embodiment, a coupling between the gears 250, 350 may additionally be provided. In an alternative embodiment, the drive is not transmitted via two gears 250, 350, but by other suitable means, such as a toothed belt drive.

In Fig. 5 If two feeders 100, 100 "are arranged next to one another, a first gripper shaft unit 200 and a further gripper shaft unit 200 'are installed in the first feeder 100. The elements of the second gripper shaft unit 200' correspond to the elements of the first gripper shaft unit 200, but are identified by a comma ('). The first Gripper shaft 220 is coupled with a clutch 260 to the gripper shaft 220 ', the second gripper shaft unit 200. The gripper shaft 220 'of the second gripper shaft unit 200 is in turn coupled via a coupling 270 with the next gripper shaft 220 "in the adjacent feeder 102' through the side wall 111" and 112. In this way, the gripper shaft 220, 220 ', 220 "can be arbitrarily extended via the coupling 260, 270. Like elements in the second feeder 102' are identified with the same reference numerals of the first feeder 100 with two additional reference marks (").

In Fig. 7 a collection unit 1000 is shown. This has a drive unit 400 with a drive 410, for example an electric motor, and a collecting duct 440, which adjoins a collecting duct 140 of an investor 100. Also, the collection channel 440 of the drive unit has a Kanalverstelleinheit 450. In addition, the drive unit 400 has comparable cross struts 420 and side walls 411, 412. The cross braces 420 are aligned with the cross braces 120 of corresponding investors 100. In Fig. 7 For example, if the drive unit 400 is connected to only one feeder 100, it is clear that a larger number of identical feeder 100, 100 "arranged one behind the other can be operated by the drive unit 400. In addition, the accumulation unit 1000 has a feeder unit 500 in the accumulation direction The feeder unit also has a channel 540 and channel adjustment units 550. The cross-struts 520 are also aligned with the cross struts 120 and 420 of the other units in the application unit 500. The application unit 500 is used for manual insertion of sheets or sheets. Stack of bows.

In Fig. 8 FIG. 10 shows a cross section of an investor 100. Sheets which are stacked on a stack support 101 are fed by gripper drums via a guide plate 130 to the collection channel 140. Behind this first baffle 130 further baffles 151, 153 are arranged, which form a channel parallel to the collection channel 140, in which the individual sheets of this feeder 100 are pre-accelerated before they are fed to the collecting channel 140. In the baffles 151, 153 openings 152, 154 are provided by the sensors 155, 156 interact with each other. These are used for the capacitive measurement of the supplied sheet. The skilled person is clear that also here other sensors for determining the thickness of the sheet, such as ultrasound, transmitted light or other methods can be used. By means of the sensors 155, 156, which determine a thickness value of the individual sheets, a double-sheet control can be carried out. For this purpose, a single sheet is requested from each stack support 101 of the feeder 100 in a test run, which is carried out in the set-up operation of a multi-pincer adhesive binder, and fed to the collecting duct 140. In this case, this arc passes through the sensors 155, 156, which thereby determine a value which is representative of the thickness of the supplied sheet. This value, which is representative of the thickness of the sheet of each investor, is stored in the controller 199. In normal operation of the multi-pincer bonding apparatus, a comparison measurement is also performed on each sheet fed to the collection channel 140 with the sensors 155, 156. If the value measured during the test operation deviates from the value of the sheets measured in normal operation, that is to say if it is substantially a multiple of the thickness value determined in the test run for this sheet from this feeder, the controller 199 is notified thereof is then a double or multiple sheet, which would be fed and thus a faulty book block is collected. The controller 199 may then take appropriate action to treat this erroneously collected book block 1 separately. By this method of double sheet control, in which only a certain value for a thickness of a sheet is determined, parameters of the sheet such as material, printing, etc., as well as environmental conditions, such as humidity, etc., largely insignificant, since the value of the sample sheet with identical normal bow of the same investor, and this immediately before normal operation, so that environmental conditions hardly change.

Since in a book binding process sheets are not always created from all investors who create sheets for such a collection channel 140, in the test run it is only necessary to calibrate corresponding sheets from the order-specific investors used.

List of reference numbers

100, 100 "

investor

101

stack support

102

stack support

103

stack support

104

stack support

111, 111 "

Investors housing wall

112, 112 "

Investors housing wall

120, 120 "

cross brace

130

baffle

140

collecting duct

141

baffle

142

gap

143

guide rod

147

lever

149

pivot point

151

baffle

152

opening

153

baffle

154

opening

155

sensor

156

sensor

160

mounting plate

161

recording space

162

recording space

165

recording space

170

takeaway

172

joint

173

Chain

199

control

200

Gripper shaft unit

205

baseplate

211.211 '

Side wall

212, 212 '

Side wall

213

support

214

support

220, 220 ', 220 "

gripper shaft

230, 230 '

gripper drum

231, 231 '

gripper plate

232, 232 '

gripper drum

233, 233 '

gripper plate

236

grab

237

grab

241

groove

242

groove

250

gear

260

clutch

270

clutch

300

Camshaft unit

305

baseplate

311

Side wall

312

Side wall

314

strut

320

camshaft

331

cam

332

cam

333

Curve tread

341

lever

342

lever

345

Wheel

347

wave

350

gear

360

Retaining fingers

370

Saugluftgreifer

400

driving element

410

drive unit

411

Side wall

412

Side wall

420

cross brace

440

channel

450

Kanalverstelleinheit

500

applying unit

550

Kanalverstelleinheit

520

cross brace

540

channel

1000

collecting device

Claims (7)

1. Feeder (100, 100") for feeding sheets including a feeder housing (111, 112, 120) and grippers (236, 237) rotating inside the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) to withdraw sheets from a stack, the grippers (236, 237) being arranged on at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220"), as well as a plurality of cams (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separating elements (360, 370), the plurality of cams (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separating elements (360, 370) being arranged on a further cam shaft (320) that is separate from the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220"),
   characterized by
   the fact that the gripper shaft (220, 220', 220") is supported in a gripper shaft unit (200, 200'), the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) including at least one receiving location (161, 162) for releasably receiving the gripper shaft unit (200, 200') together with the gripper shaft (220, 220', 220") and the grippers (236, 237).
2. Feeder (100, 100") for feeding sheets including a feeder housing (111, 112, 120) and grippers (236, 237) rotating inside the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) to withdraw sheets from a stack, the grippers (236, 237) being arranged on at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220"), as well as a plurality of cams (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separating elements (360, 370), the plurality of cams (331, 332, 333) for controlling sheet separating elements (360, 370) being arranged on a further cam shaft (320) that is separate from the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220"),
   characterized by
   the fact that the cam shaft (320) is supported in a cam shaft unit (300), the feeder housing (111, 112, 120) including at least one receiving location (165) for releasably receiving the cam shaft unit (300) together with the cam shaft (320) and the cams (236, 237).
3. Device according to Claim 1 and/or 2,
   characterized by
   the fact that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220") and the cam shaft (320) have a common drive.
4. Device according to Claim 1 and/or 2,
   characterized by
   the fact that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220") is connected to the cam shaft (320) by a gear mechanism (250, 350).
5. Device according to Claim 1 and/or 2,
   characterized by
   the fact that two of the gripper shaft units (200) are releasably mountable in a feeder (100, 100") and a cam shaft unit (300) is releasably mountable between the gripper shaft units (200, 200', 200"), the cam shaft unit (300) containing the cams (236, 237) for controlling the sheet separating elements (360, 370) of the entire feeder (100, 100").
6. Device according to Claim 1 and/or 2,
   characterized by
   the fact that the sheet separating elements (360, 370) are at least one of the following: suction air grippers (370), suction air feeding, retaining fingers (360).
7. Device according Claim 1 and/or 2,
   characterized by
   the fact that the at least one gripper shaft (220, 220', 220") includes grippers (236, 237) for withdrawing sheets from two stacks.

Images