Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed... – By member adjacent conveyor for contacting successive...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-10
2001-01-16
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed...
By member adjacent conveyor for contacting successive...
C198S435000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173828
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for rotating rectangular flat products accumulating in an imbricated formation in particular printing-works products.
A similar apparatus is disclosed in Swiss Patent No. 637 900 in which a roller is arranged to engage the corner of leading product in an incoming imbricated formation of products that has been rotated out of the imbricated formation of products as a result the product striking a stop that is arranged on the side opposite the roller relative to the central axis of the incoming imbricated formation. The roller functions to support the further rotation of both the leading product and of the following products that rest on the leading product. The products, after leaving the active range of the roller, are rotated further about the stop as a center of rotation as a result of the friction that is present between the products and the belt conveyor. When the products have traveled around the stop they are conveyed away. In this prior art apparatus, the rotation of the products is caused by the product striking the stop and rotating the product into the active range of the roller. Further rotation of the product, after it has left the active range of the roller, depends solely on friction that is present between the products and the belt conveyor. Since the products are in the active range of the roller for only a very short range of rotation, the reliability of the rotation is not reliable.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the known prior art apparatus in such a way that, with a simple construction, the reliability of the rotation of products in imbricated formation is insured. This object is achieved by means of a generic apparatus which has a belt conveyor along which an incoming imbricated formation of said product is transported along a conveying direction along the central axis of the product. A stop is arranged in the movement path of the product on one side relative to the central axis of the incoming imbricated formation. A roller is arranged to contact the product at a location on its other side relative to the central axis of the incoming imbricated formation of the product. The roller has an axis of rotation that extends approximately at right angles to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and approximately tangent to the stop. The roller, together with the belt conveyor, forms a conveyor gap, and the products are located in this gap from the moment they strike the stop until the end of the rotary movement. The cooperation between the belt conveyor and the roller ensures that the products are positively driven, so that a reliably complete rotation of the products about the stop as the center of rotation, takes place. The roller may be driven at a circumferential speed which corresponds to the conveying speed of the belt conveyor. However, this is not necessary; and the roller may also be constructed as a freely-rotating weighted roller.
Particularly preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention permit groups of products that have been accumulated in imbricated formations and are separated by gaps to be rotated optionally in a simple way in one or the other directions.
Further preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
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patent: 5261520 (1993-11-01), Duke
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patent: 5395151 (1995-03-01), Eberle
patent: 5667214 (1997-09-01), Belec et al.
patent: 5706929 (1998-01-01), Easton
patent: 637 900 A5 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 966402 (1964-08-01), None
patent: 60258038 (1985-12-01), None
patent: WO 98/03422 (1998-01-01), None
Leu Willy
M{umlaut over (a)}der Carl Conrad
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Ferag AG
Jaketic Bryan
Olszewski Robert P.
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