Device for controlling printed products

Details Device for controlling printed products Device for controlling printed products

2002-04-16

2004-07-13

Kim, Eugene Lee (Department: 3721)

Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi

With printing or photographic reproduction

C493S324000, C493S340000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06761676

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The present invention relates generally to controlling printed products, for example signatures.
In a folder of a printing press, a web of paper often is folded and then cut, for example using a first set of cutting cylinders to make a first cut, and then a second set of cutting cylinders further downstream to complete the cut to form signatures. Tapes often are used to support the signatures on both sides while the second set of cutting cylinders is finishing the but between the tapes. A delivery device, for example deceleration drum, then can grip the front edge of the signatures through the tapes so as to transfer the signatures to the deceleration drum. A set of grippers that extends through the tapes is typically provided in the delivery device.
The components that grip and transport the printed signatures are generally desired to be as wide as possible to minimize marking an damage to the products as well as to support a variety of product widths.
These gripper components sweep between the tapes. The tapes are supported on pulleys which are supported by lever arms. However, existing lever arms typically are much wider than the pulleys, and thus reduce the space for the grippers that pass between the tapes.
FIG. 1
shows a prior art device with a tape transport mechanism
2
and a signature diverter
4
. Diverter flippers
18
of the diverter
4
, supported on a pivot center
16
, pass between pulleys
15
,
115
which support tapes
14
,
214
on the left side of FIG.
1
. Other tapes are not shown for clarity. The lever arms
12
that support the pulleys
15
,
115
are supported on a rod
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 2A
for another prior art device, an adjustable lever arm
12
having an air cylinder for extending the arm length has a side support
11
for pulley
15
which causes the width
118
of the lever arm and pulley combination to be much larger than a tape width
114
, for example 2.21 times as large.
FIG. 2B
shows a side view of the adjustable lever arm
12
, while
FIG. 2C
shows details of the pulley
15
through section A—A in FIG.
2
B.
FIG. 2D
shows a perspective view of the adjustable lever arm
12
.
The large ratio between width
118
and width
114
reduces the space S between the lever arms supporting tapes similar to tapes
14
,
214
(See
FIG. 1
) permissible for the parts
218
of the diverter flippers
18
that extend between the tapes.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a reduced ratio of the pulley and lever arm width with respect to the tape width.
A further alternate or additional object of the invention is to be able to increase the effective gripper or diverter width.
Another alternate or additional object of the present invention is to provide improved gripping and handling of printed products.
The present invention thus provides a tape transport system for printed products comprising a first tape, a pulley supporting the tape, and a lever arm supporting the pulley, the lever arm including a first side rail and a second side rail, the pulley supported rotatably between the first and second side rails.
“Rail” as defined herein is an elongated thin piece of material.
Preferably a plurality of tapes are provided, each tape supported by a pulley and lever arm with two side rails.
The side rails preferably are thin sheets, for example made of steel.
The present invention also provides a lever support arm for a tape pulley of a folder in a printing press comprising a first side sheet, a second side sheet and a pulley supported between the first side sheet and the second side sheet.
The present invention also provides a method for transporting printed products comprising transporting signatures using a first tape, and passing the first tape over a pulley, the pulley being supported on a lever arm supporting the pulley, the lever arm including a first side rail and a second side rail, the pulley supported rotatably between the two side rails.
The present invention also provide a folder comprising:
a tape transport device having a first tape and a second tape, a first pulley supporting the first tape and a second pulley supporting the second tape, a first lever arm supporting the first pulley, the first lever arm including a first side rail and a second side rail, the first pulley supported rotatably between the first and second side rails; and
a printed product transfer device including at least one component passable between the first tape and the second tape.
Preferably, the transfer device is a deceleration drum and the component a gripper.
Preferably, the ratio of a combined width of the first pulley and the first side rail and second side rail at the pulley to that of the tape is less than 2, and most preferably less than 1.2.
Preferably, the second lever arm includes two side rails, the second pulley being supported between the two side rails.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5392700 (1995-02-01), Kleinhen
patent: 5451040 (1995-09-01), Crabtree
patent: 5538242 (1996-07-01), Doucet
patent: 5688219 (1997-11-01), Renard et al.
patent: 6267366 (2001-07-01), Graushar et al.
patent: 6302392 (2001-10-01), Schaefer et al.
patent: 6394445 (2002-05-01), d'Agrella et al.
patent: 6464218 (2002-10-01), Neary et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Device for controlling printed products does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Device for controlling printed products, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for controlling printed products will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3257429