Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – By means to change direction of sheet travel
Patent
1993-05-04
1994-11-08
Olszewski, Robert P.
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
By means to change direction of sheet travel
271183, 271186, B65H 500
Patent
active
053620399
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to a device for turning a sheet with a simultaneous change in the conveying direction. Devices of this type are needed in case sheets or forms are transferred from a processing station, for example a printer or a copier, to a conveyor chain in order to be carried by the latter past further handling or processing stations, or to be composed, with additional sheets and forms, into a set of sheets or a set of forms.
A high operating speed is desirable when handling and processing sheets and forms, e.g. in mail processing machines. Disturbances, paper jams, and the like must be avoided since they can trigger a standstill of the entire facility and can lead to the destruction of documents which has grave consequences, for example, when processing bank mail.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to design a device for turning a sheet with a simultaneous change in conveying direction in such a way that a continuous flow of the sheets to be handled is ensured with a high operating speed, and breakdowns are avoided.
This object has been attained according to the invention by providing that the sheet is transported by means of a driving roller arrangement into an inlet slot defined by guide walls. The inlet slot meets a diagonally-extending bending slot, the axis of curvature of which is oriented substantially in parallel to the plane of the sheet and at an angle of preferably 45 degrees with respect to the leading sheet edge. The bending slot terminates in an outlet slot wherein outlet drive means are provided at least for seizing the sheet corner first entering the outlet slot. The outlet slot is located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the inlet slot, but spaced therefrom.
A multiple juxtaposition of devices of the type briefly described above makes it possible to turn a single sheet and discharge it with an altered conveying direction. It also permits independent processing of a plurality of sheets or form sections, (transported lying side-by-side in a plane) simultaneously with the turning step and the change in conveying direction. In this manner, after individual processing it is possible to correlate individual sheets or form sections, into separate sheet stacks or sets of forms.
SUMMARY
According to a preferred embodiment of the device proposed herein which, as mentioned above, can be provided in multiple juxtaposition, an inlet slot is formed between a cover plate and a guide plate. The cover plate includes a diagonally-curved rerouting flange extending into a diagonal recess of the guide plate to form a bending slot with the guide plate which exhibits a diagonal, substantially-cylindrical guide member located in opposition to the rerouting flange. Finally, the outlet slot and the outlet drive means are arranged on the side of the guide plate facing away from the cover plate.
Suitably, the outlet slot contains, on the one hand, sections of revolving conveyor belts traveling in the discharge direction and, on the other hand, counter-support roll elements, associated therewith, as the outlet drive means, wherein the roll elements are preferably formed by balls retained in cages of the guide plate.
It has proven to be advantageous to first convey the sheet or sheets to be handled into the zone of the drive roller arrangement in the inlet slot and, prior to passing the sheet or sheets on, to retain the latter, for example by means of a vacuum retaining unit, against the driving action of the driving roller arrangement. Only thereafter the sheet or sheets are released in a controlled fashion whereby a precise initial position of the respective sheet or sheets is attained during entrance into the rerouting slot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments will be described in greater detail below with reference to the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a device for turning a sheet with a simultaneous change in conveying direction wherein certain supporting-frame parts have been omitted to simplify the illustration
REFERENCES:
patent: 4266762 (1981-05-01), Kramer et al.
patent: 4411418 (1983-10-01), Poehlein
patent: 4413723 (1983-11-01), Stobb
patent: 4844442 (1989-07-01), Gammerler
patent: 4879571 (1989-11-01), Plasscheart
patent: 4932798 (1990-12-01), Kardinal
Bell & Howell GmbH
Milef Boris
Olszewski Robert P.
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