Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – Endless conveyors to other conveyors
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2004-11-09
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
Endless conveyors to other conveyors
C271S200000, C271S205000, C271S295000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814352
ABSTRACT:
The invention is in the field of piece goods processing and piece goods conveyance and concerns an installation in accordance with the generic term of the first, independent claim. The installation in essence serves for processing a large number of identical or similar products (piece goods) in series and comprises at least one processing station for processing the products in a substantially serial manner. Products to be processed are supplied to the at least one processing station through at least one supply means and processed products are conveyed away from the at least one processing station through at least one removal means, wherein supply to a first processing station can be combined with removal from a second processing station and can be carried out by a transfer means.
For supply, removal or transfer, the products are conveyed one after the other into the processing station, away from the processing station, or from one processing station to a next processing station. For supply to the processing station, the products are taken over individually from a storage formation or from a preceding conveyor by the supply means and are then conveyed to be individually positioned for processing in a clocked manner. For uncoupling taking-over and positioning, it is advantageous to provide buffering between taking-over and positioning. For removal, products are taken off from the processing station in a clocked manner, are conveyed away and are then deposited in an ordered manner or delivered to a further conveyor. Between taking-off and depositing or delivery the products may also be buffered. For transfer, individual products or small groups of products are taken over in a clocked manner from a first processing station, are conveyed away to be supplied to a second processing station and are positioned in the second processing station individually or in small groups and in a clocked manner, advantageously being buffered between taking-off and positioning.
A means for positioning on the supply side is to operate exactly synchronized with the processing. The same is applicable for means for the taking-off on the removal side. For this reason, at least the positioning and taking-off means are usually rigidly connected with the processing means and in most cases are also driven by the same drive.
An example for an installation of the above mentioned piece goods processing is an installation for producing products from a plurality of sub-products, for example, for producing printed products, such as newspapers, periodicals or brochures, by assembling for every product several sub-products produced in different printing processes and differing from one another at least with respect to content, and if so required joining the sub-products together, for example by stapling or binding. In this case, processing essentially consists of assembling different sub-products and is effected by conveying products being produced from feeding point to feeding point and adding at every feeding point one sub-product to each product being produced, wherein every feeding point is usually supplied with sub-products of one type. The assembled sub-products are then joined to form a product, for example, by stapling or binding, and the products are then conveyed away.
Producing printed products as described above, in essence consists of a plurality of consecutive steps, in each of which a folded sub-product is positioned on a saddle-shaped support or on a folded sub-product already lying on the saddle-shaped support, or a folded sub-product is positioned in a V-shaped compartment or in a folded sub-product already present in the V-shaped compartment or one folded or unfolded sub-product is positioned on a stacking support or on a sub-product already stacked on the stacking support.
Installations for such production of printed products from a plurality of sub-products of different types comprise a means for conveying products being produced e.g. a rotating drum with a multitude of saddle-shaped supports or V-shaped compartments being arranged in a regular manner around the circumference of the drum and extending in axial direction. The products to be produced are positioned on the saddle-shaped supports or in the V-shaped compartments and during rotation of the drum are moved in axial direction from feeding point to feeding point. Instead of the named drums it is also possible to utilize circulation systems, in which saddle-shaped supports, V-shaped compartments or stacking supports are conveyed on an endless track, whereby the products being produced are conveyed over an essentially straight piece of track on the saddle-shaped supports in the V-shaped compartments or on the flat stacking supports. The feeding streams of the sub-products merge into this essentially straight piece of track from above. Thereby, the products being produced may, in addition to being conveyed along this straight track, be displaced perpendicular to the general conveying direction in a similar manner as is the case in the mentioned drums. It is also possible to move the products being produced from feeding point to feeding point along a corresponding support using essentially stationary pushing means.
Installations for producing products from a plurality of sub-products, e.g. printed products from a plurality of printed sub-products, require a number of feeding points, which number varies according to the product to be produced. The outfitting of the feeding points may also vary according to the feeding method and the format of the sub-products to be supplied and the spacing between one feeding point and a next one along the conveying track of the products being produced may vary depending on the format of the sub-products or of the products being produced and/or depending on further processing steps to be carried out between the feeding points. The devices needed for producing one single type of product may all be the same or may be different from one another. In the case of a change from producing one type of product to producing a different type of product, the feeding devices may have to be converted, to be dismantled and replaced, to be newly adjusted and/or to be activated or de-activated, all of this being associated with a substantial working effort and time requirement.
Known installations for producing printed products from a plurality of printed sub-products comprise a conveying means for conveying the products to be produced and at each predefined feeding point, rigidly connected to said conveying means, one feeding device, i.e. at least one sub-product buffer and one means for positioning sub-products in a clocked manner. The simplest of these installations use so-called sheet feeders as feeding devices, in which sheet feeders the sub-products are buffered in a loose stack and are individualized from the stack for being positioned and which sheet feeders are manually supplied with sub-products. Further developed installations (e.g., in accordance with the publications EP-0550828 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,014 respectively) comprise more or less automated feeding means in the form of, for example, unwinding stations. These feeding means are also rigidly connected to one specific feeding point, i.e. to the conveying means for conveying the products being produced.
All installations of the above named kind are not well suited for flexible production, i.e. for producing relatively small editions of printed products, wherein the products of subsequent editions differ not only with respect to content and to number of the sub-products, but also with respect to the format of the sub-products and to required handling of the sub-products.
An approach to such flexibilization is to be found in the publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,711 (Newsome) describing a displaceable device, which can be connected alternatively to one of a plurality of fixedly installed sheet feeders of different feeding points. The device is manually supplied with sub-products, supply being possible in larger batches than direct supply to the sheet feeder. The su
Ferag AG
Lillis Eileen D.
Lowe Michael
Pearne & Gordon LLP
LandOfFree
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