Printing – Special article machines
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-08
2001-04-10
Yan, Ren (Department: 2854)
Printing
Special article machines
C101S037000, C101S040100, C101S044000, C198S418600, C414S752100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213011
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a loading system and an offloading system for a printing table.
It generally concerns the loading of objects presented as groups of objects in an entry support. The objects are taken from their entry support for printing one by one on a printing table.
It also concerns, in a symmetrical manner, the offloading of such objects after printing them to enable a new disposition in groups in an exit support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In printing machines, the printing table co-operates with a transfer system which puts objects to be printed down one by one on the printing table and then picks them up one by one. This transfer system co-operates in turn with a loading system and an offloading system which respectively present the objects to be printed and recover the printed objects.
The production rate of a printing machine of the above kind depends on that of the transfer system associated with the loading and offloading systems.
To avoid reducing the rate of production, it is therefore essential for the loading and offloading systems to be able to present and recover the objects at a high rate which is relatively close to the printing rate of the printing table.
An aim of the present invention is to propose loading and offloading systems which in particular enable a good rate of production to be maintained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a system for loading a printing table with objects presented in groups in an entry support, the objects of the group being distributed with an entry spacing, and the printing table co-operating with a transfer system disposed between the printing table and the loading system, the transfer system being adapted to transfer the objects one by one from the loading system onto the printing table, includes an intermediate support adapted to support the group of objects disposed with a predetermined spacing, holding means adapted to take up simultaneously and to move a group of objects between the entry support and the intermediate support, and spacing modification means adapted to modify the spacing of the group of objects from the entry spacing to the predetermined spacing, the transfer system being adapted to transfer the objects onto the printing table from the intermediate support.
Accordingly, by using an intermediate support between the entry support and the transfer system the objects can be disposed with a predetermined spacing and in accordance with a disposition suitable for the transfer system to take them up.
The invention solves the problem of positioning the objects on the intermediate support by means of the holding means and the spacing modification means which enable the objects to be placed correctly on the intermediate support. Taking the objects in groups to place them on the intermediate support eliminates the constraint of the limit on the speed at which the objects can be moved from the entry support to the intermediate support, as it were. The rate of operation of the holding means and the spacing modification means is equal to a sub-multiple of the rate of operation of the transfer system. To be more precise, the rate of operation of the holding means and the spacing modification means is equal to the operating rate of the transfer system divided by the number of objects in the group of objects.
The loading system in accordance with the invention therefore eliminates the constraints of positioning the objects in the entry support and the constraints of the limit on the speed of the holding means and the spacing modification means necessary for correct positioning of the objects before they are taken up by the transfer system.
In a preferred version of the invention, the holding means include separate holding members adapted to take respective objects from the group of objects and to move between the entry support and the intermediate support in co-operation with the spacing modification means.
By using separate holding members for the objects of the same group it is possible to modify the spacing of the objects, i.e. the distance between the objects, while the objects are being moved toward the intermediate support, which represents a time saving which also improves the rate of transfer of the objects.
According to an advantageous feature, which provides for relatively simple co-operation of the holding means and the spacing modification means, the spacing modification means include guide grooves adapted to guide the respective separate holding members and the guide grooves have intersecting directions in a common plane.
In another preferred version of the invention, the holding means include at least one clamp adapted to grasp the group of objects, the objects are presented in a vertical position in the entry support, and the clamp is adapted to move the group of objects from the vertical position to a horizontal position.
The clamp simultaneously modifies the position of the objects in the same group to place them in a horizontal position, which is the position in which they are processed on the printing table.
A holding clamp of the above kind also eliminates constraints associated with the position of the objects in their entry support.
In accordance with another preferred feature of the invention, the intermediate support includes a circular contour turntable adapted to rotate stepwise and comprising a series of support members for the objects disposed along the circular contour turn-table at a spacing equal to the predetermined spacing.
An intermediate support of the above kind provides a simple way of presenting the objects to the transfer system continuously, by stepwise rotation of the circular contour turntable.
In this case, and in an advantageous version that facilitates subsequent centering of the objects to be printed, the holding means co-operate with orientation means adapted to orient the objects during their movement toward the intermediate support so that the objects are placed on respective support members with the same orientation relative to the center of rotation of the circular contour turntable.
In another advantageous version, if the intermediate support comprises a circular contour turntable, the printing table and the transfer system are adapted to rotate stepwise and drive means are adapted to drive their stepwise rotation synchronously with the printing table, the transfer system and the intermediate support.
Synchronized driving of the various members provides a simple way of loading the printing machine continuously.
In accordance with an analogous aspect of the present invention, a system for offloading from a printing table objects presented in groups and distributed with an exit spacing in an exit support, the printing table co-operating with a transfer system disposed between the printing table and the offloading system, the transfer system being adapted to transfer the objects one by one from the printing table to the offloading system, includes an intermediate support adapted to support the group of objects disposed with a predetermined spacing, holding means adapted to take up simultaneously and to move a group of objects between the intermediate support and the exit support and spacing modification means adapted to modify the spacing of the group of objects from the predetermined spacing to the exit spacing, the transfer system being adapted to transfer the objects from the printing table to the intermediate support.
In a manner that is symmetrical with respect to the loading system in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, and using an intermediate support between the exit support and the transfer system, an offloading system of the above kind disposes the objects with a predetermined spacing and in a disposition suitable for their transfer by the transfer system. The objects are positioned on the exit support by the holding means and the spacing modification means which enable the objects to be placed correctly on the exit support. Placing the objects on the
Societe d'Exploitation des Machines Dubuit
Yan Ren
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
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