Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items... – Auxiliary section has the same entrance and exit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2003-07-22
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items...
Auxiliary section has the same entrance and exit
Reexamination Certificate
active
06595345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for the temporary storage of printed matter in which the stream is divided into generally straight, longitudinal sections, in which the sections are placed side-by-side in a storage space, and in which a stream of printed matter is re-created by joining sections together end-to-end.
The present invention also relates to apparatus for the temporary storage of printed matter.
The invention involves the features in which a stream of printed matter (newspapers) arriving, e.g., from a printing press in, e.g., an overlap configuration, are divided into, e.g., straight longitudinal sections, and in which the sections are disposed side-by-side in a storage space and a stream of printed matter is later re-created by joining together the ends of said sections. By printed matter is meant so-called wide-spread objects, such as newspapers, journals, magazines and the like. The invention is discussed hereinafter with reference to newspapers, although it will be understood that the inventive technique can be applied generally with wide-spread or surface-spread objects, normally rectangular objects, such as printed matter.
These features can be read from SE-B-468-354 which is also U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,618 to Sjogren, which discloses the so-called intermediate storage of a stream of newspapers in some kind of paternoster mechanism.
One advantage with the technique taught by SE-B-468-354 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,618 to Sjogren is that the relative distance or spacing of the newspapers in each section and their relative positions of rotation are not greatly influenced in the sections, since said sections are handled and stored in a flat, horizontal state. The stream of printed matter, newspapers, can be easily re-created, by joining together the ends of respective sections with the aid of an overlap. This re-created stream of printed matter can be moved directly in the same direction as that in which it arrived at the temporary storage rotation.
However, a serious drawback with the technique taught by SE-B-468-354 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,618 to Sjogren is that the temporary storage capacity is low in relation to the complexity of the apparatus and in relation to cost. Furthermore, it is necessary to store the sections in the apparatus, which is stationary in principle. The known technique is therefore less favourable when large volumes of newspapers shall be stored temporarily. Furthermore, the known technique lacks the possibility of transporting the temporarily stored newspapers after said newspapers have been taken into the temporary storage facility.
Consequently, when requiring to temporarily store large volumes of newspapers, there is used to age-old technique of rolling-up relatively long length sections of the newspaper stream on rolls in a helical configuration and subsequently re-creating the newspaper stream by first unreeling the section from the storage roller to a turning roller, from which the section is then unreeled in the “correct” state, i.e. in the same state as that in which the newspaper stream arrived at the storage roller as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,198 to Gerber.
One problem with this roll-up technique, however, is that it is normally necessary to use tightener belts for winding-up the newspaper stream on the core of the wind-up roll. It is also necessary to adjust the tension in the belts to the number of pages of the individual newspapers, and also with respect to the print, so as to avoid any wrinkling and smudging of the newspapers. Furthermore, the tension in the belts or straps must be reduced, which greatly reduces the newspaper storage capacity of the roll. Furthermore, the roll-up technique is encumbered with the drawback that capacity is dependent on whether or not the newspapers are symmetrical about their longitudinal centre axis in the stream. For instance, if the newspapers have a side fold that lies along one long edge of the stream/section, the roll will be built-up to a greater extent on one side thereof, therewith reducing the storage capacity of the roll.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object to the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for the temporary storage of newspapers that combine the advantages afforded by the two concepts described above while avoiding at least one of their drawbacks.
This object is achieved with a method of temporarily storing a stream of printed matter in which the stream is divided into generally straight, longitudinal sections, in which the sections are placed side-by-side in a storage space, and in which a stream of printed matter is re-created by joining sections together end-to-end. The method comprises the steps of releasably connecting each section to a respective carrier such as to form a product unit, and releasing the connection between the unit sections and the carrier such as to re-create a newspaper stream.
This object is also achieved with apparatus according to an arrangement for the temporary storage of a stream of printed matter, including means for dividing the stream into generally straight, separate longitudinal sections, and a storage device for storing the sections in side-by-side relationship, and means for re-creating a stream by joining said sections end-to-end, means for releasably connection each section to a carrier to form a product unit in which the printed matter in the section is fixed relative to the carrier, and means for separating the sections from the carrier.
Embodiments of the invention are defined in the steps of connecting the carrier to one long edge of the section, storing the units with the sections hanging down from the carrier, storing the units with the sections upstanding on their respective carrier, orientating the printed matter in said section so that spines of the printed matter will be gripped by the carrier, and disposing the carriers in a storage device that forms the storage space.
Also, the storage device is transportable, the space is provided in a storage device in the form of a transportable cassette, the product units are placed in and removed from a storage device, the carrier includes a strip whose length is greater than the length of the section, such that said strip will have an end-part that projects beyond a respective end of the section, and in that the product unit is suspended with the end-parts resting on corresponding support means in the storage device. The storage space is formed by a storage device that has support legs for establishing the storage space above the surface on which the feet of the support legs rest, and in that the support legs are moved to one side when transporting an empty storage device, so as to reduce the space requirement of the empty cassette. The carrier includes one or more clips, and in that the generally flat newspaper section is moved laterally relative to the carrier such as to insert one long-edge of the section into the clip/clips with the clip/clips being held open, whereafter the clip/clips is/are closed so as to fix the section to the carrier; wherewith the section is released from the carrier by the reverse procedure.
The storage space is provided in a transportable storage cassette, which may contain a plurality of carriers. The carrier includes a strip that has one or more clip fasteners. The cassette has support legs which define a free unit-storage space between the surface against which the legs support and place of connection of the carriers with the cassette, and in that the support legs are movably mounted so as to enable the space required by an empty cassette to be reduced.
The cassettes include transport handling means, and the cassettes have mutually separate bearing surfaces for supporting carrier end-parts that project out beyond respective ends of the section.
A central feature of the invention requires each of the sections of the newspaper stream to be releasably connected to a carrier so as to form a product unit. The newspapers present in said section are therewith fixed
Engle Patricia L.
Idab Wamac International AB
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
LandOfFree
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