Material or article handling – Movable rack having superposed – charge-supporting elements,... – Wheeled rack
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-30
2001-05-15
Keenan, James W. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Movable rack having superposed, charge-supporting elements,...
Wheeled rack
C414S331080, C414S400000, C414S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231292
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for unloading one or more reams of sheets, in particular of sheets of securities, from an exit of a machine belonging to an installation for the production of securities, and to an apparatus for unloading one or more reams of sheets.
The term “machine for the production of securities” is intended, in particular, to comprise printing machines, numbering machines and machines for the quality control of securities.
PRIOR ART
In known production machines, in particular for intaglio printing, the paper sheets intended to be printed are delivered to the entrance of the printing machine, pass through the latter one after the other and receive either only recto or recto/verso prints. The sheets are finally sent to the exit of the printing machine.
The exits of machines for producing securities generally comprise at least two racks, and these are filled in the following way: a board in the form of a tray or pallet is introduced into one of the racks on horizontal slideways which are mounted on a system of the paternoster type. The tray subsequently receives the printed sheets, until a ream of specific size, for example of five hundred sheets, is formed. At this moment, the other rack, into which a tray will have been introduced beforehand, is selected for the new printed sheets arriving at the exit, whilst the slideways and the tray carrying the ream of sheets of the first rack are shifted downward. A new tray is introduced on the slideways of the first rack, and printed sheets will be stacked on this tray as soon as this rack has been selected, that is to say when the tray of the second rack supports a complete ream. The stacking of the sheets on this new tray and on the following trays continues in this way alternately until the rack contains a specific number of trays, for example ten trays, each carrying a ream of five hundred sheets. Patent application EP 0 725 027 describes an example of filling the racks of a printing machine. In this application, the reams are finally transferred from the racks onto a carriage and taken away.
The emptying of an exit rack is an operation which is still carried out manually at the present time and during which the trays supporting the reams of sheets are removed from the rack and transferred onto a carriage. This transfer is carried out for all the trays of a rack, each rack generally containing ten trays, and, once the carriage is filled with the ten trays of the rack, it is taken away either towards another production machine or towards a storage location.
The major disadvantage of the manual transfer of the trays carrying the reams is that printed sheets may, on the one hand, be soiled or torn and, on the other hand, be stolen during the movement of the reams between two machines. Since each ream of sheets weighs between 30 and 40 kilos, manual unloading is a particularly laborious job. Moreover, thefts of printed sheets are note acceptable either.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to reduce as far as possible the manual handling of the reams of printed sheets and consequently to reduce the risks that printed sheets will be damaged or will disappear. This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a method for unloading the reams of sheets from an exit of a machine having at least two tray racks, the method being defined by the following steps:
a) placing of a container comprising at least one door on the same side as the tray rack,
b) positioning and locking of the container relative to the rack,
c) transfer of the trays carrying the reams from the tray rack into the container,
d) closing of the door of the container,
e) unlocking of the container, the latter being capable of being moved.
This results in at least a partial automation of the method for unloading and transferring reams of sheets.
Preferably, all the reams of sheets are transferred simultaneously from the tray rack of the production machine into the container.
All the operations take place automatically by virtue of suitable control, transmission means and checking means. Thus, the delicate operation of transferring the trays carrying the reams from the rack into the container takes place in an always closed space, without manual handling, and, on the other hand, the container is released only at the moment when its door has been closed. The reams of printed sheets can therefore be moved without the risk of theft or damage.
The apparatus according to the invention for unloading reams of sheets of securities from the exit of a production machine having at least one tray rack comprises:
a closed container, at least one of the walls of which comprises a door capable of being opened and closed automatically,
means for positioning and locking the container relative to the exit rack,
means for opening and closing the door,
a transfer system for moving the trays carrying the reams from the exit rack into the container,
an automatic system for controlling and checking the positioning and locking means, the means for opening and closing the door, the transfer system and the position of the door.
One of the advantages of the apparatus according to the invention is that it is completely modular, so that it can be mounted both on new machines for the production of securities and on machines already in service.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3637095 (1972-01-01), Kampfer
patent: 4029221 (1977-06-01), Nakai et al.
patent: 4032027 (1977-06-01), Lindberg
patent: 4183708 (1980-01-01), Kuhbier et al.
patent: 4621969 (1986-11-01), Berghall et al.
patent: 4634333 (1987-01-01), Butterly, Jr. et al.
patent: 4818171 (1989-04-01), Burkholder
patent: 5024576 (1991-06-01), Meschi
patent: 5224812 (1993-07-01), Oslin et al.
patent: 5337880 (1994-08-01), Claycomb et al.
patent: 5441376 (1995-08-01), Napierkowski et al.
Baertschi Daniel
Wyssmuller Philippe
De La Rue Giori S.A.
Keenan James W.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
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