Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separator and conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2002-06-11
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separator and conveyor
C271S010060, C271S010070, C271S094000, C271S106000, C271S107000, C271S197000, C271S018100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402134
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a method of separating flat, stacked products according to the preamble of claim
1
and to a separating apparatus for separating flat products according to the preamble of claim
2
.
A method and a separating apparatus of the type mentioned here are known. In order to process flat products further, for example sheet-metal panels, sheets of paper or board, these are provided stacked on one another. In order to feed them to a further processing apparatus, for example a printing machine, the flat products are picked up individually from the stack. For this purpose, it is known to arrange a stack of products under a feeder with a separating apparatus. The separating apparatus comprises a pick-up device having a lifting element for the product resting at the top of the stack. Using the lifting element, the respective uppermost product is lifted, so that said product can be transferred to a transport device, which leads the product to the further processing apparatus arranged downstream of the separating apparatus. Depending on the number of products picked up from the stack, the remaining stack of products is moved up with the aid of a lifting device, so that the respective uppermost product is located in the access range of the lifting element. The drawback with the known method and the apparatus is that lifting the uppermost product off the stack of products can take place only when the previous product has been removed from the stack of products, with the aid of the transport device, to such an extent that its trailing edge region no longer overlaps the stack of products. As a result, only a correspondingly low number of products per unit time can be separated and fed to the further processing apparatus.
It is therefore the object of the invention to specify a method of separating flat, stacked products with which a large number of products per unit time can be lifted off the stack of products and fed to a further processing process. A further objective of the invention is to provide an apparatus for implementing the method which preferably has a simple construction.
In order to achieve this object, a method of separating flat, stacked products is proposed which has the features cited above. In order to process the flat products further, in particular sheet-metal panels, sheets of paper or board, these are picked up individually one after another from the stack of products and fed individually to a further processing process. After the uppermost product has been lifted off the stack of products, it is transported away in the transport direction to the further processing process. In this case, provision is made for the transport direction to be inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the stack of products by an angle∝ which preferably lies in the range from 30° to 150°. The “vertical axis” of the stack of products is understood to mean that axis which extends orthogonally to the base area of the stacked products. The method is distinguished by the fact that as the product that still partially overlaps the stack with its trailing edge region is transported away, a following product is already being lifted off the stack of products, in its trailing edge region, to be transported away. This is possible since a lifting action which is partially carried out is carried out outside the region of overlap with the preceding product, and because of its elasticity the product permits a preferably S-shaped bend, so that the leading edge region of the product which is located in the overlap region still rests on the stack while the trailing edge region is already being lifted. If the product has a high stiffness, it will bend only little elastically, that is to say as it is lifted it passes through a number of tilting movements. In conjunction with the present invention, the term “overlap” is understood to mean that—as viewed transversely with respect to the transport direction of the product—the trailing edge region of the previous product is still located above the stack of products while the following product is already being lifted off the stack of products. Viewed in plan view, therefore, the previous product, being transported away, still partially covers the stack of products during the action of partially lifting the following product. By this means, by comparison with the method known from the prior art, more products per unit time can be processed, so that the utilization of a subsequent further processing process can be optimized.
In order to achieve the object, an apparatus for separating flat, stacked products having the features cited above is also proposed. The apparatus comprises a pick-up device and a transport device, which are used to lift the uppermost product off the stack of products and to transport the separated products away. The products are preferably fed to a further processing apparatus. In connection with the present invention, the term “further processing apparatus” is also understood to mean a product transport device or separating apparatus or the like for the products. The transport direction, in which the goods are transported away, forms with the vertical axis of the stack of products an angle∝which preferably lies in the range from 30° to 150°. The apparatus is distinguished by the fact that the transport device has at least two overhead transporting means which—as viewed in the transport direction—are arranged one behind another and in each case above the stack of products and in each case in a position overlapping the stack of products. On the basis of this configuration, it is possible that while a product already lifted off the stack of products is being transported away and, at the same time, its trailing edge region still overlaps the stack of products, the following product, located at the top of the stack of products, is already being partially lifted off the stack of products. As a result, more producers can be separated per unit time than in the case of the separating apparatus known from the prior art, as a result of which the utilization of a further processing apparatus connected downstream of the separating apparatus can be optimized.
In a preferred embodiment of the separating apparatus, provision is made for the transporting means to be constructed as overhead suction belt sections. In each case, these comprise at least one endless belt, referred to as a run, which is led over rollers, rolls or other guide devices, it being possible for at least one of the rollers/rolls to be driven to rotate and preferably to be braked. The endless belt is provided with a number of passage openings and, on its side facing away from the product, can have a vacuum applied to it, which makes it possible to pick up the product by suction and hold it on the endless belt. The vacuum serving to achieve an adhesive action (suction action) is preferably adjustable or can be switched (on/off switching). The construction and the functioning of an overhead suction belt section are known, so that they do not need to be discussed specifically here.
In another design variant, provision is made for the overhead suction belt section to have a number of narrow belts, arranged at a distance from one another and transversely with respect to the transport direction of the product, in particular endless belts, whose respective width is less than that of the product.
In another exemplary embodiment of the separating apparatus, provision is made for the transporting means to be constructed as overhead magnetic sections, which can be employed in the case of products consisting of ferromagnetic material. Each of the overhead magnetic sections comprises at least one endless belt/belt run led over rollers, rolls or other guide devices, as well as at least one electromagnet, which can preferably be switched on and off, and/or at least one permanent magnet. The magnet can be arranged to be fixed in position with respect to the run, which can be driven and preferably also braked, on the side facing away from the product to be transp
Gauger Hans-Ernst
Michel Björn
Deuble Mark A.
Ellis Christopher P.
LTG Mailander GmbH
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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