Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for arranging or rearranging stream of items – By distributing items from one stream into plural streams
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-10
2002-06-04
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for arranging or rearranging stream of items
By distributing items from one stream into plural streams
C271S204000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398009
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a delivery systems for signatures or sheets of paper, and more particularly to a delivery system which uses modules having grippers.
RELATED TECHNOLOGY
Signature gripping devices are known, for example, which transfer signatures. A single gripper grasps a signature or sheet of paper. The grippers can be arranged on modules, so that a plurality of modules can run along tracks and transfer a plurality of signatures or sheets of paper. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/709,796 entitled “Device for Transporting Flat Products to Further Processing Units or Delivery Stations” and filed Sep. 9, 1996 shows a conveyance system comprised of individual gripper modules running on a track for delivering signatures or sheets of paper; it is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Modules typically run on a track, and often need to be diverted depending on the desired route of the individual sheets or signatures. For example, it may be desirable to send each alternating signature to a different track by performing what is known as an A/B split. To perform such a moving chains or belts with a diverter ball or block to divert the modules may be used. This is a complicated moving mechanical system prone to malfunctioning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a sheet delivery device having a first gripper module for carrying a first sheet, a second gripper module for carrying a second sheet, a track for guiding the first and second gripper modules, and a stationary diverter located at a divergence. The track includes a first section, a second section and a third section, the first section diverging at the divergence into the second section and the third section.
The present invention therefore permits the conveyance device which provides a constant flow of modules using a purely mechanical diverter which does not require a power source and is not prone to malfunctioning.
The present invention also provides a sheet delivery device in which a track for guiding the first and second gripper modules includes a first section, a second section and a third section, the first section diverging at a divergence into the second section and the third section, and the first section being at least twice as wide as a maximum width of the first gripper module. This advantageously permits the use of blank modules to achieve a simple and uncomplicated A/B signature split.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2167343 (1939-07-01), Bergmann
patent: 3635322 (1972-01-01), Raudat et al.
patent: 4917369 (1990-04-01), Moll et al.
patent: 5217105 (1993-06-01), Sapp et al.
patent: 6007064 (1999-12-01), Cote et al.
patent: 249427 (1963-01-01), None
patent: 551428 (1932-05-01), None
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Kenyon & Kenyon
Skaggs H. Grant
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