Package making – Group forming of contents unit and subsequent or further... – Layer – stack – or column
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-09
2004-08-31
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Group forming of contents unit and subsequent or further...
Layer, stack, or column
C053S156000, C053S589000, C100S007000, C271S181000, C271S214000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06782678
ABSTRACT:
The present invention has for its object an automatic device for stacking and transfer of printed booklets in the form of bundles of said booklets which are then packaged, preferably by banding, then palletized for shipment. The invention relates more particularly to a horizontal stacking device for printed booklets that can operate at very high rates of speed.
In a device of this type, each movable element has its own cycle time. The cycle of a movable element is defined by the series of movements that it carries out and the cycle time is the time needed to carry out this series of movements and return to its initial condition. Each movable element has a minimum cycle time and the minimum cycle time of the complete device is thus the longest of all the minimum cycle times of the movable elements constituting the device. Also, the development of a device that can function at high speed consists in obtaining a device having the shortest cycle time possible.
In a stacking and transfer device for printed booklets in the form of bundles, the longest cycle always is that of the pressing and transfer elements of the stacked bundle toward a packaging device.
The minimum cycle time of such a stacking and transfer device is thus the time required for the transfer elements of the booklets to press and to transfer the bundle of the stacked portion toward a packaging device and to return to their initial condition.
There are known installations for the processing of printed booklets permitting their horizontal stacking and their transfer in line in the form of bundles, in which a pressing carriage movable below the stacking table and constituted by two elements connected by jacks, permits gripping a formed bundle of booklets to bring it to a packaging station, in particular by banding, said bundle being raised by said carriage in the course of its transfer. Another movable carriage below the stacking table, provided with stacking fingers, ensures the holding of a new bundle in the course of formation. The bundle preferably receives a plate at the front during the appearance of a new bundle and is then carried by the pressing carriage toward a dispensing station for a second plate, counterfingers being brought against the rear of the bundle so as to be able to retract the pressing carriage and to form a space between said counterfingers and the pressing carriage in which is inserted a second plate.
In addition to the problem of dirtying the booklets connected to the presence of the counterfingers, the processing time is relatively long because particularly the advance of the pressing carriage and its return during insertion of the rear plate. Moreover, the emplacement of the first plate coming directly on the new bundle in formation, in the case of high speed, it is difficult to synchronize this insertion of the front plate.
From EP 0 709 330, there is known a booklet transfer device constituted by a carriage having two portions, a lower portion for driving in translation said carriage carrying an upper portion arranged to project into the stacking table to raise the printed booklets so as to transfer them, pneumatic drive means between the lower portion and the upper portion permitting raising and lowering the upper portion. Such a device thus has a transfer carriage whose length limits the length of the bundle of booklets to be transferred.
From EP 0 623 542, there is known a device to form horizontal bundles of booklets from a vertical arrival path. This devices comprises a separator formed by two portions that can be portions that can be spaced apart, which is inserted within the flow of booklets, between two booklets, from below the stacking table and, once said separator is introduced, the two portions of the separator move apart while delimiting respectively a bundle formed and a bundle in the course of formation. The formed bundle can thus be taken up by a transfer device to bring it toward a pressing station. This transfer device is constituted by two movable elements positioned above the stacking table and that can slide along said stacking table to a banding station, each movable element being constituted by two portions which extend transversely to the direction of advance of the stacking table. These portions can slide relative to each other so as to be spaced on either side of the table and approach each other below the stacking table, thus interposing themselves on the stacking path. Because of this, when the movable element of the transfer device wears against the forward end of a bundle, the two portions of said element are brought together whilst the two portions of the movable element of the transfer device itself to be positioned at the end of a formed bundle are spaced on opposite sides of the stacking table and are brought together to serve as an abutment only when the separator has provided a separation within the flow of booklets.
This booklet formation device moreover provides emplacing, with the help of elements of the transfer device, end booklets for a bundle from a store located beside the stacking table, said plates being raised and brought over the stacking table with the help of transfer elements. Thus, the rear plate is introduced between the rear separation element of the formed bundle and the movable transport element for the rear end, the separation element is then withdrawn and the movable transfer element for the rear end maintains the rear plate against the end of the bundle.
Once the formed bundle is brought to another station, the two movable transfer elements trap between them a plate which they bring to the front end of the bundle undergoing formation, the movable element adapted to rest against the rear of the bundle spaces its two portions on opposite sides of the stacking table to free the plate facing the forward end of the bundle and the separation element resting against said front end can then be withdrawn below the stacking table, the plate resting against the front end of the movable transfer element for the front end.
Such a device has several drawbacks. On the one hand, it is of a relatively complicated and cumbersome structure from the point of view of the transfer device disposed above the stacking table, which must slide above and along the stacking path for the booklets and which moreover has elements sliding transversely to said path. This device requires a protective housing which prevents access of an operator to the bundle undergoing formation in order to conform to safety standards in force.
On the other hand, such a device, when it is applied to stacking devices for bundles that operate at high speed, has a relatively long processing cycle to the extent to which the emplacement phase of the plates using transfer means of the bundle, requires a certain time lapse which prolongs the length of the formation cycle of the bundles, which can be troublesome.
From AT 393 820, there is known a device for stacking printed booklets in the form of bundles, in which a bundle is formed by introduction of separation elements between two printed booklets. These separation elements are positioned above the stacking table and thus engage between two booklets from above the stack. The separation elements are carried by two separate and independent supports positioned above said stacking table so as to be driven in translation along and above said table. Thus, once the separation elements are introduced between two stacked booklets, these elements are spaced from each other so as to separate the printed booklets into a formed bundle and a bundle undergoing formation. This device moreover comprises abutment means positioned on the path of advance of the supports of the separation elements and which coact with the latter to permit the emplacement of the plates at the rear of a formed bundle and at the front of the bundle undergoing formation. Thus a plate is inserted between the separation elements at the rear of the formed bundle and those at the front of the bundle undergoing formation which arrives in such a way that, when the separation elemen
Gerrity Stephen F.
Realisations, Etudes & Co Commercialisation de materiel pour l&a
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
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