Signature gripper and delivery device

Details Signature gripper and delivery device Signature gripper and delivery device

1998-07-10

2001-04-10

Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)

Sheet feeding or delivering

Delivering

Reciprocating conveyors

C271S082000, C271S204000, C271S205000, C271S206000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213459

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a delivery systems for signatures printed by a printing press, and more particularly to a signature gripper.
RELATED TECHNOLOGY
Signature conveyance devices are known, for example, which use grippers to grasp a stream of signatures exiting a folder. The grippers can travel on a conveyance device, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,443, which shows a conveyor
10
having grippers
12
. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Often there is a difference between the velocity of the signatures as they exit the folder and the velocity of the grippers in the conveyance device. The signatures thus may experience a deceleration when first gripped by the grippers. This deceleration often causes a skew or torque as the center of gravity of the signature attempts to rotate about the gripper, which firmly grasps the signature at a side location. This skew or torque can damage the signature and affect print quality, or worse, cause a rip or tear in the signature. Signature handling problems also may arise if the signature is not in the correct orientation with respect to its gripper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a signature gripper having a gripper pad for firmly gripping a signature, a gripper base connected to the gripper pad, the gripper pad being rotatable about the gripper base in a direction of rotation, and a spring acting in the direction of rotation to permit rotation of the gripper pad about the gripper base and connected to at least one of the gripper base and gripper pad.
The present invention also provides a signature delivery device comprising a conveyance device and a plurality of such grippers.
Advantageously, a normal of the signature and an axis of rotation of the gripper pad are parallel, so that the rotation of the gripper pad can best follow the rotation of the signature.


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patent: 0326533 (1989-08-01), None
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