GB2068344A - A side registering conveyor for sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

A conveyor module which can be arranged adjacent similar modules each module moving bundles of sheet material from one end of the module to the other, includes a conveyor running beneath a flat stationary surface (36) with flights protruding through slots (3a, b, c, d) in the stationary surface (36) to extend thereabove, the conveyor moving in a direction which converges towards a kerb (37) so that the sheets conveyed by the conveyor are marshalled against the kerb (37). The conveyor protrudes from one end of the flat stationary surface (36) and corresponding recesses (27a-27d) are provided at the other end of the surface (36) to accommodate the protruding parts of the conveyor of an adjacent module. In this way the conveyors of adjacent modules are arranged so that the downstream end of one conveyor feeds the upstream end of the next with the conveyors of adjacent modules not interfering with one another. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A conveyor for sheet material This invention relates to a conveyor for transport and registration of sheet and/or folded sheet material, particularly in the collation of sets or bundles of such material.

According to this invention a conveyor for transport and registration of sheet or folded sheet material comprises at least one conveyor running beneath a flat stationary surface with flights attached to the conveyor protruding through slots in the stationary surface to extend above the stationary surface, the direction of travel of the conveyor and flights converging towards a kerb to marshall material being transported by the conveyor, the conveyor extending away from one end of the flat stationary surface and the other end of the flat stationary surface including at least one recess which in use accommodates the part of the conveyor extending away from the one end of an adjacent module, the inclination of the conveyor towards the kerb enabling the kerbs of adjacent modules to be aligned without the conveyors of adjacent modules interfering with one another.

Preferably the flat stationary surface is inclined to the horizontal so that it slopes downwards towards the kerb.

An advantage of such a conveyor is that the modules can be provided in whatever numbers are required. The modules can be put together easily to adapt the complete assembly to suit a particular situation.

Two examples of collators of sheet material using conveyors in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first example of module; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the end sections of two adjacently sited modules; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sheet feeder; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a part of the sheet feeder; Figures 5a, b and carve perspective views of two different example of the suction head of the sheet feeder; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a stacker for folded sheet material to be used with both examples of collator; Figure 7 is a block circuit diagram for the microprocessor and control circuit used in each station of each module; Figure 8 is a plan of a module with attached central processing unit;; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a second example of module; Figure 10 is a section through a motordriven rotary valve; and, Figure 71 is a section through a further suction head.

The collator machine for sheet material described hereinafter is composed of a number of independent connectable modules, each of which is entirely self-supplying and each of which may be easily connected to adjacent modules. Each module is controlled by a central processing-unit CPU-1 and includes its own microprocessor DMC-1 for each station in each module. DMC-1 in each station comprises the actual core or heart of the collating machine and will be described in detail hereinafter.

Each module includes two hoists 1 and 2, into which piles, for instance of paper sheets, are placed and from which piles one sheet at a time is to be taken and deposited on a conveyor 3 running beside the hoists 1 and 2.

The conveyor 3 consists of a plurality of mutually parallel belts 3a-3dwhich are provided with flights that are aligned relative to each other to form a row transverse of the conveyor. The transport surface of the conveyor is inclined away from the hoists 1 and 2, as indicated by the angle a in Fig. 1. The belts 3a-3d have a component of their direction of movement away from the hoists 1 and 2. Thus sheets of material carried by the conveyor are directed to the side of the conveyor sited farthest away from the hoists 1 and 2 where they are brought into contact with a kerb 37 and thus align one side of the sheets in relation to one another. The kerb 37 of the conveyor is appropriately so devised that when several sheets are piled on top of one another the corresponding edge of the uppermost sheet is directed downwards, thereby preventing the edges from being folded upwards.The conveyor belts 3a-3d comprise toothed belts, each and every one of which forms a closed loop, which are driven synchronously and preferably stepwise by a motor 10 sited in one end of the modules shown in Fig. 2. The shaft which links the motor 10 with the driving wheels for the belts 3a-3d is preferably made openable at some point to allow the conveyor of an adajacent module to be interconnected thereby assuring synchronous operation of the conveyors of both modules. Synchronisation of the conveyors in the various modules can naturally be attained by some other means, for example by controlling the feed to the motors 10 for the different conveyors 3 in the different modules.

As shown in Fig. 2, each module is provided in its upstream side with a plurality of recesses 27a-27d, the locations and numbers of these recesses corresponding to the locations and numbers of extended portions of the belts 3a-3dat the downstream side of the module thereby making it possible to allow the conveyor belts of two adjacent modules to run mutually parallel a short distance into the adjacent-viewed in the direction of transport- module and also enabling two mo dules and their conveyors to be interconnected mechanically. It is essential for those parts of the belts which extend outside a module are directed downwards, i.e. to dive,-as shown in the right part of the module in Figs. 2 and 9-in order to attain smooth transfer of the sheet from one module to the next.Also other devices for example in the form of spigots on one side of the module and corresponding sockets in its other side permit reliable interconnection and precise alignment of adjacent modules.

Each hoist 1 and 2 is equipped with a separate motor 8 and 9 for individually driving each hoist. Each motor, for example 8, drives a toothed wheel (not shown) which in turn drives an endless loop as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1. Each hoist is naturally also equipped with devices (not shown) to stop it in the correct position to bring the top sheet in its pile to a constant height. In the side of the hoist 1 and 2 which is sited closest to the conveyor 3 there are also a number of slotted blow holes 23 the purpose of which will be explained in greater detail below.

A guide rail 6 in each module runs between the hoists 1 and 2 and over the conveyor 3.

One or both ends of the rail 6 are provided with a bellows 22 which acts as a shock absorber. Air exhausted from the bellows 22 emerges from the above-mentioned blow holes 23. Instead, a separate high-speed pump can be used to achieve the required blowing--airingg-of the upper sheets in the hoists 1 and 2 to help separate them into individual sheets. A beam 1 7 perpendicular to the guide rail 6 is mounted on the rail 6 and moved backwards and forward by for example a linear motor or by a pneumatically actuated piston rod.

The beam 1 7 is equipped with suction head 4 and 5 for each hoist, i.e. it has one suction head on each side of the guide rail 6. Each suction head has an inverted T-shape and its height is adjustable by a motor 11. A rack is provided on the vertical part 18 of each head and this co-operates with a pinion on the motor 11.

The suction head includes an electrical air suction pump 19, the speed and thus the capacity of which can be varied in a manner described in greater detail hereinafter. This air suction pump 1 9 sucks air through the part 1 8 of the suction head 5, which in this example is made of a square-section pipe. The part 1 8 runs through the beam 1 7 and terminates with a closed end-piece 28, in the end of which a link 30 is slightly movable on a trunnion. This mobility or play is limited by two stops 20, 21 formed on the solid endpiece 27.The link 30 carried a motor 1 3 and a suction bar 1 6 in such a manner that the suction head 5 can be turned approximately 180 by the motor 1 3. A flexible suction hose extends from the pipe-shaped part 1 8 which communicates with the air suction pump 1 9 down to the suction bar 16. The bar 16 consists of a square-section pipe with closed ends having on its underside nozzles 15a-15e.

The nozzles 15, one of which is shown in Fig. 5e each consists of a short pipe fixed to the square-section pipe 16, and a rubber cowl placed on the end of the pipe. Instead, however, the underside of the suction head can be formed as shown in Figs. 5a 8 5b with a number of holes 39, and an angular rubber skirt 38 surrounding the holes to provide a more effective action than that shown in Fig.

5c.

Since there is a direct communication between the air suction pump 1 9 and each nozzle 15a-15e and since the speed and thus the capacity of the air suction pump 1 9 is variable, the suction power at the nozzles 15a-15e against a sheet can also be varied, thereby enabling control to be performed easily.

The control can take place in the following manner. The microprocessor unit DMC-1 includes a sensor 24, for example in the form of a specially designed photocell, which has an output depending upon how many sheets have been picked by the suction head 5. The output signal generated by the photocell 24, varies in level depending whether no sheet, one sheet or more than one sheet has been picked up by the suction head 5. The output signal is compared in DMC-1 with a preset value corresponding to one sheet and if more than one sheet is sensed, a signal designated D (double) in Fig. 7 is generated and a lamp designated D in DMC-1 lights up. This indication means that more than one sheet has been picked up. If, instead, a signal M (miss) is obtained and indicated on lamp M in DMC-1, this lamp indicates a miss, i.e. no sheet at all.

The above sensing is used not only to indicate faulty feeding of the sheets but also to control the feeder so that it picks one sheet regardless of its thickness or weight. This control is performed by allowing DMC-1 for a certain sufficiently long time to sense a single sheet in order to get a reference level corresponding to one sheet as the preset output signal from DMC-1, this signal being transmitted to CPU-1. The feeder is then started and commences picking, whereupon DMC-1 in the manner described above senses and transmits-if there is no sheet held on the suction head a signal corresponding to a miss to a central processing unit CPU-1, which in turn instructs the air suction member 1 9 to increase its capacity. The feeder then operates again and if DMC-1 now indicates and transmits a signal corresponding to normal the station is ready for commencement of operation. If, instead, DMC-1 indicates and still transmits a signal corresponding to a miss to CPU-1, CPU-1 orders the air suction member 1 9 to increase its capacity still further, this being repeated until DMC-1 transmits to CPU-1 a signal corresponding to normal, i.e.

one sheet. If, instead, DMC-1 indicates double, i.e. that more than one sheet has been picked, CPU-1 correspondingly instructs the air suction member 1 9 to decrease its capacity for the next feed, this being repeated until DMC-1 transmits to CPU-1 a signal corresponding to normal, whereupon the station is ready for commencement of operation. This type of control is obviously usable with other types of sheet handling machine in addition to the collators described here, for instance for feeding sheets one at a time into a printing press, a carton former or similar machine in which one and only one sheet is to be fed from a pile. The same process as described above is carried out at each station in the collators which are described here.

The suction head 5 shown in Fig. 3 is also suitable for picking raised or upright sheets and particularly folded sheets arranged upright and a suitable device for stacking them is shown in Fig. 6. This device consists of an endless mat 25, which is driven by a motor 26 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6. The folded and/or raised sheets which are to be picked are placed on the mat 25 against arresters 31 a, 31 b and against an edge 32. The sheets also rest against a wall 34 and an adjustably setable guide 35. A support 33 with a certain weight serves to support the sheets. The sheets are thus raised on edge between 34 and 35 are the frontmost sheet rests against the arresters 31 a, 31 band against the lower edge 32, other sheets being pressed down as the mat 25 moves forward in the direction indicated by the arrow. A suction head 5 as shown in Fig.

3 is arranged with the motor 1 3 activated so that the suction bar 1 6 is positioned at a right angle to the position shown in Fig. 3 approaches the frontmost sheet in the device shown in Fig. 6, and when the nozzles 15a-15e approach the sheet, preferably its lower part, the sheet adheres by suction to the suction bar 16, whereupon the suction head 5 is moved away and thus picks the sheet, turning it in the required manner by activating the motor 1 3 to deposit the sheet in its intended place, for example on a conveyor. When the sheet has been removed in this way, the pile of raised sheets in the device moves forward in consequence of the travel of the mat 25.This device is particularly suitable for use in a hoist of the abovementioned collating machine but can obviously also be used together with a suction head separate from the collating machine described here, for instance with an enveloping machine or an addressing machine.

DMC-1 in each station in each module receives and transmits all information to CPU-1 firstly in order to cope with the abovedescribed control of the suction head 3 but also transmits information to CPU-1 in respect of quantity counting, bundle counting and counting of missed and double sheets, respectively.

CPU-1 may also give orders-if so required-for bundling, stacking, feeding, picking and folding, etc and for the general synchronisation of each module.

The actual feeding and depositing stages, respectively, do not per se comprise any direct innovative features of the present invention.

For this reason no closer description of them is given in the present context, it sufficing simply to state that when a collator according to this invention is to be arranged a plurality of modules, the number of which corresponds to half the number of sheets to be collated are placed side-by-side and interconnected mechanically in the above described manner, all DMC-1 units being then connected electrically to CPU-1, which in turn is connected electrically with and controls all drive motors in the modules.

To increase the speed of the feeder disclosed and also to reduce the risk of feeding several sheets at the same time it has also been found convenient to modify the feeding arrangement to divide the desired material movement in to a) a lifting motion , and, b) a transport motion. This will be described with reference to the second example shown in Fig. 9. The second example includes a second suction head which is arranged to pick one sheet at a time from the pile and to lift this to a level at which a reciprocating movable suction head takes over.

The second example is generally similar to the first example and it is used in a similar manner.

Each module includes two hoists 91, 92 into which piles of, for instance, paper sheets are placed and from which sheets are fed one at a time and deposited on a conveyor 93.

Two guide rails in each module run between the hoists 91 8 92 over the conveyor 93 and the guide rails may have at one or both ends bellows as mentioned earlier. A beam 99 perpendicular to and mounted on the guide rails can be moved backwards and forwards by for example a toothed belt 911 driven by a motor 910. The beam 99 is equipped with suction heads 91 2 and 913, respectively one for each hoist, i.e. it has one suction head on each side of the guide rails.

Each hoist 91 and 92, is provided with a prelifter 914 and 915, respectively, each of which is removable as a unit as shown to the left in Fig. 9, or so that it can be swung aside, not shown, to enable upright sheets, for example folded sheets, to be picked from the sheet bundles carried in the hoists. These prelifters preferably have the same construction as those for the reciprocating motion. To be able to handle both vertically and horizontally positioned sheets it is necessary for the prelifter to be removable.

A particularly simple and appropriate embodiment is if the prelifters are mounted for arcuate movement by means of a motor 91 6 or 91 7 and a lever 91 8 or 91 7 between a lower position, in which a sheet material is picked, to an upper position, in which a transport suction head 91 2 or 91 3 takes over and transports the sheet material horizontally to the conveyor 93. Preferably the suction heads of the prelifters 914 and 91 5 are arranged to maintain a substantially horizontal attitude during their arcuate movement. This is achieved with a lever 91.

When the material sheet is being transferred from the prelifter 914 or 91 5 to the transport suction head 91 2 or 91 3 it is useful for the prelifter to emit an ejecting air surge at the same time as the transport suction head takes hold of the sheet. Additionally, it is appropriate for the transport suction head 91 2 or 913 upon completion of its forward movement to emit an ejecting air surge so as to deposit the sheet material on the conveyor.

These transient air surges may be attained with the aid of a motor-driven rotary valve 1018 shown in Fig. 10.

Each suction head 912 or 913 is suspension-mounted and is turnable around its central shaft with the aid of a motor 901 or 903 and levers 902 or 904, whereupon the turning of the suction head is always performed at the same level, i.e. no movement of the suction head relative to the picked paper sheets occurs, thereby avoiding the risk of smudging newly printed text.

The suction heads are as shown in Figs. 9 and 11 are arranged in this case as suction heads with an adjustable stop 920, thereby facilitating setting of the size of the heads to correspond to that of the sheets to be picked and transported.

Claims (7)

1. A conveyor module for transport and registration of sheet or folded sheet material, the module comprising at least one conveyor running beneath a flat stationary surface with flights attached to the conveyor protruding through slots in the stationary surface to extend above the stationary surface, the direction of travel of the conveyor and flights converging towards a kerb to marshall material being transported by the conveyor, the conveyor extending away from one end of the flat stationary surface and the other end of the flat stationary surface including at last one recess which in use accommodates the part of the conveyor extending away from the-one end of an adjacent module, the inclination of the conveyor towards the kerb enabling the kerbs of adjacent modules to be aligned without the conveyors of adjacent modules interfering with one another.

2. A conveyor module according to claim 1, in which the flat stationary surface is inclined to the horizontal so that it slopes downwards towards the kerb.

3. A conveyor module according to claim 1 or 2, in which the kerb forms a sharp angle to the flat stationary surface.

4. A conveyor module according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the one end of the conveyor which extends away from the flat stationary surface of the conveyor dips downwards to such an extent that the flights move below the level of the flat stationary surface.

5. A conveyor module according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the conveyor is formed by a plurality of parallel belts or ribbons each having teeth on their lower face for propulsion and flights extending upwards from their upper surface.

6. A conveyor module according to any one of the preceding claims, in which spigots are provided at one end of the module, and corresponding sockets are provided in the other end to enable adjacent modules to be aligned.

7. A conveyor module according to claim 1, constructed substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.