EP0265735B1 - Method and apparatus to remove folded printed products from printing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A conveyor device which is equipped with grippers secured to a chain structure is arranged beneath a rotary bucket or fan wheel of a printing machine, typically a printing press. These grippers engage trailing edges of the printed products which still abut against at least one stripper wheel. The printed products are thus fixedly retained before departing from the rotary bucket or fan wheel. By means of a revolvingly driven belt, which engages at the trailing edges of the printed products, these printed products are displaced or stuffed into the associated compartment or bucket of the rotary bucket or fan wheel prior to their engagement by the grippers. The printed products thus assume a defined position within the compartments or buckets, thus rendering possible the subsequent positionally-correct removal of the printed products from the compartments or buckets of the rotary bucket or fan wheel.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for taking over, in particular, folded printed products from a rotatingly driven paddle wheel of a printing press according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 4, respectively.

As is known, the printed products leaving the folder of printing machines are introduced into the compartments of a paddle wheel, from which the products are then laid out in scales on delivery belts. For the subsequent further processing of the printed products, it is now important that the scale spacing in the laid scale flow is regular.

In order to achieve this, it has already been proposed to print the products on their edge resting on the bottom of the sections of the paddle wheel, i.e. at the leading edge, to be gripped using controlled grippers before the products have left the compartments (CH-PS 626 830). The printed products held by the grippers are led out of the paddle wheel compartments and placed in a scale on a conveyor. So that the edge of the printed products to be gripped by the grippers comes to rest securely in the grippers, the rotational speed of the grippers is lower than the peripheral speed of the bottom of the compartments of the paddle wheel. The grippers thus also take on the role of the usually existing stripping element (belt, wheel, or the like) on which the printing products come into contact with their leading edge and are pushed out of the paddle wheel in this way.

The printed products held by the grippers remain in the position during the sliding out of the bucket wheel, which they take up in the assigned compartment of the bucket wheel when they are taken over by the grippers. However, irregularities in the scale spacing can result if the printed products do not lie correctly on the bottom of the compartment at the time they are gripped by the grippers. In addition, when the printed products are transferred from the grippers to the conveyors arranged below them, shifts can occur between successive printed products, which can lead to irregularities in the scale spacing.

From EP-A-0 179 992 it is known to clamp a paddle wheel approximately tangentially and from above, printed products on their leading edge between the walls of the compartments of the paddle wheel and a circulating belt and in this way the printed products during the rotation of the paddle wheel to hold on. At the lowest point, the leading edges of the printed products are then released again and the latter are dropped onto a conveyor belt to form a stack. This solution also has the disadvantage that a regular scale spacing cannot be achieved if the printed products cannot fall onto the bottom of the compartments of the paddle wheel before they are held. However, this is not important in the case of these known devices, since, as already mentioned, the printed products are stacked up in stacks and are not processed further in scale formation.

In addition, it is known to bring the printed products located in the compartments of a paddle wheel during the rotation of the paddle wheel with their leading edge against cams, which are driven at a lower speed than the speed of movement of the printed products (US Pat. No. 4,565,363). The printed products which are ejected from the paddlewheel compartments by the cams are deposited in the form of a scale on a conveyor belt. The impact of the printed products on the cams will probably align them, but the printed products can shift during the free fall on the conveyor belt and when they hit the latter in their mutual position, which leads to irregular scale spacings.

In the prior art according to DE-PS-31 23406, which forms the preamble of claims 1 and 4, the printed products are also aligned by rotatingly driven cams, which, however, attack the rear, trailing edges of the printed products as soon as the latter has been completely released from the paddle wheel have been. When the cams engage the trailing edges of the products, the latter already lie in the area of the leading edges on the previous product carried along by the delivery belt. As a result of the frictional forces between the products lying on top of one another, the cams can only change the position of the detected product to a limited extent. This means that large irregularities in the scale spacing cannot be completely compensated for. Such irregularities can e.g. then arise when the printed products do not come into the correct position in the compartments of the paddle wheel or during the free fall from the compartments on the delivery belt undergo a change in position.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a method and a device of the type mentioned above which, in a simple manner, enable a scale formation with a very uniform scale spacing from the printed products removed from the paddle wheel of a printing press, even at high working speeds to build.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1 and claim 4.

The solution according to the invention is based on the knowledge that the printed products are to be held as early as possible, in any case before they emerge completely from the compartments of the paddle wheel, and thus fixed in their mutual position for the subsequent formation of a scale formation.

Grasping the trailing edge of the products now makes it possible to achieve the desired early retention of the printed products with relatively simple means, since it is not necessary for this to intervene in the compartments of the paddle wheel. When the trailing edge is detected, the corresponding printed product is still in the interior of the paddlewheel compartment in the area of the leading edge and is not yet or only in the area of the trailing edge and is lying very loosely on the preceding printed product, so that the printed products do not exist prior to detection can already experience an undesirably large change in position due to friction from the preceding printed product.

In order to bring the trailing edge safely into the effective area of grippers, an acceleration arrangement according to claims 2 and 14 is preferably provided which detects the trailing edge of the printed products at the beginning of the ejection from the compartments of the paddle wheel and brings them downward into the effective area of the grippers .

So that a correct takeover of the printed products from the paddle wheel is possible at all, the printed products must already lie correctly in the compartments of the paddle wheel. In order to ensure this, it can be expedient, as defined in claims 3 and 17, to provide an alignment arrangement which, before the printed products are gripped by the grippers, engages the trailing edge of the printed products and pushes the latter into the associated compartment of the paddle wheel, specifically preferably up to the stop on the bottom of the compartment.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide a support for the printed products which extends in the conveying direction of the conveying device and which is less wide than the latter, as defined in claim 8. When the printed products are placed on the support, no disturbing air cushion can form between the latter and the printed products, which would delay and complicate the correct stacking of the printed products.

Further preferred refinements of the device form the subject of the remaining dependent claims.

• Fig. 1 In Seitenansicht eine erste Ausführungsform einer Vorrichtung zum Uebernehmen und Wegführen der aus dem Schaufelrad einer Druckmaschine ausgestossenen Druckereierzeugnisse,
• Fig. 2 die Uebernahmevorrichtung gemäss Fig. 1 in Draufsicht,
• Fig. 3 die Uebernahmevorrichtung in Richtung des Pfeiles A in Fig. 1 gesehen, teilweise im Schnitt,
• Fig. 4 einen Schnitt entlang der Linie IV-IV in Fig. 3, und
• Fig. 5 in einer der Fig. 4 entsprechenden Darstellung eine zweite Ausführungsform einer Vorrichtung zum Uebernehmen und Wegführen der aus dem Schaufelrad einer Druckmaschine ausgestossenen Drukkereierzeugnisse.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

• 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a device for taking over and guiding away the printed products ejected from the paddle wheel of a printing press,
• 2 the take-over device according to FIG. 1 in plan view,
• 3 the take-over device in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, partly in section,
• Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3, and
• 5 shows, in a representation corresponding to FIG. 4, a second embodiment of a device for taking over and guiding away the printed products ejected from the paddle wheel of a printing press.

In Fig. 1, the paddle wheel (delivery wheel) 1 of a printing press is shown purely schematically, which has a plurality of compartments 2 open on its circumference. The bottom of the compartments 2 is designated 2a. The paddle wheel 1 is driven in the direction of arrow B at a circumferential speed v. The paddle wheel 1 is preceded by a folder, not shown, from which the emerging, folded printed products 4 fall into the compartments 2 of the paddle wheel 1 via a guide roller 3. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the printed products emerge from the folder 3 with their folded edge 4a. This fold edge 4a is thus seen in the direction of rotation B of the paddle wheel 1 to the leading edge. Following the guide roller 3, a guide plate 5 extends in the direction of the circumference of the impeller 1, through which the trailing edges 4b of the printed products 4 are guided during the rotation of the impeller 1. To eject the printed products 4 from the compartments 2, a scraper wheel 6 (possibly also a plurality of scraper wheels) is provided which rotates in the direction of the arrow C. The printed products 4 abut this scraper wheel with their leading edge 4a and are thereby pushed out of the compartments 2 when the paddle wheel 1 is turned further. Instead of the scraper wheel, another suitable scraper element can be provided, e.g. an endless ribbon, a hanger or the like.

The paddle wheel 1 together with the scraper wheel 6 and the folder are of a type known per se and their mode of operation can therefore be assumed to be known.

A conveying device 7 is arranged below the impeller 1, the conveying direction of which is denoted by D and the conveying speed is denoted by _V2 . The conveying direction D is in the same direction as the direction of rotation B of the paddle wheel 1. As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveying device 7 has two endless chains 8 and 9 which are arranged at a distance from one another and run parallel to one another and which surround deflection wheels 10 and 11 or 12 and 13 are performed. The deflection wheels 10 and 12 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 14, while the other deflection wheels 11 and 13 are fastened on a shaft 15, which are driven by chains 16 and 16 'and a gear transmission 17 from the paddle wheel 1, as shown in FIGS 1 and 2 emerges.

On the chains 8 and 9 grippers 18 are fastened at regular intervals, the movable gripper tongue of which is designated 19. The gripper tongues 19 form part of a bracket 20 which is formed from a multi-curved strip made of a resilient material (FIG. 4). The brackets 20 are fastened to a holding body 21 which is attached to bolts 22 which are connected to the chain 8 or 9 and project to the side thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. The holding bodies 21 are provided with a surface 21a which serves as a counter-support to the gripper tongues 19. On the chains 8, 9, support rollers 23 are also attached, on which one leg of the spring clip 20 is supported (FIG. 4).

To open the grippers 18, i.e. to lift off the tongues 19 from the counter surfaces 21a, are provided with the deflection wheels 10-13 coaxial opening cams 24, 25, which are formed by the hubs of the deflection wheels 10-13. When the chains 8, 9 run onto the deflection wheels 10-13, the brackets 20 with the section designated 20a run onto the opening cams 24, 25. The result of this is that the brackets 20 are bent away in the direction away from the opening cams 24, 25, as a result of which the gripper tongues 19 are lifted off the counter supports 21a, as is clearly shown in FIG. 4. As soon as the stirrups 20 run again from the opening cams 24, 25, they return to their starting position due to their resilient properties, in which the gripper tongues 19 rest on the counter surfaces 21a or press a captured printed product 4 against this counter support 21a.

In the area of the deflection wheels 10 and 12, i.e. At the beginning of the conveyor-effective section 7a of the conveyor 7, a support plate 26 for the printed products 4 is arranged between the two chains 8, 9. This support plate 26 is less wide than the printed products 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conveyor 28 with a conveying direction E in the same direction connects to the conveying device 7. This conveyor 28 preferably has a conveying speed _V3 which is somewhat greater than the conveying speed v _{2 of} the conveyor device 7. To support the conveying action of the conveyor 28, a conveyor roller 29 can be provided above the conveyor 28.

In the area of the deflection wheels 10 and 12 and between these there is an acceleration arrangement 30, which is formed by an endless belt 31 driven in the direction of the arrow F. This band 31 is guided over deflection rollers 32-35 (Fig. 1). The deflection roller 35 is seated on a shaft 36 which is driven by the shaft 15 via chains 37 and 37 'and a transmission gear train 38 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The conveyor-effective strand 31a of the belt 31 lying between the deflection rollers 32 and 33 runs transversely to the conveying direction D of the conveyor device 7 and is inclined with respect to the vertical. The guide plate 5 extends up to this conveying strand 31a, as shown in FIG. 1.

In addition to the acceleration arrangement 30, an alignment arrangement 39 is also provided, which has two endless belts 40 and 41 driven in the direction of the arrow G. These belts 40, 41 are driven at a speed _V4 , which is greater than the rotational speed v, of the impeller 1. The two belts 40, 41 are guided over deflection rollers 42 and 43, of which the deflection rollers 43 sit on the shaft 36. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the belts 40, 41 are arranged at a distance from the belt 31 of the acceleration arrangement 30. The conveying strand 40a of the belts 40, 41 extends approximately tangentially to the impeller 1, the effective range of this conveying strand 40a being above the effective range of the conveying strand 31a of the belt 31, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 1.

• Vom Falzapparat fallen die Druckprodukte 4 in die Abteile 2 des Schaufelrades 1. Während des Umlaufens des Schaufelrades 2 werden die nachlaufenden Kanten 4b der Druckereierzeugnisse 4 entlang des Leitbleches 5 geführt. Während des Entlanggleitens dieses nachlaufenden Kanten 4b entlang des Leitbleches 5 gelangen diese nachlaufenden Kanten 4b zur Auflage auf den Bändern 40, 41 der Ausrichtanordnung 39. Liegt nun das an den Bändern 40, 41 anliegende Druckereierzeugnis 4 nicht richtig im Abteil, d.h. liegt es mit seiner vorlaufenden Kante 4a nicht vollständig am Boden 2a des Abteiles 2 an, so wird das Druckprodukt durch die Bänder 40, 41 in das Abteil 2 hineingeschoben, bis es im Abteil 2 die richtige Lage einnimmt. Durch die Bänder 40, 41 der Ausrichtanordnung wird somit sichergestellt, dass alle Druckereierzeugnisse 4 die richtige Lage in den Abteilen 2 einnehmen, d.h. mit ihrer vorlaufenden Kante 4a am Boden 2a der Abteile 2 anstehen. Auf diese Weise ist die Voraussetzung für ein späteres lagerichtiges Entnehmen der Druckereierzeugnisse 4 aus dem Schaufelrad 1 geschaffen.

The operation of the described device is as follows:

• The printed products 4 fall from the folder into the compartments 2 of the paddle wheel 1. During the rotation of the paddle wheel 2, the trailing edges 4b of the printed products 4 are guided along the guide plate 5. While this trailing edge 4b slides along the guide plate 5, these trailing edges 4b come to rest on the belts 40, 41 of the aligning arrangement 39. If the printed product 4 resting on the belts 40, 41 is not correctly located in the compartment, ie it lies with it leading edge 4a does not completely touch the bottom 2a of the compartment 2, the printed product is pushed into the compartment 2 by the belts 40, 41 until it assumes the correct position in the compartment 2. The bands 40, 41 of the alignment arrangement thus ensure that all printed products 4 are in the correct position in the compartments 2, that is to say that their leading edge 4a abuts the bottom 2a of the compartments 2. In this way, the prerequisite for a later correct removal of the printed products 4 from the paddle wheel 1 is created.

In the course of the further rotation of the paddle wheel 1, the printed products 4 abut with their leading edge 4a on the scraper wheel 6, as a result of which they are prevented from rotating with the paddle wheel 1 and are thus pushed out of the compartments 2. Already at the beginning of this pushing out of the printed products 4, their trailing edge 4b comes to rest on the belt 31 of the acceleration arrangement 30 and is moved downward against the conveyor arrangement 7 by the conveying strand 31a of the belt 31. The trailing edge 4b of the printed products 4 comes to rest on the support plate 26 and the chains 8 and 9, specifically in the area of the deflection wheels 10 and 12, ie at the beginning of the conveying path 7a of the conveyor device 7. As soon as the trailing edge 4b on the chains 8, 9 and the support plate 26 has come to rest, it is gripped by a gripper 18 on the chains 8 and 9. As already described, these grippers are through the opening cams 24 have been opened during the running of the chains 8 and 9 on the deflection wheels 10 and 12. As soon as the chains 8, 9 of the deflection wheels 10 and 12 and thus the brackets 20 run off the opening cams 24, the two grippers 18 close in the manner described and hold the trailing edge 4b firmly. At the time the trailing edge 4b is clamped by the grippers 18, the corresponding printed product 4 is still in the area 2 of its leading edge 4a in the compartment 2 of the paddle wheel 1, the detected printed product 4 with its leading edge 4a still resting on the scraper wheel 6, such as 1 shows. After they have completely emerged from the compartments 2, the printed products 4 held in the region of their trailing edge 4b by the grippers 18 completely rest on the preceding printed product 4. The printed products 4 removed in this way from the paddle wheel 1 are fed to the conveyor 28 by the conveying device 7 in a roof tile-like manner one above the other. The printing products 4 are released when the brackets 20 run onto the opening cams 25, which, as described, cause the gripper tongues 19 to be lifted off the counter-supports 21a. The printed products released by the grippers 18 are guided away from the conveyor 28.

Within the removed scale formation S, the printed products 4 now have the same mutual distance a (scale distance), which is given by the distance between successive grippers 18. This distance a is greater than the distance a between the leading edges 4a of successive printed products 4 which are in contact with the scraper wheel 6, as indicated in FIG. 1. The grippers 18, which are guided around the deflection wheels 10, 12, catch up with the printed products 4, so that it is ensured that the printed products 4 are gripped on their trailing edge 4b, as long as their leading edge 4a is still in contact with the scraper wheel 6. The printed products 4 are thus completely guided into the grippers 18 before they close. The printed products 4 can therefore not change their position or only to a very small extent before being gripped by the grippers 18, which makes it possible to maintain a regular scale spacing a.

It is advantageous if the support defined by the two chains 8 and 9 and the intermediate support plate 26 is less wide than the printed products 4. Thus, no air cushion can form between the printed product 4 accelerated downwards by the acceleration arrangement 30 and this support. that would hinder the introduction of the trailing edge 4b into the effective area of the grippers 18. In addition, the printed products 4 are bent to form a gable roof when they hit the chains 8, 9, which contributes to their stability.

If it is ensured by the construction of the printing press that the printed products 4 falling into the compartments 2 easily and always assume their correct position, i.e. with its leading edge 4a lying completely against the bottom 2a of the compartments 2, the alignment arrangement 39 can be dispensed with.

For certain applications, it is also conceivable to omit the acceleration arrangement 30, which is used to serve the trailing edges 4b of the printed products 4 under all operating conditions, i.e. to bring them safely into the effective range of the grippers 18 at both low and high working speeds.

An embodiment is now shown in FIG. 5 which does not require an acceleration arrangement 30 and an alignment arrangement 39. The same reference numerals are used for corresponding components in FIGS. 1 and 5. The mode of operation of the device shown in FIG. 5 otherwise corresponds to that of the device according to FIGS. 1 to 4.

Driving chains 8 and 9 from bucket wheel 1 via drive connection 16, 16 ', 17 results in a rigid coupling between the rotational movement of bucket wheel 1 and the rotating movement of grippers 18. A special clock and phase control or a clock and phase correction is therefore not necessary during operation. However, it would of course be conceivable not to drive the chains 8 and 9 from the paddle wheel 1 but by means of a separate drive device.

The opening of the grippers 18 during the deflection of the chains 8 and 9 by means of the deflection wheels 10 to 13 results in a particularly simple and spatially compact construction, since in addition to the deflection wheels 10 to 13 no opening nicks, opening scenes or the like need to be provided, which require space accordingly . However, it is of course possible to open the grippers 18 by means of such additional opening elements.

Claims (20)

1. Process for taking over printing products (4), in particular folded printing products, from a rotatably driven paddle wheel (1) of a printing machine, in which process the printing products (4) are seized at their trailing edge (4b), in transporting direction, after they have completely left the compartments (2) of the paddle wheel (1) and are led away lying one on top of the other in an imbricated formation, characterized in that the printing products (4) are firmly held at their trailing edge, seen in the direction of rotation (B) othe said paddle wheel, even before they have completely left the compartments of the paddle wheel and are led away.

2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that, at the beginning of ejecting from the compartments (2) of the paddle wheel (1), the trailing edge (4b) of the printing products (4) is accelerated by means of an accelerating arrangement (30) downwards into the effective area of grippers (18) moved synchronously with the paddle wheel (1) along a closed path.

3. Process according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, before seizing by means of an aligning arrangement (39), acting in the region of their trailing edge (4b), the printing products (4) are pushed into the assigned compartment (2) of the paddle wheel (1), preferably up to the stop at the base (2a) of the compartment (2).

4. Apparatus for taking over printing products (4), in particular folded printing products, from a rotatably driven paddle wheel (1) of a printing machine, having a conveying device (7), for seizing the trailing edge (4b), in conveying direction, of the printing products (4) after they have completely left the compartments (2) of the paddle wheel (1), characterized in that the conveying device has grippers (18) for firmly holding the printing products at their trailing edge, seen in the direction of rotation of the paddle wheel (1), already before they have completely left the compartments of the paddle wheel, the path of movement of the grippers (18) running outside that of the paddle wheel.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the conveying device (7), provided with grippers (18) circulating along a closed path, is arranged underneath the paddle wheel (1).

6. Apparatus according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the conveying device (7) has a conveying direction (D) in the same sense as the direction of rotation (B) of the paddle wheel (1).

7. Apparatus according to one of Claims 4-6, characterized in that the conveying device (7) has at least one drawing member (8, 9), for example a chain, led over deflection sprockets (10-13), on which drawing member grippers (18) are fixed at intervals from one another.

8. Apparatus according to one of Claims 4-7, characterized by a rest (26) for the printing products (4), which rest extends in the conveying direction (D) of the conveying device (7) and is preferably at least as wide as the printing products (4).

9. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized by actuating members (24, 25), arranged coaxially to the deflection sprockets (10-13) for the drawing member (8, 9) or the drawing members, establishing the effective conveying zone (7a), for actuating, preferably for opening, the grippers (18).

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the actuating members are actuating cams (24, 25) fixed on the assigned deflecting sprocket (10-13), which cams are preferably designed as hubs of the deflection sprockets (10-13).

11. Apparatus according to one of Claims 4_^10, characterized in that the grippers (18) have a tongue (19) pressed by spring force against a counter-rest (21 a), which tongue is lifted off the counter-rest (21a) for opening the grippers (18).

12. Apparatus according to Claim 9 and 11, characterized in that the tongue (19) forms part of a clip (20) of a spring-elastic material, which is deflected spring-elastically when it runs onto an actuating member (24, 25).

13. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7-12, characterized in that the conveying device (7) has two mutually parallel drawing members (8, 9) which are arranged spaced apart and have grippers (18), and in that a rest (26) for the printing products (4) extends between the drawing members (8, 9).

14. Apparatus according to one of Claims 4-13, characterized by an accelerating arrangement (30), acting at the beginning of the ejecting of the printing products (4) from the compartments (2) of the paddle wheel (1) on the trailing edge (4b) of the latter, for accelerating the said trailing edge (4b) downwards into the effective area of the grippers (18).

15. Apparatus according to Claim 14, characterized in that the accelerating arrangement (30) has at least one endless accelerating member (31), preferably a belt, driven in circulation, the effective zone (31 a) of which runs transversely to the conveying direction (D) of the conveying device (7).

16. Apparatus according to Claims 9 and 15, characterized in that the effective zone (31 a) of the accelerating member (31) is arranged in the area of the deflecting sprocket (10, 12) at the beginning of the effective conveying zone (7a) of the conveying device (7).

17. Apparatus according to one of Claims 4_^16, characterized by an aligning arrangement (39), acting on the trailing edges (4b) of the printing products (4) before the seizing of the printing products (4) by the grippers (18), for pushing the printing products (4) into the compartments (2) of the paddle wheel (1), preferably up to the stop at the base (2a) of the compartments (2).

18. Apparatus according to Claim 17, characterized in that the aligning arrangement (39) has at least one endless aligning element (40, 41), preferably a belt, driven in circulation, the effective zone (40a) of which runs approximately tangentially to the paddle wheel (1).

19. Apparatus according to Claim 18, characterized in that the speed of circulation (_V4) of the aligning element (40, 41) is greater than the speed of rotation (v₁) of the paddle wheel (1).

20. Apparatus according to Claims 15 and 18, characterized in that an accelerating element (30) is arranged between two aligning elements (40, 41) arranged mutually parallel.

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