JPH04250089A - Automatic letter stamping machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an oversupply of letters and ensure that the letters are supplied by being sucked one by one in a separated state by a method wherein when the letters are oversupplied, a supply belt is stopped and thereafter rotated reversely for a short time, and a separation belt and an auxiliary suction hole are additionally provided. CONSTITUTION:An automatic letter stamping machine 1 is at least provided with a supply part 2 for supplying a plurality of unstamped letters L in superimposed and erected states by the forward rotation of a supply belt 21; a separation part 3 for separating the letters L one by one; and a transport part 4 for feeding the letters L to a stamping part 5. In this case, the supply part 2 is provided with a control means which stops the supply belt 21 and thereafter rotates it reversely only for a short time when the letter L depresses a receiving piece 27a of a detection rod 27 passing through a support plate 33c of an auxiliary suction chamber 33 and results in an actuator 26a of a microswitch 26 being depressed. On the other hand, the separation part 3 is provided with a separation belt 32 wound between a driving pully 3a and a following pully 3b and an auxiliary suction hole for preventing a superimposed feeding by a suction force smaller than that of a main suction hole.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic letter stamping machine for automatically stamping letters such as postcards and envelopes one by one.

0002

[Prior Art] Generally speaking, in a stamping machine that automatically stamps letters such as postcards and envelopes, letters that are conventionally fed in a stacked upright state are used by using a combination of a forward rotating roller and a reverse rotating roller. The paper is separated one by one by the action of 1 to prevent simultaneous feeding or overlapping feeding, while the conveyance section transports the paper one by one, and the stamping section automatically stamps a stamp at a predetermined location.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the case of the conventional automatic letter stamping machine described above, when the thickness of the letters is approximately the same, there is no overlapping feeding and the letters can be smoothly separated and conveyed one by one. When letters and envelopes with different thicknesses coexist, it is difficult to separate them and convey them one by one. There was a problem in that misalignment (jams) frequently occurred in the next process.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to ensure that even when the thickness of the supplied letters is not constant and there is a large difference in thickness,
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic letter stamping machine that can separate and convey letters.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the present invention as set forth in claim 1 provides for supplying a plurality of letters before being stamped in a superimposed erect state by normal rotation of a supply belt. An automatic letter stamping machine comprising a supply section, a separation section that separates letters supplied from the supply section one by one, and a conveyance section that conveys the letters separated by the separation section to a stamp section. The part is provided with a control means for detecting the pressing force from the letter when the supply belt becomes oversupplied due to normal rotation operation, stops the supply belt, and then reverses the supply belt for a predetermined short period of time. The section includes a separation belt having a main suction hole that sucks the letters at an intermediate position, and a separation belt that sucks and separates the letters one by one with the main suction hole and moves the letters in the direction of the conveyance section; It is characterized by comprising an auxiliary suction hole that sucks weaker than the main suction hole at a position near the end to prevent overlapping feeding.

[0006] Furthermore, the configuration of the present invention according to claim 2 is as follows:
In the invention according to claim 1, the stamping section includes a type hub, a type mating roller biased in a direction to press the type hub, and a pair of grip rollers that grip and pull out the letter,
The type mating roller and one grip roller are attached to a swingable arm, and the arm swings in response to the thinness of the letter, automatically adjusting the pressing force to the type hub and the gripping force of the pair of grip rollers. It is characterized by adjustment.

[0007]

[Operation] The automatic letter stamping machine according to the present invention detects the pressing force from the letter by the control means provided in the supply section and stops the supply belt when the supply belt rotates normally and the supply becomes excessive. After that, the oversupply is controlled by controlling the reverse direction for a predetermined short period of time, and the main suction hole in the separation belt of the separating section sucks and separates the letters in the middle position one by one, while the separation belt separates the letters. is moved toward the conveying section, and the auxiliary suction hole sucks weaker than the main suction hole at a position near the rear end of the letter to prevent subsequent letters from being carried along and reliably separate and convey them one by one. In addition, the type mating roller of the stamp section and one of the grip rollers are attached to a swingable arm, which swings in response to the thinness of the letter and automatically adjusts the pressing force against the type hub. is always stamped clearly even if the thickness is not constant.

[0008]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the main parts of an automatic letter stamping machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing a part thereof. The automatic letter stamping machine according to the present embodiment includes a supply unit 2 that supplies a plurality of letters L before stamping in a stacked standing state by normal rotation of supply belts 21, 21, and a letter L that is supplied from the supply unit 2. Separation section 3 that separates L one by one
, a conveyance section 4 that conveys the letters L separated by the separating section 3 to a stamping section 5, a stamping section 5 that stamps the conveyed letters L, and a stacking of the stamped letters L in an orderly stack. These are provided in the upper part of the common casing 1.

The housing 1 has a flat letter-receiving surface 1a facing diagonally upward at the upper front side, and has an elongated hole 1c, and the receiving surface 1
A fixed receiving plate 1b fixed to the lower end of the receiving surface 1 is provided.
The above-mentioned supply section 2, separation section 3, and conveyance section 4 are protruded above a.
There are various parts such as. As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving surface 1a and the fixed receiving plate 1b are at right angles to each other and are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal, so that the ends of a plurality of letters L that are fed and moved in a superimposed upright state are It is something to be supported by the relationship.

The supply unit 2 includes two supply belts 21, 21 arranged in parallel at an interval narrower than the length of the postcard, and a pressing plate 22 for pressing the surface of the last letter among the plurality of letters L.
and a screw gear type screw 28 for letter feeding supported by a horizontal rotating shaft (not shown).

The supply belts 21, 21 have concave portions 21a and convex portions 21b arranged alternately over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on their surfaces and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. It is substantially flush with the receiving surface 1a, is wound around a pulley (not shown), and the edge of the press plate 22 fits into the recess 21a, causing the press plate 22 to move in the direction of the separation section 3 shown by arrow A. It is for moving at a constant speed, and is driven by a supply motor (not shown). Further, the screw 28 is rotationally driven from the shaft of the tension wheel 44a via a belt or the like.

The pressing plate 22 has brackets 10a, 10b protruding from the receiving surface 1a.
Horizontal guide rod 2 supported parallel to supply belts 21, 21 at b
3 is attached to the horizontal guide rod 23 via a sliding tube 24 that is slidably fitted into the horizontal guide rod 23.

Further, the supply section 2 is provided with a microswitch 26 provided near the auxiliary suction chamber 33, and a receiving piece 27a at the tip of a detection rod 27 passing through a support plate 33c extending to the auxiliary suction chamber 33, which will be described later. is provided with a control means for controlling the supply belts 21, 21 to be stopped and then reversed for a predetermined short time when the actuator 26a of the microswitch 26 is pressed by the letter L. This control means is equipped with a reverse sequencer (not shown),
When oversupply occurs due to normal rotation of the supply belts 21, 21, the detection rod 27 detects the pressing force applied by the press plate 22 and applied to the letter L, and activates the microswitch 26 to stop the supply belts 21, 21. After stopping, 1 second to 3
Control is performed to reverse the rotation for a predetermined short time in the range of seconds.

[0014] The amount of letters L that can be placed between the pressing plate 22 and the separation belt 32 at the start of operation of the stamping machine is as follows:
Approximately 200 envelopes with the maximum allowable thickness and approximately 800 ordinary postcards, but in reality, letters of various thicknesses are mixed, and the feeding speed of the supply belt 21 and Since the separation speed in the separation section 3 is kept approximately constant,
If there are more thin documents than expected,
The above-mentioned reversal of the supply belt 21 is necessary to prevent the supply belt 21 from being fed excessively, causing excessive frictional force between the letters, and making it difficult to smoothly separate the letters at the separating section 3. That's why.

The separation section 3 includes a main suction chamber 31 fixed to the receiving surface 1a via a fixing plate 31c, and a separation belt surrounding the main suction chamber 31 and wound around a driving pulley 3a and a driven pulley 3b. 32, an auxiliary suction chamber 33 disposed below these, and a blowing nozzle 39 disposed with its tip facing upward from the elongated hole 1c. This blowing nozzle 39 is used especially between the letters L that are in contact with each other, especially at the point 1 shown in FIG.
This is to reduce the frictional resistance between the first letter L1 and the second letter L2.

The main suction chamber 31 has a tapered shape, and a plurality of small suction holes 31b are formed in two rows at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction on a tip plate 31a facing the separation belt 32. The separation belt 32 has a width that is approximately the same as that of a postcard, and has main suction holes 32a that suck the letter L at an intermediate position at two locations (only one location is shown) arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. This is for sucking the letters L one by one through the main suction hole 32a using the suction force of the blower 37 shown in FIG. The two main suction holes 32a of the separation belt 32 are comprised of four hole groups arranged in two columns and two rows, as shown in FIG.

The auxiliary suction chamber 33 is provided with an auxiliary suction hole 33a, and the auxiliary suction hole 33a uses the suction force of the blower 37 to create a weaker suction than the main suction hole 32a at a position near the rear end or lower end of the letter L. This is to prevent overlapping feed. As shown in FIG. , three slit-shaped auxiliary suction holes 33a are provided in parallel at equal intervals. The above facing surface 33
b protrudes from the surface of the belt 32 on the side far from the separation belt 32, and is arranged slightly recessed from the surface on the side closest to the belt 32.

FIG. 3 is a piping system diagram showing an outline of piping related to the separation section. The main suction chamber 31 and the auxiliary suction chamber 33 are connected to a common filtration device 36 through respective intake adjustment valves 34a and 34b with respective intake hoses 35a and 35b, and are connected to a blower 37 through a connecting hose 35c. Further, an exhaust regulating valve 38 is interposed on the exhaust side of the blower 37, and the blower 37 is connected to a blowing nozzle 39 with exhaust hoses 37a and 37b.

The suction adjustment valve 34b for the auxiliary suction chamber 33 sucks in outside air to make the suction force in the auxiliary suction chamber 33 weaker than that in the main suction chamber 31. The exhaust adjustment valve 38 discharges a portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust port 38a to ensure sufficient suction force in the main suction chamber 31.

The conveying section 4 includes a lower conveying belt 41 wound around a first input pulley 41a above the separation section 3 and a first output pulley 41b facing the stacking section 6;
A second input pulley 42a that is paired with the input pulley 41a of
and a second output pulley 42b arranged at the upper part of the accumulation section 6.
The letter L is conveyed while being sandwiched between the opposing surfaces of both the conveyor belts 41 and 42. Three inner tension wheels 43a, 43b, 43c and one outer tension wheel 43d are provided at an intermediate position of the lower conveyor belt 41, and an upper inner tension wheel 44a and an inner tension wheel 43d are provided at an intermediate position of the upper conveyance belt 42. A type mating roller 53 and an upper grip roller 54 of the stamp section 5 are provided which also function as a tension wheel.

[0021] Further, the conveying section 4 includes a first input pulley 4.
A microswitch 40 with an actuator facing the back side of the upper conveyor belt 42 is placed above 1a, and a tension wheel 43a
Detection sensors 45a and 45b are provided near the top, and a microswitch 40 detects the thickness of the letter passing therethrough, and the operation is stopped when the thickness exceeds a predetermined thickness.
, 45b detect the passage of the rear end of the letter L, and the stamping section 5 performs a stamping operation in conjunction with the detection result.

The stamping section 5 includes a type hub 51 and a lower grip roller 52 disposed at an intermediate position inside the lower conveyance belt 41, the aforementioned type mating roller 53 and an upper grip roller 54, and is equipped with Type hub 51
A pair of grip rollers 52 and 54 pull out the letter. In FIG. 1, the type mating roller 53 and the upper grip roller 54 are attached to an arm 55 that is rotatable around a shaft 55a and is biased to rotate counterclockwise. When the letter is conveyed, gripped by both grip rollers 52 and 54, and pulled out, the arm 55 rotates, and the mating type roller 53 and the upper grip roller 54 are displaced upward by an amount proportional to the distance from the shaft 55a. The pressing force that presses the type mating roller 53 against the type hub 51 is automatically reduced, so that even on thick letters, the stamp is clearly stamped without being crushed.

The separating section 3 and the conveying section 4 are driven using a driving belt 72 wound around the main motor 7 and the motor pulley 71, and this belt 72 is connected to the lower conveying belt 41.
The pulley 73a coaxial with the outer tension wheel 43a, the tension wheel 43
a pulley 73b coaxial with the second input pulley 42a, a pulley 73c coaxial with the second input pulley 42a, and an inner pulley 4 of the upper conveyor belt 42.
It is also wound around a pulley 73d coaxial with 4a, a small pulley 73e, and a pulley 73f coaxial with the tension wheel 43d, and further, a pulley 74a coaxial with the second input pulley 42a and a pulley 74a coaxial with the driving side pulley 3a of the separating section 3. This is done by the separation section transmission belt 30 wrapped around the pulley 74b.

The rotation of each roller other than the type hub 51 of the stamp section 5 is driven by a pulley 50 coaxial with the tension wheel 43d and a pulley 51a fixed to an input shaft 51b coaxial with the type hub 51.
an intermediate belt 50 wrapped around the pulley 51a and the imprint transmission belt 56 wrapped around the pulley 52a fixed to the rotating shaft of the lower grip roller 52, an input shaft 51b concentric with the type hub 51, and the axis of the type mating roller 53. This is accomplished by a gear mechanism and an Oldham joint (not shown) interposed between the rotating shaft of the lower grip roller 52 and a shaft of the upper grip roller 52 (not shown). Further, the rotation of the type hub 51 is controlled by the tension wheel 43.
A type hub 51 is attached to an output shaft (not shown) whose rotation is intermittent via a pulley 50 coaxial with d, an input shaft 51b coaxial with the type hub 51, and a clutch (not shown). Detects the passing of the rear end of
Based on the result, a signal is sent to activate the clutch and rotate the type hub 51, thereby performing the stamping operation.

The accumulation section 6 includes a coiled rotating spring 61 having one end fixed to a spring rotating shaft 61a that is rotationally driven from the rotating shaft of the second output pulley 42b via a belt (not shown) or the like.
, an accumulation receiving plate 64 attached to and guided by a vertical guide rod 62, and a concave portion 65a and a convex portion 6 similar to the supply belt 21.
5b and a collection belt 65 that moves the collection receiving plate 64 downward, an upper sensor 66 and a lower sensor 67,
The forward-backward relationship of stamped letters L that are sequentially conveyed is adjusted by a rotating spring 61, and the falling letters L are received by an accumulation receiving plate 64 without disturbing the forward-backward relationship due to its own weight and the action of the rotating spring 61. Further, the jam detection sensors 68a and 68b provided in the stacking section 6 detect that the letter is located on the first output pulley 41b.
When a jam is detected, a signal is sent to stop the entire stamping machine.

Next, the operation of the stamping machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In FIG. 1, the surface to be stamped faces to the right, the stamping location is positioned downward, and a large number of stamps to be stamped are placed between the left side plate surface of the pressing plate 22 on the receiving surface 1a and the separating belt 32 of the separating section 3. The letters L are arranged in a stacked standing state, and a switch (not shown) is turned on. The press plate 22 of the supply section 2 moves toward the separation section 3 at low speed with the supply belts 21, 21, and presses and supplies the letter L toward the separation section 3.

In the separating section 3, as shown in FIG. 2, the small suction hole 31b of the main suction chamber 31 and the main suction hole 32 of the separation belt 32
When the position coincides with a, the first letter L1 is attracted to the separation belt 32 and at the same time is weakly attracted to the auxiliary suction hole 33a of the auxiliary suction chamber 33, and that part is curved along the spherical surface of the opposing surface 33b. There was a gap between the letter and the second letter.
Air from the blow-off nozzle 39 is blown into the gap, facilitating separation, and the letter begins to move rapidly in the direction shown by arrow B in FIG. The second letter L2 is sucked into the auxiliary suction hole 33a of the suction chamber 33. Below is the third letter L3
, the fourth letter L4, and so on, each letter L is separated one by one by the separation section 3 and sent to the conveyance section 4. Here, the blowing nozzle 39 reduces the frictional resistance between the first letter L1 and the second letter L2 in response to changes in the size and weight conditions of the letter L, and also reduces the frictional resistance between the first letter L1 and the second letter L2. 3
The suction force of 2a is the minimum value that can convey the specified maximum size and maximum weight of the letter L, and the suction force of the auxiliary suction hole 33a is smaller than the suction force of the main suction hole 32a, so that both of these suction forces are set. It is possible to maintain the balance and reliably separate the letters L one by one.

The rear ends of the letters L sent into the conveying section 4 one by one are detected by the detection sensors 45a and 45b, a clutch (not shown) is operated and synchronized, the type hub 51 is rotated, the letters are stamped, and the letters are accumulated. They are sent to section 6 and aligned. When the upper sensor 66 detects that the distance to the topmost letter on the stacking plate 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the stacking belt 65 moves in the direction shown by arrow C and moves away from the stacking plate 64.
When the stacking section 6 is filled with stamped letters L, the stacking receiving plate 64 is moved to the microswitch 67.
Press the actuator and the stamping machine will stop automatically. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

[0029]

As explained above, in the automatic letter stamping machine according to the present invention, the supply section detects the pressing force from the letter when the supply belt becomes oversupplied due to the normal rotation operation, and the supply belt By providing a control means that performs control to reverse the rotation for a predetermined short time after stopping, it is possible to reliably avoid oversupply, adjust the friction between letters, and facilitate the separation of letters. The present invention also provides a separation belt having a main suction hole in the separation section that sucks the letters at an intermediate position, and which sucks and separates the letters one by one with the main suction hole and moves the letters in the direction of the conveying section; Equipped with an auxiliary suction hole that sucks weaker than the main suction hole near the rear end of the letter to prevent overlapping feeding.
Even when the thickness of the supplied letters is not constant and there is a large difference in thickness, there is an effect that the letters can be reliably separated and conveyed one by one. Further, the stamping section of the present invention includes a type hub, a type mating roller biased in a direction to press the type hub, and a pair of grip rollers that grip and pull out the letter, and the type mating roller and one grip. The roller is attached to a swingable arm, and the arm swings in response to the thinness of the letter, automatically adjusting the pressing force on the type hub and the gripping force of the pair of grip rollers, thereby adjusting the thickness of the letter. Even if the thickness is not constant, there is no excess or deficiency in the pressing force when stamping.
A clear stamp can always be made.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the main parts of an automatic letter stamping machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing a part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a piping system diagram showing an outline of piping related to the separation section of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view for explaining the operation of the separating section according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

L Letter 1 Housing 1a Letter receiving surface 1c Elongated hole 2 Supply section 3 Separation section 4 Transport section 5 Stamp section 6 Accumulating section 21 Supply belt 22 Press plate 26 Micro switch (constituting control means)
26a Actuator 27 Detection rod (constituting control means) 31
Main suction chamber 31a Tip plate 31b Suction hole 32 Separation belt 32a Main suction hole 33 Auxiliary suction chamber 33a Auxiliary suction hole 33b Opposing surface 34a Intake adjustment valve 34b Intake adjustment valve 38 Exhaust adjustment valve 39 Blowout nozzle 47 Arm 47a Shaft 51 Type hub 52 Lower grip roller 53 Type mating roller 54 Upper grip roller 55 Arm

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A supply unit that supplies a plurality of letters before being stamped in a superimposed upright state by normal rotation of a supply belt; a separation unit that separates the letters supplied from the supply unit one by one; In the automatic letter stamping machine, the supplying section detects the pressing force from the letter when it becomes oversupplied due to normal rotation of the supply belt. control means for controlling the supply belt to reverse for a predetermined short time after stopping the supply belt, and the separating section has a main suction hole for sucking at an intermediate position of the letter; a separation belt that sucks and separates the letters one by one and moves them toward the conveying section; and an auxiliary suction hole that sucks weaker than the main suction hole at a position near the rear end of the letters to prevent overlapping feeding. An automatic letter stamping machine characterized by being equipped with. 2. The automatic letter stamping machine according to claim 1, wherein the stamping section includes a type hub, a type mating roller biased in a direction to press the type hub, and a pair of grip rollers that grip and pull out the letter. The type mating roller and one grip roller are attached to a swingable arm, and the arm swings in response to the thinness of the letter to apply a pressing force to the type hub and grip the pair of grip rollers. An automatic letter stamping machine that automatically adjusts the force.