Patent ID: 6237912
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: B41F,B65H

Abstract:
A signature-conveying apparatus for a folding machine comprising:a high-speed conveyor arranged to receive signatures from a speed-reduction portion of the folding machine and operable to convey the signatures at the same peripheral speed as that of said speed-reduction portion;a low-speed conveyor arranged to receive the signatures and operable to convey the signatures at a low speed; anda speed-change conveyor incorporating a plurality of speed-change drive rollers and a speed-change conveyor belt driven by the speed-change drive rollers for receiving the signatures conveyed from said high-speed conveyor and forcibly changing the speed so as to deliver the signatures to said low-speed conveyor such that the speed is gradually reduced, said speed-change conveyor belt having an inlet and arranged to receive signatures from the high-speed conveyor and an outlet end arranged to feed signatures to the low-speed conveyor, wherein the speed-change drive rollers are accelerated synchronously with a signature being delivered from the high-speed conveyor to the inlet end of the speed-change conveyor belt such that the inlet end of said speed-change conveyor belt travels at substantially the same speed as the high-speed conveyor when receiving a signature therefrom, and the speed-change rollers then gradually decelerate while transporting the signature such that by the time the signature reaches the outlet end of the speed-change conveyor belt the signature is discharged from the outlet end of said speed-change conveyor to said low-speed conveyor at substantially the same speed as that of the low-speed conveyor.