Patent ID: 6070866
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
An apparatus for charging a processing line with printed sheets, comprising:a stack of printed sheets stored in a printed sheet magazine;a separating apparatus adjacent to the magazine for partially lifting off a printed sheet from the stack, the partially lifted sheet having a leading edge;a rotary driven conveying rotor having an axis and a direction of rotation and disposed downstream of the separating apparatus;a gripper arrangement located radially outward from the axis of the conveying rotor and including a first gripper arm and a second gripper arm trailing the first gripper arm in the direction of rotation of the driven conveying rotor, the first and second gripper arms having open and closed positions; andmeans for controlling the gripper arms for taking over the printed sheet from the separating apparatus by gripping the leading edge of the printed sheet and then pulling the printed sheet from the adjacent printed sheet magazine and conveying the printed sheet in an approximately circular orbit of the conveying rotor, the means for controlling the gripper arms including:a gripper shaft fixedly mounted to the conveying rotor;an inner control track and an outer control track arranged in a stationary manner around the axis of the conveying rotor;a first roller movably engaging said inner control track and rotating with the conveying rotor, said first roller being connected to a first lever arm fixedly connected to a tooth segment pivotally mounted on the conveying rotor;a pinion fixedly connected to the first gripper arm and pivotally mounted to said gripper shaft and movably engaged and driven by said tooth segment whereby, during one rotation of the conveying rotor, as the first roller moves in the inner control track the first lever arm causes the tooth segment to pivot thereby moving the pinion and attached first gripper arm through a plurality of positions; anda second roller movably engaging the outer control track and rotating with the conveying rotor fixedly connected to a second lever arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second lever arm being pivotally mounted on the conveying rotor and the second end of the second lever arm being connected to the second gripper arm by an articulated joint whereby, during one rotation of the conveying rotor, as the second roller moves in the outer control track, the second lever arm pivots, thereby driving the second gripper arm to pivot through a plurality of positions about the gripper shaft such that the first and second gripper arms cooperate to locate the lifted printed sheet between them when in the open position and then the first and second gripper arms rotate to the closed position before the printed sheet is released by the separating apparatus and the gripper arms after closing being driven in the direction of the printed sheets in the magazine.