Abstract:
A conveyor plant for gathering and processing printed sheets includes a saddle-shaped collecting chain, a double chain with a gap between the individual chains of the double chain, a transfer area in which the collecting chain travels into the gap of the double chain, and carrier members for the printed sheets arranged successively on the collecting chain. The carrier members are mounted on the collecting chain in an upright position. The carrier members of the collecting chain are inclined forwardly at least in the travel direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a conveyor plant for gathering and processing printed sheets. The plant includes a saddle-shaped collecting chain and a double chain, a transfer area in which the collecting chain travels into the double chain, and carrier members for the printed sheets arranged successively on the collecting chain. The present invention also relates to collecting chain, particularly for a conveyor plant of the above-described type. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     CH-A-667 253 of the same applicant discloses a conveyor plant for printed sheets which includes an auxiliary chain for bridging a gap between the end of a first conveyor chain portion and the beginning of a second conveyor chain portion. In this conveyor plant, the printed sheets can be processed laterally of the auxiliary chain from the inside as well as from the outside almost up to the fold. In particular, this conveyor plant makes it possible without significant problems to print with an ink-jet device up to the areas adjacent the fold. 
     Also known in the art is a conveyor plant with a collecting chain which has carrier members in the form of laterally projecting horns. The collecting chain is a single chain and, thus, has the advantage as compared to a double chain that no division or spacing differences can occur even over greater collecting distances. The collecting chain is inserted into a double chain in the transfer area. The printed products can be stitched on this double chain because the double chain has an intermediate space for the bending mechanism of the stitching device. This conveyor plant has the disadvantage that the double chain does not have an optimum structural configuration, particularly for smaller sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a conveyor plant of the above-described type which avoids the disadvantage described above and, while providing the same or a greater output, still is operationally safe and is suited for all sizes. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the carrier members are mounted on the collecting chain in an upright position. 
     The narrow structural configuration of the collecting chain which is now possible and the arrangement of the carrier members on the ridge of the collecting chain make it also possible to use a correspondingly narrow double chain which substantially facilitates grasping and processing of small printed sheets. In addition, a narrow collecting chain facilitates grasping of the printed sheets during gathering more closely near the fold. 
     The fact that the carrier members of the collecting chain are inserted between the double chain in the transfer area makes possible an optimum utilization of the spacing of the carrier members on the collecting chain; consequently, the spacing is not shortened by the fact that the carrier members pivot away when they are inserted or travel between the double chain. 
     Another advantage of the conveyor plant according to the present invention is seen in the fact that the printed sheets have to be opened to a lesser extent when being placed on the collecting chain, which is an advantage particularly in the case of high travel speeds. 
     It is also advantageous that the basic construction of the double chain does not have to be changed. 
     In accordance with a further development of the invention, the carrier members of the collecting chain are inclined forwardly at least in the travel direction. This particular configuration of the carrier members of the collecting chain has the advantage that the impact behavior and the acceleration of a printed sheet when being placed on the collecting chain is favorably influenced. While in the case of a conventional vertically extending carrier member a printed product to be placed on the chain may bounce upwardly and may jump away, the carrier member extending at an angle pushes the product back onto the collecting chain. Consequently, the printed product cannot jump over the carrier member, so that the carrier member can be constructed with a shorter length than is the case in a straight configuration of the carrier member. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the drawing: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the conveyor plant according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, taken along sectional line II—II of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view, on an even larger scale, of the conveyor plant according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial view, corresponding to FIG. 3, showing another embodiment of a carrier member; 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of additional embodiments of the carrier member; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial view of the conveyor plant showing a further embodiment of the carrier member; and 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a collecting chain. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The conveyor plant  1  shown in FIG. 1 includes an endless collecting chain  2  and an also endless double chain  3 . The collecting chain  2  serves in the conventional manner for gathering printed products  4  which are further processed on the double chain  3 , for example, by stitching or applying addresses. 
     The collecting chain  2  is a link chain and travels around the chain wheel  6 , while the double chain  3  travels around the chain wheel  7 . The two chain wheels  6  and  7  are connected to each other through a transmission drive  8 . The double chain  3  is preferably driven by means of a drive, not shown. Consequently, the collecting chain  2  is driven through the double chain  3 . 
     Carrier members  5  are mounted at equal distances B on the collecting chain  2 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, the carrier members  5  protrude upwardly in the active portion  2   a  of the collecting chain  2 . The double chain  3  also has at equal distances C carrier members  9  which, however, project laterally, as illustrated in FIG.  2 . Each carrier member  9  is composed of two laterally projecting wings  9   a.    
     The collecting chain  2  travels in a transfer area A between the double chain  3  and, following this area A, travels around the chain wheel  6 . In front of the chain wheel  7 , the collecting chain  2  is guided on a guide rail  14 , and, following the chain wheel  6 , the collecting chain is guided on a guide rail  15 . Between the two chain wheels  6  and  7 , the active portion  2   a  of the collecting chain  2  is inserted between the double chain  3 . In the area of the chain wheel  7 , the carrier members  5  protrude completely above the double chain  3 , while they are completely or partially inserted or submerged in the double chain  3  in the area of the chain wheel  6 . In the transfer area A, the printed products  4  are transferred to the double chain  3 . For this purpose, the conveying speed of the double chain  3  is slightly greater than that of the collecting chain  2  and the distance C between adjacent carrier members  9  is somewhat greater than the distance D between adjacent carrier members  5 . The greater conveying speed of the double chain  3  results from the smaller radius of the chain wheel  6  as compared to the radius of the chain wheel  7 . Consequently, in the transfer area A, each printed product  4  is pushed away by a carrier member  9  of the double chain  3  in the conveying direction from an adjacent carrier member  5  of the collecting chain  2 . As a result, downstream of the chain wheel  6 , the printed products  4  are transported only by the double chain  3 . The printed products  4  can then be stitched or further processed in some other manner on the double chain  3 . The significant aspect is the fact that the carrier members  5  are swung downwardly on the chain wheel  6  once they have been completely or partially inserted in the double chain  3 . 
     FIG. 2 of the drawing shows the chain wheel  7  which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis  10  and serves to guide and deflect the double chain  3 . This double chain  3  has two link chains  12  which extend parallel to and at a distance form each other, wherein support elements  31  are fastened on the link chains  12 , and wherein each support element  31  has a wing  9   a . Two oppositely arranged wings  9   a  form a carrier member  9 . A gap  32  exists between the two wings  9   a  of a carrier member  9  and also between the support elements  31 , wherein the gap  32  has just such a width that the collecting chain  2  can travel into the gap  32 . It is significant that the collecting chain  2  is relatively narrow and, thus, the width of the gap  32  is also relatively narrow. The width D of the collecting chain  2  is about 20 mm and is preferably narrower than 30 mm. As a result, the double chain  3  is also suitable for receiving relatively small-sized printed products. 
     The link chain  1  of the collecting chain  2  is a chain of the type of a bicycle chain and has laterally protruding bolts  21  to which elements  19  and  20  are fastened. The elements  19  and  20  preferably are U-shaped plastic parts which are provided with bores  22  for respectively receiving two bolts  21 . As shown in FIG. 8, the two sides  20   a  of the elements  19  and  20  are guided in the area of the active portion  2   a  on a comb-type member  14   a  of the guide rail  14 . The elements  20  differ from the elements  19  only by a carrier member  5  attached thereto. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the carrier member  5  forms an angle and includes an upper part  5   b  and a top part  5   a.    
     In the active portion  2   a  shown in FIG. 3, the bottom part  5   b  extends vertically, while the top part  5   a  is inclined forwardly in the travel direction as indicated by arrow  25 . As shown in FIG. 7, the top part  5   a  can be connected with a hinge  34  to the bottom part  5   b  and, thus, the inclination of the top part  5   a  can be adjusted. The manner of operation of the carrier members  5  will be explained in the following in more detail with the aid of FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     The collecting chain  2  moves continuously in the direction of arrow  25 . A sheet  4  is placed in the direction of arrow  26  vertically onto the collecting chain  2 . The relative movement and speed are indicated by arrow  27 . When the sheet  4  is placed on the collecting chain  2 , it may happen that the sheet  4  is lifted upwardly from the collecting chain in the direction of arrow  28 . The rear edge  4   b  makes contact with the carrier member  5 . If the carrier member is straight and extends vertically from the collecting chain  2  as shown in FIG. 4, the printed sheet  4  is deflected upwardly and forwardly in the direction of the arrow and may jump from the collecting chain  2 . If the carrier member  5  is constructed inclined as shown in FIG. 3, the printed sheet is pushed back downwardly onto the collecting sheet  3  in the direction of arrow  35 . Consequently, the printed product  4  is prevented from jumping off. An improvement of this effect can be achieved by a rough surface of the carrier member  5  or by selecting a friction-reducing or damping material, for example, a rough surface or rubber-elastic areas. The printed sheet  4  is placed astride on the collecting chain  2  and is centered on the fold  4   a  by a comb-type member  2   a . Underneath the collecting chain  2 , the printed products  4  are guided by guide plates  13  which, as indicated in FIG. 2 are mounted on a vertically extending support wall  16 . This support wall  16  is fastened with screws  17  to a support member  18 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show two additional possible embodiments of carrier members  23  and  24 . In both cases, the upper end  23   a  or  24   a  is inclined in the travel direction. However, also conceivable is an embodiment in which the carrier member is elongated as shown in FIG. 4 and, thus, extends exactly vertically upwardly in the active portion  2   a  of the collecting chain  2 . 
     The invention is not limited by the embodiments described above which are presented as examples only but can be modified in various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended patent claims.