APPARATUS FOR HANDLING OF STACKS

Abstract: The present invention is for a device for handling and arranging bundles of newspapers, magazines, sheetmaterial and the like, primarily in connection with printing and distribution. The table (4) is movable to and from as shown by the double arrow (5). Right underneath the table (4) there is a lifting table (6) having a pallet (7) placed thereon onto which bundles are to be placed in a certain pattern and a certain number of layers. Bundles (18) are supplied by means of a conveyor (13). They are arranged in layers of desired pattern on the table (4) by manual operation. Moving and positioning the bundles on the table (4) is made easier by the invented device thereby that air is supplied to the surface of the table through a number of valves therein. These are closed when there is no bundle above the respective valve and are opened by influence from the bundle when this extends over the valve.

Description: APPARATUS FOR HANDLING OF STACKS The present invention is for a device for handling and arranging of bundles of newspapers, magazines, sheet material and the like, primarily in connection with printing and distribution Printed products such as newspapers, weekly and monthly magazines and brochures, posters and promotional materials is often produced in printing machines of high speed which produce several fin¬ ished copies each second This production shall be taken care of and separated into bundles suitable for the distribution to follow After printing the folding and binding takes place in known ways to ready products which are conveyed out from these operations by means of continuous conveyers which are arranged to deliver at a decided position a predetermined number to one bundle For further transpor¬ tations these bundles have been placed on to a band conveyor and on this been moved to a pallet or table On these tables or pallets the bundles are arranged in a desired pattern and number of layers by an entirely manual operation As the bundle may be heavy and the underline surfaces rough this is a heavy job which is made in uncomfortable and from an ergonomic point of view unsuitable working positions Bundles without bundling bands or wrappings are difficult to handle and displacement be¬ tween different units of a bundle occurs easily The present invention is for a device by which the work is made easier thereby that the frictional forces from the surface are considerably reduced, and the work can be made in ergonomically more suitable working positions This makes it possible to handle faster flows of goods and to work with bundles without holding wrappers The invention will below be described more in detail with reference to the enclosed drawings Figure 1 shows a device according to the invention in a side view Figure 2 shows in the same view a somewhat different embodiment of the invention Figure 3 shows a further expanded embodiment of the invention Figure 4 shows the device of figure 3 in a direction at right angle thereto Figure 5 shows the device of figure 3 and 4 seen from above Figures 6-8 show an embodiment of the invention in a side view in different positions of operation Figure 9 shows an air valve which is a part of the device The device shown in figure 1 is built onto a stand 2 which is positioned on the floor 1 The upper frame of the stand is made from U-shaped bars 3, whereby two with each other parallel bars along the outer edges of the device are turned with their openings inwards towards each other, and their lower flanges form roller tracks for a movable table 4 The table 4 can be moved backwards and forwards as shown by the double arrow 5 Straight underneath the table 4 there is a pallet-track 6 having a pallet 7 posi¬ tioned thereon onto which bundles are to be placed in a certain pattern and a certain number of layers Bundles 18 are supplied from a conveyor 13 They are arranged in layers of a desired appearance on the table 4 by a manual work The table is limited by dollies 11 and 12 and further dollies not shown in the figure can be present at the other sides of the table and adapted to the conveyor 13 When the loading of a pallet is started the pallet is brought up to a position 8 immediately underneath the table 4 by means of the lifting device 17 At the same time bundles are supplied and the first layer is arranged on the table 4 When the layer has been completed the table is moved to the side (to the right in the figures) and the bundles drop the short distance down onto the pallet Thereupon the pallet- track 6 is lowered a distance which corresponds to the height of the bundles and the table 4 returns to its position of operation Moving and positioning the bundles on the table 4 is made essentially easier according to the invention thereby that air is supplied to the surface of the table through a number of valves therein These are closed when there is no bundle above the respective valve and are opened under the influence from the bundle when this extends over the valve The weight of the bundle will largely be carried by the air under the bundle which thus easily slides on the surface Only small forces are acquired to move the bundle and the bundles which are to be positioned at the furthest distance from the operator can easily be knocked into proper position The operator is standing on a vertically adjustable working platform 34 at the side of the table 4 When the desired number of layers of bundles have been placed onto a pallet this is lowered and con¬ veyed out in a direction to the left in the figures To the right in the device there is a pallet stack from which another pallet is picked and positioned on the lifting table These pallet-movements can be fully automated using known devices It is sometimes desirable to place between each layer on the pallets a shim being a sheet of paper or plastic For this purpose the device may have a roll 16 of material from which paper or other material is brought up to a paper-guide 14, being ripped in its outer edge by a gripper 15, preferably a vacuum device. The grippers 15 are mounted to the edge of the table 4 and follow the movements of the table. Paper is fed along a paper-guide 14 by means of special feed-rolls 35-36 and is cut by means of a knife 31. The cut sheet is gripped by the vacuum devices which are mounted to the edge of the table when the table is in a position to the far right in the figures, i. e. one layer of bundles has just been de- livered to the pallet. When the table 4 returns the sheet of paper follows and is released on top of the last bundle layer. A further saving of space is achieved by combining the above described device with a bundler as shown in figures 3-5. The individual items which shall build the bundles arrive by the conveyor and a bundle 18 is formed in the collecting basket 19 which is carried by a stand 21. From the collecting bas¬ ket the bundles are brought out onto a short conveyor 13 which also functions as a buffer for example during exchange of pallet. One example of positioning of airvalves 20 is shown also in figure 5. The holes are regularly distributed over the surface and supplied with air of 0, 1 -0,2 bar overpressure. The bundles which are handled in the equipments often have a band or wrapper to keep the bundle together. Also bundles without such wrapper or band "lose" bundles may also be handled in the device of the invention as only small forces are acquired to move the bundles. In order to make delivery of bundles from the table 4 to the pallet 7 easier the device may also include one or more bands or clothes as shown in figures 6-8. In the embodiment shown in the figures both ends of the band or cloth are jointly fastened to a dolly 12 by means of a fastener 23. When a layer of bundles shall be delivered to the pallet, the table 4 is pulled aside. The band or cloth 22 slips around bearing rolls 24-25 of the table and are not displaced relative to the bundles of the table, but is consecutively folded away from these as is apparent from the sequence of figures 6-8. In this way one avoids forces which aim a dis¬ placing the lower parts of the bundles relatively to the rest of the bundles. The bands or cloths 22 may be made in various ways and from various materials. However it must be avoided that they block the holes through which air flows up, and they may therefor be made as narrow strips between the rows of holes. It is also possible to make a wider cloth or band with holes corre¬ sponding to the airopenings as the bands always take the same position relative to the table 4 when this is in a working position. If the table has vacuum devices for the handling of intermediate sheet, these must also be taken into consideration. Air is supplied to the outflow openings 20 through channels in the table. One example of the design of the airsystem is shown in figure 9. The table 4 has a toplayer 26, for example a thin metal sheet. In this there are a number of conical holes 27, the openings of which upwardly forms the outflow openings 20. Under the surface layer 26 there is solid material having air-channels 30 and inflow channels 29 for each opening. In each hole 27 there is a valve ball 32, the diameter of which is slightly larger than that of the opening 20. The ball is forced upwards by a spring 33 and seals the opening. When a bundle forces the ball downwards air flows out. The inflow channels are so dimensioned that the same air- pressure preferably 0,1-0,2 bar overpressure, can be maintained all through the system.

Claims: CLAIMS 1 Device for handling of bundles of newspapers, magazines and sheetmatenal to arrange these in a desired pattern, characterised therein that individual bundles 18 are brought onto a surface having several openings 20 through which a flow of air is supplied, so that the pressure of the bundles onto the surface is reduced 2 Device according to claim 1 characterised therein that the air-outlet openings are closed by valves which are open under the influence from a bundle 3 Device according to any of the proceeding claims characterised therein that the surface is the top of a horizontally movably arranged table (4) 4 Device according to claim 3 characterised therein that the surface is wholly or partly covered by band or cloth (22) which are arranged to be removed with out- slipping relative to the bundles when the surface makes a horizontal movement 5 Device according to any of the proceeding claims characterised therein that it also comprises de¬ vices for bundling of individual items to bundles and transferring these to the surface 6 Device according to any of the claims 3-5 characterised therein that the table (4) on its underside has clamping devices (15) which follow in the movements of the table 4 and are intended to grip, bring and deliver intermediate shims AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 26 August 1997 (26.08.97); original claims 1-6 replaced by amended claims 1-5 (1 page)] 1. Device for handling of bundles of newspapers, magazines and sheetmaterial to arrange these in a desired pattern, especially bundles which do not have any tape or wrapper to keep them in order, characterised therein that individual bundles 18 are brought onto a surface having several openings 20 through which a flow of air is supplied, so that the pressure of the bundles onto the surface is reduced and the air-outlet openings are closed by valves which are opened under the influence from a bundle. 2. Device according to any of the proceeding claims character¬ ised therein that the surface is the top of a horizontally movably arranged table (4) . 3. Device according to claim 2 characterised therein that the surface is wholly or partly covered by band or cloth (22) which are arranged to be removed with outslipping relative to the bundles when the surface makes a horizontal movement. 4. Device according to any of the preceedmg claims character¬ ised therein that it also comprises devices for bundling of in¬ dividual items to bundles and transferring these to the sur¬ face . 5. Device according to any of the claims 2-4 characterised therein that the table (4) on its underside has clamping de¬ vices (15) which follow in the movements of the table 4 and are intended to grip, bring and deliver intermediate shims.

Inventors: MARTINI ROLF, MARTINI, ROLF
Applicants: MARTINI ROLF, STEN WALLSTEN IND AB, MARTINI, ROLF, STEN WALLSTEN INDUSTRIES AB
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65H11
IPC codes: B65G51, B65H29