Abstract:
A chopper table comprises table bodies for guiding a signature transported by transport belts, and a pair of inlet guides for guiding the signature pushed in by a chopper blade. The table bodies are detachably supported on chopper frames, and the inlet guides are detachably supported on the chopper frames via brackets. The chopper table improves the return ability of the table body and inlet guide when they are removed at the time of a paper jam or replacement of the transport belt, and can easily adjust the gap of a slit between the inlet guides.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-196928 filed on Jul. 15, 2003, including specification, claims, drawings, and summary, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates to a chopper table in a chopper device within a folder.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In a rotary press, a folder for folding a printed web is generally installed. Such a folder is provided with a chopper device for further folding a signature, which is a cut and folded web. A chopper table for discharging the transported signature downward is mounted on a portion of the chopper device where the signature is folded. Such a chopper table is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1999-29258.  
         [0006]     An example of the above-mentioned chopper table is shown in  FIGS. 9, 10 , and  11 .  FIG. 9  is a plan view, and  FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken on line X-X of  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 11  is a schematic side view of a chopper device. The direction of transport of a signature is indicated by an open arrow in  FIG. 9 . A chopper table  51  is composed of a pair of table bodies  52 , and a pair of inlet guides  53  attached to the respective table bodies  52  and opposed to each other. The pair of inlet guides  53  are located nearly centrally of the pair of table bodies  52 . The right and left sides of the pair of inlet guides  53  are supported on the table bodies  52  by bolts  54   a  via brackets  55  which are connecting members. Each of the table bodies  52  is supported on chopper frames  56  by bolts  54   b.    
         [0007]     A signature  57 , which is a sheet, is sandwiched between a plurality of transport belts  58  traveling in pairs formed vertically, and is transported along the chopper table  51 . When the signature  57  is brought close to a stopper (not shown) installed on a downstream side, in the transport direction, of the chopper table, a chopper blade  59  lowers from above the chopper table  51 . The chopper blade  59  pushes a nearly central portion of the signature  57  into a slit  53   a , which is a clearance formed between the pair of inlet guides  53 . The signature  57  pushed in passes while being bent by folding rollers  60  installed below the inlet guides  53 .  
         [0008]     According to the above-described features of the chopper table, the inlet guides  53  are supported on the table bodies  52  by the bolts  54   a  via the brackets  55 , and the table bodies  52  are supported on the chopper frames  56  by the bolts  54   b . If, in the so configured chopper table  51 , the signature  57  becomes jammed between the folding rollers  60 , it suffices to detach only the inlet guide  53 . When mounted again, the inlet guide  53  is returned to the original position, and the gap of the slit  53   a  remains unchanged. To replace the transport belt  58 , however, the table body  52  is removed, and thus the inlet guide  53  is also dismounted simultaneously. Moreover, holes of the table body  52 , into which the bolts  54   b  are inserted, are formed as slots so that the gap of the slit  53   a  formed between the pair of inlet guides  53  can be adjusted. Thus, in an operation for mounting the table body  52  on the chopper frames  56 , it is difficult to ensure accuracy and to return the gap of the slit  53   a  to the original state. This requires readjustment, meaning tiresome procedure. Hence, the table body  52  and the inlet guide  53  lack returnability; namely, they cannot be mounted at the original positions. Also, many man-hours are involved in the mounting operation, thus requiring much time and labor, and adjustment of the gap is difficult.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-described problems. Its object is to provide a chopper table which improves the returnability of a table body and an inlet guide after their removal at the time of a paper jam or replacement of a transport belt, and which can easily adjust the gap of a slit between the inlet guides.  
         [0010]     In a first aspect of the present invention for attaining the above object, there is provided a chopper table comprising: 
        a guide table for guiding a sheet transported by transport means; and     a pair of guides for guiding the sheet pushed in by a chopper blade,     wherein the guide table is detachably supported on a locking member, and     each of the guides is detachably supported on the locking member via adjusting means for adjusting a gap formed between the pair of guides.        
 
         [0015]     According to this aspect, the guide table and the guide can be removed separately. Thus, even when the guide table is removed, the guide keeps supported via the adjusting means. Hence, the gap of the slit between the pair of guides remains unchanged.  
         [0016]     In a second aspect of the invention, slots extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gap formed between the pair of guides may be formed in the adjusting means, and the guide may be movable along the direction of extension of the slots and in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the sheet, with the guide being fixed to the adjusting means. According to this aspect, the gap of the slit can be adjusted in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport, and the guide can be removed without changing the gap of the slit. That is, even when the guide is removed, the position of support of the bracket does not change. Thus, the returnability of the guide is retained.  
         [0017]     In a third aspect of the invention, the guide may be adapted to be mounted on and removed from the adjusting means, and the position of the guide relative to the adjusting means may be determined by positioning means so that the guide is mounted at the same position as the original position of the guide before being removed.  
         [0018]     In a fourth aspect of the invention, the positioning means may comprise a bolt and a hole, and ahead of the bolt for supporting the guide on the adjusting means may be fitted into the hole formed in the guide.  
         [0019]     In a fifth aspect of the invention, the positioning means may have holes for insertion of a bolt, and the guide may have an opening hole for access to the bolt.  
         [0020]     In a sixth aspect of the invention, a slot extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gap formed between the pair of guides may be formed in the guide, and the guide may be movable along the direction of extension of the slot and in a direction perpendicular to a direction of transport of the sheet.  
         [0021]     In a seventh aspect of the invention, a bracket supported by the adjusting means may be adapted to be mounted on and removed from the locking member, and the position of the bracket relative to the locking member may be determined by positioning means so that the bracket is mounted at the same position as the original position of the bracket before being removed.  
         [0022]     In an eighth aspect of the invention, the positioning means may comprise a bolt and holes, and a head of the bolt for supporting the bracket on the locking member may be fitted into the holes formed in the bracket.  
         [0023]     In a ninth aspect of the invention, the bracket may have holes for insertion of a bolt, and the guide may have an opening hole for access to the bolt.  
         [0024]     In a tenth aspect of the invention, the positioning means may have the bolt comprising a head and a threaded portion, and may have the lower hole which communicates with the upper hole, which allows insertion thereinto of the threaded portion of the bolt, and which has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the upper hole, and the head of the bolt may be accommodated in the upper hole. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a chopper table according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line II-II of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of slots formed in a bracket;  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken at the same site as in  FIG. 2  according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of a slot formed in an inlet guide;  
         [0033]      FIG. 8  is a schematic side view of a chopper device equipped with the chopper table according to the present invention;  
         [0034]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of a conventional chopper table;  
         [0035]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along line X-X of  FIG. 9 ; and  
         [0036]      FIG. 11  is a schematic side view of a conventional chopper device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0037]     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which in no way limit the invention.  
         [heading-0038]     First Embodiment  
         [0039]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a chopper table according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line  1 ′-H of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a plan view of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 8  is a schematic side view of a chopper device equipped with the chopper table according to the present invention. The direction of transport of a signature is indicated by an open arrow in  FIG. 1 . A signature  13  is transported to a chopper table  1  by transport belts  12  paired vertically, and is chopper folded by a chopper blade  14  installed above the chopper table  1 . The chopper table  1  is composed of a pair of table bodies  2  as guide tables, and inlet guides  3 , as guides, installed in opposed relationship with each other nearly centrally of the table bodies  2 . The chopper table  1  is supported on chopper frames  4 , as locking members, at front and rear positions in the direction of transport. In detail, each of the inlet guides  3  extending in the direction of transport is supported by locking bolts  6  on brackets  5 , as adjusting means, extending perpendicularly to the direction of transport at the front and rear positions of the inlet guide  3 . Each of the locking bolts  6  has a head  6   a  and a threaded portion  6   b , and an outside diameter portion of the head  6   a  fits into an inside diameter portion of an opening hole  3   e  opening in the inlet guide  3 , while the threaded portion  6   b  is screwed into a threaded bore  5   c  opening in the bracket  5 . The bracket  5  is supported on the chopper frame  4  by two adjusting bolts  7 . The table body  2  is supported on the chopper frames  4 , separately from the inlet guide  3 , by locking bolts  8 . That is, the table body  2  and the inlet guide  3  are each supported by the chopper frames  4 .  
         [0040]     To replace the transport belt  12  for transporting the signature  13 , the locking bolts  8  are detached, where upon only the table body  2  can be removed. In detail, according to the earlier technology, the inlet guide is supported on the table body via a connecting member, so that when the table body is removed, the inlet guide is also dismounted at the same time. According to the present embodiment, by contrast, the table body  2  and the inlet guide  3  are supported separately. Thus, even when the table body  2  is removed from the chopper frames  4 , the inlet guide  3  remains supported. Even if the table body  2  fails to be mounted on the chopper frames  4  with high accuracy, this failure does not affect the gap of a slit  3   a  (a slit as described earlier) formed between the inlet guides  3 . Since the inlet guides  3  keep supported, the gap of the slit  3   a  therebetween remains unchanged.  
         [0041]     In the event of a paper jam, each of the locking bolts  6  is released from the opening hole  3   e  and the threaded bore  5   c  by operating a wrench or the like, whereupon the inlet guide  3  is removed. At this time, the bracket  5  keeps supported on the chopper frames  4 . After completion of corrective work, the inlet guide  3  can be installed at the original position existent before the work, simply by mounting the inlet guide  3  again on the brackets  5  by the locking bolts  6 . In detail, the position of the inlet guide  3  relative to the bracket  5  is determined by the locking bolt  6  and the opening hole  3   e , which are positioning means, so that the inlet guide  3  can be mounted at the same position as its position before its removal. That is, the bracket  5  is supported on the chopper frame  4 , and the outside diameter portion of the head  6   a  fits into the inside diameter portion of the opening hole  3   e . Thus, the returnability that the slit  3   a  between the inlet guides  3  remains unchanged is retained.  
         [0042]     In changing folding specifications (from a many-page mode to a few-page mode or vice versa) or in assembling the components initially, it is necessary to adjust the slit  3   a . For this purpose, the aforementioned adjusting bolts  7  for supporting the bracket  5  on the chopper frame  4  are attached parallel in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport. A slot  5   a  is formed in the bracket  5  where a head  7   a  of the adjusting bolt  7  is to be accommodated. An opening hole  3   b  opening in the inlet guide  3  is located above the slot  5   a . The adjusting bolt  7  can be tightened or loosened by inserting a wrench or the like through the opening hole  3   b.    
         [0043]     A sectional view of the slot  5   a  formed in the bracket is shown in  FIG. 4 . The slot  5   a  is formed to satisfy the following conditions: Let the length of the slot  5   a  be X, and the length covering the outer peripheries of the two heads  7   a  be x. Then, X&gt;x. Two slots  5   b  are formed below the slot  5   a . The slot  5   b  is formed to satisfy the following conditions: Let the length of the slot  5   b  be Y, and the diameter of a threaded portion  7   b  of the adjusting bolt  7  be y. Then, Y&gt;y. Since these conditions are fulfilled, mere loosening of the adjusting bolts  7  enables the bracket  5  to be moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the signature  13 .  
         [0044]     As described above, the inlet guide  3  and the bracket  3  are integrated by the locking bolt  6 . Therefore, when the adjusting bolts  7  are loosened and the bracket  5  is moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport, gap adjustment of the slit  3   a  can be made, with the inlet guide  3  being supported on the bracket  5 .  
         [0045]     The locking bolt  6  may be shaped such that the head  6   a  is fitted into the inlet guide  3  alone, and the threaded portion  6   b  is screwed into the inlet guide  3  and the bracket  5 . The head  6   a  need not be conical as in the present embodiment, but for example, may be shaped like the head  7   a . The adjusting bolt  7  may be in such a shape that the head  7   a  is accommodated in the hole opening in the inlet guide  3 , and the threaded portion  7   b  communicates with the holes opening in the bracket  5  and is screwed into the chopper frame  4 .  
         [heading-0046]     Second Embodiment  
         [0047]     Next, a second embodiment of the chopper table according to the present invention will be described.  FIG. 5  shows a section at the same site as in  FIG. 2  according to the second embodiment, and  FIG. 6  shows a plan view of  FIG. 5 . In the second embodiment, the configuration and the manner of mounting of the chopper table  1  are the same as those described in the first embodiment.  
         [0048]     As in the first embodiment, when the locking bolts (locking bolts  8  in  FIG. 1 ) are detached, only the table body  2  can be removed. Since the table body  2  and the inlet guide  3  are supported separately, the inlet guide  3  keeps supported, so that the gap of the slit  3   a  remains unchanged. That is, even if the table body  2  fails to be mounted on the chopper frame  4  with high accuracy, this failure does not affect the gap of the slit  3   a  between the inlet guides  3 .  
         [0049]     The features for making gap adjustment of the slit  3   a  will be described. The inlet guide  3  is supported on a bracket  11  by an adjusting bolt  9 . Let the diameter of a head  9   a  of the adjusting bolt  9  be z, an opening hole of the inlet guide  3 , where the head  9   a  of the adjusting bolt  9  is accommodated, be a slot  3   c , and the length of the slot  3   c  be Z. In this case, the slot  3   c  is formed such that Z&gt;z, as shown in  FIG. 7 . Below the slot  3   c , a threaded bore  11   c , into which a threaded portion  9   b  of the adjusting bolt  9  is screwed, is formed in the bracket  11 .  
         [0050]     With these features, when the gap adjustment of the slit  3   a  is to be made, the adjusting bolt  9  is loosened, and the inlet guide  3  is adjusted in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport to determine the gap of the slit  3   a . On this occasion, the bracket  11  is supported on the chopper frame  4  by locking bolts  10 , so that only the inlet guide  3  moves. That is, gap adjustment in the second embodiment can be effected by the adjusting bolt  9  and the slot  3   c  as adjusting means.  
         [0051]     Next, removal of the inlet guide  3  will be described. An opening hole  3   d  opening in the inlet guide  3  is formed above each of the four locking bolts  10 . The locking bolt  10  has a head  10   a  and a threaded portion  10   b , an outside diameter portion of the head  10   a  fits into an inside diameter portion of an opening hole  11   a  opening in the bracket  11 , and an outside diameter portion of the threaded portion  10   b  fits into an inside diameter portion of a threaded bore  11   b  opening in the bracket  11  and screws into a threaded bore formed in the chopper frame  4 . A wrench or the like is inserted into the opening hole  3   d  to detach the locking bolt  10  from the opening hole  11   a  and the threaded bore  11   b . At this time, the inlet guide  3  is supported on the bracket  11  by the adjusting bolt  9 , so that the inlet guide  3  and the bracket  11  are removed integrally. The locking bolt  10  can be positioned in place, because the outside diameter portion of the head  10   a  fits into the inside diameter portion of the opening hole  11   a , and the outside diameter portion of the threaded portion  10   b  fits into the inside diameter portion of the threaded bore  11   b . Thus, simply by mounting the integral combination of the inlet guide  3  and the bracket  11  on the chopper frame  4  by the locking bolts  10  at the original position existent before removal, the gap of the slit  3   a  is kept identical with that before removal. In detail, the position of the bracket  11  relative to the chopper frame  4  is determined by the locking bolts  10  and the opening holes  11   a ,  11   b , which are positioning means, so that the bracket  11  can be mounted at the same position as its position before its removal. Thus, the returnability that the slit  3   a  remains unchanged before and after removal of the inlet guide  3  is retained.  
         [0052]     The head  10   a  need not be shaped as in the present embodiment, but may be rendered conical like the aforementioned head  9   a , for example.  
         [0053]     In the above-described two embodiments, the direction of gap adjustment of the slit  3   a  between the inlet guides  3  is the direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the signature. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the slit  3   a  and the direction of transport are horizontal with each other. However, the direction of gap adjustment may be horizontal with the direction of transport. This is a case where the longitudinal direction of the slit  3   a  is perpendicular to the direction of transport. That is, the same effects as in the embodiments can be obtained, if there is a positional relationship such that the direction of gap adjustment of the slit  3   a  is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit  3   a.    
         [0054]     While the present invention has been described by the above embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereby, but may be varied or modified in many other ways. Such variations or modifications are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such variations and modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.