Abstract:
A device is used to insert and/or deposit printed products into a conveying channel. The printed products are conveyed in the conveying channel with of carriers of a conveying element. An acceleration apparatus pre-accelerates the printed products in conveying direction. The acceleration apparatus conveys the printed products essentially in a straight line and at an angle to the conveying direction of the conveying channel. The printed products are preferably inserted with the aid of conveying belts and at an angle into the conveying channel. As a result of the slanted feed, the divisions of the conveying element can be optimized and the capacity increased.

Description:
CROSS-REFERERNCE TO RELATED INVENTION 
     Priority is claimed herein with respect to European Patent Application No. 01810132.9, filed in the European Patent Office on Feb. 8, 2001, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device for feeding printed products to a conveying channel, in which the printed products are conveyed with the aid of carriers installed at a distance to each other on a conveying element. The device includes an apparatus for pre-accelerating the supplied printed products in a conveying direction of the conveying channel. 
     European Patent Application No. 0 738 682 A, incorporated herein by reference, describes a device used to insert supplements into an insertion channel having a conveying chain. The chain is provided with regularly spaced, finger-type drivers that project into the insertion channel. The supplements are pulled with a withdrawal or pull-off roller from a stack and fed to two rotating vacuum platforms or discs via belts moving perpendicular to the conveying direction of the insertion channel. The essentially horizontally positioned vacuum discs rotate in the same direction and are respectively provided with an intake opening connected within a range of approximately 90° to a suction channel. Approximately half of each vacuum disc is positioned inside the insertion channel. The supplements to be supplied are transferred with the belts to the two vacuum discs and are seized by the vacuum force at the intake openings. The rotation of the two vacuum discs respectively imposes a translatory movement onto the seized supplement to accelerate the supplement in the conveying direction of the insertion channel. This acceleration of the supplement serves to pre-accelerate the supplement relative to the insertion channel. The pre-acceleration reduces the force exerted by the drivers onto the edge of the printed product. 
     Since only one surface of the product can be seized by the rotating vacuum platforms, this known device only permits the processing of lightweight and stable individual sheets within a limited format range. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVETION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the aforementioned type, which permits the processing of unstable printed products and products with differing formats. 
     The above and other objects are solved by the present invention wherein, in the context of the device first mentioned above, a conveying means conveys the printed products in a straight line and supplies the products at an angle to the conveying direction of the conveying channel. The slanted conveying direction of printed products makes it possible to realize a shorter spacing between carriers of the conveying channel than would be otherwise possible with an apparatus that conveys the products in a direction perpendicular to the conveying channel. The present invention also enables a lower transporting speed of the products withdrawn from the stack. Besides the pre-acceleration in the conveying direction of the conveying channel, the slanted feeding also reduces the speed component extending at a right angle to the channel and leads to a reduction of the force of the carriers onto the edge of each printed product. The reduction of the speed component, extending at a right angle to the conveying channel, also reduces the speed with which the printed products impact an opposite arranged guide wall of the conveying channel. Another advantage of the device according to the present invention is that it can be used with supplements as well as main products. 
     According to one modification of the invention, comparably thin individual sheets as well as thick main products can be fed into the conveying channel or inserted into other passing printed products passing. 
     According to another modification, the conveyor belt drive is integrated directly into a drum feeder, which results in particularly good ergonomic conditions for manually supplying the feeder. A short distance between the feeder shaft and the conveying channel permits manual feeding and operation from the channel side. This integration is particularly advantageous structurally and is reliable, according to another modification of the invention, if the rollers on a withdrawing drum are positioned at an angle and the printed products are conveyed by these rollers at an angle to the conveying direction of the conveying channel. Identically aligned inner and outer belts are preferably arranged around these slanted rollers to convey the printed products into the conveying channel. Guide rods extending parallel to the rotational axis of the withdrawing drum preferably carry the slanted rollers. A drum feeder of this type is disclosed, for example, in European Patent Application 1024099, incorporated herein by reference. 
     Further advantageous features follow from the description below and the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Two exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in further detail in the following with the aid of the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a top view of the device according to FIG. 1, with certain parts omitted for clarity. 
     FIG. 3 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a different embodiment of the device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows top view of the device according to FIG.  3 . 
     FIGS. 5 to  7  each show schematic views of individual phases during which a printed product is inserted at an angle into a conveying channel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The device  1 , shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is provided with a drum feeder  50 , which has as a shaft  6  positioned on a frame  3 . At least one gripper disc  7  is rotatably mounted to this shaft  6 . The gripper disc  7 , according to FIG.  2  and which is known, is provided with grippers  8  along its circumference for pulling individual printed products  5  from the underside of a stack  4 . The grippers  8  are activated via a gripper shaft  15  positioned in a known manner on a drive pulley  17  of the drum feeder  50  rotating on the frame  3 . The gripper shaft  15  is driven via pinions and toothed segments that are not otherwise shown herein. 
     The gripper disc  7  is arranged between two rollers  16  mounted at an angle and rotatably positioned on a pipe  9  that is mounted rigidly on the frame  3 . Two rods  12 , which are respectively connected rigidly to the drive pulley  17  and perpendicular to the frame, are used as a drive for the two slanted rollers  16 . Two balls  13  are arranged on each rod  12  to respectively connect a rod  12  to a slanted roller  16 . The balls  13  are arranged such that they can move inside a radial guide slot  14 . Both slanted rollers  16  are rotatably positioned with a bearing  18  on the respective pipe  9 . The rollers  16  are slanted relative to the shaft  6  at an angle ranging from 20 to 40°, preferably approximately 30°. Both rollers  16  are aligned parallel to each other and rotate in the direction of arrow  31 . 
     Identically aligned continuous belts  19  are fitted around two deflection rollers  21  and  49  and are provided with nose-shaped, forward extending regions  19   a.  The belts  19  are respectively fitted around each slanted roller  16 . Each of the belts  19  operates jointly with a respective lower belt  20  fitted around two rollers  22  and  23  arranged at a distance to each other, and extends with the same alignment and angle of the rollers  16 . The lower belts  20  are respectively tensioned against one of the slanted rollers  16  and are driven by the roller or the belt  19  that is fitted against it. The lower belts  20  can also be driven separately via the roller  23 . Following a respective rotation of the gripper disc  7  of approximately 150°, withdrawn printed products  5  are picked up by the belts  19  and  20  and are conveyed in the direction of arrow  47 , as shown in FIG.  2 . When gripping a printed product  5  with belts  19  and  20 , the printed product  5  is pulled completely off the stack  4  and is guided through a guide element (not shown) extending parallel to the circumference of the gripper drum. The grippers  8  are opened simultaneously, and belts  19  and  20  convey the printed product  5 . 
     The dashed line  48  in FIG. 2 indicates the direction in which the printed products  5  are conveyed by the belts  19  and  20 . The products are conveyed linearly at an angle α slanted to the conveying direction, that is the longitudinal direction of a conveying channel  25 , also referred to as an insertion channel. The angle α measures 20 to 40°, preferably approximately 30°. The conveying channel  25 , of which only sections are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is open on the top and is provided with a bottom  53  and at least one guide wall  26  on the side of the channel. An endless conveying element  28 , in particular a chain, circulates below the bottom  53  and is provided at regular intervals and with specific divisions with carriers  29 . These carriers  29  project through a longitudinal slot  27  into the conveying channel  25 . The carriers  29  serve to convey the printed products  5  inside the conveying channel  25 . In FIGS. 1 and 2, the printed products are conveyed in the direction of arrow  52 , from right to left. Accordingly, the carriers  29  inside the conveying channel  25  move in the direction of arrow  52 . Thus, the longitudinal direction of conveying channel  25  corresponds to the conveying direction. As shown in particular in FIG. 2, the slanted rollers  16  are slanted with respect to the conveying direction  52 . The printed products  5  are conveyed in the conveying channel  52 , as shown in FIG. 2, with a speed v 1  which is composed of the speed components v 2  and v 3 . Because of the slanted transport, the printed products  5  are pre-accelerated in the conveying direction of the conveying channel  25 . The speed v 2  in the conveying direction increases while the angle α increases and the speed transverse to the conveying direction decreases. Thus, the magnitude of the pre-acceleration can be adjusted by changing angle α. 
     The device  2 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is provided with a conveying channel  25 ′ in which the above-mentioned conveying element  28  is arranged. The carriers  29  are comparably wide, platform-shaped, articulated links  30  of an endless platform chain  54 . 
     The printed products  5  are inserted into the conveying channel  25 ′ with the two belt groups  37  and  40  positioned on a frame  36  and, preferably, provided with separate drives. The belt group  37  conveys the printed products  5  transverse to the conveying direction of conveying channel  25 ′ and is provided with lower belts  38 , which respectively cooperate with upper belts  39 . The printed products  5  are taken by the belt group  37  from a feeder (not shown) or another machine, for example, a trimmer. The printed products  5  can be supplements, for example, individual printed sheets, or can be main products such as newspapers, magazines, or the like. The printed products  5  are transferred by belt group  37  to belt group  40  to convey the printed products  5  in the direction  46  and at an angle to the conveying direction of conveying channel  25 ′. The format for the printed products  5  can differ. Thus, printed products  5 ′ with an average format or even printed products  5 ″ with a comparably small format can be inserted into the conveying channel  25 ′ without adjustment to the device. The upper belts  39  of belt group  37  can be adjusted in a running direction to ensure that the printed products  5  are deflected by an angle α over the complete format range. With each format type, the back end of the printed product  5  is therefore released by the belt group  37  before it is gripped at the binding by the belt group  40 . In the frontal region of the device  2 , the printed products  5  are conveyed by upper belts  42  and oppositely arranged rollers  44  positioned on a telescoping driver  45 . The upper belts  42  are driven by a joint drive shaft  41  and, at each front end, are fitted around a respective roller  43 . These rollers  43  are arranged, as shown in FIG. 4, such that each upper belt  42  projects over the carrier  45 . The printed products  5  can be conveyed in the region of belt group  40  such that they are delayed by a separately driven drive shaft  41 . The drive shaft can be controlled, for example, with a electric motor (not shown). A delay can reduce the force of impact between printed products  5  and the guide wall  26  of the conveying channel. Thus, the printed products  5  can be inserted with increased speed between the carrier  29  and can be delayed just prior to impacting with the guide wall  26 , meaning the printed products can be inserted either with increased or decreased speed gently into the conveying channel  25 ′. For an even more careful treatment of printed products  5 ′, the guide wall  26  can be designed to be a belt  26 ′ that circulates with the same speed as carriers  29 . Belt  26 ′ reduces or eliminates a braking effect on the printed product by the guide wall  26 . 
     The device  1 , shown in FIGS. 5 to  7 , is used to explain in further detail the method of inserting printed products  5  into the conveying channel  25 , as well as conveying the printed products inside the conveying channel  25 . In principle, the device  2 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, uses the same operational steps. 
     FIG. 5 shows that the printed products  5  are conveyed with the aid of belts  19  and  20  (not visible in FIGS.  5 - 7 ), at an angle to the conveying direction of conveying channel  25 , with the front binding  5   a  always aligned parallel to the conveying direction, indicated by arrow  35 . With the device  2 , the printed products  5  are conveyed in the same way, but with the aid of belts  42  in the direction of arrow  32 . The conveying speed of printed products  5  is synchronized with the speed of conveying element  28  and is adjusted such that a printed product  5  is inserted respectively between a carrier  29 ′ and a following carrier  29 . 
     FIG. 6 shows a printed product  5  that is mostly positioned inside the conveying channel  25 , wherein the binding  5   a  has not yet reached the guide wall  26 . As a result of the slanted insertion, the printed product  5  moves with speed v 2  in the conveying direction of the conveying channel  25 . The printed product  5  is thus pre-accelerated in the conveying direction, as shown with arrow  35 . An increase in the insertion speed permits an even smaller division, i.e., a smaller spacing between consecutive carriers  29  and  29 ′. 
     FIG. 7 shows the position in which the printed product  5  fits with the binding  5   a  against the guide wall  26  and simultaneously receives a push from the carrier  29 , so that it is further accelerated in conveying direction  34  of the conveying channel  25 . As a result of the above-mentioned pre-acceleration, the acceleration push from the carrier  29  is not as great as would otherwise be required. Owing to the slanted insertion, the impact of binding  5   a  with the guide wall is additionally reduced. If, as explained in the above, the printed product  5  is delayed just prior to impacting with the guide wall  26 , then this impact is further reduced. The printed products  5  are guided particularly securely inside the conveying channel  25  if the carriers  29  are designed comparably wide, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The acceleration push is distributed over a wider width of the printed product, thereby leading to a more gentle treatment of the printed products  5 . As explained above, the printed product  5  can be a main product or a supplement that is inserted into the main product. Main products into which a supplement must be inserted are conveyed opened in a known manner. The angled position of the carrier  29 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in particular permits an opening of the printed product. If the conveying channel  25 ′, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is slanted toward the guide wall  26 , the printed products  5  that are inserted into the conveying channel  25 ′ automatically align themselves with particular reliability. FIG. 7 in particular shows that the belts  19  will guide the inserted printed product  5  until just before impact with the guide wall  26 . The belts  42  perform the same function with the device  2 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     The invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art, that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and the invention, therefore, as defined in the appended claims, is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.