Abstract:
A method and arrangement are provided for removing air inclusions between sheets in a stack when forming the stack from sheets fed successively by a sheet feeder to the stack to be formed and deposited thereon in a sheet feeding region. Air out is suction out of the spaces between the sheets in the sheet-feeding region.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Priority is claimed with respect to Application No. 199 14 068.5 filed in Germany on Mar. 27, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method for removing air inclusions between sheets in a stack which is formed by successively feeding and depositing sheets on the stack to be formed. The invention furthermore relates to an arrangement for removing air inclusions when forming stacks from sheets, the arrangement comprising a feeding device for successively feeding sheets to the stack to be formed and on which they are deposited. 
     As used herein, sheets are understood to mean sheets of paper, carton or plastic, such as foils. The size of these sheets can vary over a wide range. Thus, it is possible with the invention to process sheets of standard copying paper size, as well as sheets that are smaller or several times that size. 
     During the production of sheets, the sheets are frequently gathered into stacks (also called reams) and are then transported to a further processing location where they are wrapped, for example, with wrapping material. The transport of wrapped stacks requires particular care because individual sheets or whole layers of sheets can easily shift owing to the air inclusions between sheets when the stack is formed. As a result, the stack will lose its desired and mostly quadratic configuration. During the further transport, this can lead to damage that can render the complete stack unusable. 
     Methods for removing air inclusions in this way are disclosed, for example, in German Patents 195 23 699 A 1 and 34 03 209 A 1, which methods call for pressing or stroking the air out of the completed stacks However, such methods are not optimal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a new and advantageous method, as well as an arrangement, for creating stacks without disturbing air inclusions. 
     The above and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by the provisions of a method for removing air inclusions between sheets in a stack when forming the stack from sheets fed successively by a sheet feeder to the stack to be formed and deposited thereon in a sheet feeding region, comprising: auctioning air out of spaces between the sheets in the sheet-feeding region. 
     The invention thus provides for suctioning air from the spaces between sheets in the sheet-feeding region where sheets are fed from a sheet feeder for forming a stack of sheets. The mention of suctioned-out air in the following refers to air, which can lead to damaging air inclusions between sheets, or air that is already present between sheets. 
     One advantageous modification of the method according to the invention consists in suctioning the air from the stack surface located opposite the sheet-feeder. Another advantageous embodiment according to the invention provides that air is suctioned from at least one of the stack surfaces (side surfaces) that extend parallel to the sheet-feeding direction. If two side-by-side arranged stacks are formed, then air can be suctioned respectively from one side surface of a stack by a suction device that is arranged between the stacks. A particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the devices for suctioning off the air also perform vibrating movements for aligning the stack surfaces. The effect of suctioning off interfering air can be further improved with the aid of another modification of the invention in that the air above the feeding region is suctioned off because this will remove in a gentle manner the interfering air that is also supplied by the sheets. In the process, air can be sucked through openings in the limiting walls into hollow spaces of suction devices, so-called vacuum chambers. 
     According to a particularly advantageous modification of the method for suctioning air from the side surfaces of two adjacent stacks, the limiting walls for the hollow if space (vacuum chamber) of a suction device installed between two stacks approach each other and make contact in some locations and are connected in those locations. By providing additional openings with larger cross sections for the air to flow through in the regions of the limiting walls that make contact, undesirable air pressure differences that may occur on both sides of the hollow body can balance out. In order to homogenize the suctioning, it may also be helpful if the flow of air in the hollow space is at least in part reduced or interrupted. 
     According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an arrangement for removing air inclusions between sheets in a stack during formation of the stack from successively fed sheets deposited on top of one another in a sheet feeding region, comprising: a feeding device for feeding the sheets successively and depositing the sheets on top of one another in the sheet feeding region; and at least one suction device arranged in the sheet feeding region for removing air from intermediate spaces between the sheets. 
     The invention is preferably used for a feeding device that supplies and deposits the sheets from the side onto the stack, which feeding device can be embodied as a conveyor belt. According to a modification of the invention, the suction device can be characterized by a suction device for removing air from the spaces between sheets, which is assigned to a stack surface opposite the feeding device. However, it can also be assigned to at least one of the stack surfaces that extend parallel to the sheet-feeding direction, preferably both surfaces (side surfaces). 
     A suction device can be provided with an alignment surface provided with air openings for aligning the sheets of a stack surface. An alignment surface of this type preferably can be combined with a vibrating drive that causes the alignment surface to vibrate. 
     According to a preferred modification of the invention, an alignment surface can be designed as a limiting wall for a hollow space connected to a vacuum source. When forming two side-by-side arranged stacks to which sheets are respectively supplied, it is particularly advantageous if the hollow space for the suction device has limiting walls with air openings, which are respectively assigned to one side surface of a stack. Such an arrangement for a suction device is particularly space saving and requires little expenditure. The limiting walls for such a suction device can make contact in some locations and can be connected in those locations. The limiting walls preferably can be provided with further openings in the contacting locations, wherein these additional openings have larger cross sections than the other air openings. The hollow space for another embodiment according to the invention can be provided in part with reducing elements for reducing or interrupting the air flow. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, the situation concerning air inclusions in the sheet-feeding region can be further improved by arranging an additional suction device above the sheet-feeding region, so that air arriving with the sheets is also suctioned off above the stack. 
     The invention has the advantage that air inclusions are for the most part prevented during the stack formation. Thus, a later compressing of the stack, which always requires a considerable expenditures is not necessary. The limiting surfaces for the suction devices can also serve as alignment surfaces for the stacks, provided they are induced to vibrate. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in further detail with the aid of an exemplary embodiment. 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a station for supplying sheets to two stacks. 
     FIG. 2 is a view according to arrow A in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing details of a suction device that is arranged between the stacks. 
     FIG. 4 is a section (not to scale) through the suction device according to FIG. 3, corresponding to the line  4 — 4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a pallet  1 , which holds two stacks  2  and  3 , composed of sheets  4 . The sheets can be sheets of a normal copy paper format or a smaller or larger format. The sheets can also be made of carton or plastic. Sheets  4  in the drawing are shown with large intermediate spaces  13 , which do not exist in reality. Rather, the sheets in the stack are stacked tightly one above the other. They are supplied successively and from the side by feeding devices  6  in the form of conveyor belts  7  (only one such feeding device is visible in FIG. 1) in the direction of arrow  8  and are deposited on stacks  2  and  3 . Conveyor belts  7  are discharge belts for a sheet-producing machine that is not shown here, e.g. a so-called small-format cutter of the known type SLK by the assignee herein, or a cutter for larger formats, such as the type FFS by the assignee herein, which produces so-called foil sheets. A standard lifting device that is not shown here lowers pallet  1 , such that the stack top surfaces maintain at least approximately the same heights, relative to conveying belts  7 . An alignment plate  9  is located below conveyor belts  7 , which plate is stimulated to vibrate by a vibrating drive  11  in order to align sheets  4  in stacks  2  and  3  in the sheet-feeding region  12 . Suction devices for removing, meaning suctioning off, damaging air inclusions in the spaces  13  between sheets  4  are arranged in sheet-feeding region  12  of feeding device  6 . In the following, the air inclusions that are suctioned off are simply referred to as “air.” 
     A first suction device  14  is located opposite feeding device  6  and comprises a negative pressure box  17  that is assigned to the surfaces  15  of stacks  2  and  3  and is provided with air holes, This negative pressure box is connected to a negative pressure source  18 , e.g. in the form of a ventilator (fan)  19 . The air that is suctioned out of the intermediate spaces  13  (air inclusions) travels in a direction of arrows  21  through air holes  16  into negative pressure box  17  and from there in the direction of arrows  20  to fan  19 . 
     Further suction devices  22 ,  23  and  24  are located in sheet-feeding region  12 , as shown in particular in FIG.  2 . These suction devices are assigned to those surfaces  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  of stacks  2  and  3 , which extend parallel to the feeding direction for sheets  4  (corresponding to arrow  8  in FIG.  1 ). The aforementioned suction devices include negative pressure boxes  29 ,  31  and  32 , which are provided with air openings that are not shown in FIG.  2  and are connected via lines to fan  19 , as shown with arrows  20 . Thus, the suctioned-off air can flow in the direction of arrows  21  into the negative pressure boxes and from there in the direction of arrows  20  to fan  19 . The negative pressure boxes  29 ,  31  and  32  are respectively stimulated to vibrate by vibration drives  33 ,  34  and  36 . Thus, suction surfaces  37 ,  38   a ,  38   b  and  39  not only serve to suction off the enclosed air, but also to align the stack side surfaces  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28 . Suction, devices  22  and  24 , adjacent the outer side surfaces  25  and  28  of stacks  2  and  3 , can essentially have the same design. Suction device  23 , arranged between the stacks  2  and  3 , is described in further detail in the following. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show the negative pressure box  31  for suction device  23 , into which air flows in a first suction region  40  through air openings  41 ,  42  in the limiting walls  43  and  44  that are designed as suction surfaces  38   a ,  38   b . The air flows in the direction of arrows  46  from the intermediate spaces  13  in stacks  2  and  3 . Additional air openings  41   a  and  42   a  are provided in another suction region  47 , above stacks  2  and  3 . Air that is carried along by the sheets is suctioned from these openings, which further reduces the danger of air inclusions. Limiting walls  43 ,  44 , which simultaneously serve as alignment surfaces for the side surfaces  26 ,  27  of stacks  2  or  3 , are pulled in at some locations and approach each other until they make contact in the regions  48 ,  49 ,  51  ( 51  can be seen only in FIG.  3 ). The limiting walls can be connected in those regions. The contact regions contain air openings  52  with considerably larger cross sections than the air openings  41 ,  42 . These permit the equalization of pressure if undesirable, differing pressures form on both sides of the suction device  23  during the vibration of the limiting walls and the suctioning out of air. A stop or reducer  53  also functions to improve the air guidance in the suction device  23  by reducing or interrupting the air flow. 
     If the invention for removing air inclusions is used for one stack only, then the special design of the suction device  23  can be omitted and it can be designed in the same way as the suction device  24 . In that case, only two side suction devices, corresponding to  22  and  24 , are provided in addition to the frontal suction device. 
     With the above-described method and arrangement, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the formation of air inclusions from the start, namely during the stack formation. The limiting walls of the suction devices, which are provided with suction openings for this, can additionally be used advantageously for aligning the stack surfaces, provided they are made to vibrate. 
     The invention has been described in detail with respect to referred 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,