Abstract:
A drive and actuating system for an envelope-filling station in which enclosures or sets of enclosures are fed, by a driven conveyor, to a push-in station in which a push-in arrangement, which has a pivot drive, receives the enclosures or sets of enclosures and pushes them into envelopes, which are held ready in an open state. The envelopes are then delivered into a position opposite the push-in station, from oriented transversely to the push-in direction, by an envelope-conveying arrangement. Further, a multiplicity of functions of the individual parts of the envelope-filling station can be forcibly synchronized in an adjustable manner and a comparatively straightforward and clear construction of the overall drive and actuating system is produced.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a drive and actuating system for an envelope-filling station in which enclosures or sets of enclosures are fed, by means of a driven conveyor, to a push-in station in which a push-in arrangement, which has a pivot drive, receives the enclosures or sets of enclosures and pushes them into envelopes, which are held ready in an open state, it being the case that the envelopes are delivered into a position opposite the push-in station, from a direction oriented transversely to the push-in direction, by means of an envelope-conveying arrangement. 
     RELATED ART 
     An envelope-filling station of this generally known construction is described, for example, in DE 195 00 746 A1. In such an envelope-filling station, individual functional groups such as enclosure conveyor, push-in station and envelope conveyor are also synchronised with one another. 
     This results, in some cases, in a complicated mechanical construction or in high outlay on electrical and electronic control and synchronisation means. 
     DE 198 30 377 C1 discloses a drive apparatus for a mail-processing machine in which, from a step-by-step motion linkage and a bevel gear mechanism driven by a common drive motor, via belt drives, both the continuously operated enclosure-conveying chain and an intermittently operated enclosure-conveying chain as well as a push-in arrangement and an intermittently operated envelope-conveying arrangement are driven and synchronism of the operating cycles of the functional groups is achieved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is intended to achieve the object of configuring a drive and actuating system for an envelope-filling station of the general type outlined in the introduction such that a multiplicity of functions of the individual parts of the envelope-filling station can be forcibly synchronised in an adjustable manner by straightforward means and a comparatively straightforward and clear construction of the overall drive and actuating system is produced. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention by a drive and actuating system having the features according to claim  1 . 
     Advantageous configurations and developments of such a drive and actuating system are characterised in the patent claims subordinate to claim  1 . 
     It can be seen that the drive and actuating system proposed here provides for the enclosures or sets of enclosures to be conveyed up continuously and then to be received cyclically by the push-in arrangement, which has a pivot drive, and to be pushed into the envelopes, which are likewise conveyed up cyclically, transversely to the push-in direction. Both the cyclic actuation of the push-in arrangement and the cyclic actuation of the envelope-conveying arrangement, and if appropriate also the cyclic actuation of an auxiliary push-in arrangement for keeping open the envelopes provided, are derived from the continuous drive for the conveyor which, for example on the top strand of a conveying chain, delivers the enclosures or sets of enclosures to the push-in station. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing. In the drawings, mutually corresponding parts have the same designations in each case and: 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective, in part somewhat schematic view of an envelope-filling station with a drive and actuating system of the type specified here, 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the drive and actuating system relating to the envelope-conveying arrangement of the envelope-filling station according to FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of that part of the drive and actuating system which relates to an auxiliary push-in arrangement of the envelope-filling station according to FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an envelope-filling station  1  with a conveyor  2  for conveying enclosures or sets of enclosures up to a push-in station  3 , in which a push-in arrangement  4 , which is actuated by a pivot drive, grips the enclosures or sets of enclosures and pushes them into envelopes  5 , which are held ready in an open state in a position opposite the push-in station  3 . The envelopes  5  are delivered by means of an envelope-conveying arrangement  6  by movement of the envelopes  5  in a direction transverse to the push-in direction of the push-in arrangement  4 . 
     Finally, the push-in station  3  contains an auxiliary push-in arrangement  7  which has the task of using fingers articulated on pivot arms to keep open a delivered envelope  5  opposite the push-in station  3 , while push-in fingers of the push-in arrangement  4  grip the trailing borders of delivered enclosures or sets of enclosures and push the latter, beneath the fingers of the auxiliary push-in arrangement  7 , into the envelopes  5 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment shown, the conveyor  2  contains a conveying-chain arrangement which is equipped with conveying fingers  8  and is made up of two circulating chains  9  and  10  which are located one beside the other and are positioned over pairs of chain wheels, the respectively driven chain wheels being designated  11  and  12  in the drawing. In the region of the top strand of the conveying chains  9  and  10 , the conveying fingers  8  project beyond the level of the top side of the conveyor  2 , via slots of a conveying path, and define compartments there into which the enclosures or sets of enclosures are introduced and conveyed into the push-in station  3  as the conveying chains  9  and  10  circulate. 
     The driven chain wheels  11  and  12  of the conveying chains  9  and  10  are seated on a common drive shaft  13 , of which the geometrical axis is designated  14 . The shaft  13  is guided by bearings which are supported on side walls  15  and  16  of a gantry-like housing  17  of the push-in station  3 . 
     On that side of the housing side walls  15  and  16  which is directed away from the interior of the housing  17 , a toothed-belt pulley  18 , on the one hand, and a further toothed-belt pulley  19 , on the other hand, are seated in a rotationally fixed manner on the shaft  13 . The toothed-belt pulley  18  serves for coupling the shaft  13 , via a toothed belt  20  and a further toothed-belt pulley  21 , to a drive motor  22  for the conveying chains  9  and  10 , the toothed-belt pulley  21  being seated on the output shaft of said drive motor. 
     The toothed-belt pulley  19  serves for coupling the shaft  13  to a pivot drive for the push-in arrangement  4  and to drive means for the auxiliary push-in arrangement  7 . 
     First of all, however, the coupling of the drive for the conveying chains  9  and  10  to that part of the drive and actuating system which relates to the envelope-conveying arrangement  6  will be considered in more detail with reference to FIG.  2 . 
     Between the side wall  15  of the push-in-station housing  17  and the toothed-belt pulley  19 , a cam  24  is fastened on the shaft  13 . Between the side wall  16  of the push-in-station housing  17  and the toothed-belt pulley  18 , for coupling the shaft  13  to the drive  22 , a cam  25 , which is concurrent with the cam  24 , is fastened on the shaft  13 . The two cams  24  and  25  thus circulate synchronously with the chain wheels  11  and  12  and the toothed-belt pulleys  18  and  19  when the drive motor  22  is switched on and, by way of the toothed-belt pulley  21  seated on its shaft, causes the toothed belt  20  to circulate. 
     The two cams  24  and  25  are in contact with follower rollers  26  and  27 , respectively, which are each mounted in the manner which can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, in intermediate regions on links  28  and  29 , respectively, the links  28 ,  29  being fastened, at their outer ends remote from associated pivot bearings  30 , on a beam-like roller bar  31  which forms a constituent part of the envelope-conveying arrangement  6 . 
     The links  28  and  29  are angled somewhat in the manner illustrated in the vicinity of the bearing locations for the associated follower rollers  26  and  27 , respectively, and extend, through cutouts or slots in parts of the side walls  15  and  16 , respectively, of the push-in station housing  17 , to the fastening locations on the beam-like roller bar  31 . Those regions of the rear ends, as seen in relation to the illustration of FIGS. 1 and 2, of the links  28  and  29  which are in the vicinity of the pivot bearings bear bearing bolts, which are mounted in the abovementioned pivot bearings  30 . The geometrical axis of the bearing bolts is depicted by a chain-dotted line  33  in FIGS. 1 and 2 for clarification purposes. Said rear ends of the links  28  and  29 , however, are not connected to one another by a physical axis; neither are they mounted directly on the side walls  15  and  16  of the push-in-station housing  17 . Instead, they are supported on levers  34  and  35 , respectively, via the pivot bearings  30 . FIG. 2 indicates only a small part of the lever  35 , which is further away from the viewer. The levers  34  and  35  are fastened in a torque-resistant manner on a shaft  36  which, although not shown specifically, is guided by bearings which are supported directly on the push-in-station side walls  15  and  16 . The geometrical axis  37  (depicted as a chain-dotted line in FIG. 2) thus has an unchanging position in relation to the push-in-station housing  17 . The lever  34  is designed as an angle lever with a leg which is parallel to the lever  35 , and is oriented obliquely in the forward direction, and with a vertically upwardly extending leg  38 , at the free end of which a retaining magnet or a pressure-medium drive  39  acts. The retaining magnet or drive  39  is supported against a side-wall part of the push-in-station side wall  15 . If the drive  39  is switched on, it presses against the free end of the lever leg  38  and pivots the angle lever  34 , and thus also the lever  35 , in the clockwise direction in relation to the illustration of FIGS. 1 and 2, such that the pivot bearings  30 , in their entirety, are also displaced in a clockwise direction and in particular moved downwards. 
     The downward movement of the pivot bearings  30 , and thus of the rear ends of the links  28  and  29 , causes the ends of the latter which are connected to the roller bar  31  to be pivoted upwards about the supporting points of the follower rollers  26  and  27  on the cams  24  and  25 , respectively, and thus the roller bar  31  to be likewise moved upwards. It is possible for this upward movement of the roller bar  31  to be carried out voluntarily by virtue of the drive  39  being switched on or to be executed once the retaining magnet  39  has been switched off and it, as it were, takes precedence, or is superimposed, over the movement of the roller bar  31  in dependence on the rotation of the cams  24  and  25 . 
     Approximately level with the top side of the conveyor  2  or level with a base plate, over which push-in fingers of the push-in arrangement  4  are guided during the operating stroke, an envelope-filling bench  40  is located in front of the push-in station  3 , said bench being provided with through-passages or cutouts through which there is routed an envelope-conveying belt  41  which is positioned over rollers  42  and  43 , of which the roller  42  can be driven by means of a drive  44 . The envelope-filling bench  40  and the bearings for the rollers  42  and  43  and the support for the drive  44  are located in a framework which is connected to the housing  17  of the push-in station  3 . In order to simplify the illustration, and for reasons of clarity, details of this framework have not been shown in the drawing. 
     A light-barrier arrangement, which is indicated schematically at  46 , acts via cutouts or through-passages  45  of the envelope-filling bench  40  and interacts with control apparatuses for the drive  44  for the envelope-conveying belt  41  for the precise positioning of an envelope  5  opposite the push-in station  3 . It should also be mentioned that the top strand of the envelope-conveying belt  41  rests essentially on the top surface of the envelope-filling bench  40  and slides over the latter when the envelope-conveying belt  41  is made to circulate by the drive  44 . 
     The roller bar  31  contains a row of comparatively large-diameter rollers  48 , which are on the same track relative to the envelope-conveying belt  41 . These rollers  48  are spring-mounted individually in each case in relation to the housing of the roller bar  31 . 
     According to an embodiment which is not shown, it is also possible for the roller bar  31  to contain a relatively large number of abutment rolling bodies which are accommodated in an easily movable and rotatable manner in corresponding cages in the housing of the roller bar  31 . 
     If, with the drive  39  for the angle lever  34  switched off, or the retaining magnet  39  for the angle lever  34  switched on, the roller bar  31  has been raised by the links  28  and  29 , on account of a corresponding rotary position of the cams  24  and  25 , with the result that a relatively large gap is produced between the bottom parts of the rollers  48  and the top strand of the envelope-conveying belt  41 , it is possible for an envelope  5  to be pushed into this gap, by suitable feeding means, with its leading border oriented perpendicularly to the envelope opening. If the cams  24  and  25  are then rotated further, during their continuous circulation, the roller bar  31  is lowered and, with the drive  44  for the envelope-transporting belt  41  switched on, the envelope  5 , which is initially gripped merely at the leading border, is conveyed further, between the rollers  48  and the envelope transporting belt  41 , in the direction of the push-in station into a position opposite the push-in arrangement  4 , until the light-barrier arrangement  46  responds and, in conjunction with the control apparatus of the drive  44 , positions the envelope  5  correctly in front of the push-in station  3 . Once this has taken place, then, during the continuous rotation of the cams  24  and  25 , regions of said cams pass beneath the follower rollers  26  and  27 , which cause the roller bar  31  to be raised again by way of the links  28  and  29 . The positioned envelope  5  may then be opened by suitable arrangements, for example those known to the person skilled in the art, with the result that the push-in arrangement  4  can push into the open envelope  5  an enclosure or a set of enclosures which has been conveyed up by the conveyor  2 . On account of the cams  24  and  25  proceeding further, the roller bar  31  is then lowered again and the drive  44  for the envelope-transporting belt  41  is switched on again, with the result that the filled envelope  5  is conveyed away, in order then to be closed, while a new envelope  5  is conveyed in front of the push-in arrangement  4  in the manner which has just been described. 
     Looking at FIG. 1 again, it can be seen that the toothed belt  50  positioned around the toothed-belt pulley  19  is routed upwards and is positioned about a belt pulley  51  which is coupled to a further belt pulley, from which, in turn, via a toothed belt  53 , an elliptical belt pulley  54  is driven, the latter, for its part, driving a crank shaft mounted in the push-in-station housing  17 . The crank shaft actuates, via a connecting rod, a pivot-lever arrangement which forms a constituent part of the push-in arrangement  4  and is retained on bearings within the push-in-station housing  17 . The elliptical shape of the toothed-belt pulley  54  is selected in order to give the push-in arrangement  4  certain movement characteristics relative to the movement of the conveying fingers  8  of the conveyor  2 . 
     The phase position of the periodic up and down movements of the roller bar  31  on account of the circulation of the cams  24  and  25  relative to the phase position of the periodic delivery of the enclosures or sets of enclosures and relative to the phase position of the periodic movements of the push-in arrangement  4  can be adjusted in that the cams  24  and  25  are fastened on the shaft  13  such that they can be adjusted in terms of their rotary position. 
     From FIGS. 1 and 2 in conjunction with the above description of the functioning of the hitherto-described parts of the system, it can be seen that the roller bar  31  and the links  28  and  29  behave in the manner of a rigid frame which, in its central region, is supported in a stable manner by the follower rollers  26  and  27  on both sides of the push-in station  3 , because the rear parts of the frame, in the region of the pivot bearing  30 , are supported in a stable manner by the levers  34  and  35 , which are connected in a torque-resistant manner via the shaft  36  and, with the drive  39  non-operational or the retaining magnet  39  switched on, are retained in a fixed pivot position. The links  28  and  29 , the levers  34  and  35  and the shaft  36  do not displace the through-passage space located above the conveying path of the conveyor  2  in the push-in-station-housing  17 , the shaft  36  in particular being routed through, beneath the top strand of the conveying chains  9  and  10 , between the top strand and the bottom strand. 
     If during regular operation, with control of the raised position or of the lowered position of the roller bar  31  in relation to the envelope-conveying belt  41  on account of the continuous circulation of the cams  24  and  25 , a build-up of envelopes should occur in the envelope-conveying arrangement  6 , the drive  39  is actuated and the levers  34  and  35  are pivoted in a clockwise direction, with the result that the roller bar  31  can be raised a considerable way off from the transporting belt  41  and the build-up of envelopes can be removed without the operational setting of the system otherwise being changed or disrupted. Once the build-up has been removed, the drive  39  is withdrawn again, the levers  34  and  35  are moved in the anticlockwise direction and the roller bar  31  is lowered into precisely that position which it had previously occupied on account of a certain rotary position of the cams  24  and  25 . 
     The belt pulley  19 , which is fastened alongside the cam  24  on the drive shaft  13  for the chain wheels  11  and  12 , not only serves for driving the push-in arrangement  4  via the toothed belt  50 , the belt pulley  51 , the toothed belt  53  and the elliptical belt pulley  54 , but also, likewise via the toothed belt  50 , causes the auxiliary push-in arrangement  7  to be actuated, as can be seen from FIG.  3 . For this purpose, the toothed belt  50  is routed past a toothed-belt pulley  56  which is fastened such that it can be adjusted in terms of its rotary position on a shaft mounted on the push-in-housing side wall  15 , as is indicated in the drawing by fastening through-passages of arc-sector form in the belt pulley  56 . Fastened on the shaft bearing the belt pulley  56 , on the inside of the push-in-housing side wall  15 , is a cam  57  which is in contact with a follower roller  58  which is located at one end of a cam follower lever  59 . The cam follower lever  59  is fastened on a pivot shaft  62 , which is mounted on the push-in-housing side walls  15  and  16  by bearings  60  and  61 . The pivot shaft  62  bears two pivot arms  63  and  64 , auxiliary push-in fingers  65  and  66 , respectively, being connected to the bottom ends thereof. 
     With a rotation of the drive shaft  13  for the chain wheels  11  and  12 , and thus also the toothed-belt pulley  19 , the toothed-belt pulley  56  is also caused to revolve via the toothed belt  50 , with the result that the cam  57  executes corresponding rotations. This rotation of the cam  57  results in pivot movements of the cam follower lever  59  and thus in corresponding pivot movements of the pivot levers  63  and  64 , with the result that the auxiliary push-in fingers  65  and  66  move into the opening of an envelope  5  which has been conveyed over by the envelope-conveying arrangement  6 , and is held ready in an open state, and hold the opening open until the push-in arrangement  4  has pushed an insert or a set of inserts, beneath the auxiliary push-in fingers  65  and  66 , into the envelope  5 , whereupon the auxiliary push-in fingers  65  and  66  and the pivot levers  63  and  64 , with corresponding continued rotation of the cam  57 , are guided back under spring force into a starting position.