Abstract:
A device that is usable for delivering printed products includes two bucket or paddle wheels that can rotate about two different axes of rotation. Each bucket or paddle wheel includes a plurality of scoop-type elements that can receive printed products from a first or a second product flow. A gripper chain is guided around the two different axes of rotation. Grippers are arranged on the gripper chain and can grip and printed products received in the scoop-type element to thereby remove the product from the scoop. At least one device that will open the grippers, for release of the printed products held by the grippers, is arranged along the path of travel of the gripper chain.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This patent application is the U.S. National Phase, under 35 U.S.C. 371, of PCT/DE03/00671, filed Feb. 28, 2003; published as WO 03/080489 A2 and A3 on Oct. 2, 2003 and claiming priority to DE 102 13 461.8, filed Mar. 26, 2002, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed to a device for delivering printed products, as well as to a method for processing printed products. At least two paddle wheels, which receive products from two product streams, have those products removed by a single gripper chain.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A device for delivering printed products is known from DE 196 42 130 C2.  
         [0004]     This device is comprised of a paddle wheel, into whose paddles or pockets printed products are inserted. A gripper chain, which is conducted around the rotary shaft of the paddle wheel, has a plurality of grippers for picking up a product inserted into a paddle of the paddle wheel, for clamping the product in place and, in the course of the progress of the rotation of the paddle wheel, for moving the product out of the paddle and conveying it on.  
         [0005]     DE 196 42 118 C2 describes a device for transporting and distributing printed products. This device has a paddle wheel, in whose paddles the printed products to be transported and conveyed are introduced, and from which they are removed by grippers of a gripper chain. The gripper chain passes along a plurality of distribution points, at each of which distribution points cam disks are rotatably arranged which, in accordance with their rotary position, alternatingly act or do not act with the passing grippers in order to selectively unload a product held in a gripper at the appropriate distribution point, or to transport the product further.  
         [0006]     The device described in DE 196 42 118 C2 is used, for example, for distributing folded printed products and for depositing them in layers. In the course of this printed product distribution and deposition, the need may arise for alternatingly depositing printed products arriving from two different product streams and coming from two different folding devices. With this known device, this desired product deposition is only possible if the printed products have already been inserted into the paddles of the paddle wheel in an alternating manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The object of the present invention is directed to providing a device for transferring printed products, as well as providing a machine and a method for processing printed products.  
         [0008]     In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the provision of a first paddle wheel that receives printed products from a first product stream, and by the provision of a second paddle wheel that receives printed products from a second, separate product stream. A gripper chain, which carries product engaging grippers, is used to remove products from the first paddle wheel and to release them at a designated location. The same gripper chain also removes products from the second paddle wheel. Each paddle wheel is supported by its own shaft. The gripper chain passes around both of those shafts.  
         [0009]     In the device in accordance with the present invention, the joining of the product streams takes place at the second paddle wheel, at which time and location the grippers of the gripper chain, which had remained empty during the passage of the gripper chain around the first paddle wheel, are now equipped or provided with products of the second product stream. Since the two paddle wheels can be placed substantially at any arbitrary locations along the path of travel of the gripper chain, there is no necessity to place conveyor belt arrangements, for delivering the two product streams, so closely together that they can introduce the products into the same paddle wheel. This elimination of such side constraints simplifies the construction of the device or of an apparatus with which it is employed. It also permits the optimization of the placement of its components, for example in view of modularity, in the use of as many uniform components as possible, for easy accessibility for maintenance purposes, and the like.  
         [0010]     In the present device, the gripper chain transporting the product stream, combined in this way, preferably passes along at least two devices for opening the grippers, at least the first of which is configured to selectively open or to leave unopened a passing gripper. By the appropriate control of this device, the combined product streams can again be separated into their original single streams, and the single product streams can be separately deposited.  
         [0011]     A device for opening the grippers, which device is rotatable with the movement of the gripper chain in particular can be used. Its speed of rotation is matched to the speed of the gripper chain in such a way that two successive cams of the cam disk alternatingly act together with grippers of the gripper chain which are separated by a gripper which does not act alternatingly for separating the product streams. In the case where the device has two paddle wheels for combining two product streams, the two alternatingly acting grippers are separated by exactly one non- interacting gripper. In the case of three or more product streams, which are respectively brought together by the use of an associated paddle wheel, the separation can also be two or more non-interacting grippers.  
         [0012]     Furthermore, the cam disk can preferably be arrested, or stopped, in a position in which it alternatingly acts with each passing gripper, so that all of the grippers passing through the device are opened by the cam disk. The cam disk can have a position in which it does not alternatingly act with any of the passing grippers, so that all of the grippers are let through unopened to a downstream connected device for opening the grippers.  
         [0013]     The device for delivering printed products in accordance with the present invention can be used, in particular, in a machine for processing printed products, which machine has at least two folding devices. Each of the paddle wheels of the device is arranged downstream of the respective folding apparatus for use in picking up a product stream delivered to it by the associated folding apparatus.  
         [0014]     Since the paddle wheels can be arranged at substantially any arbitrary position along the gripper chain, the placement of the folding devices is subjected to only a few side constraints. This makes possible the use of completely identical folding devices or folding arrangements and thus accomplishes the reduction of the construction costs of the machine. It can also accomplish, among other things, the arrangement of the folding devices on top of each other in order to provide a machine having little space requirements, and in which both folding devices are easily accessible, in the same way, for maintenance purposes.  
         [0015]     When operating the device for delivering printed products, in accordance with the present invention, or a machine with which it is used, preferably each second gripper of the gripper chain is provided, at the first paddle wheel, with a printed product of the first product stream. The grippers, which had not been loaded during the passage of the gripper chain device through the first paddle wheel, are each provided with a printed product from the second product stream at the second paddle wheel. The combined product stream now being transported by the gripper chain consists of a product of the originally first product stream and of a product of the originally second product stream with these products arranged in an alternating manner.  
         [0016]     By rotating the cam disk, which is located at the first device for opening the grippers, in such a way that it alternatingly acts with each second gripper, the combined product stream is again separated into the two original streams at this device. Depending on the phase of the rotation of the cam disk, this can be the first or the second original product stream which is deposited at the first device.  
         [0017]     If the cam disk is stopped in such a way that it alternatingly acts with each gripper, the printed products of the first and second product stream are alternatingly deposited at the first device. It is also conceivable to configure the cam disk to be movable between a first position, in which it can alternatingly act with the grippers of a gripper chain, and a retracted position. In the alternatingly acting position, it is then possible, depending on whether the cam disk rotates or not, to alternatingly deposit the first product stream or the second product stream, or to deposit only one of the product streams. In the retracted position, all of the product streams are permitted to pass to a further device for opening the grippers. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic side elevation view of a paper-processing machine in accordance with the present invention  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side elevation view of a gripper of the device shown in  FIG. 1  in the open state, and  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side elevation view of the gripper in the closed state with a product clamped in it. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there may be seen a side elevation view of a device for delivering printed products in accordance with the present invention,. The machine represented in  FIG. 1  is comprised of an upper longitudinal folding device  01  and of a lower longitudinal folding device  02 , which two folding devices  01 ,  02  have been placed on top of each other between supports  03  of a lateral frame. A pivotable folding blade  04  of each of the two longitudinal folding devices  01 ,  02  is used for introducing a respective presented signature between folding rollers  06  of the associated folding device and to form in this way, a longitudinal fold in each of the signatures. The now folded signatures are clamped between two facing endless belts of a belt guide device  07 , which belt guide device  07  starts at the associated folding rollers  06 . These signatures are then guided downward to one of an upper paddle wheel or a lower paddle wheel  08  or  09  and fall into their paddles or pockets  11 . A ratio of a speed of rotation of the paddle wheels  08 ,  09  and a working frequency of the folding devices  01 ,  02  has been selected to be such that only every second paddle or pocket  11  of each of the first and second paddle wheels  08 ,  09  is provided a signature.  
         [0023]     The paddles or pockets  11  of each paddle wheel  08 ,  09  are made of at least two segments, which segments are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the paddle wheel  08 ,  09 . Carrier wheels  12  are arranged in one space or in two spaces between the segments of the paddles or pockets  11 . Around one half of the circumference of each carrier wheel  12  a gripper chain  13  is looped. The gripper chain  13  supports a multitude of grippers  14 , one of which is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The structure and the function of the grippers  14  is the same as is described in the previously cited documents DE 196 42 118 and DE 196 42 130, to which reference is made here. The grippers  14  are described and are depicted by  FIGS. 2 and 3  only to the extent required for an easy understanding of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a portion of the gripper chain  13  with a gripper  14  shortly before reaching the loading position at either one of a paddle wheel  08  or  09 . The gripper  14  has a fixed clamping jaw  28  and a pivotable clamping jaw  29 . In a side view, the fixed clamping jaw  28  is substantially V-shaped and is fixedly connected with a member  31 , such as a link, of the gripper chain  13 . The pivotable clamping jaw  28  is embodied as a first arm of a three-armed lever. A second arm of this three arm lever is embodied as a control lever  32  and supports a roller  33 . To effect the closing of the movable clamping jaw  29 , following the insertion of the signature, the control lever  32  can be actuated by the provision of a control cam  34 , which control cam  34  rotates, together with the paddle wheel  08  or  09 , around a shaft that is fixed on the frame. The rotation of the control cam  34  is coupled to the movement of the gripper chain  13  in such a way that, of two successive grippers  14 , the one of the grippers  14  which does not take up a signature passes the control cam  34  with its roller  33  engaging one of the control cam cutouts  36 , and therefore this gripper  14  remains open, while the gripper  14  receiving a signature has with] its roller  33  roll against the surface of the control cam  34 .  
         [0025]     In place of the rotating control cam  34 , a stationary control cam can also be arranged for use on the lower paddle wheel  09 . This stationary control cam closes each one of the grippers  14  passing it.  
         [0026]     A third arm of the three-armed lever is embodied as a spring-loaded clamping lever  37 , on which an extension spring  38  acts. When, in the course of the bumping or the contacting of the roller  33  against the control cam  34 , the lever begins to pivot, the extension spring  38  is initially stretched so far as to reach a dead center. After passing dead center, the extension spring  38  pulls the three-armed lever into its clamping position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and in this way holds the inserted signature  39  between the clamping jaws  28 ,  29 .  
         [0027]     Now referring again to  FIG. 1 , the diameter of the carrier wheel  12  has been selected such that the crowns or apexes  16  of the hook-shaped grippers  14  each coincide with the bottom of a paddle  11 . The linear spacing distance between successive ones of the grippers  14  along the gripper chain  13  corresponds to the distance between the bottoms of successive paddles  11  of either of the paddle wheels  08  or  09 . The carrier wheel  12  rotates in a fixed connection with its associated paddle wheel  09 , so that the track speed of the grippers  14  is the same as that of the bottoms of the paddles  
         [0028]     In an alternative configuration, the linear spacing distance between the grippers  14  along the gripper chain  13  can also be greater by a factor “a” than the distance between the paddle bottoms, and the track speed of the paddle bottoms is greater, by this factor “a,” than the speed of the gripper chain  13 . In this case, the movement of the gripper chain  13  is coordinated with the rotation of the paddle wheels  08 ,  09  in such a way that the respective bottom of the paddle  11  located at the outlet of the conveyor belt arrangement  07  overlaps the crown  16  of a gripper  14 . A product, which is inserted by the conveyor belt arrangement  07  into the paddle  11 , is supported, on the one hand, at the bottom of the paddle  11  and, on the other hand, enters deeply enough into the gripper  14  so that it can be clamped in place there.  
         [0029]     The two paddle wheels  08 ,  09  are connected by a generally C-shaping segment  17  of the gripper chain  13 . This type and shape of guidance of the gripper chain  13  allows the arrangement of the paddle wheels  08 ,  09  and the folding devices  01 ,  02  supplying them vertically above each other. A portion of the lower folding device  02  is positioned in the bulge defined by the C-shaped segment  17  of the path of travel of the gripper chain  13 .  
         [0030]     The operation of the upper and lower longitudinal folding devices  01 ,  02  is synchronized in such a way that, at the upper paddle wheel  08 , every second gripper  14  of the gripper chain  13  is provided with a signature that was folded in the upper folding device  01 . The grippers  14  which remain empty are subsequently provided, at the lower paddle wheel  09 , with signatures folded in the lower folding device  02 . When leaving the lower paddle wheel  09 , the grippers  14  alternately each carry a signature from either the upper folding device  01  or from the lower folding device  02 .  
         [0031]     Downstream of the lower paddle wheel  09 , in the direction of travel of the gripper chain  13 , the gripper chain  13  passes through a first arrangement for opening the grippers  14 , which first opening arrangement is embodied in the manner of a first ejector  18 . This first ejector  18  comprises a rotatable cam disk  19 , which has three cam surfaces  22 , which are each separated by cutouts  21 . The cam disk  19 , which is coupled to the movement of the gripper chain  13 , is rotatable in such a way that of two grippers  14  passing the cam disk  19 , a first one interacts with a cam  22  and is therefore opened, while the roller  33  of a second one of the two grippers  14  engages a cutout  21  of the cam disk  19 , so that the second gripper  14  passes the first ejector  18  without being opened.  
         [0032]     In this way, every second signature conveyed by the gripper chain  13  is delivered, at the first ejector  18 , to a first conveyor belt arrangement  23  extending underneath the first ejector  18 . Depending on the phase position of the cam disk  19 , the delivered signatures can be those which were inserted in the upper paddle wheel  08  or which were inserted in the lower paddle wheel  09 .  
         [0033]     Following the first ejector  18 , a second ejector  24  has been placed along the track of the gripper chain  13  and has a stationary cam  26 . That stationary cam  26  interacts at least with the rollers  33  of the grippers  14  which had not been opened at the first ejector  18  all of the signatures reaching the second ejector  24  are there delivered to a second conveyor belt arrangement  27 .  
         [0034]     In this way it is possible, by the operation of the machine represented in  FIG. 1 , to simultaneously fold two streams of signatures and to deliver them separated from each other.  
         [0035]     If the cam disk  19  of the first ejector  18  is arrested in a position in which one of its cams  22  interacts with all of the passing grippers  14  for opening them, a stream is delivered to the first conveyor belt arrangement  23 , in which signatures folded at the folding devices  01 ,  02  alternate with each other.  
         [0036]     As an alternative to arresting the cam disk  19 , or also in addition thereto, the option can be provided of moving the cam disk  19  away from the gripper chain  13 , so that it no longer interacts with any of the passing grippers  14 . In this case, the entire stream of signatures reaches the second ejector  24  and is delivered there.  
         [0037]     The machine of the present invention can, of course, also be employed for folding a single product stream. Only one of the two folding devices  01 ,  02  is in operation.  
         [0038]     It is obvious that the above described machine concept can easily be generally applied in connection with devices in which “n”&gt;2 paddle wheels are provided for joining “n” product streams. A rotatable control cam, analogous to the one represented in  FIG. 2 , is assigned to the “n”−1 first paddle wheels, wherein the width of the cutouts in the control cam has been selected in such a way that, with a uniform rotation of the control cam, only one of “n” successive grippers meets the protrusion of the control cam and is closed. To these “n” paddle wheels, “m” ejectors have been assigned, wherein “m” preferably equals “n,” in order to deliver each of the individual product streams separately. Of these “m” ejectors, at least the “m”−1 first ones have a cam disk for the selective opening of the grippers respectively loaded with products of an identical inflow. With such a cam disk, the proportion of cams on the total circumference of the cam disk has been selected in such a way that only one of “m” grippers  14  successively passing the ejector is opened.  
         [0039]     While a preferred embodiment of a device for delivering printed products and a machine and method for processing printed products, in accordance with the present invention, has been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes in, for example, the drives for the gripper chains, the specific folding devices used, and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the appended claims.