Abstract:
An aligning unit ( 8 ) for sheet like material ( 1 ), such sheet-like material being aligned by rotation elements ( 25 ), ( 34 ) with respect to the conveying direction ( 22 ) through a machine processing such sheet-like material ( 1 ) before the passage to a conveying plane ( 9 ). The sheet-like material ( 1 ) is contacted, on at least one side, by the rotation elements ( 25 ), ( 34 ). The rotation elements include segmented rollers respectively having a roller core ( 38 ), and a ring-shaped coating ( 35 ). The area of contact ( 36 ), ( 44 ) between the sheet-like material ( 1 ) and the segmented rollers ( 25 ) is minimized.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a device for improving the alignment accuracy in the case of a sheet-like material which, before further processing is aligned in a conveying plane positionally precisely with respect to its twisted position and its oblique position with respect to the machine direction. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,273, issued Jun. 21, 1994 in the name of Rapkin, et al., is directed to a sheet aligning device. This device for aligning a sheet moving along an essentially plane conveying path makes possible the alignment of a moving sheet in a number of orthogonal directions, for example transverse to the conveying path and in the direction of the conveying path, and for eliminating inclined positions. 
     The device has a first roller arrangement with a first backup roller, which is mounted so that it can turn around an axis, which lies in a plane extending parallel to the plane of the conveying path, and passes essentially at a right angle to the direction of sheet transport along the conveying path. A second roller arrangement has a second backup roller, which is mounted so that it can turn around an axis which lies in a plane extending parallel to the plane of the conveying path and passes essentially at a right angle to the direction of the sheet transport along the transport path. A third roller arrangement is provided which has a third backup roller, which is mounted so that it can turn around an axis, which lies in a plane extending parallel to the plane of the conveying path, and essentially at a right angle to the direction of the sheet transport along the conveying path. A third roller arrangement, which is capable of turning around an axis which lies in a plane extending parallel to the direction of sheet transport, is movable along its rotational axis in a direction passing transverse to the conveying path. 
     Finally, a control device is provided which is in an operating connection with the first, respectively second, respectively third arrangement, and optionally controls the rotation of the first and second roller arrangement, in order to align the leading edge of a sheet moving in a position located at a right angle to the direction of sheet transport along the conveying path. Further, the control direction controls the rotation and transverse motion of the third roller arrangement, in order to align the sheet moving in the direction passing transverse to the direction of the sheet transport as well as the direction in which the sheet moves along the conveying path. 
     The sheet alignment device known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,273 made it possible to satisfy the required alignment accuracy only to a limited degree. In order to achieve the required alignment accuracy, a comprehensive modification to the currently known sheet alignment device is necessary, which does not appear to be economical. 
     In the case of sheet-processing printing presses functioning according to the offset principle, the sheets are conveyed to the feed table in a overlapping arrangement, before they are aligned to side and pull guides provided in the level of the feed table. After successful alignment of the sheet-like material the latter is transferred to a preliminary gripper in the aligned condition, which accelerates the sheet-like material to machine speed and transfers it to a curved cylinder placed after the preliminary gripping device. Other alignment concepts for the most part use a cylindrical roller which has a rubber coating applied to the roller core. If an alignment of sheet-like material during the advance thereof is made by changing the speed between a left and right roller gripping the sheet-like material with such a configuration, the sheet-like material experiences a rotation around a turning point, which is located on the stationary roller, or during the advance is located outside the roller with the lower speed or between the two rollers. The actual point of contact between the sheet-like material and the roller is not defined; it is known only that it is located within the roller width. This uncertainty has an effect on the quality of the alignment result. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to considerably improve the alignment accuracy of sheet-like material during the advance thereof in the direction of sheet travel. 
     According to the invention this object is achieved by the features of Patent claim  1 . 
     The advantages attainable with the solution according to the invention are to be seen above all in the fact that the smallest possible contact surface is created between upper side of the sheet-like material to be aligned and the contact surface of the alignment element because of the geometrical shape of roller core surfaces, respectively elastic coatings applied thereto, such as, for example, rubber coatings. Thus the point of contact between printing material and roller is known or at least defined essentially more accurately as compared with the solutions known from the prior art, so that the quality of the alignment can be improved considerably. The more dimensionally stable the elastic material used for alignment can be made, the smaller the contact surface, which in each case is in contact with the surface of the sheet-like material, can be made. 
     In an advantageous embodiment of the concept underlying the invention, the aligning elements can be made as rollers, that is, as rotation-symmetrical bodies, which include a roller core as well as a ring-shaped coating material applied thereto. Thus, for example, the roller core can be made out of an inexpensive material, compared with the ring-shaped coating material applied thereto, further in this way it is possible to make the roller core more easily and the shape of the ring-shaped coating specifically. 
     In one embodiment, the ring-shaped coating on the peripheral surface of the roller core can be applied as a liquid under pressure. In this embodiment the ring surface can be made, for example as an endless ring, which can be secured simply on the peripheral surface of the roller core. The coating also can be glued or cast onto the surface of the roller. 
     In a second embodiment, the ring-shaped coating on the peripheral surface of the roller core can be applied positively, for example with a shrink fit, to lock to the roller core. Preferably the annularly configured coating is made in one piece, so that no interruptions, but a continuous surface, can be made on the circumference of the roller core. The annular coating can be provided, for example, with a trapezoidal cross-section, which is distinguished in particular by a narrow and sharp-edged contact area between gently tapering edges for the upper side of the sheet-like material. The more point-like, the contact can be made, the more exactly can alignment results be achieved with the solution according to the invention. 
     If ring-like coatings are applied to the peripheral surfaces of the roller core, recesses for holding of these support elements can be included in the surfaces of the roller cores. The contact elements aligning the sheet-like material can be made in the surfaces of the roller cores as annular longitudinal grooves, thus ensuring support of the support elements to be introduced into this recess on the lateral surfaces thereof. 
     In order to eliminate the danger of damage to the contact areas between sheet-like material and the alignment elements, the latter are configured as narrow rings or as trapezoidal surfaces, and can be made as an elastic flexible material. 
     In a preferred use of the solution proposed according to the invention, in order to improve the alignment accuracy the latter can be placed in an aligning unit which can be located in front of a press, for example a sheet-processing printing press. The solution according to the invention can be used in aligning units which also can be used on digitally operating rotary printing presses, since the printing material processed there, be it films, cardboard, paper, or the like, also needs alignment before it is printed or, in a given case, processed in a digitally operating machine. 
     The invention, and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in greater detail below by reference in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a position deviation of a printed image which occurs relative to the printing material surface receiving the image; 
     FIG. 2 shows an offset of the printing image on the sheet-like material, characterized by a rotational offset; 
     FIG. 3 shows an offset of the printing image printed on the underside of a sheet-like material in first and perfecting form; 
     FIG. 4 shows the side view of a sheet intake area of a sheet-processing machine in a schematic representation; 
     FIG. 5 shows the top view of the alignment components, the sensors, as well as the drive for the sheet-like material relative to the sheet direction of aligning rotation elements;. 
     FIG. 6 shows the rotation elements made over the conveying plane of the sheet-like material as segmented rollers; 
     FIG. 7 shows the alignment of a sheet-like material with the drives of the segmented rollers performing the alignment; and 
     FIGS. 8 a - 8   c  shows the configuration of the segmented rollers aligning the sheet-like material proposed according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A rectangular oriented sheet-like material, for example a printing sheet  1 , follows from the representation given in FIG.  1 . The printing sheet  1  contains on its surface a printed image  2 , which is surrounded by a frame-like edge  3 . The deviations of Δx, respectively Δy, marked within the printing surface  2  and the frame  3 , designating the position errors in the x and y directions  4 , respectively  5 , can appear at the time of printing the image  2  onto the surface of the sheet  1 . The deviations, designated with reference plumbers  4 , respectively  5 , are position deviations, whereas in the representation shown in FIG. 2, angular deviations of the printed image  2  are shown with respect to their position on the printing sheet  1 . 
     The angular errors Δφ and Δφ which occur are designated with reference numbers  6  in the representation shown in FIG.  2 . The printing image  2  can be printed in the indicated position onto the surface of the printing material, the latter being conveyed in the direction of feed  22  with its leading edge  23 . 
     The representation given in FIG. 3 in a schematic view shows the turning register, the offsets which occur in each case between the printed images  2  on the front and back side of the sheet-like material  1 , being indicated with reference numbers  7 . These are designated in the representation shown in FIG. 3 with reference numbers  7 , respectively with Δx and Δy. The turning register plays a role, in particular in the case of transparent types of paper as well as in brochure printing. 
     The interface of sheet alignment and feeding onto a conveyor belt in a schematically presented side view follow from FIG.  4 . 
     An aligning unit  8  is connected in front of a conveyor belt  10 , onto the surface of which the sheet-like material  1  is applied in the conveying plane  9 . The belt  10  revolves around a roller  11  and a control roller  12 . After passing through the aligning unit  8 , which is described in greater detail below, the aligned sheet-like material  1  reaches the surface of the conveyor belt  10  in the conveying plane  9 . After passing the roller  1 , the sheet-like material  1  is acted upon by an adjusting flap or adjusting lip, which is movable in the adjusting direction  13 . The adjusting lip or adjusting flap can be a plastic component, which can be brought from one adjusted position  13 . 1  into an adjusted position  13 . 2 , which is shown here only schematically in solid or dashed lines. By the adjusting flap or adjusting lip the sheet-like material  1  is pressed onto the surface of the conveyor belt  10  in the aligned condition of the sheet-like material  1 . After passage of the pressing element, the sheet held on the surface of the conveyor belt  10  passes a charging unit  14 . An electrode  15 , which gives the sheet-like material  1  a static charge and thus provides for its adhesion to the surface of the conveyor belt, is held in this charging unit  14  within a hood-like cover. 
     The aligning unit  8 , the components of which are shown in FIG. 5 is a schematic representation, and follows from the top view of FIG.  4 . The aligning unit  8  is reached by the sheet-like material  1 , which is conveyed in the conveying direction  22 . The leading edge  23  of the sheet-like material  1  is offset in relation to the conveying direction  22  of the sheet-like material  1 , which results in an oblique course of the side edges  24  of the sheet-like material  1 . As soon as the leading edge  23  of the sheet lying in oblique position with respect to the conveying direction  22  passes over a first light barrier  26 , the drives  27 , designated as M 1 , M 2 , which drive rotation elements  25  over individual axes  32 , are accelerated to advance speed. By the control of the drives  27 , M 1 , or M 2 , released via the light barrier  26 , it is assured that each copy of the sheet-like material  1  comes into contact with identical circumferential steps of the rotation elements  25 , which can be made, for example, as segmented rollers. Any differences occurring in the advance motion, which could be attributed to dimension and shape tolerances of the two rotation elements  25 , in this way appear in the case of each copy of the sheet-like material  1  and can be easily calibrated. 
     After the two rotation elements  25  are set into rotation by passing the first light barrier  26 , the sheet-like material  1  is transported over a further sensor unit  30 . 1  (FIG. 7) located after the first light barrier  26 . As soon as the first of the two sensors of the sensor pair  30 . 1  has detected the leading edge  23  of the sheet-like material  1 , a counting unit begins to count the motor steps. The counting process ends, and the difference is determined, when the second sensor of the sensor pair  30 . 1  switches on. 
     From the counter state determined in this way a contact value is determined which is given as an additional advance to the last started segmented roller drive; that is, either the drive  27 , which is designated as M 1 , or the drive  27 , which is designated as M 2 . In this way the rotation body  25 , made correspondingly as a segmented roller, is moved with increased advance speed, until the predetermined path difference is completely compensated. At the end of this correction process the leading edge  23  of the sheer is oriented exactly perpendicular to the conveying direction  22 . 
     After successful correction the sheet-like material  1  is transferred in the conveying direction  22  passing from the first pair of segmented rollers  25  to the following pair of bodies of rotation  25 , which can be held on a common axis  31 . Now the segmented roller pair  25  driven via drive  27 , respectively M 1  and M 2 , can be disengaged and a resting position is achieved. 
     The sheet-like material  1  now correctly aligned with respect to its angular position now passes onto a sensor field  30 , in which the position of the side edges  24  of the sheet-like material  1  is measured. From the measured value determined a position change for the drive  27  is determined, which is designated as M 4 , the drive shaft of which extends parallel to the sheet travel direction  22 . A correction of the position of the sheet-like material  1  parallel to its conveying direction  22  (see FIG. 7) by this drive  27  held in a second orientation  29 . 
     The sheet-like material  1  oriented in its angular position and its lateral position passes under an adjusting flap or adjusting lip element set in a position  13 . 1  or  13 . 2  on the conveyor belt  10 , in order to pass into the next printing unit in correctly oriented position. An embodiment of rotation element  25  located above the conveying plane  9 , held in the aligning unit  8 , follows from the representation according to FIG.  6 . The rotation elements  25  can be made in preferred embodiment as segmented rollers, which have a peripheral surface  33  characterized by an interruption. The segmented rollers  25  rotate in the direction  34 , characterized by the arrow shown and describe approximately a ¾ circle with respect to its rotation axis. A roller supporting the sheet-like material  1  is shown under the respective segmented roller  25 . This can be in one part or also consist of a roller core  38 , or a coating  35 ,  37 , see FIG.  8 . 
     The bodies of rotation serving as segmented rollers  25  are shown in a resting position in the left-hand part of FIG. 6, while in the right-hand part of FIG. 6 they grip a copy of the sheet-like material  1  conveyed in the conveying direction  22  with its peripheral surface  33  and transport it corresponding to the direction of rotation  34  in the sheet travel direction  22 . FIG. 5 shows the correction of the angular position of the sheet-like material  1  during the passage through the aligning unit  8 . In the position of the sheet-like material  1  shown in FIG. 7, the leading edge thereof  23  just reaches the last sensor of the sensor pair  30 . 1 , so that now the drive  27  of the segmented roller  25  designated as M 1  can be accelerated, in order to compensate the angular position of the sheet-like material  1  with respect to the conveying direction  22 . It should be mentioned that, as opposed to the drives M 3  and M 4 , which are connected with one another via a continuous drive shaft  31 , the segmented rollers  25 , which are connected with drives M 1  and M 2 , in each case are driven via individual shafts  32 . After correction of the angular position of the sheet-like material  1  by controls of the respective drive  27  (M 1  and M 2 ) of the segmented rollers  25  with different speeds, the sheet-like material  1  experiences a correction of its lateral position. After the measurement of the position of the side edges  30  of the sheet-like material  1  by the sensors  31 , the sheet-like material  1  now is oriented correctly parallel to the conveying direction  22 , by moving the sheet like material  1  into its conveying plane before reaching the adjusting element and.before passing onto the conveyor belt  10  via the drive M 4 . The advance of the sheet-like material  1  is ensured via a common shaft  31 , with drive M 3 , oriented in the first orientation  28  with a correctly aligned leading edge  23 , while the latter is oriented in its later position via the drive  27 , designated as M 4 , held in a second orientation  29 . 
     The configuration of the segmented rollers, which can be made in two parts according than embodiment shown, follows from FIG.  8 . The aligning elements made as segmented rollers  25  can be provided with a coating  35 . A ring-like coating  35  with cylindrical contact surface  45  is shown in the embodiment according to FIG. 8 a.    
     On the other hand, the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 b  has a roller core  38 , onto the peripheral surface of which a trapezoidal coating  37  is mounted. The trapezoidal coating  37  can consist of rubber or of another elastic material and be applied in a self-locking form on the surface of the roller core  38  or also be cast on the latter. It can be simply glued or shrunk as an endless ring on the circumference. In order to increase the dimensional stability, the edges  39  of the trapezoidal coating  37  are made as attachments with a shallow inclination toward a contact area  36 . 
     A bar-like contact area  36  extending in the peripheral direction of the trapezoidal coating  37  is made between the two edges  39 . The point of contact between one side of the sheet-like material  1  and the surface of the contact area  36  can be held very small and defined very exactly by the narrow contact area, by which a sheet-like material  1  in each case to be aligned by the contact areas  36 , since the turning point, around which the alignment is made, now is defined. 
     In the case of aligning elements with smooth cylinder surfaces of  35 , the actual turning point of the sheet-like material is not known, the latter is found over the width of the roller core at the point on the contact surface  45 , not defined more closely. As an alternative to a coating carrier made in ring-shape, which can also be applied onto the peripheral surface of a roller core  38 , a coating element also can be held interlocking on the roller core  38 . According to FIG. 8 c , a ring-shaped recess  41  in the form of a longitudinal groove can be made on the peripheral surface of a roller core  38 . The longitudinal groove is made out of a groove base  42  extending in each case in ring shape on the roller core  38  and bounded by two groove edges also extending in ring shape on the roller core  38 . A rubber filling  40  or a ring-shaped, trapezoidal, rectangular, lozenge-shaped, or a cylindrically configured aligning element can be held in a recess on the circumference of the roller core  38  configured in this way. The walls  42  of the recess  41  supporting the side edges of an aligning element  40  configured in this way permit a high dimensional stability with the smallest possible width of the bearing surface  45  of the aligning element. This assures that in the case of the motions of the sheet-like material  1  and the aligning element  25  which occur, the contact surface  45  is not pushed out of the recess  41  during the lateral alignment of the sheet-like material. For this it is sufficient that according to the embodiment in FIG. 8 c , the contact surface  45  projects by only a few tenths of a millimeter over the surface  46  of the roller core  38 . By gripping the sheet-like material  1 , the alignment elements  40  are slightly compressed, resulting in a smooth, continuous surface with the adjacent surface  46  of the roller core  38 . The friction value which appears between the sheet-like material  1  and the surface of the aligning element  25  can be influenced by the choice of material for the aligning element, which is introduced into the recess  41  of the segmented roller core  38 . The friction value on the underside must be less than the friction value which occurs between the upper side of the sheet-like material  1  and the peripheral surfaces  33  of the segmented rollers  25 , so that an alignment relative to the counter-pressure elements supporting the sheet-like material  1  can take place by means of the segmented rollers. 
     Instead of an aligning element to be introduced into the surface of the roller core  38  itself also can be configured correspondingly, so that on the outermost end thereof there is a contact surface touching the upper side of the sheet-like material  1  linearly, which is causal for an exact alignment result. 
     The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     REFERENCE NUMBER LIST 
       1  sheet-like material 
       2  printing image 
       3  frame 
       4  position error y-direction 
       5  position error x-direction 
       6  twisting error 
       7  front side/rear side offset 
       8  aligning unit 
       9  conveying plane 
       10  conveyor belt 
       11  backup roller 
       12  control roller 
       13  adjusting element movement direction 
       13 . 1   1   st  position 
       13 . 2   2   nd  position 
       14  charging unit 
       15  electrode 
       16  support 
       17  leading edge sensor 
       18  radiation source 
       19  lens 
       20  radiation field 
       21  receiver 
       22  machine direction 
       23  leading edge 
       24  side edge 
       25  segmented roller 
       26  light barrier 
       27  segmented roller drive 
       28 . 1  drive orientation 
       28 . 2  drive orientation 
       30  sensor field 
       30 . 1  sensor pair 
       31  common shaft 
       32  individual shaft 
       33  segmented roller circumference 
       34  counter-pressure element 
       35  ring-shaped coating 
       36  contact area 
       37  trapezoidal coating 
       38  roller core 
       39  sides 
       40  rubber filling 
       41  groove 
       42  groove bottom 
       43  groove edges 
       44  bearing surface wideth 
       45  surface—roller core contact surface