Patent GB-944866-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for stacking signatures
Inventor: FAEBER HARRY WILLIAM
IPC: B65H29/00
Filed: 1962-05-15
Abstract: 944,866. Delivering signatures. TIME Inc. May 15, 1962, No. 18665/62. Division B6H. A stream of overlapping signatures is fed by a conveyer system to a stacking receptacle containing a vertically moving signature support. The stream is interrupted at predetermined intervals to form sets each containing enough to form one stack. The formed stack is transferred from the support to a discharge device. Three embodiments including their electric and pneumatic control systems are described in great detail. First embodiment (Figs. 1-16). General arrangement (Figs. 1A, 1B and 1C).- The feed direction is from right to left through Figs. 1A, 1B and 1C in that order. The stream 13 of overlapping signatures is carried between endless conveyers 11, 12 through an interrupter 14 and then past a series of spaced contacts IPS &c. These contacts are so actuated by the presence or absence of the signatures to operate the interrupter to create gaps in the stream. The interrupter comprises clamping bars 36, 38 which when operated by a pressure cylinder 33, grip the signatures and lift them off conveyer 12, the cylinder also lifting the upper conveyer 11 clear of the stopped part of the stream. The downstream part of the stream carries on to create a gap and then the interrupter is released. By a selector switch 21, various contacts IPS &c. can be selected to alter the number of signatures formed between consecutive gaps. Conveyers 11, 12 terminate in a switch 15 directing the stream to one or other of conveyers 22, 22b. The switch is actuated by a pressure cylinder 53 controlled by contacts 2PS, 02PS detecting signatures on conveyers 22, 22b. When contact 2PS detects a gap on conveyer 22, the switch diverts the next batch to conveyer 22b; then when contact 02PS detects the next gap, the switch is returned. Thus alternate batches are fed to the conveyers 22, 22b. Signatures on these conveyers are aligned by vibrated side jogging-plates 20, 20<SP>1</SP>. Conveyers 22, 22b discharge the signatures into respective jogging receptacles 16, 17 in which they rest on supports 19, 19<SP>1</SP> which are lowered step by step by a pressure cylinder 118 as the receptacle fills under the control of a switch ILS actuated by the height of the stack. When, say, the stack in receptacle 16 is complete, the support 19 is lowered rapidly to transfer the stack on to transfer member 26. The member 26 is then moved laterally by a cylinder to transfer the stack to a position above discharge conveyer 27 ; a lifter 28 is raised by cylinder 146 to lift the stack off member 26<SP>1</SP> which is then retracted; then lifter 28 is lowered to deposit the stack on the discharge conveyer 27; and finally the support 19 is raised again to receive another stack. While receptacle 16 discharges, receptacle 17 is being filled and vice versa. Prevenging sag of entering sheets.-A sheet guide plate 81, Fig. 1C, at the entry to the receptacle 16 is curved upwards at its side edges 82 to impart a transverse concavity to the signature as it is shot into the receptacle. Jogging receptacles (Fig. 7).-The receptacle has side and front walls made up of vertical strips 88, 88a and 88b vibrated through appropriate linkages from a driven cam 99. The rear wall is formed by spaced, vertical, stationary strips 87. Protruding through the upper part of the rear wall are fingers 83 which are driven to describe a clockwise, elliptical path in vertical planes so that they engage the top of a signature as it is fed and pull it downwards and rearwards into abutment with the rear wall. The support 19, Fig. 9, includes horizontal fingers 25 which extend into the receptacle between the strips 87 forming the rear wall. Transfer mechanism.-The transfer member 26 has horizontal spaced fingers 24 between which the fingers 25 of the support 19 can pass to leave the stack on the fingers 25. The discharge conveyer 27 comprises spaced belts. The lifter 28 has a two dimensional array of vertical rods 147 which, when the lifter rises, pass between the spaced conveyer belts and the spaced fingers 24 of the transfer member. Feed conveyers.-The conveyers 11, 12, 22, 22b comprise series of spaced parallel endless cords between which the interrupter 14 and the contacts IPS &c. can operate. Second embodiment (Figs. 17A-25). The feed direction is generally from right to left through Figs. 17A, 17B and 17C in that order. Only one receptacle 214 is provided instead of two in the first embodiment. Signatures 200 are fed by conveyers 201, 202 to interrupter 14 which actuated at intervals by pressure cylinder 33<SP>1</SP> under the control of cams 203 driven in synchronism with the conveyers to create gaps in the stream to form batches. By selecting the appropriate cam 203, the desired size of batch can be obtained. These batches are carried in sequence by conveyer 212 past side jogger 20 to the receptacle 214 the front and side walls of which are vibrated and which has rotary flexible fingers 232 to draw the signatures downwards and rearwards against the rear wall. The first few signatures collect on an intermediate support 236 comprising spaced horizontal fingers and which can be reciprocated horizontal and vertically by cylinders 246, 253 respectively. At first the support 236 is lowered step by step slowly and then quickly to pass between the horizontal fingers of the main support 256 to leave the first few signatures resting thereon. Support 236 is then retracted to the right and raised and support is gradually lowered as the signatures build up thereon. When the batch has been stacked, the support 256 is rapidly lowered to leave the stack on transfer member 26 and support 236 is moved to the left to intercept the first few signatures of the next batch. After member 26 has transferred the stack to the discharge conveyer 27 and retracted, main support 256 is raised rapidly to its start position. Should the signatures jam up in the receptacle, they actuate a switch ISW which stops the feed conveyer 212 and moves a switch 15, Fig. 17B, to divert signatures from conveyer 202 to a discharge conveyer 213. When the jam has been cleared, the switch 15 is reset and conveyer 212 is started again. Third embodiment (Figs. 26A-28B).-The main flow is from right to left in Figs. 26A and 26B in that order. The signature stream 300 is fed past interrupter 301 and switch 302 to conveyer 350. If a jam (in the stacking receptacle or elsewhere) should occur or a " BAD PRODUCT " switch be operated, the interrupter 301 is actuated to cause a gap, the conveyer 350 is stopped, the switch 302 is actuated and the interrupter 301 is restored to inoperative position. Thus the incoming signatures are fed to a bad-product collector board 346. Normally, however, conveyer 350 feeds the signatures between rollers 351, 352 which improve the fold, past side jogger-plates 305 and interrupter 306 which creates the spaced batches of desired size, and under an air blast 354 which removes static charge and tends to free the overlapped signatures from each other. Rotated wheels 355 project the signatures into the jogging receptacle 308 which is similar to that of the second embodiment. The main support 310 however is designed to deposit the stack directly on the discharge conveyer 311 by passing therethrough. The discharge conveyer is indexed forward while the main support is in its lowest position. The interrupters 301, 306 are constructed as shown in Fig. 27. Specification 936,269 is referred to.