Patent Publication Number: US-7591466-B2

Title: Device for transferring print products, conveyed while suspended from spaced-apart clamps on a circulating conveying element

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No. 06405113.9-2314, filed on Mar. 14, 2006, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a device for transferring print products, conveyed along a conveying path while suspended transverse to the conveying direction from spaced-apart clamps on a circulating conveying element, to a conveyor that is driven synchronously below the conveying element, in the same direction, and is provided at regular intervals with grippers. The invention furthermore relates to a guide arrangement for accompanying the print products along a transfer segment, as well as to activation devices for opening the clamps and closing the grippers. 
     Reference EP 0 380 921 A2 discloses a device for taking over printed sheets that are conveyed in a first direction while suspended from a first conveying system, and for transferring these printed sheets to a second conveying system, which individually takes over the sheets and conveys these in a second direction. To ensure an uninterrupted takeover and transfer of the printed sheets, a wheel is provided between the conveying systems. The wheel is embodied with compartments that can be opened and closed for accommodating the printed sheets, wherein the printed sheets are transferred to the second conveying system only after being turned. 
     The company Druck-und Verlag, Neu-Isenburg, Germany, has been producing print products such as newspapers, magazines and the like since 1989, using an inserting machine, model number EM 40, sold by the Müller Martini Group. In the EM 40 machine, a delivery conveyor is used to remove the print products from the operation. For stabilizing and positioning the flat print products, which are held suspended inside the delivery conveyor, guide elements, that move along in conveying direction, are introduced into the conveying flow, during a specified segment of the conveying path, so that the print products are guided along this segment by the aforementioned guide elements in such a way that they occupy a defined, stable position at one location. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a different solution for the defined problem of obtaining a stable positioning of the print products that are conveyed in a flow, so that the latter can be transferred with the aid of a circulating conveying element to grippers mounted on a conveyor. 
     The above and other objects are accomplished wherein, according to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a device for transferring print products conveyed along a conveying path in a conveying direction, comprising: a circulating conveying element including spaced apart clamps to suspend the print products transverse to the conveying direction; a conveyor driven to move approximately in the same direction and synchronously below the conveying element, the conveyor including grippers spaced at regular intervals; a guide arrangement disposed along a transfer segment in which the print products are transferred from the circulating conveying element to the conveyor, the guide arrangement accompanying the print products along the transfer segment and including spiral rotors having spiral sections which respectively extend from opposite sides into spaces between the print products resulting from the spacing of the clamps on the conveying element, wherein the spiral sections are effective in the conveying direction to stably position the print products; and activation devices operatively arranged to open the clamps and close the grippers to effect the transfer in the transfer segment of a respective one of the print products from one of the clamps on the circulating conveying element to one of the grippers on the conveyor. 
     Thus according to the invention, the guide arrangement utilizes spiral sections of a spiral-type rotor, wherein these sections are effective in the conveying direction, respectively extending from the side into the spaces between print products that are formed by the spacing of the clamps on the conveying element. With the aid of this structural measure, a precise and careful transfer of the print products can be realized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a view from the side of the device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts the device shown in  FIG. 1  in a different processing position; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a view of the device shown in  FIG. 1  along directional arrow F; and 
         FIG. 4  depicts a view of the guide arrangement shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3  from the side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a device  1  for transferring print products  4 , conveyed along a conveying path while suspended transverse to the conveying direction F from spaced-apart clamps  2  on a circulating conveying element  3 . A conveyor  5 , located underneath the conveying element  3 , moving at approximately the same speed in a transfer segment  7 , is provided at regular intervals with grippers  6  for taking over the print products  4  from the clamps  2 . The transfer segment  7  is formed by a guide arrangement  8 , discussed below, which moves the conveyed print products  4  to a position for transfer, before they are transferred from the clamps  2  to the grippers  6 , and maintains these products in a stable position. In a feed-in area  9  of transfer segment  7 , the conveying element  3  and the conveyor  5  move along an upwardly slanted path, from an approximately horizontal path, as seen in conveying direction F, such that the conveying element  3  and the conveyor  5  move continuously toward each other. The conveying element  3  and the conveyor  5 , respectively, traverse a curved track towards a discharge region  10  of transfer segment  7 . In the discharge region  10 , the conveyor  5  continues to move approximately in the horizontal direction, whereas the conveying element  3  in the discharge region  10  may move in the horizontal or upward direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the guide arrangement  8  is arranged on both sides of the flow of the conveying print products  4  and is located in the upward sloping portion of transfer segment  7 . The guide arrangement  8 , see  FIG. 3 , comprises two spiral-type rotors  12 ,  13  each having a plurality of spiral sections  11  that are supported by a shaft  14 . The spiral-type rotors are arranged on both sides of the print products  4 , being conveyed on conveying element  3 , and are effective in conveying direction F and extend into the spaces between the print products  4 , formed by the spaces between two clamps  2 . The first spiral section  11  of a rotor  12 ,  13 , as determined by the conveying direction, extends into a space, formed in the conveyed flow by two clamps  2 , behind one print product  4  held by a clamp  2  of the conveying element  3 . As the spiral-type rotors  12 ,  13  rotate, the first spiral section is subsequently accompanied by the remaining spiral sections, so as to finally support the print products  4  in a defined transfer position. Once a transfer position is reached, the print product  4  is gripped for the transfer by the assigned gripper  6  of the conveyor  5  and is released immediately thereafter by the clamp  2  of the conveying element  3 . As seen in conveying direction F of the print products  4 , the spiral-type rotors  12 ,  13  rotate in opposite directions, see P and P′ in  FIG. 3 , so that their exposed back ends extend into a clearance space between two print products  4 . The shaft  14  forms the upward-sloping axis of rotation for the spiral-type rotors  12 ,  13 , as seen in the conveying direction F. 
     In  FIG. 4 , with increasing length and accompanying distance, the spiral sections  11  of the rotors  12 ,  13  are tapered in the shape of a truncated cone. In the same way, the pitch for the spiral sections  11  decreases in the conveying direction F of the print products  4 . The spiral sections  11  of the rotors  12 ,  13  can be formed from spring steel, spring wire, or plastic. The spacing between the rotors may also be adjusted. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  also illustrate a driving arrangement  15 , consisting of a geared motor  16 , which is connected via a toothed belt gearing  17  to the shaft  14 . The driving arrangement  15  and the rotor  12 ,  13  are mounted on a frame  18  of the device  1 . Activation devices  19 ,  20  are provided for operating the clamps  2  on the conveying element  3  and the grippers  6  on the conveyor  5 , wherein the conveying element  3  and the conveyor  5  must move with coordinated speeds, at least along the transfer segment  7 , so that the grippers  6  can be closed and the clamps  2  of the conveying element  3  can be opened with the aid of the activation devices  20 ,  19 . For the transfer of print products  4  with differing format sizes, e.g. with differently long legs, the upward sloping guide section on the transfer segment  7  is designed to be displaceable, so that differently dimensioned print products  4  can be transferred from the conveying element  3  to the conveyor  5  by adjusting this guide section. A form-locking guide  21  is arranged for this on the transfer segment  7  of the conveyor  5  so that it can be displaced.  FIG. 1  shows this guide  21  in a position where it is adjusted for print products  4  having longer legs than those shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  shows an extended-out piston-cylinder unit  22 , by which the guide  21  is displaced to the left in the transfer segment  7 , so that the distance between conveying element  3  and conveyor  5  is shorter in the transfer segment  7  than in  FIG. 1 . Typically, the conveyor  5  operates at a faster speed than the conveying element  3  because the clamps  2  on the conveying element  3  are spaced closer together than the grippers  6  of the conveyor  5 . 
     The invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred 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.