Patent Publication Number: US-7588249-B2

Title: Signature hopper with flexible guide

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates generally to post-press devices and more specifically to hoppers for a signature feeder. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,092 discloses a sheet-jogging device having at least one sheet-jogger reciprocatingly mounted in one of the side parts of the press frame so as to be adjustable to different sheet formats. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,713 discloses a device for forming a sheet pile in a delivery of a sheet-fed printing press. The device includes jogging plates for jogging edges of the sheet. The jogging plates are disposed perpendicularly to a lateral surface of the sheet pile and are drivable so as to move in a stationary sheet guide and to a sheet stop, respectively. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,724, hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses an apparatus forming sheet material assemblages. The apparatus includes a plurality of stationary sheet material article feeders located along the conveyor assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,101, hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a flexible jogger for a signature feeder. The jogger includes a back stop disposed at a first side of a hopper of the feeder and a flexible jogging element disposed at a second side of the hopper opposite the first side. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a hopper including: 
     a pile plate; 
     a backstop; 
     a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate; and 
     a flexible guide located opposite the jogger, adjacent to the backstop. 
     The present invention also provides a method for registering signatures in a hopper including the steps of: 
     receiving a plurality of signatures at an upper opening of a hopper to define a signature stack; 
     contacting the signature stack with a jogger; and 
     registering the signature stack with a flexible guide. 
     The present invention further provides a hopper including: 
     a pile plate; 
     a backstop; 
     a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate; and 
     a toothed guide located opposite the jogger and adjacent to the backstop, a plurality of teeth of the toothed guide facing the signature stack. 
     The present invention also provides a method aiding in signature delivery including the steps of: 
     receiving a plurality of signatures at an upper opening of a hopper to define a signature stack; 
     contacting the signature stack with a jogger; and 
     aiding the plurality of signatures in the signature stack using a toothed guide. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be elucidated with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an inserter having a signature feeder; 
         FIG. 2  shows a hopper including a jogging device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a signature entering the hopper shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a jogging blade of the jogging device shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Hoppers may be used to collect and align or register printed signatures for feeding in subsequent operations. Jogging devices may be used when loading signatures into a hopper to “jog” or move the signatures into alignment. The jogging devices improve the registration of the signatures collected in the hopper. However, this jogging motion causes vibrations which can cause misfeeds or misalignment. With lightweight products, the vibrations may cause signatures to rise and non-delivery may occur. 
       FIG. 1  shows a collator such as an inserter  80  having a plurality of signature feeders  10 ,  12 . A collator may be an inserter, saddle stitcher, perfect binder or other post press collating device. Each signature feeder  10 ,  12  may be similar. Signature feeder  10  includes a hopper  20 , feed drum  30  including grippers  32 , and sucker mechanism  40 . Hopper  20  includes a hopper faceplate  23  and hopper pile plate  22 . Hopper  20  collects and aligns signatures to form a signature stack  110 , which rest on pile plate  22 . Sucker mechanism  40  may include, for example, a vacuum, and pulls a signature  100  from a bottom of signature stack  110  located in hopper  20 . Grippers  32  on feed drum  30  receive signature  100  from hopper  20  and release signature  100  into a pocket  60 . Pocket  60  travels along a conveyor  82 . As pocket  60  passes beneath signature feeder  12 , a second signature is collected in pocket  60 . 
       FIG. 2  shows hopper  20  including jogging device  50 . Jogging device  50  includes jogger  58 , backstop  56  and jogging blades  52 ,  54 . Backstop  56  is mounted on hopper pile plate  22 . Jogger  58  is located between plates  24  and  25 . Together plates  24  and  25  define hopper faceplate  23 . Jogger  58  may be mechanically driven by a hopper loader, for example. Jogging blades  52 ,  54  are mounted on backstop  56 . A bolt  152  in a slot  153  and a corresponding nut secure jogging blade  52  to backstop  56 . Likewise, a bolt  154  in a slot  155  and a corresponding nut secure jogging blade  54  to backstop  56 . The position of jogging blades  52 ,  54  may be adjusted as desired, for example, by adjusting the position of bolts  152 ,  154  in slots  153 ,  155 , respectively. In a preferred embodiment, jogging blades  52 ,  54  are aligned near corners of signature stack  110 . 
       FIG. 3  shows signature  100  entering hopper  20 . Jogger  58  vibrates in such a way to align or register a spine  102  of signature  100  with spines  112  of signature stack  110  against plates  24 ,  25 . As signature  100  enters hopper  20 , jogger  58  contacts signature  100 , moving signature  100  against backstop  56  and jogging blades  52 ,  54 . Jogging blades  52 ,  54  are deflected away from signature stack  110  in a direction x and spring back towards signature stack  110  in a direction y pushing signature  100  and signature stack  110  towards jogger  58  and hopper faceplate  23 , thereby aligning spine  102  with spines  112  against hopper faceplate  23 . 
       FIG. 4  shows jogging blade  52  including slot  153  and teeth  53 . Jogging blade  52  preferably has a free end  51 , a length l, a width w, and a thickness t. As shown in  FIG. 4 , blade  52  is raised off pile plate  22  by a space s. Space s allows blade  52  room for deflection and movement during jogging. As a function of the length l, width w, thickness t, materials and position, blade  52  can vibrate to aid in correcting-vibrational distortions caused by jogger  58  ( FIG. 3 ). Jogging blade  52  may be made of, for example, spring steel and may for example, be a bent hacksaw blade. Teeth  53 , also advantageously aid in holding down signature stack  110  as hopper  20  vibrates ( FIG. 2 ). Teeth size may be selected as well, for example, based on common signature thicknesses or weights. Furthermore, jogging blade  52  may be designed so a minimal force deflects blade  52 . While a flexible blade is preferred, it may be possible to use a coil spring or other spring type device as the flexible guide. 
     Thus, jogging device  50  may create a uniformly registered signature stack  110 . The three jogging points, jogger  58  and jogging blades  52 ,  54 , on signature stack  110  register spines  112  against hopper faceplates  24 ,  25 . Proper registration of signature stack  110  against hopper faceplate  23  may provide reliable feeding to feed drum  30  from hopper  20  ( FIG. 1 ). In addition, jogging blades  52 ,  54  may aid in jogging and delivery of lightweight signatures. 
     The term “signature”, as defined herein, can include a single sheet or multi-sheet printed product, which may also be referred to as a book, and may be stitched or unstitched. 
     A lightweight signature is defined herein as a signature printed on 30 pound stock or less. The present invention may have particular advantages with such lightweight signatures or signatures having eight pages or less. 
     In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.