Patent Publication Number: US-6669193-B2

Title: Device for aligning papers flowing in a stream

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device known as a stream adjuster. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the printing industry, shingling of streams of paper is one of the basic processes utilized in web printing. Shingling originally started out as a means to handle increased production speeds. A single file stream spaced by copies width typically travels at a surface speed which can be six times higher than shingled copies with a 2″ shingle pitch. As the years have passed, many additional pieces of equipment such as folders, trimmers, and stackers have assumed that the incoming stream of copies to be processed would be shingled. One of the well known methods of shingling is know as the fly shingling apparatus which is relying on precise mechanical timing such that it contributes to lower products which can be as low as 50% of the design speed of the web press which it serves. 
     One of the problems associated with high speed operation of many of these devices is that if the incoming stream of product is not precisely aligned, and spaced, problems will occur. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a steam adjuster which can handle misaligned product. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for adjusting paper copies comprising an input conveyor, a singulating device having a vertically moving gate member, a first abutting surface formed on the movable gate member, a second fixed abutting surface formed rearwardly of the movable gate member, means for moving the gate member vertically in a reciprocal manner; and an output conveyor to receive copies from the singulating device. 
     The stream adjuster of the present invention permits the straightening and shingling of misaligned copies and can be used as a portion of an integrator machine wherein two sets of stream adjusters can process two incoming streams of copies from two individual conveyors in order to integrate them into one stream. The stream adjusters can be perfectly timed to work together so that both streams of books which meet together at one point accurately overlap one another. 
     The stream adjuster of the present invention can also be incorporated in other copy handling apparatuses and such machines are well known in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated and having regard to the following drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a stream adjuster according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of a misaligned product as it may be presented to the stream adjuster of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the product of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the product after passing through the stream adjuster of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the stream adjuster of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a side sectional view taken along the lines  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing the entry of a sheet of product for alignment; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a portion of the stream adjuster; 
     FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view thereof; 
     FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a portion of the stream adjuster showing the pusher in an upper position; and 
     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing the pusher in a lower position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters thereto, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a portion of a stream adjuster apparatus according to the present invention and which is generally designated by reference numeral  10 . 
     Stream adjuster  10  has a pair of housing side walls  12  and  14  intermediate of which there are provided a pair of plates  15 . A motor  25  (FIG. 7) has a motor shaft  16 . Mounted on shaft  16  is a pulley  18 . 
     Extending between housing side walls  12 ,  14  and through plates  15  is a shaft  20  suitably mounted within bearings  22 . 
     Mounted on shaft  20  are a plurality of pulleys; a first relatively large diameter pulley  26  is mounted adjacent side wall  14  while mounted inwardly therefrom is a smaller diameter pulley  24 . 
     Three pulleys  28  are mounted intermediate plates  15  for reasons which will become evident hereinbelow. 
     A cross member  30  extends between housing side walls  12 ,  14  and includes flanges or ears  31  extending outwardly therefrom. Extending between flanges  31  is a shaft  32  suitably mounted in bearings  34 . Mounted on shaft  32  is a pulley  36 . 
     A drive belt  38  extends between pulley  18  mounted on motor shaft  16  and pulley  24  mounted on shaft  20  to thereby rotatably drive shaft  20 . A second drive belt  40  extends between pulley  26  on shaft  20  and pulley  36  on shaft  32  to thereby rotatably drive shaft  32 . A plurality of eagle belts  42  extending about pulleys  28  and are further supported by pulleys  44  on a shaft  46  as will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. 
     As may be best seen in FIG. 7, there is provided an input assembly generally designated by reference numeral  50  which serves to nip the input product to eagle belts  42 . To this end, there are provided a pair of rider wheels  52  and  54  connected by a belt  56 . An air cylinder  58  allows for adjustment thereof. There is a similar assembly on the other side. 
     As may be best seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, there is provided a singulating unit which is generally designated by reference numeral  64 . Singulating unit  64  includes a fixed member  66  having a lower surface functioning as a guide  68 . 
     There is provided a moveable gate  72  which is mounted in bearing  74 . Gate  72  is driven by means of a shaft  76  connected to cam  78  which is mounted on shaft  32 . At the bottom of gate  72 , there are provided center wheels  82  which are small ball bearing wheels located in the main body of gate  72 . As may be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, there is provided a first abutting surface  84  formed on gate  72  while rearwardly thereof there is a second abutting surface  86 . 
     Mounted rearwardly of gate  72  are three guide wheels  90  which are fixed and mounted to depress eagle belts  42  preferably ⅞ of an inch. 
     There is also provided an output assembly  94  similar to input assembly  50 . Thus, there are provided first and second rider wheels  96  and  98  interconnected by a belt  100  while an air cylinder  102  is provided to permit adjustment. 
     In operation, a stream of product is fed into the stream adjuster  10 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the product P may be misaligned and separated by varying amounts as shown by reference characters X, Y and Z. After passing through the stream adjuster  10  of the present invention, there are shingled with uniform spacing as indicated by reference character X. 
     At input assembly  50 , the product P is nipped securely to the eagle belts  42  and this provides immediate traction. Thus, the speed at which the copies should be processed into the stream adjuster is matched and the arrangement is such to advance the copies to the singulating mechanism. 
     Guide  68  is there to guide any incoming product which is either slightly curved upwardly or copies which may have lifted slightly because of the speed at which the product is traveling along the conveyor. Stripper fingers guide the product at a decreased angle towards the gate and prevent the copies from lifting up when they are moved forward. 
     The shingle width is determined by the ratio of sprockets on wheels  26  and  36 . Depending on the number of teeth on each sprocket or wheel, the width between the copies of the product may be increased or decreased. 
     When a skewed copy hits either first abutting surface  84  or second abutting surface  86 , it will automatically be corrected towards a 90° placement. A first copy will hit first abutting surface  84 . Upon movement of gate  72  upwardly, the copy will proceed through the gate and under three guide wheels  90 . When the gate is in an upper position, second abutting surface  86  is utilized to stop the next copy of the product. A downward movement of a gate  72  will then allow the product to be released from second abutting surface  86  and pass through the gates and guide wheels  90 . 
     It will be understood that the above described embodiment is for purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention