Patent Publication Number: US-7900903-B2

Title: Hopper mounting mechanism

Description:
This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/839,106 filed Aug. 21, 2006, and hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to hoppers. 
     Gathering devices such as perfect binders, saddle stitchers and mailroom inserters may use hoppers or feeders to collect sheet material. A saddle stitcher or perfect binder may for example collect folded printed materials fed from hoppers or feeders onto a saddle or perfect binder conveyor, respectively, to form a magazine or other printed product. In the context of the present application, the term hopper and feeder are used synonymously. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,125 purportedly discloses moving a hopper and a stack of sheet material from an upright orientation to a tilted orientation. As the hopper and stack of sheet material are tilted, a lower end portion of the stack of sheet material is moved along an upwardly inclined ramp into engagement with a sheet material feed assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,724, hereby incorporated by reference herein, describes a signature collating apparatus such as an inserter having a plurality of hoppers delivering sheet materials to receiving locations on a conveyor. 
     U.S. Publication No. 2006/0103064 purportedly discloses modular signature feeders that include a frame having a base configured to enable the modular signature feeder to be removably attached to another modular signature feeder or a signature transfer assembly associated with a signature collation feeder assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a hopper includes a hopper sidewall and a hopper shoe. The hopper shoe is secured to the sidewall. The hopper is pivotable with respect to the hopper shoe when the hopper is secured to a hopper base. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a hopper includes a hopper sidewall, a hopper shoe, and a spring-loaded clamp for securing the hopper shoe to the hopper sidewall, the spring-loaded clamp including a bolt for securing the spring-loaded clamp to a hopper base. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for moving a hopper includes pivoting the hopper about a pivot point of the hopper, sliding the hopper off a first hopper base and onto a movable hopper base, and moving the hopper and movable hopper base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a hopper, hopper base and mobile hopper base; 
         FIG. 2  shows a hopper and hopper mounting assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows the hopper mounting assembly of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows the hopper mounted on the mobile base. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In conventional gathering device designs, hoppers are rigidly clamped to steel tubes. Removal and installation of the hopper to a hopper base was a long process. Hopper clamps were physically removed and an overhead lifting device was needed to move the hopper. 
     Furthermore, the height of the hopper is not adjustable in previous printing press designs. The height of the hopper is governed by vacuum opening components. When vacuum opening components are not used it may be advantageous for the hopper to sit closer to the gathering chain. 
       FIG. 1  shows a hopper  10  mounted on a hopper base  14 . A mobile hopper base  60  is also shown. Hopper  10  is movable between hopper base  14  and a mobile base  60 . Mobile base  60  may be transported with hopper  10  for example, to relocate hopper  10  or transport hopper  10  for repairs. Hopper  10  includes hopper shoe  30 , hopper sidewall  12 , a nose section  108  extending over a gathering conveyor, such as a gathering chain  100 , and a middle section  110  where hopper  10  is secured to hopper base  14 . Hopper  10  is positioned over gathering chain  100  in the operating position to feed products at gathering chain  10 . The mechanism within hopper  10  for feeding products onto gathering chain  100  can be of any conventional construction and will not be discussed herein. 
       FIG. 2  shows a hopper  10  and a hopper mounting assembly  20 . A hopper shoe  30  is pinned to sidewall  12  by a fastener, for example, a clamping bolt  32 , via vertical slot  34 . Clamping bolt  32  provides a rigid connection between hopper shoe  30  and sidewall  12  and reduces vibration. Hopper shoe  30  also has a longitudinal slot  36  which engages a spring-loaded clamp  40 . 
     A pneumatic cylinder  160  is also attached at one end  162  to hopper shoe  30  and at the other end  164  to hopper sidewall  12 . Pneumatic cylinder  160  can support a weight of hopper  10  and pivots hopper  10  about a pivot point  70 . End  162  is located in the middle section  110  of hopper  10 . When actuated, pneumatic cylinder  160  lifts hopper  10  up via sidewall  12 . Clamping bolt  32  slides up in vertical slot  34 , while hopper shoe  30  remains fixed to hopper base  14 . Hopper  10  pivots about pivot point  70  raising the nose section  108  and middle section  110 . Thus, the position of front section  110  may be adjusted to accommodate operating needs. Hopper  10  may be pivoted up, for example, when vacuum components are needed, or pivoted down, for example, to sit close to the inserter chain when vacuum components are not employed, ensuring a reliable drop to the inserter chain. Hopper  10  may be pivoted for example,  150  or less. 
     In addition, nose section  108  of hopper  10  may be pivoted up prior to removal of hopper  10  from hopper base  14  so hopper  10  clears gathering chain  100  ( FIG. 1 ). In a typical operating position, nose section  108  may snag gathering chain  100  if hopper  10  is pulled horizontally off hopper base  60 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show hopper mounting assembly  20  including a bracket  22 , spring-loaded clamp  40  and a guide  50 . Spring-loaded clamp  40  includes a spring  42 , bolt  44  and chamfered edge  46 . Spring  42  biases spring-loaded clamp  40  into engagement with longitudinal slot  36  in hopper shoe  30 . The bolt  44  screws into bracket  22  to secure hopper  10  to hopper base  14 . To move hopper  10  from base  14 , bolt  44  needs to be loosened for example, ½ to 1 turn. As hopper  10  is pulled off hopper base  14 , chamfered edge  46  contacts an edge of longitudinal slot  36  which pushes spring-loaded clamp  40  back into guide  50 . Hopper shoe  30  continues to slide past spring-loaded clamp  40  until hopper  20  is pulled off base  14  and onto a mobile hopper base  60 . Once hopper  10  is properly positioned on mobile base  60 , spring  42  pushes clamp  40  into longitudinal slot  36  to lock hopper shoe  30  onto mobile base  60 . Bolt  44  can then be tightened to secure hopper  10  onto mobile base  60 . An additional guide  52  may be provided for aligning hopper  10  on hopper base  14  or mobile base  60 . The guide may be made of, for example, steel. Thus, spring-loaded clamp  40  and hopper shoe  30  may significantly reduce the time required for installation and removal of hopper  10 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a gathering device  200  including a plurality of hoppers  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″. Hopper  10  is mounted onto mobile base  60  via brackets  22 , spring-loaded clamps  40  and hopper shoe  30 . Hopper  10  has been moved from the typical feeder side position to the operator side, allowing, for example, hopper  10  to feed reverse lap signatures with less difficulty. By lifting hopper  10  up and pivoting hopper  10  at pivot point  70 , nose section  108  may be positioned over gathering chain  100  as desired. 
     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.