Patent Abstract:
A method and apparatus that perfects media while maintaining a constant grip on the media during the perfection process. A media perfection device comprises a rotating arrangement that rotates a gripper bar. The gripper bar comprises a fixed part, and a rotatable part to hold media. The rotation of the rotating arrangement rotates the rotatable part of the gripper bar, thus perfecting the media.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Aspects of the present invention relate in general to an apparatus that perfects paper, cardboard, greeting cards, cardstock and the like, during the manufacture of printed media. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     During the manufacture of printed media, such as greeting cards, paper, cardboard, cardstock, and the like, media may be processed on both sides. For example, in the art of greeting card manufacturing, a large sheet of media may be embossed on a first side, scored on the opposite side, then cut on the first side, and finally folded along the scored side to form a greeting card. An analogous situation is when a photocopying apparatus prints a “double-sided” photocopy, because both sides are processed during the manufacturing process. 
     In such cases, to simplify the manufacturing process, a single sheet is mechanically turned so that it may be processed on both sides of the media. The mechanical turning or “flipping” is known in the art as “perfecting” the media. 
     Conventionally, when media is processed, the media is held in a gripping arrangement. When the media is perfected, the media is released from the gripping arrangement, flipped, and then regripped for further printing. This is done because most conventional systems accomplish the media perfection through a system of rollers or other sheet-turning drums. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an apparatus embodiment that mechanically perfects media. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a rotating arrangement to rotate the media to be mechanically perfected. 
     FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a gripper bar suspended by a chain. 
     FIG. 4 shows a gripper bar embodiment suspended by a chain, as viewed from above. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a gripper bar to hold the media to be mechanically perfected. 
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a media perfection device comprises a rotating arrangement that rotates a gripper bar. The gripper bar comprises a fixed part, and a rotatable part to hold media. The rotation of the rotating arrangement rotates the rotatable part of the gripper bar, thus perfecting the media. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the invention encompass the discovery of flaws and problems of conventional perfection apparatuses caused by releasing the media when the media is being perfected. Apparatus and method embodiments of the invention further facilitate the perfection of media through an automatic manufacturing system. In one aspect of the present invention, the apparatus continuously holds the media, never having to release the hold on the media as the media is perfected. 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an apparatus embodiment that mechanically perfects media, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates how a rotating arrangement  130  may be used to rotate gripper bar  110 . The gripper bar maintains its hold on the media  200 , and thus the media  200  is mechanically perfected without requiring the ungripping and regripping. 
     As is shown, a perfector apparatus embodiment includes a gripper bar  110  and a rotating arrangement  130  or “perfector”  130  as part of an automatic manufacturing system. 
     Gripper bar  110  comprises a fixed part  102 , and a rotatable part  106 . The rotatable part  106  is mounted to the fixed part  102 . The fixed part  102  moves linearly through an assembly line conveyor, while the rotatable part  106  is designed to hold the media being processed. 
     In the conveying system, gripper bar  110  is carried between a pair of chains  120 A-B through a longitudinal slot in a plate  150 . 
     The perfector  130  adapted to flip the rotatable part  106  of the gripper bar  110  so that both sides of the media may be processed. 
     As part of the conveying system, the chains  120 A-B and the gripper bar  110  pass through the longitudinal slot or opening  155  in the plate  150 . The plate  150  rotatably carries a ring  140 . The ring is connected to an arrangement that engages the rotatable part of the gripper bar. A belt drives the split ring and rotatable arrangement to rotate, thereby flipping the rotatable part of the gripper bar. 
     The ring  140  is rotatably carried by the plate  150 . The ring  140  is connected to the rotating arrangement  130  that engages the rotatable part  106  of the gripper bar. When a motor (not shown) engages the drive gear  165 . In turn, the drive gear moves the belt  160 , which moves the ring  140 . The movement of the split ring rotates the perfecter  130 , which rotates the rotatable part  106 , and thus perfects the media. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a rotating arrangement  130  to rotate the media to be mechanically perfected, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The rotating arrangement  130  or “perfector”  130  is adapted to flip the rotatable part  106  of the gripper bar  110  so that both sides of the media may be processed. 
     The perfector  130  is coupled to a plate  150 . In some embodiments, the perfector  130  is coupled to the plate  150  via a ring  140 . The plate  150  has an elongated opening  155  therein. The elongated opening  155  within the plate  150  is large enough so that the chains  120 A-B and the gripper bar  110  may pass through. 
     The ring  140  is rotatably carried by the plate  150 . The ring  140  is connected to the rotating arrangement  130 . A belt  160 , attached to a drive gear  165 , moves the ring  140  and rotatable arrangement  130  to rotate. As shown in FIG. 4, gears  170 A-G guide the belt so that it engages the ring  140 . Drive gear  165  may be attached to any driving mechanism, such as a motor, as is known in the art. 
     As depicted in FIG. 2, ring  140  may be a split ring. 
     It is understood that alternative embodiments of the perfecter  130  may be used to engage and flip the rotatable part  106  of the gripper bar. 
     In some embodiments, the perfector  130  may engage the rotatable part  106  from above and below, as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     In alternate embodiments, the perfector  130  may engage the rotatable part  106  from either above or below. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 depicts an embodiment of a gripper bar  110  suspended by a chain  120  as part of a conveyor or assembly line system, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates the system at an angle, while FIG. 4 illustrates the same system as viewed from above. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of springs  115 A-B forward biases the fixed part  102  in the slots of the chains  120 A-B. Stops are provided at each station where media is processed. Examples of media processing stations include, but are not limited to, locations where the media is printed, scored, cut, embossed, or otherwise treated. The stops engage rollers  108 A-B on the fixed part  102  of the gripper bar  110  to stop the gripper bar  110  at a precise location. The stopped position may be independent of the position where the chain stops because of the forward bias imposed by the springs  115 A-B. 
     FIG. 5 is a simplified functional block diagram depicting gripper bar  110 , constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Gripper bar  110  is designed to hold media, and convey media from one manufacturing station to another manufacturing station along a linear media processing/assembly line. 
     Gripper bar  110  comprises a fixed part  102 , and a rotatable part  106  mounted to the fixed part  102 . 
     The fixed part  102  is the part of the gripper bar  110  that moves linearly through an assembly line conveyor. 
     The rotatable part  106  is designed to hold the media being processed. In some embodiments, the rotatable part  106  holds media by exerting pressure on the media, clamping the media between rubber teeth. 
     The mounting connection between the fixed part  102  and rotatable part  106  may be performed by any rotary joint  104  known in the art that allows the rotatable part  106  to rotate, including a rotary union, ball-bearing, or axle. In some embodiments, the rotary joint  104  is placed in the center of the fixed part  102  and the rotatable part  106 , so that the rotatable part  106  is always centered along the axis of the rotary joint  104  and the fixed part  102 . When the rotatable part  106  is rotated 180° along the rotary joint  104 , while holding media, the media is perfected. 
     Rotatable part  106  and fixed part  102  may also have detents to lock the rotatable part  106  in a fixed position relative to the fixed part  102 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the rotatable part  106  has male detents  103 A-B, while the fixed part  106  has corresponding female detents  105 A-B. It is understood, by those known in the art, that either part may have one or more of such male detents  103  and corresponding female detents  105 . The male detents  103  may be spring-actuated, so that a light amount of pressure along the rotatable part  106  does not rotate the rotatable part  106 . In such an embodiment, a known amount of threshold pressure may be required to rotate the rotatable part  106 . 
     The rotatable part  106  is normally held parallel to the fixed part  102  by detents  103   105 . 
     In some embodiments, fixed part  102  may have rollers  108  to help facilitate the movement of the fixed part  102  through a conveyor belt or other assembly line conveyance system. 
     The previous description of the embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the invention. The various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of inventive faculty. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1