Device for the transfer of serially supplied articles to a conveying-away system

• US 6,702,100 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Inventors: Studer, Beat
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US10/075,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 270/52.09, 270/52.17, 198/448, 198/449, 198/418.9, 198/803.7, 198/470.1, 198/408, 198/407, 271/69, 271/204
• US Class Current: 198/470.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/34 Modifying, selecting, changing direction of displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/3423 by travelling an angled curved path section for overturning and changing feeding direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/44712 carried by chains or bands
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/44732 transporting articles in overlapping stream
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4476 Endless transport devices with compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/003 by grippers B65H29/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/669 ending an overlapping stream
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/02 Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/075 by collecting in juxtaposed carriers

Abstract

Flat articles are taken over from a supply device supplying the products e.g. in the form of an imbricated stream and, for creating groups, are transferred to a conveying-away device. Thereby the supply direction and the conveying-away direction are angled in the horizontal plan view. For the transfer of the articles devices are used having a circulating conveying organ with laterally protruding gripper arms and grippers arranged on the gripper arms. The circulation track of the conveying organ extends in a take-over direction through a take-over zone and in a transfer direction through a transfer zone and represents a deflection between take-over and transfer zone.

Claims

1. A device for taking over flat articles (13) being serially supplied by a supply system, conveying them in a take-over direction (3) and then in a transfer direction (2) to be transferred to a conveying-away system and to be conveyed away in a conveying-away direction (1), wherein the transfer direction (2) and the conveying-away direction (1) or a parallel thereof approach one another or intersect in a transfer plane (E.1) standing vertically on a base plane (G) and the take-over direction (3) intersects the transfer direction (2) and the transfer plane (E.1), the device comprising a conveying organ (11) circulating on a circulation track and a plurality of gripper arms (10) each carrying at least one gripper (12) arranged to protrude on the conveying organ (11), wherein the circulation track comprises a take-over zone (A) oriented in the take-over direction (3), a transfer zone (C) oriented in the transfer direction (2) and between the take-over zone (A) and the transfer zone (C) a deflection (B), and wherein the gripper arms (10) are oriented perpendicularly to the expanse of the conveying organ (11) in its direction of travel and at least in the take-over and/or transfer zone (A and C) are non-parallel to a plane of conveyance (4) defined by the take-over direction (3) and the transfer direction (2).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the complete circulation track of the conveying organ (11) extends in the plane of conveyance (4) and in addition to the deflection (B) comprises two further deflections (D and E) between the transfer zone (C) and the take-over zone (A).

3. The device of claim 2, wherein a part of the circulation track of the conveying organ extends in the base plane (G) between the further deflections (D and E).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein gradients of the take-over direction (3) and of the transfer direction (2) relative to the base plane (G) are of opposite and equal value and that an angle (δ

+δ

′

) between the plane of conveyance (4) and the gripper arms (10) is constant along the whole circulation track of the conveying organ (11).

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the gripper arms (10) have a second orientation relative to the plane of conveyance (4), into which they are capable of being swivelled immediately following transfer of the articles (13).

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the gripper arms (10) are aligned parallel to the base plane (G) in the take-over zone (A) and in the transfer zone (C).

7. The device of claim 1, wherein an angle (β

) between the transfer plane (E.1) and a projection of the take-over direction (3) onto the base plane (G) is a right angle.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the circulating conveying organ (11) comprises a chain conveyor or a multitude of conveying elements independent of one another and that the gripper arms (10) are arranged on chain links of the chain or on the conveying elements.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein for the deflection (B) of the conveying organ (11) between the take-over zone (A) and the transfer zone (C) a chain wheel is provided.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein there are two grippers arranged on every gripper arm (10), the two grippers being distanced from each other.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the approach or intersection of the transfer direction and the conveying-away direction define a feed point, the conveying-away system comprising a plurality of continuously conveyed L-shaped supports, the L-shaped supports carrying at least one printed product, wherein at the feed point one additional printed product is deposited on each L-shaped support to form groups of printed products on the L-shaped supports.

12. A method performed with respect to flat articles being serially supplied by a supply system, and being conveyed away in a conveying-away system, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a conveying organ circulating on a circulation track and comprising a plurality of gripper arms each carrying at least one gripper, the gripper arms arranged to protrude on the conveying organ, the circulation track comprising a take-over zone oriented in a take-over direction and a transfer zone oriented in a transfer direction, wherein the gripper arms are oriented perpendicularly to the expanse of the conveying organ in its direction of travel and at least in the take-over or transfer zone are non-parallel to a plane of conveyance defined by the take-over direction and the transfer direction;

by means of the conveying organ, conveying the flat articles in a take-over direction and then in a transfer direction to be transferred to the conveying-away system; and

conveying the flat articles away in a conveying-away direction,

wherein the transfer direction and the conveying-away direction or a parallel thereof approach one another or intersect in a transfer plane standing vertically on a base plane and the take-over direction intersects the transfer direction and the transfer plane.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the approach or intersection of the transfer direction and the conveying-away direction define a feed point, wherein a plurality of L-shaped supports are continuously conveyed, and wherein at each feed point a printed product is deposited on each L-shaped support to form groups of printed products on the L-shaped supports.