Patents by Inventor Peter Forch

Peter Forch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7011305
    Abstract: A device for aligning sheets prior to transferring the sheets to a sheet-processing machine includes at least one sheet-gripping device by the aid of which the sheet to be aligned is displaceable, the sheet-gripping device having at least one positioning table displaceable by an actuating drive in at least one of a sheet travel direction, transversely to the sheet travel direction, and in a direction wherein it is pivoted about an axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the sheet travel direction, the sheet to be aligned being fixable on the positioning table; and a method for aligning sheets by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter Förch, Andreas Henn
  • Publication number: 20060042486
    Abstract: Sheets are conveyed through a printing machine with improved reliability of the suction grippers. The apparatus for conveying a sheet through a printing machine has a cylinder with grippers in a channel for holding the sheet at its leading edge, circulating grippers for holding and for transferring the sheet from the cylinder at its leading edge, and circulating, radially positionable suction grippers for holding the sheet at its trailing edge. An actuating apparatus opens and closes the grippers and controls vacuum for the suction grippers. A drive for the cylinder and circulating grippers and suction grippers. A control device switches on and off the sheet feed to the cylinder. The suction grippers can be moved in the radial direction into a rest position when the sheet feed is switched off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Daniel Gronych, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter, Ralf Wadlinger
  • Publication number: 20060022398
    Abstract: A machine for processing a sheet of printing material contains a first chain conveyor having a first gripper bar for holding a leading edge of the sheet, and a second chain conveyor having a rear gripper bar for simultaneously holding a trailing end of the sheet. A processing device is assigned to the chain conveyors for processing the sheet. A distance changing device is provided for temporarily reducing a gripper distance between the two gripper bars and, consequently, producing a sheet sag required for the processing of the sheet carried out by the processing device. The distance changing device defines a first circulation path of the front gripper bar, determined by the first chain conveyor, and a second circulation path of the rear gripper bar, determined by the second chain conveyor, running locally differently from each other. The processing device can be, for example, a sheet smoother.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Stefan Mutschall, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter, Ralf Wadlinger
  • Publication number: 20050188869
    Abstract: A machine for processing sheets of printing material has a cylinder for transporting the sheets and sheet supports which are mounted such that they can be rotated about a sheet support axis of rotation and in each case contain supporting segments for pressing the sheets onto the cylinder. The supporting segments are mounted such that they can be pivoted as desired into an active position and into a passive position about pivot axes that are skewed relative to the sheet support axis of rotation or about rotary joints determining the pivot axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Alexander Klee, Markus Mohringer, Stefan Mutschall, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter
  • Publication number: 20050126411
    Abstract: A device for conveying a sheet through a printing machine includes a cylinder, formed with a channel wherein grippers are disposed for holding the sheet at a leading edge, a chain conveyor with grippers fixed to endless chains for holding and picking up the sheet at its leading edge from the cylinder and for holding the sheet at its trailing edge, and rotating sprockets carrying the chains. An actuating device is provided for opening and closing the grippers, and a drive is provided for the cylinder and the sprockets. Gripper pads and gripper tips for the trailing-edge grippers, in opened condition of the grippers, are able to run past the cylinder. The gripper pads and tips lie underneath a path described by the sheet. The trailing-edge grippers are closable in a rotational angle region wherein the chains run off the sprockets for the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter
  • Publication number: 20050087924
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying sheets from a printing machine to a stack has highly rigid gripper bars that can be produced with relatively little expense, and the gripper assembly permits great flexibility in the use of the apparatus. The apparatus has at least one gripper bar carrying one or more grippers which, during the conveyance, holds a sheet at its edge between a gripper finger and a gripper pad. Endless chains move the gripper bar on a path between a cylinder belonging to the machine and the stack. An actuating mechanism opens and closes the gripper as a sheet is picked up from the cylinder and as it is allowed to fall onto the stack. In the opened state, the gripper finger is located below a path described by the upper edge of the gripper pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola
  • Publication number: 20050067774
    Abstract: A machine for processing printing material sheets has a signal generator for position monitoring and a sheet delivery. The sheet delivery has a first conveying device, for example with a holding crossmember, for leading sheet ends and a second conveying device, for example with a holding crossmember, for trailing sheet ends. The signal generator is disposed in the sheet delivery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter
  • Publication number: 20050062219
    Abstract: A sheet delivery for a press has a linear guide in which a single holding crossmember (e.g., a gripper bar) is mounted such that it can be moved to and fro periodically. The holding crossmember is mounted in a further linear guide such that it can be moved to and fro periodically along the further linear guide axis as well. The axes of the linear guides are aligned at an angle to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Stefan Mutschall, Paul Nicola, Marius Stelter
  • Publication number: 20040188932
    Abstract: A sheet-processing machine, such as a rotary press, has normally closed grippers that circulate during operation. The grippers transport the sheets along a conveying section and guide the sheets at their leading and trailing edges. The conveying section is assigned a sheet decurler and a sheet guide device that follows the latter in the conveying direction. The conveying section further has a gripper opener assigned thereto for opening the trailing edge grippers carrying the trailing edges of the sheets in order to decurl the sheets. After the sheets have traversed the decurler and decurling has been carried out, the trailing edges are once more grasped with the trailing edge grippers for renewed positive guidance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Sven Kerpe, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola
  • Patent number: 6789442
    Abstract: A gear stage assembly having a gear stage with two meshing gearwheels for mechanically transmitting a torque includes individual magnets arranged in the form of a ring on each of the gearwheels in a manner corresponding to that of the teeth of the gearwheels, for producing magnetic forces in the gear stage, individual magnets of respective ones of the magnets formed in a ring being arranged with alternating polarity in the direction of rotation and forming a stage of magnets in a ring disposed parallel to the gear stage, for producing a preload torque in the gear stage; and a varnishing unit including the gear stage assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Peter Förch
  • Publication number: 20040113350
    Abstract: A sheet-processing machine contains at least one processing station in the form of a printing unit, and a delivery with an endless conveyor and after-grippers that are guided by a mechanism connected to a drive. The after-grippers take over the processed sheets from the endless conveyor and release them over a stack. The sheet-processing machine provides for it to be possible for the mechanism to be set to positions that are correlated with different formats of the processed sheets, and for the drive that actuates the mechanism to keep the mechanism at one and the same phase angle with respect to the printing unit in each of the positions. Therefore, even in the event of different formats of the processed sheets, user-friendly placing of the stack is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Markus Mohringer, Paul Nicola
  • Patent number: 6604739
    Abstract: A method of aligning flat copies in a sheet-processing machine includes the steps of determining the actual position of a sheetlike material in relation to a coordinate system; implementing a nominal position of a cylinder that accommodates the sheetlike material to be aligned on the jacket surface of the cylinder by correctively controlling non-contacting radial/axial magnetic bearings so as to compensate for position changes of the cylinder or components thereof from the nominal position; and maintaining the cylinder in the nominal position thereof until the aligned sheet material is transferred to transport units arranged farther downline; a device for performing the method; a printing unit having the device; and a multicolor rotary printing machine having the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter Förch, Andreas Henn
  • Patent number: 6543351
    Abstract: An absorber for damping vibrations in a rotating component includes a primary part connectable to the rotating component so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto; an absorber mass; the primary part and the absorber mass being couplable to one another via a damping and spring coupling so that the absorber mass is rotatable to a limited extent relative to the primary part; at least two antifriction bearings for mounting the absorber mass on the rotating component; the two antifriction bearings being nested within one another, so that one of the antifriction bearings is seated on a larger radius than the other; and an intermediate ring disposed in a radial direction between the two antifriction bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Peter Förch
  • Publication number: 20020096824
    Abstract: A method of aligning flat copies in a sheet-processing machine includes the steps of determining the actual position of a sheetlike material in relation to a coordinate system; implementing a nominal position of a cylinder that accommodates the sheetlike material to be aligned on the jacket surface of the cylinder by correctively controlling non-contacting radial/axial magnetic bearings so as to compensate for position changes of the cylinder or components thereof from the nominal position; and maintaining the cylinder in the nominal position thereof until the aligned sheet material is transferred to transport units arranged farther downline; a device for performing the method; a printing unit having the device; and a multicolor rotary printing machine having the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Andreas Henn
  • Publication number: 20020069718
    Abstract: A gear stage assembly having a gear stage with two meshing gearwheels for mechanically transmitting a torque includes individual magnets arranged in the form of a ring on each of the gearwheels in a manner corresponding to that of the teeth of the gearwheels, for producing magnetic forces in the gear stage, individual magnets of respective ones of the magnets formed in a ring being arranged with alternating polarity in the direction of rotation and forming a stage of magnets in a ring disposed parallel to the gear stage, for producing a preload torque in the gear stage; and a varnishing unit including the gear stage assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Forch
  • Publication number: 20010042466
    Abstract: An absorber for damping vibrations in a rotating component includes a primary part connectable to the rotating component so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto; an absorber mass; the primary part and the absorber mass being couplable to one another via a damping and spring coupling so that the absorber mass is rotatable to a limited extent relative to the primary part; at least two antifriction bearings for mounting the absorber mass on the rotating component; the two antifriction bearings being nested within one another, so that one of the antifriction bearings is seated on a larger radius than the other; and an intermediate ring disposed in a radial direction between the two antifriction bearings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventor: Peter Forch
  • Publication number: 20010040331
    Abstract: A device for aligning sheets prior to transferring the sheets to a sheet-processing machine includes at least one sheet-gripping device by the aid of which the sheet to be aligned is displaceable, the sheet-gripping device having at least one positioning table displaceable by an actuating drive in at least one of a sheet travel direction, transversely to the sheet travel direction, and in a direction wherein it is pivoted about an axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the sheet travel direction, the sheet to be aligned being fixable on the positioning table; and a method for aligning sheets by the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: Peter Forch, Andreas Henn