Patents by Inventor Stefan Liebheit

Stefan Liebheit 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: 8807912
    Abstract: An infeed station has a carriage that is supported on a machine frame of the infeed station in a way that allows it to be moved laterally and a stack conveyor mounted on the carriage for conveying stacks from an infeed position to a transfer position, from which the stacks can each be removed by the stack gripper. The stacks can be centered in two stack chambers, which are arranged side by side on the carriage. A stop element supported on the carriage is assigned to each stack chamber and can be moved between a working position and a retracted position, such that in their working position, the stop elements project into the associated stack chamber in such a way that the stacks can be moved by the stack gripper from a forward holding position of the transfer position towards the stop elements and placed against the stop elements. The stacks positioned on the stop elements are gripped by the stack gripper between a finger and pressing means and conveyed to a pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Müller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Patent number: 8152434
    Abstract: An infeed station has a stack feeder and a first and second chamber, which can each receive stacks from the stack feeder. The stacks can be conveyed in the chambers and can be transferred to a stack gripper with the conveyors assigned to the first chamber and the second chamber. First centering units serve to center the stacks in the first chamber, and second centering units serve to center the stacks in the second chamber. Third conveyors are arranged between the first and second conveyors. The first and second centering units can be shifted relative to each other so that the third conveyors are positioned in the first or second chamber, and the chamber with the third conveyors is much wider than the other chamber. The infeed station can be changed between double infeed with parallel processing of two stacks and single infeed with processing of only one stack of relatively great width at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Müller Martini Holding AG
    Inventors: Marc Ryf, Stefan Liebheit
  • Patent number: 8011280
    Abstract: A rotary cutter for trimming printed products conveyed in an overlapping flow. The rotary cutter including a first knife that rotates and a second knife that rotates counter to the first knife. The second knife is arranged to operate jointly with the first knife. At least one of the knives includes a plurality of blades distributed over a circumference. A conveying device conveys the overlapping flow between the first knife and the second knife. A control unit controls the rotational speed of at least one of the first knife and the second knife. The rotational speed of at least one of the knives is predetermined based on at least one of the speed value for the conveying device or a thickness value of the overlapping flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Patent number: 7810807
    Abstract: The device comprises a driven conveyor with a transport element for the horizontal guidance of an overlapped flow of product. Driven alignment units for aligning the sides of the overlapped flow are positioned on a support. A first alignment unit is arranged on the left side of the driven conveyor as seen in transporting direction, and a second alignment unit is arranged on the right side of the conveyor as seen in transporting direction. At least one device is provided for loosening up the overlapped flow from below, thus reducing the friction between adjacent individual products of the overlapped flow. As a result, the operation of centering the overlapped flow in an intake region and a steady-flow region is aided considerably. The device for loosening up the overlapped flow can be realized particularly cost-effectively through raised regions on the transport rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Publication number: 20090263229
    Abstract: An infeed station has a carriage that is supported on a machine frame of the infeed station in a way that allows it to be moved laterally and a stack conveyor mounted on the carriage for conveying stacks from an infeed position to a transfer position, from which the stacks can each be removed by the stack gripper. The stacks can be centered in two stack chambers, which are arranged side by side on the carriage. A stop element supported on the carriage is assigned to each stack chamber and can be moved between a working position and a retracted position, such that in their working position, the stop elements project into the associated stack chamber in such a way that the stacks can be moved by the stack gripper from a forward holding position of the transfer position towards the stop elements and placed against the stop elements. The stacks positioned on the stop elements are gripped by the stack gripper between a finger and pressing means and conveyed to a pallet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Publication number: 20090238672
    Abstract: An infeed station has a stack feeder and a first and second chamber, which can each receive stacks from the stack feeder. The stacks can be conveyed in the chambers and can be transferred to a stack gripper with the conveyors assigned to the first chamber and the second chamber. First centering units serve to center the stacks in the first chamber, and second centering units serve to center the stacks in the second chamber. Third conveyors are arranged between the first and second conveyors. The first and second centering units can be shifted relative to each other so that the third conveyors are positioned in the first or second chamber, and the chamber with the third conveyors is much wider than the other chamber. The infeed station can be changed between double infeed with parallel processing of two stacks and single infeed with processing of only one stack of relatively great width at a time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Marc Ryf, Stefan Liebheit
  • Patent number: 7578222
    Abstract: A rotary cutter comprises a first knife located on a knife shaft having a longitudinal axis, a second knife spaced from the first knife by an adjustable cutting gap, a control unit including a drive for turning at least one of the first knife or the second knife, and an adjusting mechanism for moving at least one of the first knife or the second knife in the direction of the longitudinal axis to adjust the cutting gap. The adjusting mechanism comprises a first signal transmitter for detecting a zero position of the first and second knives; a second signal transmitter for detecting the cutting position of the first and second knives; and an adjustment drive coupled to the first and second signal transmitters for movement of at least one of the first or second knives from the zero position to the cutting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Publication number: 20080202304
    Abstract: A rotary cutter for trimming printed products conveyed in an overlapping flow. The rotary cutter including a first knife that rotates and a second knife that rotates counter to the first knife. The second knife is arranged to operate jointly with the first knife. At least one of the knives includes a plurality of blades distributed over a circumference. A conveying device conveys the overlapping flow between the first knife and the second knife. A control unit controls the rotational speed of at least one of the first knife and the second knife. The rotational speed of at least one of the knives is predetermined based on at least one of the speed value for the conveying device or a thickness value of the overlapping flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Muller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Publication number: 20060065091
    Abstract: A rotary cutter comprises a first knife located on a knife shaft having a longitudinal axis, a second knife spaced from the first knife by an adjustable cutting gap, a control unit including a drive for turning at least one of the first knife or the second knife, and an adjusting mechanism for moving at least one of the first knife or the second knife in the direction of the longitudinal axis to adjust the cutting gap. The adjusting mechanism comprises a first signal transmitter for detecting a zero position of the first and second knives; a second signal transmitter for detecting the cutting position of the first and second knives; and an adjustment drive coupled to the first and second signal transmitters for movement of at least one of the first or second knives from the zero position to the cutting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicant: Muller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit
  • Publication number: 20050006838
    Abstract: The device comprises a driven conveyor with a transport element for the horizontal guidance of an overlapped flow of product. Driven alignment units for aligning the sides of the overlapped flow are positioned on a support. A first alignment unit is arranged on the left side of the driven conveyor as seen in transporting direction, and a second alignment unit is arranged on the right side of the conveyor as seen in transporting direction. At least one device is provided for loosening up the overlapped flow from below, thus reducing the friction between adjacent individual products of the overlapped flow. As a result, the operation of centering the overlapped flow in an intake region and a steady-flow region is aided considerably. The device for loosening up the overlapped flow can be realized particularly cost-effectively through raised regions on the transport rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: Muller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Stefan Liebheit