Patents Assigned to Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
  • Patent number: 7490712
    Abstract: A conveyor assembly with ejecting provision, wherein the assembly comprises an upstream and a downstream belt conveyor defining a conveying surface, which are arranged for operatively conveying a series of products at a conveying speed in a conveying direction, wherein the upstream belt conveyor connects by a discharge end to a feed end of the downstream belt conveyor, wherein the discharge end is defined by a discharge end return pulley and wherein the feed end is defined by a feed end return pulley, wherein the discharge end return pulley and/or the feed end return pulley are arranged displaceably along the conveying direction in a plane parallel to the conveying surface of the respective conveyor for forming an ejection opening between the two return pulleys. The invention further relates to a document processing line with such a conveyor assembly and to a method of ejecting products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus Wilhelmus A. Hamers, Menno Koppen, Freek Willem L. De Ridder, Bernardus Cornelis Tichelaar
  • Patent number: 7328545
    Abstract: A packaging line and method for continuously packaging discrete products such as, for instance, magazines, CDs, DVDs and combinations thereof in a continuous manner, comprising: a product assembling path which is provided with a conveyor and feeders arranged therealong; a packaging module provided with folding means for forming a packaging tube from a continuous packaging web, and a cross separating device for separating packages in cross direction; a control which is designed for, inter alia, controlling the sealing means and the cross separating device such that per product to be packaged at least three cross seals are formed such that a packaged product is obtained which is characterized by a first and a second cross seal which are situated at a small distance from the end edges of the product and with a third cross seal which is situated at some distance from the second cross seal for forming a flap on the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Buhrs - Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Menno Koppen, Roberto Tuyn
  • Publication number: 20080008509
    Abstract: A receiving module intended for a document processing line, which comprises a frame and at least one pair of supports which are bringable into a receiving position, wherein one or more document products can rest on the supports, and a releasing position, wherein document products are released by the supports for passage in downward direction, wherein the supports of a pair extend substantially in one plane and are arranged to be movable away from each other and towards each other in that plane for assuming the releasing position and the receiving position, wherein the supports are each provided with a bearing surface on which a lowermost document product rests in use, which bearing surface is designed such that, when the supports move away from each other, substantially no relative sliding movement occurs between the bearing surface and a lower side of the lowermost document product. The invention further relates to a stacker with such a receiving module and to a method for stacking document products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus Wilhelmus Hamers, Bernardus Tichelaar
  • Publication number: 20070272514
    Abstract: A conveyor assembly with ejecting provision, wherein the assembly comprises an upstream and a downstream belt conveyor defining a conveying surface, which are arranged for operatively conveying a series of products at a conveying speed in a conveying direction, wherein the upstream belt conveyor connects by a discharge end to a feed end of the downstream belt conveyor, wherein the discharge end is defined by a discharge end return pulley and wherein the feed end is defined by a feed end return pulley, wherein the discharge end return pulley and/or the feed end return pulley are arranged displaceably along the conveying direction in a plane parallel to the conveying surface of the respective conveyor for forming an ejection opening between the two return pulleys. The invention further relates to a document processing line with such a conveyor assembly and to a method of ejecting products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus Wilhelmus Hamers, Menno Koppen, Freek Willem De Ridder, Bernardus Tichelaar
  • Patent number: 7089711
    Abstract: A feeder for feeding products to be dispatched, such as, for instance, documents, periodicals, CDs, DVDs, and the like, to a conveyor of a packaging line, provided with transport pushers, the feeder being provided with a magazine for storing a stack of products, the dimensions of the magazine being settable through the setting of guides, wherein at least a number of the guides are in communication with a sensor, such that the position of the respective guide is known, while the control is arranged, on the basis of the signals coming from the sensors, to set at least one setting of a packaging line of which the feeder forms a part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ronald Timmerman, Roberto Tuyn
  • Publication number: 20060010839
    Abstract: A packaging line and method for continuously packaging discrete products such as, for instance, magazines, CDs, DVDs and combinations thereof in a continuous manner, comprising: a product assembling path which is provided with a conveyor and feeders arranged therealong; a packaging module provided with folding means for forming a packaging tube from a continuous packaging web, and a cross separating device for separating packages in cross direction; a control which is designed for, inter alia, controlling the sealing means and the cross separating device such that per product to be packaged at least three cross seals are formed such that a packaged product is obtained which is characterized by a first and a second cross seal which are situated at a small distance from the end edges of the product and with a third cross seal which is situated at some distance from the second cross seal for forming a flap on the package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Menno Koppen, Roberto Tuyn
  • Patent number: 6938393
    Abstract: A packaging line and method for packaging separate products such as, for instance, magazines, CDs, DVDs and combinations thereof in a continuous manner, comprising: a product assembling path (2) which is provided with a conveyor and feeders arranged therealong; a packaging module provided with folding means for forming a packaging tube from a continuous packaging web, and a cross separating device for separating, in cross direction, separate packages filled with product from the packaging tube; a control for controlling the discharge of the products from the feeders, for controlling the transport speed of the conveyors and for controlling the speed of the cross separating device, the control being designed for processing information about the length of each product to be packaged and for setting in-process, per product, the horizontal, and optionally, the vertical, stroke length of the cross separating device such that packages with different lengths for products of different lengths can be manufactured in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ronald Timmerman, Roberto Tuyn
  • Patent number: 6860086
    Abstract: A method and packaging apparatus for packaging products starting from a continuous packaging web which moves uninterruptedly and wherein the web is formed into a package tube and, by the application of cross seals, is divided in separate packaged products. Prior to its folding, the film web is then stretched for obtaining, after application of the cross seals, a shrinkback effect. Due to this shrinkback effect, a tight-fitting package is obtained. The invention particularly relates to the manner in which the stretching of the film web is controlled, so that a good reproducible shrinking effect is obtained without the film web being subjected to undesired loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Johannes Rosloot, Roberto Tuyn
  • Patent number: 6658826
    Abstract: An assembly for packaging a discontinuously supplied stream of products, comprising a packaging apparatus provided with folding means for folding the longitudinal edges of the continuous packaging web around the products in longitudinal direction to form a tubular packaging sleeve, connecting means and separating means for breaking the tubular packaging sleeve between the products in a transverse direction for forming separated packaged products, wherein the assembly comprises a conveyor chain which is provided with grippers for clamping therein the products to be conveyed, the assembly further comprising an intermediate conveyor built up from a number of mutually aligning conveying sections drivable independently of each other and with variable speed, the intermediate conveyor being provided with a control adapted to drive the various conveying sections of the intermediate conveyor such that the mutual distances between discontinuously supplied products are reduced to a standard distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Gerardus M. Hendriks van de Weem, Ronald Timmerman
  • Patent number: 6347774
    Abstract: A clip for fixing a part on a bar, said clip comprising a first clip part which is substantially form-retaining and comprises a bracket slidable along the bar, a bracket arm being connected to the bracket, the clip comprising a second clip part having a flexible spring arm whose first end is connected to a free end of the bracket arm remote from the bracket, the spring arm having such a length that in a clamping position, it is subjected to pressure and whose second end presses against the bar, so that the bracket is not slidable along the bar, while the spring arm can be bent by means of an operating lever, so that the bracket is slidable along the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventor: Michiel Post van der Molen
  • Patent number: 6171051
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating a stack of documents, such as, for instance, a stack of magazines, into individual documents. The apparatus has a number of endless conveyors which are arranged behind each other, connect to each other, and together form a transport path. The transport path has a first path section and a second path section. In the first path section, the stack of documents is formed into a shuffled document stream, and in the second path section, the documents are separated from the shuffled document stream into individual documents. The invention further provides a method for separating a stack of documents, such as, for instance, a stack of magazines, into individual documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus Wilhelmus Alphonsus Hamers, Martijn Buyze
  • Patent number: 6050057
    Abstract: Packing apparatus for packing mail items, magazines, books, CDs and like products composed of one or more layers, comprising a product-assembling path, a folding station, and a separating station, the folding station comprising a first conveyor belt on which at least a part of the packing material web is located which extends below the products to be packed, a pulling element which is arranged above the first conveyor belt and engages parts of the packing material web located at the top side of the products to be packed, and connecting means by means of which the longitudinal edges of the packing material web are interconnected, a pressure plate which is arranged above the first conveyor belt, the top side of which pressure plate is engaged by the pulling element, in operation, with the interposition of at least the longitudinal edges of the packing material web, the distance between the first conveyor belt and the bottom side of the pressure plate being such that products of different thicknesses can pass th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Roberto Tuyn, Petrus Franciscus Kivits
  • Patent number: 5906368
    Abstract: A drive for a gripper mechanism of a feeding device for feeding separate products, for instance loose sheets, to a packaging or labelling machine, which gripper mechanism is arranged on a drivable drum (1) and comprises gripper elements (2) for gripping the products to be fed separately, wherein the drive of the gripper elements (2) comprises a toothed belt transmission (3, 4, 5), with the gripper elements (2) being connected to the driven pulley (3), and the driving pulley (5) being drivable by a double cam mechanism (6, 6', 7, 7', 8, 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus Wilhelmus Alphonsus Hamers, Petrus Franciscus Kivits
  • Patent number: 5706632
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an output stream of mutually different graphic products in a desired order, for instance sorted according to address code, wherein the products are assembled in an assembly line as desired by an addressee and/or a sender, and after the assembly line the product undergoes at least one additional operation, depending upon the desire of the addressee and/or sender, for which purpose the product stream is divided over at least two sublines in which the or each additional operation, such as for instance packaging, is carried out, whereafter the products are merged again in a single downstream line, characterized in that, for the purpose of avoiding buffers, the order of the products (2) that are formed in the assembly line (3) is such that, allowing for the desired additional operations in the sublines (9, 10), the products, after traversing the sublines, have acquired the desired order in the downstream line (14, 15), while the products in the sublines (9, 10) can be temporarily delayed and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Franciscus Kivits, Ronald Timmerman
  • Patent number: 5653094
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the mutual repositioning of products (4), which products are fed at a specific speed and with a specific distance in between, and the mutual position of the products (4) being changed by means of speed influencing means (2, 3), while for the mutual repositioning of products (4) consisting of several layers, for adjusting the mutual position of graphic products in a packing apparatus, a speed influencing means (2, 3) is brought into engagement with the product both at the top side and at the bottom side of the product (4), which two speed influencing means (2, 3) are always driven at the same speed relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Franciscus Kivits, Ronald Timmerman
  • Patent number: 5647192
    Abstract: Folding element (1) suitable for use in a packaging apparatus in which in operation a strip of packaging material (7) to be fed continuously is guided from a feeding direction over the folding element (1) and, while a shell is formed from the material strip, is guided further from the folding element in a product conveying direction, with the feeding direction and the product conveying direction including an angle. The folding element (1) comprises a front face (12) extending in the feeding direction and a top face (17) extending in the product conveying direction, over which front and top faces (12, 17) the material strip (7) moves in operation, the front face (12) being bounded on opposite sides by a fold forming edge (13) which intersects the intersecting line of the front and top faces (12, 17) in a folding point, in which folding point in operation folds are formed in the material strip (7). A packaging apparatus comprising such folding element (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Franciscus Kivits, Roberto Tuyn
  • Patent number: 5620081
    Abstract: A turnover device for turning over products (8), for instance graphic products, comprising a feed conveyor assembly (4) and a discharge conveyor assembly (6) each made up of a number of parallel conveyors arranged side by side with an interspace therebetween, a turnover rack (1) being arranged between the feed and discharge assemblies, which turnover rack comprises outwardly extending product carriers (2) movable through the interspace of the conveyors of the discharge conveyor assembly (6). Provided adjacent the discharge end of the feed conveyor assembly (4) are adjustable decelerating devices (5) for decelerating the products (8) to be turned over and the discharge conveyor assembly (6) comprises a driver (7) for accelerating the turned-over products (8').
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventor: Petrus F. Kivits
  • Patent number: 5613351
    Abstract: A separating apparatus for separating packaged products in a packaging apparatus, wherein, in operation, a continuously fed strip of packaging material of synthetic material is folded around a series of products to form a sleeve, wherein in the product conveying direction the folded-over sides are interconnected by means of longitudinal connection means to form a longitudinal connection, wherein, in the transverse direction between two separate products (2, 2'), the upper and lower sides of the sleeve are interconnected by means of cross connection means to form a cross connection, whereupon the thus packaged products are separated over a separating line extending at the location of the cross connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventors: Ludovicus W. A. Hamers, Roberto Tuyn
  • Patent number: 4842123
    Abstract: In an apparatus for processing objects positioned on a conveyor belt by way of a processing device that moves to and fro in parallel to the conveyor belt a correction mechanism is provided for controlling the relative position of the processing device and the object. The correction mechanism can comprise two detection devices for detecting the position of the objects and the processing device, respectively, and a control unit for, in relation to the signals of the detection devices, changing the position of the processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventor: Friedrich W. Visser
  • Patent number: 4149484
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus for severing portions of identical length from a strip. This cutting apparatus comprises a feed means which is coupled to a drive means and which is adapted to feed the strip to a pair of advancing rolls located between the feed means and a cutting element. One of these advancing rolls is coupled to the drive means and is provided with a cam surface having a larger radius than the remaining roll surface. This cam surface, together with the other advancing roll, is adapted to engage the strip to move the strip forward towards a pair of receiving rolls through a distance determined by said cam surface. The central axes of the receiving rolls lie in a plane that is parallel to the plane through the central axes of the advancing rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: Buhrs-Zaandam B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Koch