Abstract: Printed products are accurately detected, counted and tracked as they move from a gripper conveyor to a lay down conveyor. The printed products are further tracked from a position where they reach a sensor upstream of the stacker where the position of selected printed products is provided to the stacker, together with a flag for those selected printed products, to assure that all of the stacker operations, including product stream interception, turntable rotation and bundle ejection, are performed with precision. Counting and tracking are performed by different sensors upstream relative to the stacker and the tracking function is transferred to the stacker when a flagged signature reaches a nip of the stacker infeed. Counting of printed products by the stacker is eliminated.

Abstract: Printed products, such as newspapers are fed past a counting station arranged in imbricated fashion, preferably folded edges passing downstream first. A high intensity light source is arranged so that its light beams are oriented at an angle which, while illuminating upper surfaces of the newspapers, causes the forward folded edges to cast a shadow upon the upper surface of a downstream newspaper that the forward edge of the newspaper creating the shadow rests upon. An image sensing device creates an image of a given region which includes the leading edge of the newspaper creating the shadow. This image is compared with stored criteria to determine if the “shadow” is due to a leading edge of a newspaper and to thereby discriminate a newspaper leading edge from other spurious conditions which, although they may create a “shadow”, fail to meet the criteria of a leading edge of a newspaper.

Abstract: Printed products are accurately detected, counted and tracked as they move from a gripper conveyor to a lay down conveyor. The printed products are further tracked from a position where they reach a sensor upstream of the stacker where the position of selected printed products is provided to the stacker, together with a flag for those selected printed products, to assure that all of the stacker operations, including product stream interception, turntable rotation and bundle ejection, are performed with precision. Counting and tracking are performed by different sensors upstream relative to the stacker and the tracking function is transferred to the stacker when a flagged signature reaches a nip of the stacker infeed. Counting of printed products by the stacker is eliminated.

Abstract: Printed products, such as newspapers are fed past a counting station arranged in imbricated fashion, preferably folded edges passing downstream first. A high intensity light source is arranged so that its light beams are oriented at an angle which, while illuminating upper surfaces of the newspapers, causes the forward folded edges to cast a shadow upon the upper surface of a downstream newspaper that the forward edge of the newspaper creating the shadow rests upon. An image sensing device creates an image of a given region which includes the leading edge of the newspaper creating the shadow. This image is compared with stored criteria to determine if the “shadow” is due to a leading edge of a newspaper and to thereby discriminate a newspaper leading edge from other spurious conditions which, although they may create a “shadow”, fail to meet the criteria of a leading edge of a newspaper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for wrapping a loop of film about a pallet, which supports a layer of products, and a guide, through which said layer passes, to prevent crushing and/or displacement of the product layer. Subsequent product layers are similarly protected by looping film about a previous loop of film and said guide. The guide is designed to facilitate removal of the film looped thereabout as the product layers are lowered.

Abstract: Wheeled carts are pushed onto an inlet end of a conveyor and are automatically advanced, one at a time, to a cross conveyor for delivery to a cart loader conveyor. A cart loader is provided near the outlet end of the cart loader conveyor for automatically loading bundles into a wheeled cart. The input conveyor advances wheeled carts one cart position at a time. Cart positions along the input conveyor are monitored by sensors to automatically control advancement of wheeled carts therealong. A cart delivered from the outlet end of the input conveyor to the cross conveyor activates a cross conveyor limit switch advancing the cart delivered thereto to a position for feeding a wheeled cart onto the cart loader conveyor. A limit switch is actuated when the wheeled cart reaches this position where upon a push bar pushes the cart activating the limit switch onto the cart loader conveyor. The conveyor system in cart handling are preferably operated by hydraulic devices due to their compactness.

Abstract: Bottom wrap/three-quarter wrap apparatus having an automatic web feeder for safely advancing a web fed from a supply roll to a main web feeder. The main feed rollers advance one length of the web and a cutter cuts the advanced length, completing one cycle of operation, after which the bottom wrap/three-quarter wrap apparatus is placed under control of a bundle feeder. The main feed roller pair are displaced from one another when the web passes between creasing rollers. When a predetermined length of web has been advanced to the creasing rollers a cutter cylinder moves a blade mounting plate in the cutting direction. A resilient clamping assembly arranged on the mounting plate momentarily clamps the web between the mounting plate and a web guide just prior to severing of the web by the blade, maintaining the web taut during cutting. The cutting blade is rapidly moved back to a position displaced from the web in preparation for a subsequent cutting operation.

Abstract: Bottom wrap/three-quarter wrap apparatus having an automatic web feeder for safely advancing a web fed from a supply roll to a main web feeder. The web free end is inserted between a pair of rollers, one being driven by a motor and the other being free-wheelingly mounted. The free-wheeling roller swings about a pivot shaft. A cylinder normally maintains the free-wheeling roller displaced from the drive roller. The insertion of the web past the nip formed by the initial feed rollers is detected by a proximity sensor to pull the free-wheeling roller toward the motor-driven roller pinching the web therebetween. A small motor drives the driven roller, moving the web upwardly and into a nip formed by a main feed roller pair. The small motor is then turned off and the main feed rollers advance one length of the web and a cutter cuts the advanced length, completing one cycle of operation, after which the bottom wrap/three-quarter wrap apparatus is placed under control of a bundle feeder.

Abstract: Signatures are delivered to a stacker by a gripper conveyor, each gripper delivering a signature thereto. The grippers follow a curved path adjacent to the stacker, substantially aligning the signatures with the stacking platform receiving signatures as they are released. A plurality of stacking platforms are moved about a closed loop path, each independently driven by an associated drive motor. The speed of each stacking platform is variable and is synchronized with the throughput of the gripper conveyor as well as signature thickness. When a predetermined quantity of signatures has been collected, an upstream stacking platform is moved between the last signature of the preceding stack and the first signature of the next stack. When a stack has been completed, the stacking platform is quickly pulled away from the signature stack allowing it to fall by gravity into a collector, and is thereafter moved quickly to the ready position in preparation for forming a subsequent signature stack.

Abstract: Uniform diameter rollers are used with eccentric members to impart a V-shape to a signature stream in the infeed section of a stacker. At least one of the rollers of the shaft includes an eccentric member to offset the rotational axis of that roller. A roller of the second set provided on a second shaft is similarly offset so that sheet product fed between the rollers will be bent to add rigidity and stiffness to the signature stream.

Abstract: A stack of signatures are dropped upon the platform halves of a rotatable platform, the platform halves being raised to reduce the free fall distance from the point where the stack of signatures are dropped and a lower stack ejection position. The platform halves are lowered as each stack of signatures is delivered thereto. Eventually, the platform is lowered to the stack ejection position and the pusher is pushed through a gap provided between the platform halves to eject a completed bundle from the platform. The pusher moves through the gap as the platform is being raised or lowered to significantly reduce the cycle time. Stack compressors are selectively movable to a position above the turntable and by selectively raising the platform halves, the accumulated stack of signatures on the platform halves are squeezed between the compression members and the platform halves to form a neat, compressed bundle. The turntable is rotatable through a half-revolution to form compensated stacks.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for wrapping a signature bundle by moving a wrapping sheet into the path of movement of a bundle, said sheet being maintained in self-supporting fashion by imparting a bend thereto as it is fed to the wrapping station. The bundle "crashes" into the sheet causing it to collapse and wrap itself about the bundle. When the wrapping operation is completed, the wrapping sheet is wrapped around three contiguous surfaces of the bundle. The sheet is automatically cut and a new wrapping operation is initiated. The wrapping sheet may be printed upon by an ink jet printing characters "on the fly". The characters are printed backwards and "bleed through" the wrapping sheet to appear in normal manner.

Abstract: In an automatic loading system and method wheeled carts receive five or six layers of newspaper bundles of four to six bundles per layer. A waist-high conveyor and an inclined ramp conveyor move bundles to a roller platform of independently operated roller sections selectively halted upon receipt of a bundle. When the desired number of bundles have been delivered to the roller platform, a pusher laterally moves the bundles to a split roller platform. A second group of bundles are delivered to the roller platform and the split roller platform. The sections of the split roller platform are then abruptly pulled apart causing the bundles to drop upon a fork-like platform extending into one side of a cart receiving the bundles. The pusher is retracted to the start position and the fork-like platform is lowered to receive the next layer of bundles in a like manner.

Abstract: A sheet is moved into a tray. The height of a bundle is determined as it moves along a conveyor. A belt drive is activated to pinch the delivered sheet and advance it to a swingable applicator whose outfeed end is movable to a position just above the top of the bundle. Information is printed upon the sheet prior to entering the applicator assembly. The sheet is advanced through the applicator assembly at a speed synchronized with bundle speed. The applicator lays the sheet upon the bundle which is then moved to a wrapper. The outlet end of the applicator assembly is moved so that it is positioned just above the bundle receiving the sheet under control of a height sensor. The timing of sheet delivery is a function of bundle speed and bundle height. A microprocessor responsive to a detector sensing the feeding of the sheet to the applicator assembly and responsive to bundle height controls the initiation of advancement of the sheet from the tray.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for wrapping a signature bundle by moving a wrapping sheet into the path of movement of a bundle, said sheet being maintained in self-supporting fashion by imparting a bend thereto as it is fed to the wrapping station. The bundle "crashes" into the sheet causing it to collapse and wrap itself about the bundle. When the wrapping operation is completed, the wrapping sheet is wrapped around three contiguous surfaces of the bundle. The sheet is automatically cut and a new wrapping operation is initiated. The wrapping sheet may be printed upon by an ink jet printing characters "on the fly". The characters are printed backwards and "bleed through" the wrapping sheet to appear in normal manner.

Abstract: An overlapping signature stream is aligned, squeezed and formed into a stack which is dropped onto a rotatable platform of a lower bin. The platform is raised to reduce the distance between the lower bin and the platform. Pivotally mounted compression clips have compression arms which are pushed into the supports by the dropping stack. The platform lowers the stack beneath the clips enabling them to resume their normal horizontal orientation. The platform is raised to compress the stack between the platform and the clip arms. The platform is then lowered and rotated 180 degrees to receive the next stack and form a compensated bundle. The platform is split, providing a gap enabling passage of a pusher arm to eject a completed bundle. The pusher arm can move through the gap as the platform is raised to significantly reduce cycle time.

Abstract: In an automatic loading system and method wheeled carts receive five or six layers of newspaper bundles of four to six bundles per layer. A waist-high conveyor and an inclined ramp conveyor move bundles to a roller platform of independently operated roller sections selectively halted upon receipt of a bundle. When the desired number of bundles have been delivered to the roller platform, a pusher laterally moves the bundles to a split roller platform. A second group of bundles are delivered to the roller platform and the split roller platform. The sections of the split roller platform are then abruptly pulled apart causing the bundles to drop upon a fork-like platform extending into one side of a cart receiving the bundles. The pusher is retracted to the start position and the fork-like platform is lowered to receive the next layer of bundles in a like manner.