Apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine
An apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine that makes it possible to reduce constraining forces when guiding loadbearing elements. The apparatus has loadbearing elements disposed on a crossmember for the auxiliary stack, the loadbearing elements being fastened to the crossmember so as to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
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The invention relates to an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine.
German Patent DE 41 29 164 C1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,261 to Pollich et al., describes a device for combining a residual sheet stack and a main sheet stack in the feeder of a sheet-fed printing press. The device includes a load bearing plate for the residual sheet stack, which has rectangular grooves on its upper side. Rigid, straight, rectangular rods are provided at the spacing of the grooves for the temporary support of the residual stack. The rods are fastened rigidly to a crossmember.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 197 38 029 A1 contains a sheet feeder for a printing press, having an auxiliary stacking table in which rods are provided that are disposed parallel to one another and can be inserted into the plane of a stack. In a first embodiment, resilient mounting of the rods in the form of a flexible crossmember is provided.
The resilient mounting has the effect that there is a difference in travel between the rods when the auxiliary stacking table is pulled out of the sheet feeder. In a further embodiment, one part of the rods is fastened fixedly to a crossmember while another part of the rods is associated with the crossmember through springs. Each spring is associated with a rod guide in which a rod can slide in the longitudinal direction.
The crossmember is moved with a drive to insert the rods into the grooves. Here, there are stringent requirements placed on the dimensions and spacings of the grooves and rods and on the positioning system for the crossmember. In order for it to be possible to guide the rods as freely as possible in the grooves, it is necessary to expend large amounts on costs and material.
In the stacking table with a device for refreshing a stack during continuous operation of a sheet-processing machine according to German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 42 15 791 A1, self-supporting chains are used as deposition elements for an auxiliary stack. The chains are seated on chain sprockets in a parallel configuration. To insert the chain ends into the grooves of a stack board, a motor that acts on the chain sprockets is provided and guide plates and tubular pieces to guide the chains. The mobility of the chains is defined by the geometry of the chain sprockets and chain links.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that makes it possible to reduce constraining forces when guiding loadbearing elements.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, including a crossmember and loadbearing elements being disposed at the crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack, the loadbearing elements being fastened movably to the crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided a chain mechanism, the crossmember having two sides and being coupled to the chain mechanism on both of the two sides, and the loadbearing elements being members pivotably connected to the crossmember.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the invention can be applied particularly advantageously in apparatuses in which pivotably connected members that can be moved on a curved path are used as loadbearing elements.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the apparatus takes up a small amount of volume in such a variant. The ends of the loadbearing elements can be fastened in cutouts in the crossmember through joints.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the at least one joint movably connects the at least one loadbearing element to the crossmember.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the walls of a cutout can simultaneously form stops for the movement of a loadbearing element.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, in order for it to be possible to operate with constraining forces that are as low as possible, a loadbearing element can be coupled to a crossmember through a joint that permits movement in four degrees of freedom. In particular, a universal joint can be provided between the crossmember and a loadbearing element.
If, for supporting a stack, a pallet is used that has grooves in which the loadbearing elements are positioned, the loadbearing elements can be disposed in the crossmember so as to be displaceable within limits in the direction of the movement out of the grooves. Here, pairs of the loadbearing elements can have different limit regions for the displacement.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, including a crossmember moving on a curved path and having cutouts, loadbearing elements being disposed at the crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack, and at least one joint being disposed in at least one of the cutouts between the crossmember and at least one of the loadbearing elements and movably connecting the at least one loadbearing element to the crossmember in at least two degrees of freedom.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, including a guide to be disposed adjacent a location for the auxiliary stack in the printing machine, a crossmember movably disposed at the guide, and loadbearing elements disposed at the crossmember for moving the auxiliary stack, the loadbearing elements being operatively connected to the crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
With the objects of the invention in view, in a printing machine having an auxiliary stack holding sheets, there is also provided an apparatus for picking up the auxiliary stack when conveying the sheets including a crossmember and loadbearing elements disposed at the crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack, the loadbearing elements being fastened movably to the crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to
During printing, the stack 11 is guided against a suction head 23 having suction grippers 24, 25, using the chains 13, 14 in accordance with the printing velocity. Vacuum lines 26 lead to the suction grippers 24, 25. The suction head 23 can be moved to and fro in the horizontal direction 27. The sheets 28 that lie on top of the stack 11 are separated using the suction grippers 24, 25 and are conveyed onto a feed table 29 against front lays 30 by the movement of the suction head 23. The sheets 28 are transferred from the front lays 30 to the feed cylinder 8 by a swinging gripper 31. The sheet 28 is printed as it passes through the nip between the impression cylinder 7 and the transfer cylinder 6. The transport drum 9 transports the sheet 28 to further printing units.
In the height position shown in
If designations that have already been introduced are used in the following description, then they are, in each case, features having the equivalent function.
When the loadbearing elements 17 are inserted into the grooves 38 of the pallet 10 (see
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application No. 103 58 741.1, filed Dec. 4, 2003; the entire disclosure of the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference.
Claims
1. An apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, comprising:
- a crossmember; and
- loadbearing elements being disposed at said crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack, said loadbearing elements being fastened movably to said crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a chain mechanism;
- said crossmember having two sides and being coupled to said chain mechanism on both of said two sides; and
- said loadbearing elements being members pivotably connected to said crossmember.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said crossmember is moved on a curved path.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a curved path and said crossmember moving on said curved path.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said crossmember has cutouts; and
- at least one joint is disposed in at least one of said cutouts between said crossmember and at least one of said loadbearing elements.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said crossmember has cutouts; and
- joints are disposed in said cutouts between said crossmember and each of said loadbearing elements.
7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said at least one joint movably connects said at least one loadbearing element to said crossmember.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said joints movably connect said loadbearing elements to said crossmember.
9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cutouts have walls forming stops for movement of said at least one loadbearing element.
10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said cutouts have walls forming stops for movement of a respective one of said loadbearing elements.
11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said at least one joint provides four degrees of freedom for said at least one loadbearing element.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said joints provide four degrees of freedom for said loadbearing elements.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a universal joint disposed between said crossmember and at least one of said loadbearing elements.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising universal joints disposed between said crossmember and said loadbearing elements.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- the auxiliary stack to be picked up lies on a pallet;
- the pallet has grooves in which said loadbearing elements are to be disposed; and
- said loadbearing elements are disposed displaceably in said crossmember within given limits in a direction of movement out of the grooves.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein given pairs of said loadbearing elements have different regions of limit for the displacement.
17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein at least one pair of said loadbearing elements have different regions of limit for the displacement than other of said loadbearing elements.
18. An apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, comprising:
- a crossmember moving on a curved path and having cutouts;
- loadbearing elements being disposed at said crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack; and
- at least one joint: being disposed in at least one of said cutouts between said crossmember and at least one of said loadbearing elements; and movably connecting said at least one loadbearing element to said crossmember in at least two degrees of freedom.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one joint provides four degrees of freedom for said at least one loadbearing element.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a universal joint disposed between said crossmember and at least one of said loadbearing elements.
21. An apparatus for picking up an auxiliary stack when conveying sheets in a printing machine, comprising:
- a guide to be disposed adjacent a location for the auxiliary stack in the printing machine;
- a crossmember movably disposed at said guide; and
- loadbearing elements disposed at said crossmember for moving the auxiliary stack, said loadbearing elements being operatively connected to said crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
22. In a printing machine having an auxiliary stack holding sheets, an apparatus for picking up the auxiliary stack when conveying the sheets comprising:
- a crossmember; and
- loadbearing elements disposed at said crossmember for picking up the auxiliary stack, said loadbearing elements being fastened movably to said crossmember to pivot in at least two degrees of freedom.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 15, 2004
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2005
Applicant:
Inventors: Michael Bantlin (Wiesloch), Wolfgang Dolz (Heidelberg), Gotz Ruder (Heidelberg)
Application Number: 10/988,815