With Means To Adjust Gripper Patents (Class 271/206)
  • Patent number: 5125336
    Abstract: The device has a transfer cylinder (2) with a drum (4) which is adjustable in the circumferential direction relative to its shaft (3) and which carries sheet grippers (8) with a front stop (8a) for the sheets (B). The diameter of the transfer drum (2) is equal to 1/N of the diameter of the plate cylinder which carries N printing plates. The shaft (3) of the transfer cylinder (2) rotates at a constant speed and executes N revolutions when the plate cylinder is executing one revolution. By means of a controllable setting device, the drum (4) is so displaced relative to the shaft (3) during each revolution that the front stop (8a), when its transfer position in which a sheet is transferred to the impression cylinder (D) is passed, assumes a position by which the exact register of this sheet in relation to the position of the printing plate printing it on the plate cylinder is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: De La Rue Giori S.A.
    Inventor: Albrecht J. Germann
  • Patent number: 5125334
    Abstract: In order to improve mechanical positive synchronization in a sheet-fed printing machine between gripper carriages guided in wave-like fashion through printing units on endless chains and the associated impression cylinder, the impression cylinders (1) have twice the diameter of the plate and blanket cylinders (2, 3). Sprocket wheels (34), also of twice the diameter of the blanket cylinders, are fixed on the ends of the double-size impression cylinders (1) and on them there are disposed two diametrically opposite gripper carriage locating and fixing devices (24-32) which are adjustable both radially and tangentially and which can also be used to bring the different printing plates into register with one another on the printed sheet (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Karl Marx, Ingo Kobler, Erich Wegel, Rudolf Melzer, Valentin Gensheimer, Georg Hartung, Bert Cappel
  • Patent number: 5110109
    Abstract: A gripper device for manually adjusting the position of a pair of gripper rows disposed on opposite sides of the periphery of double-size sheet-guiding cylinders, to a work and turn angle of exactly 180.degree.. Each of the gripper rows includes a cam follower roller and at least one cam follower roller is adapted to have its center-line displaced relative to the axis of the gripper shaft so that the distance between the axes can be varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Christoph Stanco, Heinrich Ochs, Kurt Difflipp
  • Patent number: 5048815
    Abstract: A gripper device on a sheet-fed rotary printing machine formed of a sheet gripper seat and a sheet gripper, and having a gripper housing with a gripper arm swivellable about a gripper shaft, comprising an articulation point with an elastic restoring force on the gripper arm, the articulation point being disposed close to the start of a gripper finger having a pressure surface located on one side of a connecting line between a middle point of a gripper shaft and a front edge of the gripper-finger pressure surface, the articulation point being disposed at a location in an area starting from the connecting line and extending over a side of the connecting line located opposite to the side thereof in which the gripper finger is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Dieter Bergmeier, Hans-Peter Hiltwein
  • Patent number: 5007629
    Abstract: In an imbricated formation delivered by an infeed device in each case two printed products lie in pairs upon one another and, viewed in a predetermined product conveying direction, bear upon the upstream or trailing printed product pair. A suction roll is arranged downstream of the infeed device which causes the current lower printed product to be downwardly bent in a direction transverse to a product conveying plane. The leading edges of the printed products are introduced in such separated or fanned apart condition into a respective gripper, engaged by such respective gripper and outfed in a further predetermined conveying direction. The spacing between neighboring grippers is minimal at a product take-over region, so that when the grippers are open in each instance a leading gripper finger of a trailing gripper bears against a trailing gripper finger of the neighboring leading gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventors: Jurg Eberle, Hans-Ulrich Stauber
  • Patent number: 4978117
    Abstract: Flexible printing plates are produced by a printing plate producing machine and then transferred at a transfer station to a series of grippers mounted on an endless roller chain and which can be swiveled and opened by cooperating connecting links to engage the printing plates. The printing plates are then brought to an unloading station where the grippers are pneumatically opened in a receiving head and the printing plates are dropped into a plate stacker for guiding the printing plates into a series of bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Daverio AG
    Inventors: Willy Maier, Thomas Bachmann, Martin Konrad, Markus Staub
  • Patent number: 4932647
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for withdrawing a selected number of consecutive copies of newspapers, for instance, from a series of said products travelling horizontally and arranged in overlapping formation (4), a gripper (10) in the form of a mechanical clamp is caused to engage with the desired number of copies by the front edge of the clamp being kept in contact with the formation along a selected distance, the clamp being driven with a speed difference in relation to the formation such that a selected number of copies enter the clamp along the selected distance. At the end of the distance the clamp is closed and its speed thereafter accelerated in relation to the formation, to a speed considerably higher than that of the formation, its direction deviating only marginally from the direction of movement of the formation. Only a few consecutive copies are withdrawn from the formation so that no gaps occur in the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Wamac AB
    Inventor: Gote Svensson
  • Patent number: 4887809
    Abstract: The transport apparatus comprises an endless guide device extending in a closed path and at which there are guided a number of entrainment elements. These entrainment elements are interconnected by a toothed belt deformed into a substantially wave-shaped configuration by attachment elements secured at the entrainment elements. At each of the starting region and terminal region of the conveying-active path of the transport apparatus, there are rotatably mounted two parallel cam discs rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation by related drives. Recesses in the cam discs act upon the entrainment elements such that the latter are driven at the starting region and terminal region of the conveying-active path and are dispositioned in a predetermined mutual position. The spacing between the entrainment elements at the conveying-active path and at the non-conveying active path is compensated by the resilient action of the wave-shaped deformed toothed belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Jurg Eberle
  • Patent number: 4869169
    Abstract: A sheet transfer conveyor for rotary sheet feed printing press comprising a pair of chains which support and transport a plurality of gripper carrying trolleys which successively engage the leading edge of a sheet from a printing press cylinder, such as an impression cylinder, for removing the sheet from the cylinder and transferring it to the next printing unit or to a delivery unit. The trolleys are supported on the chains by resilient mountings which, following engagement of a sheet by the gripper, pivot the trolley under a spring biasing force to maintain substantially constant tension on the sheet throughout the period the sheet is being removed from the cylinder. Guide rails are provided which define a guide channel for guiding the trolleys into predetermined relation to the cylinder for engaging the sheet, and at such point, the guide rails are recessed to permit pivotal movement of the trolley under the biasing force of the spring mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: M.A.N. - Roland
    Inventors: Herbert Rebel, Marco Bergmann
  • Patent number: 4848533
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus for panels is equipped with two revolving endless conveyor belt members such as chains etc. The chains are connected with each other with successively arranged transverse organs such as cross bars. On each cross bar there are mounted displaceably with braking two panel-engaging devices comprising clamping springs for gripping and transferring panels from a charging to a discharging station past a random number of intermediate processing stations. Two pneumatically operable pusher members push the panel-engaging devices into contact with the lateral edges of an arriving panel and cause the clamping springs to grip the panel. At the discharging station, two separating pusher members of similar construction open the clamping springs and push the panel-engaging devices apart toward their terminal positions at opposite ends of their cross bar, thus setting the panel free to be discharged from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Martin, Hansjorg Singenberger, Viktor Lechleitner
  • Patent number: 4846061
    Abstract: A gripper device for a printing machine for handling sheet-shaped material with a gripper shaft swivellable about its longitudinal axis and a gripper finger firmly connected to the gripper shaft so that a gripper point thereof is movable away from a gripper support when the gripper shaft is swivelled in a first direction, is initially displaceable into contact with the gripper support when the gripper shaft is swivelled in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is capable of exerting a holding force on the gripper support when the gripper shaft is swivelled farther in the second direction, and a device for adjusting contact between the gripper point and the gripper support includes a resilient section forming a part of the gripper finger and connected to the gripper point, the resilient section having neutral fibers and formed as at least one resilient rod extending substantially in the direction of a plane determined by the longitudinal axis of the gripper shaft and by the gripper point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Willi Jeschke, Dieter Bergmeier
  • Patent number: 4735142
    Abstract: Sheet transfer drum located between two printing units of a multicolor sheet-fed rotary printing press and having a cylindrical surface formed of a plurality of sheet-carrying elements arranged in succession around the circumference of the drum, including a suction means applicable to the trailing edge of a sheet of paper to be printed, mountings located at ends of the sheet transfer drum for carrying the sheet to be printed, each of the end mountings being formed by a respective guide channel oriented in circumferential direction of the sheet transfer drum, the guide channel having a radially outer portion and a radially farther inward portion, at least the outer of the radial portions being substantially equal in length to a maximum format of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Rudi Haupenthal
  • Patent number: 4681213
    Abstract: A gripper assembly includes a movable clamp member which is rotatable relative to a stationary clamp member from a fully open position to any one of a plurality of closed positions to grip an article of a selected size between clamp members. When a releasable clutch or retainer assembly is in an engaged condition, the clutch prevents rotation of the movable clamp member from any one of the closed positions back to the fully open position. An actuator assembly is operable to release the clutch to enable the movable clamp member to rotate back to the fully open position. The clutch includes a coil spring having a plurality of turns which grip surfaces connected with the stationary and movable clamp members when the clutch is in the engaged condition. The actuator assembly operates the clutch from the engaged condition to the release condition by applying a force to the turns of the coil spring urging the turns to flex in a direction tending to increase the diameter of the coil spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Harris Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Michael E. Winiasz
  • Patent number: 4643414
    Abstract: A control and regulating apparatus for a sheet-delivery device for sheet-processing machines, and in particular, for sheet-printing machines, is provided.Several of the adjustable elements of the delivery device have separate control motors with feedback of the setting attained to a reference-value-setting meansor they have electromagnetic valves. The reference-value-setting means is provided with a respective input means for paper weight, sheet format and speed of rotation of the machine, and it is connected to or integrated with a computer which supplies to the reference-value-setting means the reference values in respect of all settings of the feeder, such reference values being empirically determined for each operating condition and stored in the form of a family or characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Miller-Johannisberg Druckmaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Willi Weisgerber
  • Patent number: 4582316
    Abstract: A device for withdrawing printed sheets from a delivery of a sheet-fed rotary printing machine for examination and sorting purposes, the delivery being a chain delivery with gripper rows attached to the chain and having grippers operable by cam control, withdrawal of the printed sheets being initiated by a delayed opening of the respective grippers, includes a first gripper-opening cam, means for releasing the first gripper-opening cam from a locked position thereof so that it is engageable with a rotating control cam for bringing the first gripper-opening cam into a position wherein opening of the grippers is effected and is prevented, a second gripper-opening cam for initiating a delayed opening of the grippers, the second gripper-opening cam being disposed downstream from the first gripper-opening cam in travel direction of the printed sheets, and means for feeding the printed sheets released from the grippers, when the grippers are opened, directly to a conveyance device for further transporting the print
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Arno Wirz
  • Patent number: 4579471
    Abstract: The printer is constructed for multiple merging feed paths sharing a pivotable brake and by means of adjustably mounted different sets of rolls different combinations in the disposition of the rolls and the brake vis-a-vis the platen drum different modes of transportation are attainable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hendrischk
  • Patent number: 4569284
    Abstract: A sheet handling mechanism for use in a duplicating machine for duplicating images on both sides of copy sheets including a first printing couple for transferring a first image to a first side of a copy sheet and a second printing couple for transferring a second image to a second side of the sheet. The sheet handling mechanism includes a conveyor movable between the first and second printing couples. Gripper mechanism are operatively associated with the conveyor for gripping the lead end of a copy sheet issuing from the first printing couple and rotating the sheet about an axis generally parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor to present the second side of the sheet, lead end first, to the second printing couple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1986
    Assignee: AM International
    Inventor: Stanley Witczak
  • Patent number: 4462588
    Abstract: A strip conveyor transports a strip by the edge thereof with a guide clip, the ends of which are coupled to chains of the conveyor. Sensors are arranged at a position where the clip becomes disengaged from the conveyor, and upon both ends of the clips reaching this position, a holding and transporting device engages the strip, and then conveys it for cutting along lines perpendicular to edges of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Kogane
  • Patent number: 4205606
    Abstract: A control mechanism for grippers of a sheet delivery device particularly on a printing machine, is disclosed. A chain delivery device is provided with a gripper mechanism whereby printed paper sheets coming from a printing unit are grabbed by the grippers, then carried to a delivery area at which point the grippers are opened and the paper sheets are released by the grippers and fall onto a pile of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1980
    Assignee: Adamovske Strojirny, Narodni Podnik
    Inventor: Jaroslav Jiruse
  • Patent number: 4201286
    Abstract: An apparatus for individually conveying printed products arriving in an imbricated product stream, comprising a number of driven controlled grippers revolving and guided in a closed path of travel for engaging the leading edge of the printed products. The gripper drive contains means for temporarily restraining the grippers. The gripper drive has at least one continuously driven sluice for the cycled recall of the restrained or stopped grippers. Operatively associated with the sluice is an endless revolving conveyor element equipped with entrainment members engaging the trailing edge of the products, the entrainment members being provided at a uniform spacing at the conveyor element. The conveyor element, as concerns the entrainment members, is driven in cycle with the sluice and opposite in sense to the sense of rotation or revolution of the grippers. There is also provided an infeed device having a drive operatively coupled with the drive of the sluice by a synchronous control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1980
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Jacques Meier
  • Patent number: 4063724
    Abstract: An image transfer device for transferring an electro-photographically formed image onto a transfer medium comprises grip means for gripping the transfer medium, supporting and moving means for supporting the grip means and moving it cyclically in an endless form, feed means for feeding the transfer medium to be gripped by the grip means, the feed means having a movable paper guide plate disposed adjacent to the path of cyclical movement of the grip means, corona transfer means for transferring the image onto the transfer medium gripped by the grip means, separator means for separating the transfer medium from the grip means, transport means for transporting the separated transfer medium, and control means for causing all of the above-mentioned means to cooperate with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1977
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Suda
  • Patent number: 3948508
    Abstract: A chain delivery sheet feeding device, including a sheet size selector switch for selecting a desired sheet size among paper sheets of different sizes which are separately carried on a plural number of paper trays located within the apparatus. A plurality of grippers are provided on chain members for gripping the paper sheets. A sheet releasing device is also provided for separating the paper sheets from the grippers. The sheet releasing device comprises a switching member having a movable gripper-releasing cam member which is adapted to operate under the control of a solenoid device which determines the sheet releasing point for the grippers. A size selector switch and the sheet releasing point determining solenoid device are opreated in relation to each other by means of a delay circuit in such a manner that a current sheet releasing point is retained until the last one of a number of copy sheets for a preceeding original size is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1976
    Assignee: Rank Xerox Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Kanazawa