Separator for book blocks
AssigneeHunkeler AG
InventorsKurt Graber, Lukas Wullschleger, Daniel Häfliger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for separating printed products out of a stack, the device including a feed device which defines a substantially horizontal plane, a first stop element which is arranged on a mounting support as well as a transfer device which defines a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the feed device moves the stack against the first stop element, wherein the transfer device accepts and transfers the bottommost printed product out of the stack from the feed device, wherein the feed device includes a vacuum conveyor, by means of which the bottom surface of the bottommost printed product is sucked up at least in portions, as well as to a corresponding method.
Claims18
A device for separating printed products out of a stack, said device comprising
- a control unit,
- a feed device which defines a substantially horizontal plane in the form of a supporting table,
- a first stop element which is arranged on a mounting support, and
- a transfer device which defines a substantially horizontal plane,
- wherein the feed device moves the stack in a forward direction against the first stop element,
- wherein the transfer device accepts and transfers the bottommost printed product out of the stack from the feed device,
- wherein the feed device includes a vacuum conveyor, by means of which the bottom surface of the bottommost printed product is sucked up at least in portions leaving a residual stack,
- wherein the vacuum conveyor comprises a width which is smaller than the width of the stack, and
- wherein the feed device comprises valve devices which are integrated in the supporting table on both sides of the vacuum conveyor for generating an air cushion,
- wherein the control unit is configured to trigger a return transport of the residual stack on the vacuum conveyor of the feed device in a rearward direction opposite of the forward direction, and
- wherein the feed device is moved with the residual stack in the rearward direction before the acceptance of the bottommost printed product by the transfer device has been concluded wherein the bottommost printed product and the residual stack are pulled apart.
A method for separating printed products out of a stack, said method including the following steps:
- (a) sucking, at least in portions, the bottom surface of the bottommost printed product out of the stack by means of a vacuum that is generated in a feed device thereby leaving a residual stack, wherein the feed device comprises a supporting table and a vacuum conveyor, wherein the width of the vacuum conveyor is smaller than the width of the stack;
- (b) moving the stack in a forward direction by means of the vacuum conveyor against a first stop element, such that
- (c) the bottommost printed product out of the stack passes the first stop element and
- (d) is accepted and transferred by a transfer device,
- wherein during movement of the stack according to step (b), an air cushion is generated by means of valve devices which are integrated in the supporting table on both sides of the vacuum conveyor, and
- (e) moving the feed device with the residual stack in a rearward direction opposite of the forward direction before the acceptance of the bottommost printed product by the transfer device according to step (d) has been concluded such that the bottommost printed product and the residual stack are pulled apart,
- wherein movement of the residual stack on the vacuum conveyor of the feed device in the rearward direction is triggered by means of a control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.