US 2010/0025189 A1 · METHOD AND DEVICE FOR UNIFYING IMBRICATED FLOWS

Abstract

A method and a device are provided for combining overlapping flows (S1, S2) of flat products (10, 20), particularly of printed products, to common product flows (P3). The products (10, 20) from the first or second overlapping flows (S1, S2) are received by an intermediate conveyor (50), and transported to a first product flow (P1), or a second product flow (P2), by means of the intermediate conveyor (50). The distance (d) of the product flows (P1, P2) is successively reduced so that the product flows (P1, P2) form the common product flow (P3). The products (10, 20) are conveyed at least directly before combining the product flows (P1, P2) such that a space (12, 22) is located at least between the groups of products (10, 20) within the first, or within the second product flow (P1, P2). The products (10, 20) of at least one of the product flows (P1, P2) are displaced in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to the surface normal (14, 24) relative to the products (10, 20) of the other product flow (P1, P2).

Claims17

Dependent claims

-16. (canceled)

A method for unifying at least one first and a second imbricated flow of flat products, in particular printed products, into a common product flow consisting of products of the first or second imbricated flow, comprising the following steps:

conveying the flat products in the first imbricated flow and in the second imbricated flow, wherein the imbricated flows are initially arranged at a distance with respect to one another;
transferring the products from the first and second imbricated flow to an intermediate conveyor;
conveying the products by the intermediate conveyor in a first product flow and in a second product flow respectively;
forming the common product flow by successively reducing a distance of the product flows during the conveying step, so that the product flows at least approximately move through the same spatial region;
wherein the step of forming the common product flow further comprises:
creating space intervals between individual products or between groups of products within the first and second product flow respectively;
arranging the products of at least of one of the product flows with an essentially horizontal orientation of their surface normals;
inserting the products with an essentially horizontal orientation of their surface normals into the space intervals within the other product flow, in order to create the common product flow.

5 more elements

A device for unifying at least one first and a second imbricated flow of flat products, in particular printed products, into a common product flow consisting of products of the first or second imbricated flow, comprising:

a first and a second conveyor for conveying the flat products in the first imbricated flow and in the second imbricated flow, wherein the first and second conveyors are arranged at a distance with respect to one another;
an intermediate conveyor with conveyor elements which are capable of receiving the products from the first and second conveyor and conveying them in a first product flow and in a second product flow respectively, in a manner such that space intervals are created within the first and second product flow respectively, and that a distance of the product flows is reduced by displacing the products at least of one of the product flows with an essentially horizontal orientation of their surface normals, into the space intervals within the other product flow, such that the product flows at least approximately move through the same spatial region and form a common product flow.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and device for unifying imbricated flows

Life of this patent

Method and device for unifying imbricated flows

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17