Apparatus and method for removing and conveying away a sample copy from an orderly flow of printed products
AssigneeFeramatic AG
InventorWalter Reist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system removes and conveys a sample copy from a fast moving, orderly material flow of printed materials without disturbing the other products in the material flow. The apparatus includes a power driven conveyor and a conveying chain mounted on guide pulleys, with one of the pulleys located adjacent the material flow. A gripper is coupled to the chain and has a cushioning spring. A cushioning clamp engages and pretensions the cushioning spring to engage a selected sample copy. A control regulates operation of the gripper and clamp in response to detection of individual products and their speed.
Claims20
An apparatus for removing and conveying away a sample copy from an orderly imbricated material flow of printed products, comprising:
- a power driven conveyor for conveying an orderly imbricated flow of printed products;
- a conveying chain mounted on guide pulleys, one of said pulleys located adjacent the material flow;
- a first gripper coupled to said chain, said gripper having relatively movable first and second gripping members and an elongated, flexible cushioning spring extending from said first gripping member, said cushioning spring being bendable about an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof and being movable between a ready position in which said cushioning spring is bent and pretensioned such that a free end of said cushioning spring is biased toward said conveyor and a guiding position in which said free end engages the material flow to guide the sample copy between said gripping members;
- a cushioning spring clamp releasably coupled to said cushioning spring for maintaining said cushioning spring in said ready position;
- and
- control means for regulating operation of said gripper and said clamp in response to detection of individual products and speed thereof.
A method for removing and carrying away a sample copy from an orderly material flow of printed materials, comprising the steps of:
- conveying a discrete imbricated material flow of flat products along a longitudinal axis on a power driven conveyor;
- detecting the material flow;
- associating a sample product in the material flow with a deflection means;
- deflecting the sample product with the deflection means into an open gripper by bending and prestressing an elongated and flexible cushioning spring against a cushioning spring clamp to bias a free end of the cushioning spring toward the material flow, and then by releasing the cushioning spring from the cushioning spring clamp such that the cushioning spring free end moves rapidly against the material flow in front of the sample product to guide the sample product into the open gripper;
- operating the gripper to fix the sample product therein;
- and
- accelerating the gripper with the cushioning spring and with the sample product therein during an acceleration phase along a path having a continuously increasing angle relative to the material flow longitudinal axis, the path being defined by a front edge of the sample product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.