Swinging gripper arrangement for sheet-processing machines, in particular, sheet-fed offset printing presses

A swinging gripper apparatus for use in a sheet-processing machine, such as a printing press, the sheet-processing machine having a cylinder for receiving, on the periphery thereof, sheets to be printed and a feed table for supplying the sheets to be printed, said swinging gripper apparatus comprising:

• a rocker arm member, said rocker arm member having a pivotally mounted first end and a second end, said second end of said rocker arm member being selectably positionable about said pivotally mounted first end between a first position substantially adjacent the cylinder and a second position substantially adjacent the feed table;
• means for moving said rocker arm member between said first position and said second position;
• a cam function segment member, said cam function segment member having at least one arcuate camming surface provided thereon;
• a pivot point being stationarily mounted on the sheet-processing machine;
• said cam segment member being pivotally mounted about said pivot point and being pivotal about said pivot point between a first orientation and a second orientation, said cam segment member being closer to said pivotally mounted first end of said rocker arm member in said first orientation than in said second orientation;
• at least one gripper member pivotally mounted on said second end of said rocker arm member for pivotal movement with respect thereto;
• a lever arm extending from said at least one gripper member;
• a cam follower member mounted on said lever arm, said cam follower member being in contact with said at least one arcuate surface provided on said cam segment member;
• a camming wheel having a camming surface provided on the periphery thereof;
• an additional lever arm connected to said cam segment member and extending radially from said pivot point, said additional lever arm having an additional cam follower member mounted thereon and in contact with said camming surface of said camming wheel;
• and
• a further lever arm connected to said cam segment member and extending from said pivot point;
• a singular biasing means, said singular biasing means being connected to said further lever arm.

A swinging gripper apparatus for use in a sheet-processing machine, such as a rotary printing press, the sheet-processing machine having a cylinder for receiving, on the periphery thereof, sheets to be printed and a feed table for supplying the sheets to be printed, said swinging gripper apparatus comprising:

• a rocker arm member, said rocker arm member having a pivotally mounted first end and a second end, said second end of said rocker arm member being selectably positionable about said pivotally mounted first end between a first position substanitally adjacent the cylinder and a second position substantially adjacent the feed table;
• means for moving said rocker arm member between said first position and said second position;
• a cam function segment member, said cam function segment member having two opposing, internal arcuate camming surfaces provided therein;
• means for moving said cam segment member between a first orientation and a second orientation, said cam segment member being closer to said pivotally mounted first end of said rocker arm member in said first orientation than in said second orientation;
• at least one gripper member pivotally mounted on said second end of said rocker arm member for pivotal movement with respect to said second end of said rocker arm member;
• a lever arm extending from said at least one gripper member;
• and
• a sole cam follower member mounted on said lever arm, said cam follower member being positioned between said two opposing arcuate surfaces provided on said cam segment member.