US 5,293,698 AGranted

System for temporarily storing printed products removed from a printing machine

AssigneeMAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG

InventorGodber Petersen

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Abstract

To provide for temporary storage of freshly printed signatures (6), transported by a continuously moving product transport gripper chain (4, 5), a plurality of pocket structures (12), each of which includes a plurality of connected sheet-like elements (16,17) which, between each other, define pockets (15), are provided. The sheet-like elements are arranged for pivotable movement about an end portion to permit fan-like spreading out of the elements for reception in the pockets of, for example, one product or signature delivered by the transport system. Storage units are provided to store empty pocket structures and to receive pocket structures which are filled with signatures. The storage structures, preferably, are formed of separate sheet-like elements connected together, and engaging the signatures at marginal portions, so that access can be provided to the signature, for example from below, for compressed air or other drying gas, to dry the fresh ink on the signatures, for example when placed within the storage units (26). To space the sheet-like elements, preferably, a small projection or tab is placed on them at facing surfaces, in the region of the margins of the signatures, that is, in non-printed areas thereof.

Removal system for printed products or signatures (6) from a printing machine (1, 2, 3) comprising

continuously moving product transport means (5) including gripper means (4) positioned to receive the printed products from the printing machine,
a storage unit (26, 33), said storage unit including
a plurality of pocket structures (12, 23, 36) positioned to receive the printed products from the transport means (4, 5) at a product loading station (24).
each of said pocket structures comprising
a plurality of connected sheet-like elements (16, 17), said sheet-like elements being pivotably coupled together next to each other an end portion and spreadably coupled at a region remote from said end portion to permit, selectively, spreading out, in fan form, of the sheet-like elements and defining pockets or pocket structures (15) between adjacent sheet-like elements for reception of at least one product or signature (6) in the pockets (15) between said elements at said delivery station (24),
said sheet-like elements being collapsible towards each other, with or without a product (6) in the pockets (15);
pocket structure transport means (13, 14, 25, 32, 37, 38, 39;
45, 46) engageable with the pocket structure having printed products therein, collapsing the sheet-like elements (16, 17) towards each other to close the pockets or pocket elements (15) and move said pocket structure to said storage unit 926, 33),
said pocket structure transport means further being engageable with collapsed, empty pocket structures (23) and moving said empty pocket structures to said delivery position (24) for receiving printed products in the pockets or pocket structures (15) formed by spreading the sheet-like elements (16, 17) of the respective empty pocket structure;
the storage unit (26) storing empty storage structures (23) and receiving storage structures (36) with products or signatures (6) in the pockets thereof,
said pocket structure transport means including removal transport means (37, 38, 39, 41, 51, 52) engageable, selectively, with the storage unit (26) for removal of the pocket structure from the storage unit.

8 more elements

Abstract

Claims20