US 5,293,797 A · Multiple point delivery apparatus for separating of sheet-like elements

Abstract

A sheet diverter apparatus diverts sheets into alternate paths by guiding the leading portion of each sheet through a gap in a horizontal conveyor into alternate diverter belt conveyor units where the sheet is firmly grasped for transfer. The one conveyor unit is a horizontal unit having a top belt conveyor and a bottom belt conveyor, one of which is offset downstream to form a diverting gap. A diverter is located to successively rotate through the gap and divert the alternate sheet into the angulated conveyor unit. In an upwardly angulated conveyor, the horizontal moving sheet is supported by the bottom conveyor belt of the horizontal unit. In a downward angulated conveyor unit, the length of the gap is selected to maintain sheet flow across a gap in the plane of the sheet. The top conveyor of the horizontal unit assists the support of the horizontal sheet. The linear or surface speed of the diverter cam is greater than the linear speed of the sheet. The cam surface is constructed with a low friction surface such as provided by a low friction plastic coating. An air cushion may be created between the cam face of the diverter and the sheet. A low pressure air passageway through the diverter terminates in the face of the cam and establishes a thin air film between the sheet and the cam surface. The air film prevents adverse interengagement between the cam and the sheet.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A separating apparatus for processing a series of sheet-like elements having a bottom surface and an upper surface and moving in a horizontal path, comprising

a horizontal conveyor unit having an input end and an output end and operable to transport said sheet-like elements in a substantially horizontal path from said input end and discharge said elements in a substantially horizontal plane at said output end, an angulated conveyor unit having an input end extending downstream in common with said horizontal conveyor unit to define a common input section and extending angularly downwardly from said common input section in an angulated path,
said horizontal conveyor unit including a top conveyor extending throughout the length of said horizontal conveyor unit, said horizontal conveyor unit including a bottom conveyor located downstream of said input section and defining a diverting gap and being aligned with the top conveyor to form a nip at the downstream end of said diverting gap, said diverting gap defining a completely unobstructed bottom opening in said horizontal conveyor unit between said input section and said bottom conveyor, said sheet-like element moving with said bottom surface of said element free of support across said unobstructed opening into the nip of said top conveyor and said bottom conveyor whereby said sheet-like element moves across said opening without support beneath said sheet-like element, and
a rotating diverter unit mounted above said horizontal conveyor unit and including at least one rotating cam member moving downwardly through said gap and operable to divert a sheet-like element from said horizontal path downwardly through said gap into said angulated conveyor unit.

An apparatus for moving horizontally moving sheet-like elements in a planar path through a conveyor unit having a gap in the conveyor unit, comprising input means for feeding said sheet-like elements into said conveyor unit along the planar path of said conveyor unit, a rotating diverter element movable through said gap with a curved cam surface tangential to said path, said input means moving said sheet-like elements into and through said path at a predetermined and essentially constant linear speed, and said diverter element rotating at a constant velocity and with said curved cam surface moving at a linear speed through said gap on the order of at least ten percent greater than the linear speed of said sheet-like elements moving through said gap.

A diverter apparatus for forming and separating a series of signatures including a plurality of integral pages folded on a common edge, comprising

a cutter apparatus adapted to receive a web of indefinite lengths including repeated successive signatures thereon and operable to separate said web into a series of separate signatures moving in spaced succession in a planar horizontal path with the folded edge moving longitudinally in the direction of said path,
a diverter unit including a horizontal conveyor unit and an angulated conveyor unit, said conveyor units having a common horizontal input section, said horizontal conveyor unit having a bottom conveyor extending from and through said common input section to a discharge end and having a top conveyor spaced downstream of said inlet section to define a diverting top gap above said horizontal conveyor unit,
said angulated conveyor unit having a top conveyor including said inlet section and defining a path extending upwardly from said inlet section and a bottom conveyor having an input end spaced upwardly from said inlet section and the lower portion of said top conveyor,
first and second rotating diverter elements each having at least one curved cam surface and the circumferential length of said curved cam surfaces having a length substantially less than the length of said signature,
said first diverter element being located beneath said horizontal conveyor unit, said curved cam surface having a constant radius with respect to the axis of rotation of said first diverter element, said axis being located to move said curved cam surface tangentially through the nip between said top conveyor and said bottom conveyor of said horizontal conveyor unit,
said second diverter element rotating with its cam surface moving tangentially through the nip of the bottom conveyor and top conveyor of said angulated conveyor unit,
means coupled to said diverter elements for rotating said cam surfaces in timed relation to the movement of the signatures into the separating apparatus to engage a leading portion of each assigned signature and direct the leading edge portion into the nip of the corresponding horizontal conveyor unit and the nip of the angulated conveyor unit and with said cam surface disengaging said signature prior to movement of the trailing portion into said nip, and
said conveyors constituting the sole source for transporting of the element through said diverter unit after the diverter element disengages said signature, said cam surface includes a low friction exterior surface, including an air supply supply means for establishing a thin air film between said cam surfaces and said sheet-like elements to effectively minimize frictional interengagement with said sheet-like element, and wherein said air supply means includes an air passageway within each said diverting elements and a plurality of discharge openings circumferentially spaced along said cam surface, and means for coupling of a pressurized air source to said passageway wherein air is discharged from said cam surface to establish said thin air film between said cam surface and said sheet-like element.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multiple point delivery apparatus for separating of sheet-like elements

Life of this patent

Multiple point delivery apparatus for separating of sheet-like elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19