Method and device for producing a rotated stream with a corner gripper
AssigneesHeidelberger Druckmashinen AG, Heidelberg Web Press, Inc.
InventorsCharles Henry Dufour, Kevin Lauren Cote
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing and conveying a product stream includes a conveying belt entering a folder to grip products. The conveying belt comprises product grippers arranged thereon in an endless configuration. At least some of the grippers are selectively rotatable around an axis during movement of the conveying belt to allow for the signatures gripped to be converted into a leading corner configuration. If only a selected set of the grippers are rotated, a secondary stream of products may be formed.
Claims20
An apparatus for conveying a product stream, comprising:
- a conveying belt;
- and
- a plurality of grippers attached to the conveying belt, each of the plurality of grippers gripping a respective product of the product stream and conveying the product stream in a conveying direction, at least one of the plurality of grippers rotating its respective product so as to convey the rotated product in a repetitive A-angle configuration.
An apparatus fox conveying a product stream, comprising:
- a conveying belt;
- a plurality of grippers attached to the conveying belt, each of the plurality of grippers gripping a respective product of the product stream and conveying the product stream in a conveying direction, at least one of the plurality of grippers rotating its respective product so as to convey the rotated product in a leading corner configuration;
- and a positive control mechanism, the positive control mechanism including at least one conveyer belt, the positive control mechanism gripping the products from the product stream, each of the plurality of grippers releasing the product after the product has been gripped by the positive control mechanism.
An apparatus for conveying a product stream, comprising:
- a conveying belt;
- a plurality of grippers attached to the conveying belt, each of the plurality of grippers gripping a respective product of the product stream and conveying the product stream in a conveying direction, at least one of the plurality of grippers rotating its respective product so as to convey the rotated product in a leading corner configuration;
- and
- a positive control mechanism, the positive control mechanism including a first conveyer belt rotating about a first cylinder and a second conveyer belt rotating about a second cylinder, the first and second cylinders forming a nip, the grippers conveying the products into the nip before releasing the products, the positive control mechanism gripping the products from the product stream, each of the plurality of rippers releasing the product after the product has been gripped by the positive control mechanism.
An apparatus for conveying a product stream, comprising:
- a conveying belt;
- and
- a plurality of grippers attached to the conveying belt, each of the plurality of grippers gripping a respective product of the product stream and conveying the product stream, each of the plurality of grippers rotating its respective product so as to convey the respective product in a respective A-angle configuration.
An apparatus for conveying a product stream, comprising:
- a conveying belt;
- and
- a plurality of grippers attached to the conveying belt, each of the plurality of grippers gripping a respective product of the product stream and conveying the products in a conveying direction, at least one of the plurality of grippers changing the conveying direction wherein a second product stream is thereby conveyed in a repetitive A-angle configuration.
A method for conveying a product stream, comprising the steps of:
- gripping each product in a product stream;
- rotating a predetermined number of products of the product stream into a repetitive A-angle configuration;
- and
- conveying the product stream including the products in the repetitive A-angle configuration in a conveying direction.
A method for conveying a product stream, comprising the steps of:
- gripping each product in a product stream;
- rotating each product of the product stream into a repetitive A-angle configuration;
- and
- conveying the product stream in the repetitive A-angle configuration in a conveying direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.