Separator guide for Z-folded sheets
OwnerSiegfried Hartelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A saddle stitching machine is modified by attaching a device which permits the machine to process outside Z-folded sheets when collating a plurality of sheets together for a magazine or other publication. The device operates in synchronization with a suction take-offs and gripper disc of a pocket to permit the sheets to be removed from a stack and deposited on a saddle without jamming. The device utilizes one or more oscillating fingers operating off a cam journaled to the shaft of the gripper disc, and air jets to facilitate transport of each sheet through the stitcher for deposit on the saddle.
Claims14
For use with a single pocket of a saddle stitcher including a frame, a stacking tray, suction take-off means to remove sheets of paper, one at a time from the stacking tray, a cylindrical gripper disc mounted on a rotating shaft, gripper means on the gripper disc for clamping the leading edge of a sheet of paper, and a saddle shuttle,
- a separator guide for an outside Z folded sheet, said sheet comprising first and second flaps joined at a first fold and second and third flaps joined at a second fold, wherein the free edge of the third flap terminates in close proximity to, but short of the first fold, the Z-folded sheet placed on the stacking tray with the first fold forming the leading edge of the sheet as the sheet is withdrawn from the stacking tray and is transferred to the saddle shuttle, said device comprising:
- a) a cam mounted on the shaft on one side of the gripper disc;
- b) a cam follower operatively engaging the cam;
- c) means for translating the motion of the cam follower into reciprocating linear motion;
- d) at least one sheet guide connected to the translating motion means movable linearly toward the gripper disc after a first flap of the Z-folded sheet is removed from the stacking tray by the suction take-offs;
- and
- e) pneumatic means to deflect the edge of the third flap into contact with the guide to cause the flap to be biased toward, and clamped by the gripping means along with the first fold of the sheet.
A saddle stitcher including a separator guide for assembling an outside Z folded sheet into a magazine or the like wherein the Z-folded sheet comprises first and second flaps joined at a first fold and second and third flaps joined at a second fold, and wherein a free edge of the third flap terminates in close proximity to the first fold, the saddle stitcher comprising a stacking tray and means to remove one Z folded sheet at a time from a stack of sheets on the stacking tray and to deliver the sheet to a saddle, said separator guide including:
- a) a rotating gripper disc,
- b) a plurality of suction cups in proximity to the stack, said suction cups mounted to pivot into contact with one sheet of the stack as the gripper disc revolves, and to pivot away from the stack to draw the one sheet from the stack toward the disc, and gripper means rotating with the disc to receive the sheet and to draw the sheet around the disc, the improvement comprising means to facilitate feeding of the Z folded sheet from the tray to the gripper disc in cooperation with the suction cups, said means including at least one guide surface to direct the free edge of the third flap of the sheet from the tray onto the gripper disc and at least one jet of pressurized air applied to the sheet to deflect the free edge away from the stack of sheets on the stacking tray into contact with the guide surface.
A method of removing an outside Z-folded sheet from a stack of Z-folded sheets and restacking the sheet on a saddle stitcher, wherein the Z-folded sheet comprises first and second flaps joined at a first fold and second and third flaps joined at a second fold, and wherein a free edge of the third flap terminates in proximity to the first fold, the sheet placed in a stack with the first fold forming the leading edge of the sheet, the method comprising applying suction to the first flap near the first fold and drawing the flap into contact with grippers which pull the sheet around a gripper disc to additional suction means which open the first fold and deposit the sheet on the saddle, the improvement comprising deflecting the first free edge of the third flap away from the stack and toward the grippers to permit the grippers to simultaneously grip the first fold and the free edge as the sheet is moved around the gripper disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.