Gripper assembly for a matched velocity transfer device
AssigneeHeidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
InventorsKevin Lauren Cote, Richard Daniel Curley, Joseph Adrian St. Ours
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gripper assembly for a deceleration/acceleration drum is described which includes a pivot arm with a gripper seat and a gripper bar with a gripper and a pin assembly. The assembly further includes a first toggle link supported by the pivot arm about a first pivot points the gripper bar is able to partially rotate about the first toggle link about a second pivot point. The assembly also includes a second toggle link supported by the pivot arm which supports the pin assembly of the gripper bar.
Claims10
A gripper assembly for a deceleration/acceleration drum, comprising:
- a pivot arm having at least one gripper seat;
- a gripper bar having at least one gripper and a pin assembly;
- a first toggle link supported by said pivot arm about a first pivot point, said gripper bar is able to partially rotate about said first toggle link about a second pivot point;
- a second toggle link supported by said pivot arm and supporting said pin assembly of said gripper bar;
- and
- a cam having a contoured path formed therein, said pin assembly extending into and guided by said contoured path, a rotation of said cam causing a movement of said pin assembly such that said gripper moves one of towards and away from said gripper seat due to the rotation of said cam, while said gripper seat is being moved such that said gripper seat is directly aligned with a leading edge of a signature and is traveling at a same velocity as the signature, said cam starts driving said gripper in a direction of said gripper seat such that the signature is eventually held between said gripper and said gripper seat without changing a velocity of the signature.
A matched velocity transfer device, comprising:
- a plurality of gripper assemblies each including:
- a pivot arm having at leas t one gripper seat;
- a gripper bar having at least one gripper and a pin assembly;
- a first toggle link supported by said pivot arm about a first pivot point, said gripper bar is able to partially rotate about said first toggle link about a second pivot point;
- and
- a second toggle link supported by said pivot arm and supporting said pin assembly of said gripper bar;
- a cam having a contoured path formed therein, said pin assembly extending into and guided by said contoured path, a rotation of said cam causing a movement of said pin assembly such that said gripper moves one of towards and away from said gripper seat and said gripper bar moves one of towards and away from said pivot arm due to the rotation of said cam;
- and
- drive wheels driving said plurality of gripper assemblies and said cam, said drive wheels moving a respective gripper assembly such that said gripper projects through-a space in front of a leading edge of a signature being delivered on a transport system, the respective gripper assembly moving into position such that said gripper seat is directly aligned with the leading edge of the signature and said gripper seat travels at a same velocity as the signature, said gripper moves in a direction of said gripper seat such that the signature is held between said gripper and said gripper seat such that the velocity of the signature is not changed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.