Signature transport device with rotary arm and method
AssigneeGoss International Americas, Inc.
InventorGlen Roger Caron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A signature transport device is provided. The signature transport device includes a first conveyor moving a stream of folded signatures in a first direction, a rotary arm having a gripper, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the rotary arm moving the folded signature in a second direction, a toothed drum engaging a portion of the folded signature, the rotary arm rotating past the toothed drum to open the folded signature and a second conveyor receiving the opened signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate. A method is also provided.
Claims17
A signature transport device comprising:
- a first conveyor moving a stream of folded signatures in a first direction;
- a rotary arm having a gripper, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the rotary arm moving the folded signature in a second direction;
- a toothed drum engaging a portion of the folded signature, the rotary arm rotating past the toothed drum to open the folded signature;
- and
- a second conveyor receiving the opened signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate;
- wherein the folded signature remains in an upright orientation while the gripper grips the folded signature.
A signature transport device comprising:
- a first conveyor moving a stream of folded signatures in a first direction;
- a rotary arm having a gripper, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the rotary arm moving the folded signature in a second direction;
- a toothed drum engaging a portion of the folded signature, the rotary arm rotating past the toothed drum to open the folded signature;
- and
- a second conveyor receiving the opened signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate,
- the gripper including a finger for holding the opened folded signature open.
A signature transport device comprising:
- a hopper having a horizontal stack of folded signatures;
- a first conveyor receiving the folded signatures from the hopper to form a stream of folded signatures moving in a first direction;
- a rotary arm having a gripper, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the folded signature being in a plane of the gripper,
- the rotary arm rotating about an axis perpendicular to the gripper plane and moving the folded signature in a second direction while the signature remains in the gripper plane;
- and
- a second conveyor receiving the signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate, a plane of the conveyor receiving the signature overlapping with the gripper plane when the signature is deposited on the conveyor.
A method for transferring a signature to an inserter chain or saddle conveyor comprising the steps of:
- removing printed products from a horizontal stack in a hopper;
- moving a stream of folded printed products;
- gripping a folded printed product by a fold using a rotary arm having a gripper;
- opening the folded printed product while the folded printed product is gripped by the gripper on the rotary arm;
- and
- transferring the printed product to an inserter chain or saddle conveyor;
- wherein the folded printed product remains in an upright orientation while the gripper grips the folded printed product.
A signature transport device comprising:
- a first conveyor moving a stream of folded signatures in a first direction;
- a rotary arm having a gripper, the rotary arm including four arms, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the rotary arm moving the folded signature in a second direction;
- a toothed drum engaging a portion of the folded signature, the rotary arm rotating past the toothed drum to open the folded signature;
- and
- a second conveyor receiving the opened signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.