US 9,764,915 B2Granted

Items processing apparatus to place and singulation flat items and method

AssigneeFrancotyp-Postalia GmbH

InventorWolfgang Muhl

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An items processing apparatus for placement and singulation of flat items has a placement device and a feed deck and a separation device. A portion of the placement device is arranged below the placement deck of the apparatus. The feed deck has an opening for an separation roller, and a portion of the separation device arranged above the feed deck. This portion and the separation roller form a gate of the separation device for the singulation of a stack of flat items. A control computer controls the placement device and separation device. The placement device is equipped for edge alignment of a stack of flat items with different formats and has at least two transport elements, which enable an automatic displacement of the stack transverse to the transport direction and placement of the stack at an alignment wall, as well as a transport of the stack in the transport direction toward the feed deck of the separation device, as well as a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction. A movement assembly is provided to move the portion of the separation device in a direction counter to the transport direction. The control computer controls the alignment state of the transport elements of the placement device of the items processing apparatus, and controls the movement of the portion of the separation device. The aforementioned portion enables a displacement of the stack counter to the transport direction.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for processing flat items, comprising:

a placement device comprising a horizontal placement surface configured to receive a stack of flat items thereon, and a vertical alignment wall adjacent said placement surface;
said placement device comprising a plurality of transport elements that are mounted in said placement surface so as to be movable to displace said stack in a transport direction and to displace said stack transversely to said transport direction to place said stack against said alignment wall, and to also allow displacement of said stack counter to said transport direction;
a feed deck having a horizontal feed deck surface following said placement surface in said transport direction and in horizontal alignment with said placement surface;
a separation device comprising a separation device portion situated above said feed deck surface, and a separation roller situated below, and partially projecting above, said feed deck surface, said separation roller being situated beneath said separation device portion and forming a separation gate therewith;
said separation device comprising an actuatable movement assembly connected to said separation device portion that, when actuated, moves said separation device portion counter to said transport direction;
a control computer configured to emit placement device control commands that drive said transport elements to place said stack against said alignment wall and to move said stack in said transport direction toward said separation gate;
said control computer being configured to emit, after said placement device control commands, separation device control commands that operate said separation gate to remove said flat items successively from said stack one at a time;
and
said control computer being configured to emit further separation device control commands that actuate said movement assembly to selectively move said separation device portion counter to said transport direction and thereby also displace said stack on said transport elements counter to said transport direction.

6 more elements

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer of an apparatus for processing flat items, said apparatus comprising a placement device comprising a horizontal placement surface configured to receive a stack of flat items thereon, and a vertical alignment wall adjacent said placement surface, said placement device comprising a plurality of transport elements that are mounted in said placement surface so as to be movable to displace said stack in a transport direction and to displace said stack transversely to said transport direction to place said stack against said alignment wall, and to also allow displacement of said stack counter to said transport direction, a feed deck having a horizontal feed deck surface following said placement surface in said transport direction and in horizontal alignment with said placement surface, a separation device comprising a separation device portion situated above said feed deck surface, and a separation roller situated below, and partially projecting above, said feed deck surface, said separation roller being situated beneath said separation device portion and forming a separation gate therewith, said separation device comprising an actuatable movement assembly connected to said separation device portion that, when actuated, moves said separation device portion counter to said transport direction, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

emit placement device control commands that drive said transport elements to place said stack against said alignment wall and to move said stack in said transport direction toward said separation gate;
emit, after said placement device control commands, separation device control commands that operate said separation gate to remove said flat items successively from said stack one at a time;
and
emit further separation device control commands that actuate said movement assembly to selectively move said separation device portion counter to said transport direction and thereby also displace said stack on said transport elements counter to said transport direction.

1 more element

A method for operating an apparatus for processing flat items, said apparatus comprising a placement device comprising a horizontal placement surface configured to receive a stack of flat items thereon, and a vertical alignment wall adjacent said placement surface, said placement device comprising a plurality of transport elements that are mounted in said placement surface so as to be movable to displace said stack in a transport direction and to displace said stack transversely to said transport direction to place said stack against said alignment wall, and to also allow displacement of said stack counter to said transport direction, a feed deck having a horizontal feed deck surface following said placement surface in said transport direction and in horizontal alignment with said placement surface, a separation device comprising a separation device portion situated above said feed deck surface, and a separation roller situated below, and partially projecting above, said feed deck surface, said separation roller being situated beneath said separation device portion and forming a separation gate therewith, said separation device comprising an actuatable movement assembly connected to said separation device portion that, when actuated, moves said separation device portion counter to said transport direction, said method comprising:

from a control computer, emitting placement device control commands that drive said transport elements to place said stack against said alignment wall and to move said stack in said transport direction toward said separation gate;
from said control computer, emitting after said placement device control commands, separation device control commands that operate said separation gate to remove said flat items successively from said stack one at a time;
and
from said control computer, emitting further separation device control commands that actuate said movement assembly to selectively move said separation device portion counter to said transport direction and thereby also displace said stack on said transport elements counter to said transport direction.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/148,214Filed 6 May 2016
Priority: DE 20 2015 102 333 U7 May 2015
Published: US 2016/0325949 A110 Nov 2016
Granted: 19 Sep 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

B65H 9/04
Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor: fixed or adjustable stops or gauges
B65H 1/06
Adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile: for separation from bottom of pile
B65H 3/063
Rollers or like rotary separators: separating from the bottom of pile
B65H 3/0638
Rollers or like rotary separators: construction of the rollers or like rotary separators