Sheet pile supporting assembly and method for operating a sheet pile supporting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12172859-B2
Application number	US-202117905664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Mar 18, 2020
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A sheet pile supporting assembly ( 24 ) for a sheet material processing machine is presented. It comprises a plurality of sheet pile supporting bars ( 28 ) and a movable guiding means for selectively moving one or more of the sheet pile supporting bars ( 28 ) from a retracted position to an extended position. Additionally, an automatic selection unit ( 30 ) is provided for automatically selecting the sheet pile supporting bars ( 28 ) to be moved to the extended position and for coupling the selected sheet pile supporting bars ( 28 ) to the movable guiding means. Moreover, a method for operating a sheet pile supporting assembly ( 24 ) for a sheet material processing machine is explained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet pile supporting assembly for a sheet material processing machine, the sheet pile supporting assembly comprising:
a plurality of sheet pile supporting bars extending substantially in parallel and being movable between a retracted and an extended position respectively, wherein the sheet pile supporting bars are adapted to support a sheet pile while in the extended position,
a movable guide for selectively moving one or more of the sheet pile supporting bars from the retracted position to the extended position, and
an automatic selection unit for automatically selecting the sheet pile supporting bars to be moved to the extended position and for coupling the selected sheet pile supporting bars to the movable guide,
wherein the selection unit comprises a scanner unit adapted for detecting geometrical obstacles in an extension space associated with the sheet pile supporting bars.

2. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scanner unit is an optical scanner unit.

3. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scanner unit is movable along a width direction of the sheet pile supporting assembly.

4. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the scanner unit comprises a light source, a reflector unit and a light sensor, wherein the obstacles are detected by analyzing the light emitted by the light source and reflected by the reflector unit.

5. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first locking unit for locking selected sheet pile supporting bars on the movable guide such that the selected sheet pile supporting bars may be moved to the extended position by the movable guide.

6. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a stationary guide having a second locking unit for locking non-selected sheet pile supporting bars on the stationary guide such that the non-selected sheet pile supporting bars are retained in the retracted position by the stationary guide.

7. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first locking unit comprises a locking bar substantially extending over a width direction of the movable guide and/or in that the second locking unit comprises a locking bar substantially extending over a width direction of the stationary guide.

8. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the automatic selection unit comprises an engagement unit for selectively moving each sheet pile supporting bar into an engaged position on the stationary guide or into an engaged position on the movable guide.

9. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the engagement unit comprises an engagement finger being movable along a width direction of the sheet pile supporting assembly and being configured for individually moving the sheet pile supporting bars into one of the engagement positions.

10. The sheet pile supporting assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the movable guide is suitable for moving toward an override position that sets all the sheet pile supporting bars into a common engagement position.

11. A method for operating a sheet pile supporting assembly for a sheet material processing machine, wherein the sheet pile supporting assembly comprises a plurality of sheet pile supporting bars being movable between a retracted position and an extended position respectively, and wherein the sheet pile supporting bars are adapted to support a sheet pile while in the extended position only, the method comprising:
automatically selecting a group of sheet pile supporting bars to be moved to the extended position for supporting the sheet pile,
wherein the automatically selecting the group of sheet pile supporting bars comprises detecting geometrical obstacles hindering one or more sheet pile supporting bars when moved to the respective extended position.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the detecting the geometrical obstacles is performed by scanning an extension space associated with the sheet pile supporting bars.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the detecting the geometrical obstacles includes moving a sensor unit along a scanning direction being substantially orthogonal to an extension of the sheet pile supporting bars.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the automatically selecting the group of sheet pile supporting bars includes selecting the sheet pile supporting bars for which no obstacle is detected.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the selected sheet pile supporting bars are coupled to a movable guide.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sheet pile supporting bars which are not selected are coupled to a stationary guide.

Assignees

• Bobst Mex Sa

Inventors

• Chatry Patrice
• Steiner Maude

Classifications

• B65H2801/42

  Die-cutting · CPC title

• B65H2553/414

  involving receptor receiving light reflected by a reflecting surface and emitted by a separate emitter · CPC title

• B65H2801/84

  Paper-making machines · CPC title

• B65H2553/81

  on a movable element · CPC title

• B65H2553/45

  Scanning means · CPC title