Positioning assembly and sheet material processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12492091-B2
Application number	US-202218548694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 8, 2021
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A positioning assembly ( 30 ) for positioning a sheet material, especially at an entry portion of a sheet material processing machine, is described. It comprises a support beam ( 32 ) on which at least a portion of a sheet material to be positioned can be placed and a plurality of clamping fingers ( 38 ). The support beam ( 32 ) is coupled to a drive unit ( 60 ) configured for translationally moving the support beam ( 32 ) along a travelling direction (y) of the sheet material, translationally moving the support beam ( 32 ) along a direction (x) transverse to the travelling direction (y) and rotationally moving the support beam ( 32 ) with respect to a pivot axis (z) being perpendicular to the traveling direction (y) and the transverse direction (x). Each of the clamping fingers ( 38 ) is coupled to an individual clamping finger actuation unit ( 40 ). Moreover, a sheet material processing machine comprising such a positioning assembly ( 30 ) is presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A positioning assembly for positioning a sheet material, especially at an entry portion of a sheet material processing machine, the positioning assembly comprising:
a support beam on which at least a portion of the sheet material to be positioned can be placed; and a plurality of clamping fingers, wherein each of the clamping fingers is configured for selectively taking a clamping position in which the respective clamping finger clamps the sheet material by pressing the sheet material onto the support beam and a release position in which the respective clamping finger releases the sheet material by being withdrawn from the support beam, wherein the support beam is coupled to a drive unit configured for translationally moving the support beam along a travelling direction of the sheet material, translationally moving the support beam along a transverse direction transverse to the travelling direction, and rotationally moving the support beam with respect to a pivot axis being perpendicular to the traveling direction and the transverse direction, and wherein each of the clamping fingers is coupled to an individual clamping finger actuation unit such that each of the clamping fingers is movable into the clamping position and/or the release position independently from the remaining clamping fingers or in synchronization with at least one of the remaining clamping fingers.

2 . The positioning assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each clamping finger actuation unit comprises a linear guiding means by which the corresponding clamping finger is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support beam.

3 . The positioning assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each clamping finger actuation unit comprises a biasing means preloading the corresponding clamping finger into the clamping position.

4 . The positioning assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the biasing means comprises a spring element.

5 . The positioning assembly according to claim 3 , wherein each clamping finger actuation unit comprises a lifting actuator configured for withdrawing the corresponding clamping finger from the support beam, especially wherein the lifting actuator is configured for withdrawing the clamping finger against an action of the biasing means.

6 . The positioning assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the lifting actuator comprises a pneumatic actuator, a linear electric actuator, or a rotatory electric actuator.

7 . The positioning assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a common holding bar, wherein all clamping fingers are mounted on the common holding bar.

8 . The positioning assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the clamping fingers protrude from the holding bar in a direction towards the support beam.

9 . The positioning assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first position sensor configured for capturing a position of the sheet material by detecting a position mark on the sheet material, wherein the first position sensor is mounted on a sensor rail and/or within a sensor space, the rail and/or the sensor space substantially extending over an entire extension of the positioning assembly along the transverse direction.

10 . The positioning assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor rail comprises a mounting interface offering a plurality of discrete sensor mounting positions or being configured for mounting the sensor on an arbitrary position thereof.

11 . The positioning assembly according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a second positioning sensor mounted on the sensor rail and/or within the sensor space.

12 . The positioning assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support beam is coupled to the drive unit via three coupling points.

13 . The positioning assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
a first coupling point is substantially arranged in a middle of the support beam along the transverse direction, wherein a first drive means is provided at the first coupling point being adapted for moving the support beam in the transverse direction, and/or a second coupling point is arranged at a first end of the support beam along the transverse direction, wherein a second drive means is provided at the second coupling point being adapted for moving the support beam in the travelling direction, and/or a third coupling point is arranged at a second end of the support beam along the transverse direction, wherein the second end is opposed to the first end and wherein a third drive means is provided at the third coupling point being adapted for moving the support beam in the travelling direction.

14 . A sheet material processing machine, especially sheet-to-sheet processing machine or die cutting machine, comprising:
the positioning assembly according to claim 1 , especially wherein the positioning assembly is mounted at an entry portion of the sheet material processing machine.

Assignees

• Bobst Mex Sa

Inventors

• De Gaillande Christophe
• Cardillo Marco

Classifications

• B65H2801/42

  Die-cutting · CPC title

• B65H2701/1311

  leading edge · CPC title

• B65H2511/516

  Marks; Patterns · CPC title

• B65H2405/584

  Associated control means · CPC title

• B65H2405/581

  moving only one of the gripping parts towards the other · CPC title