Sheet handling apparatus with rotary drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676573-B2
Application number	US-201514933731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A sheet handling apparatus comprising a rotary drum having an outer peripheral wall with perforations, and a number of separate chambers, a suction system for controlling a flow of air through the perforations, thereby to attract sheets to the peripheral wall of the drum, and a stationary shutter member for blocking the flow of air through the perforations when they pass through a predetermined angular range. The number of separate chambers extend in axial direction and are distributed over the periphery of the drum. A disk-shaped manifold at the first axial end of the drum is co-rotatably with the drum. The manifold forms a number of radial channels each connected to one of said chambers and having an opening at a radially inward end of each channel. The stationary shutter member is arranged for blocking an opening of a channel to block air flow from a radially inward end of a channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet handling apparatus comprising:
a rotary drum having an outer peripheral wall with perforations formed therein, wherein the perforated wall of the drum delimits a number of separate chambers that extend inside the drum in axial direction from a first axial end of the drum to a second axial end of the drum and are distributed over the periphery of the drum;
a suction system for controlling a flow of air through the perforations of the drum, thereby to attract sheets to the peripheral wall of the drum;
a stationary shutter member for blocking the flow of air through the perforations when they pass, with the rotation of the drum, through a predetermined angular range; and
a disk-shaped manifold mounted at the first axial end of the drum co-rotatably with the drum, which manifold forms a number of radial channels each of which has a radially outer end connected to one of said chambers and each of which has an opening at a radially inward end of each channel,
wherein the stationary shutter member is arranged for blocking an opening of a channel to block air flow from a radially inward end of a channel to the suction system.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the openings at the radially inward ends of the channels are arranged to open-out in axial direction of the drum and the shutter member slidably engages an end wall of the manifold in which the openings are formed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the shutter member forms part of a ring that is fitted to an end of a suction pipe of the suction system.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the shutter member is elastically biased against the end wall of the manifold.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the openings at the radially inward ends of the channels are formed in an inner peripheral wall of the manifold that surrounds a portion of a suction pipe of the suction system, and the shutter member is formed by a part of the wall of the suction pipe.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the openings are disposed adjacent an axis of the drum.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shutter member has a recessed portion that is open towards the openings of the manifold and is further connected to a port for introducing air into the recessed portion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a pressure source for introducing compressed air into the recessed part.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a ring element extending circumferentially around an axis of the drum, which ring element comprises a circumferentially extending window aligned with the openings, wherein the shutter member is positioned in the window for closing an angular range of the window.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the radial channels are separated from one another by radial walls.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped manifold is configured as a hollow disk with parallel end walls, an outer peripheral wall, and an inner peripheral wall.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the outer peripheral wall is flanged to an end of the outer peripheral wall of the drum and the inner peripheral wall connects the end walls.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a space between the end walls is divided into the radial channels by radial walls.

Assignees

• Océ-Technologies B V
• Oce Tech Bv

Inventors

• Rietbergen Mark
• Albers Antonius G H
• Van Soest Gerardus J C

Classifications

• B65H29/243

  Suction rollers · CPC title

• B65H2301/5144

  Cooling · CPC title

• B65H2406/33

  Rotary suction means, e.g. roller, cylinder or drum · CPC title

• B65H2406/3614

  involving a shoe in sliding contact with an inner section of the periphery of a rotating element · CPC title

• B65H2401/15

  Metals · CPC title