Apparatus and method for forming a stack of advertising material compilations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828202-B2
Application number	US-201615201100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming a stack with advertising material compilations respectively consisting of an envelope with inserts therein, and having a common, leading folded edge. The apparatus includes a feed conveyor, a transfer conveyor and a stacking device. The transfer conveyor comprises a central wheel that rotates around a first rotational axis, a carrier wheel that rotates around a second rotational axis oriented parallel to the first rotational axis, and a number of pivoting arms with respectively one gripper. The second rotational axis is arranged below a horizontal plane extending through the first rotational axis. The grippers are respectively positioned on the pivoting arm to rotate around an axis. The grippers take over the advertising material compilations in a takeover region from the feed conveyor, transfer the adverting compilations in a transfer region to the stacking device which extends into the transfer region and deposit these on the stacking device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming a stack with advertising material compilations composed of, respectively, an envelope, inserts inside the envelope, the envelope having a common, leading folded edge, said apparatus comprising:
a machine frame;
a circulating transfer conveyor having a circular shape connected to the machine frame, wherein the transfer conveyor comprises:
a central wheel attached to the machine frame for rotation around a first rotational axis;
a carrier wheel attached to the machine frame for rotation around a second rotational axis that is oriented in a direction that is parallel to the first rotational axis;
a number of pivoting arms radially arranged on the carrier wheel, each pivoting arm including: an inside end respectively arranged to rotate on the central wheel; an outside end and a gripper attached to the outside end for rotation around an axis on the pivoting arm; and
a number of guide elements positioned on the carrier wheel for, respectively, slidingly supporting one of the pivoting arms, the second rotational axis being arranged to extend below a horizontal plane through the first rotational axis;

a feed conveyor arranged upstream of the transfer conveyor; and
a stacking device arranged downstream of the transfer conveyor;
wherein the transfer conveyor is adapted so that the advertising material compilations are taken over by the grippers of the transfer conveyor from the feed conveyor in a takeover region of the transfer conveyor, and the advertising material compilations are transferred in a transfer region of the transfer conveyor by the grippers of the transfer conveyor to the stacking device which extends into the transfer region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope and the inserts of the advertising material compilations are joined loosely or can be separated easily.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upper opening and closing cam curve and a lower opening and closing cam curve are one of arranged on the machine frame, connected thereto or are attached to a component of the apparatus that does not circulate along with the transfer conveyor for controlling an opening and closing of the grippers.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the upper and lower opening and closing cam curves are at least one of adjustable and replaceable to adapt to different advertising material compilations.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including a single drive and a joint power transmission element arranged to drive both the central wheel and the carrier wheel.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the central wheel includes an outside toothing and the carrier wheel includes an inside toothing and the power transmission element includes a toothed gearing arranged to engage in the outside toothing and the inside toothing.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the power transmission element comprises a toothed gearing arranged between the central wheel and the carrier wheel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the joint power transmission element comprises a toothed gearing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the feed conveyor comprises at least one conveying element with a feeding plane for the advertising material compilations, the feeding plane is oriented parallel to the first rotational axis of the central wheel and tangential to a movement path of the grippers, and the stacking device is arranged along a circumference of the transfer conveyor and comprises a depositing plane oriented parallel to the first rotational axis of the central wheel and one of horizontal or at an acute angle to a horizontal line.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotational axis is arranged in a location below a horizontal plane through the first rotational axis and with an offset to the side of the first rotational axis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier wheel comprises two rings which are spaced apart and connected to one another.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the two rings include recesses along circumferences of the rings for accommodating the guide elements.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including an adjustment element positioned on each pivoting arm.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier wheel completely encloses the central wheel in radial direction.

15. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the grippers further comprise a clamping body having a pivoting clamping jaw and a cam follower which cooperates with the upper and lower opening and closing cam curves and wherein said gripper is pressed in a closed position and is opened upon interaction of the cam follower and the upper and lower opening or closing cam curves.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of said carrier wheel is greater than a diameter of said central wheel diameter.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said central wheel is positioned completely within said carrier wheel in a radial direction.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said second rotational axis is located below a horizontal plane extending through said first rotational axis and is parallel to the first rotational axis, with an offset to a side of the first rotational axis.

19. A method for forming a stack of advertising material compilations composed of, respectively, an envelope, inserts inside the envelope, and having a common, leading folded edge, employing an apparatus including a machine frame a thereto attached circulating transfer conveyor in the shape of a circle, a feed conveyor arranged upstream of the transfer conveyor, and a stacking device arranged downstream of the transfer conveyor, wherein the transfer conveyor includes a central wheel that rotates around a first rotational axis and is attached to the machine frame, a carrier wheel that rotates around a second rotational axis oriented in a direction parallel to the first rotational axis and is also attached to the support frame, and a number of pivoting arms respectively arranged with an inside end on the central wheel so as to rotate, and including respectively one gripper attached to an outside end of the pivot arm for rotation around an axis on the pivoting arm, the method comprising:
taking over the advertising material compilations from the feed conveyor by the grippers of the transfer conveyor in a takeover region of the transfer conveyor;
subsequently transporting, by the grippers of the transfer conveyor, the advertising material compilations to the stacking device in a transfer region of the transfer conveyor, while during the transporting reducing a spacing between adjacent grippers and transporting the advertising material compilations at a reduced speed to the stacking device, and depositing the advertising material compilations on the stacking device;
subsequently, and until a renewed entry into the takeover region, increasing the spacing between the adjacent grippers; and
swiveling the grippers relative to their pivoting arm in the takeover region and in the transfer region for alignment with the feed conveyor and the stacking device, respectively.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising using advertising material compilations for which the envelope and the inserts are combined loosely or easily separated.

21. The method according to claim 19 , the method further including open

Assignees

• Mueller Martini Holding Ag

Inventors

• Meyerhans Rolf
• Lüscher Roger

Classifications

• B65H31/10

  and applied at the top of the pile · CPC title

• B65H2403/44

  Internal gearing · CPC title

• B65H2701/1916

  Envelopes and articles of mail · CPC title

• B65H29/68

  Reducing the speed of articles as they advance · CPC title

• B65H2701/1932

  Signatures, folded printed matter, newspapers or parts thereof and books · CPC title