Title: Non-trapped stripper belt
Abstract: A device for transporting a flat product includes a rotating transport cylinder and a continuous stripper belt. The rotating transport cylinder defines an axis of rotation and is configured to guide the flat product at a circumference of the cylinder over a first angle of rotation of the cylinder. The continuous stripper belt is disposed between the flat product and the axis of rotation over a second angle of rotation of the cylinder and is configured to guide the flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip the flat product from the cylinder. The stripper belt follows a continuous path that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation. In addition, a method for transporting a flat product includes guiding the flat product at a circumference of a rotating transport cylinder defining an axis of rotation over a first angle of rotation of the cylinder and stripping the flat product from the transport cylinder using a continuous stripper belt that follows a continuous path not circumscribing the axis of rotation.
Patent Number: 6,843,764 Issued on 01/18/2005 to Bryant, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Bryant; Jason E. (Newmarket, NH);
Cloutier; Christopher Alan (Barrington, NH);
Miescher; Christian (Bern, CH)
|
| Assignee:
|
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg, DE)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
092315 |
| Filed:
|
March 5, 2002 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
493/436; 271/273; 493/147; 493/357; 493/428 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B31F 007/00 |
| Field of Search: |
493/357,428,432,436,441,147,180
271/273,275,198
198/480.1,635,637,481.1
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 3634175 | Jan., 1972 | Delle Vite | 156/568.
|
| 3667752 | Jun., 1972 | Samczyk | 271/243.
|
| 3973767 | Aug., 1976 | Kramer | 271/12.
|
| 4004798 | Jan., 1977 | Akisato | 271/286.
|
| 4279410 | Jul., 1981 | Bolza.
| |
| 4344610 | Aug., 1982 | Jeschke et al. | 493/432.
|
| 4349185 | Sep., 1982 | Small et al. | 270/32.
|
| 4521209 | Jun., 1985 | DuFresne | 493/432.
|
| 4564470 | Jan., 1986 | Schmitt.
| |
| 4746107 | May., 1988 | Schneider et al.
| |
| 5688219 | Nov., 1997 | Renard et al. | 493/357.
|
| 6283905 | Sep., 2001 | Singh | 493/360.
|
Primary Examiner: Kim; Eugene
Assistant Examiner: Tawfik; Sameh H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Davidson, Davidson & Kappel, LLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for transporting a flat product, the device comprising:
a rotating transport cylinder defining an axis of rotation and configured
to guide the flat product at a circumference of the cylinder over a first
angle of rotation of the cylinder; and
a continuous stripper belt disposed between the flat product and the axis
of rotation over a second angle of rotation of the cylinder and configured
to guide the flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip the flat
product from the cylinder, the stripper belt following a continuous path
that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation.
2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport cylinder includes
a gripper configured to releaseably grip the flat product during the first
angle of rotation.
3. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the second angle of rotation
includes the first angle of rotation.
4. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of belt
guides configured to guide the stripper belt along the continuous path.
5. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the continuous path surrounds
at least one half of the circumference of the cylinder.
6. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the cylinder defines a groove
in the circumference and wherein the stripper belt is disposed in the
groove over at least part of the continuous path.
7. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a stripper roller
having a second axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the
transport cylinder, the stripper roller disposed adjacent to the transport
cylinder.
8. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second continuous
stripper belt disposed between the flat product and the axis of rotation
over a third angle of rotation of the cylinder and configured to guide the
flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip the flat product from
the cylinder, the second stripper belt following a second continuous path
that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation.
9. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the stripper belt has a round
cross-section.
10. A method for transporting a flat product, the method comprising:
guiding the flat product at a circumference of a rotating transport
cylinder over a first angle of rotation of the cylinder, the cylinder
defining an axis of rotation; and
stripping the flat product from the transport cylinder using a continuous
stripper belt disposed between the flat product and the axis of rotation
over a second angle of rotation of the cylinder, the stripper belt
configured to guide the flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip
the flat product from the cylinder, the stripper belt following a
continuous path that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising gripping the flat
product at a first location in the first angle of rotation and releasing
the flat product at a second location in the angle of rotation.
12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the second angle of rotation
includes the first angle of rotation.
13. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising guiding the
continuous stripper belt along the continuous path using a plurality of
belt guides.
14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the continuous path surrounds
at least one half of the circumference of the cylinder.
15. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the stripper belt is disposed
in a groove defined in the circumference of the cylinder and wherein the
stripper belt is disposed in the groove over at least part of the
continuous path.
16. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising guiding the
continuous path of the stripper belt from the circumference of the
cylinder using a stripper roller having a second axis of rotation parallel
to the axis of rotation of the transport cylinder and disposed adjacent to
the transport cylinder.
17. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the stripping is performed
using a second continuous stripper belt in conjunction with the continuous
stripper belt, the second stripper belt disposed between the flat product
and the axis of rotation over a third angle of rotation of the cylinder,
the second stripper belt configured to guide the flat product away from
the cylinder so as to strip the flat product from the cylinder, the second
stripper belt following a second continuous path that does not
circumscribe the axis of rotation.
18. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the stripper belt has a round
cross-section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for transporting flat
products, and particularly to a device for transporting a flat product
including a transport cylinder and a stripper belt following a continuous
path that passes between the product and an axis of rotation of the
transport cylinder and does not circumscribe the axis of rotation.
2. Background Information
In many applications such as printing, copying, and paper handling, it is
desired to transport printed paper signatures or other flat products
through various devices to accomplish the required processes. Examples of
devices that transport such flat products include folders, bindery
equipment, printing presses, photocopiers and the like. In some of these
devices, a rotating transport cylinder is used to guide the flat product
from one location to another. Typically, the transport cylinder grips a
flat product in one location, and releases the flat product in a second
location. In order to ensure the proper release of the flat product at the
desired location, one or more continuous stripper belts may be employed. A
stripper roller having an axis of rotation parallel to a rotational axis
of the transport cylinder may be disposed adjacent to the transport
cylinder in an area downstream of the desired location at which the flat
product is to be released from the transport cylinder. Typically, such
stripper belts each follow a respective continuous path that circumscribes
both the transport cylinder and the stripper roller, so as to pass between
the transport cylinder and the flat product being guided by the transport
cylinder. Circumferential grooves may be provided in the transport
cylinder and/or the stripper roller to help guide keep the stripper along
the respective desired continuous paths. U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,905 describes
an example of a device including a stripper belt that circumscribes a
transport cylinder. (See FIG. 8).
Such devices for transporting flat products are capable of stripping flat
products from the transport cylinder accurately and reliably at the
desired release location, minimizing instances of incomplete stripping
that can lead to jamming of the flat products. Over time, however, these
stripper belts are subject to wear and eventual breakage. Because of the
continuous path of the stripper belts circumscribe both the transport
cylinder and the stripper roller, replacement of worn or broken belts is a
time consuming and difficult task.
Pre-spliced continuous stripper belts cannot be used as replacement belts
unless the transport cylinder and stripper roller are first disassembled.
Instead, the replacement stripper belts, in the form of long strips must
first be wrapped around the transport cylinder and roller in the proper
position and then spliced to form a continuous belt. The splicing must be
performed accurately to provide the proper tensioning of the belt and to
minimize unwanted additional thickness of the belt in the area of the
splice. Performing the wrapping and splicing operation is time consuming,
difficult to perform within the confines of the device, and subject to
error, for example, in the form of improper tensioning of the resulting
belt, undesired "lump" in the area of the splice, or a weak splice. During
the entire time required for performing this difficult splicing operation,
the transporting device must cease operation, thus making the operation
potentially very costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,219 describes a device for transporting flat products
in the form of a folding apparatus or folder. Groups of guiding tapes are
used to provide positive control of the flat products between a pair of
cutting cylinders and a copy guiding cylinder. These guiding tapes are
disposed to guide flat products, where the flat products are entrapped
between the guiding tapes and the cylinder. One group of guiding tapes
follows a continuous path that does not circumscribe the transport
cylinder. However, the '219 patent does not describe the use of stripper
belts disposed between the flat products and the cylinder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a device for transporting a flat product.
The device includes a rotating transport cylinder defining an axis of
rotation and configured to guide the flat product at a circumference of
the cylinder over a first angle of rotation of the cylinder and a
continuous stripper belt disposed between the flat product and the axis of
rotation over a second angle of rotation of the cylinder and configured to
guide the flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip the flat
product from the cylinder. The stripper belt follows a continuous path
that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation. By following a path that
does not circumscribe the axis of rotation of the transport cylinder,
according to the present invention, a worn stripper belt may be replaced
by another continuous stripper belt, thus improving previous devices in
which a non-continuous replacement belt had to first be wrapped around the
transport cylinder and then spliced together on the device. According to
the present invention, the replacement of worn belts is easier, quicker,
and less prone to undesirable results in the splice.
The transport cylinder may include a gripper configured to releaseably grip
the flat product during the first angle of rotation. In addition, the
second angle of rotation may include the first angle of rotation.
The device may also include a plurality of belt guides configured to guide
the stripper belt along the continuous path, and the continuous path may
surround at least one half of the circumference of the cylinder. The
transport cylinder may define a groove in the circumference and wherein
the stripper belt is disposed in the groove over at least part of the
continuous path.
The device may also include a stripper roller having a second axis of
rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the transport cylinder and
disposed adjacent to the transport cylinder. In addition, the device may
also include a second continuous stripper belt disposed between the flat
product and the axis of rotation over a third angle of rotation of the
cylinder and configured to guide the flat product away from the cylinder
so as to strip the flat product from the cylinder, the second stripper
belt following a second continuous path that does not circumscribe the
axis of rotation. The stripper belt may have a round cross-section.
The present invention also provides a method for transporting a flat
product. The method includes guiding the flat product at a circumference
of a rotating transport cylinder defining an axis of rotation over a first
angle of rotation of the cylinder, and stripping the flat product from the
transport cylinder using a continuous stripper belt disposed between the
flat product and the axis of rotation over a second angle of rotation of
the cylinder. The stripper belt is configured to guide the flat product
away from the cylinder so as to strip the flat product from the cylinder.
The stripper belt follows a continuous path that does not circumscribe the
axis of rotation.
The method may also include gripping the flat product at a first location
in the first angle of rotation and releasing the flat product at a second
location in the angle of rotation. The second angle of rotation may
include the first angle of rotation.
In addition, the method may also include the step of guiding the continuous
stripper belt along the continuous path using a plurality of belt guides.
The continuous path may surround at least one half of the circumference of
the cylinder, and may be disposed in a groove defined in the circumference
of the cylinder over at least a portion of the continuous path.
The method may also include the step of guiding the continuous path of the
stripper belt from a point away from the circumference of the transport
cylinder using a stripper roller having a second axis of rotation parallel
to the axis of rotation of the transport cylinder and disposed adjacent to
the transport cylinder.
The stripping may be performed using a second continuous stripper belt in
conjunction with the continuous stripper belt, the second stripper belt
disposed between the flat product and the axis of rotation over a third
angle of rotation of the cylinder. The second stripper belt may be
configured to guide the flat product away from the cylinder so as to strip
the flat product from the cylinder. The second stripper belt follows a
second continuous path that does not circumscribe the axis of rotation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is elaborated upon below with reference to the
accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a folder device having a transport
cylinder according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawing of FIG. 1, device 10 includes transport cylinder
11 having shaft 12 in a device for transporting flat products, such as
inside a folding apparatus of a high speed printing press. Transport
cylinder 11 rotates about rotational axis x. Grippers 13, are disposed at
the circumference of transport cylinder 11. Grippers 13 are configured to
grip a flat product at one location A in the rotation of the cylinder,
transport the flat product over an angle of rotation of the cylinder 11,
and release the flat product at a second location B in the rotation of the
cylinder. In this example, mechanical grippers are shown, however,
grippers can grip the flat products using other known techniques, such as,
for example, electrostatic forces or suction. Continuous stripper belt 14
is disposed around a portion of the circumference of transport cylinder 11
in groove 15 that are provided for it. During rotation of the transport
cylinder 11, (in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1), a flat product
may be transported by transport cylinder 11 over an angle of rotation of
transport cylinder 11 from location A to location B. Over at least that
angle of rotation, stripper belt 14 is disposed between the flat product
and the transport cylinder 11, or at the very least--where the depth of
the groove 15 allow contact between the transport cylinder 11 and the flat
product--stripper belt 14 is disposed between the flat product and axis of
rotation x).
Stripper roller 16, rotates about axis of rotation x', which is parallel to
axis of rotation x of transport cylinder 11, and is disposed adjacent to
transport cylinder 11 in the region of location B. Stripper roller 16
guides a continuous path of stripper belt 14 circumferentially away from
the cylinder at a region of location B. This relative movement of stripper
belt 14 away from transport cylinder 11 causes the flat product to be
stripped from gripper 13 of transport cylinder 11 at location B. Once it
is stripped, the flat product may be guided, for example, by guiding
tapes, grippers, belts or other means, to the next processing device, such
as, for example, a collecting cylinder.
The continuous path of stripper belt does not circumscribe the axis of
rotation x of transport cylinder 11. Instead, belt guides 17 guide the
continuous path of stripper belt 14 from a point downstream of location B
back up and around shaft 12 and back into groove 15 at the circumference
of transport cylinder 11 at a point upstream from location A. Thus, the
direction of travel of the continuous stripper belt while being guided
back around the shaft of the cylinder 11, is generally in reverse of the
direction of rotation of the cylinder 11. In this embodiment, the belt
guides 17 are arranged to guide the continuous path first in an axial
direction the side of the rotating cylinder 11, then up and around shaft
12, back down to the circumference of cylinder 11, and finally in axially
to groove 15 at the circumference of cylinder 11 at a location upstream
from location A. By guiding the belt in an axial direction (i.e. parallel
to x) the distance that the belt must travel is reduced, since it does not
have to go around a portion of the entire cylinder, but rather only around
a portion of the shaft, making the entire continuous path of the belt
somewhat shorter than it might otherwise be. Additional stripper belts 18,
19, 20, 21, and 22 (shown partially in FIG. 1) follow continuous paths
around transport cylinder 11 similar to that of stripper belt 14. For
reasons of clarity, and so not to obstruct the view of the complete
continuous path of stripper belt 14, complete continuous paths of stripner
belts 18-22 are not shown in their entirety.
In this configuration, the continuous path of the stripper belt 14 does not
circumscribe the axis of rotation x of transport cylinder 11, (nor does it
circumscribe axis of rotation x' of stripper roller 16). Thus, continuous
stripper belt 14 may be replaced in a quicker and easier fashion using a
pre-spliced, continuous stripper belt as a replacement belt. The location
of one or more of guides 17 can be adjusted to regulate tensioning of the
belt or to remove and replace the belt 14. Were the continuous path of
stripper belt to circumscribe the axis of rotation x of the transport
cylinder, replacement of the belt would require splicing a new belt around
transport cylinder 11 on device 10 itself.
*
