In this field, the term signatures indicates sheets or groups of folded and coupled sheets.

It is known that the packaging lines for magazines or pasted books comprise signatures storage stations each of which places one signature on the top of a pile of signatures in a pre-fixed order. In the old-fashioned packaging lines, when an error occurred in the sequence of the stored signatures, the whole manufacturing process was interrupted, with serious economic consequences.

In the modern high-speed packaging lines, when a mistake occurs in a pile of signatures, the latter is deviated from the line without interrupting the manufacturing process. However, the piles ejected from the manufacturing process must be suitably therein re-introduced and, at present, this operation is carried out manually. As a matter of fact, in the modern packaging lines, it is necessary the presence of operators to pick up the piles of signatures which are unsuitably arranged, to divide them in homogeneous groups and then to re- introduce them in the packaging line, each one at the corresponding station.

Obviously, this operation implies a waste of time and handwork and consequently a loss of profit." Object of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus and a process for automatically dividing heterogeneous piles of signatures in homogeneous piles. Said object is obtained with an apparatus whose main features are specified in the first claim, and other features are specified in the remaining claims.

The apparatus according to the present invention has the advantage that it automatically carries out the step of dividing the heterogeneous piles of signatures into like piles of signatures with consequent improvement from the point of view

of economy and velocity of the process.

Another advantage of the apparatus according to the invention consists in that, besides shortening the times for dividing the piles, it ensures that homogeneous piles are obtained without the errors that may occur with the manual sorting out process.

Further advantages and features of the. apparatus according to the present invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed and non limiting description of some embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; figure 2 shows a partial side view of the apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; figure 3 shows a partial side view of the apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to figure 1 there is shown that the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention for dividing heterogeneous piles of signatures into homogeneous piles comprises a revolving feeder drum 1 provided with pliers 2 for picking up a signature 3 from a pile 4 of signatures arranged in a casual order. Feeder drum 1 is connected to a pulley 5 by means of drive belts 6.

Said pulley 5, upon which a conveyor belt 7 is rolled, rotates drum 1. Means for identifying the signatures, suitable for detecting the signature 3 which has been picked up from pile 4, are arranged over conveyor belt 7. In a first embodiment of the present invention, said identification means comprise a camera 8 controlled by a sensor 9 and a light source 10, or similar means suitable for acquiring the image present on signature 3. Said image acquisition means are closed into a housing 11 suitable for isolating them from external lights and therefore for improving their functionality. The identification means for the signature may also comprise, instead of the image acquisition means, touch sensors capable of detecting recognition grooves made on the signatures, or optical readers capable of reading bar or chromatic codes previously printed on the signatures, or photoelectric cells

capable of detecting the signatures thickness, and so on.

The information detected by the identification means, which in the preferred embodiment is the image acquired by camera 8, is sent to a central control device, not shown in the figure, where previously the information codifying signatures 3 which constitute the book or magazine has been stored.

Conveyor belt 7 is mechanically connected to one or more conveyor belts 12 which are connected in series by means of driving means which, in the preferred embodiment, comprise pulleys 13 and belts 14.

The apparatus according to the present invention further comprises means 15 for deviating the signature 3, suitable for pushing signature 3 which is being carried by conveyor belts 7,12 into suitable containers 16 positioned at the deviating means 15. According to the preferred embodiment, said deviating means 15 are controlled by said central control device and comprise a photoelectric cell 15', suitable for detecting the presence of the signature 3 and to start the deviation cycle, and a piston 17, preferably pneumatic. The last mentioned is connected to a lever 18 integral with a shaft 19 on which a member 20 having the shape of a sector of a circle is keyed.

Said photoelectric cell 15'is controlled by the above mentioned control device and is positioned in proximity of the signature deviation site. Containers 16 are as many as the groups of deviating means 15, that is, for each group of deviating means 15 there is a corresponding container 16 suitable for collecting the deviated signature 3, and the number of the conveyor means 12 and of the relevant pulleys 13 is proportional to the number of the containers 16.

The apparatus according to the present invention further comprises an accompanying belt 21, positioned above the conveyor belts 12, which is suitable for enhancing the movement and the deviation of signatures 3. Said accompanying belt 21 is connected to at least one pulley 13 from which is driven by way of drive means 22.

The last of the conveyor belts 12 positioned in series is connected by means of a pulley 23 and a belt 24 to a shaft 25 rotated by a motor 26. Said motor 26 therefore permits the rotation of pulley 23 which carries belt 12 and therefore

rotates pulleys 13. The last mentioned carry in their turn belts 12 positioned upstream and therefore belt 7 which also allows the rotation of drum 1.

At the end of the process, the signatures which are not deviated into containers 16 are collected into a final container 27.

The apparatus according to the present invention is provided with an encoder 28 which works together with the central control device for controlling the deviation means.

Pile 4 of signatures arranged in a wrong order, after having been deviated from the packaging line, is conveyed into the apparatus according to the present invention which picks up, from the bottom of pile 4, single signatures 3 by means of pliers 2 of the feeder drum 1. The picked signature is carried by means of drum 1 on conveyor belt 7 where its identification by means of the identification means takes place. The identification means send the acquired information to the central control device which determines into which of the containers 16 the signature will have to be placed and sends this order to the relevant deviation means 15.

Signature 3 proceeds in the advancing direction indicated by the arrows, by passing from a conveyor belt to another until it arrives at container 16 intended therefor. At this point, the presence thereof is detected by the photoelectric cell 15'which starts deviation cycle by means of electro valves. These control piston 17 which pushes lever 18 which in its turn moves member 20, as shown in the figure, so as to push signature 3 into container 16.

With reference to figure 2 there is shown that deviating means 15, in a second embodiment of the present invention, comprise a photoelectric cell 15' suitable for sensing the presence of signature 3 and to start the deviation cycle, and a piston 29, preferably pneumatic. In this second embodiment, the system of conveyor belts and pulleys is fixed to a support 30 revolving around a pin 31 when driven by piston 29, rigidly connected thereto. Photoelectric cell 15'is positioned upon conveyor belt 12, whereas piston 29 is arranged under it so that, once received the starting command, the rod thereof slides towards the inside of the cylinder thus rotating support 30, as shown in figure 2. In this way signature 3 is dropped inside the relevant container 16. Subsequently, the rod of piston 29

slides towards the outside of the cylinder so as to bring back support 30 in a horizontal position.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, shown in figure 3, deviation means 15 comprise a photoelectric cell 31, similar to photoelectric cells 15', which starts a piston 32, preferably pneumatic, connected to a lever 33.

The last mentioned is integral with a shaft 34 on which a rod 35, suitable for deviating the signatures in an upward direction, is keyed. Said deviation means 35 further comprise a couple of belts 36, parallel to each other and inclined with regard to the horizontal, suitable for carrying deviated signature 3 towards a container 37 therefor intended. Contrary to the previous two embodiment of the present invention, in this case containers 37 collecting the homogeneous signatures are located above the sliding plane of the conveyor belts 12, whereas the final container 27, also in this case, is at a lower level with respect to belts 12.

Once the command from the central control device has been received, and once the presence of the signature has been detected by means of photoelectric cell 31, the deviation cycle is started. An electro valve orders the rod of piston 32 to go back into the cylinder. In such a way, lever 33 and therefore rod 35 move with a kinematic mechanism such as to create a barrier against the progression of signature 3 which is therefore deviated towards the elevation belts 36. These convey the deviated signature into container 37. At this point, rod 35 goes back in a rest position, under the sliding plane of conveyor belts 12.

Obviously, the number of the containers 16,37 is limited for reasons of hindrance so that, if the number of signatures which form the magazine or book is higher than the number of the containers 16,37 which can be arranged in the apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to make more cycles of the above described process. Therefore, signatures 3 which are not recognized by the central control device, and therefore are not deviated into the collecting containers, are conveyed into final container 27. Then, the pile of signatures collected into container 27 is subjected again to the above described process, after that the information stored in the central control device have been suitably modified.

In this way it is possible to order all the three signatures 3 thus obtaining signatures of the same type from heterogeneous piles of signatures.

It is obvious that the embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention above described and illustrated are just non-limiting examples, and susceptible of a number of variations.

For example, the photoelectric cells 15', 31 could be avoided and the deviation cycles could be automatically started after a time calculated by the central control device. Once that the signature has been identified and that the central control device has determined into which one of containers 16,37 will be dropped, the same device will start, after a settled time, deviation means 15. Said time is equal to the time that signature 3 takes in order to arrive from the point of identification to the relevant container 16,37 with a constant velocity which corresponds to the velocity of conveyor belts 7,12. The same principle applies when using the encoder 28 as a means for detecting the position reached by the signature.

Another variant could consist in replacing the identification means and the central control device with more local identification and control devices. In such case, for each container 16,37, and therefore for each group of deviation means 15, an identification and control device is provided, suitable for identifying a passing signature 3, and in case said signature 3 corresponds to the information stored in said local device, to start the deviation cycle.

Further, hydraulic pistons or electromagnets could be used instead of the pneumatic pistons 17,29, 32.