WITH WRAPPERS"

Technical Field of the Invention

The object of the present invention is a machine and a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers.

In the present description, by the term pile it is meant each set of prints intended to be bound with wrappers. By way of example only, the present invention can be applied in the typographic field and, in particular, in the packing of prints.

In fact, the binding is a process which takes place downstream of the printing site for the purpose of grouping a preset number of prints ready for the distribution thereof.

State-of-the-Art

In the prior art, binding machines are known which comprise means for continually feeding a set of prints, a station for selecting a desired number of prints intended to form each pile, and a binding station in which the pile is bound with wrappers and fed to a collection site downstream of the machine.

The feeding means above mentioned have the function of supplying the binding station with a set of prints via belt conveyors, for example.

The prints thus supplied are detected and counted one by one by optical sensors located in the selection station. The presence of such sensors makes it possible to establish when the desired number of prints has been reached and, consequently, to establish the dimension of the individual pile of printed to be bound with wrappers . Once the exact number of prints has been determined, a grouping member superimposes the prints to each other for the formation of a single pile.

Afterwards, the pile is fed by driving means to the binding station which provides for binding the prints together by means of paper or plastic wrappers that are wound around the pile.

Downstream of the binding site, the pile is fed to a collection site wherein the piles are stored and packed. In the machines of the prior art, the feeding of the piles bound with wrappers takes place in line, that is, while they keep moving along a direction for the loading thereof in the binding station.

Disadvantageously, the construction of the known machines is expensive and difficult to make.

Actually, the optical sensors are quite costly and need advanced control systems for the treatment of the acquired information.

Moreover, in the binding machines of known type, the continuous feeding means require complex and bulky devices .

Detailed Description

In this context, the object of the present invention is to propose a machine and a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers, able to overcome the above cited drawbacks of the prior art.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provided a machine for making piles of prints bound with wrappers which is of simple and cost-effective construction.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provided a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers which is simple to be carried out.

The indicated technical task and specified object are substantially achieved by a machine and a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers, comprising the technical characteristics set forth in one or more of the attached claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more evident from the indicative, and thus non-limiting, description of a preferred, but non-exclusive, embodiment of a machine and a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine according to the present invention, in a first operating configuration;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a detail of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the machine shown in Fig. 1, in a second operating configuration;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of the machine shown in Fig. 1, in a third operating configuration.

With reference to the attached figures, numeral 1 designates a machine for making piles of prints bound with wrappers according to the present invention.

In the preset description, the term pile 2 will indicate each group of prints to be bound with wrappers, since it is understood that such groups are formed by a series of prints piled on each other.

The machine 1 comprises a device 3 for forming a pile 2 of prints to be bound with wrappers. The forming device 3 comprise a storage 4 which, at least in part, defines a space 5 for housing a stack 6 of prints having a prevalent direction of development "A" .

In particular, the housing space 5 exhibits a prevalent direction of development "A" which is substantially vertical .

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing space 5 has a substantially parallelepiped shape to receive a stack 6 of common prints.

The term "common" refers to the prints of standard shape, that is, sheets of substantially rectangular format .

In other embodiments, the housing space 5 may take other shapes, such as oval for example, according to the type and format of the prints to be bound with wrappers.

In detail, the housing space 5 is cooperatively defined between the storage 4 and a basement 7.

The basement 7 defines an operating plane "B", preferably transverse to the direction of prevalent development "A" and which will be widely dealt with in the description that follows.

Still more preferably, the operating plane "B" is orthogonal to the direction of prevalent development "A".

The storage 4 comprises a plurality of walls 9 connected with each other to define the housing space 5.

In particular, the walls 9 are in number of four and facing two by two parallel to each other.

At least one of the walls 9 exhibits a longitudinal opening 10 developing in particular parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A".

Advantageously, this allows easily monitoring the height of the stack of prints 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, said wall 9 is defined by two portions 8 lined up with each other in a fully separate fashion.

The distance between the two portions defines the opening 10.

The plurality of walls 9 comprises a wall 13 having a mouth 15 for exiting a preset number of prints.

In other words, the exit mouth 15 allows the removal of the pile of prints 2 from the stack 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, the wall 13 is orthogonal to the wall provided with the opening 10.

The wall 13 is raised with respect to the basement 7 to define the exit mouth 15 in correspondence of a base portion 6a of the stack 6.

In other words, the wall 13 exhibits a lower edge 13a at a preset distance from the basement 7 so as to create a clearance for the passage of a preset number of prints.

To change the number of prints making up the pile 2 to be bound with wrapper as necessary, a dimension of the exit mouth 15, parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5, is adjustable. To this end, the forming device 3 comprises a shield 16 able to slide relative to the wall 13, along a direction parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5, either away from or close to the basement 7.

By varying the relative position between the shield 16 and the basement 7, it is possible to change the dimension of the exit mouth 15 parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

In other words, the sliding of shield 16 relative to wall 13 allows adjusting a distance between the lower edge 16a of shield 16 and the basement 7, in particular, the distance measured orthogonally to the operating plane "B".

The plurality of walls 9 also comprises an additional wall 11, opposite to wall 13, exhibiting an exit mouth 17.

In the preferred embodiment, the additional wall 11 exhibits a lower edge 11a at a preset distance from the basement 7 so as to define the entry mouth 17.

Preferably, the entry mouth 17 is adjustable along a dimension parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

For this purpose, the forming device 3 comprises an additional shield 18 able to slide relative to the additional wall 11 along a direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

Advantageously, by changing the relative position between the additional shield 18 and the basement 7, it is possible to change the dimension of the entry mouth

17 parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

In other words, the sliding of the additional shield 18 relative to the additional wall 11 allows adjusting a distance between the lower edge 18a of additional shield

18 and the basement 7.

Preferably, the shield 16 and the additional shield 18 are opposite to each other and at least partially, mirror-image positioned.

In other words, the lower edge 16a of the shield 16 and the lower edge 18a of the additional shield 18 are lined up at a same distance from the basement 7.

In this way, the entry mouth 17 and the exit mouth 15 face each other, and the respective dimensions transverse to the operating plane "B" coincide.

To form the pile 2 of prints to be bound with wrappers, the forming device 3 comprises a puller element 19 movable within the housing space 5.

In particular, the puller element 19 is movable along the operating plane "B", that is, transversally to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

To allow removing the pile 2 from the exit mouth 15 of the housing space 5, the puller element 19 is at least in part lined up with the same exit mouth 15.

Advantageously, this makes it possible to remove the pile 2 from the stack 6 by a simple thrust action transverse to the stack 6.

More precisely, the puller element 19 moves by exerting a thrust onto the stack 6 along a rectilinear trajectory "C" orthogonal to the same stack 6.

Still more precisely, the puller element 19 moves along a rectilinear guide 14 located on the basement 7.

Preferably, such puller element 19 is driven by an actuator 20 of hydraulic or pneumatic type, for example.

Alternatively, the puller element 19 can be driven by a linear electric actuator.

In use, the puller element 19 is driven in the direction of the stack 6. When such puller element 19 enters the housing space 5 it comes in contact with the stacks 6 by pushing the number of prints corresponding to the pile 2 out of stack 6 and, in particular, out of the exit mouth 15. To remove the pile 2 from stack 6, the puller element 19 is provided with an active portion 19a able to be engaged with the same stack 6.

The pile 2 is determined by the number of prints engaged by the thrust portion 19a.

In particular, the dimension of the active portion 19a orthogonal to the operating plane "B" determines the number of prints engaged by the thrust portion 19a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the dimension orthogonal to the operating plane "B" of the active portion 19a is adjustable.

Advantageously, this makes it possible to adjust the number of prints engaged by the puller element 19 and, consequently, the dimension of pile 2.

It should be noted that the dimension orthogonal to the operating plane "B" coincides with the distance between the lower edge 16a of shield 16 and the basement 7.

In other words, the dimension orthogonal to the operating plane "B" of the active portion 19a coincides with the dimension of the exit mouth 15 parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A".

Advantageously, this allows improving the accuracy of removal of the pile 2 from the stack 6.

However, also with this expedient, the possibility of an error in the number of prints which define the pile 2 is not annulled and remains hardly negligible.

For this reason, the machine according to the present invention does not find application in the field of either the counting or binding of banknotes and valuable prints.

It should be noted that both the dimension orthogonal to the operating plane "B" of the active portion 19a and the dimension of the exit mouth 15 parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" are adjustable to allow changing the dimension of pile 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, the active portion 19a is defined by a flat wall 12 oriented parallel to the direction of prevalent development "A" of the housing space 5.

Moreover, the flat wall 12 is orthogonal to the rectilinear trajectory "C".

Consequently, the orthogonal dimension of the operating plane "B" of active portion 19a coincides with a height of the flat wall 12.

The puller element 19 further exhibits a support portion 19b solid to the active portion 19a for supporting an upper portion 6b of stack 6 when the same puller element 19 is at least partially inserted within the housing space 5.

Such support portion 19b defines a bearing plane "D" oriented parallel to the operating plane "B" of the puller element 19 and raised relative to basement 7.

Moreover, the support portion 19b develops away from an upper edge 19c of active portion 19a of the puller element 19.

Preferably, the support portion 19b comprises a shelf 23 of non-stick material.

By way of example, the shelf 23 may be made from Teflon®.

Advantageously, the presence of a non-stick shelf 23 makes it possible to minimize the frictions between the support portion 19b and the upper portion 6b of stack 6 when the puller element is at least partially inserted within the housing space 5.

Moreover, the non-stick shelf 23 allows also minimizing the frictions occurring between the support portion 19b and the shield 16 when the puller element 19 goes through the exit mouth 15.

Similarly, the friction between the support portion 19b and the additional shield 18 are also reduced to a minimum.

It is pointed out that the shelf 23 determines, at least in part, the height of the flat surface 12.

To make the height of the flat surface 12 adjustable, the shelf 23 can be dismounted and replaced or combined with further shelves 23 of different thickness in order to change the number of prints that can be engaged by the active portion 19a of puller element 19.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shelf 23 is mounted and fixed firmly to a base 22 by clamping means 21 such as screws or the like.

To make the adjustment of the entry mouth 17 and exit mouth 15 possible when the housing space 5 is filled with the stack 6, the puller element 19 is positioned in correspondence of the entry mouth 17, and the additional shield 18 is caused to slide until it rests onto the support portion 19b.

In this way, the height of the active portion 19a of puller element 19 coincides with the opening of the entry mouth 17.

The machine 1 according to the present invention further comprises a binding station 25 downstream of the forming device 3.

In the binding station 25, the pile 2 removed from the stack 6 is wound with a wrapper, for example of paper or plastic material.

In the illustrated embodiment, it is the same puller element 19 which removes the pile 2 from the stack 6 to position it onto the binding station 25 by moving it along a feeding direction of same binding station 25.

It is pointed out that the feeding direction coincides with the rectilinear trajectory "C" in which the puller element 19 is driven into motion.

The binding station 25 is of portal-shaped configuration .

In other words, the binding station 25 comprises a first substantially vertical riser 26, a second riser 27 lined up with the first riser 26 in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, and a crossbar 28 which joins together the first riser 26 and the second riser 27.

More precisely, the crossbar 28 connects an upper end 26a of the first riser 26 with an upper end 27a of the second riser 27.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second riser 27 is freely pivotable, relative to the crossbar 28 in proximity of- the first end 27a, about an axis parallel to the feeding direction.

The first end 27a of the second riser 27 is thus a hinge end.

Means for driving 29 the bound-with-wrapper pile 32 into motion feed the latter to a collection station along a direction transverse to the feeding direction.

More precisely, the driving means 29 are connected to the binding station 25 and are movable in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction between a position close to the first riser 26 and a position close to the second riser 27.

In particular, the driving means 29 are made to act on the bound-with-wrappers pile 32 by means of a pusher element 31.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pusher 31 is fork- shaped so as to slide astride of the crossbar 28.

In particular, the arms of the fork have such a length as to intercept the bound-with-wrappers pile 32 during the movement from the first riser 26 to the second riser 27.

Advantageously, this avoids physical or functional interferences between the pusher 31 and the binding station 25.

Moreover, upon a subseguent step of the movement from the first to the second positions, the bound-with- wrapper pile 32, driven into motion by the pusher 31, encounters a second end 27b of the second riser.

Since the second riser 27 is freely pivotable, its second end 27b does not oppose resistance to the advancement of the bound-with-wrapper pile 32.

Advantageously, this makes it possible to eject the bound-with-wrappers pile 32 with a direction transverse to that of operation of the puller element 19, thereby allowing the overall dimensions to be reduced.

In use, the stack of prints 6 is predisposed inside the housing space 5.

Following this is a step of adjusting the active portion 19a of the puller element 19 and the exit mouth 15 according to the number of prints that each pile 2 must be made of.

Afterwards, the puller element 19 is operated to push the pile of prints 2 out of the stack 6.

More precisely, the active portion 19a of the puller element comes in contact with the base portion 6a of the stack 6 and, by a thrusting action, takes the pile 2 out of the housing space 5.

The thrusting action of the puller element goes on until the pile of prints 2 is positioned within the binding station 25 and, in particular, until the pile of prints 2 is centred inside the portal structure.

In this step, a portion of the tape 34 for wrapping the pile of prints 2 is placed inside the portal structure in standby condition before being wound around the pile 2.

After binding the pile with wrapper, the pusher element 31 is activated for ejecting the pile 32 bound with wrappers .

This procedure is repeated sequentially until exhausting the prints held in the stack 6.

Also an object of the present invention is a method for making piles of prints bound with wrappers.

At first, the method comprises a step of predisposing a plurality of prints to be bound with wrappers.

In particular, such plurality of prints is predisposed in the form of a stack 6 so that the same prints are piled up onto each other. Subsequently, the said pile 2, is removed from the stack 6.

In particular, the step of removing the pile 2 of prints is carried out by exerting a thrusting action localized on the stack 6.

Still more in particular, the localized thrusting action comprises a substep wherein a thrust is exerted onto a predetermined area corresponding to a preset number of prints forming the pile 2.

At the same time, the remaining prints forming the stack 6 are kept in position.

In order to adjust the size of pile 2, prior to exerting the thrusting action onto the stack, it is suitable to adjust the thrust area.

The number of prints to be kept in position will vary accordingly.

It should be noted that the thrusting action continues as far as to position the pile 2 to be bound with wrappers at a binding station 25.

Finally, the pile 2 is bound with wrappers at the binding station 25.

The invention achieves the proposed objects and obtains major advantages.

Actually, the presence of a puller element for selecting and predisposing the number of prints making up the pile, allows the machine to be simply constructed.

Moreover, the absence of means for a continuous feeding, which are required in the prior art, allows the overall dimensions to be significantly reduced.

Besides, the possibility of ejecting laterally the piles bound with wrappers allows the overall dimensions to be even more reduced.

Finally, the possibility of adjusting the number of prints by a simple replacement of the shelf of non-stick material and of adjusting the opening of the exit mouth allows maintaining the versality of this type of machines .