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Title:
PNEUMATICALLY CONTROLLED TABLE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2007/106037
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
In a pneumatically controlled table, the table top is formed of a plurality of parallel, pneumatically operated bars arranged at spacings. Said bars comprise substantially horizontally oriented, telescopic pipes (40). A pneumatic control device (20, 21 , 22, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48) is arranged to project and retract the telescopic pipes in a pneumatic way in order to vary the size of the table top.

Inventors:
TILLMAN ANDREAS (SE)
Application Number:
PCT/SE2007/050158
Publication Date:
September 20, 2007
Filing Date:
March 15, 2007
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
PLOCKMATIC INT AB (SE)
TILLMAN ANDREAS (SE)
International Classes:
B65H31/20; B65H29/34; B65H31/24; B65H31/30
Foreign References:
GB932663A1963-07-31
GB707540A1954-04-21
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
LÖFGREN, Håkan et al. (Box 6107, Stockholm, SE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Pneumatically controlled table having a table top, formed of a plurality of parallel, pneumatically operated bars arranged at spacings, which bars comprise substantially horizontally oriented, telescopic pipes (40), as well as having a pneumatic control device arranged to project and retract said telescopic pipes in a pneumatic way in order to vary the size of the table top, characterized in that said control device comprises pressure tanks (20,21 ) connectable to the rear ends of the telescopic pipes (40) via a switching valve (42) for pneumatic control of said telescopic pipes, said pressure tanks comprising a negative-pressure tank (21 ) and a positive-pressure tank (20), which are selectively connectable to the telescopic pipes via the switching valve in order to project and retract, respectively, the same.

2. Table according to claim 1 , characterized in that each one of the telescopic pipes (40) comprises three pipe sections that are projectable and retractable into each other, respectively.

3. Table according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said telescopic pipes (40) are arranged in a plurality of levels above each other for the provision of a plurality of table tops (12,18) situated above each other.

4. Table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said switching valve (42) is electrically controlled.

5. Table according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the spaces between said parallel telescopic pipes (40), arms are arranged, which at the free ends thereof carry claws (49,50) that are operable in order to grip around the edge of sheets of paper or piles of sheets lying on the table tops (12,18), which arms are tumable in a vertical plane perpendicular to the planes of the table tops in order to move said claws from the level of one table top to the level of another table top.

6. Equipment for post-processing of sheets from a printing or printer unit of printing machines or copiers, characterized in that the equipment comprises a table according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a pneumatically controlled, first collection table (12) for the collection of supplied sheets (14), a pneumatically controlled, second stapling table (12) situated below said first collection table in order to receive sheets from said collection table for stapling sheets in a stapling apparatus (11 ) for the provision of booklets (16), a pneumatically controlled, third storage table (18) situated below said stapling table for temporary storage of said booklets, as well as a vertically adjustable fourth delivery table (17) situated below said third table in order to receive booklets temporarily stored on said third table.

Description:

PNEUMATICALLY CONTROLLED TABLE

The present invention relates to a pneumatically controlled table having a table top, formed of a plurality of parallel, pneumatically operated bars arranged at spacings.

Printing machines and copiers become increasingly productive and the number of sheets fed out per time unit increases. The printing or printer unit of printing machines and copiers is normally followed by a post-processing equipment to handle printed sheets for, e.g., collection, sorting, stapling and folding of the sheets for the provision of booklets as well as for transportation and delivery of these piles of sheets or booklets in a desired way. Such a post-processing equipment has to be able to handle supplied sheets at substantially the same rate as they are fed out from the printing machine or copier. If this is not possible, the time interval between the sheets has to be increased. In SE 525 481 , a way is dis- closed to provide a sheet buffer by the fact that sheets of a flow are buckled and are kept buckled until a suitable moment for output by controlling rollers for feeding the sheets.

In US 3 298 683, a sheet deliverer is disclosed having tables, formed of a plurality of parallel bars arranged at spacings. Around one end thereof, the bars are turnable in a vertical plane for the receipt and delivery of sheets. The turning of the bars is carried out by means of fluid cylinders.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatically controlled table, suitable for use for operations in a post-processing equipment of the above- mentioned type, constructed to handle a fast flow of printed sheets. This object is attained by a pneumatically controlled table of the type mentioned by way of introduction having the features defined in claim 1.

By forming the pneumatically controlled table with telescopic bars in the way defined in claim 1 , a table top is obtained, the size of which can be varied very quickly, from the maximum size to the size of zero, i.e., the table top fully retracted. This is essential in order to achieve the requisite capacity to handle fast flows of sheets.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the table according to the invention, each one of the telescopic pipes comprises three pipe sections that are projectable and retractable into each other, respectively. In this way, the pipes will

be relatively short in the fully retracted state, which reduces the space requirement for the table in an advantageous way.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the table according to the invention, the telescopic pipes are arranged in a plurality of levels above each other for the provision of a plurality of table tops situated above each other. In this way, such a station of tables will accordingly build vertically instead of in the horizontal direction, which gives a more compact construction, in which supplied sheets are processed in the vertical direction instead of horizontally.

According to an additional advantageous embodiment of the table according to the invention, telescopic pipes are, at the rear ends thereof, connected to a distributing pipe for each table top, which distributing pipe is connected to pressure tanks via a switching valve for pneumatic control of said telescopic pipes. By arranging a distributing pipe for each table top, individual control of each table top is enabled. According to yet an advantageous embodiment of the table according to the invention, the pressure tanks comprises a negative-pressure tank and a positive-pressure tank. By being able to use positive and negative pressure in this way to push out the telescopic pipes and suck them in, respectively, relatively low pressures can be used - a typical pressure in the tanks may be of the order of 0,5 bar - which is advantageous because of the expense.

According to an additional advantageous embodiment of the table according to the invention, arms are arranged in the spaces between the parallel, telescopic pipes, which arms at one free end thereof carry claws that are operable in order to grip around the edge of sheets of paper or piles of sheets lying on the table tops, which arms are turnable in a vertical plane perpendicular to the planes of the table tops in order to move the claws from the level of one table top to the level of another table top. Accordingly, said arms provided with claws can be moved up and down through table tops formed of telescopic pipes in order to grip sheets or piles of sheets by the claws around the rear edge and follow the sheets or sheet piles during their transfer downward from one table to another. In this way, this transfer of sheets or piles of sheets is effected in a well-controlled way with the sheets or piles continuously held in place.

The invention also relates to an equipment for post-processing of sheets from a printing or printer unit of printing machines or copiers, comprising at least one pneumatically controlled table according to the invention.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the equipment according to the invention, it comprises a pneumatically controlled, first collection table for the collection of supplied sheets, a pneumatically controlled, second stapling table situated below said first collection table in order to receive sheets from said collection table for stapling sheets in a stapling apparatus for the provision of booklets, a pneumatically controlled, third delivery table situated below said stapling table for temporary storage of said booklets, as well as a vertically adjustable fourth delivery table situated below said third table in order to receive booklets temporarily stored on said third table. Hence, in this part of the equipment, sheet handling is carried out in the vertical direction instead of the horizontal direction, and since this part of the equipment accordingly is built in the vertical direction, a space-saving equipment made more compact is obtained.

In order to explain the invention further, an embodiment example of the pneumatically controlled table according to the invention will now be described in more detail, reference being made to the appended drawings, in which Figure 1 schematically shows an example of post-processing equipment for printing machines and fast copiers, Figures 2 and 3 show the table according to the invention in side view and plan view, respectively, and Figure 4 illustrates in more detail the pneumatic driving device at the table according to the invention.

Figure 1 schematically shows an example of post-processing equipment for printing machines and fast copiers. This equipment comprises upper output trays 1 having output wheels 2 at the exit side. At 3, there is shown the inlet to the post-processing equipment for the supply of sheets from a preceding machine, such as a printing machine or copier. Reference numeral 5 designates a flap arrangement to direct incoming sheets to a free cassette 8 in a device for changing the position of sheets of paper in a flow. This device is described in more detail in the Swedish patent application no. 0600588-8 co-filed herewith. From the exit of the device for changing the position of the sheets, the flow of sheets is directed via a flap 6 either to a conveyor 10 included in the device for delivery of sheets, which is described in more detail in the Swedish patent application no. 0600589-6 co-

filed with the present application, or via an additional flap 7 to an outlet 4 for possible transfer to a subsequent machine.

By the conveyor 10, the sheets are brought to a delivery station comprising pneumatically controlled tables according to the present invention. The delivery station comprises a first collection table 12 for the collection of supplied sheets 13. From this collection table 12, the sheets 14 are brought to a second stapling table 12 situated below the collection table in order to receive sheets from the collection table for stapling sheets 14 in a stapling apparatus 11 , suitably of a wire-fed type, for stapling together sheets 14 into booklets. Next, stapled sheets 16 are trans- ferred to a pneumatically controlled, third delivery table 18, situated below the stapling table, for temporary storage of booklets. Advantageously, this table 18 is vertically adjustable for adaptation for temporary storage of larger or smaller quantities of sheets. Finally, the sheets or booklets are transferred to a vertically adjustable, fourth main table 17 for delivery, in turn situated below the storage table 18. The delivery table 17 is not a pneumatically controlled table according to the invention, but is constructed of cross-bars having waved recesses in the faces thereof facing upward, so that said delivery table 17 can be raised all the way up to the table 18 for temporary sheet storage with the telescopic pipes of the table 18 running in the wave troughs in the waved recesses, while the crests of the wave shape project upward, possibly above the plane of the table top in the table 18. In this way, the transfer of sheets from the table 18 to the table 17 can take place very smoothly with the sheets or booklets always in place. The table 17 is then lowered successively against the floor as the pile of delivered sheets or booklets on the table 17 grows. Reference numerals 20, 21 and 22 designate components belonging to the pneumatic driving device for the pneumatically controlled tables. These components will be described in more detail in the following.

The delivery station comprising pneumatically controlled tables according to the invention is framed by the dashed line A in Figure 1 and the tables are shown in more detail in Figures 2-4.

In Figures 2 and 3, the tables according to the invention included in the delivery station are shown in side view and plan view, respectively.

In Figure 2, an example with three tables arranged above each other is shown. Each "table top" is formed of a plurality of horizontally oriented, parallel

telescopic cylinders or pipes 40 arranged at spacings in holding devices 41 , see also Figure 3. In the embodiment in question, each of the telescopic pipes 40 comprise three pipe sections, which are projectable and retractable, respectively, into each other in pneumatic way in order to change the size of the "top" in that way. Having three pipe sections, the pipes will be relatively short in the fully retracted state, which reduces the space requirement in an advantageous way, but the number of pipe sections insertable into each other may of course be varied.

The telescopic pipes 40 are, at the rear ends thereof, connected to distributing pipes 43, which run transversely across the width of the tables, one distrib- uting pipe 43 for each table to allow individual operation of each table. Said distributing pipes 43 are coupled to two pressure tanks 20, 21 via a switching valve 42. In one of the tanks 20, there is a positive pressure, and in the other tank 21 a negative pressure, generated by a compressor 22, see also Figure 4. Hoses required connect the compressor 22 to the tanks 20, 21 as well as to connect the tanks 20, 21 to the switching valve 42 and the distributing pipe 43 are designated by 47 in Figure 4.

The pressure in the tanks 20, 21 is relatively low, of the order of 0,5 bar. Operating with low pressure and relatively high air flows is advantageous because of the expense. An electric controlling element 46 is coupled to pressure sensors 44, 45, which detect the pressures in the tanks 20, 21 , to the compressor 22 as well as to the switching valve 42. The corresponding connecting cables are illustrated by dashed lines 48 in Figure 4. By means of this controlling element 46, control is achieved of the pressures in the tanks 20, 21 , so that they are kept at preset val- ues, as well as of the switching valve 42, so that the telescopic pipes 40 are operated in a desired way.

By coupling the distributing pipe 43 belonging to a certain table to the positive-pressure tank 20 by means of the switching valve 42, the telescopic pipes 40 are pushed out for the provision of "the table top". By switching the valve 42 so that the distributing pipe 43 is coupled to the negative-pressure tank 21 , the pipes are sucked into each other, so that the size of the "top" decreases or entirely disappears, if the pipe sections are fully retracted. Accordingly, by switching the valve 42, the size of the table top can be changed quickly in a desired way by coupling the distributing pipe 43 to the positive or negative-pressure tank 20, 21.

By in this way using positive and negative pressures to push out the telescopic pipes 40 and suck them in, respectively, relatively low pressures can be used to change the size of the table top very quickly. Thus, the table top can be developed from the fully retracted state into full size, and be retracted from full size to the fully retracted state, respectively, in a time of the order of 150 ms.

By retracting the telescopic pipes 40 into different locations, the size of the table top can be adapted to the length of received sheets. This way of not using longer stroke length of the telescopic pipes than necessary entails a significant advantage. Namely, with a shorter stroke length, the air consumption per stroke decreases and thereby the frequency of the operation of the table can be increased, which allows faster sheet output.

Arms provided with claws are arranged at least in some tables in the spaces between the telescopic pipes 40 forming the table top, such as are shown in Figure 3. The claws 49, 50 are operable in order to grip around the edge of sheets of paper or piles of sheets of paper, which lie on the table tops. The arms provided with claws are turnable so that they can move up and down through the planes of the table tops, see also Figure 2. This turning motion is motor-driven. Accordingly, the arms provided with claws can move up and down through table tops formed of telescopic pipes in order to grip sheets or piles of sheets by the claws 49, 50 around the rear edge and follow the sheets or sheet piles during their transfer downward from one table to another. The claws 49 in Figure 3 may, e.g., be arranged for sheet transfer from the uppermost table top, i.e., the collection table, to the stapling table being next below, while the claws 50 may be intended for sheet transfer from the stapling table to the table 18 being next below for tem- porary storage of sheets as well as to delivery on the main table 17 situated farthest down, cf. Figure 1. In this way, this transfer of sheets or piles of sheets between the tables is effected in a well-controlled way with the sheets or piles continuously held in correct position.