APPARATUS TO SELECT-INTRODUCE PRINTED OR BLANK SHEETS AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

Abstract

An apparatus to select-introduce blank sheets and/or printed materials and corresponding method, comprising a positioning seating, a selector unit and an introduction unit suitable to select and introduce sheets in sequence according to the format and basic weight, maintaining high cadences and at the same time reducing the causes of blockages of the sheets in the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus to select-introduce blank or printed sheets, comprising at least a positioning seating associated with at least a regulation mean configured to predispose the selection and the removal of at least a sheet from a pile of sheets, a selector unit comprising at least a removal mean configured to move, on each occasion, a sheet of said pile, and an introduction unit associate to at least a folding unit located downstream, wherein said regulation mean is configured to make available, on each occasion, the data of the dimensions and basic weight of said sheets to said removal mean, being said removal mean able to remove and move said sheet according to said data made available by said regulation mean.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said selector unit comprises at least a suction system with a suction nozzle associated and coordinated to operate with at least a movement mean and able to remove the first sheet located in the lower part of said pile, associating said suction nozzle with the lower external surface of said first sheet of said pile.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said selector unit comprises a contrast mean configured to position itself, on each occasion, in a control manner in contact with the upper surface of said sheet removed by said removal mean.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said suction system cooperates with at least a separator mean, said removal mean, said contrast mean and with at least one holding mean in order to select and remove said first sheet located in the lower part of said pile from said positioning seating.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said introduction unit comprises at least a gripping mean, at least a contrast introducing mean and/or at least an introduction guide coordinated with said removal mean in order to correctly move said removed sheet and to introduce it in said folding unit.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said positioning seating, said selector unit, said introduction unit and/or parts of these can be independently substituted with respect to each other and by said folding unit.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said removal mean is configured to remove a sheet, with a length greater than the perimeter of said removal mean, without winding said sheet around the whole surface od said removal mean.

8. A method to select at least one blank sheet and/or at least one printed sheet and to introduce it into suitable seatings and/or apparatuses, comprising an initial step of fine tuning a selector-introducer apparatus and of positioning a pile of sheets in a positioning seating of said selector-introducer apparatus, said method comprising: a step of regulating and compartmentalizing said pile of sheets according to dimensions and/or basic weights using at least a regulation mean; a step of making available, on each occasion, by means of said regulation mean, data of the dimensions and basic weights of a sheet located in the lower part of said pile to a removal mean; a step of separating and selecting said sheet located in the lower part of said pile; a step of controlled and regulated removal of said selected sheet by means of said removal mean based on said data made available by said regulation mean; a step of controlled and regulated transit of said sheet removed from said removal mean to said introduction mean.

9. The method as in claim 8, comprising at least an insertion step of the at least said sheet in at least a folding unit and/or other suitable apparatus by said introduction unit.

10. The method as in claim 9, providing sheets with maximum operating speed of up to 350 individual sheets selected and introduced into the folding unit per minute, advantageously a normal rate of around 250 individual sheets a minute.

11. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said selector unit comprises a contrast mean configured to position itself, on each occasion, in a control manner in contact with the upper surface of said sheet removed by said removal mean.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 is a lateral section view of a selector-introducer apparatus for sheets and/or printed materials according to the present invention.

[0038] To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

[0039] With reference to FIG. 1, a selector-introducer apparatus 10 for blank sheets and/or printed materials according to the present invention comprises at least a positioning seating 11, at least a selector unit 12 and possibly at least an introduction unit 13.

[0040] The positioning seating 11 comprises a support plane 14 for the pile of sheets, which can be reconstituted, also with different dimensions and/or different basic weights, positionable in a controlled manner.

[0041] The positioning seating 11 also has regulation means 15 to compartmentalize the sheets according to their width and/or to define the necessary longitudinal and/or lateral position on each occasion of the sheets to be selected.

[0042] This allows to prepare a correct setting of the operating parameters of removal means 21 of the selector unit 12 and contrast means 23 of the introduction unit 13, guaranteeing a correct and speedy transit of the desired sheet, without glitches.

[0043] According to a variant, the positioning seating 11 can have a slope comprised between 20 and 41, advantageously around 30, such that the sheets, also due to the natural vibration of the machine, are continuously settled and correctly positioned.

[0044] It should be noted that the positioning seating 11 is configured to locate the sheets, even of variable lengths, positioning them cantilevered for a segment so that the first and lowest sheet in the pile can be selected, removing it from a lower cantilevered part.

[0045] The selector unit 12 comprises at least a suction system 16 positionable in a controlled manner by a movement mean 17.

[0046] The suction system 16 is configured so as to point its suction nozzle 18 facing toward the lower surface of the first sheet, positioned at the bottom of the pile.

[0047] In a possible variant of the present invention, the movement mean 17 comprises at least a rotation member 19 able to position the suction system 16 with the suction nozzle 18 near the external lower surface of the first sheet.

[0048] When the suction nozzle 18 is near the external lower surface of the first sheet, the suction system 16 starts the air suction until it adheres to the surface of the sheet with the suction nozzle 18.

[0049] Keeping the suction active, the first sheet can be moved with the same movement mean 17 of the suction system 16.

[0050] In particular, the rotation member 19, returning to the initial position and keeping the suction of the suction system 16 active, separates the first sheet in contact with the suction nozzle 18 from the pile of sheets, creating an air gap between them.

[0051] The selector unit 12 also comprises at least a motorized separator mean 20 able to be inserted in the air gap created by the suction system 16, so as to function as a physical separator between the pile and the selected sheet.

[0052] The insertion occurs simultaneously with the slight lowering of the suction system 16 so as to speed up the operation.

[0053] In order to remove the selected sheet without blockages, the suction system 16 continues to rotate downward until it takes the end of the selected sheet into contact with a motorized and programmable removal mean 21.

[0054] The removal mean 21, by way of example, can be a roll or a transport belt.

[0055] Furthermore, since it has the data of the dimensions and basic weight supplied by the regulation means 15 available, the removal mean 21 is able to perform a rotation proportional to the parameters of the selected sheet, used to move the sheet forward.

[0056] According to a preferential variant of the present invention, the selector unit 12 also provides at least a holder mean 22 positionable between the pile and the selected sheet in contact with the pile.

[0057] The holder mean 22, resting on the edge of the pile of sheets during the removal of the selected sheet by the removal mean 21, constrains the forward movement, preventing the selected sheet from drawing the pile forward with it.

[0058] The selector unit 12 also comprises at least a contrast roll 23, positionable in a controlled manner in contact with the upper face of the sheet in contact with the removal mean 21. The contrast mean 23 allows to make the sheet removed transit in a planar manner along the desired path.

[0059] The introduction unit 13, in a variant, advantageously comprises downstream of the selector unit 12, at least a connection chamber 24 cooperating with at least a guide 25, such as a belt or other type, advantageously adjustable according to the desired format of the sheet.

[0060] The connection chamber 24 and the guide 25 allow the controlled transit of the sheet removed from the selector unit 12 to the possible introduction unit 13.

[0061] The introduction unit 13 also comprises at least a gripper mean 26, for example a motorized roll, cooperating with an introduction contrast mean 27 and with at least an introduction guide 28, advantageously adjustable according to the desired format of the sheet.

[0062] The introduction contrast mean 27, possibly positionable according to the dimensions and/or basic weight of the printed sheet, functions as a contrast for the transit of the sheet between the gripper mean 26 and the introduction contrast mean 27 itself.

[0063] The gripper mean 26 cooperates, rotating in a controlled and coordinated manner, with the removal mean 21, allowing the sheet to transit without blockages.

[0064] Furthermore, the purpose of the gripper roll 26 is to deliver the sheet to at least one folding unit 29, positionable downstream of the introduction guide 28, which, while remaining constructionally independent thereof, is coordinated with the introduction unit 13.

[0065] The folding unit 29 comprises at least an entrance 30 to the folding unit toward the introduction guide 28, able to receive the sheet arriving from the at least one gripper roll 26, stopping the travel thereof and preparing it for folding.

[0066] In addition, having provided the introduction unit 13 and hence the removal mean 21 separate from the folding unit 29 facilitates the possible maintenance or restoration operations in the event of malfunctions or blockages.

[0067] Moreover, the removal mean 21, performing the specific removal operation without performing the folding on its surface, does not limit its functions to a specific format of the sheet removed.

[0068] In other words, if it is a removal roll that is used, the invention does not need to wind and fold the selected sheet on the surface of the removal mean 21, thus allowing to select sheets of even greater length than the circumference of the removal roll.

[0069] This also reduces the occurrence of blockages of the sheet on the removal mean 21.

[0070] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the corresponding method comprises: [0071] an initial tuning step of the selector-introducer apparatus 10 and of positioning the pile of sheets in the positioning seating 11; [0072] a step of regulating and compartmentalizing the sheets according to dimension and/or basic weight by regulation means 15; [0073] a step of separating and selecting the sheet located in the lower part of the pile by means of a suction system 16 cooperating with at least one separator mean 20 and/or at least one holding mean 22 of the sheet; [0074] a controlled and regulated step of removing the selected sheet by means of at least one removal mean 21 cooperating with at least one contrast mean 23 and/or regulation means 15, according to the dimensions and/or basic weight of the sheet; [0075] a controlled and regulated transit step of the sheet removed by the at least one removal mean 21 to the at least one introduction unit 13; [0076] a step of inserting the sheet into at least one folding unit 29 by the at least one introduction unit 13.

[0077] According to the present invention, the selector-introducer apparatus 10 as described heretofore has a maximum operating speed of 350 single selected sheets introduced into the folding unit 29 per minute, advantageously around 250 single selected sheets per minute.

[0078] It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the selector-introducer apparatus and corresponding method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

[0079] It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of apparatus and corresponding method, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.