Device for storing a sheet pile in a converting machine and converting machine

Abstract

A device for storing a sheet pile in a converting machine (10) comprises a transfer mechanism (28) for delivering sheets (22) into a piling area (26) of the device (22), and a sampling plate (44) which is adjustable between a sampling position and an access position, wherein the top of the piling area (26) is covered by the sampling plate (44) when the sampling plate (44) is in the sampling position and the top of the piling area (26) is free when the sampling plate (44) is in the access position.

Claims

1. A device for storing a sheet in a converting machine, the device comprising: a transfer mechanism for delivering the sheet into a piling area of the device, wherein the transfer mechanism delivers the sheet in a first direction, a housing including a guide rail, and a sampling plate which is adjustable between a sampling position and an access position by moving along the guide rail, wherein the sampling plate moves from the access position to the sampling position in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, to receive the sheet from the transfer mechanism, and moves in the first direction from the sampling position to the access position with the sheet and thereby moving the sheet away from the piling area, wherein a top of the piling area is covered by the sampling plate when the sampling plate is in the sampling position so that the transfer mechanism delivers the sheet to the sampling plate, and the top of the piling area is accessible when the sampling plate is in the access position so that the transfer mechanism delivers the sheet to the piling area, wherein in the access position, the sampling plate extends at least partially outwards from an opening within the housing, and wherein in the sampling position, the sampling plate is moved at least partially through the opening into the housing, and wherein in the sampling position, the sampling plate contacts a back jogger forming a back side of the piling area.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sampling plate completely covers the top of the piling area.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail has a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending in the first direction at least partially along a side boundary of the piling area.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a jogger arranged between the sampling plate and a front boundary of the piling area when the sampling plate is in the access position.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising: a lateral jogger arranged at a side boundary of the piling area.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein one or more of the jogger or the lateral jogger is adjustable between a working position and a clearing position by a drive element, wherein the sampling plate is adjustable into the sampling position only when the one or more of the jogger or the lateral jogger is in the clearing position.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor adapted for monitoring a position of the sampling plate.

Description

(1) Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of the invention and from the appended figures which show a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic converting machine comprising a device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of parts of the device of FIG. 1 with a sampling plate in an access position;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the jogger of the device of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a lateral jogger of the device of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of a detail of the lateral jogger of FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a cross-section of the device of FIG. 2 along plane A-A with the sampling plate in the access position; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a cross-section of the device of FIG. 2 along plane A-A with the sampling plate in a sampling position.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a converting machine 10 according to the invention. The converting machine 10 is composed of several modules which are arranged one after another. In the shown embodiment, the converting machine 10 comprises a loading station 12, a feeder 14, a converting station 16, a discharge station 18, and a device 20 according to the invention.

(10) The converting machine 10 has a running direction R which is defined by the direction in which sheets are being processed.

(11) The loading station 12 is used for supplying the converting machine 10 with raw sheets to be processed. The raw sheets can be made out of cardbox, paper or plastic.

(12) The individual raw sheets are taken out of the loading station 12 by the feeder 14 and fed into the converting station 16.

(13) The converting station 16 can be a cutting station, an embossing station or a stamping station. In the shown embodiment, the converting machine comprises a platen press 24. In the converting station 16, the raw sheets are converted to sheets 22.

(14) The discharge station 18 is used to transfer the sheets 22 from the converting station 16 to a piling area 26 of the device 20. The discharge station 18 can also be used to ensure correct alignment of the sheets 22.

(15) The sheets 22 are moved along the running direction R by a transfer mechanism 28. The transfer mechanism 28 is adapted to individually transfer each single sheet 22 from the feeder 14 to the device 20.

(16) The transfer mechanism 28 comprises several gripper bars 30 which take turns to grip a sheet 22 at its front edge and to pull the sheet 22 through the stations of the converting machine 10.

(17) The gripper bars 30 are connected to a chain 32 which is moving in a closed circle. The chain 32 moves in a step-wise manner, whereby with each step the sheet 22 is moved to the next station of the converting machine 10.

(18) In the device 20, the sheets 22 are released from the transfer mechanism 28 to form a pile of sheets in the piling area 26, e.g. on a pallet 34.

(19) Accordingly, in the shown embodiment, only a single transfer mechanism 28 is used for all modules of the converting machine 10, including the device 20. Generally, the device 20 could comprise its own transfer mechanism 28 which is connected to a further converting machine transfer mechanism.

(20) At a front boundary 36 of the piling area 26, a jogger 38 is arranged. The jogger 38 is used to align the processed sheets 22 along the running direction R in the piling area 26. This is done by providing a flat surface by the jogger 38 against which the sheets 22 can be pushed when delivered into the piling area 26 by the transfer mechanism 28.

(21) Further, the device 20 comprises a back jogger 39 which is arranged at a back side of the piling area 26 opposite to the front side of the piling area 26. Accordingly, the back jogger 39 is arranged opposite to the jogger 38.

(22) Further, the jogger 38 can tilt back and forth to align the sheets 22 in the piling area 26.

(23) The device 20 comprises a housing 40 which in the shown embodiment is also part of the housing of the converting machine 10.

(24) The housing 40 comprises a window 42 so that an operator of the converting machine 10 can look into the converting machine 10, especially on the sheets 22 in the piling area 26.

(25) The housing 40 further has an opening 43 through which a sampling plate 44 partially extends outwards from the housing 40. The sampling plate 44 further comprises handles 45 which can be used by the operator to adjust the position of the sampling plate 44.

(26) Additionally, the device 20 has a display unit 46 with a display 48 and control elements 50. The display 48 can also be a touch-sensitive display. In this case, the control elements 50 can be incorporated into the display 48. The display unit 46 can be used by an operator to control the device 20, preferably to control all modules of the converting machine 10.

(27) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of parts of the device 20.

(28) The jogger 38 and the back jogger 39 extend essentially over the full length of the front and back surface of the piling area 26, respectively.

(29) As can be seen from FIG. 2, additionally to the jogger 38 and the back jogger 39, the device 20 further comprises two lateral joggers 52. The lateral joggers 52 are arranged at side surfaces of the piling area 26, wherein each of the two lateral joggers 52 are arranged opposing each other at opposite side surfaces of the piling area 26.

(30) The device 20 further comprises two guide rails 54, each one extending along one of the side boundaries of the piling area 26. The guide rails 54 further partially extend outwards of the housing 40.

(31) The sampling plate 44 is arranged on the guide rails 54.

(32) In FIGS. 1 and 2, the sampling plate 44 is in an access position. In the access position, the top of the piling area 26 is free so that sheets 22 can be transferred by the transfer mechanism 28 to the piling area 26 to form a sheet pile.

(33) Additionally, the jogger 38 is arranged at a height such that the sampling plate 44 cannot slide along the guide rails 54 over the piling area 26, i.e. the jogger 38 blocks the movement of the sampling plate 44. This position of the jogger 38 is termed working position.

(34) The device 20 further comprises a sensor 55 which can detect the position of the sampling plate 44. The sensor 55 can be a light barrier.

(35) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the jogger 38 in more detail. As illustrated in FIG. 3 by double-arrow J, the jogger 38 can be moved back and forth towards and from the piling area 26.

(36) Additionally, the jogger 38 can be moved up and down as illustrated by double-arrow K in FIG. 3 to switch from the working position into a sampling position in which the jogger 38 no longer blocks the movement of the sampling plate 44 along the guide rails 54.

(37) The jogger 38 can be moved along directions J and K by drive elements 56 which are cylinders with electrically driven pistons. The jogger 38 can also have separate drive elements 56 for the respective motions along directions J and K.

(38) FIG. 4 shows one of the lateral joggers 52 in more detail. The lateral jogger 52 can be moved sideways along the directions illustrated by double-arrow L and up and down along the directions illustrated by double-arrow M.

(39) FIG. 5 shows a cross-section along the center of the extension direction of the lateral jogger 52 of FIG. 4.

(40) The drive element 56 of the lateral jogger 52 comprises two cylinders 58 and 60, one with a piston 62 moving along the direction L and a second one with a piston 64 moving along the direction M. The pistons 62, 64 can both be driven electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically. The pistons 62, 64 can also use different drive mechanisms.

(41) The lateral joggers 52 also can be adjusted into a working position in which the movement of the sampling plate 44 along the guide rails 54 is blocked by the lateral joggers 52 and into a sampling position in which the lateral jogger 52 no longer blocks the movement of the sampling plate 38 along the guide rails 54.

(42) In the following, the mode of operation of the device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 which show perspective views of a cross-section along plane A-A shown in FIG. 2.

(43) During default operation of the converting machine 10, sheets 22 will be processed and delivered by the transfer mechanism 28 to the piling area 26.

(44) The jogger 38, the back jogger 39 and the lateral joggers 52 are used to align the sheets 22 delivered to the piling area 26.

(45) The sampling plate 44 is in the access position in which it partially extends from the housing 40 outwards. Accordingly, the sampling plate 44 is outside of the path of the sheets 22 towards the piling area 26.

(46) The operator of the converting machine 10 can observe the sheets 22 arriving at the piling area 26 through the window 42. If the operator decides to take sample sheets, e.g. for checking the quality of the processed sheets 22, he can start a sampling procedure by pressing a sampling button which is one of the control elements 50 of the display unit 46.

(47) This stops the transfer mechanism 28 from delivering new sheets 22 to the piling area 26 for a pre-selected time period t.sub.1, e.g. for 1 to 3 seconds.

(48) Further, the jogger 38 and the lateral joggers 52 are moved downwards into their sampling positions by their respective drive elements 56 so that the guide rails 54 are no longer blocked.

(49) Then, the display unit 46 gives the operator a signal that the sampling plate 44 can be moved into the sampling position. The signal can be given visually on the display 48 or acoustically by means of a (not shown) loudspeaker.

(50) The sampling plate 44 can then be pushed through the opening 43 by the operator by means of handles 45 until the sampling plate 44 covers the piling area 26 (shown in FIG. 7). The sampling plate 44 could also be moved by a (not shown) drive.

(51) Alternatively, the jogger 38 and the lateral joggers 52 could also automatically change to their respective sampling positions as soon as the sensor 55 detects that the sampling plate 44 is moved out of its access position.

(52) After the time period t.sub.1, the transfer mechanism 28 delivers a pre-defined number of sheets 22 into the device 20. As the piling area 26 is now covered by the sampling plate 44, these sheets 22 are collected on the sampling plate 44.

(53) The number of sheets 22 can be a set number based on the desired amount of sample sheets and/or the total height of the collected sample sheets on the sampling plate. The pre-defined number of sheets 22 can also be manually entered or adjusted by the operator with the display unit 46.

(54) The number of sheets 22 must be small enough to allow movement of the sampling plate 44 and the collected sample sheets through the opening 43.

(55) After the pre-defined number of sample sheets have been collected, the transfer mechanism 28 again stops delivering sheets 22 for a pre-determined time period t.sub.2.

(56) The time periods t.sub.1 and t.sub.2 can have the same length or different lengths and can be adjusted and/or chosen by the operator independently of each other.

(57) During the time period t.sub.2, the operator can move the sampling plate 44 back to the access position, thereby removing the collected sample sheets from the housing 40.

(58) After the time period t.sub.2, the jogger 38 and the lateral joggers 52 are moved back to their working positions and the transfer mechanism 28 again starts to deliver processed sheets 22 to the piling area 26.

(59) The operator can easily pick up the sample sheets from the sampling plate 44 outside of the housing 40 while the converting machine again starts to run.

(60) Accordingly, the device 20 allows reducing downtime of the converting machine 10 and provides an easier way for collecting sample sheets.