U.S. patent application number 10/275442 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-12 for device for conveying sheet-like material.
Invention is credited to Brown, Steve, Reinhard, Gerald Josef, Schaede, Johannes.
Application Number | 20040026851 10/275442 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4546994 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040026851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaede, Johannes ; et
al. |
February 12, 2004 |
Device for conveying sheet-like material
Abstract
The device enables the inspection (10, 11, 12), marking (9) or
other processing or monitoring of a printed sheet (1), conveyed in
register on a radial path by means of a rigid, rotating sheet
conveying device (2, 3, 4, 5), from the inside, that is to say the
concave side of the movement path.
Inventors: |
Schaede, Johannes;
(Wurzburg, DE) ; Reinhard, Gerald Josef;
(Sulzfeld, DE) ; Brown, Steve; (Etoy, CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John Moetteli
Bugnion S A
10 Route de Florissant
Case 375 CH-1211
Geneva 12
CH
|
Family ID: |
4546994 |
Appl. No.: |
10/275442 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
April 30, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CH01/00270 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/277 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/193 20130101;
H04N 1/0657 20130101; H04N 1/121 20130101; H04N 1/203 20130101;
H04N 1/0873 20130101; B41F 33/0036 20130101; H04N 1/1912 20130101;
H04N 1/0607 20130101; H04N 1/2036 20130101; B65H 5/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/277 |
International
Class: |
B65H 005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 8, 2000 |
CH |
907/00 |
Claims
1. A device for conveying sheet-like material on a conveying path
produced by means of an intrinsically rigid system moving about a
stationary axis of rotation in order to act on the side of the
conveyed material that faces the axis of rotation by means of
devices installed in the interior of the space enclosed by the
conveying path.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
conveying system is formed by a number of gripper systems connected
by means of an intrinsically rigid mechanical frame to hold, convey
and forward sheet-like material, and which enables accessibility to
the entire or partial surface of the material from the interior of
the conveying path.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
guidance of the sheet-like material conveyed by the device on the
conveying path produced by the device is carried out by means of
sheet guide elements arranged outside the space enclosed by the
conveying path.
4. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
devices installed in the interior of the space enclosed by the
conveying path can be material processing, monitoring, marking,
registering, illuminating, inspecting or other systems.
5. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
devices described in claim 4 act on a sub-area or the entire area
of the conveyed sheet-like material from the interior of the space
enclosed by the conveying path.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that two
sheet conveying devices as claimed in claim 1 are coupled in such a
way that the conveyed material is fed first to a sheet conveying
device to act on one sheet side and then to a second sheet
conveying device to act on the opposite sheet side.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1, or coupled devices as claimed
in claim 6, characterized in that the drive to the sheet conveying
devices is provided by mechanical means such as a gear drive, chain
drive or toothed belt drive from the drive source of the printing
or conveying machine in which the devices are installed.
8. The device as claimed in claim 1 or coupled devices as claimed
in claim 6, characterized in that the drives to the individual
sheet conveying devices are designed as separate individual drives
synchronized with the printing or conveying machine in which the
devices are installed.
9. The device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the
transmission elements used, such as chains or belts, are arranged
in such a way that when the conveying device is ready to operate,
with all the working systems installed in the interior of the
device and mechanically rigidly connected on both sides to the
machine frame, the transmission elements can be assembled or
disassembled mechanically and freely accessibly without disassembly
or loosening of these connections.
10. The devices as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that
the synchronism between coupled sheet conveying devices and between
the conveying devices and transfer cylinders connected upstream or
downstream is additionally synchronized by toothed segments which
are arranged at the nominal diameter of the conveying path in the
area of the gripper systems, are radially adjustable and
interengaged during the sheet transfer.
11. A method for synchronization of the drive as claimed in claim
10, characterized in that the pitch circle diameter of the toothed
segments used is smaller than the nominal diameter of the sheet
conveying path, and in that the two diameters touch at the transfer
point of the conveyed sheet from one gripper system to the
corresponding gripper system in such a way that, before the sheet
transfer is reached, the result is a tooth play which decreases
continuously, is the lowest possible during the sheet transfer and
widens continuously after the sheet transfer.
12. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
conveying system is alternatively formed by a hollow body of
cylindrical design and provided on the circumference with sheet
gripper systems, and the accessibility from the interior of the
device to all or part of the sheet area facing the interior of the
device is enabled by suitable cutouts in the cylinder cover.
13. The device as claimed in claim 1 or coupled device as claimed
in claim 6, characterized in that all the drive, bearing and
control elements are combined on a drive side, as it is known, of
the conveying device in such a way that the interior of the device
is freely accessible from the opposite operating side of the
conveying device through a cross section which is open at the
side.
14. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the
installation, adjustment, operation, maintenance, supply and
removal of all the devices located in the interior of the conveying
device are preferably carried out from the open operating side.
15. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the
mounting of the conveying device in the machine frame is carried
out on only one side on the drive side, or on the operating side,
comprises a running ring with an operating opening of suitable
diameter, which is guided by cam rollers or bearings arranged in
the machine frame, and the machine frames have operating openings
of appropriate size.
16. The device as claimed in claim 1, or coupled device as claimed
in claim 6, characterized in that the sheet transport device is a
functional component, with the systems installed therein, of a
sheet printing, numbering, conveying, application, embossing,
packaging, sorting or processing machine.
17. Integration of the sheet conveying device into a machine as
claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, on the basis of the
information produced by the systems installed in the device,
classifications, processes carried out, inspections, or applied
identifications or marking, the progress of subsequent operating
processes in the machine is controlled with the effect that these
are carried out, not carried out or changed for a corresponding
sheet.
18. The device as claimed in claim 1 or coupled device as claimed
in claim 6, characterized in that the sheet conveying device is
operated as a self-contained machine with material feed and
delivery and a self-contained drive source for processing,
monitoring, marking, registering, classifying, inspecting or
sorting sheet-like material with the aid of the devices arranged in
the interior of the device.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to enabling the inspection, marking or
other processing or monitoring of a printed sheet, conveyed in
register on a radial path by means of a rigid, rotating sheet
conveying device, from the inside, that is to say the concave side
of the movement path.
[0002] The sheet conveyance in sheet-fed printing machines (for
example in securities sheet-fed machines), both in the area of the
feeder and of the sheet delivery, is conventionally carried out by
means of suction, belt and chain conveying systems which do not
maintain register, and also, in the area of the printing unit, by
forcible guidance in register in gripper systems on transfer or
impression cylinders.
[0003] For all the processes which are relevant to the printing
process, such as the printing operation itself and marking,
processing, reading or monitoring operations, the individual
printed sheet is therefore only partially accessible, resting on a
convex cylinder surface (line contact during the printing
operation, line monitoring with a linear camera).
[0004] If, by contrast, the entire surface is simultaneously to be
accessible, for example for sheet inspection by a two-dimensional
camera, without any impermissible influence of the curvature of a
cylinder surface, then this can be carried out in a known manner
only in a sheet-guiding system by means of a chain or other linear
sheet conveying system over a guide device such as, for example, a
suction plate.
[0005] In this case, the mechanical tolerance of the existing
conveying system (for example conveying chain) itself has a
detrimental effect, as does the expenditure (e.g. mechanical or
electronic register system) required to eliminate the register
inaccuracy.
[0006] In addition to the components for the conveying system
itself (chain, chain rails, sprocket shafts), in particular
additional devices for aligning the printed sheet or the gripper
system are required when the printed sheet is to be fed immediately
in register to a subsequent printing process in a printing unit
after the conveying or inspection operation has been carried
out.
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to enable
the maintenance of register of a cylinder conveying means of a
printed sheet at the same time as the accessibility of the entire
surface of a flat conveying means of a printed sheet.
[0008] The expenditure on construction and costs for the subsequent
alignment of a conveying system that does not maintain register is
to be avoided. The sheet is to be accessible over its entire area
at the same time, that is to say capable of being monitored or
processed, without the interfering influence of the curvature of a
convex cylinder outer surface.
[0009] The sheet conveying device is to permit compact,
cost-effective and flexible integration into existing printing
machines.
[0010] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a
rotating sheet conveying device which is equipped with a plurality
of sheet gripper systems and describes a circular sheet conveying
path and has a rigid, register-maintaining mounting. The sheet
guidance is in this case carried out from the outside of the
circular path described, so that the sheet conveyed is freely
accessible from the concave inside of the transport path.
[0011] A first advantageous property of the invention is that the
outer sheet transport and guide path encloses the inner inspection,
marking, reading or processing devices.
[0012] This permits both a space-saving design and also the
accessibility of the concave inner surface of the circular path,
which is optically substantially more beneficial for inspection or
image acquisition processes as compared with a cylinder outer
surface, with a radius of curvature which is large in relation to
the sheet format (R>sheet length).
[0013] A second advantage of the conveying system is the design as
a rigidly mounted unit, that is to say one rotating about a
stationary axis, and provided with sheet gripper systems, for
example on radial gripper arms, with the resultant maintenance of
register of a cylinder conveying means, without additional
mechanical expenditure on register being required for this purpose,
as compared with a conventional cylinder.
[0014] A further advantageous refinement is distinguished by the
fact that the sheet conveying device can also be driven in a
cost-effective manner by a drive having a low torsional rigidity,
such as a toothed belt drive, when in-register synchronous running
in the circumferential direction is not required during the entire
conveying path, but only the in-register transfer of the printed
sheets from one conveying device to a second or to a transfer
drum.
[0015] In this design, a gear segment fitted to the gripper system
of the transferring conveying system engages in an opposing gear
segment fitted to the gripper system of the accepting conveying
system in such a way that, at the transfer point of the printed
sheet, the two conveying systems are aligned exactly radially
opposite each other and, therefore, an in-register sheet transfer
is carried out.
[0016] The gear segments are in this case produced in such a way
that the pitch circle diameter of the selected toothing is smaller
than the nominal diameter of the sheet conveying path of the
device.
[0017] This ensures that when the sheet gripper system approaches
the transfer point, first of all, the two opposite, associated gear
segments initially make coarse engagement with relatively high
tooth play.
[0018] Since the point of contact of the pitch circle diameter of
the toothed segment having the nominal diameter of the sheet
conveying path coincides with the transfer point of the printed
sheet, the tooth play decreases with increasing approach to the
transfer point down to zero play or a minimum value, and in this
way permits the exact in-register alignment of the conveying device
during the sheet transfer.
[0019] After the sheet transfer, the toothing engagement described
runs in the opposite direction, so that outside the sheet transfer,
the conveying devices are coupled to one another and to following
transfer drums only via the toothed belt drive.
[0020] A production advantage of the toothed segments used consists
in enabling the required variable tooth play during operation with
simultaneous cost-effective use of conventional toothing with
constant dimensions.
[0021] A design of the toothed belt drive which is particularly
beneficial in terms of installation and maintenance is to guide the
part of the side machine frame which is used to hold the stationary
axis of the conveying device to the outside, through the region
between toothed belt sprockets and toothed belts, in such a way
that when the device is ready to operate, replacement or
installation of the toothed belt is possible at any time from the
outside without disassembling parts of the frame.
[0022] In an advantageous expansion of the functional principle,
two sheet conveying devices are coupled in opposite directions, so
that the printed sheet to be processed, marked, monitored or to be
inspected is accessible both from the front side in the first
conveying device and also, immediately thereafter, from the rear in
the second device in order to carry out these processes. In
addition, by means of a vertical arrangement of the second
conveying device above the first conveying device, the necessary
overall length of the printing machine or of the unit in which the
conveying device described is incorporated can be shortened
substantially as compared with conventional sheet conveying
systems.
[0023] A design of the conveying device, which is beneficial in
production and cost terms, results from configuring the machine
frame for holding the device as a load-bearing component only in
the region of the axis of rotation and mounting, while in the
region of the outer circular sheet movement path, only sheet guide
elements and housing components which can be produced
cost-effectively are required in accordance with the given intended
purpose.
[0024] In addition to the familiar sheet guide rods or sheet guide
plates, the aforementioned sheet guide elements can preferably be
constructed as suction elements, such as suction boxes with
perforated suction plates, in order firstly to guide the printed
sheet on the circular movement path counter to the force of gravity
in the upper part of the device and, secondly, as said sheet passes
through the processing, marking, monitoring or inspection
operation, to keep the sheet surface resting exactly smoothly on
the guide surface.
[0025] Furthermore, the suction elements can be interrupted at
right angles to the conveying direction in order to implement
transmitted light inspection, that is to say to transilluminate the
printed sheet, in such a way that the result is a light passage gap
for a light source arranged outside the sheet path.
[0026] An advantageous configuration of the suction elements
consists in designing individual sections of the sheet guiding
means such that they can be folded up or removed easily, in order
to enable free access from the outside to the systems installed in
the internal region of the sheet conveying device, for
installation, maintenance and adjustment purposes.
[0027] An alternative configuration variant results from designing
the conveying device to be freely accessible from an operating
side, as it is called, if this is required for specific intended
uses.
[0028] In this case, all the drive, mounting and control elements
are located on a drive side of the conveying device, which is
closed in accordance with the design, while on an operating side,
which is open in accordance with the design, a supporting bearing
is provided by means of a running ring arranged approximately at
the nominal diameter of the conveying path and guided by cam
rollers fitted in the side frame.
[0029] Thus, all of the systems to be installed in the conveying
device and to be operated can advantageously both be operated,
supplied or mounted freely accessibly in the operating position
within the conveying device, and removed sideways in a simple
manner for maintenance, installation or adjustment purposes, or
moved sideways out of the conveying device by means of a suitable
apparatus.
[0030] The present invention can be used both as a self-contained
sheet conveying machine to be operated for processing, monitoring,
sorting or inspection purposes in conjunction with a sheet feeder,
a sheet delivery and self-contained drive, and also advantageously
integrated in already existing sheet-printing or numbering
machines.
[0031] A particularly advantageous arrangement results from the
sheet conveying device being connected constructionally upstream of
the actual printing or numbering unit of a printing machine in such
a way that, on the basis of a classification of the printed sheet
taking place as it passes through the conveying device, for example
by means of an inspection or reading operation, the sequence of the
subsequent printing process can be controlled with respect to
whether this printing operation is to take place for a relative
sheet or blank, is not to take place or is to be changed.
[0032] For example, the further printing or numbering of a printed
sheet can be interrupted if, on the basis of an inspection
operation within the conveying device connected upstream, the sheet
has been assessed as a reject sheet.
[0033] Further details and advantages of the present invention are
given by using the following descriptions in conjunction with the
figures, in which:
[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a conveying device
having four sheet gripper systems, inside processing or monitoring
systems that are arranged and outside suction or sheet guide
elements that are arranged.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary cross section of the conveying
device from FIG. 1 with a schematic representation of the
stationary central axis for holding the installed systems in the
device, and also a drive gear located outside the frame.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows a schematic drawing of a conveying device of
double design for acting both on the front side and the rear side
of the printed sheet, with processing and monitoring systems
arranged by way of example, and also transfer drums for sheet
transport.
[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic drawing of a conveying device of
double design having a toothed belt drive and centrally arranged
bearing frames for the free assembly and disassembly of the drive
belts.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary cross section of the drive variant
with toothed belt drive from FIG. 4, with a schematic
representation of the bearing frames led sideways to the outside
through the drive plane.
[0039] FIG. 6 shows a schematic drawing of a conveying device of
double design having toothed segments arranged radially at the
sheet transfer points with d.sub.0 toothed segment<d.sub.0 sheet
path for the accurate-register transfer of the conveyed sheet from
one device to the following or to a transfer drum.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows a schematic drawing of the design as a closed
hollow cylinder without separate gripper arms but with radial
cutouts in the cylinder outer surface for the free accessibility to
the entire sheet surface to be processed or to be monitored.
[0041] FIG. 8 shows a schematic drawing of the design as a
conveying device closed on the drive side and open on the operating
side for free sideways accessibility to the systems installed in
the interior of the device.
[0042] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary cross section of the design as a
sheet conveying device according to FIG. 8, closed on the drive
side and open on the operating side.
[0043] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary arrangement of the sheet
conveying device of double design for the processing or inspection
of the front side and rear side of the sheet within a sheet-fed
printing machine.
[0044] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary arrangement of the sheet
conveying device of double design for the processing or inspection
of the front side and rear side of the sheet as a self-contained
sheet conveying machine to be operated without integration into a
printing machine.
[0045] In the illustration according to FIG. 1, the sheet 1 to be
conveyed is moved on a circular path by gripper systems 2. The
gripper systems are connected to the hollow shaft 4 of the central
mounting 5 by rigid gripper arms 3.
[0046] The actual guidance of the sheet is provided by suction
elements 6 or sheet guide rods 7 located on the outside. As
described, the printed sheet is thus freely accessible from the
interior 8 of the device during the entire conveying path.
[0047] Illustrated by way of example in the interior are a sheet
marking system 9, a sheet inspection or monitoring system 10 with
illumination 11 located on the inside, and also a sheet
transillumination or transparent inspection system 12 with light
source 13 located on the outside.
[0048] As a result of the rigid design and play-free mounting of
the rotating conveying device and also the register system shown in
FIG. 6, the sheet being transported is transferred in register from
one gripper system to the other gripper system at the transfer
point 14 between the devices and also at the transfer point 15 to
the transfer drum 16, without additional mechanical guide or
locking elements being required for this purpose.
[0049] In the illustration according to FIG. 2, the stationary
central axis 20 is shown in cross section through the conveying
device according to FIG. 1, said central axis 20 being used for the
installation of the systems designated 9, 10, 11 and 12 in FIG.
1.
[0050] As illustrated here, a special design of the marking system
9, having a plurality of marking stations, is used for the separate
marking of individual blanks on the printed sheet.
[0051] The gripper arms or side flanges 3 of the device enclose the
systems located on the inside, as illustrated, and are led together
in the hollow drive shaft 22 mounted in the side frames 21.
[0052] The drive of the conveying device is provided via the drive
shaft 22 inside or outside the side frame by means of gears 23,
toothed belts, sprockets or other drive means, and can
alternatively also be designed as an electronically controlled
direct drive (not illustrated here).
[0053] The hollow central shaft 20 is used at the same time also to
guide cables of control and supply lines to the installed
systems.
[0054] In the illustration according to FIG. 3, the double
arrangement of two conveying devices for the successive processing,
monitoring, marking or inspection both of the sheet front side 30
and of the sheet rear side 31 is shown.
[0055] In this case, the printed sheet is first picked up from a
transfer drum 33 by the first conveying device 32 and fed to a
system, illustrated here by way of example as a camera/illumination
system 34, to act on the front side of the sheet.
[0056] As shown, the sheet guidance can be provided by guide plates
35 or guide rods if, by means of the influence of gravity and
centrifugal force, a sufficient flat attitude of the printed sheet
on the guide elements is ensured.
[0057] In the second conveying device 36, the sheet is then fed to
a second system, likewise illustrated here as a camera/illumination
system 37, to act on the rear side of the sheet.
[0058] The sheet guidance is carried out as shown by means of
suction plates or suction boxes 38 in the region of the sheet path
in which the sheet additionally has to be held on the guide plane
counter to the action of gravity. In addition, as illustrated by
way of example here in the second conveying system, further
monitoring or inspection systems 39 can be installed, for example
for the transillumination of the sheet, or marking systems 40 can
be arranged for marking the sheet classifications determined, for
example, in the installed inspection systems.
[0059] After passing through the second conveying device 36, the
printed sheet is transferred to further transfer drums 41, 42, for
example for onward transport within a printing machine or to a
sheet delivery.
[0060] All the sheet transfers from transfer drums to the conveying
device and also from the first to the second conveying device are
additionally synchronized in register by the gear segments at the
transfer point, described in FIG. 6, if the conveying device is not
driven by gears.
[0061] In the illustration according to FIG. 4, the drive of the
sheet conveying device is advantageously provided by toothed belts
50, 51 from the drive side of the machine or from the drive
motor.
[0062] This makes it possible both to save material and expenditure
on production as a result of the omission of drive gears, and to
easily adapt the drive medium to the installation position of the
conveying devices and transfer drums in the machine.
[0063] The gears 52 represent the conventional gear train of the
machine drive.
[0064] The drive pulleys 53 of the toothed belt drive are coupled
to the two last oppositely rotating gears.
[0065] The drive pulleys 54 of the actual conveying devices can
also be designed, as shown, to be smaller than the nominal diameter
of the conveying device, taking note of the step-up ratio, for
space-saving reasons.
[0066] The toothed belts 50, 51 can be guided over tensioning
rollers 55 in such a way that a plurality of axes with identical
direction of rotation, as shown here, for example, the drive of the
second conveying device and also of the transfer drive 56, are
connected to the first conveying device by only one belt train.
[0067] In a particularly advantageous design, the side frame parts
57 which are used to hold the stationary central axes of the
conveying devices are led through the drive plane in the region 58
within the toothed belt train that is enclosed by the respective
toothed belt drive, in such a way that assembly and disassembly of
the toothed belt is made possible without disassembly of frame
parts or loosening of the central axis of the conveying systems,
which may be permanently adjusted on account of the installed
systems.
[0068] In the illustration according to FIG. 5, a cross section is
shown through the double arrangement of the conveying device
according to FIG. 4, driven by toothed belts.
[0069] The systems which are installed in the interior of the
device but not shown here are fitted, as described, to the rigid
central axis 60 which serves at the same time to guide the cables
of the systems and, on the drive side, is mounted in the frame
parts 57 led through the toothed belt drive plane according to the
description of FIG. 4.
[0070] The toothed belt drive plane is formed by the toothed
pulleys and tensioning rollers 53, 54 and 55 already described and
illustrated in section here.
[0071] The output gear of the gear train 52 is at the same time
coupled to the drive pulley 53 of the belt train.
[0072] Together with the gripper arms or side flanges 63 and the
inner hollow shafts 64, the gripper systems 62 form the actual
rigidly connected, rotating sheet conveying device.
[0073] Mounting is carried out in rolling-contact bearings 61 in
the side machine frames 65.
[0074] In the illustration according to FIG. 6, as already
described, the accurate-register synchronization of the gripper
systems of the conveying device in relation to one another and to
the transfer drums is carried out by means of gear segments 70.
[0075] The latter are arranged laterally on the circumference of
the conveying device in such a way that each sheet gripper system
is assigned an associated toothed segment, oriented to the central
axis (center line) of the sheet transfer.
[0076] The pitch circle diameter 71 of the toothed segments 70 is a
certain amount smaller than the nominal diameter 72 of the
conveying device, so that as two toothed segments approach each
other, initially there is tooth engagement with relatively large
tooth play.
[0077] During further movement toward the sheet transfer point, the
tooth play decreases in accordance with the approach of the two
diameters 71 and 72, down to the adjusted minimum play at the sheet
transfer point, which simultaneously represents the tangential
point of contact of the diameters 71 and 72.
[0078] In this way, a complete alignment or register cycle takes
place for each sheet transfer and ensures that, even in the case of
possible drive-side fluctuations of the circumferential register,
for example as a result of the elasticity of the drive used, an
accurate-register sheet transfer takes place.
[0079] One particular production advantage of the toothed segments
70 used resides in the fact that these segments merely represent
extracts from a toothing geometry which can be produced
conventionally and cost-effectively, and nevertheless a tooth play
which narrows continuously and widens again in relation to the
sequence of the register operation is made possible, without these
tooth play differences having to be taken into account, for example
during the production of the toothing.
[0080] Furthermore, the toothed segments are arranged on the
conveying device such that they can be displaced radially, so that,
in a simple way, the best possible register maintenance of the
sheet transfer can be produced by adjusting intermeshing toothed
segment to a minimum tooth play at the transfer point.
[0081] The illustration according to FIG. 7 shows an alternative
design of the sheet conveying device as a cylinder body.
[0082] In this case, the sheet conveying cylinder comprises a
hollow shaft or flange 80 to hold the mounting, one or two side
walls 81 instead of separate gripper arms, and also the cylindrical
outer body 82 instead of separate gripper cross members.
[0083] The sheet gripper systems 83 are incorporated in the
cylinder cover in a manner corresponding to a conventional
impression or conveying cylinder.
[0084] However, for each sheet conveyed, the cylinder outer surface
has a cutout 84 in each case, which ensures the accessibility of
the sheet surface from the inside of the conveying device, at least
in the region of the monitoring, processing, marking, reading or
inspection processes to be carried out.
[0085] If the dimensions of the conveying cylinder are selected
such that the circumferential division exceeds the maximum sheet or
sheet extract length by a certain amount, then, because of the
remaining outer surfaces--webs 85, there results a torsionally
stiff construction which at the same time is advantageous to
produce and which has the functional properties of the invention
described.
[0086] In the description according to FIG. 8, a design variant
which is particularly beneficial in terms of installation,
maintenance and operation is shown, which is freely accessible from
an operating side (here: viewing side) to the interior of the
conveying device.
[0087] All the bearing, control and drive elements are combined on
one drive side 90 in the manner already described.
[0088] From the operating side shown here, the mounting of the
rotating conveying device is carried out via a running ring 91
which is arranged approximately at the nominal diameter of the
sheet path and which is guided by supporting rollers or bearing
elements 92 fitted in the side frames of the operating side.
[0089] The area 93 is inside the running ring 91 is therefore free
of bearing or other structural elements and can be used for the
free accessibility to the systems installed in the interior of the
device. The side frames 94 of the operating side are cut out
appropriately in this area. Since this accessibility also exists in
the operating state of the system, holding device or supply devices
relating to the operating systems can also be guided from the
operating side, or devices can be fitted which permit the systems
to be moved out laterally from the operating position into a
maintenance position.
[0090] The illustration according to FIG. 9 shows an exemplary
cross section through the design described in FIG. 8 with the
operating side open on one side.
[0091] In this view, the systems to be installed in the interior
are not illustrated.
[0092] The side frame 100 of the drive side is used to hold a
bearing element 101 for the main mounting 102 of the sheet
conveying device. The drive sprocket 104, illustrated as a toothed
sprocket here, is mounted on the drive flange 103.
[0093] By means of the transmission elements, here, by way of
example, the toothed belt 105, toothed belt pulleys 106 and gears
107, the drive to the conveying device is provided, as already
described.
[0094] Likewise, all the control elements, such as cam disks (not
shown here) for the control of the sheet gripper systems 109 of the
conveying device via cam rollers 108 are arranged on the drive
side. Furthermore, the mechanically closed or load-bearing part 110
of the conveying device itself is located on the drive side.
[0095] On the operating side, a supporting mounting is provided via
a running ring 111, which is arranged approximately at the nominal
diameter of the sheet path and which can be constructed as an outer
or inner running ring, and by cam rollers 112 fitted in the side
frame.
[0096] The side frame 113 of the operating side is open to the
greatest possible extent within the area described by the running
ring 111 in order to ensure the free access through the operating
opening 114 to the systems installed in the interior 115.
[0097] In order to enable load-bearing mechanical fixing of the
operating systems on both sides, the opposite drive flange 103 is
also constructed as a hollow shaft. Through the flange opening 116,
for example, holding cross members or installation elements can
advantageously be led to the outside for the purpose of rigid
anchoring to the side frame on the drive side.
[0098] In the illustration according to FIG. 10, the sheet
conveying device is integrated as functional component into an
existing sheet-fed machine.
[0099] From a sheet feeder 120, the sheet is fed to the sheet
conveying device via a feed drum 121, maintaining circumferential
and lateral register.
[0100] The conveying device illustrated here by way of example
permits the sheet front side to be acted on in its front side unit
122, and permits the sheet rear side to be acted on in the manner
according to the invention in its rear side unit 123.
[0101] The sheet data or markings obtained or applied by means of
the systems 124, 125, 126, 127 installed in the sheet conveying
device, in the arrangement illustrated here, can advantageously be
used for the purpose of controlling, interrupting or changing
further production or sorting operations in the printing or sheet
delivery units arranged downstream. On account of the in-register
sheet transport according to the invention in the sheet conveying
device, the printed sheet can be transferred directly, that is to
say without further mechanical sheet alignment, by transfer
cylinders, for example to a following sheet printing machine
128.
[0102] Furthermore, in a marking device 129, the sheet data
produced by the systems installed in the sheet conveying device and
transmitted can be applied to the printed sheet as legible or
encoded information, for example by means of an inkjet printer or
an ink spraying system.
[0103] In a suitable design, the marking device 129 can also be
used for the purpose of canceling individual printed sheets or
individual blanks by applying a detectable or machine-readable
symbol, such as color bars, or to identify them specially.
[0104] Sorting of the produced printed sheets can be carried out in
a sheet delivery 130 having a plurality of sheet stacks, depending
on the production classification attained by the systems 124, 125,
126, 127 installed in the conveying device 122, 123, or the
identification made in the marking station 129.
[0105] In the illustration according to FIG. 11, the sheet
conveying device is shown as the main unit of a sheet-fed machine
operated on its own.
[0106] The sheet feed components 120, 121 and the conveying device
122, 123 and their operating systems 124, 125, 126, 127 in this
case correspond to the arrangement shown in FIG. 10.
[0107] However, there follows no further production or printing
operation in a printing unit, but the direct transfer of the
conveyed sheet to the sheet delivery 130, with the functions
already described in FIG. 10 and, for example, an integrated
marking station 129.
[0108] In order to drive the conveying device and the sheet feed
and delivery, a self-contained drive part 131 is integrated into
the sheet-fed machine. The main function of the design illustrated
therefore consists in the performance, separated from other types
of production processes, of the sheet conveying, processing,
monitoring, marking and inspection operations proceeding in
accordance with the invention.
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