U.S. patent number 3,608,893 [Application Number 04/841,493] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-28 for signature feeders.
This patent grant is currently assigned to McCain Manufacturing Corp.. Invention is credited to John Balla, William B. McCain.
United States Patent |
3,608,893 |
McCain , et al. |
September 28, 1971 |
SIGNATURE FEEDERS
Abstract
Improved operation of a cyclically operable signature gathering
machine is achieved by latching the gripper, which feeds a
signature from a hopper, against the signature pile in response to
a command signal that signatures are not to be fed from the
hopper.
Inventors: |
McCain; William B. (Hinsdale,
IL), Balla; John (Argo, IL) |
Assignee: |
McCain Manufacturing Corp.
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
25285016 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/841,493 |
Filed: |
July 14, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/256;
270/56 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
7/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
7/00 (20060101); B65H 7/18 (20060101); B65h
007/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;270/56
;271/20,57,56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wegbreit; Joseph
Claims
We claim:
1. In a cyclically operable signature-gathering machine where
sheets are fed one by one from a hopper, eventually to be deposited
on a conveyor for transportation to another station in the machine:
gripper means operative in reverse strokes during repeating cycles
of the machine to grip a sheet in the hopper at one end of a stroke
and to withdraw the gripped signature from the hopper and to
release the signature at the opposite end of the stroke incidental
to the released signature being delivered to the conveyor, controls
means for reversing the gripper at the opposite ends of its stroke,
means to latch the gripper at an end of its stroke thereby to
disable the gripper from feeding a signature, and means to operate
the latch means only in response to a command signal so to do.
2. A machine according to Claim 1 in which the latch means is
effective on an operating lever which operates the gripper.
3. A machine according to Claim 2 in which said control means
includes a cyclically operable cam engageable with a cam follower
on said lever.
4. A machine according to Claim 1 in which the latch is carried by
a latch arm operated by a solenoid, reverse strokes being imparted
to the gripper by an operating lever, said operating lever having
an element engageable by the latch, and cam means for reciprocating
said operating lever.
5. In a cyclically operable signature-gathering machine where
signatures or the like are fed one by one from a hopper, eventually
to be deposited on a conveyor for transportation to another station
in the machine: gripper means operative in repeated reverse strokes
during repeating cycles of the machine to grip a signature in the
hopper at one end of a stroke and to withdraw the gripped signature
from the hopper and to release the signature at the opposite end of
the stroke incidental to the released signature being delivered to
the conveyor, control means for reversing the gripper at the
opposite ends of its stroke, means to disable the gripper at an end
of its stroke thereby to disable the gripper from feeding a
signature, and means to operate the disabling means only in
response to a command signal.
Description
This invention relates to signature gathering machines in which
successive signatures are fed to and collected into a book on a
conveyor.
Books, including magazines, are composed of signatures which are
simply folded sheets bearing the printed matter. The signature may
present pages of the usual kind, or it may be a special size
insert. The individual signatures which compose the book are fed
from corresponding hoppers or so-called pockets and the signatures
for each book are eventually collected one atop another, or one
aside another as the case may be, on a conveyor and are transported
by the conveyor to a station in the machine where the signatures
are joined into a book by stitching (e.g. staples) or by gluing,
depending upon how the book is bound.
A gathering machine for thus composing a modern day magazine may
have up to 30 or more hoppers. This is especially so in the
instance where various inserts such as recipes, data sheets, return
mail advertisements, expiration notices and the like are to be
inserted at the proper place among the signatures in the course of
gathering the signatures into the book.
It is now postulated that magazine editions will be subjected to
so-called demographic controls. This is explained as follows:
For the most part, signature gathering machines as constructed
today operate on the principle of zone mailing. For example the
signatures may be gathered and the books completed sequentially on
the basis on the entire mailing to a particular city, and such
mailing will include the newsstands, residential subscribers,
institutional subscribers subscribers, so on in that particular
zone. In terms of residential mailing the books emitting from the
machine are usually in alphabetical order for a particular zone,
but some publishers have proposed that there be so-called
demographic separation of subscribers in terms of professional
groups, student editions, and so on, regardless of zone.
Demographic separation may be founded on such differences as
subject matter content, advertisements and so on.
A more sophisticated approach to demographic controls is to prepare
a control tape, strictly alphabetical in character without regard
to an alphabetical list of doctors, then an alphabetical list of
housewives, then an alphabetical list of students and so on.
Rather, all subscribers in a zone would be arranged alphabetically
on the tape, and the tape would then be coded to specify that the
particular subscriber is to receive signatures from all hoppers
except, say, hopper No. 1, while the next subscriber on the list
(perhaps a doctor) is to have a book containing all signatures
except the signature in hopper No. 23.
The more sophisticated approach to demographic preparation of books
thus assumes the need for individual control over each hopper or
pocket, which is to say for example that in a given run of the
machine there will be constant enabling and disabling of the
feeding of signatures from any group of active hoppers or
pockets.
In a much more simplified illustration of the need to disable a
hopper in a signature gathering machine, it can be assumed, in a
given run of the machine, that all books going to one area of the
country the run for that zone will include one or more signatures
which are not to be included in those books, produced in the next
zone run of the machine intended for mailing to another
geographical part of the country.
The primary object of the present invention is to enable signatures
to be fed from a hopper only on demand, and to so construct the
controls for the signature feed gripper as to enable this to be
accomplished in a reliable and inexpensive manner. More
specifically, it is an object of the present invention to allow the
signature gripper to operate normally in the ordinary fashion
during a stroke in one direction to first grip a signature in the
signature pile and then to withdraw it from the hopper and then to
release it incidental to delivering the released signature to the
conveyor for transportation to another station of the machine,
whereafter the gripper is returned for a repeat operation, while at
the same time constructing the machine to include a latching device
which upon delivery of a demand signal will latch a part associated
with the means which reciprocate the gripper. Yet specifically it
is an object of the present invention to include in the machine a
solenoid operated latch arm which, when the solenoid receives a
signal, will be shifted into position where a latching element
thereon engages an arm which reciprocates with the gripper.
Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent
from the following description and claims and are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a
preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle
thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode contemplated
for applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention
embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and
structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the
art without departing from the present invention.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a signature gathering machine in
which the present invention may be used;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of signatures in the course of
collecting by the conveyor;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view, accompanied by a legend, showing the
nature of demographic mailing aspects characterizing operation of a
signature gathering machine; and
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the signature feed structure
characteristic of the present invention, and taken on the line 4-4
of Fig. 5 but with certain parts added;
FIG. 5 is an end elevation at one side of a hopper showing the
stop-feed mechanism of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a bottom view taken on the line 6-6 Of FIG. 5.
FIG. 1 illustrates diagrammatically the general operation of a
cyclically operable signature-gathering machine in which individual
signatures or sheets may be contained in an indefinite number of
hoppers, hopper Hl through hopper H32. During any given run, the
machine may only include three operating hoppers, or it may include
12 operating hoppers, or as many as 32 as shown.
The signatures advanced from each hopper in successive cycles of
the machine are eventually collected on a conveyor, FIG. 1, and in
the instance of so-called saddle stitching the signatures may be
dropped one atop another, one after another, along the length of
the conveyor, being supported on a stationary saddle SD, FIG. 2,
where signatures S1, S2 and S3, respectively fed from hoppers Hl,
H2 and H3, are superimposed one on another in the order shown.
The signatures in the course of collection into a book are fed
forwardly along the saddle SD by means of a pin as P, FIG. 2,
projecting upwardly from an endless chain C, and through a slot in
the saddle SD. There are of course many pins, each pushing its own
group of signatures as the signatures are gathered into a book.
The gathered signatures which compose the book are fed by the
conveyor to a stitcher where the book is bound as by staples, but
of course the binding may be otherwise.
For purposes of disclosure, it may e assumed that the book being
produced, FIG. 1, is a magazine of monthly edition, but the
publisher may want to vary the edition by way of special inserts,
or the omission of such inserts, in terms of broad geographical
differences or even difference among the subscribers themselves.
Referring to FIG. 3, this shows schematically a mailing tape that
will be separately prepared and applied to the magazines
representing the books of FIG. 1. The fragment of the mailing tape
illustrated in FIG. 3 includes three doctors and two students. The
upper margin of the mailing tape may bear codes (magnetically
sensed or otherwise) represented in this instance by black squares.
According to the code shown, signatures from hopper Hl are not to
be included in the magazine for each doctor in the mailing zone or
region "60," and the students' magazines are to exclude signatures
from hoppers Hl and H3.
It will be appreciated that what is illustrated in FIG. 3 is purely
arbitrary and illustrative only of the principles of demographic
separation manifest in an edition of the magazine being varied as
to content. In any event, the code on the tape for each person is
sensed, and a signal is generated for a hopper from which a
signature is not to be fed.
In accordance with the present invention, each hopper of the
signature gathering machine may be so constructed as to be
responsive to such a demand signal, however originated, signifying
that a signature is not to be fed from the hopper. In actual
practice, the signal may be originated in many different ways, and
in most instances the signal will be stored or registered until the
book for the subscriber is immediately under preparation in terms
of signatures being gathered on the conveyor.
In FIG. 4 the reference character H is generally applicable to any
one or all of the hoppers shown in FIG. 1 from which signatures are
fed, and it may be noted that the signatures will be in a generally
horizontal stack with their bottom edges or backbones at level L
and with the front page of the forwardmost signature engaging the
face of a front plate 10. The front plate 10 extends downward only
part way, leaving a large gap at the front of the hopper H where
the lower portion of the leading signature is exposed to the action
of a feeder in the from of a suction gripper 12.
Suction grippers of the kind involved for feeding signatures from a
hopper are well known in the art, and their operation is well
understood. It need therefore only be briefly noted that the
suction gripper 12 is supported at the lower end of a reciprocating
arm 14 affixed to a horizontal support shaft 15. The support shaft
15 and the arm 14 are provided with passages for communicating
vacuum to the gripper cup 13, and effective suction or negative
pressure is controlled by valves (not shown) in such a fashion that
when the arm 14 is in the position shown in FIG. 4, presented to
the front page of the leading signature, negative pressure is
established and held during the time interval that the gripper arm
14 is rocked counterclockwise to withdraw the signature from the
hopper H. In the course of its counterclockwise stroke, the gripper
is effective to present the withdrawn signature to other feed
elements (not shown) incidental to the eventual deposit of the
signature on the conveyor for transportation elsewhere in the
machine. For each hopper, there are usually at least two suction
grippers as 12, operating in the manner described.
Shaft 15 is carried at the upper end of one arm 19 of a bellcrank
20. Bellcrank 20 is supported for pivotal movement on a rock shaft
21. The opposite arm 22 of the bellcrank serves as an anchor for a
return spring 23 which cooperates with a cam 25 in controlling the
operation or reciprocal motion of the gripper arm 14 in opposite
strokes. Further to this end, a gripper-operating lever 26 is
provided at its upper end with a split block 27 adapted to e
clamped to the rock shaft 21 so that any angular movements imparted
to the operating lever 26 are also imparted to the bellcrank 20.
The lever 26 is provided at its lower end with a cam follower 30,
FIG. 5, being rotatably supported by a stud 31 thereon.
The cam 25 is disposed opposite the cam follower 30, being fixed to
a cam shaft 32, and in the course of cyclical operation of the
machine the lobe 25L of the cam is repeatedly presented to the cam
follower 30. On the other hand, when the dwell or low part of the
cam 25 is presented to the follower 30, spring 23 is effective to
rock the bellcrank so that the follower 30 will follow the contour
of the cam characterizing the signature-withdrawing stroke of the
gripper mechanism. Of course, when the gripper is in its
signature-releasing position, the vacuum supplied thereto is
interrupted by the vacuum control means, and this condition
prevails in the course of cam lobe 25L being effective to return
the gripper to the signature pile in a clockwise stroke as viewed
in FIG. 4. The vacuum control means, which control gripping and
release of the signatures, are cyclically operable with the
machine.
In accordance with the present invention, an electrically
controlled latch is operated when a signature is not to be fed from
a hopper as H by the signature gripper, and the latch is effective
to hold the gripper 12 in the position shown in FIG. 4, at the end
of its clockwise stroke, so long as a corresponding command signal
prevails. The suction cup will be applying suction throughout this
duration to the leading signature in the hopper, but the gripper is
prevented from moving until the command signal ceases, whereupon
the latch is disabled allowing the gripper to operate in a normal
manner until a new signal is originated.
The manner in which such a signal originates has been explained
above in connection with FIG. 3 and is transmitted to an
electromagnet in the form of a solenoid 40, FIGS. 4 and 5.
The solenoid 40 is secured to a support base plate 41 located at
one side of the hopper H, and the armature or plunger 42 of the
solenoid extends downward and is articulated to a depending spring
housing 43 by a pair of pins 44 and 45 in conjunction with an
interposed connector link 46 in the fashion obvious in FIGS. 4 and
5.
The housing 43 contains a coil spring 50 and a headed plunger 51,
the head 52 thereof resting on the upper end of the spring 40. The
lower end of the plunger 51 is free of the housing 43 and is
connected to a link 52 by means of a pin 53. Link 52 is bifurcated,
and in turn is pivotally connected to a latch arm 60 by a pin 61.
The plunger and spring combination cushions the latch effect
hereinafter described.
As shown in Fig. 4 the link 52 is connected to the latch arm 60
medially of the latter. One end of the latch arm 60 is pivotally
supported on a stud 62 extending outward from the near side of the
base plate 41 as viewed in FIG. 4, and the opposite end of the
latch arm is provided with a notch or seat 65 in the upper edge
thereof adapted to receive a roller 66 carried at the lower end of
the control lever 26, coaxial with the cam follower 30.
The latch 60 is shown in its effective or enabling position in FIG.
4, which is to say that solenoid 40 has been energized to present
the latch seat 65 to the detent or roller 66. Until this event
occurred the latch arm 60 was in the dotted line position of FIG. 4
in a released or disabled state allowing free normal action of the
gripper in cyclical response to the controls 23-25. Delivery of the
latching signal to the solenoid 40 is so timed as to be coterminal
with arrival of the gripper in the position shown in FIG. 4, so
that when the solenoid is energized the gripper is in its normal
sheet gripping position, FIG. 4, in which position it will be held
until the solenoid is deenergized. In the meantime, the cam 25
continues to turn idly.
The deenergization of the solenoid 40, characterizing a demand that
the signature is to be delivered from hopper H, will be timed to
occur contemporaneously with the passage of cam lobe 25L off the
follower 30, whereby the gripper is freed to the action of the
return spring 23, allowing the follower 30 to follow the contour of
the cam 25 for all subsequent cycles of cam shaft 32 in which the
demand is to continue the delivery of signatures from the hopper
H.
It will be appreciated that the exact form of the signature gripper
is not important, but only that there be a reciprocal or
oscillating means in the machine for withdrawing the signatures
from the hopper and eventually releasing the signatures for
delivery to another station in the machine, and that this means be
capable of being latched or held inoperatively at some position of
its stroke. Nonetheless, the form of the invention herein disclosed
is preferred in that the lobe 25L of the cam 25 does represent
something of a time dwell allowing ample time to operate The
solenoid and the latch arm to trap the gripper-operating lever 26.
Therefore absolute timing does not become a critical factor, nor do
vacuum controls represent a critical factor. In its normal or
ineffective position, the latch arm engages a stop pin 70 and is
urged to that position by a torsion spring 71 associated with the
pivot stud 62.
Hence while we have illustrated and described the preferred
embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is
capable of variation and modification by those skilled in the
art.
* * * * *