Method and apparatus for stacking, aligning and compressing signatures
US5092236A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 1990 |
| Grant date | Mar 3, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S414/12
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An overlapping signature stream is aligned, squeezed and formed into a stack which is dropped onto a rotatable platform of a lower bin. The platform is raised to reduce the distance between the lower bin and the platform. Pivotally mounted compression clips have compression arms which are pushed into the supports by the dropping stack. The platform lowers the stack beneath the clips enabling them to resume their normal horizontal orientation. The platform is raised to compress the stack between the platform and the clip arms. The platform is then lowered and rotated 180 degrees to receive the next stack and form a compensated bundle. The platform is split, providing a gap enabling passage of a pusher arm to eject a completed bundle. The pusher arm can move through the gap as the platform is raised to significantly reduce cycle time. The proximity sensors preposition the pusher from a position allowing unobstructed rotation to a position adjacent one side of a bundle while the turntable lowers further reducing cycle time. Upper compression clips are provided to compress a full bundle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.