Claims
- 1. Compact transportation system to transport folded or connected sheets defining a connecting back along a transport surface, or transport plane,
- said system comprising
- a storage position defining a storage surface or plane;
- transport means including an elongated flexible transport element (1) of finite length,
- said transport element (1) being positionable at the storage position;
- flat, elastic sheet holder means (2, 21, 22) on said transport means and arranged to engage laterally into and between the sheets between the connecting back with the flat surface of said holder means being located parallel to and against portions of the flat sides of the sheets; and
- guide means (10, 11) positioning said transport element (1) at the transport surface or plane;
- said elongated transport element retaining the sheets thereon with the sheet surfaces which face the transport surface being positioned directly or indirectly adjacent the transport surface or plane when the transport element is at said storage position.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said elongated transport element (1, 20, 24) comprises an elastic strip or belt of plastic or steel.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said elongated element, when at the storage position, defines a storage section (9) which includes a curved portion, said curved portion being curved with respect to the transport surface or plane.
- 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the curved portion of the elongated transport element forms a rotatable storage roll or reel in which the elongated element isguided by the respective outermost winding layer of the roll or reel.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein (FIGS. 18, 19) the elongated element, when at the storage position, defines a storage section (50),
- said storage section being essentially linear; and
- wherein guide elements (46) are provided, to guide the sheet products towards a plane surface within which said transport element is movable.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein (FIG. 17) the guide elements (42, 43) include guide sheets formed with an opening (51) which permits, upon movement of said transport element, to reverse the position of the backs of the sheets with respect to the transport direction.
- 7. the system of claim 1, wherein said transport element (1, 20) comprises an elastic central elongated strip element (1, 20) and a plurality of transversely extending elastic, flat carriers (2, 21, 38), and elastic, flat hook-like holder elements (13, 22) located at termnal portions of said carriers, said carriers and holder elements forming at least in part said sheet holder means.
- 8. The system of claim 7, wherein (FIG. 3) said holder means comprise holder fingers pivotably secured to said carrier elements;
- and control means (16, 18) are provided, positioned with engagement with said fingers to pivot said fingers between two defined positions to, respectively, engage said folded sheets beneath the connecting back, or release said sheets from said transport system.
- 9. The system of claim 7, wherein (FIG. 4) said holder elements comprise hook-like fingers secured to said carriers;
- guide rails (23, 52) are provided engaging said carrier elements and flexing said carrier elements for, respectively, engagement of the fingers beneath the connecting back, or release of said fingers from beneath the connecting back to release said sheets from the transport means.
- 10. The system of claim 1, wherein (FIGS. 8-11) two elongated elements of finite length are provided, forming said carrier means, and extending parallel to each other;
- holder elements (25, 31) projecting away from a neighboring carrier element being secured to said carrier elements;
- and guide rails (26, 27) are provided, engageable with at least one of said carrier elements and said holder elements and the sheets (6) for deflecting the sheets and the carrier elements for, respectively, engagement of the holder element from the connecting back of the sheets or disengagement therefrom.
- 11. The system of claim 1, further including a deflection roller (34) positioned for guidance of the elongated element thereabout to permit change of position of the back of the sheet products (6) with respect to transport position upon reversal of movement of said elongated element about said roller (34).
- 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said roller is positioned with respect to said elongated element at a lowermost position, said elongated element being wrapped about said roller to place said roller at the bottom of a U-shape portion of the elongated element, arranged in vertical orientation.
- 13. The system of claim 12, further including a guide transport belt means (35) located spaced from the bottom of the U portion of the transport element to guide free ends of the sheet products (6) upon movement of said deflection roller (34).
- 14. The system of claim 1, wherein said elongated element includes a storage section;
- and wherein said storage section is arranged to have a variable length.
- 15. The system of claim 14, wherein (FIGS. 13-15) the storage section includes at least one strip element and carrier elements selectively attachable to the strip elements, said strip element and carrier elements being formed with interengaging snap button-and-recess means (39, 40) for selective placement of carrier elements on said strip elements to provide storage sections of variable length.
- 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport surface or plane is a planar surface.
- 17. The system of claim 1, wherein said transport surface or plane is a planar surface; and
- wherein the storage position defines a storage surface which is curved with respect to the planar transport surface.
- 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the elongated element, at the storage position, forms a rotatable storage roll or reel in wich the elongated transport element is guided by the respective outermost winding layer of the roll or reel.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
3643026 |
Dec 1986 |
DEX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/132,989, filed Dec. 15, 1987, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1153383 |
Aug 1963 |
DEX |
2354381 |
May 1974 |
DEX |
3319965 |
Dec 1983 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
132989 |
Dec 1987 |
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