Claims
- 1. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a support frame for supporting said conveyor means;
- elongated side guides arranged on opposite parallel sides of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- at least one of said side guides comprising an adjustable guide assembly;
- said adjustable guide assembly comprising plural adjustment means mounted at spaced intervals along said support frame and each having a threaded driven member for moving said at least one side guide only in a direction which lies in a plane transverse to a direction of movement of signatures along said conveyor means while maintaining said at least one side guide parallel to a longitudinal centerline of said conveyor means; and
- said adjustable guide assembly including single rotatable drive shaft means arranged parallel to said centerline and threadedly engaging said driven members for simultaneously moving the driven members of all of said adjustment means along an axis of said drive shaft means to adjust a distance of said side guide relative to said centerline.
- 2. The conveying means of claim 1 comprising:
- elongated drive means mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis along said support frame and having threaded portions at spaced intervals;
- first and second pivot arms each having a first end pivotally coupled to said support frame at spaced locations thereon;
- first and second coupling arms each having a first end pivotally connected to said guide at spaced intervals thereon;
- a second end of each of said coupling arms being pivotally coupled to tapped members each threadedly engaging a threaded portion of said elongated drive means;
- each of said pivot arms having a pivotal pin a spaced distance from said first end of said pivot arm, said pivot pin being pivotally coupled to an associated one of said coupling arms at a location intermediate the first and second ends of said coupling arms; and
- said drive means comprising manually operable means being coupled to one end of said elongated drive means for rotating said elongated drive means about its longitudinal axis causing said first and second tapped members to be moved along their associated threaded portions thereby pivoting their associated coupling arm whereby said side guide is moved relative to said support frame.
- 3. The conveying means of claim 2 wherein said conveyor means has a conveyor path comprised of a first substantially horizontally aligned path portion, a second inclined path portion arranged at the downstream end of said first horizontally aligned path portion, and a third path portion arranged at the downstream end of said inclined path portion and being a spaced distance above the first horizontally aligned path portion; and
- said side guide being an elongated one-piece member having a shape conforming to said conveyor path comprising said first, second and third path portions.
- 4. The conveying means of claim 3 wherein said elongated drive means is comprised of a plurality of elongated rod-like sections each of a length substantially equal to the length of said first, second and third path portions respectively; and
- plural universal joint means pivotally coupling adjacent ends of said rod-like members, said universal joint means coupling rotation of said manually operable means to all of said elongated rod-like sections to rotate in unison about their respective longitudinal axes.
- 5. The conveying means of claim 1 wherein said adjustable side guide is provided along one side of said conveyor means and fixed guide means is provided along the opposite side of said conveyor means.
- 6. The conveying means of claim 1 wherein first and second adjustable side guides are provided on opposite sides of said conveyor means.
- 7. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a support frame for supporting said conveyor means;
- elongated side guides arranged on opposite parallel sides of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- at least one of said side guides comprising an adjustable guide assembly;
- said adjustable guide assembly comprising plural adjustment means mounted at spaced intervals along said support frame and each having a threaded driven member for moving said at least one side guide only in a direction which lies in a plane transverse to a direction of movement of signatures along said conveyor means while maintaining said at least one side guide parallel to a longitudinal centerline of said conveyor means;
- said adjustable guide assembly including single rotatable drive shaft means arranged parallel to said centerline and threadedly engaging said driven members for simultaneously moving the driven members of all of said adjustment means along an axis of said drive shaft means to adjust a distance of said side guide relative to said centerline; and
- said drive means comprising a plurality of rods connected end-to-end, selected ones of said rods having threaded portions for driving a tapped member of an associated adjustment means.
- 8. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a support frame for supporting said conveyor means;
- at least one side guide assembly arranged along one side of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- said adjustable side guide assembly comprising a guide plate and plural adjustment means coupled between said support frame and said guide plate for selectively moving said guide plate only in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of signatures along said conveyor means while maintaining said guide plate parallel to a longitudinal centerline of said conveyor means;
- said adjustable guide assembly including single manually operable rod means aligned parallel to said centerline for moving said adjustment means to adjust a position of said guide plate; and
- said manually operable rod means including a rotatably mounted rod having a threaded portion; and
- tapped means threadedly engaging said threaded portion and movable along said threaded rod for moving said adjustment means.
- 9. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a support frame for supporting said conveyor means;
- at least one side guide assembly arranged along one side of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- said adjustable side guide assembly comprising a guide plate and plural adjustment means coupled between said support frame and said guide plate for selectively moving said guide plate only in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of signatures along said conveyor means while maintaining said guide plate parallel to a longitudinal centerline of said conveyor means;
- said adjustable guide assembly including single manually operable rod means aligned parallel to said centerline for moving said adjustment means to adjust a position of said guide plate; and
- said manually operable rod means comprising a threaded rod engaging a tapped aperture in a longitudinally movable block, one of said adjustment means being pivotally coupled to said movable block for adjusting a distance of said guide plate from said centerline.
- 10. The conveying means of claim 9 further comprising second adjustment means coupled to said guide plate;
- linearly movable rod means coupled to said first-mentioned adjustment means for moving the second adjustment means responsive to movement of said movable block for adjusting a distance of said guide plate relative to said centerline.
- 11. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a support frame for supporting said conveyor means;
- an adjustable side guide assembly arranged along one longitudinal side of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- said adjustable guide assembly comprising an elongated guide plate for slidably engaging side edges of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- at least a pair of adjustment means coupled between said support frame and said guide plate for adjusting a distance of said guide plate relative to a centerline of said conveyor means while maintaining said guide plate parallel to said centerline;
- drive rod means rotatably mounted to said support frame parallel to said longitudinal side; and
- tapped drive means threadedly engaging a threaded portion of said rotatably mounted drive rod means for moving at least one of said adjustment means to adjust a distance of the guide plate relative to the centerline of the conveyor means.
- 12. The conveying means of claim 11 wherein said adjustment means comprises first and second linkage arms, a first end of said first arm being pivotally connected to said drive means and a second end of said first arm being pivotally coupled to said guide plate;
- a first end of said second arm being coupled to said support frame and having a pivot pin arranged a spaced distance from the first end of said second arm; and
- said pivot pin being coupled to said first arm at a point intermediate its first and second ends to pivotally couple said first and second arms whereby said adjustment means adjusts the position of said guide plate responsive to movement of said drive means.
- 13. The conveying means of claim 11 wherein said adjustment means comprises first and second linkage arms, a first end of said first arm being pivotally connected to said support frame and a second end of said first arm being pivotally coupled to said guide plate;
- a first end of said second arm being coupled to said drive means and having a pivot pin arranged a spaced distance from the first end of said second arm; and
- said pivot pin being coupled to said first arm at a point intermediate its first and second ends to pivotally couple said first and second arms whereby said adjustment means adjusts the position of said guide plate responsive to movement of said drive means.
- 14. The conveying means of claim 12 wherein a first one of said adjustment means is coupled to said drive means; and
- elongated rod means coupled to said drive means for moving the second adjustment means responsive to movement of said drive means.
- 15. The conveying means of claim 11 wherein said rotatably mounted member comprises a threaded portion threadedly engaging a movable, tapped, drive means;
- a first linkage arm having a first end pivotally coupled to said drive means and a second end pivotally coupled to said guide plate;
- a second linkage arm having a first end pivotally coupled to said support frame; and
- pivot means coupled to said second linkage arm at a location a spaced distance from the first end of said second linkage arm and coupled to said first linkage arm at a location intermediate the first and second ends of said first linkage arm for pivotally coupling said first and second linkage arms whereby movement of said drive means controls movement of said guide plate.
- 16. The conveying means of claim 11 wherein said second adjustment means comprises:
- a first linkage arm having a first end pivotally coupled to a second drive means and a second end pivotally coupled to said guide plate;
- a second linkage arm having a first end pivotally coupled to said support frame;
- pivot means coupled to said second linkage arm at a location a spaced distance from the first end of said second linkage arm and coupled to said first linkage arm at a location intermediate the first and second ends of said first linkage arm for pivotally coupling said first and second linkage arms whereby movement of said drive means controls movement of said guide plate; and
- a coupling rod being coupled between the drive means of said second adjustment means and the drive means of the first adjustment means whereby said first and second adjustment means are moved substantially simultaneously to adjust the position of the guide plate.
- 17. The conveying means of claim 16 wherein the first end of said second linkage arm of said first and second adjustment means are each coupled to the conveyor means support frame by an associated support bracket.
- 18. The conveying means of claim 16 further comprising:
- bracket means included in said first and second adjustment means and each being provided with guideways for guiding and supporting said coupling rod.
- 19. Means for conveying signatures to an output utilization device comprising:
- first and second conveyor means for receiving signatures thereon and moving the received signatures toward said output utilization device;
- a separate support frame for supporting each of said first and second conveyor means;
- at least one side guide assembly arranged along one side of each of said conveyor means for limiting lateral movement of signatures as they move along said conveyor means;
- said adjustable side guide assembly comprising a guide plate and adjustment means coupled between said support frame and said guide plate for selectively moving said guide plate only in a direction which lies in a plane transverse to a direction of movement of signatures along said conveyor means; and
- said adjustable side guide assembly including single rotatable drive shaft means for moving said adjustment means to adjust a position of said guide plate while maintaining said guide plate parallel to a longitudinal centerline of at least one of said conveyor means;
- said first and second conveyor means being arranged with a downstream end of said first conveyor means positioned adjacent an upstream end of said first and second conveyor means;
- manually operable means being coupled to an upstream end of said drive shaft means at an upstream end of said first conveyor means;
- means coupling a downstream end of the drive shaft means to an upstream end of the adjustment means associated with said second conveying means; and
- each adjustment means of said first and second conveying means comprising a linearly movable rod; means coupling adjacent ends of said rods for imparting drive from the movable rod of said first conveying means to the movable rod of said second conveying means.
- 20. Conveying means comprising first and second conveyor means each including:
- a support frame;
- a guide plate for aligning signatures slidably engaging said guide plate as they move along the conveyor means;
- at least first and second means coupled to said guide plate at spaced intervals therealong for adjusting the position of the guide plate relative to one longitudinal side of its associated conveying means;
- rotatable drive means including means for rotating said drive means;
- said drive means having a threaded portion;
- a movable block having a tapped opening threadedly engaging a threaded portion provided along said drive means for moving said first adjusting means;
- a connecting rod coupled to said movable block for imparting movement of said block to said second adjusting means;
- said first and second conveyor means being aligned with a downstream end of said first conveying means aligned with and adjacent to an upstream end of said second conveyor means;
- a downstream end of the connecting rod provided in said first conveyor means being coupled to an upstream end of the connecting rod provided in said second conveyor means, whereby movement of said connecting rod of said first conveyor means is imparted to the connecting rod of said second conveyor means to operate the adjusting means of said first and second conveyor means substantially simultaneously responsive to operation of said means for rotating said drive means.
- 21. The conveying means of claim 20 wherein the movable block of said second conveyor means is comprised of first and second block portions;
- said first block portion being coupled to said connecting rod;
- said second block portion threadedly engaging a threaded portion of said rotatable drive means;
- means for selectively coupling said first and second block portions when said second conveyor means is operated independently of said first conveyor means and for decoupling said second block portion from said first block portion to enable movement of said first block portion independently of said second block portion when said first and second conveyor means are coupled together.
- 22. The conveying means of claim 20 wherein each adjustment means further comprises:
- a first linkage arm having one end pivotally coupled to said movable block and a second end pivotally coupled to said guide plate;
- a second linkage arm having one end pivotally coupled to said support frame;
- a pivot pin coupling said second linkage arm to said first linkage arm.
- 23. The conveying means of claim 22 wherein the rotatable drive means imparts movement to the movable block of only the first adjustment means, said second adjustment means being moved by the connecting rod coupled between the movable blocks of said first and second adjustment means.
- 24. The conveying means of claim 20 wherein said adjustment means comprises a linkage assembly having first and second linkage arms coupling movement of its associated movable block to its associated guide plate whereby that guide plate is moved laterally relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor means and is restrained from moving in a direction along its longitudinal axis.
- 25. The conveying means of claim 1 further comprising means for rotatably supporting said single drive shaft means and for preventing linear movement thereof; and
- means for rotating said shaft means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 978,994, filed Nov. 19, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,172 which is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 693,638, filed Apr. 30, 1991 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,590, issued Mar. 30, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
693638 |
Apr 1991 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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978994 |
Nov 1992 |
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