The invention relates to a product delivery loader, and more particularly, to a loader for a process line. Specifically, the present invention relates to a product delivery loader for use with various types of finishing equipment and/or for use with a support post.
Loader development for bindery equipment has been ongoing with its goal to reduce labor costs and increase productivity. Loaders were mainly developed to feed pockets. Pockets are the means used to deliver signatures to a binding line. Pockets typically sit on a base. The base needed to physically support the pocket and position them for the collating process. The base is also a vehicle for production needs including electrical, compressed air and vacuum requirements. As such, the base can be a complicated construction that is quite costly. Furthermore, the pockets themselves are generally designed to operate with a wide range of printed product sizes. Thus, when using a more standard sized printed product, the additional capabilities, and with them complications, of the pocket become unnecessary.
On perfect binding lines, printed product is fed directly to a gathering trough. Perfect binder feeders are often designed with capabilities that allow for their use with a wide range of printed product sizes. Thus, when operating with standard sized printed product, the enhanced capabilities of the feeder are unnecessary.
Other printing and binding processes include feeders. As just described, each of these feeders generally includes a feeder-specific device that is operable to deliver printed product to the feeder. As such, a bindery or printing facility may have many different feeder-specific devices each requiring spare parts and maintenance, thus increasing the costs of operation.
The invention provides a loader operable to deliver product to a process line. The loader includes a buffer section operable to support a product and a transfer section operable to receive the product from the buffer section. One of a plurality of interchangeable nose sections is coupled to the transfer section to receive the product and deliver the product to the process line.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a process line operable to assemble a plurality of printed products. The process line includes a support post and a loader operable to deliver printed product to the process line. The delivery loader is coupled to the support post. A conveyor is positioned to receive and transport the printed product from the loader.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a process line comprising a conveyor and a plurality of loaders operable to deliver product to the conveyor. A support post is positioned adjacent the conveyor and operable to selectively receive the plurality of loaders and align each loader with the conveyor.
The invention provides a method of arranging a process line including a conveyor operable to move product. The method includes positioning a support post adjacent the conveyor line. The method also includes coupling a loader to the post such that the loader is operable to deliver product to the conveyor.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a support post positioned adjacent a conveyor of a finishing line. The post includes an alignment member positioned a distance from the conveyor, the alignment member engages and aligns the loader relative to the conveyor.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a support post positioned adjacent a conveyor of a finishing line. The post includes an alignment member that engages a loader and a production supply line. The production supply line is operable to provide at least one of pressurized air, vacuum, power and communications to the loader.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Before describing the invention in detail it should be noted that the invention will function with many different types of printed or non-printed products, with signatures being but only one type of printed product. Therefore, while the term “signature” is used throughout the description, the invention should in no way be limited to use with signatures alone. Furthermore, signatures are described herein as including four edges and two faces. It should be understood that one or more edges may actually be folds. Therefore, the term “signature” should not be limited to a single sheet of paper, nor should it be limited to a single folded piece of paper as the device described herein will also function with nested folded sheets of paper.
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in
The buffer section 15 includes a substantially horizontal portion 35 that is large enough to support at least one log 40 of product, such as a log of signatures destined for a binding line. The log of signatures 40 is placed on the horizontal portion 35 between the already present signatures and a movable end plate 50. The movable end plate 50 provides support to the end signatures so that they remain in the desired position as they are delivered to the preparation section 25.
The horizontal portion 35 may include one or more rails (not shown) that support the log 40 at a desired height and a conveyor 55 disposed beneath the signatures and operable to move the signatures in a desired direction. The rails, if used, act to reduce the friction between the horizontal portion and the signatures, thereby making it easier to move the signatures smoothly along the desired path without damage. The conveyor 55 engages the bottom surface of the log 40 and moves it toward the signature preparation section 25.
The buffer section 15 includes a waterfall portion 60 disposed between the horizontal portion 35 and the preparation section 25. The waterfall portion 60 receives signatures from the horizontal portion 35 and reorients them for delivery to the preparation section 25 (best illustrated in
The large buffer provided by the buffer section 15 increases the time interval for tending to the loader 10. As such, a single worker is able to tend several loaders 10 where the same worker may have only been able to tend one or two prior loaders. Thus, use of the loader 10 described herein reduces the labor requirements associated with tending loaders 10.
The preparation section 25, illustrated in
The preparation conveyor 75 engages the bottommost signature in the queue 70 and transports it toward the signature delivery section 30. As each signature progresses, the adjacent signature is transported, thus establishing a shingled stream of signatures 80. The preparation section 25 transports signatures up an inclined slope. However, it should be understood that flat preparation sections 25 as well as preparation sections 25 that transport the signatures down a slope are possible and contemplated by the present invention.
The delivery section 30 shown in
The delivery section 30, illustrated in
The delivery section 30, in addition to individualizing the signatures, orients and aligns the signatures for delivery to the nose section. For example, a particular process may require the signatures to be inverted or rotated relative to their initial orientation. This adjustment to the orientation of the signatures is performed within the delivery section 30. Furthermore, many processes may require that each signature be precisely positioned (registered) before delivery to the nose section. This registration process may also be accommodated within the delivery section 30.
The second conveyor 95, illustrated in one possible orientation in
For example,
Turning to
In addition to use with a perfect binder 110 and a saddle stitcher 100, the delivery loader 10 can be used in other finishing or processing areas such as an offline mailer, a poly wrapper loader/feeder, and a printing platform. For example, the loader 10 as used in an offline mailer 120 is illustrated in
In another construction illustrated in
The delivery loader 10 of the present invention can be used with a variety of other applications e.g., wrapping, cartoning, tipping, inserting, and the like. In a cartoning application, a delivery loader 10 delivers a single piece into a carton. In a tipping application, the delivery loader 10 tips a piece onto a book. In an inserting application, the delivery loader 10 inserts a piece into an inserter raceway as in an envelope-inserting machine. The loader 10 eliminates the need for traditional pockets 130 and bases.
Turning now to
Loaders 10 and the noses 85 attached thereto require process support supplies such as power, vacuum, high-pressure air, low-pressure air and communications. The process support lines 145 preferably extend along the length of the post 135 and include various connection points that allow for the quick and easy connection of the loader 10. As shown in
Certain pieces of equipment such as the loaders 10, pockets 85a, perfect binder noses 85b, or other components may be ill suited to certain types or sizes of product. While the loader 10 and noses 85 described herein are intended to be used with a vast majority of the known products, it is possible that some feature of a certain product will make its use with the above-described loader 10 and noses 85 undesirable. In that situation, a speed following stand 175 may be used as shown in
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.