Patent Application
20080011437
The present invention is described in conjunction with the appended figures:
Note that in the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same numerical reference label.
The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It will be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed, but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
The term “machine-readable medium” includes, but is not limited to portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels and various other mediums capable of storing, containing or carrying instruction(s) and/or data. A code segment or machine-executable instructions may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.
Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine readable medium. A processor(s) may perform the necessary tasks.
In one embodiment of the invention, a system for inverting a stack of sheet-like materials is provided. The system may include a frame, first element, a second element, a compression mechanism, and a rotational device. The first element may be movably coupled with the frame. The stack of sheet-like materials may, merely by way of example, be a stack of perforated fanfold paper, a stack of separate papers, a stack of envelopes, a stack of pamphlets, and/or a stack of paper inserts. Merely by way of example, various information may be printed onto the sheet-like materials, including, but not limited to, credit card statements, bank statements, brokerage statements, promotional program information, convenience checks, advertisements, applications, worksheets, order forms, invoices, packing information, shipping contents, etc.
The first element may be movably coupled with the frame. The second element may also be movably coupled with the frame. In some embodiments, the first element and the second element may each include a pair of forks. In other embodiments, the first element and the second element may each include a substantially flat surface. In some embodiments, the first element may include a shaped support surface. The shaped support surface may be configured to alter the shape of the stack of sheet-like materials. For instance, in an embodiment where the stack of sheet-like materials is perforated fanfold paper, the shaped support surface may alter the shape of the stack to have a flatter top than if the stack were to be supported by a flat surface. Other materials may also stack such that their top is irregular, and the shaped support surface may alter such stacks so that the second element, which may have substantially flat surfaces, may more congruously engage the top of the stack.
The compression mechanism may be configured to compress the stack of sheet-like materials between the first element and the second element. In some embodiments, the compression mechanism may be configured to move at least one of the first element and the second element relative to the other. For example, in one embodiment, the compression mechanism may be configured to move the first element toward the second element. In another embodiment, the compression mechanism may be configured to move the second element toward the first element.
In some embodiments, the compression mechanism may include a motor operably coupled with a first screw and a second screw. The first screw and second screw may rotate when the motor is activated. The first screw may be operably coupled with the first element, causing the first element to move relative to the second element when the first screw rotates. The second screw may be operably coupled with the second element, causing the second element to move relative to the first element when the second screw rotates.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor may have an output shaft that rotates at about 90 rotations per minute. A first sprocket having about 24 teeth may be fixedly coupled with the output shaft, and connect via a chain with a second sprocket having about 12 teeth fixedly coupled with the first screw and the second screw. The screws may have about 7 threads per inch and be operably coupled with matching threaded holes at the first element and the second element. In this configuration, the first and second element may move at about 24 inches per minute. The frame may also include guide rods and matching guide orifices on the first element and the second element to assist in directing the first element and the second element in certain directions, possibly toward each other. Other guide mechanisms may also be employed, including channels in the frame and matching protrusions on the first element and second element.
In various embodiments, the compression mechanism may include hydraulic, pneumatic, chain or belt mechanisms to compress the stack of sheet-like materials between the first element and the second element. In some embodiments, the compression mechanism may include a limiting mechanism configured to limit the compression of the stack of sheet-like materials. The amount of compression may be limited in order to prevent the first element, the second element, and/or any other component of the system from damaging the sheet-like materials.
In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism may comprise a clutch. For example, in an embodiment where a chain drive is employed by the compression mechanism to transfer movement between a motor and the first and/or second elements, a clutch may be present. The clutch may limit further rotation of the motor when the first element and/or second element encounter a certain amount of resistance by the stack of sheet-like materials to more compression.
In other embodiments, the limiting mechanism may include other types of devices, for example a pressure switch. In one example, if the compression mechanism includes hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, a pressure switch may monitor the hydraulic or pneumatic pressure and deactivate a pump supplying fluid to the cylinder(s) when a certain pressure is reached, the pressure corresponding to a certain compression of the stack of sheet-like materials.
The rotational device may be configured to rotate the frame between the first position and the second position, where in the second position the stack of sheet-like materials is inverted relative to the first position. In some embodiments, the rotational device may include a motor operably coupled with the frame. The frame may rotate between the first position and the second position when the motor is activated. In these or other embodiments, the frame may be coupled with a chassis about a pivot point and the motor may be coupled with a shaft connected with the frame at the pivot point to rotate the frame.
The motor in these embodiments may, merely by way of example, be coupled with the shaft by a belt, chain, gearbox, and/or any other type of mechanical transmission. In some embodiments, transmission systems such as gearboxes and chain drives may be used to prevent accidental slippage of the frame in either rotational direction. A stepper motor may also be used directly or indirectly (through a transmission) to rotate the frame at the pivot point. In another possible embodiment the frame may rotate about the pivot point, and a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder may exert the force to rotate the frame. A pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder may exert cam-like forces from a fixed point to a point on the frame to cause rotation about the pivot point.
A transmission from the rotational power source, such as a motor, may also provide a step down of rotational speeds produced by the rotational power source, possibly for safer and smoother operation. In an exemplary embodiment, the rotational device may include a motor with a gear box with an output shaft may be used which produces about 3.2 rotations per minute. A first sprocket having about 9 teeth may be fixedly coupled with the output shaft, and connect via a chain with a second sprocket having about 40 teeth fixedly coupled with another shaft on the frame. This may allow for about a 180 degree rotation of the frame in about 42 seconds, though in some embodiments, less than about 180 degrees of rotation may be required to rotate between the first position and the second position. Some embodiments may also have limit switches and/or other mechanisms to temporarily disable the motor once rotation between the first position and the second position, or vice-versa, has been completed.
In other embodiments, different configurations may be used to increase or decrease the speed of rotation. In some embodiments, the desired speed of rotation may be determined based on operating variables. For example, in an embodiment where the sheet-like materials are printed papers, the printer or other device delivering the printed papers to the inverting system, may only be able to continue producing printed papers and accumulate them for a certain time before the production machine must shut down to await inverting and unloading of the printed papers. The certain time may, in some embodiments, dictate the configuration of the compression mechanism and rotational device, and other system components, so that the inverting of the printed papers does not require the production machine to be shut down.
In some embodiments, the system may also include a transport assembly. The transport assembly may be configured to receive and support the stack of sheet-like materials after they are inverted. A support surface on the transport assembly for supporting the inverted stack of sheet-like materials may be configured such that it has channels or voids for interfacing with the second element of the system to more easily receive the stack of sheet-like materials. Possible features of the transport assembly will be discussed in greater detail below in reference to
In another embodiment, a system for inverting a stack of sheet-like materials is provided. The system may include a first means for supporting the stack of sheet-like materials in a first position and a second means for securing the stack of sheet-like materials in the first position and supporting the stack of sheet-like materials in a second position. The first means and the second means may each include a pair of forks. In other embodiments, the first means and the second means may each include a substantially flat surface. In some embodiments, the system may further include a means for altering the shape of the stack of sheet-like materials. For example, the first means may include a shaped support surface which may be configured to alter the shape of the stack of sheet-like materials.
The system may further include a means for compressing the stack of sheet-like materials between the first means and the second means. In some embodiments, the means for compressing may be configured to move at least one of the first means and the second means relative to the other. Additionally, in some embodiments, the means for compressing may include a means for limiting the compression of the stack of sheet-like materials. In some embodiments, the means for compressing may include a motor operably coupled with a first screw and a second screw. The first screw and second screw may rotate when the motor is activated. The first screw may be operably coupled with the first means, causing the first means to move relative to the second means when the first screw rotates. The second screw may be operably coupled with the second means, causing the second means to move relative to the first means when the second screw rotates.
The system may also include a means for rotating the stack of sheet-like materials between the first position and the second position, where in the second position the stack of sheet-like materials is inverted relative to the first position. In some embodiments the means for rotating may include a motor operably coupled with the first means and the second means. The means for rotating may include a frame with which both the first element and second element are coupled with. The first means and the second means may rotate between the first position and the second position when the motor is active.
In another embodiment, a system for inverting a stack of sheet-like materials is provided. The system may include a delivery apparatus, a frame, a first element, a second element, a compression mechanism, a movement device, and a movement device. The delivery apparatus may be configured to deliver a plurality of sheet-like materials to a location. In some embodiments, the delivery apparatus may be a sorting machine, a printer, a printer with a conveyor belt, and/or a conveyor belt coupled a printer or other device. Any of these delivery apparatuses may have accumulating systems, or employ accumulating methods to allow the apparatus to continue to produce sheet-like materials without delivering them to the inverting system. This may be advantageous because it may allow the inverting system, without shut-down of the production device, to conduct inverting operations, and thereafter accept accumulated sheet-like materials after inverting operations are complete.
In an exemplary embodiment, at least some portion of the delivery apparatus may be a Océ brand printer. The printer may print on perforated type paper and deliver it to the first element to be inverted while, or after, a stack of the printed paper is produced. At least some other portion of this delivery apparatus may be a conveyor and may deliver a continuous feed of stacked printed paper to the first element. The printed paper may be stacked on its side on the conveyor, with a top side of the stack falling toward the first element. The conveyor may be able to accumulate the printed paper, and allow the printer to continue printing and producing printed papers, rather than continuing to deliver the paper to the first element. This may be advantageous when the inverting system is inverting a stack of sheet-like materials, and is not ready to accept more paper from the conveyor.
In these of other embodiments, the first element may be movably coupled with the frame and configured to receive the plurality of sheet-like materials from the delivery apparatus. Each sheet-like material may be received on top of a previously received sheet-like material to form the stack of sheet-like materials. The compression mechanism may be configured to lower the first element as the plurality of sheet-like materials are received such that a top of the stack of sheet-like materials may substantially be at or below the location. The compression mechanism may also compress the stack of sheet-like materials between the first element and the second element. The rotational device may be configured to rotate the frame from the first position to the second position, where in the second position the stack of sheet-like materials is inverted relative to the first position.
The movement device may be configured to move at least a portion of the delivery apparatus such that the location of delivery of the sheet-like materials is substantially at or above the top of the stack of sheet-like materials. This may allow the inverting system to accept a larger stack of sheet-like documents, possibly when the first element is at its lowest possible location. In some embodiments, the movement device may include a motor and a threaded element. The motor may be operably coupled with a threaded element, and the threaded element may be operably coupled with a screw. When the motor is active, the threaded element may rotate and move along a length of the screw. The threaded element may be operably coupled with at least a portion of the delivery apparatus, and at least a portion of the delivery apparatus may move when the threaded element moves along the length of the screw. A transmission system may be used to step-up or step-down the speed of rotation of the threaded element to modify the speed at which the portion of the delivery device is moved. In an exemplary embodiment, the screw may have about 7 threads per inch, the motor may rotate at about 1750 rotations per minute, and a mechanical transmission operably coupling the motor with the threaded element may have an overall gearing ratio of about 50 to 1. This may result in movement of the delivery device at a speed in the range of about 5 inches per minute to about 12 inches per minute. Additionally, other configurations may also be included in movement devices of the invention, including, but not limited to, pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, and/or other types of mechanical power transmission systems.
In another embodiment, a method for inverting a stack of sheet-like materials is provided. The method may include a step of receiving, on a first element, sheet-like materials in a sequence to form the stack of sheet-like materials. A first received sheet-like material may be at a bottom of the stack of sheet-like materials, and a last received sheet-like material may be at a top of the stack of sheet-like materials. The method may also include a step of compressing the stack of sheet-like materials between the first element and a second element. The method may further include a step of rotating the compressed stack of sheet-like materials. After rotation, the first received sheet-like material may be at the top of the stack of sheet-like materials, and the last received sheet-like material may be at the bottom of the stack of sheet-like materials. In some embodiments the method may also include a step of altering the location where the sheet-like materials are received.
Turning now to
Sheet-like materials may be delivered to a raised first element 103 by delivery apparatus 112. As the sheet-like material is received, compression mechanism 200 may lower first element 103, possibly in response to an optical or other sensor indicating that the stack height has reached a height where delivery apparatus 112 may no longer be able to stack sheet-like materials onto the stack. After compression mechanism 200 has lowered first element 103, sheet-like materials will continue to be collected by first element 103. Compression mechanism 200 may continue to lower first element 103 until it has reached a bottom most point at which it cannot be lowered further. This may be indicated to the compression mechanism by a limit or other type of switch which is triggered by the presence of first element 103 at its lowest possible location on frame 109.
When first element 103 has reached its lowest point, a movement device 115 may raise the level which delivery apparatus 112 deposits sheet-like materials onto the stack on first element 103. In this embodiment, movement device 115 may include a motor 118, a screw 121, a threaded element 124, and a mechanical transmission 127. Screw 124 may remain stationary between a bottom surface 130 and a frame 133. When motor 118 is activated in a first direction, mechanical transmission 127, shown here as two sprockets and a chain, transmits rotational motion from motor 118 to threaded element 124. As threaded element 124 rotates, it may climb screw 121, causing vertical arms 136, 139 to rise. This motion in turn raises delivery apparatus 112 will be raised, possibly around a pivot point out of view of the drawing in
Second screw 215 may be operably coupled with second element 106 via a threaded orifice 218. First screw 212 may likewise be operably coupled with first element 106 via a threaded orifice which is not visible on in this figure. First screw and second screw, along with their matching threaded orifices may have reversed thread directions from each other. In this manner, rotation in one direction by motor 203 will cause first element 103 and second element 106 to move toward each other, while rotation in the opposite direction will cause first element 103 and second element 106 to move away from each other.
Guide rods 221, 224 passing through bushings 227, 230, along with the shape of channels in frame 109, may assist in guiding first element 103 and second element 106 in a more substantially linear direction. Clutch 206 may be a slip clutch, and may not allow rotation motion from motor 203 to be transmitted to mechanical transmission 209 once a certain amount of compression has been reached between first element 103 and second element 106. The same clutch could also prohibit transmission of rotation from motor 203 to mechanical transmission 209 if first element 103 and second element 106 are restricted from opening any further by frame 109 or other component at a maximum open position.
Also seen on
Compression device 200 is then activated and the stack of sheet-like materials is lowered. The lowest point of travel for second element 106 is below the level of support surface 403, and when second element 106 moves past support surface 403, the stack of materials is supported by the support surface 403 rather than second element 106. Note that in some embodiments, support surface 403 and a back 406 of transport assembly 400 may be constructed at an angle to encourage the stack of sheet-like materials to lean toward back 406. This may be a more stable supporting position than if the stack of sheet-like materials was stacked vertically on a flat surface.
Transport assembly 400 may then be moved from the inverter system 100 so that the rotational device 300 and compression mechanism 200 may be activated to return the inverter system 100 to a position to continue to receive sheet-like material. Transport assembly 400 may also then be moved to another apparatus to continue processing the sheet-like materials which are now inverted from their original received position. Note that transport assembly 400 may have two sides with support surfaces 403 so that more stacks of inverted documents can be accepted before moving transport assembly to the next material processing apparatus.
If the stack has reached the certain height, at block 515 a determination is made as to whether the first element 103, or other component which receives the sheet-like material, is at it's lowest possible level. If the first element 103, or other component, is not at its lowest possible level, the first element 103, or other component, may be lowered at block 520.
If the first element 103, or other sheet-like material receiving component is at it's lowest possible level, at block 525 a determination is made as to whether the portion of the delivery apparatus 112 which determines the location of sheet-like material delivery is at its highest possible level. If the portion of the delivery apparatus 112 is not at its highest possible level, then at least the portion of the delivery apparatus 112 may be raised at block 530.
If the portion of the delivery apparatus 112 is at its highest possible level, at block 535 the inverting system is moved away from the delivery apparatus 112. This may allow for clearance for the eventual rotation of the stack, where such rotation might not be feasible when the inverting system is in the close proximity to the delivery apparatus 112 necessary for receiving the sheet-like materials.
At block 540, the sheet-like materials are compressed, possibly between the first element 103 and a second element 106. At block 545, the frame 109 is rotates, thereby inverting the stack of sheet-like materials which was compressed at block 540. Note that compression of the stack of sheet-like materials need be only the minimal amount of compression necessary to provide stability of the stack during rotation.
At block 550, the transport assembly 400 is interfaced with the inverter system. The stack of sheet-like materials is decompressed and lowered at block 555, and thereafter supported by the transport assembly as described above. At block 560, the transport assembly 560 is moved away from the inverter assembly. At block 565, the frame 109 is rotated back into its original position. At block 570, the compression mechanism 200 may be activated to reposition the first element 103, or other sheet-like material receiving component into place. At block 575, any portion of the delivery apparatus that was moved previously is moved to it's initial position, and the entire process may be repeated to invert another stack of sheet-like materials.
The computer system 600 is shown comprising hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus 690. The hardware elements may include one or more central processing units 610, one or more input devices 620 (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, etc.), and one or more output devices 630 (e.g., a display device, a printer, etc.). The computer system 600 may also include one or more storage device 640. By way of example, storage device(s) 640 may be disk drives, optical storage devices, solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable and/or the like.
The computer system 600 may additionally include a computer-readable storage media reader 650, a communications system 660 (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, Bluetooth™ device, cellular communication device, etc.), and working memory 680, which may include RAM and ROM devices as described above. In some embodiments, the computer system 600 may also include a processing acceleration unit 670, which can include a digital signal processor, a special-purpose processor and/or the like.
The computer-readable storage media reader 650 can further be connected to a computer-readable storage medium, together (and, optionally, in combination with storage device(s) 640) comprehensively representing remote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices plus storage media for temporarily and/or more permanently containing computer-readable information. The communications system 660 may permit data to be exchanged with a network, system, computer and/or other component described above.
The computer system 600 may also comprise software elements, shown as being currently located within a working memory 680, including an operating system 684 and/or other code 688. It should be appreciated that alternate embodiments of a computer system 600 may have numerous variations from that described above. For example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output and data acquisition devices may also occur.
Software of computer system 600 may include code 688 for implementing any or all of the function of the various elements of the architecture as described herein. For example, software, stored on and/or executed by a computer system such as system 600, can provide the functions of the compression mechanism, rotational device, movement device, and/or other components of the invention such as those discussed above. Methods implementable by software on some of these components have been discussed above in more detail.
The invention has now been described in detail for the purposes of clarity and understanding. However, it will be appreciated that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.
