Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6318719
-
Patent Number
6,318,719
-
Date Filed
Thursday, May 13, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 20, 200122 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 271 309
- 271 198
- 271 276
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A transported-object stacking apparatus includes first fluid discharge unit and second fluid discharge unit. The first fluid discharge unit is disposed on one side of a transported object and is adapted to discharge working fluid in order to press the transported object against transporting unit. The second fluid discharge unit is disposed downstream from the first fluid discharge unit with respect to the direction of transport of the transported object and on the other side of the transported object, and is adapted to discharge working fluid toward a rear half portion of the transported object in order to separate the transported object from the transporting unit. When working fluid is discharged from the first fluid discharge unit, an object transported by the transporting unit is pressed against the transporting unit. Subsequently, when working fluid is discharged from the second fluid discharge unit toward a rear half portion of the transported object, the transported object is separated from the transporting unit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transported-object stacking apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a transported-object stacking apparatus for stacking sheetlike transported objects one by one, a high-speed conveyor running at high speed and a low-speed conveyor running at low speed are arranged adjacent to each other, while a speed-reducing section is provided at the entrance of the low-speed conveyor. Objects transported on the high-speed conveyor are reduced in speed during transfer to the low-speed conveyor and are stacked on the low-speed conveyor.
However, in the conventional transported-object stacking apparatus, the front end of an object transported at high speed by the high-speed conveyor may collide with a rear portion of the preceding object transported at low speed by the low-speed conveyor, potentially resulting in jamming of transported objects.
Since the angle of a transported object entering the speed-reducing section, i.e., the angle of entry, is difficult to adjust, the preceding transported object may be hit hard by the front end of the following transported object. As a result, the surface of the preceding transported object may be damaged, rendering the object defective. Particularly, when a transported object is lightweight, the transported object enters the speed-reducing section at a relatively high speed. As a result, the posture of the transported object becomes very unstable during entry into the speed-reducing section.
To avoid such a postural instability, an object may be transported while being held between the high-speed conveyor and a guide belt running at a speed identical to that of the high-speed conveyor. However, this causes variations in, for example, positioning or timing curing transfer of a transported object from the high-speed conveyor to the low-speed conveyor.
To avoid such variations, the traveling speed of the high-speed conveyor may be decreased, or the span between transported objects may be increased. In such a case, however, the throughput of the transported-object stacking apparatus is impaired accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional transported-object stacking apparatus and to provide a transported-object stacking apparatus capable of preventing both jamming of transported objects and rendering an object defective without impairment of throughput.
To achieve the above object, a transported-object stacking apparatus according to the present invention comprises first fluid discharge means and second fluid discharge means. The first fluid discharge means is disposed on one side of a transported object and is adapted to discharge working fluid in order to press the transported object against transporting means. The second fluid discharge means is disposed downstream from the first fluid discharge means with respect, to the direction of transport of the transported object and on the other side of the transported object, and is adapted to discharge working fluid toward a rear half portion of the transported object in order to separate the transported object from the transporting means.
In this case, when working fluid is discharged from the first fluid discharge means, an object transported by the transporting means is pressed against the transporting means. Subsequently, when working fluid is discharged from the second fluid discharge means toward a rear half portion of the transported object, the transported object is separated from the transporting means.
Accordingly, the transported object can assume a very stable posture and thus can be constantly stacked in a magazine at a predetermined position.
Since the transported object to be stacked is inclined, two consecutive transported objects can be free from such a collision that the preceding transported object is hit hard by the front end of the following transported object, thereby preventing jamming of transported objects.
Another transported-object stacking apparatus according to the present invention comprises first transporting means, second transporting means, fluid discharge means, and fluid inversion means. The first transporting means is adapted to transport a transported object and travels on one side of the transported object. The second transporting means is adapted to transport the transported object and travels on the other side of the transported object. The fluid discharge means is disposed on one side of the transported object and is adapted to discharge working fluid. The fluid inversion means is disposed on the other side of the transported object, and has an entrance port for introducing thereinto working fluid discharged from the fluid discharge means and a discharge port for discharging therefrom working fluid introduced through the entrance port. The discharge port is located downstream of the entrance port with respect to the direction of transport of the transported object.
In this case, when working fluid is discharged from the fluid discharge means on one side of the transported object, the object transported by the first and second transporting means is pressed against the second transporting means. Subsequently, when the rear end of the transported object passes through a gap between the second transporting means and the fluid discharge means, working fluid discharged from the fluid discharge means enters the fluid inversion means through the entrance port and is discharged through the discharge port on the downstream side with respect to the direction of transport of the transported object to thereby press a rear end portion of the transported object downward.
Accordingly, the object is transported while being held between the first and second transporting means. Subsequently, the object is transported while being pressed against the second transporting means by means of working fluid. Then, the transported object is forcibly released from the second transporting means by means of working fluid discharged from the discharge port. Accordingly, the transported object can assume a very stable posture in a stacking region and thus can be constantly stacked in a magazine at a predetermined position.
Since the transported object to be stacked is inclined to thereby establish a wide gap between the second transporting means and the rear end of the transported object, two consecutive transported objects can be free from such a collision that the preceding transported object is hit hard by the front end of the following transported object, thereby preventing jamming of transported objects.
Still another transported-object stacking apparatus further comprises positioning means for positioning the fluid inversion means in the direction of transport of the transported object.
Since the fluid inversion means and the fluid discharge means can be positioned in the direction of transport of objects, the angle of entry of a transported object into the stacking region can be easily adjusted. Accordingly, two consecutive transported objects can be free from such a collision that the preceding transported object is hit hard by the front end of the following transported object. As a result, the surface of the preceding transported object cannot be damaged, so that rendering an object defective can be prevented. Particularly, when the surface of transported object bears printing, there can be reliably prevented an impairment in printed image quality which would otherwise result from damage to the printed surface.
Further, since transported objects can be stably stacked, there is no need for reducing the traveling speed of the first and second transporting means or increasing the interval between transported objects. Thus, the throughput of the transported-object stacking apparatus is not impaired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The structure and features of the transported-object stacking apparatus according to the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same because better understood by referring to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a sectional view of a transported-object stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a side view of a main portion of the transported-object stacking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3
is a plan view of the main portion of the transported-object stacking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An embodiment of the present invention will next to described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings, reference numeral
11
denotes a sheetlike object, such as a blank, to be transported along a transport passage TR. Reference numeral
12
denotes a first conveyor which travels under the transport passage TR so as to transport the object
11
while facing one side of the transported object
11
. The first conveyor
12
includes a plurality of transport rollers
14
and an endless belt
13
extending along the transport rollers
14
. Reference numeral
16
denotes a second conveyor which travels above the transport passage TR so as to transport the object
11
while facing the other side of the transported object
11
. The second conveyor
16
includes a plurality of transport rollers
17
and an endless belt
18
extending along the transport rollers
17
. The first conveyor
12
serves as first transporting means, and the second conveyor
16
serves as second transporting means. Being disposed for supporting the transported object
11
, the belt
13
has a width wider than that of the transported object
11
. Being disposed for guiding the transported object
11
, the belt
18
has a width narrower than that of the transported object
11
.
According to the present embodiment, the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
travel at the same speed. However, the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
may travel at different speeds.
A stacking section P
1
is located ahead (left-hand side in
FIG. 1
) of the first conveyor
12
and under the second conveyor
16
and is adapted to stack in an unillustrated magazine the objects
11
transported by the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
. A stacking apparatus
21
is disposed in the stacking section P
1
. The stacking apparatus
21
includes a housing
22
, a pair of nozzles
23
, and a pair of inversion manifolds
24
. The nozzles
23
are supported by the housing
22
and are adapted to discharge compressed air serving as working fluid and supplied from an unillustrated air source, thus serving as first fluid discharge means. The invention manifolds
24
are supported by the housing
22
and are adapted to invert compressed air introduced from the corresponding nozzles
23
so as to discharge compressed air against the transported object
11
.
The housing
22
includes a pair of side walls
22
a
and
22
b,
a connection member
22
c,
and brackets
22
d
and
22
e.
The side walls
22
a
and
22
b
are disposed such that a predetermined space greater than the width of the transported object
11
is left therebetween. The connection member
22
c
is adapted to connect the side walls
22
a
and
22
b
together. The inversion manifolds
24
are attached to the connection member
22
c
via the bracket
22
d.
The nozzles
23
are attached to the connection member
22
c
via the bracket
22
e.
The inversion manifold
24
substantially assumes a shape of a inverse letter U and has an entrance port
25
and a discharge port
26
formed at opposite ends thereof. The entrance port
25
is directed downward so as to face the tip of the corresponding nozzle
23
in order to introduce compressed air discharged from the nozzle
23
into the inversion manifold
24
. The discharge port
26
is directed downward so as to discharge compressed air introduced through the entrance port
25
toward a rear end portion of the transported object
11
, thus serving as second fluid discharge means. The discharge port
26
is located downstream of the entrance port
25
with respect to the direction of transport of the object
11
. Distance K between the entrance port
25
and the discharge port
26
along the direction of transport of the object
11
is determined according to the length of the transported object
11
.
Thus, compressed air discharged from the nozzle
23
enters the inversion manifold
24
through the entrance port
25
and is inverted within the inversion manifold
24
. Then, the compressed air is discharged through the discharge port
26
toward the transported object
11
.
When the object
11
transported by the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
reaches the stacking section P
1
, compressed air discharged from the nozzles
23
causes the transported object
11
, from the front end toward the rear end, to come into contact with the belt
18
. Being pressed against the belt
18
, the object
11
is transported by means of inertia thereof and the belt
18
, during which the transported object
11
intercepts air flow between the nozzles
23
and the inversion manifolds
24
.
Subsequently, when the rear end of the transported object
11
passes through the gaps between the nozzles
23
and the inversion manifolds
24
, compressed air discharged from the nozzles
23
enters the invention manifolds
24
through the entrance ports
25
. Thus-introduced compressed air is inverted within the inversion manifold
24
and is then discharged through the discharge ports
26
toward a rear half portion of the transported object
11
, thereby pressing the transported object
11
, for example, at point m (
FIG. 1
) located near the rear end (right end in
FIG. 1
) of the object
11
. The distance between the point m and the rear end of the transported object
11
is determined on the basis of distance K mentioned above. However, the position of point m is set so as to be located between the center and the rear end of the transported object
11
.
Accordingly, the transported object
11
is separated from the second conveyor
16
while assuming an inclined posture and is stacked in the aforementioned magazine. A guide roller
28
is disposed ahead of the stacking apparatus
21
in order to align front ends of the transported objects
11
being stacked. The guide roller
28
is rotated at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow of FIG.
1
.
As described above, in the stacking section P
1
, the transported object
11
is inclined, so that a wide space is established between the belt
18
and the rear end of the transported object
11
. Thus, the two consecutive transported objects
11
are free from such a collision that the front end of the following transported object
11
collides with the rear portion of the preceding transported object
11
, thereby preventing jamming of the transported objects
11
.
A shaft
31
is disposed in the vicinity of the front end of the housing
22
and rotatably supports the transport roller
17
. The shaft
31
is supported by an unillustrated frame via a vertical support member
32
and a horizontal support member
33
. An elongated hole
32
a
is formed in the vertical support member
32
. An elongated hole
33
a
is formed in the horizontal support member
33
in such a manner as to cross the elongated hole
32
a.
A pin
34
is disposed in such a manner as to extend through the elongated holes
32
a
and
33
a.
By positioning the pin
34
as desired along the elongated holes
32
a
and
33
a
and fastening the pin
34
by means of the fastening handle
35
, the housing
22
can be vertically and horizontally positioned. The elongated holes
32
a
and
33
a,
the pin
34
, and the fastening handle
35
cooperatively serve as positioning means.
As inclined support member
37
extends obliquely upward from the shaft
31
. An arc-shaped elongated hole
38
is formed in the side wall
22
b
at an upper predetermined position. The shaft
31
is the center of the arc into which the elongated hole
38
is shaped. A pin
39
is disposed at such a manner as to extend through the elongated hole
38
. By positioning the pin
39
as desired along the elongated hole
38
and fastening the pin
39
by means of the fastening handle
40
, the housing
22
can be inclined at a predetermined angle. The elongated hole
38
, the pin
39
, and the fastening handle
40
cooperatively serve as positioning means.
Further, an elongated hole
42
is formed in the side wall
22
b
at a lower predetermined position. A pin
43
is disposed in such a manner as to extend through the elongated hole
42
. By positioning the pin
43
as desired along the elongated hole
42
and fastening the pin
43
by means of the fastening handle
45
, the inversion manifolds
24
and the nozzles
23
can be horizontally positioned with respect to the housing
22
. The elongated hole
42
, the pin
43
, and the fastening handle
45
cooperatively serve as positioning means.
As described above, the housing
22
can be vertically and horizontally positioned and can be inclined at a predetermined angle, and the invention manifolds
24
and the nozzles
23
can be horizontally positioned with respect to the housing
22
. Thus, the angle of entry of the transported object
11
into the stacking section P
1
can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the two consecutive transported objects
11
can be free from such a collision that the preceding transported object
11
is hit hard by the front end of the following transported object
11
. As a result, the surface of the preceding transported object
11
cannot be damaged, so that rendering the object
11
defective can be prevented. Particularly, when the surface of the transported object
11
bears printing, there can be reliably prevented an impairment in printed image quality which would otherwise result from damage to the printed surface.
Further, since the transported objects
11
can be stably stacked in the aforementioned magazine, there is no need for reducing the traveling speed of the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
or increasing the interval between the transported objects
11
. Thus, the throughput of the transported-object stacking apparatus is not impaired.
For example, when the transported object
11
is a sheet having a length of about 300 mm, a width of about 300 mm, a thickness of about 0.5 to 2 mm, and a weight of about 40 g, the transported object
11
enters the stacking section P
1
at a relatively high speed of about 3 to 5 m/s. However, the transported object
11
can assume a very stable posture in the stacking section P
1
and thus can be constantly stacked in the aforementioned magazine at a predetermined position, for the following reason. The object
11
is transported while being held between the first and second conveyors
12
and
16
. Subsequently, the object
11
is transported while being pressed against the belt
18
by means of compressed air. Then, the transported object
11
is forcibly released from the belt
18
by means of compressed air discharged from the discharge port
26
.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the spirit of the present invention, and they are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.
Claims
- 1. A transported-object stacking apparatus comprising:(a) discharge transporting means; (b) first fluid discharge means disposed on one side of a transported object and adapted to discharge working fluid at a first position in order to press the transported object against said discharge transporting means; and (c) second fluid discharge means disposed downstream from said first fluid discharge means with respect to the direction of transport of the transported object and on the other side of the transported object, said second fluid discharge means being adapted to discharge working fluid at a second position downstream from the first position toward a rear half portion of the transported object in order to separate the transported object from the discharge transporting means and to establish a wide space between the discharge transporting means and the rear end of the transported object.
- 2. A transported-object stacking apparatus comprising:(a) first transporting means adapted to transport a transported object and traveling on one side of the transported object; (b) second transporting means adapted to transport the object and traveling on the other side of the transported object; (c) fluid discharge means disposed on one side of the transported object and adapted to discharge working fluid to press the transported object against the second transporting means; and (d) fluid inversion means disposed on the other side of the transported object and having an entrance port for introducing thereinto working fluid discharged from said fluid discharge means and a discharge port for discharging therefrom working fluid introduced through said entrance port in order to separate the transported object from the second transporting means, said discharge port being located downstream of said entrance port with respect to the direction of transport to the transported object.
- 3. A transported-object stacking apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising positioning means for positioning said fluid inversion means in the direction of transport of the transported object.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-141318 |
May 1998 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4395038 |
Fitzpatrick et al. |
Jul 1983 |
|