A starwheel feed apparatus and method for feeding and guiding sheets of a web material into a starwheel assembly. In some embodiments, a feeding conveyor is movable to convey sheets at a first velocity toward the starwheel, and a guiding conveyor is located adjacent the starwheel and has a conveying surface movable at a velocity less than the first velocity. In other embodiments, other relative speeds of the guiding and feeding conveyors are employed. In some embodiments, a feeding conveyor feeds sheets into slots of a starwheel, and a guiding conveyor located adjacent the starwheel has a conveying surface to guide trailing edges of the sheets along a length of the conveying surface as the sheets enter the slots.
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58. A method of guiding a sheet of web material into a starwheel, the sheet having a leading edge and a trailing edge; the method comprising:
transferring the sheet from a feeding conveyor to the starwheel, the feeding conveyor having a first velocity;
feeding the sheet into a slot in the starwheel with the feeding conveyor;
moving the sheet in the slot toward an inserted position;
contacting the sheet with a conveying surface downstream of the feeding conveyor as the sheet moves in the slot;
rotating the starwheel; and
guiding the trailing edge of the sheet along a length of the conveying surface as the sheet enters the slot.
18. A sheet guiding apparatus for guiding a sheet of web material as the sheet is fed into a starwheel from upstream sheet feeding equipment, the starwheel having slots and being rotatable to receive and discharge the sheet; the sheet guiding apparatus comprising:
a conveyor belt located adjacent the starwheel at a location downstream of the upstream feeding equipment; and
a conveying surface defined at least partially by the conveyor belt, the conveying surface positioned to contact and guide a trailing edge of the sheet as the sheet enters the starwheel;
wherein the conveyor belt is drivably connected to the upstream sheet feeding equipment.
20. A method of feeding sheets of a web material into a starwheel using a starwheel feed apparatus, the starwheel having at least one slot and the starwheel feed apparatus having at least one conveyor belt adjacent the starwheel; the method comprising:
moving a sheet to the starwheel with upstream sheet feeding equipment;
advancing the sheet along the at least one conveyor belt;
feeding the sheet into one of the at least one slot of the starwheel with the upstream sheet feeding equipment;
contacting the sheet downstream of the upstream sheet feeding equipment with the at least one conveyor belt as the sheet enters the starwheel;
rotating the starwheel; and
contacting the sheet and guiding the sheet into the at least one slot with the at least one conveyor belt.
1. A sheet guiding apparatus for guiding a sheet of web material as the sheet is fed into a starwheel from upstream sheet feeding equipment, the starwheel having slots and being rotatable to receive and discharge the sheet; the sheet guiding apparatus comprising:
a conveyor belt located adjacent the starwheel at a location downstream of the upstream feeding equipment;
a conveying surface defined at least partially by the conveyor belt, the conveying surface positioned to contact and guide a trailing edge of the sheet as the sheet enters the starwheel; and
wherein the starwheel has a center and an outer radius, and wherein at least a portion of the conveyor belt is located at a radial position less than the outer radius of the starwheel with respect to the center of the starwheel.
34. A starwheel feed apparatus for feeding sheets of web material into a starwheel, the starwheel having slots and being rotatable to receive the sheets in a first position and discharge the sheets in a second position, the slots positioned to receive and carry the sheets as the starwheel rotates, each sheet having a leading edge and a trailing edge; the starwheel feed apparatus comprising:
a feeding conveyor located upstream of the starwheel and movable to convey sheets toward the starwheel;
a guiding conveyor located adjacent the starwheel, the guiding conveyor having a conveying surface movable to convey sheets;
the conveying surface having a length and oriented to contact and guide the trailing edges of the sheets along the length of the conveying surface as the sheets enter the slots.
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moving the sheet adjacent at least one barrier;
ejecting the sheet from the at least one slot; and
stacking the sheet upon at least one other sheet.
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This application is a reissue of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/104,399, filed Apr. 12, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,887, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/630,352, filed Jul. 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,740.
Many stacking devices are used to continuously create stacks of sheet products. In some common stacking devices, the sheets are fed from a feeding system to a first position of a starwheel that is rotated about a starwheel axis. The starwheel includes a plurality of blades or fins between which sheets are received to be rotated with the starwheel. Each sheet is fed into a slot having a width and formed between two adjacent fins, and each sheet is rotated within the starwheel to a second position where the sheet is stopped and thereby removed from the starwheel, such as by a barrier. The removed sheets can then be stacked upon a stacking platform or other structure to be carried away by a downstream conveyor of any type.
Existing feeding systems do not adequately feed sheets of web material into starwheels (particularly at high speeds) leading to sheet wrinkling or damage, increased scrap material and machine downtime and in some cases, poor stack quality. Existing feeding systems attempt to decelerate sheets as the sheets are fed into a starwheel by adjusting the width of the starwheel slots, thereby requiring the design and use of a different starwheel for each type of sheet. In light of the limitations of existing starwheel feeding systems, an improved starwheel feed apparatus would be welcome in the art.
The present invention relates to a starwheel feed apparatus and method for feeding and guiding sheets into a starwheel assembly. A feeding conveyor can be located upstream of the starwheel for conveying sheets toward the starwheel, and a guiding conveyor having a conveying surface can be located adjacent the starwheel for guiding the sheets into slots of the starwheel. In some embodiments, the feeding conveyor is located upstream of the starwheel and is movable to convey sheets at a first velocity toward the starwheel, and the guiding conveyor is located adjacent the starwheel and has a conveying surface movable at a velocity less than or equal to the first velocity to guide the sheets into slots of the starwheel. In some embodiments, the conveying surface velocity can be adjusted to feed different sheets into the same starwheel assembly. Also, in some embodiments, the feeding conveyor is movable to feed sheets into slots of a starwheel, and the guiding conveyor is located adjacent the starwheel and has a conveying surface to guide trailing edges of the sheets along a length of the conveying surface as the sheets enter the slots.
Further aspects of the present invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the drawings.
The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be noted that the invention as disclosed in the accompanying drawings is illustrated by way of example only. The various elements and combinations of elements described below and illustrated in the drawings can be arranged and organized differently to result in embodiments which are still within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:
Referring to the figures, and more particularly to
The starwheel feed apparatus 100 according to the present invention can be employed to feed material into one or more starwheels or starwheel assemblies 110 following any type of upstream process or processes, including without limitation folding, embossing, cutting, and other processes. In this regard, any upstream equipment or elements (not shown) for manufacturing, treating, modifying or preparing sheet material before it reaches the starwheel feed apparatus 100 can be employed in conjunction with the present invention. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “upstream” is used to describe any location, element or process that occurs prior to the point or area being referred to, whereas the term “downstream” is used to describe any location, element or process that occurs subsequent to the point or area of reference.
In some embodiments of the present invention, such as those illustrated in
With continued reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present invention, each starwheel 110 includes a plurality of fins 124 (best illustrated in
The size, shape, and number of fins 124 (and thus slots 108) included on each starwheel 110 can be varied. For example, each starwheel 110 can include as few as two fins 124 and as many as structurally possible. In some embodiments, the starwheels 110 have between 4 and 30 fins. In other embodiments, the starwheels have between 8 and 24 fins. Good performance has been achieved by embodiments employing starwheels having 8, 10, 12 or 16 fins. The fins 124 need not curve in the direction opposite that of motion, but instead can have any shape necessary, including without limitation projecting straight from the body of the starwheel 110, being partially straight and partially curved, and having any other shape necessary for receiving and transporting sheets 102 in starwheel slots 108. The fins 124 can have any width necessary for supporting the sheets 102, including without limitation having a uniform width, becoming wider instead of tapering as they extend away from the center of the starwheel 110, and having any other width or fin shape necessary to hold and transport the sheets 102. The fins 124 can also be thicker or thinner than the thickness of the starwheel 110. The configuration of the slots 108 is also variable to the extent the slots 108 are dependent upon the shape and number of the fins 124.
The starwheel assembly 110 with which the present invention is employed can include a barrier 112 (
A completed stack of sheets 102 can be removed to downstream equipment in any conventional manner. In some embodiments of the present invention employing a stacking platform 114 as described above, the stacking platform 114 can be a conveyor capable of transporting a completed stack of sheets 102 to make room for a new stack. In other embodiments, the stacking platform 114 is a bucket connected to a transport system (e.g., a pulley, chain, or cable transport system, a rail transport system, and the like). In still other embodiments, the stacking platform 114 is an elevator, movable toward and away from the starwheel 110 for transporting a completed stack away from the starwheel 110 and returning to a starting position to begin receiving sheets 102 of a new stack. In still other embodiments, the stacking platform 114 is a plate or frame capable of receiving a completed stack of sheets 102, while additional equipment transports the completed stack away from the starwheel 110 to prepare the plate to receive a new stack. The stacking platform 114 can include any device and mechanism capable of receiving the stack from the starwheel, including without limitation a bucket, plate, box, arm, and the like, and can be movable to transport completed stacks of sheets 102 away from the starwheel feed apparatus 100 by conveying belts and pulleys, chains and sprockets, rolls, wheels, rotating bars, and any other conveying devices and mechanisms known to those skilled in the art.
Prior to describing the illustrated starwheel feed apparatus 100 in greater detail, it should be noted that a variety of materials can be fed into and stacked using the starwheel feed apparatus 100. The starwheel feed apparatus 100 of the present invention can be employed to feed any material into one or more starwheels 110. The term “web” is used herein with reference to such materials, and is understood to encompass any material that can be received within a starwheel, including without limitation paper, metal, plastic, rubber or synthetic material, fabric, and the like). In many cases, such material to be received in starwheels is found in sheet form (including without limitation tissue, paper toweling, napkins, foils, wrapping paper, food wrap, woven and non-woven cloth or textiles, and the like). Accordingly, sheets 102 of a paper web are described herein for illustrative purposes only. The term “web” as used herein and in the appended claims does not indicate or imply any particular shape, size, length, width, or thickness of the material.
Similarly, the term “sheet” as used herein and in the appended claims refers generally to a material that is longer and wider than it is thick. However, any shape and size of sheet 102 of any length, width, and thickness can be moved and manipulated by the starwheel feed apparatus 100 without departing from the present invention. Furthermore, a “sheet” can refer to a piece of web material that has been folded and not only single-sheet material. “Sheets” can also or instead refer to items in group form (e.g., bound and unbound signatures, sheets arranged in booklet form, etc.), multiple items of sheet material fed into each starwheel slot, and multiple items of sheet material in folded form (e.g., newspapers, etc.).
Throughout the specification and claims herein, sheets 102 are identified as forming a “stack.” This does not necessarily mean that the stack is vertically oriented. Instead, the stack can be horizontally oriented or oriented at any angle between horizontal and vertical orientations and on a downward or an upward slope.
In the following description of the exemplary starwheel feed apparatus 100 illustrated in
With reference to the exemplary embodiment of
Because of the above potential circumstances, the starwheel feed apparatus 110 of the present invention includes one or more guiding conveyors 118 to guide the sheets 102 (and in some embodiments, the trailing edges of the sheets 102) into the slots 108 without causing the sheets 102 to buckle, wrinkle, tear, or be stripped out of the slots 108. As will be discussed in greater detail below, several aspects and characteristics of the guiding conveyor(s) 118 can determine how the sheets 102 are guided into the slots 108, including without limitation the operation speed of the guiding conveyor 118 relative to upstream equipment and the starwheel 110, the amount of contact between the guiding conveyor 118 and the sheets 102 depending on the orientation and position of the guiding conveyor 118 (radially and circumferentially with respect to the starwheel 110), and shape, size and configuration of the guiding conveyor 118, and other factors.
Upstream conveying equipment delivering the sheets 102 to the starwheel feed apparatus 100 and the guiding conveyor(s) can be one or more sets of belts, chains, rolls, rollers, tabletop conveyors, shuttles with any cross-sectional shape, and any other product conveying equipment without departing from the present invention. By way of example only, a combination of rolls, rollers, and belts are shown in the embodiment illustrated in
It should be noted that the present invention need not necessarily include more than one feeding conveyor. In this regard, the starwheel 110 can be supplied via a single feeding conveyor 104, 106 which transports sheets 102 from upstream operations to a location adjacent the starwheel(s). Particularly, in some embodiments, the starwheel 110 of the present invention can be practiced with the use of only one feeding conveyor 104, 106, such as for sheets 102 resting upon a second feeding conveyor 106 without the first feeding conveyor 104 holding the sheets 102 in place thereon, or for sheets 102 held upon the first feeding conveyor 104 by vacuum force (i.e., the first feeding conveyor being a vacuum belt). In other embodiments, one of the first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 comprises a fixed surface which contacts the sheets 102. By way of example only, the first feeding conveyor 104 shown in the figures can comprise a fixed surface instead of a conveyor that faces the nip and contacts the sheets 102 as the second feeding conveyor 106 directs the sheets 102 toward the starwheel 110. Although any combination of feeding conveyors 104 can be employed as desired, the use of feeding conveyors 104, 106 in facing relationship with one another can enable the insertion of different types of materials (e.g., folded and unfolded materials, materials having varying thicknesses and material properties, etc.) into the same starwheel 110 having the same starwheel slot size.
As suggested above, the first and/or second feeding conveyors 104, 106 can be one of several first and/or second feeding conveyors of any cross-sectional shape (whether square, rectangular, triangular, circular, and the like), such as a plurality of first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 running adjacent one another as shown in
The first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 can be oriented in any manner so as to adequately deliver sheets 102 to the starwheel 110 and to feed the sheets 102 into slots in the starwheel 110. That is, the first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 do not need to be horizontally disposed as illustrated in
The first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 can run any length within the starwheel feed apparatus 100, can comprise any number of conveyors arranged to achieve a desired length, can be at least partially recessed between successive starwheels 110, and can feed sheets 102 into slots 108 of the starwheel 110 from any angle and orientation desired (whether from the top of the starwheel 110, the bottom of the starwheel 110, or at any other location around the starwheel 110). In some embodiments, as illustrated in
Other embodiments of the present invention, not shown in the appended drawings but within the spirit and scope of the present invention, can comprise any number of first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 along the path of sheets 102 in the starwheel feed apparatus 100, and run any length within the starwheel feed apparatus 100.
The guiding conveyor 118 can be as few as one guiding conveyor or as many as desired. In some embodiments of the present invention, the guiding conveyor(s) 118 is/are positioned to guide the sheets 102, from leading edge to trailing edge, into the slots 108 in the starwheel 110. In other embodiments, the guiding conveyor 118 is defined by a plurality of conveyors positioned in series to guide and decelerate sheets 102 as they approach the slots 108, and can continue guiding and decelerating the sheets 102 as they enter the slots 108 until the sheets are adequately positioned within the starwheel slots 108. The guiding conveyor 118 can also have any number of cross-sectional shapes, including circular, square, rectangular, triangular, and the like.
Each guiding conveyor 118 used in the starwheel feed apparatus 100 of the present invention can run between two adjacent starwheels 110, as shown in
The shape of the guiding conveyor 118 or series of guiding conveyors 118 can determine how sheets 102 are guided into the slots 108. In this regard, the guiding conveyor 118 (regardless of whether the guiding conveyor 118 is recessed between starwheels 110) can be at least partially conformed to the periphery of the starwheel 110 to direct sheets 102 into slot 108 of the starwheel 110 after the sheets 102 are initially inserted into the slots 108. The guiding conveyor 118 can conform to any portion of the periphery of the starwheel 110, including without limitation a majority of the periphery, half of the periphery, a quarter of the periphery, an eighth of the periphery, and any other portion of the periphery necessary to adequately guide and/or decelerate sheets 102 as they enter slots 108 in the starwheel 110.
As indicated above, in some embodiments, the guiding conveyor 118 is defined by more than one conveyor (e.g., more than one conveyor belt, roller, and the like) positioned to guide and/or decelerate sheets 102 entering the starwheel 110. In such cases, the plurality of conveyors of the guiding conveyor 118 can be drivably connected so that they can be driven by a common motor or other driving unit. By way of example only, if the guiding conveyor 118 includes two or more conveyor belts arranged in end-to-end fashion, one of the conveyors can be drivably connected to another as shown, for example, in
The guiding conveyor 118 has a conveying surface 120 (whether defined by one conveyor or by a plurality of conveyors) that is located adjacent the periphery of the starwheel 110 or at least partially inside the periphery of the starwheel 110 (see
Any number of other shapes of guiding conveyors 118 can be used in the present invention, and can be achieved by one or more conveyors that are located adjacent one another and/or are drivably connected, including without limitation rectangular, circular, trapezoidal, irregular, and any other shape or design capable of adequately guiding sheets 102 into slots 108 of the starwheel 110. Additionally, any number of other surface shapes can be used for the conveying surface 120 of the guiding conveyor 118 presented to the sheets 102, including without limitation convex, concave, flat, wavy or bumpy, corrugated, ribbed, and any other conveying surface 120 capable of guiding sheets 102 into the slots 108 of the starwheel 110.
The guiding conveyor 118 (whether defined by one conveyor or a plurality of conveyors) is used to guide and/or decelerate sheets 102 as they enter the slots 108 of the starwheel 110. The guiding conveyor 118 can be driven at a speed greater than that of the feeding conveyor(s) 104, 106 to accelerate and feed thick sheets, for example, into the starwheel 110. The guiding conveyor 118 can be driven at a slower speed than the feeding conveyor(s) 104, 106 and thus decelerate advancing sheets 102. The guiding conveyor 118 can be driven in this manner by one or more dedicated motors driven to run the guiding conveyor 118 at a slower speed than the feeding conveyors 104, 106. Alternatively, the guiding conveyor 118 can instead be driven in this manner by drivably coupling the guiding conveyor 118 to one or more of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 by a conventional speed reduction connection (e.g., a pulley, sprocket, or drum on a feeding conveyor 104 driving a larger pulley, sprocket, or drum on the guiding conveyor 118 via a belt, chain, and the like). By way of example only,
Thus, the ratio of feeding conveyor velocity (or the velocity of upstream equipment) to guiding conveyor velocity can be greater than 1:1, and in some embodiments is within a range of between 1:1 and 4:1. In some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of feeding conveyor velocity (or the velocity of upstream equipment) to guiding conveyor velocity is within a range of 1:1 and 3:1. In other embodiments, the ratio of feeding conveyor velocity (or the velocity of upstream equipment) to guiding conveyor velocity is approximately 1.75:1. Good results have been obtained when the ratio of feeding conveyor velocity (or the velocity of upstream equipment) to guiding conveyor velocity is approximately 2.27:1. Stated another way, good results have been obtained when the guiding conveyor velocity is approximately 44% of feeding conveyor (or upstream equipment) velocity.
Although the guiding conveyor 118 illustrated in the figures is defined by one or more belt conveyors, it will be appreciated that the guiding conveyor 118 can also be operated at a slower velocity than the feeding conveyors 104, 106 if the conveyor(s) defining the guiding conveyor 118 were instead rolls, wheels, rotating bars, vacuum conveyors, vacuum rolls, and any other device or mechanism capable of conveying and/or guiding sheets 102 as described above.
As mentioned above, in some embodiments the guiding conveyor 118 can be driven independently from the other equipment (i.e., feeding conveyors 104, 106, upstream equipment, and the like). This manner of driving the guiding conveyor 118 also enables the guiding conveyor 118 to be driven at a slower velocity than the feeding conveyor(s) 104, 106, if desired. In some embodiments, the guiding conveyor 118 can even be directly or indirectly driven (in any manner described above) in a direction opposite that of the feeding conveyor(s) 104, 106, thus causing sheets 102 to decelerate as they approach and/or enter slots 108 in the starwheel 110.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the guiding conveyor 118 is not solely responsible for decelerating sheets 102, but rather the feeding conveyors 104, 106 participate in the deceleration of the sheets 102. The feeding conveyors 104, 106 can act in decelerating sheets 102 by employing the same mechanisms and in any of the manners described above with regard to the guiding conveyor 118. In this regard, the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 can be between that of upstream equipment and the guiding conveyor 118 to thereby decelerate sheets 102 prior to reaching the guiding conveyor 118. In such cases, the ratio of the velocity of the upstream equipment to that of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 is greater than 1:1. Any ratio of the velocity of the upstream equipment to that of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 that is capable of decelerating sheets 102 as they are fed toward the starwheel 110 can be selected as desired (similar to the case for the guiding conveyor 118). Alternatively, the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 can be greater than the velocity of the upstream equipment to provide a variety of other sheet feeding effects, including providing distance between successive sheets 102 to allow sufficient time to feed each sheet 102 into the starwheel 110. Good results have been obtained when the ratio of the velocity of the upstream equipment to that of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 is approximately 1.015:1.
Furthermore, the ratio of the velocity of a point on the guiding conveyor 118 to a point on the periphery of the starwheel 110 can be varied to accommodate a variety of sheet materials, shapes and sizes. This velocity difference can be accomplished by changing the rotational speed of the starwheel 110 (and/or the guiding conveyor 118) and/or the size (i.e., diameter) of the starwheel 110. In some embodiments of the present invention, the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 is less than starwheel tip velocity (or the velocity of the periphery of the starwheel 110). In other embodiments, the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 is the same as the starwheel tip velocity, and in still other embodiments, the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 is greater than the starwheel tip velocity. More specifically, in some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is within a range of 1:1 to 5:1. In other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is within a range of 1:1 to 3.5:1. In other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is within a range of 1.5:1 to 2.5:1. In still other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is at least 1.2:1. In yet other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is less than 4:1. Good results have been obtained when the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is approximately 1.43:1. Good results have also been obtained when the ratio of the velocity of the guiding conveyor 118 to the starwheel tip velocity is approximately 3.2:1. Of course, these velocity ratios are dependent on the size (i.e., diameter) of the starwheel 110 and the number of slots 108 in the starwheel 110. In some embodiments, the starwheel diameter is within a range of approximately 15″ to 25″. Good results have been obtained with a starwheel having a diameter of approximately 20″.
In some embodiments, the starwheel 110 comprises 8 slots 108 (a 12″ diameter starwheel 110, by way of example only). In other embodiments, the starwheel 110 comprises 12 slots 108. In yet other embodiments, the starwheel 110 comprises 16 slots 108. Although the ratio of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 to starwheel tip velocity can be impacted by the chosen diameter of the starwheel 110 and the number of slots 108 therein, in some embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity (or the velocity of a point on the periphery of the starwheel 110) is at least approximately 4:1. In other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity is at least approximately 3:1. In still other embodiments, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity is at least approximately 2:1. By way of example only, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity for an 8-slot starwheel 110 can be approximately 2:1. As another example, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity for an 12-slot starwheel 110 can be approximately 3.2:1. In still another example, the ratio of the velocity of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 (or upstream equipment) to the ratio of the starwheel tip velocity for an 16-slot starwheel 110 can be approximately 4:1.
In other embodiments, the entering speed of the sheet 102 can be controlled to change the end location of the sheet 102 in the slot 108 as desired (e.g., to place the sheet 102 in any depth in the slot 108, to cause the sheet 102 to bounce back from the bottom of the slot 108, to avoid the sheet 102 reaching the bottom of the slot 108, and the like). This control is enabled by controlling the amount of contact generated between the guiding conveyor 118 and the sheet 102, which in turn is controlled by adjusting the position and orientation of the guiding conveyor 118 with respect to the incoming sheet 102. In particular, by moving the guiding conveyor 118 closer to the starwheel 110 and/or in a position generating more interference with the path of the incoming sheet 102, the guiding conveyor 118 can generate more deceleration of the incoming sheet 102. Similarly, by moving the guiding conveyor 118 farther away from the starwheel 110 and/or in a position generating less interference with the path of the incoming sheet 102, the guiding conveyor 118 can generate less deceleration of the incoming sheet 102. In other embodiments, control of sheet speed by the guiding conveyor 118 is enabled by increasing or decreasing the speed of the guiding conveyor 118 with respect to the feeding conveyors 104, 106. This alternative manner of controlling sheet speed can be employed as an alternative or in addition to controlling sheet speed by guiding conveyor position and orientation described above. For example, the guiding conveyor 118 can be first positioned to obtain the desired interference and control, and secondly, the speed of the guiding conveyor 118 can be set to insert the sheets 102 properly into the slots 108.
A number of different conveying devices can be used as first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 and a guiding conveyor 118 without departing from the present invention, including without limitation belts and pulleys, chains and sprockets, one or more rolls, wheels, or rotating bars, and any other device or mechanism capable of conveying and feeding sheets 102 into slots 108, or of conveying, guiding and/or decelerating the sheet 102 approaching and/or entering a slot 108 of the starwheel 110. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “conveyor belt(s)” is employed to refer to and encompass any such conveying device. Furthermore, the conveying devices used for the first feeding conveyor 104, the second feeding conveyor 106, and the guiding conveyor 118 can be the same or different. In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in
The feeding conveyors 104, 106 and the guiding conveyor 118 can be driven by a number of different mechanisms (not shown), including without limitation electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic motors. In addition, the feeding conveyors 104, 106 and the guiding conveyor 118 can be driven directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more gears, belts, chains, and the like), whether from a folder or other upstream equipment or otherwise.
The sheet path defined by the conveyors 104, 106, 118 can have a number of different shapes, including without limitation straight, curved, circular, or zig-zag shapes, and any combination of such shapes. In short, the conveyors 104, 106, 118 can define any path shape in which sheets 102 are transported to the starwheel 110 and into slots 108 of the starwheel 110.
In some embodiments of the present invention, one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 can be moved to different positions with respect to the starwheel 110. Such adjustability can be performed in a number of manners, such as by connecting a frame or axle(s) of one or more conveyors 104, 106, 118 to a rail for movement and attachment at different locations along the rail, by connecting a frame or axles(s) of one or more conveyors 104, 106, 118 to one or more actuators (e.g., hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, solenoids, screws, and the like) or to a carriage movable in any conventional manner (e.g., by one or more hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, solenoids, screws, and the like), by connecting one or more conveyors 104, 106, 118 to an adjustable cam generating movement of the conveyor(s) 104, 106, 118 upon rotation of the cam, and the like.
In those embodiments in which one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 are movable with respect to the starwheel 110 as just described, this movement can be to different orientations with respect to the starwheel 110 and/or different radial or circumferential positions with respect to the periphery of the starwheel 110 in the plane of the page of
In some embodiments, any one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 are adjustable to different circumferential positions adjacent the starwheel 110, to different orientations with respect to the starwheel 110, and/or to different radial distances from the periphery of the starwheel 110. The conveyors 104, 106, 118 can be positioned in different arrangements with respect to one another, such as to define a straight or substantially straight path to the periphery of the starwheel 110, an arcuate or circular path to follow a portion of the circumference of the starwheel 110, an angled path defined by a series of straight paths, and the like. In each such case, one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 can be adjustable to different positions as desired in any conventional manner. For example, any one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 can be rotatable or pivotable about an axis to be able to tip toward and away from the starwheel 110. In still other embodiments, none of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 are adjustable.
In some embodiments, the first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 are secured in place with respect to the starwheel 110, while the guiding conveyor 118 is movable to different positions with respect to the starwheel 110. In other embodiments, the feeding conveyors 104, 106 are movable to different positions with respect to the starwheel 110, while the guiding conveyor 118 is secured in place with respect thereto. In yet other embodiments, one of the first and second feeding conveyors 104, 106 is movable with the guiding conveyor 118 to different positions with respect to the starwheel 110, while the second feeding conveyor 106 is stationary. Other conveyor configurations are also possible and within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In some cases, one or more of the conveyors 104, 106, 118 are defined by a conveyor path in which the conveyor moves. By way of example only, the conveyors 104, 106, 118 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment employ belts passed about rotating elements to convey, guide, and/or decelerate sheets 102 as discussed in greater detail above. The paths of these conveyors overlap in some cases, and do not overlap in others. For example, the paths of the feeding conveyors 104, 106 in
The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the embodiments illustrated in
In other embodiments, the feeding conveyors 104, 106 direct sheets 102 radially into the starwheel 110 from a twelve o'clock position (from the perspective of
Michler, James R., Eder, III, Martin, Schneider, Thomas W.
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