Speed control and regulation device for continuous strip sheet material

Abstract

 For the control and regulation of the travel speed of sheet material in continuous strip form (10) from a processing unit to a receiving, piling and transferring unit a device comprises at least one roller (17, 18) freely tuning and moveable vertically under their own weight which are seated in corresponding loops of the continuous strip (10) of sheet material. At least one roller is designed to operate as the cursor of a rheostat controlling and regulating the pulling speed of said continuous strip into the downstream unit.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for the control and regulation of pulling speed of continuous strip sheet material.

[0002] It is known that in electronic data processing and accounting departments forms and sheets of paper in continuous strip form are handled at very high speeds the strip then being collected in the form of packages or piles in which the strip is folded accordionwise for subsequent transfer or further processing operations.

[0003] Also known is equipment for receiving, piling and transferring this continuous strip material, like for example that described in European Patent Application No. 83100975 dated 2 February 1983, which receives the continuous strip coming for example from a laser printer and handles its automatic piling in packages of predetermined size.

[0004] Both the printer and the equipment in question have electronic controls, for example using a microprocessor, so that their coexistence in the line would require a special interface in order to coordinate the operation of the individual organs and especially to match the transfer speed of the continuous strip of sheet material with the operating speed of the pre-eminent apparatus, which in this case is of course the printer.

[0005] On the other hand, each printer has its own characteristics which differentiate it from the others so that a special interface would be necessary for each system and each printer to which said continuous strip receiving, piling and transferring equipment is to be coupled.

[0006] Since the primary parameter of compatibility between the printer and the equipment is the speed of output of the strip from the printer and hence of input to and handling in said equipment it is clear that a device which provides automatic control of the operating speed of the equipment in question and adjustment of said speed to the speed of the strip from the printer with no need of a special electronic-type interface solves the main problem connected with the coupling between the two pieces of equipment.

[0007] An. object of the present invention is to solve this specific problem while avoiding recourse to an electronic interface panel.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to supply a device of the aforesaid type which provides fully automatic control and regulation.

[0009] These and other objects are achieved with an automatic pulling tension and speed control and regulation device for a continuous strip of sheet material characterized in that it includes at least one roller freely turning and vertically movable under its own weight designed to seat in a loop formed by said sheet material, at least one end of said roller being designed to operate with its vertical movement. devices for control and regulation devices of pulling speed of the continuous strip of said sheet material into the receiving, piling and transferring equipment located downstream from said roller.

[0010] Particular aspects and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description made with reference to the annexed drawings wherein:-Fig. I is a schematic side view of the device of the present invention in a preferred embodiment; and

[0011] Fig. 2 is a cross section along the cutting plane II-II of Fig. 1.

[0012] With reference to the drawings, number 10 indicates a continuous strip of sheet material arriving from the printer (not shown) in the direction indicated by arrow F.

[0013] References 11 and 12 indicate two idling rollers at the inlet and the outlet respectively of the device.

[0014] A roller 13 is mounted in a fixed position on a=-frame 14 of the device so that the strip 10 when passing around the rollers 11, 12 and 13 forms two loops 15 and 16 within which are seated the rollers 17 and 18 which are interconnected at their ends by bars 19 and 20 which can slide with their respective pins 23 and 24 in guides 21 and 22 formed in the frame 14 (see Figure 2).

[0015] From Fig. 1 it can be clearly seen how the rollers 17 and 18 rest freely in the loops 16 and 15 respectively formed by the continuous strip 10 and move together due to the connecting bar effect. In Fig. 1 as an example is shown in dash-and-dot lines another generic position which can be taken by the rollers 17 and 18.

[0016] In the guides 21 and/or 22 are provided preferably microswitches whose positions are indicated in Fig. 1 by the levels 25, 26, 27 and 28, which have the following functions:-1. levels 25 and 26 and consequently their respective microswitches identify between them an operating interval at operating speed;

[0017] 2. levels 28 and 27 and consequently their respective microswitches identify limit positions, respectively upper and lower, the passing of which corresponds to a breakdown or stoppage situation upstream or downstream from the device so that a signal is sent upstream or downstream respectively indicating stoppage of the unit located thereat;

[0018] 3. levels 28 and 27 with their respective levels 25 and 26 indicate operating intervals at which the unit located downstream must undergo automatic regulation of the pulling speed of the continuous strip respectively decreasing or increasing said speed.

[0019] This is readily obtained, for example, making one of the pins 23 and/or 24 in the form of a rheostat cursor accomplished at their respective guides 21 and/or 22.

[0020] Operation of the device is as follows.

[0021] Initially, for example, because of an automatic rewinding device, the rollers 17 and 18 are in a position as close as possible to the fixed roller 13 to allow insertion of the connecting end of the continuous strip 10.

[0022] Then rollers 17 and 18 (which will, of course, have an appropriately calibrated weight) being left free fall downward pulling with them the continuous strip 10 to form the loops 15 and 16, reaching a position of equilibrium resulting from their weight on one side and on the other side from tensioning and hence from the pulling speed of the continuous strip 10. Said pulling speed depends on the ratio of the speed of the strip arriving at roller 11 and hence of output from the printer to the output speed of the strip on the roller 12 and hence on the pulling speed applied by the unit downstream from the device.

[0023] Whenever for any reason the aforesaid ratio no longer corresponds to the operating interval between the levels 25 and 26, the cursor 23 and/or 24 intervenes to bring the working situation back into the interval 25-26. If for any reason the upstream unit (i.e. the printer) breaks down, the device immediately senses the changed situation because the level microswitch 28 is actuated and therefore the downstream unit stops.

[0024] The device according to the invention has been described in relation to a preferred embodiment, it being understood that conceptually equivalent modifications and variants are possible and foreseeable without going beyond the limits of the invention.

[0025] For example, it is possible and foreseeable that the pin 23 and/or 24 instead of acting as a rheostat cursor, would only emit an electrical signal which would then be processed in a control unit controlling the operation of the downstream unit.

[0026] Reference is hereby directed to my two copending European applications of even date (our references 41 892 and 41 893) EP-A- and EP-A- .

Claims

1. Speed control and regulation device for a continuous strip (10) of sheet material characterized by at least one roller (17, 18) freely turning and movable vertically under its own weight and arranged to seat in a loop formed by said sheet material (10), the or at least one said roller (17, 18) being arranged to operate with its vertical movement a control and regulation device for the pulling speed of the continuous strip (10) of said sheet material from the device.

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized by two rollers (17, 18) freely turning and movable vertically under their own weight, said rollers being interconnected by respective connecting bars (19, 20) equipped with pins (23, 24) sliding in guides (21, 22) formed in a frame (14) of the device.

3. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that at least one of said pins (23, 24) comprises a cursor of a rheostat regulating the pulling speed of said continuous strip (10) from the device.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3 characterized by microswitches (25, 26, 27, 28) activated by said at least one pin (23, 24) said microswitches being located at a height such that they define a regular operating interval (25, 26) and two limit or threshold positions (27, 28) above and below which respectively a unit upstream and/or a unit downstream of the device is or are stopped.

5. A sheet handling system comprising, receiving, stacking and transfer apparatus and a speed control and regulator device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 arranged upstream of said apparatus.

Drawing