System for conveying paper reels in a rotary press

Abstract

 The conveying system is of the type comprising a carriage (14) for supporting a paper reel and a conveying device (16) for supporting and conveying the carriage (14) in conveying direction (C), the conveying device (16) comprising a track (30) extending along the conveying direction (C) for laterally guiding the carriage (14) relative to the conveying direction (C) and a motorized driving device (32) disposed on the track (30) for driving the carriage (14) along the track (30).
According to one aspect of the invention, the carriage (14) and the conveying device (16) are adapted to allow freely lifting up the carriage (14) from the conveying device (16) or install the carriage (14) down on the conveying device (16) at any location along the track (30).
The conveying system is suitable for conveying paper reels towards a loading station of a splicer or for conveying paper reels anywhere in a rotary press building.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for conveying paper reels in a rotary press, of the type comprising a carriage for supporting a paper reel and a conveying device for supporting and conveying the carriage in conveying direction, the conveying device comprising a track extending along the conveying direction for guiding the carriage with keeping the carriage in a determined orientation relative to the conveying direction and a motorized driving device disposed on the track for driving the carriage along the track.

[0002] DE 196 26 258 A1 describes a conveying system comprises a carriage inserted inside a track having two upper plates closing the track, a paper reel receiving part ot the carriage protruding outside the track through a slot delimited between the two upper plates.

[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a conveying system for paper reels which is more practical in use.

[0004] To this end, the invention proposes a conveying system of the above mentioned type, wherein the carriage and the conveying device are adapted to allow freely lifting up the carriage from the conveying device or install the carriage down on the conveying device at any location along the track.

[0005] In other embodiments, the conveying system comprises one or several of the following features taken in isolation or in any technically feasible combination:

• the driving device comprises a plurality of motorized driving rollers distributed along the track and arranged for driving the carriage by friction between the driving rollers and the carriage installed on the conveying device ;
• the driving device comprises at least one motor drivingly connected to at least on set of driving rollers ;
• the plurality of driving rollers are drivingly connected to each other in series;
• each driving roller of the plurality of rollers extends along a roller axis and is drivingly connected at each axial end;
• each driving roller is drivingly connected to a motor or to a roller by a belt;
• the carriage installed on the conveying device is supported by the driving rollers ;
• the driving rollers are uniformly distributed along the track and the carriage has at least one resting skid for resting simultaneously on a least two adjacent driving rollers ;
• the track comprises at least one guiding groove and the carriage comprises a complementary guiding skid adapted for sliding in the guiding groove;
• the driving rollers (54) are adapted for driving the carriage by friction with the underside of the or each skid.

[0006] The invention also relates to rotary press comprising printing units for printing a paper web, a splicer for providing a paper web from paper reels and a conveying system as in any preceding claims for conveying paper reels from a strorage station to the splicer.

[0007] The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following description given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial top view of a rotary press;
• Figure 2 and 3 are a cross-sectional view of a paper reel conveying system of the rotary press;
• Figures 4 is a partial top view of the conveying system;
• Figure 5 is a top view of the inside of a track of the conveying system;
• Figure 6 is a partial sectional view of the conveying system showing a detail, and
• Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 and illustrating an alternative embodiment of the paper reel conveying system.

[0008] The printing rotary press 2 of Figure 1 comprises several print units 4 adapted to successively print a paper web traveling in a print direction D, a splicer 6 for providing the print units 4 with a paper web from a paper reel and a conveying system 8 for conveying paper reels from a paper reel preparation station 10 to an automatic paper reel loading station 12 of the splicer 6.

[0009] In a known manner, the splicer 6 is adapted for simultaneously feeding the print units 4 with a current paper web from a current paper reel and loading a new paper reel supporting a new paper web into the splicer for connecting the new paper web to the current the paper web during the printing operations and continuously commuting from the current web to the new web without stopping the printing operations.

[0010] The conveying system 8 comprises one or several carriage(s) 14 each for supporting one paper reel and a conveying device 16 for supporting and conveying the carriage(s) 14 in a conveying direction C from the preparation station 10 to the loading station 12.

[0011] Only one carriage 14 is shown on Figure 1 and will be further described along with the conveying device 16 and their mutual cooperation with further reference to Figures 2 - 5.

[0012] The carriage 14 extends in a longitudinal direction (perpendicular to Figure 2). It comprises a receiving part 18 for receiving a paper reel and a guiding part 28 for cooperating with the conveying device 16 for supporting and guiding the carriage 14.

[0013] The carriage 14 is adapted to be installed on the conveying device 16 with the guiding part 28 down and resting on the conveying device 16 and the receiving part 18 up and receiving a paper reel 22.

[0014] The receiving part 18 is adapted to receive one paper reel 22 with the central axis of the paper reel 22 parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the carriage. A portion of an outer surface of the paper reel 22 resting on the receiving part 18 is represented in dash-dotted line.

[0015] The receiving part 18 is generally V-shaped and comprises two longitudinal wings 24 extending laterally from a longitudinal centerline of the receiving part 18 and diverging upwardly. The free edges 26 of the wings 24 are folded downwardly.

[0016] The angle between the wings 24 and the lateral dimensions of the wings are chosen to receive a paper reel 22 in a stable position owing to the weight and the outer diameter of a paper reel.

[0017] The guiding part 28 is adapted cooperating with the conveying device 16 for guiding the carriage 14 along the conveying device 16 with keeping the longitudinal direction of the carriage 14 parallel to the conveying direction.

[0018] The guiding part comprises two skids 28 elongated in the longitudinal direction of the carriage 14. The skids 28 extend parallel one to the other and are spaced transversely one from the other.

[0019] The skids 28 are provided below the receiving part 18. Each skid 28 extends downwardly from a respective one of the two wings 24. The skids 28 are adapted to have their lower ends resting on the conveying device 16.

[0020] A illustrated on Figure 3, the conveying device 16 comprises a track 30 for guiding the carriage 14 laterally relative to the conveying direction C and a motorized driving device 32 disposed on the track 30 for driving the carriage 14 along the track 30.

[0021] The track 30 is elongated in the conveying direction C. It comprises an upper surface 34 provided with two parallel guiding grooves 36 opened upwardly and extending along the conveying direction C. The grooves 36 are adapted to receive the skids 28 of the carriage 14 and allow the skids 28 to slide along the grooves 36 in the conveying direction C.

[0022] The grooves 36 are U-shaped, each groove 36 having a longitudinal upper opening 38.

[0023] The grooves 36 and the skids 28 are arranged to allow free insertion of the skids 28 into the grooves 36 through the upper openings 38 by merely putting the carriage 14 down on the track 30 and to allow free extraction of the skids 28 from the grooves 36 through the upper openings merely by lifting up the carriage.

[0024] The track 30 comprises a support base 40 of U-shaped section and an upper cover 42 closing the support base 40 to define an elongated tubular box-like structure extending along the conveying direction C.

[0025] The cover 42 is adapted to receive the carriage 14. The grooves 36 are defined on the upper surface of the cover 42 which defines the upper surface 34 of the track 30. The cover 42 comprises three spaced longitudinal plates 44 defining between them the two upper openings 38 of the grooves 36 and a connection piece 46 having three connection portions 48 separated by two U-shaped portions 50.

[0026] Each connection portion 48 is fixedly connected to a respective one of the plate s 44, e.g. by screws and nuts, with the U-shaped portions 50 disposed in register with the upper openings 38.

[0027] Each groove 36 is delimited by a U-shaped portion 50 and the adjacent edges of the two plates 44 delimiting the upper opening 38 in register with the U-shaped portion 50. Said edges of the plates 44 extend the walls of the U-shaped portion 50 upwardly.

[0028] The driving device 32 comprises a plurality of rollers 54 uniformly distributed along the track 30 and arranged to drive the carriage 14 installed on the track 30 by friction with the underside ot the skids 28.

[0029] The axis B of each roller 54 is arranged perpendicularly to the conveying direction C.

[0030] Each roller 54 is mounted in rotation on the track 30 below the upper plate 42 with an angular sector 56 of the outer surface of the roller 54 protruding inside to two grooves 36 through corresponding lower openings 58 (Figure 6) provided in the bottom of the grooves 36 , namely in the bottom of the U-shaped portions 50.

[0031] Each roller 54 protrudes in the grooves 36 on a height h inferior to that H of the groove 36. As a result, a skid 28 is inserted in the grooves 36 and laterally guided when it contacts the roller 54 (Figure 6).

[0032] As better illustrated on Figure 5 showing the conveying device 16 with the upper plate 42 removed, the rollers 54 are drivingly connected in rotation in series, one of the rollers 54 being drivingly connected to a motor 60.

[0033] To this end, driving wheels 62 are provided at both axial ends of each roller 54. The wheels 62 connected by driving elements such as belts 64, namely toothed belts, or chains. Each roller 54 disposed between two other adjacent rollers has one wheel 62 connected to a wheel one of the adjacent rollers, and the other wheel 62 connected to a wheel associated to the other one of the adjacent rollers. A wheel 62 of one of the rollers 54 is drivingly connected to an ouput shaft 66 of the motor 60.

[0034] In the alternative embodiment of Figure 6, the rollers 54 are split in two sets 51, 52 of rollers, the rollers of each set being drivingly connected in rotation in series and the two sets being drivingly connected to the motor 60 in parallel.

[0035] To this end, two rollers 54 (one of each set S1, S2) are drivingly connected to the motor 60, namely to a driving shaft 68 drivingly connected to the motor 60 via a reductor 70. The others rollers 54 of each set S1, S2 are drivingly connected in series to the roller 54 of each set which is connected to the motor 60.

[0036] As illustrated on Figure 2, the wheels 62 are laterally offset relative to the grooves 36 such that the wheels 62 do not interfere with the grooves 36. As a result, it is possible to provide wheels 62 of larger diameter along with keeping the conveying device 16 compact in the vertical direction.

[0037] As illustrated on Figure 4, the length of the skids 28 is adapted such that the weight of the carriage 14 installed on the track 30 is supported by the rollers 54. To this end, the length of each skid 28 is at least equal to twice the distance between the axis of two adjacent rollers 54.

[0038] The carriage 14 installed on the track 30 is lateraly guided along the track 30 by the skids 28 inserted in and sliding along the grooves 36 of shape complementary to that of the skids 28.

[0039] As a result, the carriage 14 is kept with its longitudinal direction substantially aligned with the conveying direction C for proper loading of the paper reel in the automatic loading station of the splicer 6.

[0040] Besides, due to the shape and dimensions of the skids 28 and of the grooves 36, it is possible to freely lift up the carriage 14 from the track 30 or install the carriage 14 on the track 30 at any location along the track 30.

[0041] The carriage 14 installed on the track 30 is supported by the rollers 54 and driven along the track 30 by the rollers 54 by friction between the outer surface of the rollers 54 and the underside of the skids 28.

[0042] As a result, the carriage 14 installed on the conveying device 16 at any location along the track 30 can immediately be conveyed along the track 30 without the need to fix the carriage to a driving device. The carriage 14 can also be lifted up at any location along the track 30 without needing to previously detach a driving device from the carriage.

[0043] It is thus possible to freely lift up the carriage 14 from the conveying device 16 and install the carriage 14 down on the conveying device 16 in appropriate condition for conveying the carriage 14 at any location along the track 30 without additional operation.

[0044] It is consequently very easy to remove a carriage 14 from the conveying device 16 or to add a carriage 14 on the conveying device 16 in front or on the rear of another carriage already present on the conveying device 16. This is very practical in use for example for adding a paper reel, namely an additional paper reel for a current print job, whereas a paper reel for a subsequent print job with another type of paper is already present at the unpacking station.

[0045] The outer surface of the rollers 54 and the underside of the skids 28 are adapted to exhibit sufficient friction to allow the rollers 54 to drive the carriage 14. In option, the outer surface of the rollers 54 and/or the underside of the skids 28 are coated with friction increasing coatings.

[0046] The invention is suitable for conveying paper reels towards a loading station of a splicer or for conveying paper reels anywhere in a rotary press building.

Claims

1. System for conveying paper reels in a rotary press, of the type comprising a carriage (14) for supporting a paper reel and a conveying device (16) for supporting and conveying the carriage (14) in conveying direction (C), the conveying device (16) comprising a track (30) extending along the conveying direction (C) for guiding the carriage (14) with keeping the carriage (14) in a determined orientation relative to the conveying direction (C) and a motorized driving device (32) disposed on the track (30) for driving the carriage (14) along the track (30), wherein the carriage (14) and the conveying device (16) are adapted to allow freely lifting up the carriage (14) from the conveying device (16) or install the carriage (14) down on the conveying device (16) at any location along the track (30).

2. Conveying system as in claim 1, wherein the driving device (32) comprises a plurality of motorized driving rollers (54) distributed along the track (30) and arranged for driving the carriage (14) by friction between the driving rollers (54) and the carriage (14) installed on the conveying device (16).

3. Conveying system as in claim 2, wherein the driving device (32) comprises at least one motor (60) drivingly connected to at least on set of driving rollers (54).

4. Conveying system as in claim 3, wherein the plurality of driving rollers (54) are drivingly connected to each other in series.

5. Conveying system as in claim 4, wherein each driving roller (54) of the plurality of rollers extends along a roller axis (B) and is drivingly connected at each axial end.

6. Conveying system as in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein each driving roller (54) is drivingly connected to a motor or to a roller by a belt.

7. Conveying system as in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the carriage installed on the conveying device is supported by the driving rollers (54).

8. Conveying system as in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the driving rollers (54) are uniformly distributed along the track (30) and the carriage (14) has at least one resting skid (28) for resting simultaneously on a least two adjacent driving rollers (54).

9. Conveying system as in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the track (30) comprises at least one guiding groove (36) and the carriage (14) comprises a complementary guiding skid (28) adapted for sliding in the guiding groove (36).

10. Conveying system according to claim 9, wherein the driving rollers (54) are adapted for driving the carriage (14) by friction with the underside of the or each skid (28).

11. Rotary press comprising printing units (4) for printing a paper web, a splicer (6) for providing a paper web from paper reels and a conveying system as in any preceding claims for conveying paper reels from a strorage station to the splicer (6).

Drawing