Unit and method for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station

Claim 2

A unit for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station, including a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station, the brochure feeding unit comprising: a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed in the form of a stack with the lowermost brochure in the stack in a position to be withdrawn from the magazine upon the actuation of the belt conveyor through an outlet side of the feeding magazine; at least one locating abutment member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width greater than the nominal thickness ("h") of each brochure, said locating abutment member being arranged so as to interfere with a back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure along the belt conveyor; and presser means operatively associated with said locating abutment member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure so as to elastically deform the brochure between a free condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure at the back edge thereof lies at a slightly higher level than a lower end of the locating abutment member, and an elastic-yielding condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure is positioned under the lower end of the locating abutment member so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating abutment member wherein said presser means comprises at lease one pusher element slidably guided along said locating abutment member and is movable upon command of an actuator to deform the brochure between its said free and elastic-yielding conditions.

Claim 3

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gauged passage clearance ("Z") has a width which is less than the height adjacent to the back edge of each brochure in its free condition, each brochure comprising at least two pages defined by a sheet folded along said back edge, in the proximity of which back edge the brochure, in the absence of external stresses, has a height ("H") greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the individual pages of the brochure.

Claim 4

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gauged passage clearance ("Z") has a width which is between one and two times the sum of the thicknesses of the individual pages of each brochure.

Claim 5

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising at least one partition element operatively supported adjacent to the outlet side of the feeding magazine and defining with the belt conveyor an outlet port ("Y") to enable the simultaneous passage of a predetermined number of brochures towards said locating abutment member.

Claim 6

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said outlet port ("Y") has a width substantially corresponding to the height of the back edge of each brochure in its free condition.

Claim 7

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said partition element and said locating abutment member are positioned from each other at a first distance with the first distance being smaller than the longitudinal dimension of each brochure.

Claim 8

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said partition element comprises at least one generally vertically-arranged rod removably fastened to a horizontal support bar secured to the feeding magazine adjacent to said outlet side.

Claim 9

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 7, and further comprising positioning means for adjusting the width of the outlet port ("Y").

Claim 10

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locating abutment member comprises at least one stop element operative engaged with a support bracket formed integrally with the belt conveyor.

Claim 11

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 9, and further including adjusting means for adjusting the width of said gauged passage clearance ("Z").

Claim 12

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said adjusting means comprises a threaded portion disposed on said stop element and operating in engagement through said support bracket, said stop element being capable of rotation for modifying the width of the gauged passage clearance ("Z").

Claim 13

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein said pusher element is movable upon command of said actuator between a rest condition, wherein said pusher element impinges upon the back edge of the brochure, and an operating condition, wherein said pusher element impinges upon the back edge of the brochure, in thrust relation therewith, such that the brochure achieves its yielding condition.

Claim 14

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said pusher element has a cylindrical configuration with a tapered lower end facing the belt conveyor.

Claim 15

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said pusher element is at least partly made of a material, which when in contact with the brochure, has a friction coefficient which is less than the friction coefficient of said belt conveyor.

Claim 16

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said actuator is operable in response to sensor means disposed in said brochure pick-up station for sensing the presence of brochures at the pick-up station.

Claim 17

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feeding magazine comprises one or more guide elements engaging the brochures at their respective side edges so as to impart to said stack a substantially inclined configuration in which each brochure projects towards the outlet side relative to the immediately overlying brochure.

Claim 18

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising an auxiliary feeder for periodically supplying brochures to the stack of brochures in the feeding magazine.

Claim 19

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein said auxiliary feeder comprises: at least one extraction wheel operatively disposed upstream of the feeding magazine; a brochure holder defining a supply receptacle, extending in a substantially vertical direction from the extraction wheel and housing a supply of said brochures, the lowermost one of said brochures in said stack being in abuttable relationship with the extraction wheel; and shutoff means for disabling and restoring the dragging action of the extraction wheel, respectively when a predetermined number of brochures are in the feeding magazine or when the number of said brochures falls below a preset level.

Claim 20

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein said extraction wheel comprises at least one diametrical expansion formed on a respective idler pulley disposed at one end of the belt conveyor.

Claim 21

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein said shutoff means comprises at least one lifting lever in oscillatory engagement with said belt conveyor and selectively movable between a rest position, wherein said lifting lever has a work portion spaced apart from the brochures housed in the brochure holder, and an operating position, wherein said work portion impinges on the lowermost brochure in said supply to retain the lowermost brochure raised from the extraction wheel.

Claim 22

A unit for individually feeding brochures, in which each of said brochures comprises at least two pages disposed upon each other in mating relation and defined by at least one sheet folded along a back edge close to which edge the brochure is in a free condition, when the brochure is free of external stresses, and has a height ("H") greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the individual pages of the brochure, said brochure feeding unit comprising: a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station; a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed consecutively on top of each other to form a stack, at least one of said brochures being disposed in a lowermost position in said stack is in abuttable relation with the belt conveyor so as to be withdrawn from the magazine as a result of movement of the conveyor through an outlet side of said feeding magazine; at least one locating abutment member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width less than the height ("H") of the back edge of each brochure in its free condition, said locating abutment member being arranged so as to interfere with the back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure on the belt conveyor; and presser means operatively associated with said locating abutment member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure in order to elastically deform the brochure from its said free condition to a yielding condition wherein the height of the back edge is smaller than the dimension of said gauged passage clearance ("Z") so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating abutment member, wherein said presser means comprises at least one pusher element slidably guided along said locating abutment member and is movable upon command of an actuator to deform the brochure between its said free and yielding conditions.

Claim 23

A unit for individually feeding brochures, in which each of said brochures comprises at least two pages disposed upon each other in mating relation and defined by at least one sheet folded along a back edge close to which edge the brochure is in a free condition, when the brochure is free of external stresses, and has a height ("H") greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the individual pages of the brochure, said brochure feeding unit comprising: a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station; a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed consecutively on top of each other to form a stack, at least one of said brochures being disposed in a lowermost position in said stack is in abuttable relation with the belt conveyor so as to be withdrawn from the magazine as a result of movement of the conveyor through an outlet side of said feeding magazine; at least one locating abutment member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width less than the height ("H") of the back edge of each brochure in its free condition, said locating abutment member being arranged so as to interfere with the back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure on the belt conveyor; and presser means operatively associated with said locating abutment member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure in order to elastically deform the brochure from its said free condition to a yielding condition wherein the height of the back edge is smaller than the dimension of said gauged passage clearance ("Z") so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating abutment member, wherein said presser means comprises at least one pusher element slidably guided along said locating abutment member and is movable upon command of an actuator to deform the brochure between its said free and yielding conditions.

Claim 26

The method as claimed in claim 22, and further comprising the step of retaining the brochures in the stack by means of a partition element except the brochure being withdrawn through the outlet side.

Claim 27

The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein stopping of the brochure against said locating abutment member occurs before the brochure is completely withdrawn from the outlet side of the feeding magazine.

Claim 28

The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the brochure stack arranged in the feeding magazine is in a substantially inclined or stepped configuration with each brochure projecting in the direction of the outlet side with respect to the brochure disposed immediately above in the stack.

Claim 29

The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the step of exerting a thrust action is achieved upon detection of the absence of brochures in a pick-up station defined along the belt conveyor downstream of said locating abutment element.

Claim 30

The method as claimed in claim 22, and further comprising the steps of: arranging a supply of brochures upstream of the feeding magazine which are housed in a brochure holder; transferring at least one brochure of said supply of brochures to the feeding magazine concurrently with operation of the belt conveyor; and stopping transferring of said brochures to the feeding magazine when a determined number of brochures are present in the feeding magazine.

Claim 31

The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the transferring step is performed by arranging the lowermost brochure in said supply in abutting relation with an extraction wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis concurrently with operation of the belt conveyor.

Claim 32

The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of stopping transferring of the brochures to the feeding magazine is performed by moving the lowermost brochure in said supply upwardly away from the extraction wheel.

Claim 35

A unit for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station, including a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station, the brochure feeding unit comprising: a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed in the form of a stack with the lowermost brochure in the stack in a position to be withdrawn from the magazine upon the actuation of the belt conveyor through an outlet side of the feeding magazine; at least one locating member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width greater than the nominal thickness ("h") of each brochure, said locating member being arranged so as to interfere with a back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure along the belt conveyor and being comprised of at least one stop member operatively engaged with a support bracket formed integrally with the belt conveyor; and presser means operatively associated with said locating member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure so as to elastically deform the brochure between a free condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure at the back edge thereof lies at a slightly higher level than a lower end of the locating member, and an elastic-yielding condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure is positioned under the lower end of the locating member so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating member, wherein said presser means comprises at least one pusher element slidably guided along said stop element and movable upon command of an actuator between a rest condition, wherein said pusher element is raised from said brochure, and an operating condition, wherein said pusher element impinges upon the back edge of the brochure, in thrust relation therewith, such that the brochure achieves its yielding condition.

Claim 36

A unit for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station, including a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station, the brochure feeding unit comprising: a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed in the form of a stack with the lowermost brochure in the stack in a position to be withdrawn from the magazine upon the actuation of the belt conveyor through an outlet side of the feeding magazine; at least one locating member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width greater than the nominal thickness ("h") of each brochure, said locating member being arranged so as to interfere with a back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure along the belt conveyor and being comprised of at least one stop member operatively engaged with a support bracket formed integrally with the belt conveyor; and presser means operatively associated with said locating member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure so as to elastically deform the brochure between a free condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure at the back edge thereof lies at a slightly higher level than a lower end of the locating member, and an elastic-yielding condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure is positioned under the lower end of the locating member so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating member, wherein said presser means comprises at least one pusher element slidably guided along said stop element and movable upon command of an actuator between a rest condition, wherein said pusher element is raised from said brochure, and an operating condition, wherein said pusher element impinges upon the back edge of the brochure, in thrust relation therewith, such that the brochure achieves its yielding condition.

Claim 37

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein said pusher element has a cylindrical configuration with a tapered lower end facing the belt conveyor.

Claim 38

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein said pusher element is at least partly made of a material, which when in contact with the brochure, has a friction coefficient which is less than the friction coefficient of said belt conveyor.

Claim 39

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein said actuator is operable in response to sensor means disposed in said brochure pick-up station for sensing the presence of brochures at the pick-up station.

Claim 40

A unit for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station, including a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station, the brochure feeding unit comprising: a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed in the form of a stack with the lowermost brochure in the stack in a position to be withdrawn from the magazine upon the actuation of the belt conveyor through an outlet side of the feeding magazine; at least one locating member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width greater than the nominal thickness ("h") of each brochure, said locating member being arranged so as to interfere with a back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure along the belt conveyor; presser means operatively associated with said locating member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure so as to elastically deform the brochure between a free condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure at the back edge thereof lies at a slightly higher level than a lower end of the locating member, and an elastic-yielding condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure is positioned under the lower end of the locating member so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating member; and an auxiliary feeder for periodically supplying brochures to the stack of brochures in the feeding magazine, wherein said auxiliary feeder comprises: at least one extraction wheel operatively disposed upstream of the feeding magazine; a brochure holder defining a supply receptacle, extending in a substantially vertical direction from the extraction wheel and housing a supply of said brochures, the lowermost one of said brochures in said stack being in abuttable relationship with the extraction wheel; and shutoff means for disabling and restoring the dragging action of the extraction wheel, respectively when a predetermined number of brochures are in the feeding magazine or when the number of said brochures falls below a preset level.

Claim 41

A unit for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station, including a belt conveyor terminating at a pick-up station, the brochure feeding unit comprising: a feeding magazine arranged to receive a plurality of brochures disposed in the form of a stack with the lowermost brochure in the stack in a position to be withdrawn from the magazine upon the actuation of the belt conveyor through an outlet side of the feeding magazine; at least one locating member supported above the belt conveyor and defining therewith a gauged passage clearance ("Z") having a width greater than the nominal thickness ("h") of each brochure, said locating member being arranged so as to interfere with a back edge of the brochure to stop progress of the brochure along the belt conveyor; presser means operatively associated with said locating member for exerting a thrust action on the back edge of said brochure so as to elastically deform the brochure between a free condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure at the back edge thereof lies at a slightly higher level than a lower end of the locating member, and an elastic-yielding condition, wherein the upper surface of the brochure is positioned under the lower end of the locating member so that the brochure can be moved by the belt conveyor passing under the locating member; and an auxiliary feeder for periodically supplying brochures to the stack of brochures in the feeding magazine, wherein said auxiliary feeder comprises: at least one extraction wheel operatively disposed upstream of the feeding magazine; a brochure holder defining a supply receptacle, extending in a substantially vertical direction from the extraction wheel and housing a supply of said brochures, the lowermost one of said brochures in said stack being in abuttable relationship with the extraction wheel; and shutoff means for disabling and restoring the dragging action of the extraction wheel, respectively when a predetermined number of brochures are in the feeding magazine or when the number of said brochures falls below a preset level.

Claim 42

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 35, wherein said extraction wheel comprises at least one diametrical expansion formed on a respective idler pulley disposed at one end of the belt conveyor.

Claim 43

The brochure feeding unit as claimed in claim 35, wherein said shutoff means comprises at least one lifting lever in oscillatory engagement with said belt conveyor and selectively movable between a rest position, wherein said lifting lever has a work portion spaced apart from the brochures housed in the brochure holder, and an operating position, wherein said work portion impinges on the lowermost brochure in said supply to retain the lowermost brochure raised from the extraction wheel.