Arrangement for controlling the stacking of printed sheets in multiple color rotary printing machines

Claim 2

In an arrangement for controlling the operation of a multicolor rotary printing machine which prints images onto sheets passing through the printing machine and includes a stack selector operative for delivering the sheets passing through the printing machine onto one of at least two stacks, in combination, a shift register having an information signal input and a shifting signal input and comprising a plurality of consecutively connected partial register Stages; first means for applying to said information signal input of said shift register an information signal indicative of whether a sheet to be stacked onto a predetermined one of said stacks is present at a predetermined location in said rotary printing machine; second means for applying shifting signals to said shifting signal input of said shift register in synchronism with the operation of the printing machine to cause said information signal to advance from one of said partial register stages to the next in succession and in synchronism with the passage through said machine of the respective sheet; and third means connected to one of said partial register stages and responsive to the signal stored in said one of said stages for controlling said stack selected in dependence upon the signal stored in said one of said partial register stages.

Claim 3

In an arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said stack selector comprises an electromagnetic actuator including an electromagnet, wherein said third means comprises an amplifier having an output connected to said electromagnet for supplying energizing current to the latter and having an input, a memory device having at least two outputs one of which is connected to said input of said amplifier and having two inputs each associated with one state of said memory device, and a pair of gates each having an output connected to a respective one of said two inputs of said memory device and each having one input connected to a respective one of the two outputs of said one of said partial register stages and each further having an other input connected to said second means for receiving shifting signals from the latter.

Claim 4

In an arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said memory device is a bistable memory device having only two stable states.

Claim 5

In an arrangement as defined in claim 2, said arrangement or controlling the operation of a multicolor rotary printing machine including an auxiliary shift register in addition to the first-mentioned shift register and having an information signal input and a shifting signal input and comprising a plurality of consecutively connected partial register stages, and wherein the information signal inputs of the two shift registers are both connected to said first means, and wherein the shifting signal inputs of the two shift registers are both connected to said second means.

Claim 6

In an arrangement as defined in claim 4, wherein said third means further includes and AND-gate having an output conencted to the input of said amplifier and having a first input connected to said one output of said memory device and having a second input connected to one output of one partial register stage of said auxiliary shift register.

Claim 7

In an arrangement as defined in claim 5, wherein said AND-gate has a third input, and wherein said third means further includes blocking means connected to said third input of said AND-gate and operative when actuated for blocking transmission of a signal by said AND-gate.

Claim 8

In an arrangement as defined in claim 2, said arrangement for controlling the operation of a multi-color rotary printing machine including an auxiiary shift register in addition to the first-mentioned shift register and having an information signal input and a shifting signal input and comprising a plurality of consecutively connected partial register stages; and further including means connecting together the information signal inputs of the two shift registers and connecting together the shifting signal inputs of the two registers and operative for converting the signals applied to the inputs of one of the two registers into a form suitable for application to the inputs of the other of the two registers.

Claim 9

In an arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said other input of each of said gates is connected to said second means for receiving shifting signals from the latter with a time delay relative to the application of such shifting signals to the shifting signal input of said shiFt register.

Claim 10

In an arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said third means further includes an AND-gate having a first input connected to the other output of said memory device and having a second input, fourth means for applying a gating signal to said second input of said AND-gate and including at least one manually operable switch for applying and removing such gating signal, an inverter having an input connected to the output of said AND-gate and having an output, a further gate having an output and having a first input connected to the output of said inverter and having a second input connected to said second means for receiving signals from the latter, a monostable multivibrator having an input connected to the output of said further gate and having an output, a further inverter having an input connected to said output of said monostable multivibrator and having an output, an additional gate having a first input connected to said output of said further inverter and having a second input and having an output, a further memory device in the form of a bistable multivibrator having two inputs and two outputs with one input connected to said output of said additional gate and with one output connected to said input of said amplifier.

Claim 11

In an arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said third means further includes a supplemental gate having an output connected to said one input of said further memory device and having a first input and a second input, a manually operable switch connected to said first input of said supplemental gate for applying to the latter a signal to effect repeated application of a signal to said one input of said second memory device, whereby to effect stacking of sheets onto only one of the corresponding one of said two stacks, and another manually operable switch connecting said other output of said further memory device to said second input of said additional AND-gate.

Claim 12

In an arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said fourth means comprises a third memory device in said duration said and the input said the form of a bistable multivibrator having first and second inputs and first and second outputs with the first output thereof connected to said second input of said AND-gate for applying said gating signal thereto and with the first input thereof connected to said manually operable switch of said fourth means, and said fourth means further including means for applying to aid switch a signal of predetermined duratio such that upon operation of said manually operable switch of said fourth means a gating signal is applied to aid second input of said AND-gate to cause transmission of a signal by the same only for the stacking of a single sheet, wherein said fourth means includes a further manually operable switch also connected to said first input of said third memory device, an an auxiliary gate having an output connected to said second input of said third memory device and having a first input connected to he second output of said third memory device and having a second nput connected to aid second means for receiving signals from the latter.

Claim 13

In an arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said third means further includes another gate having an output connected to said other input of said second memory device and having a first input connected to said one output of said second memory device by means of a further respective manually operable switch and having a second input connected by means of an additional respective manually operable switch to said second means for receiving signals from the latter.

Claim 14

In an arrangement for controlling the operation of a multi-color rotary printing machine which prints images onto sheets passing through the printing machine and includes a stack selector for discharging onto either a normal stack or onto a reject stack the sheets which have passed through the printing machine, in combination, a shift register having an information signal input and a shiftIng signal input and comprising a plurality of consecutively connected partial register stages; first means for applying to said information signal input of said shift register an information signal indicative of whether a sheet to be stacked onto said normal stack is present at a predetermined location in said rotary printing machine; second means for applying shifting signals to said shifting signal input of said shift register in synchronism with the operation of the printing machine to cause said information signal to advance from one of said partial register stages to the next in succession and in synchronism with the passage through said machine of the respective sheet; and third means connected to one of said partial register stages and responsive to the signal stored in said one of said stages for causing said stack selector to discharge onto one of said stacks the sheet associated with the signal stored in one of said stages in dependence upon such signal.

Claim 15

In an arrangement for controlling the operation of a multi-color rotary printing machine which prints images onto sheets passing through the printing machine and includes a stack selector for discharging onto either a normal stack or onto a reject stack the sheets which have passed through the printing machine, in combination, a shift register having an information signal input and a shiftIng signal input and comprising a plurality of consecutively connected partial register stages; first means for applying to said information signal input of said shift register an information signal indicative of whether a sheet to be stacked onto said normal stack is present at a predetermined location in said rotary printing machine; second means for applying shifting signals to said shifting signal input of said shift register in synchronism with the operation of the printing machine to cause said information signal to advance from one of said partial register stages to the next in succession and in synchronism with the passage through said machine of the respective sheet; and third means connected to one of said partial register stages and responsive to the signal stored in said one of said stages for causing said stack selector to discharge onto one of said stacks the sheet associated with the signal stored in one of said stages in dependence upon such signal.

Claim 16

In an arrangement as defined in claim 13, and further including means operable at the will of an operator for overriding said third means and causing said stack selector to discharge onto said reject stack the sheet associated with the signal stored in said one of said stages independently of the information represented by such signal, whereby to permit diverting of a properly printed sheet onto said reject stack at the will of an operator for purposes of examination of such properly printed sheet.

Claim 17

In an arrangement as defined in claim 13, and further including overriding means actuatable at the will of an operator for overriding said third means and causing said stack selector to discharge onto said reject stack successive sheets independently of the information represented by information signals associated with such sheets, and for as long as said overriding means remains actuated, whereby to permit diverting of properly printed sheets onto said reject stack at the will of an operator for purposes of examination of such properly printed sheets.

Claim 18

In an arrangement as defined in claim 13, and further including overriding means actuatable at the will of an operator for overriding said third means and causing said stack selector to discharge onto said reject stack the sheet associated with the signal stored in said one of said stages at the time of actuation of said overriding means independently of the information represented by such signal and only operative for overriding said third means with respect to the one sheet associated with the signal stored in said one of said stages at the time of actuation of said overriding means.