Method and arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods

Claim 2

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods iNto successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including synchronizing means for generating a synchronizing pulse each time said conveying means moves a predetermined fixed distance, and means for causing said time interval to have duration dependent upon the time interval required for the generation of a preselected number of said synchronizing pulses and corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means.

Claim 3

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said separating means comprises means for creating a separating gap by physically engaging said stream of sheet goods at a predetermined location along said path and holding back sheet goods upstream of said location while permitting continued travel of the sheet goods located downstream of said location in order to create a separating gap.

Claim 4

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises an AND-gate having one input connected to said gating means to receive said gating signal and having another input connected to said gap-detecting means to receive gap-detecting signal and having an output, and activating means having an input connected to said output of said AND-gate and operative for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation.

Claim 5

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said gap-detecting means is located immediately upstream of said receiving means, so that concurrent generation of a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal will indicate that a complete stream segment has been received by said receiving means.

Claim 6

An arrangement as defined in claim 1; and further including means for causing said separating means to separate said stream into stream segments containing equal numbers of sheet goods.

Claim 7

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said gating means comprises means operative for generating a gating signal which commences after elapse of a time interval corresponding to the time required for the leading edge of the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means and which terminates after elapse of a time interval corresponding to the time required for the trailing edge of the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means, so that said gating signal is substantially contemporaneous with the travel of the respective separating gap past said gap-detecting means.

Claim 8

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said gap-detecting means comprises photoelectric means operative for detecting travel past said photoelectric means of a gap in said stream.

Claim 9

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream pasT said gapdetecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including synchronizing means for generating a synchronizing pulse each time said conveying means moves a predetermined fixed distance, and means for causing said time interval to have a duration dependent upon the time interval required for the generation of a preselected number of said synchronizing pulses and corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past over gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means

Claim 10

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream pasT said gapdetecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including synchronizing means for generating a synchronizing pulse each time said conveying means moves a predetermined fixed distance, and means for causing said time interval to have a duration dependent upon the time interval required for the generation of a preselected number of said synchronizing pulses and corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past over gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means

Claim 11

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped stream of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separation means for generating a gating signal after elaspse of a time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means, wherein said separating means is operative for creating a separating gap upon receipt of a command signal and wherein said gating means comprises a shift register having an informaiton signal input and a shifting signal input and comprising a plurality of shift-register stages connected to each other in succession with the output of one of said shift-register stages being connected to the input of said control means for applying a gating signal to the latter; means for applying a command signal to said separating means to effect creation of a separating gap and for also applying the command signal to the information signal input of said shift register; means for applying shifitng signals to said shifting signal input of said shift register in synchronisum with the operation of said conveying means and with such a frequency relative to the rate of conveyance of the sheet goods that said command signal reaches said one of said shift-register stages at substantially the time that the corresponding separating gap reaches said gap-detecting means.

Claim 12

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped stream of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separation means for generating a gating signal after elaspse of a time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means, wherein said separating means is operative for creating a separating gap upon receipt of a command signal and wherein said gating means comprises a shift register having an informaiton signal input and a shifting signal input and comprising a plurality of shift-register stages connected to each other in succession with the output of one of said shift-register stages being connected to the input of said control means for applying a gating signal to the latter; means for applying a command signal to said separating means to effect creation of a separating gap and for also applying the command signal to the information signal input of said shift register; means for applying shifitng signals to said shifting signal input of said shift register in synchronisum with the operation of said conveying means and with such a frequency relative to the rate of conveyance of the sheet goods that said command signal reaches said one of said shift-register stages at substantially the time that the corresponding separating gap reaches said gap-detecting means.

Claim 13

An arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said gating means furtehr includes a flip-flop having first and second inputs and respective first and second outputs, with said first output being connected to the input of said control means for applying a gating signal to the latter, and with said first input being connected to the output of said one of said shift-register stages, and with said second input being connected to the output of a further shift-register stage connected down-circuit of said one of said shift-register stages, with the frequency of said shifting signals relative to the rate of conveyance of the sheet goods and also the relative location in said shift register of said one and said further shIft-register stages being such that said command signal reaches said further shift-register stage at substantially the time that the trailing end of the respective separating gap reaches said gap-detecting means.

Claim 14

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive steam segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by said separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creating of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means, and including means for generating a train of synchronizing pulses at a rate dependent upon the speed of operation of said conveying means, and means for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the rate of generation of said synchronizing pulses; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means.

Claim 15

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive steam segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by said separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creating of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means, and including means for generating a train of synchronizing pulses at a rate dependent upon the speed of operation of said conveying means, and means for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the rate of generation of said synchronizing pulses; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means.

Claim 16

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including time-delay-regulating means operative for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the speed of operation of said conveying means to cause said time interval to have a duration corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means.

Claim 17

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; gap-detecting means located at a predetermined part of said path and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including time-delay-regulating means operative for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the speed of operation of said conveying means to cause said time interval to have a duration corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and stream-travel monitoring means operative in response to concurrent generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal for indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap created by said separating means while not indicating travel past said gap-detecting means of gaps not created by said separating means.

Claim 18

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path, separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elaspe of a delay time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separaTing gap to reach said gap-detecting means, and including means for generating a train of synchronizing pulses at a rate porportional to the speed of operation of said conveying means, and means for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the rate of generation of said synchronizing pulses; and control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means.

Claim 19

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path, separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elaspe of a delay time interval corresponding substantially to the time required for the separaTing gap to reach said gap-detecting means, and including means for generating a train of synchronizing pulses at a rate porportional to the speed of operation of said conveying means, and means for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the rate of generation of said synchronizing pulses; and control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means.

Claim 20

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including time-delay-regulating means operative for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the speed of operation of said conveying means to cause said time interval to have a duration corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and the control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means.

Claim 21

An arrangement for handling streams of sheet goods, particularly lapped streams of folded paper sheets, comprising, in combination, conveying means for conveying a stream of sheet goods along a predetermined path; separating means for separating said stream of sheet goods into successive stream segments separated from each other in the direction of said path by separating gaps; receiving means downstream of said separating means operative for receiving successive ones of said stream segments and performing a handling operation with each stream segment; gap-detecting means located intermediate said separating means and said receiving means and operative for generating a gap-detecting signal upon travel of a gap in said stream past said gap-detecting means; gating means operative upon creation of a separating gap by said separating means for generating a gating signal after elapse of a delay time interval, and including time-delay-regulating means operative for automatically regulating the duration of said time interval in dependence upon the speed of operation of said conveying means to cause said time interval to have a duration corresponding substantially to the time required for the separating gap to reach said gap-detecting means; and the control means for causing said receiving means to initiate a handling operation in response to generation of both a gap-detecting signal and a gating signal, whereby to prevent initiation of a handling operation in response to travel past said gap-detecting means of a gap not created by said separating means.