Device and method for buffering a plurality of goods or groups of goods and paper handling system comprising same

Abstract

A device for buffering a plurality of goods or groups of goods includes a buffer section configured to receive a plurality of goods or groups of goods. In addition, a buffer transport is provided, configured to move a good or group of goods at a buffer transport speed. A runout is configured to move out a good or group of goods from the device at a runout speed which is higher than the buffer transport speed. The runout is additionally configured to take over transport of a good or group of goods before the good or group of goods has reached an end of the buffer section.

1 . A device for buffering a plurality of individual sheets or groups of sheets, comprising:
 a buffer section configured to receive a plurality of individual sheets or groups of sheets;   a buffer transport configured to move an individual sheet or group of sheets at a buffer transport speed; and   a runout configured to move out an individual sheet or group of sheets from the device at a runout speed which is higher than the buffer transport speed;   wherein   the runout is configured to act on an individual sheet or group of sheets at a last occupied position along the buffer section so as to take over transport of the individual sheet or the group of sheets before the individual sheet or group of sheets has reached an end of the buffer section.   
     
     
         2 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising a sensor circuit configured to detect a position of an individual sheet or group of sheets along the buffer section. 
     
     
         3 . The device in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the buffer section comprises a plurality of successive buffer positions, each buffer position being configured to receive an individual sheet or group of sheets, and wherein the sensor circuit comprises a plurality of sensors, at least one sensor each being associated to a buffer position so as to determine whether the buffer position is occupied or unoccupied,
 wherein the runout is configured to determine, based on the sensor signals, the buffer position along the buffer section where the runout takes over transport of an individual sheet or group of sheets.   
     
     
         4 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the buffer transport comprises pliers transport or stud transport, wherein the pliers or studs of the buffer transport comprise fixed distances to one another in correspondence with the distance of buffer positions along the buffer section. 
     
     
         5 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the buffer transport and the runout each comprise different transport elements. 
     
     
         6 . The device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the buffer transport comprises a pliers transport or stud transport, and wherein the runout comprises a roll or belt transport. 
     
     
         7 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the buffer section comprises a plurality of successive buffer positions, each buffer position being configured to receive an individual sheet or group of sheets, and wherein the runout comprises a plurality of runout modules, a runout module each being associated to a plurality of buffer positions starting from a last buffer position along the buffer section, each module being actuatable selectively for engaging a buffered individual sheet/buffered group of sheets at a buffer position, and the runout modules between an output of the device and the last occupied buffer position along the buffer section being actuated so as to move out an individual sheet or group of sheets from this device. 
     
     
         8 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of runout modules comprises a conveyer element, the conveyer element being arranged to be displaced between a first position and a second position, the conveyer element in the first position not engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets, and the conveyer element in the second position engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets. 
     
     
         9 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of runout modules comprises a conveyer element arranged at a fixed position, the conveyer element being implemented to be rotated between a first position and a second position when being actuated, the conveyer element in the first position not engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets, and the conveyer element in the second position engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets. 
     
     
         10 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the buffer section comprises a plurality of successive buffer positions, each buffer position being configured to receive an individual sheet or group of sheets, and wherein the runout comprises a moveable runout module configured to be moved to the last occupied buffer position along the buffer section for taking over transport of the sheet or group of sheets comprised therein. 
     
     
         11 . The device in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising:
 a belt transport comprising a belt extending from an inlet of the buffer section to an outlet of the buffer section,   wherein the moveable runout module comprises:
 a conveyer element moveable between a first position and a second position, the conveyer element in the first position not engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets, and the conveyer element in the second position engaging an individual sheet or group of sheets; and 
 a pair of rolls receiving the belt of the belt transport such that the belt does not engage the individual sheet or group of sheets in front of the moveable runout module in the direction of transport of the individual sheet or group of sheets and engages an individual sheet or group of sheets after the moveable runout module in the direction of transport, 
 wherein the conveyer element is operative to engage an individual sheet or group of sheets using the belt of the belt transport. 
   
     
     
         12 . The device in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the conveyer element is arranged for being shifted or rotated between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         13 . The device in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the conveyer element comprises a roll, two or more rolls arranged one behind the other in the direction of transport of the individual sheet or group of sheets, a belt or a roll comprising a D-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         14 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising:
 an in-feed configured to feed an individual sheet or group of sheets to the buffer section,   wherein the in-feed comprises a drive for transporting an individual sheet or group of sheets, and a pair of lateral guidings,   wherein each of the lateral guidings comprises at least two chambers which define pairs of chambers for receiving each at least one sheet, a first pair of chambers being arranged at a bottom position neighboring to the buffer section, and a second pair of chambers being arranged at a top position spaced apart from the buffer section,   wherein the guidings are arranged rotatably and are controllable so as to cause rotation by a first angle or by a second angle,   wherein the rotation by the first angle causes both goods from both pairs of chambers to be fed to the buffer section, and   wherein a rotation by the second angle causes the sheet comprised in the first pair of chambers to be fed to the buffer section and the first pair of chambers to be moved from the bottom position, and the second pair of chambers, with the sheet comprised therein, to be moved to the bottom position.   
     
     
         15 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the buffer transport comprises a first vacuum transport comprising a plurality of selectively activatable vacuum chambers, and   the runout comprises a second vacuum transport comprising a plurality of selectively activatable vacuum chambers.   
     
     
         16 . The device in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein receiving of the individual sheet or group of sheets is caused by one or several of the activated vacuum chambers of the first vacuum transport. 
     
     
         17 . The device in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the first and second vacuum transports are arranged next to each other or above each other. 
     
     
         18 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the buffer section is configured to receive the sheets or group of sheets in a shingled or non-shingled manner. 
     
     
         19 . A paper handling system comprising:
 one or several handling stages; and   at least one device for buffering a plurality of individual sheets or groups of sheets, comprising: a buffer section configured to receive a plurality of individual sheets or groups of sheets; a buffer transport configured to move an individual sheet or group of sheets at a buffer transport speed; and a runout configured to move out an individual sheet or group of sheets from the device at a runout speed which is higher than the buffer transport speed; wherein the runout is configured to act on an individual sheet or group of sheets at a last occupied position along the buffer section so as to take over transport of the individual sheet or the group of sheets before the individual sheet or group of sheets has reached an end of the buffer section for collecting individual sheets or groups of sheets.   
     
     
         20 . The paper handling system in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the handling stages comprise a cutter, a merger and a folding mechanism,
 wherein the device for collecting the individual sheets or groups of sheets is arranged between the merger and the folding mechanism.   
     
     
         21 . A method for buffering a plurality of individual sheet or groups of sheets in a buffer section for receiving a plurality of individual sheet or groups of sheets, a buffer transport moving an individual sheet or group of sheets at a buffer transport speed, and a runout moving out an individual sheet or group of sheets at a runout speed which is higher than the buffer transport speed;
 comprising:   acting, by the runout for moving out, on an individual sheet or group of sheets at a last occupied position along the buffer section so as to take over transport of the individual sheet or the group of sheets before the individual sheet or group of sheets has reached an end of the buffer section.