Intermediate entry device and intermediate entry device management system

Abstract

To provide a feeding device that can reduce labor to set the amount of protrusion of a separation member that accelerates separation of some sheet materials fed by feeding means from other sheet materials.SOLUTION: A feeding device includes a storage part that stores a bundle of advertisement sets, feeding means for feeding the advertisement set PS one set at a time from the advertisement set bundle inside the storage part, and a separating claw 70 that protrudes into a feeding path through which the advertising sets PS fed from the storage part pass and accelerates separation of one advertising set PS fed by the feeding means from other advertising sets PS, wherein a protruding amount of the separating claw 70 in the feeding passage path can be changed. The feeding device is provided with an advertisement set clamping part 80 that clamps the advertisement sets PS with two clamping members which are a clamping fixed roller 81 and a clamping moving roller 82, and a separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90 that changes the protruding amount of the separation claw 70 in conjunction with a change in the distance between the two clamping members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeding device, a collating device and an inserting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, newspapers delivered to recipients such as homes often contain a bundle of multiple advertising printed materials called inserts (hereinafter referred to as an "advertising set") folded into the newspaper. Inserting devices known as inserters are known that insert an advertising set into the inside of a newspaper that has been folded in four, so that the advertising set is folded into the newspaper (for example, the "sheet bundle creating unit" of the "collating device" described in Patent Document 1).

[0003] In an insertion device such as that described in Patent Document 1, a stack of advertisement sets, each with multiple sets of advertisement sets standing upright, is loaded onto an advertisement feed table, and the advertisement sets are fed one by one, starting with the innermost one, and transported toward an insertion section where the advertisement sets are inserted into newspapers. When feeding, a suction pad adheres to the innermost face of the advertisement set to be fed, and by moving the suction pad, the advertisement set to be fed is pulled into the device while bending, and the bottom end of the advertisement set is guided to a position where it is clamped by the nip of a pair of feed rollers, and the advertisement set is fed toward the insertion section by rotating the pair of feed rollers. One such insertion device is equipped with a separation claw that protrudes from below into the path along which the advertising set held by the suction pad passes as it is pulled into the device, and which comes into contact with the bottom end of the advertising set being fed, facilitating its separation from other advertising sets (such as the inserter "DI-3200GS" manufactured by Duplo Co., Ltd.). This insertion device is equipped with an adjustment mechanism that allows the user to adjust the protrusion amount according to the thickness of the advertisement set, since the appropriate protrusion amount of the separation claw varies depending on the thickness of the advertisement set loaded on the advertisement feed table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-87087 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional inserting device equipped with the above-mentioned separation claw, the user had to measure the thickness of the advertisement set with a measuring device separate from the inserting device, and then adjust the protrusion amount of the separation claw by operating an adjustment member provided on the inserting device based on the measurement results, which was a time-consuming process. This problem is not limited to the advertisement feeding section of an inserting device that has a separation claw in the passageway through which the advertisement set passes. It can occur in any feeding device that feeds sheet material one piece at a time from a storage section that stores multiple sheets or multiple copies of a single sheet material, that has a separating member that promotes separation of the sheet material being fed by the feeding means from the other sheet materials, and that is capable of changing the amount of protrusion of the separating member in the feeding passageway through which the fed sheet material passes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a feeding device comprising: a storage section for storing a stack of sheet material in which one or more sheet materials are stacked in multiple portions in the thickness direction; a feeding means for feeding the sheet material from the stack of sheet material in the storage section one portion at a time; and a separation member that protrudes into a feeding passage path through which the sheet material fed from the storage section passes, thereby promoting separation of the portion of the sheet material fed by the feeding means from the other sheet materials, and in which the protrusion amount of the separation member in the feeding passage path can be changed, the feeding device is characterized by comprising: a sheet material clamping mechanism that clamps the sheet material between two clamping members; and a clamping separation linkage mechanism that changes the protrusion amount of the separation member in linkage with a change in the distance between the two clamping members. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when a user clamps a portion of the sheet material to be stored in the storage unit with two clamping members of the sheet material clamping mechanism, the clamping / separation interlocking means changes the protrusion amount of the separating member in conjunction with a change in the distance between the two clamping members. Therefore, the user can set the protrusion amount of the separating member to a protrusion amount corresponding to the thickness of the sheet material simply by clamping a portion of the sheet material with the sheet material clamping mechanism, thereby reducing the effort required to set the protrusion amount of the separating member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the insertion system of this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the interception system of this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the intermediate entry system. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the vicinity of an advertisement paper feed mechanism in an advertisement stacking section of the advertisement paper feed section. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the advertisement paper feeding mechanism when the suction pad reaches a position where it adheres to the advertisement set. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the advertisement feeding mechanism in a state where the suction pad has pulled in the advertisement set to be fed. [Figure 9] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the advertisement feeding mechanism in a state where the advertisement set to be fed, which has been pulled in by the suction pad, is sandwiched between the feed drive roller and the feed driven roller; FIG. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams for adjusting the protrusion amount of the separation claws. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a separation claw height adjustment mechanism. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the separation claw height adjustment mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, identical or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of the members in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an insertion device including a feeding device according to the present invention will be described.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an insertion system 100 equipped with an inserter 1, which is an insertion device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the insertion operation of the insertion system 100 shown in FIG. 1. The inserting system 100 is used in newspaper shops and the like. The inserting system 100 inserts an advertising set, which is a bundle of multiple advertising printed materials, into a folded newspaper to create an inserted newspaper with the advertising set folded in. The advertising printed materials to be inserted into the newspaper are not limited to multiple sheets, and a single advertising printed material may also be inserted. The following describes an example in which a predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers (for example, 200 copies = 50 copies x 4 bundles) are produced to be delivered to district A, and then a predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers (for example, 280 copies = 60 copies x 4 bundles + 40 copies x 1 bundle) are produced to be delivered to district B. In the following, the process of producing a predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers to be delivered to each district is called a "job."

[0012] The interleaving system 100 comprises an inserter 1, which is an interleaving processing section, a discharge unit 2, which is a direction changing section, and a lift-up stacker 3, which is a post-interleaving stacking section. The inserter 1 opens the final fold of a quartered newspaper and inserts and sandwiches an advertisement set into the gap. The interleaving process of inserting and sandwiching an advertisement set into a newspaper is also called "collating." The inserter 1 comprises a newspaper feeder 10, an advertisement feeder 11, an operation section 41, a newspaper transport section 17, a newspaper opening section 18, and an advertisement insertion section 19. The newspaper feeder 10 comprises a newspaper stacker 14 and a newspaper feed mechanism 42 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2), and the advertisement feeder 11 comprises an advertisement stacker 15 and an advertisement feed mechanism 16.

[0013] The operation unit 41 includes an input unit (e.g., a touchpad) and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal panel) that is integrally formed. The display unit of the operation unit 41 displays a screen for setting, for example, a job. The operator uses this screen to input job-related settings, i.e., the "number of copies" and "number of copies per group" of newspapers to be interleaved. The "number of copies per group" refers to the number of interleaved newspapers that must be stacked to create an interleaved newspaper bundle. For example, in job settings for area A, "number of copies = 200 copies" and "number of copies per group = 50 copies" are input. In this case, four interleaved newspaper bundles, each containing 50 interleaved newspapers, are created. In addition, for job settings for area B, "number of copies = 280 copies" and "number of copies per group = 60 copies" are input. In this case, four interleaved newspaper bundles, each containing 60 interleaved newspapers, and one interleaved newspaper bundle containing 40 interleaved newspapers are created.

[0014] A plurality of newspapers folded in four are loaded in newspaper stacking section 14 of newspaper feeder 10. Newspaper feed mechanism 42 is provided below newspaper stacking section 14. Newspaper feed mechanism 42 takes out newspapers one by one from newspaper stacking section 14 and sends them out to newspaper transport section 17. Newspaper transport section 17 has a rotating transport chain 20 and a transport piece 21 connected to it. Newspaper transport section 17 pushes the newspapers with this transport piece 21 and transports them to newspaper opening section 18 and advertisement insertion section 19.

[0015] The newspaper opening section 18 has an opening rotor 23 with opening suction pads 22 on its outer periphery, and an opening guide (not shown) provided downstream of the opening rotor 23. The top end of the newspaper fed from the newspaper transport section 17 is opened in the transport direction by the opening suction pads 22. As the transport top 21 advances further, the opening guide 24 enters the opened part of the newspaper, and the newspaper is maintained in an open state as it is transported towards the advertisement insertion section 19.

[0016] The advertisement loading unit 15 loads multiple sets of advertisements, each consisting of multiple sheets of advertisement printed matter sandwiched between folded advertisement printed matter, for each delivery unit. The advertisement loading unit 15 has a front panel 25 and a loading platform 26, and a stack of advertisement sets, each consisting of multiple overlapping sets, is loaded on the loading platform 26 so that it leans against the front panel 25. The stack of advertisement sets is loaded so that the fold of the folded advertisement printed matter that makes up each advertisement set faces downward.

[0017] The advertisement feed mechanism 16 is provided below the front panel 25. The advertisement feed mechanism 16 takes out advertisement sets one by one from the advertisement stacking unit 15 and sends them to the advertisement insertion unit 19. In the advertisement insertion unit 19, the advertisement sets sent out from the advertisement feed mechanism 16 are inserted between newspapers that have been opened by an opening guide. The inserted newspapers with the advertisement sets sandwiched between them are pushed by the transport top 21 and sent to the discharge unit 2.

[0018] The discharge unit 2 changes the conveying direction of the newspaper with the paper inserted by 90°. In this embodiment, the discharge unit 2 conveys the newspaper in the lengthwise direction (parallel to the final fold) in the widthwise direction (perpendicular to the final fold). The newspaper, whose conveying direction has been changed, is pushed out by a discharge pusher 28 fixed to the discharge chain 27 and sent out towards the lift-up stacker 3.

[0019] The intercalating system 100 includes a lift-up conveyor 29 between the discharge unit 2 and the lift-up stacker 3, and a stack conveyor 31 downstream of the lift-up stacker 3. The lift-up conveyor 29 lifts up the intercalated newspapers sent out from the discharge unit 2 and transports them to the top of the lift-up stacker 3.

[0020] The lift-up stacker 3 has a temporary receiving section 32, a filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33, a stacker discharge belt 34, and a full sensor (not shown). The filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 has a comb-like shape. The filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 is lowered by the thickness of each newspaper each time a newspaper is loaded. For example, it is configured to be lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown). This keeps the top surface of the loaded filled newspapers at a substantially constant position.

[0021] The filled newspaper bundle receiving unit 33 loads the filled newspapers according to the "sorting number" specified by the operator (50 copies for a job in area A, 60 copies for a job in area B) to form a filled newspaper bundle, and then sends this filled newspaper bundle to the stack conveyor 31. Specifically, when the loaded filled newspapers reach the specified number, the four temporary receiving rollers 36 of the temporary receiving unit 32 move forward on top of the filled newspaper bundle and receive the filled newspapers instead of the filled newspaper bundle receiving unit 33 (see FIG. 2). During this time, the filled newspaper bundle receiving unit 33 moves down, and the stacker discharge belt 34 moves in between the teeth of its comb teeth, and the filled newspaper bundle is stacked on the stacker discharge belt 34. The stacker discharge belt 34 is then driven, and the filled newspaper bundle is sent out to the stack conveyor 31.

[0022] The filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 rises after sending out the filled newspaper bundle onto the stack conveyor 31. After this rise, the temporary receiving roller 36 passes the filled newspapers stacked on it to the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 and retreats from above the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33. After the temporary receiving roller 36 retreats, newspapers sent from the lift-up conveyor 29 are stacked on top of the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33. Hereinafter, this series of processes by the temporary receiving section 32 and the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 will be referred to as the "stack discharge process."

[0023] The full sensor detects when the filled newspaper bundle receiving portion 33 is full (for example, when 100 filled newspapers are loaded in the filled newspaper bundle receiving portion 33). Such a full sensor is configured, for example, with an optical sensor that turns "ON" when the filled newspaper bundle receiving portion 33 descends to a predetermined position. When the full sensor detects that the filled newspaper bundle receiving portion 33 is full, the stack discharge process is also executed.

[0024] The stack discharge process is also executed when the final filled newspaper bundle of the job is loaded onto the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33. In this case, the stack discharge process is executed even if the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 is not full or even if the number of newspapers loaded onto the filled newspaper bundle receiving section 33 has not reached the "number of copies to be sorted." A large number of rollers 40 are arranged in a row on the stack conveyor 31. When a new bundle of filled newspapers is sent out from the lift-up stacker 3, the multiple bundles of filled newspapers that have already been sent out and lined up are pushed and move on the rollers 40.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the inter-entry system 100. As shown in FIG. The interception system 100 comprises a control unit 52 that controls the entire system, a reception unit 50, a display control unit 51, a determination unit 53, a storage unit 54, and a communication unit 201. Each block shown in Fig. 3 can be realized in hardware terms by elements or mechanical devices such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by a computer program, etc., but here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0026] The control unit 52 controls the operation of each of the inserter 1, discharge unit 2, lift-up conveyor 29, lift-up stacker 3 and stack conveyor 31 to create a bundle of inserted newspapers by stacking inserted newspapers into which advertisement sets have been folded.

[0027] The reception unit 50 receives information input by the worker via the operation unit 41. The reception unit 50 includes a job information reception unit 55 and a next job information reception unit 56. When a job has not yet been executed, the job information reception unit 55 receives information about a job to be executed. Specifically, the job information reception unit 55 receives the number of newspapers to be interleaved and registers this as "current number of copies Na1" in the current number of copies storage unit 57. If the number of copies to be sorted has been input, the job information reception unit 55 also receives this and registers it as "current number of copies to be sorted Nb1" in the current number of copies to be sorted storage unit 59.

[0028] While a job is being executed, next job information receiving unit 56 receives information about the next job to be executed. Specifically, next job information receiving unit 56 receives the number of newspapers to be collated and registers this as "next number of copies Na2" in next number of copies storage unit 58. If the number of copies to be sorted has been input, next job information receiving unit 56 also accepts this and registers it as "next number of copies to be sorted Nb2" in next number of copies to be sorted storage unit 60.

[0029] The display unit control 51 provides various display screens to the operator via the display unit of the operation unit 41. For example, it provides a display screen for setting information related to a job.

[0030] The determination unit 53 determines whether the number of copies processed for interim printing has reached the current number of copies Na1. If the number of copies processed for interim printing has reached the current number of copies Na1, the determination unit 53 determines whether information regarding the next job to be executed has been input.

[0031] The memory unit 54 includes a current copy number memory unit 57, a next copy number memory unit 58, a current divided copy number memory unit 59, a next divided copy number memory unit 60, a copy counter 61, and a divided copy number counter 62. The current copy number memory unit 57 stores the current copy number Na1. The next copy number memory unit 58 stores the next copy number Na2. The divided copy number memory unit 59 stores the current divided copy number Nb1. The next divided copy number memory unit 60 stores the next divided copy number Nb2. The copy counter 61 stores the number of newspaper copies that have been interleaved since the job started as a copy count value Na. The divided copy number counter 62 stores the number of newspaper copies that have been interleaved since the divided copy number was reached (or since the job started at the start of the job) as a divided copy count value Nb.

[0032] 3, the intermediate system 100 includes a communication unit 201, and the control unit 52 is capable of data communication with a management server 205 and a management terminal 206 via an internet line 204. The control unit 52 controls the operation of each unit based on a control program stored in the storage unit 54, and communicates with the management server 205 and the management terminal 206 via the internet line 204.

[0033] The device information held by the interim system 100 is transmitted from the control unit 52 to the communication unit 201, and then transmitted from the communication unit 201 to the Wi-Fi router 202 using a Wi-Fi line, and then transmitted to the modem 203. The modem 203 transmits the device information held by the interim system 100 to the management server 205 via the Internet line 204, and the management server 205 stores the received device information as needed. The stored device information can be confirmed by a maintenance manager's serviceman or the like on the management terminal 206. The control unit 52 can also obtain information about the interim system 100 held by the management server 205 (such as update information for the control program) via the above-mentioned Internet line 204 or the like, and can further transmit input information from the management terminal 206 to the control unit 52 via the above-mentioned Internet line 204 or the like. The management server 205 is not limited to a server device owned by the manager, and a known cloud service platform may also be used.

[0034] As device information that the interim system 100 transmits to the management server 205, which is an external device, past operation information of the interim system 100 can be transmitted to the management server 205. Examples of the operation information to be transmitted include a cumulative counter indicating the cumulative number of interims, the number of errors that have occurred, and the number of times each type of error has occurred. This enables the maintenance manager to take prompt action when an error occurs, take preventative action before an error occurs, and replace consumables before they are completely worn out.

[0035] The control unit 52 sends error information to the management server 205 every time the operation of the intermittent system 100 stops. The management server 205 sends error information to the management terminal 206 at predetermined intervals, such as every hour, by sending all the error information received from the control unit 52 since the previous transmission to the management terminal 206. It is desirable that the predetermined time for sending to the management terminal 206 can be changed as appropriate by the user and administrator.

[0036] Another example of the timing for transmitting the error information is to transmit it all at once when power is turned on to the intermittent system 100. However, this other example of timing may cause the following problems. That is, when the intermittent system 100 is used in a newspaper shop, work is often performed from late at night to early in the morning. Therefore, if a problem occurs during work performed late at night to early in the morning, maintenance must be performed during the day on the same day as that early morning. If the system is configured to send error information all at once when the power is turned on, error information will be sent when the power is turned on from late at night on the same day to early in the morning of the next day, making the device unusable for the entire day. Furthermore, if the system is configured to send error information when the power is turned off, depending on the internet environment, it may take a long time to send the error information, and the information may not be sent completely. Another example of the timing for sending error information is to monitor the error information in real time on the management terminal 206. However, if errors that can be recovered by user action occur frequently, receiving error information on the management terminal 206 every time an error occurs could result in a problem that makes the management screen difficult to see.

[0037] In contrast to the other two examples mentioned above, if the configuration is such that error information is sent to the management terminal 206 at predetermined intervals (every hour, etc.) as in this embodiment, information can be obtained at a frequency close to real time, and it is possible to prevent the transmission of error information from being delayed by one day.

[0038] In addition, the management server 205 or the management terminal 206 has an alert function that displays an alert instructing a service technician to visit the intermediate system 100 and check whether maintenance is necessary, based on the received error information. The control unit 52 of the intermediate system 100 only sends error information and operation information, and does not judge whether to issue an alert, but accumulates the error information received by the management server 205 or management terminal 206, and when the conditions are met, displays an alert on the management screen of the management terminal 206. It is desirable that the conditions for displaying this alert can be changed as appropriate by the administrator.

[0039] The mid-entry system 100 may also be provided with a serviceman call button. When this serviceman call button is pressed, information about the press is sent to the management terminal 206 via the Internet line 204 or the like, and a message indicating that the serviceman call button has been pressed is displayed on the management screen of the management terminal 206. Conventionally, when a problem occurs with the mid-entry system 100, the most common method is to call a call center. However, there are cases where a problem occurs that the call center cannot handle, and the call center ends up merely acting as a liaison between the user and the manager. In contrast, if the above-mentioned serviceman call button is provided, a manager who can handle any problem can check error information and operation information up until the serviceman call button is pressed, and can predict the condition of the problem to some extent before contacting the user.

[0040] Moreover, the various information received by the receiving unit 50 and stored in the storage unit 54 may be configured to be input via the Internet line 204 . Furthermore, the interleaving system 100 often uses, as an advertising set PS, a collated bundle of advertising printed materials collated by a collation device described in JP 2019-38628 A, JP 2021-095296 A, etc. For interleaving, when the interleaving system 100 creates the number of interleaved newspapers to be delivered to a certain delivery area α corresponding to "current number of copies Na1" and the number of interleaved newspapers to be delivered to another delivery area β corresponding to "next number of copies Na2," the collation device creates a collated bundle of advertising printed materials to be delivered to delivery area α, and a collated bundle of advertising printed materials to be delivered to delivery area β, respectively. The "number of copies to be collated" described in JP 2021-095296 A is the number of copies of the collated bundle to be delivered to each region, with the "number of copies to be collated" for delivery region α matching the "number of copies this time Na1," and the "number of copies to be collated" for delivery region β matching the "number of copies next time Na2." In this way, since the number of copies of the collated bundle to be collated by the collation device and the number of copies to be interleaved by interleaving system 100 often match, it is desirable that the numerical value input to the collation device be automatically input to interleaving system 100.

[0041] Therefore, the collation device and the intermediary insertion system 100 used in the same store are linked and managed on the management server 205, and when information related to the intermediary processing in the intermediary insertion system 100 (such as the number of copies to be collated) is input among the information input as information related to the collation job of the collation device, that information is sent from the management server 205 to the control unit 52 of the intermediary insertion system 100 as information related to the job to be carried out in the intermediary insertion system 100 (such as "current number of copies Na1" and "next number of copies Na2").The control unit 52 then stores the received information in the memory unit 54. The configuration in which the interleaving system 100 and the collating device share information about jobs is not limited to a configuration via the Internet line 204. For example, the interleaving system 100 and the collating device may be connected by a wire to share information. Furthermore, if a tablet terminal that can be separated from the collating device is used as the operation unit of the collating device, the tablet terminal and the control unit 52 may communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly to share information. In this way, if the interleaving system 100 and the collating device are configured to share information about jobs, it is possible to eliminate the need to input common information.

[0042] Furthermore, the interim system 100 of this embodiment is configured so that update programs for the control program that controls the control unit 52 can be downloaded from the management server 205 via the Internet line 204. In this way, if the configuration allows update programs for the control program to be acquired from an external information processing means such as the management server 205 via a communication network such as the Internet line 204, the number of visits by a service technician to the user's premises can be reduced, thereby reducing the effort and costs.

[0043] Next, an advertisement paper feed unit 11 having the structure of a feeding device according to the present invention will be described. Fig. 4 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the advertisement paper feed unit 11 in the inserter 1 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the vicinity of the advertisement paper feed mechanism 16 in the advertisement stacking unit 15 of the advertisement paper feed unit 11, viewed from diagonally above right in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of the advertisement paper feed mechanism 16, viewed from the downstream side in the newspaper transport direction (the side of the discharge unit 2). Figs. 4 and 5 show a state in which no advertisement sets PS are loaded in the advertisement stacking unit 15, and Fig. 6 shows a state in which an advertisement set bundle consisting of multiple advertisement sets PS is loaded.

[0044] The advertisement paper feed unit 11 is a feeding device that loads a stack of advertisement sets, each of which has a plurality of advertisement sets PS stacked with the folded part facing downward, on a loading table 26 that is inclined downward toward the conveying direction of the conveyor belts (261, 262), and takes out the advertisement sets PS one by one from the paper feeding position, which is the downstream end of the loading table 26 in the conveying direction, and feeds them toward the advertisement insertion unit 19. The advertisement paper feed unit 11 includes a loading table 26, an advertisement leading edge sensor 95, a front panel 25, and an advertisement paper feed mechanism 16. The advertisement paper feed mechanism 16 includes a separation plate 104 that is movable in the vertical direction, a separation push-out member 103, a paper feed driven roller 106, a suction pad 102 supported by a rotatable suction support member 102a, and a paper feed drive roller 105 whose position is fixed to the device body. In the paper feeding operation, suction pad 102 adsorbs the advertising set PS that is located at the most downstream side in the transport direction and reaches front panel 25 out of multiple advertising sets PS loaded on loading table 26, and as suction pad 102 moves, it draws the adsorbed advertising set PS into the device, and then sandwiches the drawn advertising set PS between paper feed drive roller 105 and paper feed driven roller 106 and feeds it to the lower right in Figure 6. The advertisement leading edge sensor 95 is located at the downstream end of the loading platform 26 in the conveying direction, and is a sensor that detects the advertisement set PS (advertisement set PS1 to be fed) that is at the forefront position (feeding position) among the multiple sets of advertisement sets PS loaded on the loading platform 26.

[0045] 4 to 6, the loading platform 26 includes a loading support plate 263, a plurality of (four in this example) upstream conveyor belts 261 arranged parallel to one another in the width direction, and a plurality of (four in this example) downstream conveyor belts 262 arranged parallel to one another in the width direction. The downstream conveyor belts 262 are arranged with a shifted position in the width direction relative to the upstream conveyor belt 261. A rotational drive is transmitted from a main motor to a belt drive roller 265 that stretches a downstream end of the upstream conveyor belt 261 in the conveying direction and an upstream end of the downstream conveyor belt 262 in the conveying direction, causing the belts to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 (clockwise), whereby the upstream conveyor belt 261 and the downstream conveyor belt 262 move endlessly such that their upper surfaces move downstream in the conveying direction.

[0046] The control unit 52 controls a drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch that switches ON / OFF the transmission of rotational drive from the main motor to the belt drive roller 265. When the drive transmission is turned ON and the belt drive roller 265 rotates, the conveyor belts (261, 262) move the advertisement set PS on the loading platform 26 toward the paper feed position. When the advertisement leading edge sensor 95 no longer detects the advertisement set PS at the feed position because the advertisement feed mechanism 16 has pulled in the advertisement set PS1 to be fed that is at the feed position, the control unit 52 controls the drive of the belt drive roller 265 so that the advertisement leading edge sensor 95 detects the advertisement set PS again. This allows the multiple advertisement sets PS loaded on the loading platform 26 to be moved in the direction toward the feed position in accordance with the decrease in the advertisement sets PS on the loading platform 26 due to the advertisement feed mechanism 16 pulling in the advertisement sets PS. The control unit 52 turns on the transmission of drive to the belt drive roller 265 and moves the advertisement set PS by the conveying belts (261, 262), and then, even if the advertisement tip sensor 95 still detects the advertisement set PS, if a predetermined number of advertisement sets PS have been fed, turns on the transmission of drive to the belt drive roller 265 and moves the advertisement set PS by the conveying belts (261, 262) a predetermined amount or a predetermined time.

[0047] Front panel 25 is a plate member that supports advertisement sets PS that are loaded vertically on loading platform 26 to prevent them from falling over. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a paper feed passage opening 251 is formed in the lower part of front panel 25, through which advertisement sets PS that are fed from loading platform 26 into the device pass, and front panel 25 above the upper end of paper feed passage opening 251 is configured to support the upper half of the vertically oriented advertisement sets PS.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 5, the loading tray 26 is provided with a separation claw 70 at its downstream end in the conveyance direction. The separation claw 70 protrudes from below into the paper feed passage opening 251, is attracted to the suction pad 102, and as the suction pad 102 moves, comes into contact with the lower end of the advertisement set PS that is about to pass through the paper feed passage opening 251 into the device, thereby facilitating the separation of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed and the next advertisement set PS2 to be fed in the next paper feeding operation.

[0049] 5 and 6 described above show the advertisement feed mechanism 16 in a standby state before starting the feeding operation of the advertisement set PS. 7 to 9 are cross-sectional explanatory diagrams illustrating how the advertisement feed mechanism 16 feeds the advertisement set PS1 to be fed. FIG. 7 shows the state where the suction pad 102 has reached a position where it can suction the advertisement set PS, FIG. 8 shows the state where the suction pad 102 has pulled the advertisement set PS1 to be fed into the device through the paper feed passage opening 251, and FIG. 9 shows the state where the advertisement set PS1 to be fed pulled by the suction pad 102 is sandwiched between the paper feed drive roller 105 and the paper feed driven roller 106.

[0050] 5 and 6, when the paper feed operation is started from the standby state shown in Fig. 6, the paper feed drive roller 105 starts to rotate counterclockwise in Fig. 6, and the separation plate 104, separation push-out member 103, and paper feed driven roller 106 move down so that these members do not block the paper feed passage opening 251. Meanwhile, by turning on the connection between the suction pump (not shown) and the suction pad 102 and rotating the suction support member 102a clockwise in Fig. 6, the suction pad 102 is brought into a state of being adsorbed to the back surface (the surface that comes into contact with the front panel 25) of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0051] In the paper feeding operation, the suction support member 102a rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 7 from the state shown in FIG. 7, and the separation pushing member 103 and the paper feed driven roller 106 rise to the state shown in FIG. 8. As the suction support member 102a rotates counterclockwise, the suction pad 102 retracts into the device, and the fed advertisement set PS1 that the suction pad 102 has adsorbed is pulled into the device through the paper feed passage opening 251. During this operation, the separation claw 70 catches on the lower end of the fed advertisement set PS1 that passes through the paper feed passage opening 251, but the portion of the fed advertisement set PS1 near its lower end bends and clears the separation claw 70, allowing the lower end side of the fed advertisement set PS1 to pass through the paper feed passage opening 251. Furthermore, even if the next feeding advertisement set PS2 comes into close contact with the feeding target advertisement set PS1 and is about to be fed together with the feeding target advertisement set PS1, the feeding target advertisement set PS1 is bent by the separation claw 70, and the next feeding advertisement set PS2 does not follow the bending of the feeding target advertisement set PS1 due to its rigidity, and the close contact between the feeding target advertisement set PS1 and the next feeding advertisement set PS2 is released, which can encourage the feeding target advertisement set PS1 to be separated from the other advertisement sets PS loaded on the loading table 26.

[0052] During the paper feeding operation, the suction support member 102a further rotates counterclockwise from the state shown in Fig. 8, and the separation and pushing member 103 and paper feed driven roller 106 further rise, and the operation of each drive unit is controlled so that they are in positions similar to those in the standby state shown in Fig. 6, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 9. When the suction pad 102 reaches the position shown in Fig. 9, air suction from the suction pad 102 is stopped, and suction by the suction pad 102 is released. This operation pulls the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, which has been attracted to the suction pad 102, into a position where it contacts the paper feed drive roller 105. Furthermore, the rising separation and pushing member 103 enters between the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, the vicinity of its lower end separated by the separation claw 70, and the advertisement set PS2 to be next to be fed, thereby enabling more reliable separation and feeding. Furthermore, as the paper feed driven roller 106 attempts to rise to a position where it comes into contact with the paper feed drive roller 105, the advertisement set PS1 to be fed can be clamped between the paper feed driven roller 106 and the paper feed drive roller 105, and the clamped advertisement set PS1 to be fed is fed towards the advertisement insertion unit 19 by the rotation of the paper feed drive roller 105. Note that as shown in Figures 6 to 9, the separation protruding member 103 is equipped with a separation protruding roller 103a, and as shown in Figure 9, when it gets between the advertisement set PS1 to be fed and the advertisement set PS2 to be next fed, the separation protruding roller 103a rotates in contact with the advertisement set PS1 to be fed or the advertisement set PS2 to be next fed, thereby preventing scratches on the surface of the advertisement set PS caused by the separation protruding member 103 rubbing against it as it moves up and down.

[0053] Next, adjustment of the protruding amount of the separation claw 70 relative to the paper feed passage opening 251 will be described. The protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 needs to be adjusted according to the thickness of the advertisement set PS. Specifically, the thicker the advertisement set PS, the smaller the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 should be, and the thinner the advertisement set PS, the larger the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 should be. This is for the following reasons.

[0054] In other words, because the thick advertisement set PS is highly rigid and difficult to bend, the next advertisement set PS2 is less likely to bend in response to the bending of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, reducing the protrusion of the separation claw 70, and even if the bending of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed is small, the advertisement set PS1 to be fed and the next advertisement set PS2 can be separated due to the rigidity of the advertisement set PS2. Also, if the protrusion of the separation claw 70 is too great when feeding a thick advertisement set PS, before the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, which is adsorbed to the suction pad 102, bends enough to get over the separation claw 70, the force resisting the bending due to the rigidity of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed exceeds the suction force of the suction pad 102, causing the suction of the suction pad 102 to be released and preventing feeding.

[0055] On the other hand, because thin advertisement sets PS have little rigidity and bend easily, the next advertisement set PS2 to be fed is likely to bend in response to the bending of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, and even if the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 is increased and the amount of bending of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed is increased, it is unlikely that the force resisting the bending due to the rigidity of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed will exceed the suction force of the suction pad 102, making it unlikely that feeding problems will occur. Also, if the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 is too small when feeding a thin advertisement set PS, even if the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, which is adsorbed to the suction pad 102, bends so much that it overcomes the separation claw 70, the next advertisement set PS2 will bend in response to the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, and the adhesion cannot be released, which could result in poor separation and double feeding of advertisement sets PS.

[0056] For this reason, in the advertisement paper feed unit 11 of this embodiment, the vertical position (height) of the separation claw 70 can be adjusted so that the protrusion amount can be increased when the advertisement set PS is thin and decreased when the advertisement set PS is thick. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of adjusting the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70. Figure 10(a) is an explanatory diagram when the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 is set to the maximum, and Figure 10(b) is an explanatory diagram when the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 is set to the minimum. As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), by varying the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 depending on the thickness of the advertisement set PS, good paper feeding and separation properties can be achieved even if the thickness of the advertisement set PS changes.

[0057] The separation claw adjustment knob 45, which is the operating part of the separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90 (see Figures 11 and 12) that adjusts the vertical position of the separation claw 70, is located on the right wall front panel 110a of the right side wall portion 110 of the housing of the advertisement paper feeding unit 11. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90, where Figure 11(a) is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of the separation claw adjustment knob 45 on the right side wall portion 110 of the housing, and Figure 11(b) is an enlarged oblique view of the vicinity of the separation claw adjustment knob 45 on the right side wall portion 110 of the housing.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 11 , the advertisement feed unit 11 has a separation claw adjustment knob 45 on the right-wall front panel 110a of the right side wall 110 of the housing, and an advertisement set clamping unit 80 on the right-wall side panel 110b of the housing right side wall 110. The advertisement set clamping unit 80 has a clamping fixed roller 81, a clamping movable roller 82, a fixed roller support member 83, and a movable roller support slide member 84. The fixed roller support member 83 supports the clamping fixed roller 81 so as to be rotatable about a clamping fixed roller rotation axis 81a, and is fixed to the housing of the advertisement feed unit 11 so as to protrude from the right side panel 110b. The movable roller support slide member 84 supports the clamping movable roller 82 so as to be rotatable about a clamping movable roller rotation axis 82a, and is configured to move left and right in response to rotation of the separation claw adjustment knob 45 by a slide mechanism located inside the housing right side wall 110. In addition, a movable roller passing window 111 is formed in the right wall side panel 110b of the right side wall portion 110 of the housing, and the part of the movable roller support slide member 84 that supports the clamping movable roller 82 protrudes outward from the movable roller passing window 111.As the movable roller support slide member 84 moves left and right, the amount of protrusion outward from the movable roller passing window 111 changes, and the distance between the clamping fixed roller 81 and the clamping movable roller 82 changes.

[0059] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90. FIG. 12(a) [FIGS. 12(a-1) and 12(a-2)] is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a thick advertisement set PS is clamped in the advertisement set clamping unit 80, and FIG. 12(b) [FIGS. 12(b-1) and 12(b-2)] is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a thin advertisement set PS is clamped in the advertisement set clamping unit 80. Also, FIGS. 12(a-1) and 12(b-1) are explanatory diagrams of the position of the advertisement set clamping unit 80 in the front-rear direction, and FIGS. 12(a-2) and 12(b-2) are explanatory diagrams of the position of the separation claw 70 in the front-rear direction. Note that in FIGS. 12(a-1) and 12(b-1), the large-diameter gear portion 86a of the clamping action transmission gear 86, which is located closer to the front than the advertisement set clamping unit 80, is shown by a dashed line for convenience. The clamping action transmission gear 86 is supported on the device housing so as to be rotatable around an action transmission gear shaft 87 .

[0060] As shown in FIG. 12, the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is fixed to a separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75, to which a clamping action output gear 46 and a separation claw adjustment output gear 74 are fixed. When a user rotates the separation claw adjustment knob 45, the clamping action output gear 46 and the separation claw adjustment output gear 74 fixed to the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75 also rotate.

[0061] The large-diameter gear portion 86a of the clamping action transmission gear 86 meshes with the clamping action output gear 46, and when the clamping action output gear 46 rotates, the clamping action transmission gear 86 also rotates. The small-diameter gear portion 86b of the clamping action transmission gear 86 meshes with the movable roller support rack portion 84a of the movable roller support slide member 84. A slide member support pin 85 fixed to the housing of the advertisement paper feed unit 11 is fitted into the elongated hole that is long in the left-right direction of the movable roller support slide member 84, and the slide member support pin 85 supports the movable roller support slide member 84 in a state where it can move left-right. When the clamping action transmission gear 86 meshes with the movable roller support rack portion 84a, the movable roller support slide member 84 moves left-right, and the clamping moving roller 82 supported by the movable roller support slide member 84 moves left-right. In this way, the clamping action transmission gear 86, the movable roller support rack portion 84a, etc. constitute the slide mechanism described above.

[0062] The separation claw adjustment output gear 74 is engaged with a separation claw push-up slide rack portion 73b of the separation claw push-up slide member 73, and when the separation claw adjustment output gear 74 rotates, the separation claw push-up slide member 73 moves left and right. The separation claw support member 71, to which the separation claws 70 are fixed, is supported by a support mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable up and down relative to the stacking table 26, and the separation claw push-up slide member 73 has three inclined members 72, each having an inclined surface with which the lower ends of the three separation claw support members 71 come into contact, fixed to the inclined support portion 73a of the separation claw push-up slide member 73. When the separation claw push-up slide member 73 moves left and right, the height of the position where the lower ends of the separation claw support members 71 contact the inclined surfaces of the inclined members 72 changes, and the height of the separation claws 70 fixed to the separation claw support member 71 changes depending on the height of this contact position.

[0063] The operation of adjusting the height of the separation claw 70 in accordance with the thickness of the advertisement set PS to be loaded will now be described. Before loading a stack of advertisement sets PS on the loading platform 26, the user turns the separation claw adjustment knob 45 fully counterclockwise (the opposite direction to the arrow "A1" in the figure). Next, one of the advertisement sets PS to be loaded is placed upright between the clamping fixed roller 81 and the clamping moving roller 82, and the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure) until it can no longer be rotated, and then the user removes the advertisement set PS from the advertisement set clamping unit 80.

[0064] Next, the movement of the separation claw height adjusting mechanism 90 during the above-mentioned height adjusting operation will be described with reference to FIGS. When the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is turned fully counterclockwise (opposite the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure), the gap between the fixed clamping roller 81 and the movable clamping roller 82 of the advertisement set clamping unit 80 becomes the widest. Next, when the user places the advertisement set PS between the clamping fixed roller 81 and the clamping movable roller 82 and rotates the separation claw adjustment knob 45 clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure), the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75 and the clamping operation output gear 46 and separation claw adjustment output gear 74 fixed thereto rotate clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure).

[0065] 12(a-1) and 12(b-1), when the clamping operation output gear 46 rotates clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figures), the clamping operation transmission gear 86 rotates counterclockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A2" in the figures). Then, the movable roller support rack unit 84a, which includes the movable roller support rack unit 84a, moves to the right (in the direction of the arrow "A3" in the figures), and the clamping movable roller 82 moves in a direction narrowing the gap between it and the clamping fixed roller 81. Then, when the advertisement set PS is caught between the clamping movable roller 82 and the clamping fixed roller 81, the clamping movable roller 82 cannot move in a direction narrowing the gap between it and the clamping fixed roller 81, and the user cannot rotate the separation claw adjustment knob 45 clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figures).

[0066] 12(a-2) and 12(b-2), when the separation claw adjustment output gear 74 rotates clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figures), the separation claw push-up slide member 73, which includes the separation claw push-up slide rack portion 73b, moves leftward (in the direction of the arrow "A4" in the figures). When the separation claw push-up slide member 73 moves leftward (in the direction of the arrow "A4" in the figures), the inclined member 72 fixed to the inclined support portion 73a moves leftward, and the height of the portion of the inclined surface of the inclined member 72 that faces the lower end of the separation claw support member 71 becomes higher. As a result, the separation claw support member 71 is pushed up by the inclined surface of the inclined member 72 and moves upward (in the direction of the arrow "A5" in the figures), and the position of the separation claw 70 fixed to the separation claw support member 71 moves upward.

[0067] 12(a), when a thick advertisement set PS is placed in the advertisement set clamping unit 80 and the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is rotated clockwise (in the direction of arrow "A1" in the figure), the clamping movement roller 82 hits the advertisement set PS with a small amount of rotation, and the advertisement set clamping unit 80 clamps the advertisement set PS. As a result, the amount of rotation in the clockwise direction (in the direction of arrow "A1" in the figure) of the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75 to which the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is fixed and the separation claw adjustment output gear 74 fixed to the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75 becomes smaller, and the amount of movement of the separation claw push-up slide member 73 to the left (in the direction of arrow "A4" in the figure) becomes smaller. Furthermore, the amount of movement of the inclined member 72 fixed to the separation claw push-up slide member 73 to the left (in the direction of the arrow "A4" in the figure) decreases, and the amount of movement of the separation claw 70 fixed to the separation claw support member 71, which is pushed up by the leftward movement of the inclined member 72, to the upward direction (in the direction of the arrow "A5" in the figure) also decreases. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the separation claw 70 from the paper feed passage opening 251 decreases.

[0068] 12(b), when a thin advertisement set PS is placed in the advertisement set clamping unit 80 and the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure), the amount of rotation of the separation claw adjustment knob 45 increases until the clamping movement roller 82 abuts against the advertisement set PS and the advertisement set clamping unit 80 clamps the advertisement set PS. This increases the amount of rotation in the clockwise direction (in the direction of the arrow "A1" in the figure) of the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75 to which the separation claw adjustment knob 45 is fixed and the separation claw adjustment output gear 74 fixed to the separation claw adjustment transmission shaft 75, and also increases the amount of movement of the separation claw push-up slide member 73 to the left (in the direction of the arrow "A4" in the figure). Furthermore, the amount of movement of the inclined member 72 fixed to the separation claw push-up slide member 73 to the left (in the direction of the arrow "A4" in the figure) increases, and the amount of movement of the separation claw 70 fixed to the separation claw support member 71, which is pushed up by the leftward movement of the inclined member 72, to the upward direction (in the direction of the arrow "A5" in the figure) also increases. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the separation claw 70 from the paper feed passage opening 251 increases.

[0069] Conventional inserters do not have a configuration like the advertisement set clamping section 80, so the advertisement set is clamped in a thickness measuring device separate from the inserter, the measurement value on this thickness measuring device is confirmed, and the amount of protrusion of the separation claw is adjusted by operating the position of the adjustment member that adjusts the amount of protrusion of the separation claw so that it corresponds to the measurement value on the thickness measuring device. Such conventional adjustment procedures require many steps, such as (1) preparing a thickness measuring device, (2) placing the advertising set in the thickness measuring device, (3) checking the measurement value of the thickness measuring device, and (4) manipulating the adjustment member so that the position corresponds to the checked measurement value. Furthermore, step (4) requires the user to manually adjust the position of the adjustment member so that the position corresponds to the measurement value, which is time-consuming for the user.

[0070] In contrast, the advertisement paper feed section 11 of the inserter 1 according to this embodiment can adjust the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 with a few simple steps: (1) placing the advertisement set PS in the advertisement set clamping section 80; and (2) rotating the separation claw adjustment knob 45 until it stops.

[0071] The separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90 of this embodiment is configured so that the clamping moving roller 82, which is displaced according to the thickness of the advertisement set PS, and the separation claw push-up slide member 73, which moves the separation claw 70 up and down, are mechanically linked. The configuration for changing the protrusion amount of a separating member such as the separation claw 70 in conjunction with a change in the distance between clamping members such as the clamping fixed roller 81 and the clamping moving roller 82 is not limited to a mechanically linked configuration. An example configuration may also be one that includes a distance sensor that emits a signal according to the distance between the clamping members, and a drive source such as a motor or solenoid that changes the protrusion amount of the separating member, and controls the drive amount of the drive source in accordance with the signal from the distance sensor.

[0072] Furthermore, instead of the clamping member and distance sensor of the above-described configuration example, a thickness sensor may be used to measure the thickness of the advertisement set PS, and the drive amount of the drive source that changes the protrusion amount of the separating member may be controlled based on the detection result of the thickness sensor. The configuration using a thickness sensor is not limited to a configuration in which a user places one advertisement set PS to be fed at a measurement position to measure the thickness. Alternatively, a thickness sensor may be placed in the paper feed path from the advertisement stacking unit 15, measure the thickness using preset paper feed that feeds only one set, and control the drive amount of the drive source based on the measurement value. Furthermore, if a thickness sensor is placed in the paper feed path, the protrusion amount of the separating member can be changed in accordance with changes in the thickness of the fed advertisement set PS, thereby enabling smooth paper feeding even if the thickness of the advertisement sets PS in the bundle of advertisement sets loaded on the advertisement stacking unit 15 varies.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the advertisement paper feed unit 11 is configured so that the distance between the clamping members can be manually changed by turning the separation claw adjustment knob 45, and the protrusion amount of the separation member changes mechanically in conjunction with this distance. With this configuration, there is no need for sensors such as distance sensors or thickness sensors to obtain information about the thickness of the advertisement set PS, or for a drive source to change the protrusion amount of the separation member, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of paper feed devices such as the advertisement paper feed unit 11. Furthermore, by placing the advertisement set PS in the advertisement set clamping unit 80 and turning the separation claw adjustment knob 45, the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 can be adjusted to correspond to the thickness of the advertisement set PS, and then by turning the separation claw adjustment knob 45 with no advertisement set PS placed in the advertisement set clamping unit 80, the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70 can be fine-tuned. Even if the advertisement sets PS are the same thickness, the separability and paper feeding ability may differ depending on the material and printing condition of the advertising printed matter that makes up the advertisement set PS. However, by adjusting the protrusion amount to correspond to the thickness of the advertisement set PS and then being able to further fine-tune the protrusion amount of the separation claw 70, more stable paper feeding of the advertisement set PS is possible.

[0074] The feeding device having a configuration for changing the protrusion amount of the separating member in conjunction with the distance between the clamping members described above, or a configuration for changing the protrusion amount of the separating member based on detection by the thickness sensor, is not limited to the advertisement paper feed unit 11 of the inserter 1 described above. For example, it can also be applied to a configuration in which newspapers are fed one by one from the newspaper stacking unit 14 of the newspaper paper feed unit 10 of the inserter 1 described above. Furthermore, it can be applied to any paper feeding device that changes the protrusion amount of the separation member depending on the thickness of the sheet material to be fed, and can also be applied to a mechanism that adjusts the height (protrusion amount) of the separation member provided in the paper feeding device of the collating device described in Patent Publication No. 2019-38628, for example.

[0075] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and variations, and various design changes and other modifications may be made to the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modified embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0076] The above description is merely an example, and each of the following aspects provides unique effects.

[0077] [Aspect 1] a feeding device such as advertisement paper feeder 11 that includes a storage section such as advertisement stacker 15 that stores a stack of sheet materials such as a bundle of advertisement sets in which multiple sheets of sheet material, such as one or more advertisement sets PS, are stacked in the thickness direction; a feeding means such as advertisement paper feed mechanism 16 that feeds sheet materials one by one from the stack of sheet materials in the storage section; and a separating member such as separation claw 70 that protrudes into a feeding passage path such as paper feed passage opening 251 through which the sheet material fed from the storage section passes, and promotes separation of some of the sheet materials fed by the feeding means from other sheet materials, and in which the protrusion amount of the separating member in the feeding passage path can be changed, the feeding device is characterized by including: sheet material clamping means such as advertisement set clamping section 80 that clamps the sheet material between two clamping members such as clamping fixed roller 81 and clamping movable roller 82; and clamping / separation linking means such as separation claw height adjustment mechanism 90 that changes the protrusion amount of the separating member in conjunction with a change in the distance between the two clamping members. This makes it possible to adjust the protruding amount of the separating member according to the thickness of the sheet material per unit of feeding, such as the thickness of one set of advertisement set PS, simply by clamping the sheet material to be fed with the sheet material clamping means, making it easier to adjust the protruding amount of the separating member than before.

[0078] [Aspect 2] In the feeding device according to the first aspect, at least one of the two clamping members is a roller member such as a fixed clamping roller 81 and a movable clamping roller 82, whose circumferential surface that contacts the object to be clamped is rotatable. According to this, when the sheet material is removed while it is still clamped by the sheet material clamping means, the clamping member consisting of a roller member rotates, thereby preventing friction between the clamping member and the sheet material due to the removal action, and preventing scratches on the sheet material due to friction.

[0079] Aspect 3 The feeding device includes a storage section such as an advertisement stacking section 15 that stores a stack of sheet materials such as a bundle of advertisement sets, each of which has one or more sheets of advertisement set PS stacked in the thickness direction; a feeding means such as an advertisement paper feeding mechanism 16 that feeds sheet materials one by one from the stack of sheet materials in the storage section; and a separating member such as a separation claw 70 that protrudes into a feeding passage path such as a paper feed passage opening 251 through which the sheet materials fed from the storage section pass, thereby facilitating the separation of some of the sheet materials fed by the feeding means from other sheet materials, and the protrusion amount of the separating member in the feeding passage path can be changed.The feeding device is characterized by having a thickness information acquisition means such as a thickness sensor that acquires thickness information of the sheet material, and a separation protrusion amount control means (a combination of a drive source and its control means, etc.) that controls the protrusion amount of the separating member based on the thickness information acquired by the thickness information acquisition means. This makes it possible to adjust the protruding amount of the separating member according to the thickness of the sheet material per feeding unit, such as the thickness of one set of advertising set PS, simply by obtaining thickness information of the sheet material to be fed using the thickness information obtaining means, making it easier to adjust the protruding amount of the separating member than before.

[0080] Aspect 4 In the paper feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, the storage section includes a front panel 25 or other such front plate that contacts the surface of the foremost sheet material, such as the advertisement set PS1 to be fed, which is located closest to the feeding means, and supports the foremost sheet material when the sheet materials are stored in a vertical position, and a storage section transport means, such as an upstream transport belt 261 and a downstream transport belt 262, that transport the stored stack of sheet materials toward the foremost sheet support plate, the feeding means includes an suction pad, such as suction pad 102, that adsorbs from a support plate opening, such as a paper feed passage opening 251 formed below the foremost sheet support plate, to the surface of the foremost sheet material that contacts the foremost sheet support plate (such as the back surface of the advertisement set PS1 to be fed), and moves the foremost sheet material downstream in the feeding direction, and the separating member is characterized in that the amount of protrusion at the support plate opening that constitutes the feeding passage path can be changed. In this configuration, the separating member contacts the foremost sheet material that is sucked by the suction pad and is about to pass through the support plate opening, facilitating separation of the foremost sheet material from the other sheet materials, and it is easy to adjust the amount of protrusion of the separating member at the support plate opening. Note that in the above-described embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the separating member that protrudes upward from the lower end of the support plate opening is adjustable, but the separating member is not limited to one that protrudes upward from the lower end of the support plate opening, and it may also be one that protrudes inward from the side edge of the support plate opening.

[0081] Aspect 5 In an inserting device such as an inserter 1 that forms a filled sheet material such as a filled newspaper by sandwiching a second sheet material such as an advertising set PS between a first sheet material such as a folded newspaper, the device is characterized in that a feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 4 is used as at least one of a first feeding means for feeding the first sheet material and a second feeding means for feeding the second sheet material. This makes it easy to adjust the protruding amount of the separating member provided in the feeding means of the inserting device.

[0082] Aspect 6 In a collating device that forms a sheet bundle by stacking sheet materials fed from each of a plurality of feeding sections, the device is characterized in that a feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 4 is used as at least one of the feeding sections. This makes it easy to adjust the protrusion amount of the separating member provided in the feeding section of the intermediate collating device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1: Inserter 10:Newspaper feed section 11: Advertising paper feed section 14: Newspaper loading section 15: Advertising loading section 16: Advertising paper feed mechanism 17: Newspaper Delivery Department 18: Newspaper opening 19: Advertisement insertion section 25: Front plate 26: Loading platform 41:Operation unit 42: Newspaper feed mechanism 45: Separation claw adjustment knob 46: Clamping operation output gear 50: Reception 51: Display control 70: Separation claw 71: Separation claw support member 72: Inclined member 73: Separation claw push-up slide member 73a: Inclined support part 73b: Separate lift-up slide rack section 74: Separation claw adjustment output gear 75: Transmission shaft for adjusting the separation claws 80: Advertisement set clamping part 81: Clamping fixed roller 81a: clamping fixed roller rotating shaft 82: Clamping roller 82a: clamping roller rotation axis 83: Fixed roller support member 84: Moving roller support slide member 84a: Moving roller support rack part 85: Slide member support pin 86: Clamping operation transmission gear 86a: Large diameter gear section 86b: Small diameter gear section 87: Motion transmission gear shaft 90: Separation claw height adjustment mechanism 95: Advertising tip sensor 100: Nakairi System 102: Suction pad 102a: suction support member 103: Separation protruding member 103a: Separation ejection roller 104: Separation plate 105: Paper feed drive roller 106: Paper feed driven roller 110: Right side wall of the housing 110a: Right wall front plate 110b: Right wall side plate 111: Moving roller passage window 251: Paper feed opening PS: Ad Set

Claims

1. An inserting device that conveys a folded first sheet material, opens the opposite side of the fold of the first sheet material, and inserts a second sheet material into the gap formed, thereby forming an inserted sheet material in which the second sheet material is sandwiched between the first sheet material, The interception device is characterized by having a transmission means for transmitting device information including at least one of the cumulative number of interceptions of the interception device, the number of errors that have occurred, and the number of times that each type of error has occurred to an external information processing means via an Internet line.

2. In the insertion device of claim 1, The interposer device is characterized by having a receiving means for receiving information about the interposer device, including at least one of update information for the control program of the interposer device and information about jobs from other devices, from the external information processing means via the Internet line.

3. An inserting device for forming an inserted sheet material by sandwiching a second sheet material between a folded first sheet material; An external information processing means for acquiring and storing device information transmitted from the insertion device via an Internet line; In the intercom device management system, a management terminal can be used to check the device information stored in the external information processing means.

10. A system for managing a device for inserting a material into a work area, comprising the inserting device according to claim 1 or 2 as the inserting device.

4. In the entry device management system of claim 3, The interception device has a serviceman call button, When the serviceman call button is pressed, a message indicating that the serviceman call button has been pressed is displayed on the management screen of the management terminal.

5. In the entry device management system of claim 3, a control unit of the insertion device that transmits error information to the external information processing means when the operation of the insertion device stops; The external information processing means transmits the received error information to the management terminal at predetermined intervals.

6. In the entry device management system of claim 3, The external information processing means or the management terminal accumulates the received error information, and when the conditions are met, an alert display instructing confirmation of the need for maintenance is displayed on the management screen of the management terminal.

Images