Newspaper take-out mechanism

Abstract

To provide a newspaper take-out mechanism capable of separating newspapers one by one from a pile of newspapers piled up in the same direction and taking them out in a normal posture.SOLUTION: A newspaper take-out mechanism separates and takes out newspapers one by one in a first direction along a first fold from a stack of newspapers in which a plurality of stacked newspapers are folded in four and stacked in the same direction the newspapers being located at a take-out position at one end of a stacking direction. A take-out roller is positioned downstream in the first direction from a take-out position facing an opposite side of the stacked newspapers on a conveyance path and rotates in the first direction to apply a conveyance force to the newspapers passing through the conveyance path. A separation roller is arranged opposite the conveyance path between the take-out position and the take-out roller and at the position facing the newspaper on a first fold side of the position where the take-out roller faces the newspaper passing through the conveyance path, and is rotatable in the first direction. A friction applying member is disposed opposite the separation roller across the conveyance path and applies a friction force to the second and subsequent newspapers overlapping the newspaper at the take-out position to separate them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a newspaper take-out mechanism that separates and takes out newspapers one by one from a pile of newspapers stacked in the same orientation, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, newspaper processing devices have become popular that insert bundles of inserts (collated bundles) into newspapers and stack them in delivery order. This type of newspaper processing device is equipped with a newspaper removal mechanism that separates and removes newspapers one by one from a stack of multiple newspapers stacked in the same orientation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-202861 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Newspapers processed by the newspaper processing device are handled in a state where multiple sheets of newspaper are folded in quarters in order to insert collated bundles between them. Also, in order to insert the collated bundles discharged from the collating machine into the newspapers, multiple newspapers fed into the newspaper removal mechanism must be stacked in the same orientation. In this type of pile of newspapers folded in quarters in the same orientation, the thickness of the overlapping areas of the folded edges of the newspapers is greater than the thickness of the overlapping areas of the other unfolded edges. This phenomenon is called "fold thickening."

[0005] Therefore, in the newspaper removal mechanism, when multiple copies of newspapers folded in four are stacked in the same direction and the newspapers at the end of the stacking direction are separated and removed one by one, problems such as the newspapers at the removal position becoming tilted or wrinkled due to ``fold thickening'' can easily occur, which can result in poor removal or a transport jam.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a newspaper take-out mechanism that can separate newspapers one by one from a pile of newspapers stacked in the same orientation and take them out in the correct position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A newspaper take-out mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention separates and takes out newspapers one by one in a first direction along the first fold from a stack of newspapers in the same orientation, where the stack is made up of multiple newspapers folded in half along a first fold and then folded in half along a second fold. The newspaper take-out mechanism separates and takes out newspapers one by one from a stack of newspapers in a take-out position at one end of the stacking direction in a first direction along the first fold. The newspaper take-out mechanism includes a conveyance path extending from the take-out position in the first direction. The take-out roller is disposed downstream of the take-out position in the first direction, facing the opposite side of the stack of newspapers on the conveyance path, and rotates in the first direction to apply a conveying force to the newspapers passing through the conveyance path. The separation roller is disposed opposite the conveyance path between the take-out position and the take-out roller, facing the newspapers on the first fold side of the position where the take-out roller faces the newspapers passing through the conveyance path, and is rotatable in the first direction. The friction applying member is positioned opposite the separation roller across the conveyance path, and applies friction to the second and subsequent newspapers that overlap the newspaper at the removal position, separating them. The pressing member presses the separation roller toward the friction applying member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a newspaper removal mechanism that can separate newspapers one by one from a pile of newspapers stacked in the same orientation and remove them in the correct position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a newspaper processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the collating mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the newspaper take-out mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the attitude of the newspaper to be inserted into the newspaper take-out mechanism of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the newspaper take-out mechanism of FIG. 3 as seen from the direction of arrow F5. [Figure 6] 6 is a front view showing the newspaper take-out mechanism and the assembly mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing an area F7 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the incorporation process of the flowchart of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the incorporating operation of the flowchart of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view showing an area F12 of the newspaper take-out mechanism in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the configuration of FIG. 12 as viewed from the direction of arrow F13. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main part of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 14 taken along the arrow F15. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for the newspaper take-out mechanism of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the newspaper processing device 100 comprises a newspaper take-out mechanism 1, a collating mechanism 10, an embedded mechanism 30, and a lifter 50. The newspaper take-out mechanism 1 is arranged side by side on the left side of the housing 11 of the collating mechanism 10. The embedded mechanism 30 is arranged side by side in front of the collating mechanism 10 and on the right side of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1. The lifter 50 is arranged side by side on the right side of the embedded mechanism 30. The newspaper take-out mechanism 1, the collating mechanism 10, the embedded mechanism 30, and the lifter 50 may be incorporated into a common single housing. The newspaper processing device 100 is installed on a level floor F.

[0011] In the following description, the discharge direction of the collated stack in the collation mechanism 10 is defined as the forward direction, and the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are defined when viewing the newspaper processing device 100 from the front. In the drawings, the arrow X direction is the direction from left to right, the arrow Y direction is the direction from rear to front, and the arrow Z direction is the direction from bottom to top. In each drawing, arrows in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are shown as appropriate.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the collating mechanism 10 has a housing 11 that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped and elongated in the Z direction. On the front side (left side in the figure) and rear side (right side in the figure) of the housing 11 along the Y direction, there are multiple paper feed trays 12 arranged in the Z direction. The paper feed trays 12 are attached to the housing 11 so as to be inclined downward toward the inside of the housing 11. Each paper feed tray 12 is detachable from the housing 11. A stack of multiple inserts can be fed into each paper feed tray 12. Different types of inserts can be fed into all the paper feed trays 12, or the same type of inserts can be fed into multiple paper feed trays 12. Furthermore, multiple stacks of collated inserts of multiple types can be fed into the paper feed tray 12. Paper feed tray 12a, located at the lowest level on the front side of the housing 11, is assigned as a paper feed tray for feeding multiple origami sheets.

[0013] Inside the housing 11 is a transport path 13 that extends in the Z direction through the center of the housing 11. The transport path 13 is provided along the XZ plane between the front paper feed tray 12 and the rear paper feed tray 12. Inserted leaflets taken out from each paper feed tray 12 at a predetermined timing are fed into the transport path 13 and stacked on top of each other. Multiple inserts are transported downward in an overlapping state via the transport path 13. The transport path 13 is provided with multiple pairs of transport rollers 14. The transport roller pairs 14 rotate while clamping the overlapping inserts.

[0014] A first paper feed roller 15 and a second paper feed roller 16 are provided at the lower end of each paper feed tray 12 in the inclined direction, i.e., at the end closer to the center and closer to the conveying path 13. The first paper feed roller 15 is positioned so as to contact the uppermost insert of the multiple inserts stacked in the paper feed tray 12. The second paper feed roller 16 is provided downstream of the first paper feed roller 15 in the feed direction of the inserts. Furthermore, a feed roller pair 18 is provided downstream of the second paper feed roller 16 in the feed direction of the inserts.

[0015] The first feed roller 15 rotates while coming into contact with the topmost insert of the multiple inserts placed in the feed tray 12, and sends the topmost insert toward the feed roller pair 18. The second feed roller 16 presses the leading edges of the second and subsequent inserts against the separating plate 17, thereby preventing the second and subsequent inserts from being sent all the way to the feed roller pair 18 (i.e., double feeding). In other words, the multiple inserts placed in the feed tray 12 are separated one by one by the first feed roller 15, the second feed roller 16, and the separating plate 17, and sent to the feed roller pair 18. The feed roller pair 18 sends the inserts into the conveying path 13.

[0016] A pair of folding rollers 19 is disposed at the lower end of the conveying path 13. The pair of folding rollers 19 is attached in a position where its nip is located on an extension of the conveying path 13. In other words, the rotation axis of the pair of folding rollers 19 extends in the X direction. Multiple folded leaflets are conveyed downward in a stacked state via the conveying path 13 and are fed into the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19.

[0017] A pair of feed rollers 18a is provided downstream in the paper feed direction (right side in the figure) of the paper feed tray 12a for feeding origami paper. The first and second feed rollers 15 and 16 of the paper feed tray 12a feed the origami paper inserted into the paper feed tray 12a to the pair of feed rollers 18a. The pair of feed rollers 18a feeds the origami paper removed from the paper feed tray 12a by the first and second feed rollers 15 and 16 above the pair of folding rollers 19. In addition, a stopper 20 is provided at the leading end in the paper feed direction of the origami paper fed from the paper feed tray 12a. The stopper 20 stops the origami paper at a position where the center of the origami paper in the paper feed direction faces the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19. A folding knife 21 is provided diagonally above the pair of folding rollers 19. The folding knife 21 pushes the center of the origami paper toward the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19.

[0018] The inserts fed through each paper feed tray 12 are stacked in the order they were taken out in the conveying path 13 and sent to the nip of the folding roller pair 19. At this point, the center of the folded paper that was previously fed has been folded by the folding knife 21. Then, the overlapping inserts conveyed through the conveying path 13 are pushed into the center of the folded paper and sandwiched between the folded paper by the rotation of the folding roller pair 19. After passing through the folding roller pair 19, the stack of inserts with multiple inserts sandwiched between the folded paper, i.e., the collated stack, is transferred to the conveying belt 22 and discharged via the discharge roller pair 23 from the discharge opening 24 provided on the front side of the housing 11.

[0019] Conveying path 13, multiple pairs of conveying rollers 14, paper feed tray 12a, first and second paper feed rollers 15 and 16 of paper feed tray 12a, feed roller pair 18a, folding roller pair 19, and folding knife 21 function as a collating unit that collates inserts selectively removed from multiple stages of paper feed tray 12 in the order they were removed. Collated inserts can also be discharged as they are without being sandwiched between folded sheets, and such a stack of inserts can also be considered a collated bundle.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the collating mechanism 10 also includes an operation panel 11a as an interface device. The operation panel 11a is attached to the upper right side of the housing 11. The operation panel 11a is rotatable between an open position shown in the figure and a closed position (not shown) in which it is folded substantially parallel to the right side of the housing 11. The operation panel 11a is, for example, a touch panel equipped with a display element. An operator operates the operation panel 11a to input various settings related to the newspaper processing device 100.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 has a housing 1a having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The newspaper take-out mechanism 1 has a first insertion unit 2 and a second insertion unit 3, each of which inserts a plurality of newspapers P (Figure 4) in a stacked manner in the same orientation.

[0022] The first insertion section 2 is located at the top of the housing 1a and inserts multiple newspapers P stacked in the same orientation in an upright position. The first insertion section 2 has at least one support plate 2a. The support plate 2a can be removably attached to the first insertion section 2 in the inclined position shown in the figure. The support plate 2a functions as a pressing plate that presses the multiple newspapers P in the stacking direction (to the right in the figure). The stacking direction of the newspapers P in the first insertion section 2, i.e., the direction in which the newspapers P are supplied toward the removal position, is from front to back, and the support plate 2a is attached to the first insertion section 2 so as to face the newspaper P at the front end of the stack of multiple newspapers P.

[0023] The second insertion section 3 is located on the rear side (right side in the figure) of the housing 1a. The second insertion section 3 is equipped with a paper feed tray 3a that protrudes rearward from the rear of the housing 1a. The paper feed tray 3a is slightly inclined downward toward the front. A stack of multiple newspapers P to be inserted into the second insertion section 3 is placed on the paper feed tray 3a with the stacking direction of the newspapers P facing up and down. In other words, the stacking direction of the newspapers P in the second insertion section 3 is up and down.

[0024] Different brands of newspapers P may be inserted into the first insertion section 2 and the second insertion section 3, respectively, or newspapers P of the same brand may be inserted. Multiple brands of newspapers P are not inserted together into one insertion section. For example, when collated bundles of inserts assigned to two brands of newspapers (they may be collated bundles of different types of inserts or the same types) are inserted between the middle and stacked in delivery order, multiple copies of newspapers P of one brand are inserted into the first insertion section 2 in a stacked manner, and multiple copies of newspapers P of the other brand are inserted into the second insertion section 3 in a stacked manner.

[0025] For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), the newspaper P is made by stacking several A1-sized newspapers and folding them in half along the dashed line in the middle (first fold) as shown by the arrow, and then as shown in Figure 4(b), several A2-sized newspapers folded in half are folded in half again along the dashed line in the middle (second fold) as shown by the arrow (fourth-folded state) (newspaper P folded to approximately A3 size) (Figure 4c), and multiple copies are stacked in the same direction and fed into each feed section 2, 3.

[0026] When inserting newspapers P into the first insertion section 2 at the top of the housing 1a, the operator inserts multiple newspapers P in an upright position, stacked front to back, in the same orientation, with the second fold P-2 positioned downward and the first fold P-1 positioned to the right. When inserting a stack of newspapers P into the first insertion section 2, the multiple newspapers P are inserted together behind (on the right side of the figure) the support plate 2a shown on the right side of FIG. 3, and the top ends of the multiple newspapers P are tilted toward this support plate 2a, so that the front sides of the multiple newspapers P are supported by the support plate 2a. In this way, by inserting multiple newspapers P in an upright position, the pressing force between the newspapers P is weakened, making it possible to prevent the occurrence of double feeding, where newspapers P are removed overlapping each other.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the first insertion section 2 has two endless floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) at its bottom. The two floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 move from the front to the rear along the bottom of the first insertion section 2 in the stacking direction of the newspapers P. The first insertion section 2 has two endless feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) with multiple protrusions 2d on both the left and right sides near the top end of the housing 1a. The pair of left and right feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 move from the front to the rear in the stacking direction of the newspapers P in synchronization with the floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2.

[0028] The lower end of the support plate 2a is moved rearward by the floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2, and its left and right ends are pushed rearward by the protrusions 2d of the feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2, moving the multiple newspapers P toward the removal position at the rear end of the first insertion section 2. The floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 and the feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 function as a moving mechanism that moves the multiple newspapers P in the stacking direction together with the support plate 2a.

[0029] When newspapers P are removed from the first insertion section 2 and only a few remain, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P together. In this case, the operator attaches another support plate 2a (left side of Figure 3) to a position further forward and spaced from the support plate 2a (right side of Figure 3) that is positioned in front of the multiple copies of newspapers P inserted into the first insertion section 2, and adds multiple copies of newspapers P behind this other support plate 2a (between the two support plates 2a). The operator then removes the rear support plate 2a from the first insertion section 2 and stacks the multiple copies of newspapers P that have been added in front of the few remaining newspapers P. Furthermore, the operator moves the support plate 2a in front of the added newspapers P backward to support the front end of the multiple copies of newspapers P being inserted into the first insertion section 2.

[0030] On the other hand, when inserting newspapers P into the second insertion section 3 on the rear side of the housing 1a, the operator places a stack of multiple newspapers P one above the other on the paper feed tray 3a with the fold P-2 positioned forward and the fold P-1 positioned to the right. The multiple newspapers P inserted into the second insertion section 3 are removed in order, starting with the topmost newspaper P in the stacking direction. For this reason, in the second insertion section 3, the pressing force acting between the topmost newspaper P at the removal position and the second newspaper P below it is very small, making it less likely that the problem of double feeding will occur, in which the second newspaper P is removed when the topmost newspaper P is removed.

[0031] When newspapers P are removed from the second insertion section 3 and only a few remain, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P at once. In this case, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P between the lowest newspaper P in the Z direction of the newspapers P inserted into the second insertion section 3 and the paper feed tray 3a. The newspapers P removed from the second insertion section 3 are merged into the same transport path T, which will be described later, in the same position as the newspapers P removed from the first insertion section 2.

[0032] Near the rear end of the bottom of first insertion section 2 are separation roller 4a, auxiliary roller 4b, and take-out roller 5a to prevent double feeding. Separation roller 4a and auxiliary roller 4b are mounted on the same shaft and positioned opposite to the lower edge of the rear surface of newspaper P (the newspaper at one end) that has been moved to the take-out position at the rear end of first insertion section 2. Separation roller 4a is positioned to the right, close to the first fold P-1 of newspaper P at the take-out position, and auxiliary roller 4b is positioned to the left, far from the first fold P-1 of newspaper P at the take-out position.

[0033] A rubber sheet 4c (FIG. 12) is located opposite the separation roller 4a, sandwiching the transport path T1 for the newspaper P that extends downward from the take-out position. The rubber sheet 4c is attached to the housing 1a of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 (the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F, described below) in front of the separation roller 4a. The separation roller 4a presses the newspapers P passing through the transport path T1 against the rubber sheet 4c, separating the second and subsequent newspapers P that overlap in front of the newspaper P at the take-out position, and preventing double feeding, in which the second and subsequent newspapers P are carried away by the first newspaper P.

[0034] The take-out roller 5a is arranged downstream of the separation roller 4a in the take-out direction of the newspapers P. Like the separation roller 4a, the take-out roller 5a is arranged behind the conveyance path T1 (on the opposite side from the pile). The take-out roller 5a is located between the separation roller 4a and the auxiliary roller 4b in the left-right direction. The take-out roller 5a applies a conveying force to the newspapers P passing through the conveyance path T1, and sends the first batch of newspapers P separated by the separation roller 4a and rubber sheet 4c toward the pair of conveyance rollers 6a. Because the conveyance path T1 is inclined downward toward the rear, the weight of the newspapers P assists in their removal.

[0035] The auxiliary roller 4b assists the take-out roller 5a in taking out the newspapers P. Another rubber sheet may be attached to the housing 1a (the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F described later) at a position facing the auxiliary roller 4b with the conveyance path T1 in between. In this case, a separating force can be applied to the second and subsequent newspapers P from the rubber sheet facing the auxiliary roller 4b, thereby assisting the separation operation of the separation roller 4a.

[0036] A take-out roller 5b is located near the front end of the paper feed tray 3a of the second input section 3. The take-out roller 5b comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost newspaper P among the multiple newspapers P loaded onto the paper feed tray 3a and rotates to feed the newspaper P toward the pair of conveying rollers 6b. The newspaper P taken out of the second input section 3 via the pair of conveying rollers 6b is fed to the pair of feed rollers 7a via the conveying path T2. Meanwhile, the newspaper P transported from the first input section 2 via the pair of conveying rollers 6a is also fed to the pair of feed rollers 7a via the conveying path T1.

[0037] Upstream of the feed roller pair 7a is a V-shaped conveyance guide 6c arranged along the conveyance paths T1 and T2. The conveyance guide 6c guides the leading edge of the newspaper P in the conveyance direction conveyed from the first input unit 2 via the conveyance path T1 toward the nip of the feed roller pair 7a, and also guides the leading edge of the newspaper P in the conveyance direction conveyed from the second input unit 3 via the conveyance path T2 toward the nip of the feed roller pair 7a. The conveyance guide 6c and the feed roller pair 7a function as a junction where the newspaper P fed from the first input unit 2 and the newspaper P fed from the second input unit 3 join together on a single conveyance path T.

[0038] The conveyance path T downstream of the feed roller pair 7a has two pairs of feed rollers 7b, 7c and multiple conveyance guides 7d. The newspapers P, which merge into one conveyance path T via the feed roller pair 7a, are conveyed along the conveyance path T via the two pairs of feed rollers 7b, 7c and multiple conveyance guides 7d and are fed into a direction changer 9, which changes the conveyance direction of the newspapers P by 90 degrees along the XY plane. By adjusting the orientation of the newspapers P inserted into the first insertion unit 2 and the second insertion unit 3 to the orientation described above, all newspapers P fed into the direction changer 9 will have the same orientation (fold line P-2 is located in front and fold line P-1 is located to the right). Note that because the conveyance paths T1 and T2 are approximately the same length, the newspapers P removed from the first insertion unit 2 and the newspapers P removed from the second insertion unit 3 will be fed into the direction changer 9 in the order of their removal.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the incorporating mechanism 30 is arranged alongside the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 to the right and facing the front of the collating mechanism 10 (not shown here). The incorporating mechanism 30 inserts the collated bundle discharged from the discharge port 24 of the collating mechanism 10 into the newspapers P supplied from the newspaper take-out mechanism 1. The incorporating mechanism 30 has a stacking section 31 (Figure 1) that stacks and accumulates the incorporated newspapers, with the collated bundle inserted into the newspapers P, in a vertical direction. As described above, the newspapers P taken out from the first input section 2 and the second input section 3 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 are fed to the direction changing section 9 in the order in which they were taken out, and therefore the stacking order of the incorporated newspapers sent from the direction changing section 9 to the stacking mechanism 30 to the stacking section 31 also corresponds to the order in which the newspapers P were taken out.

[0040] The direction changer 9 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 has a feed roller 8 (Fig. 3) that feeds the newspaper P fed into the direction changer 9 in the X direction. The shaft of the feed roller 8 extends forward and backward. The feed roller 8 is movable between a contact position where it contacts the top surface of the newspaper P fed into the direction changer 9, and a retracted position where it is retracted above the contact position. The retracted position is a position where the newspaper P fed into the direction changer 9 through the conveying path T does not interfere with the feed roller 8 that has moved to the retracted position.

[0041] The feed roller 8 moves from the contact position to the retracted position when the newspaper P is fed into the direction changer 9. In other words, the feed roller 8 moves up and down every time a newspaper P is fed into the direction changer 9. The newspaper P that has been fed into the direction changer 9 stops temporarily, and the feed roller 8 is moved to the contact position, after which the newspaper P is fed to the right (in the direction of arrow X) towards the assembly mechanism 30 by the rotation of the feed roller 8. At this time, the newspaper P is fed into the assembly mechanism 30 with the upper part P1 (FIG. 4c), one of the two parts divided by the fold P-2, facing upward.

[0042] 7, the assembly mechanism 30 has a suction nozzle 32 that sucks the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P, a solenoid 33 that moves the suction nozzle 32 up and down, a suction chamber 34 that is disposed below the transport path of the newspaper P, and an air intake 35 that communicates with the suction chamber 34. The air intake 35 is located opposite the air intake 32a of the suction nozzle 32 in the vertical direction.

[0043] The newspaper P sent out in the X direction from the direction changer 9 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 is stopped temporarily when its leading edge in the X direction approaches between the intake port 32a and the intake port 35 of the suction nozzle 32. The intake port 32a, which is located above the transport path of the newspaper P, faces the vicinity of the corner between the rear edge of the upper part P1 of the stopped newspaper P, which is parallel to the fold line P-2, and the fold line P-1. The intake port 35, which is located below the transport path, faces the vicinity of the corner between the rear edge of the lower part P2 of the stopped newspaper P, which is parallel to the fold line P-2, and the fold line P-1.

[0044] With the newspaper P temporarily stopped, the assembly mechanism 30 operates the solenoid 33 to move the suction nozzle 32 downward and bring the intake port 32a into contact with the upper surface of the corner of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P. At this time, the assembly mechanism 30 operates a blower (not shown) to draw a vacuum in the suction nozzle 32 and the suction chamber 34, so that the corner of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P is sucked to the intake port 32a and the corner of the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P is sucked to the intake port 35.

[0045] In this state, the assembly mechanism 30 operates the solenoid 33 to move the suction nozzle 32 upward, and opens upward the corner of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P that has been sucked into the intake port 32a. At this time, the corner of the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P is sucked into the intake port 35, so the upper portion P1 opens relative to the lower portion P2. With the newspaper P in an open state, the assembly mechanism 30 resumes transport of the newspaper P in the X direction and sends the newspaper P to the insertion position opposite the discharge port 24 of the collating mechanism 10. The assembly mechanism 30 is provided with a guide member (not shown) that supports from below the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P whose transport has resumed after it has been opened, thereby keeping the newspaper P in an open state.

[0046] The incorporating mechanism 30 is laid out so that the insertion position is located opposite the discharge outlet 24 of the collating mechanism 10. Therefore, the collated stack that has been collated by the collating mechanism 10 and discharged from the discharge outlet 24 is fed between the lower part P2 and the upper part P1 of the newspaper P that has been opened by the incorporating mechanism 30 and fed to the insertion position.

[0047] The interleaved newspapers with the collated bundle inserted in this way are discharged to the stacking section 31 in front by the discharge roller 36 shown in Figure 1. The shaft of the discharge roller 36 extends left and right. The discharge roller 36 retracts upward when feeding the opened newspaper P to the inserting position, and moves to a position where it comes into contact with the upper part P1 of the interleaved newspapers when discharging the interleaved newspapers with the collated bundle inserted into the stacking section 31.

[0048] When a predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked in the stacking section 31, the newspapers are transported to the right and handed over to the lifter 50. The lifter 50 raises the predetermined number of stacked incorporated newspapers to a predetermined height, and places the newspapers at a height that is easy for the operator to carry.

[0049] As shown in Figure 8, the newspaper processing device 100 described above has a main control circuit 101, sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105, a display 106, operation switches 107, and a communication module 108. The main control circuit 101 is a circuit that controls the overall operation of the newspaper processing device 100, including the control of the sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105.

[0050] The main control circuit 101 is configured with, for example, a processor and a memory. The processor of the main control circuit 101 controls the operation of the newspaper processing device 100 in accordance with a control application program stored in the memory.

[0051] For example, the main control circuit 101 functions as a control unit (first control unit) that receives input data (first data) related to the delivery order of the newspapers P and controls the order in which the newspapers P are taken out from the first and second insertion units 2 and 3 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1. The main control circuit 101 also functions as a control unit (second control unit) that receives input data (second data) related to the type of inserts to be inserted into each brand of newspaper P and controls whether or not inserts are to be supplied from the multi-stage paper feed trays 12 of the collating mechanism 10.

[0052] The processor is, for example, a CPU, but does not necessarily have to be configured as a CPU. The main control circuit 101 may also be configured as a hardware logic circuit such as an ASIC. The processor does not necessarily have to be configured as a single processor, but may be configured as multiple processors.

[0053] The sub-control circuit 102 is connected to the collating mechanism 10. The sub-control circuit 102 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the collating mechanism 10 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 102 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0054] The sub-control circuit 103 is connected to the newspaper dispensing mechanism 1. The sub-control circuit 103 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the newspaper dispensing mechanism 1 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 103 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0055] The sub-control circuit 104 is connected to the embedded mechanism 30. The sub-control circuit 104 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the embedded mechanism 30 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 104 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0056] The sub-control circuit 105 is connected to the lifter 50. The sub-control circuit 105 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the lifter 50 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 105 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0057] The newspaper processing device 100 may have sub-control circuits other than the sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105.

[0058] The display 106 is a display such as an LED and a liquid crystal display on the operation panel 11a for displaying various states of the newspaper processing device 100. For example, the display 106 has a display for indicating that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 is on. The display 106 also has a display for displaying a counter for displaying various collation counts. The collation count includes information such as the total number of inserts collated during the collation operation and the number of remaining inserts. The display 106 also has a display for displaying various setting screens. The various settings include settings for inserts per row, settings for regions and areas, etc. The various settings include settings for the installation operation. The display 106 also has a display for notifying various errors.

[0059] The operation switches 107 include various switches provided on the newspaper processing device 100 and the operation panel 11a described above. For example, the operation switches 107 include a power switch for the newspaper processing device 100. The operation switches 107 also include various mode switches. The mode switch is a switch for setting the operation mode of the newspaper processing device 100. The operation modes include, for example, a collating mode in which only inserts are collated, an inserting mode in which a pre-collated bundle is inserted into newspapers P, and a collating / inserting mode in which inserts are collated and the bundle is inserted into newspapers P. The operation switches 107 may also include switches other than these switches. Operations similar to those of the various switches on the operation switches 107 can also be performed on the operation panel 11a.

[0060] The communication module 108 includes a processing circuit that enables the newspaper processing device 100 to communicate with external devices such as a server, etc. The communication module 108 includes, for example, a wireless communication module required for wireless LAN communication.

[0061] Here, an example of the operation of the newspaper processing device 100 described above will be explained. As shown in Figure 9, in step S1, the main control circuit 101 of the newspaper processing device 100 determines whether or not to power on the newspaper processing device 100. For example, when the power switch is turned on, it determines to power on the newspaper processing device 100. The main control circuit 101 may also monitor whether or not a command has been received from the outside via the communications module 108, and determine to power on the newspaper processing device 100 when reception of the command is confirmed. In step S1, the main control circuit 101 waits for processing until it determines to power on the newspaper processing device 100. When it determines to power on the newspaper processing device 100 in step S1, processing proceeds to step S2.

[0062] In step S2, the main control circuit 101 turns on the power to the newspaper processing device 100, starts the control application program for the newspaper processing device 100, and displays a startup screen on, for example, the operation panel 11a. While the startup screen is displayed, the main control circuit 101 performs various processes necessary to start up the newspaper processing device 100.

[0063] In step S3 after the startup process is complete, the main control circuit 101 displays a main screen on, for example, the operation panel 11a. On the main screen, the operator can start the collating or assembling operation of the newspaper processing device 100 and check various statuses during the collating or assembling operation. In addition, from the main screen, the operator can display various setting screens, allowing various settings to be made.

[0064] In step S4, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to perform the collating operation. For example, when the collating mode is selected on the main screen by operating the operation panel 11a, etc., and an instruction to set or start the collating operation is given, it is determined that the collating operation is to be performed. On the other hand, when the inserting mode or the collating-inserting mode is selected on the main screen, and an instruction to set or start the incorporating operation is given, it is determined that the incorporating operation is to be performed.

[0065] If it is determined in step S4 that the collating operation is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined in step S4 that the collating operation is not to be performed, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0066] In step S5, if it is determined that the collation operation is to be performed, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to perform settings related to the collation operation. For example, if settings related to the collation operation are instructed by operating the operation panel 11a, etc., it is determined that settings related to the collation operation are to be performed. If it is determined in step S5 that settings related to the collation operation have been instructed, the process proceeds to step S6. If it is determined in step S5 that settings related to the collation operation have not been instructed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0067] In step S6, the main control circuit 101 performs settings related to the collating operation in accordance with the instructions. For example, the main control circuit 101 performs settings for inserts by layer, settings for the region and area, and settings for the operating mode in accordance with the instructions. The main control circuit 101 also performs settings for the sub-control circuit 105 as necessary. During the settings, the main control circuit 101 also transitions the setting screen displayed on the operation panel 11a, for example, as necessary. After the settings related to the collating operation have been performed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0068] In step S7, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to start the collating operation has been issued. If it is determined in step S7 that an instruction to start the collating operation has been issued, the process proceeds to step S8. If it is determined in step S7 that an instruction to start the collating operation has not been issued, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0069] In step S8, the main control circuit 101 controls the sub-control circuit 102 in accordance with the current settings to perform the collation operation by the collation mechanism 10. In step S8, the main control circuit 101 may control the sub-control circuit 105 to operate the lifter 50.

[0070] In step S9, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the collating operation is complete. For example, the collating operation is determined to be complete when the specified number of collated bundles have been collated. If it is determined in step S9 that the collating operation is not complete, the process returns to step S8. If it is determined in step S9 that the collating operation is complete, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0071] In step S10, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to power off the newspaper processing device 100. For example, when the power switch is turned off or a power-off command is received, it is determined that the newspaper processing device 100 should be powered off. If it is determined in step S10 that the newspaper processing device 100 should not be powered off, the process returns to step S4. If it is determined in step S10 that the newspaper processing device 100 should be powered off, the process in Figure 9 ends.

[0072] If it is determined that the embedding operation is to be performed, in step S11, the main control circuit 101 performs the embedding process shown in Fig. 10. After the embedding process, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0073] In step S101 of Fig. 10, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to implement settings related to the embedding process. For example, when a setting related to the embedding process is instructed by operating the operation panel 11a, it is determined that the setting related to the embedding process is to be implemented. When it is determined in step S101 that a setting related to the embedding process has been instructed, the process proceeds to step S102. When it is determined in step S101 that a setting related to the embedding process has not been instructed, the process proceeds to step S114.

[0074] In step S102, the main control circuit 101 determines whether data has been input. In this embodiment, for example, settings for the embedding operation are made by importing delivery order data created in advance and insert data related to inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper P. In step S102, it is determined whether data to be imported has been input by an operator. In step S102, the process waits until data to be imported is input. If it is determined in step S102 that data has been input, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0075] The delivery order data may be data in various formats, such as CSV (Comma Separated Value). The delivery order data may be managed by the newspaper delivery store where the newspaper processing device 100 is installed, or may be managed by a server or the like that centrally manages data from newspaper delivery stores. Furthermore, the delivery order data may be managed by a cloud server that is constructed separately from the newspaper delivery store or the like.

[0076] The insert data is data containing one, several, or all of the following information: area, flyer name, number of processing stations, shelf used, and attributes. The insert data may be data in various formats, such as CSV (Comma Separated Value). The insert data may be managed by the newspaper delivery store where the newspaper processing device 100 is installed, or may be managed by a server or the like that centrally manages data from newspaper delivery stores. Furthermore, the insert data may be managed by a cloud server constructed separately from the newspaper delivery store or the like.

[0077] In step S103, the main control circuit 101 maps the items in the input delivery order data and insert data with items that are required for the integration process that is pre-set in the newspaper processing device 100. For example, the main control circuit 101 recognizes the items in the input delivery order data and associates items that are similar to the recognized items. After mapping the data in this way, the main control circuit 101 displays a confirmation screen for the mapping results, for example, on the operation panel 11a. Note that if it is guaranteed that each item in the delivery order data corresponds to each item set in the newspaper processing device 100, mapping processing is not necessary.

[0078] In step S104, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an item has been corrected, for example, by an operator of the newspaper processing device 100 operating the operation panel 11a. The operator of the newspaper processing device 100 checks whether or not the items have been mapped correctly. If an item has not been mapped correctly, the operator corrects the corresponding item. If an operation related to correction has been performed, the main control circuit 101 determines that an item has been corrected. If it is determined in step S104 that an item has been corrected, the process proceeds to step S105. If it is determined in step S104 that an item has not been corrected, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0079] In step S105, the main control circuit 101 corrects the mapping result in accordance with the content of the correction made by the operator. Accordingly, the main control circuit 101 updates the confirmation screen for the mapping result. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0080] In step S106, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the mapping process has been completed, for example, by the operator operating the operation panel 11a. After the operator confirms that the items have been correctly mapped, he or she selects the displayed OK button. In this case, it is determined that the mapping process has been completed. If it is determined in step S106 that the mapping process has been completed, the process proceeds to step S107. If it is determined in step S106 that the mapping process has not been completed, the process returns to step S104.

[0081] In step S107, the main control circuit 101 displays an embedded setting screen based on the result of the mapping process.

[0082] In step S108, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not setting data has been input on the built-in setting screen. If it is determined in step S108 that setting data has been input on the built-in setting screen, the process proceeds to step S109. If it is determined in step S108 that setting data has not been input on the built-in setting screen, the process returns to step S107.

[0083] In step S109, the main control circuit 101 stores the input setting data in, for example, a memory.

[0084] In step S110, the main control circuit 101 determines whether input of all setting data on the corresponding built-in setting screen has been completed. If it is determined in step S110 that input of all setting data on the built-in setting screen has not been completed, the process returns to step S107. In this case, the main control circuit 101 displays the next built-in setting screen. If it is determined in step S110 that input of all setting data on the built-in setting screen has been completed, the process proceeds to step S111.

[0085] In step S111, the main control circuit 101 sets the paper feed tray 12 based on the setting data. For example, the main control circuit 101 assigns an insert to the paper feed tray 12 selected for use. The insert to be folded into the newspaper P may be the one set during the collating operation, or may be a newly set one.

[0086] In step S112, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. The operator places the inserts into the paper feed tray 12 according to the displayed settings of the paper feed tray 12. The operator also places newspapers P of a specified brand into each of the insertion ports 2 and 3 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1. After the newspapers P and inserts have been placed according to the settings, the operator selects the displayed OK button. At this time, the main control circuit 101 determines that the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. In step S112, the main control circuit 101 waits until it is determined that the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. When the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed in step S112, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0087] In step S113, the main control circuit 101 sets the order in which newspapers P are to be taken out from the newspaper take-out mechanism 1. Then, the process returns to step S101. The take-out order is usually determined, for example, in the reverse order of the delivery order. The delivery order is also specified by the "route."

[0088] In step S114, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to start the embedding operation has been issued. If it is determined in step S114 that an instruction to start the embedding operation has been issued, the process proceeds to step S115. If it is determined in step S114 that an instruction to start the embedding operation has not been issued, the process proceeds to step S116.

[0089] In step S115, the main control circuit 101 executes the embedding operation according to the current settings.

[0090] The embedding operation will be described below with reference to FIG. The assembling operations include, for example, an operation of collating inserts set for brand A newspaper P and inserting the collated bundle Ta for brand A into the brand A newspaper, and an operation of collating the collated bundle Ta and inserting it into the brand A newspaper P, collating inserts set for brand B newspaper P, and inserting the collated bundle Tb for brand B into the brand B newspaper. Here, the latter, relatively complex operation for processing two brands of newspaper P will be described. In addition to this, there is an assembling operation in an inserting mode in which a pre-collated collated bundle (multiple collated bundles may be prepared according to the brand of newspaper) is fed from the paper feed tray 12 of the collating mechanism 10 and inserted into newspaper P (which may be multiple brands of newspaper). However, since this is the only difference, the explanation of the operation related to the inserting mode will be omitted here.

[0091] In step S201, the main control circuit 101 takes out newspapers P from the first insertion section 2 or the second insertion section 3 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 according to the set delivery order. In step S202, the main control circuit 101 opens the newspapers P taken out in the delivery order with the assembly mechanism 30 and transports them to the insertion position.

[0092] In step S203, which is performed in parallel with steps S1 and S2, the main control circuit 101 collates the inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper P. At this time, the main control circuit 101 feeds the inserts assigned to the brand of newspaper P taken out in step P1 from the paper feed tray 12 and creates a collated bundle suitable for each brand.

[0093] In step S204, the main control circuit 101 inserts the collated bundles according to each brand into the newspapers P transported to the inserting position, creating an incorporated newspaper. In step S205, the main control circuit 101 ejects the incorporated newspaper created in step S204 into the stacking unit 31 and stacks it. This allows multiple copies of the incorporated newspaper to be stacked in delivery order.

[0094] Thereafter, in step P206, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not a predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked in the stacking unit 31. If it is determined in step P206 that the predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked, the main control circuit 101 proceeds to the processing of step S207, and moves the predetermined number of incorporated newspapers stacked in the stacking unit 31 to the lifter 50.

[0095] Thereafter, the main control circuit 101 ends the processing of FIG. 11 when the number of incorporated newspapers reaches a preset number based on the determination in step S208.

[0096] As described above, the newspaper processing device 100 of this embodiment can remove two different brands of newspapers P in delivery order, insert bundles of inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper, and stack the bundled newspapers in delivery order. This allows a newspaper delivery store to handle multiple brands of newspapers P, eliminates the need to collate inserts for each brand of newspaper, and eliminates the need to stack two brands of bundled newspapers with their respective collated bundles inserted in delivery order, thereby reducing the workload on staff and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, delivery personnel who deliver the bundled newspapers can simply remove the bundled newspapers from the bundles of bundled newspapers stacked in delivery order, making delivery of two brands of bundled newspapers easy and reliable. Note that the newspaper removal mechanism 1 may be equipped with three or more insertion units to handle three or more brands of newspapers P.

[0097] Incidentally, the newspaper P fed through the first and second feeding sections 2, 3 of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 is made by stacking multiple sheets of newspaper and folding them in four, as explained using Figure 4, so there are differences in thickness and rigidity between the area with the first fold P-1 and the second fold P-2 and the area without folds. In order to create an assembled newspaper by inserting a collated bundle of insert flyers into the newspaper P, as in the newspaper processing device 100 of this embodiment, it is necessary to insert the collated bundle between the folded newspapers P. For this reason, the newspaper processing device 100 of this embodiment handles newspapers P folded in four.

[0098] When a newspaper P folded in four inserted into the first insertion section 2 in an upright position is taken into the housing 1a from the takeout position, the differences in thickness and rigidity described above may cause the newspaper P to be taken in at an angle or to become wrinkled and damaged. The newspaper P at the takeout position of the first insertion section 2 is oriented with the second fold P-2 at the bottom and the first fold P-1 at the right end. Because the right end, where the first fold P-1 is located, has higher rigidity and is more likely to be taken into the conveying path T1 than the left end, the right end tends to be slightly tilted and lead the left end. Therefore, the second or subsequent copies of the newspaper P are more likely to be pulled out by the first copy of the newspaper P at the right end, where the first fold P-1 is located, resulting in more double feeding than on the left side. Furthermore, because the rigidity decreases toward the left end, away from the first fold P-1, applying a conveying force or a separating force to the left end of the newspaper P can easily cause damage such as wrinkles or tears to the newspaper P.

[0099] Therefore, the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 of this embodiment is configured to prevent double feeding and damage even when the newspaper P is folded in four, and to reliably separate the newspaper into individual copies and take them out in the correct position. The configuration of the main parts of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 12 to 16 as well as Figure 5.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 1a of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 has an inlet 70 at the rear end in the stacking direction of the newspapers P in the first insertion section 2. The inlet 70 is a substantially rectangular opening that opens to the top of the housing 1a and is provided at the bottom of the first insertion section 2. The inlet 70 has a width slightly larger than the left-to-right width of the newspaper P folded in four, i.e., the width along the second fold P-2. The newspapers P that are stacked and inserted into the first insertion section 2 and supplied to the take-out position by the floor belts 2b-1, 2b-2, the feed belts 2c-1, 2c-2, and the support plate 2a are fed downward into the housing 1a of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 through the inlet 70.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 12, the housing 1a of the newspaper dispensing mechanism 1 includes a metal plate 70R located behind the inlet 70 and a metal plate 70F located in front of the inlet 70. The rear metal plate 70R has a flat front surface 71R facing the inlet 70. The metal plate 70R is provided across the entire width of the inlet 70. The front surface 71R is a surface that is slightly inclined forward with respect to the vertical direction, at its upper end closer to the inlet 70 than its lower end. The front metal plate 70F has a flat rear surface 71F facing the inlet 70. The metal plate 70F is provided across the entire width of the inlet 70. The rear surface 71F is a surface that is slightly inclined forward with respect to the vertical direction, at its upper end closer to the inlet 70 than its lower end. The front surface 71R of the metal plate 70R and the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F are inclined in a direction that widens in the front-to-rear direction as they extend upward. The width of the intake port 70 in the front-rear direction is determined by the upper ends of the metal plates 70R and 70F.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 5, the take-out roller 5a, separation roller 4a, auxiliary roller 4b, and three guide rollers 72C, 72L, and 72R are arranged in the space between the front surface 71R of the metal plate 70R and the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F. In FIG. 12, the auxiliary roller 4b and guide roller 72C are hidden by the separation roller 4a, and the guide rollers 72R and 72L are not shown. As also shown in FIG. 13, a separating tip 74 and two separating rollers 76L and 76R (only one of which is shown in FIG. 12) are arranged on the metal plate 70F side of the conveying path T1 extending downward from the take-out position of the newspaper P, at a position facing the take-out roller 5a. Furthermore, a rubber sheet 4c is attached to the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F, which faces the separation roller 4a across the conveying path T1.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 5, the take-out roller 5a is fixed coaxially to a rotating shaft 73 (first rotating shaft) extending in the left-right direction. Both left and right ends of the rotating shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a are rotatably supported by bearings (not shown) provided on side plates 70-1 and 70-2 of the housing 1a on the left and right sides of the inlet 70. As shown in FIG. 13, the take-out roller 5a is positioned so that its outer circumferential surface faces the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F across a certain gap. The take-out roller 5a is positioned so that it faces the center, in the left-right direction, of the newspaper P being taken out from the take-out position. The rotating shaft 73 is provided with a connecting member 73-1 (FIG. 13) midway, which allows the take-out roller 5a to be detached from the housing 1a.

[0104] As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the take-out roller 5a has a substantially cylindrical core member 5a-1 fixed coaxially to the rotary shaft 73, and a cylindrical rubber member 5a-2 attached to the outer periphery of the core member 5a-1. The core member 5a-1 is a single member made of metal, for example, and the rubber member 5a-2 has four cylindrical portions divided in the direction of the rotary shaft 73. Each cylindrical portion of the rubber member 5a-2 has a plurality of grooves aligned in the circumferential direction on its outer periphery. The rubber member 5a-2 of the take-out roller 5a can be replaced by removing the rotary shaft 73 from the housing 1a and removing the rubber member 5a-2 from the core member 5a-1.

[0105] The separation roller 4a and the auxiliary roller 4b are fixed coaxially to a rotation shaft 75 (second rotation shaft) that is disposed parallel to and spaced apart from the rotation shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a diagonally above and to the left of the rotation shaft 73 in FIG. 12. The rotation shaft 75 is shorter than the rotation shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a. The separation roller 4a is fixed to the right end of the rotation shaft 75. The auxiliary roller 4b is fixed to the left end of the rotation shaft 75. As shown in FIG. 14, the separation roller 4a is positioned slightly to the right of the take-out roller 5a, and the auxiliary roller 4b is positioned to the left of the take-out roller 5a. In other words, the separation roller 4a is positioned to contact the newspaper P at a location closer to the first fold P-1 of the newspaper P than the center in the left-right direction where the take-out roller 5a contacts the newspaper P taken out from the take-out position. The auxiliary roller 4b is disposed at a position where it contacts the newspaper P at a location that is farther away from the first fold P-1 of the newspaper P than the central location in the left-right direction where the take-out roller 5a contacts the newspaper P.

[0106] Because the separation roller 4a and the auxiliary roller 4b have the same structure, a description of the structure of the auxiliary roller 4b will be omitted here. The separation roller 4a has a substantially cylindrical core member 4a-1 fixed coaxially to the right end of the rotation shaft 75, and an annular rubber member 4a-2 attached to the outer periphery of the core member 4a-1. The core member 4a-1 is made of metal, for example, and the outer periphery of the rubber member 4a-2 has multiple grooves aligned in the circumferential direction. The rubber member 4a-2 is replaceable with the core member 4a-1.

[0107] Of the three guide rollers 72C, 72L, and 72R, guide roller 72C, which is located in the center in the left-right direction, is attached coaxially between separation roller 4a and auxiliary roller 4b so as to be freely rotatable about rotation axis 75. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, guide roller 72C is located opposite take-out roller 5a in the left-right direction. Note that the outer diameters of separation roller 4a and auxiliary roller 4b are approximately the same, while the outer diameter of guide roller 2C is slightly smaller. Guide roller 72C functions as a third guide member.

[0108] The two rotating shafts 73, 75 are connected by a connecting block 80. The connecting block 80 has an insertion hole 81 through which the rotating shaft 73 is rotatably inserted and an insertion hole 82 through which the rotating shaft 75 is rotatably inserted. The connecting block 80 is attached to the left of the take-out roller 5a, between the auxiliary roller 4b and the guide roller 72C. The two insertion holes 81, 82 of the connecting block 80 extend parallel to each other, penetrating the connecting block 80 in the left-right direction. The rotating shaft 75, to which the separation roller 4a, auxiliary roller 4b, and guide roller 2C are coaxially attached, is freely movable relative to the housing 1a and can swing around the rotating shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a via the connecting block 80. The connecting block 80 functions as a connecting member that swingably connects the rotating shaft 75 to the rotating shaft 73.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 12, a pressure spring 84 is attached between the metal plate 70R at the rear of the inlet 70 and the connecting block 80. One end of the pressure spring 84 is fixed to the front surface 71R of the metal plate 70R. The other end of the pressure spring 84 is fixed to the rear side of the connecting block 80, near the leading edge of the swing of the connecting block 80, which is spaced from the rotation shaft 73. The pressure spring 84 presses the connecting block 80 in a direction that presses the separation roller 4a attached to the connecting block 80 against a rubber sheet 4c affixed to the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F at the front of the inlet 70. The rubber sheet 4c functions as a friction-applying member that applies friction to the second and subsequent newspapers that overlap the newspaper P being removed from the removal position. The pressure spring 84 functions as a pressing member that presses the separation roller 4a toward the rubber sheet 4c.

[0110] As shown in Figure 15, a pulley 77 is fixed to the rotary shaft 73 protruding to the left of the connecting block 80, and another pulley 78 is fixed to the rotary shaft 75, facing the pulley 77. The pulley 78 is fixed to the rotary shaft 73 between the connecting block 80 and the auxiliary roller 4b. A timing belt 79 is endlessly wound around and tensioned on these two pulleys 77, 78. When the rotary shaft 73 is rotated by a motor 66 (Figure 16), which will be described later, to rotate the take-out roller 5a, the driving force is transmitted to the rotary shaft 75 via the two pulleys 77, 78 and the timing belt 79, and the separation roller 4a and auxiliary roller 4b are rotated accordingly.

[0111] 14 and 15, the connecting block 80 includes a pressure adjustment mechanism 85 for adjusting the contact pressure of the separation roller 4a against the rubber sheet 4c. The pressure adjustment mechanism 85 applies a braking force that acts on the rotation shaft 75 of the separation roller 4a by applying a frictional force to stop the rotation of the rotation shaft 75. The pressure adjustment mechanism 85 adjusts the contact pressure of the separation roller 4a against the rubber sheet 4c by adjusting the magnitude of the braking force applied to the rotation shaft 75. The pressure adjustment mechanism 85 includes a pressure adjustment knob 86, a pressing member 87, and a pressing spring 88.

[0112] The pressure adjustment knob 86 coaxially comprises a cylindrical shaft portion 86-2 having a male screw 86-1 on its outer periphery that screws into a screw hole 80-1 provided at the swing tip of the connecting block 80 spaced from the rotary shaft 73, and a knob portion 86-3 that the user grips and turns with their fingers. The screw hole 80-1 is a hole that communicates from the swing tip side of the connecting block 80 to the insertion hole 82 of the rotary shaft 75 and is a hole that is approximately perpendicular to the insertion hole 82. A pressing member 87 is housed and disposed near the end where the screw hole 80-1 communicates with the insertion hole 82. The pressing member 87 has a disk portion that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft 75 and is movable within the screw hole 80-1 in a direction toward and away from the rotary shaft 75. The pressing spring 88 is disposed between the pressure adjusting knob 86 and the pressing member 87 and biases the pressing member 87 in the axial direction of the pressure adjusting knob 86 .

[0113] When the pressure adjustment knob 86 is rotated clockwise in Figure 14, the shaft portion 86-2 is screwed in the direction of the rotary shaft 75, and the tip of the shaft portion 86-2 presses the pressing member 87 toward the rotary shaft 75. Increasing the force pressing the pressing member 87 against the rotary shaft 75 increases the braking force applied to the rotary shaft 75. In other words, when the pressure adjustment knob 86 is rotated clockwise in Figure 14, the braking force applied to the rotary shaft 75 increases, and when the pressure adjustment knob 86 is rotated counterclockwise, the braking force applied to the rotary shaft 75 decreases.

[0114] If the braking force applied to the rotating shaft 75 is increased, it becomes difficult to rotate the separation roller 4a due to the driving force transmitted from the rotating shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a. In this case, the minimum driving force required to rotate the separation roller 4a is determined according to the braking force adjusted by the pressure adjustment mechanism 85. In other words, after the take-out roller 5a is rotated, the separation roller 4a remains stationary until the driving force transmitted to the rotating shaft 75 of the separation roller 4a reaches a predetermined value. In this state, the connecting block 80 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 12, pressing the separation roller 4a against the rubber sheet 4c. At this time, the pressing force pressing the separation roller 4a against the rubber sheet 4c is determined by the minimum driving force required to rotate the separation roller 4a, that is, by the braking force applied to the rotating shaft 75 by the pressure adjustment mechanism 85.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 5, the left and right guide rollers 72L, 72R are rotatably attached in a cantilevered manner to side plates 70-1, 70-2 on the left and right sides of the inlet 70. The two left and right guide rollers 72L, 72R are arranged approximately coaxially with the above-mentioned central guide roller 72C. The right guide roller 72R is attached in a position facing the newspaper P near the first fold P-1 of the newspaper P at the take-out position, with its outer circumferential surface spaced a predetermined gap from the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F in front of the inlet 70. The left guide roller 72L is attached in a position facing the newspaper P near the end of the newspaper P opposite the first fold P-1 of the newspaper P at the take-out position, with its outer circumferential surface spaced a predetermined gap from the rear surface 71F of the metal plate 70F in front of the inlet 70.

[0116] The right guide roller 72R functions as a first guide member, positioned opposite the newspaper P on the first fold line P-1 side of the position where the separation roller 4a faces the newspaper P passing through the conveying path T1. The left guide roller 72L functions as a second guide member, positioned opposite the newspaper P on the side away from the first fold line P-1 of the position where the auxiliary roller 4b faces the newspaper P passing through the conveying path T1. These two guide rollers 72L, 72R (first guide member, second guide member) do not need to be rollers, but may be guide plates or the like positioned along the conveying path T1. The guide rollers 72L, 72R, together with the central guide roller 72C, function to press down on the part of the newspaper P that is about to leave the conveying path T1, thereby suppressing wrinkles.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 12, the separating tip 74 is attached to the longitudinal end of the plate 74-1. The separating tip 74 is a rectangular rubber piece that can be replaced, for example, when worn. By moving the plate 74-1, the separating tip 74 can change its attachment angle along a cam (not shown), thereby adjusting the gap between it and the take-out roller 5a. The separating tip 74 functions as a gap adjustment member. By adjusting the gap between the separating tip 74 and the take-out roller 5a, the clamping force that holds the newspaper P can be changed.

[0118] As shown in Figure 13, the separating rollers 76L, 76R are coaxially arranged on both the left and right sides of the separating tip 74. The separating rollers 76L, 76R are attached near the tip of the swinging arm member 76-2, which is attached to the metal plate 70F so that it can swing around an axis 76-1. A driving force is transmitted to the rotating shaft of the separating rollers 76L, 76R from the rotating shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a, which is connected via a driving force transmission mechanism (not shown). In other words, the separating rollers 76L, 76R are rotated following the take-out roller 5a.

[0119] Two pressure springs 76-3 are attached near the swinging tip of the arm member 76-2, to which the separating rollers 76L and 76R are attached. The pressure springs 76-3 press the arm member 76-2 in a direction that presses the separating rollers 76L and 76R against the take-out roller 5a. The metal plate 70F is equipped with a stopper (not shown) that abuts against the arm member 76-2 as it rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 12 to prevent further rotation. The stopper stops the swinging of the arm member 76-2 at a position where the separating rollers 76L and 76R, pressed by the pressure springs 76-3, approach the take-out roller 5a with the smallest gap between them. In other words, the separating rollers 76L and 76R are not in contact with the take-out roller 5a, and can move in a direction that widens the gap between them and the take-out roller 5a as newspapers P pass through the conveying path T1.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 16, the sub-control circuit 103 that controls the operation of the newspaper take-out mechanism 1 includes a control unit 60, a sensor 62, and motors 64 and 66.

[0121] The sensor 62 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and includes a unit 62a (FIG. 5) equipped with a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit (not shown), and a unit 62b (FIG. 5) equipped with a reflector (not shown). Unit 62a is located on the left side of the newspaper P removal position, while unit 62b is located on the right side of unit 62a and opposite the removal position. The sensor 62 can detect that no newspaper P has protruded rearward beyond the removal position by receiving light emitted from the light-emitting unit of unit 62a and reflected by the reflector of unit 62b on the opposite side with the light-receiving unit. Conversely, if the optical axis of the sensor 62 is blocked by the newspaper P and the reflected light is not received by the light-receiving unit, it can detect that the newspaper P has passed the removal position.

[0122] The motor 64 drives the floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 and the feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 in synchronization with each other. The motor 64 can rotate in a forward direction to move the support plate 2a from front to rear, and in a reverse direction to move the support plate 2a from rear to front.

[0123] The motor 66 rotates the take-out roller 5a. The separation roller 4a and the auxiliary roller 4b are driven to rotate by the take-out roller 5a. The rotation shaft of the motor 64 is connected to the rotation shaft 73 of the take-out roller 5a via a gear or the like (not shown).

[0124] When the control unit 60 does not detect via the sensor 62 that the newspaper P has protruded rearward beyond the take-out position, it rotates the motor 64 forward to cause the floor belts 2b-1, 2b-2 and the feed belts 2c-1, 2c-2 to run in the forward direction, and moves the newspaper P at the rear end in the stacking direction to the take-out position. At this time, the control unit 60 also drives the motor 66 to rotate the take-out roller 5a and separation roller 4a forward, and takes out the newspaper P at the take-out position and supplies it via the conveying path T1.

[0125] While multiple copies of newspapers P are being fed one by one as described above, control unit 60 monitors the output of sensor 62. Then, when control unit 60 detects via sensor 62 that a newspaper P has protruded rearward beyond the take-out position, control unit 60 stops motor 66 and rotates motor 64 in the reverse direction, causing floor belts 2b-1, 2b-2 and feed belts 2c-1, 2c-2 to run in the reverse direction. After this, when control unit 60 no longer detects a newspaper P protruding rearward beyond the take-out position via sensor 62, control unit 60 again rotates motor 64 in the forward direction, causing floor belts 2b-1, 2b-2 and feed belts 2c-1, 2c-2 to run in the forward direction, and drives motor 66 to rotate take-out roller 5a and separation roller 4a, thereby resuming the take-out operation of newspaper P.

[0126] As described above, newspapers P, supplied one copy at a time to the take-out position, are sent into the conveying path T1 through the inlet 70 under their own weight. However, when the first newspaper P at the take-out position moves downward, friction between the first newspaper P and the second and subsequent newspapers P may cause the second and subsequent newspapers P to be pulled out, so that the bottom end of the first newspaper P, i.e., the second fold P-2, enters between the separation roller 4a and the rubber sheet 4c, and at the same time, the second fold P-2 of the second and subsequent newspapers P is sent between the separation roller 4a and the rubber sheet 4c. In this case, the first newspaper P, to which a conveying force is applied by the separation roller 4a rotating in the take-out direction of the newspaper P, is taken downward toward the take-out roller 5a, and the second fold P-2 of the second and subsequent newspapers P is stopped in front of the separation roller 4a due to friction from the rubber sheet 4c, preventing "multiple feeding," in which multiple newspapers P are taken out.

[0127] As described above, the newspaper P supplied to the take-out position of the first insertion section 2 has high rigidity on the right end side where the first fold P-1 is located, so in this embodiment, the separation roller 4a is positioned closer to the first fold P-1 than the take-out roller 5a. This allows a separating force to be applied to the newspaper P at the take-out position near the first fold P-1, improving separation performance and preventing double feeding.

[0128] Furthermore, the newspaper P supplied to the take-out position is given a conveying force by the separation roller 4a, which is positioned closer to the first fold P-1 than the take-out roller 5a, so that the separation roller 4a does not come into contact with an area without a fold, thereby reducing damage to the newspaper P caused by separation. As a result, the newspaper P can be properly conveyed and processed after being taken out, and the embedded newspaper provided via the lifter 50 can be stacked in a neat and presentable state.

[0129] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, three guide rollers 72C, 72L, and 72R are provided approximately coaxially with the separation roller 4a, which can suppress deformation of the newspaper P caused by the clamping force of the take-out roller 5a and the separating tip 74, thereby preventing wrinkles from forming on the newspaper P when it is taken out from the take-out position. When the take-out roller 5a clamps the newspaper P at a single point in the center of the left-right direction after it is fed upright to the take-out position, as in this embodiment, a conveying force is reliably applied to the newspaper P, allowing it to be reliably taken out from the take-out position. On the other hand, when a conveying force is applied from a single take-out roller 5a to the center of the newspaper P in the left-right direction, a rotational force may be applied to the newspaper P around the take-out roller 5a, or the newspaper P may bend at the clamping position. The three guide rollers 72C, 72L, and 72R can suppress such rotation or bending of the newspaper P, allowing the newspaper P to be taken out in the correct position.

[0130] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting and combining the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...newspaper take-out mechanism, 1a...housing, 2...first input section, 2a...support plate, 2b-1, 2b-2...floor belt, 2c-1, 2c-2...feed belt, 2d...projection, 3...second input section, 3a...paper feed tray, 4a...separation roller, 4b...auxiliary roller, 4c...rubber sheet, 5a, 5b...take-out roller, 6a, 6b...pair of conveying rollers, 7a, 7b, 7c...pair of feed rollers, 7d...conveyance guide, 8...feed-out roller, 9...direction change section, 10...collating mechanism, 12, 12a...paper feed tray, 13...conveyance path, 14...pair of conveying rollers, 15...first paper feed roller, 16...second paper feed roller, 17...separating plate, 18, 18a...pair of feed rollers, 19...pair of folding rollers, 20...Stopping section, 21...Folding knife, 22...Conveyor belt, 23...Pair of discharge rollers, 24...Discharge outlet, 30...Integrated mechanism, 31...Accumulating section, 32...Suction nozzle, 32a, 35...Air intake, 33...Solenoid, 36...Discharge roller, 50...Lifter, 60...Control section, 62...Sensor, 64, 66...Motor, 72C, 72L, 72R...Guide roller, 74...Separating tip, 76L, 76R...Separating roller, 100...Newspaper processing device, 101...Main control circuit, 102, 103, 104, 105...Sub-control circuit, 106...Display, 107...Operation switches, 108...Communication module, P...Newspaper, P1...Upper part, P2...Lower part, P-1...First fold, P-2...Second fold.

Claims

1. A newspaper take-out mechanism that separates and takes out newspapers one by one in a first direction along the first fold, the newspapers being located at a take-out position at one end of a stack of newspapers in the same direction, the stack being formed by folding a plurality of stacked newspapers in half along a first fold and then in half again along a second fold, the newspapers being stacked in the same direction, the newspapers being taken out one by one in a first direction along the first fold, a conveying path extending in the first direction from the removal position; a take-out roller disposed on the opposite side of the conveying path from the stack at a position spaced downstream in the first direction from the take-out position, and rotating in the first direction to apply a conveying force to the newspapers passing through the conveying path; a separation roller that is rotatable in the first direction and that is disposed opposite the conveyance path between the take-out position and the take-out roller and that faces the newspaper passing through the conveyance path on the first fold side of the position where the take-out roller faces the newspaper; a friction applying member disposed opposite the separation roller across the conveyance path, for applying friction to the second and subsequent newspapers overlapping the newspaper at the take-out position to separate them; a pressing member that presses the separation roller toward the friction applying member; A newspaper removal mechanism having a

2. a gap adjusting member disposed opposite the take-out roller across the conveying path, for variably adjusting a gap between the take-out roller and the gap adjusting member; 2. The newspaper dispenser mechanism of claim 1.

3. an auxiliary roller that is rotatable in the first direction and is disposed opposite the conveying path between the take-out position and the take-out roller, at a position facing the newspaper passing through the conveying path and on a side farther from the first fold than the position where the take-out roller faces the newspaper, 3. The newspaper dispensing mechanism of claim 2.

4. a first guide member disposed opposite the conveying path between the take-out position and the take-out roller, at a position facing the newspaper passing through the conveying path on the first fold side of the position where the separation roller faces the newspaper, and which guides the conveying of the newspaper; a second guide member disposed opposite the conveying path between the take-out position and the take-out roller, at a position facing the newspaper passing through the conveying path and away from the first fold line from the position where the auxiliary roller faces the newspaper, and which guides the conveying of the newspaper; 4. The newspaper dispenser mechanism of claim 3, further comprising:

5. a third guide member disposed on the opposite side of the conveying path between the take-out position and the take-out roller, between the separation roller and the auxiliary roller, at a position aligned with the take-out roller in the first direction, facing the conveying path, and guiding the conveyance of the newspapers; 5. The newspaper dispensing mechanism of claim 4.

6. the third guide member is a guide roller disposed coaxially with the separation roller and the auxiliary roller; 6. The newspaper dispensing mechanism of claim 5.

7. The separation roller, the auxiliary roller, and the guide roller are attached to a second rotation shaft that is rotatably provided at the tip of a rotation of a connecting member that is swingably provided around a first rotation shaft of the take-out roller.

7. The newspaper dispensing mechanism of claim 6.

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