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FS/DC/CT/IL INVERTER MODEL

Free Standing Dual Clamping Conveyor Tables In-Line
Printed Signatures are "Flipped" Before going to Bindery
	In-Line 180° Load Inverter Pallet Placer -- Pallet Remover Load Positioning Device Pallet Shuttle Conveyor Conveyors Sections
In-Line pallet handling system functions as a fully computerized, auto-sequenced operation.
Why Do We Need to "Flip" A Load
At most printing plants for instance, the lap codes on the signatures must face up before they are fed into the bindery pockets. When a pallet load of signatures comes from the pressroom, the lap code is not always facing up. This condition would generally require the bindery personnel to flip the bundles of signatures before placing them in the bindery pockets. In order to prevent turning the bundles by hand, the inverter is used. A whole pallet load is thus turned at once. What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and why is it a problem within the printing industry? Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a fairly common and painful problem of the wrist. It is frequently seen in individuals who perform tasks with their hands that are both strenuous and repetitive, such as turning over bundles of paper day after day. This continued overuse causes compression of the median nerve as it passes through the "carpal tunnel" within the wrist.

• The in-feed conveyor will recognize a load is present this will energize the signals that allow the system to operate in an auto- sequenced procedure.
• The load will advance forward into the load positioning conveyor and have it's forward progress stopped by a hydraulically operated stop bar.
• The pallet load will then be pushed side ways this will center the pallet load on load positioning conveyor.
• By positioning the pallet load on conveyor, we supply the pallet placer with an exact center line for placing the plastic pallet on top of load, prior to inverting.
• This system retains the bottom pallet from the previous inverted load.
• This retained pallet will then become the bottom pallet for the next inverted load.
• When this operation is completed, the pallet load will enter the inverter via the clamping table conveyor.
• After the load has entered the inverter, The clamping plate will then secure the load, closing to a predetermined pressure, thus securing the load.
• The inverter will then rotate the load 180 degrees.
• The inverter will then un-clamp, and discharge and advance the load onto out-feed conveyor under the pallet remover.
• The pallet remover lifts the pallet off the top of inverted load and retracts the plastic pallet backwards for placement onto a elevated pallet shuttle conveyor.
• The pallet inverter will then rotate 180 degrees back to it's original load position, awaiting another load for inverting.
• The inverted load will then advance down to the end of the accumulation out-feed conveyor.

A forklift operator places a load to be inverted on the in feed pallet conveyor line. At right, the rest of the line can be seen including the inverter and second pallet placer, which recovers the plastic pallet. Since the line is operator less, it reduced the need for material handlers. The system can handle up to 30 pallets an hour. The line's capacity will continue to meet material handling needs well into the future.

Once inside the inverter, the load is inverted by rotating 180 degrees. After the load emerges, the plastic pallet is removed by a second pallet placer and the load conveys to the end of the out-feed conveyor.

The pallet placer simply drops down until they detect the pallet load of signatures, at heights ranging from 24" to 80"

Flipping pallet loads has evolved to high art for the printing industry. The equipment engineer for this large printing plant is responsible for spearheading this automatic pallet inversion system. In the past, material handlers would deliver the signatures to the bindery area upside down, this would require the bindery people to manually flip the lifts of signatures.

Before the load can enter the inverter it must be centered from forward to back and from left to right. A stop bar emerges from between the rollers to stop the load while the rollers continue to push forward. For left-to-right centering, two 4" hydraulic rails come in to center the bottom pallet. This provides an exact center line for placing the plastic pallet on top of the load, prior to inverting.

The load then conveys into the inverter, which resembles a chamber with a metal wall on the back and right side. The top and bottom are independent conveyor roller sections. Viewed from the line's side, the load enters the inverter from the left. Once the load is inside, the top comes down to compress and hold the palletized cases; the entire chamber then rotates in a simple clockwise motion until the pallet has been flipped 180 degrees. The load is discharged to the right, continuing in the direction of the line.

Conveyor sections can be added to accumulate several pallet loads if necessary before being put away in the warehouse.

The beauty of the system is that it will work with any height loads. You put them in one end regardless of the height and configuration of the load, and it discharges them out the other end ready to go to the bindery or storage area.

At in-feed conveyor fork lift drivers can place the load from the front or the side. The line starts conveying automatically. We have ultrasonic sensors so the system doesn't start until the forklift backs away. The photo shows the inverter returning to the load position

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