EP2062738B2 - Methods for manufacturing printing products and device for implementing such methods - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves compositing printing products from a printed sheet (1), and evaluating composition information that characterizes the printed sheet with respect to the printed sheet characteristics for checking the composition of the printing products. The information of the printed sheet is compared with information derived from another printed sheet during the evaluation. An error signal is generated when a faulty composition of the printing products is detected, where the composition information is coded according to a coding method and decoded in a controlling device (50). An independent claim is also included for a device for executing a method for manufacturing a printing product.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing printed products, in which the printed products composed of printed sheets and evaluated for checking the composition on at least one sheet and this sheet are evaluated in terms of predetermined sheet properties composition information, according to the preamble of claim 1.

In the production of printed products, two, three or more printed sheets, each of which may have one, two or more sheets of the finished printed product, are brought together at a production site and then, if appropriate, sent for further processing. For this purpose, so-called. Collapsing be used, in which the sheets are withdrawn by means of implemented in the form of sheet feeders each feeder from a stack of possibly folded sheet and dropped onto a gathering chain. The gathering chain forms a plurality of these devices in succession Production stations moved along a predetermined production path, whereby the printed sheets, which are usually opened with a trailing fold and are staggered on these production points formed by the successive regions of the gathering chain, can be conveyed along the production path with the aid of suitable carriers and held at the production site.

In the production of printed products from individual sheets must be taken to ensure that the sheets of the individual printed products are fed in a predetermined orientation and according to a predetermined order of the production site. In the in the EP 1 216 947 A1 described gathering the composition of the individual sheets to a given printed product is checked by reading the individual sheets provided and the individual sheets characterizing information read with a suitable reading device, supplied to a control device and compared with stored in the control device topology data to be produced from the printed product , If a deviation is found in this comparison between the information read out and the topology data, the production process can be interrupted and / or the faulty printed sheet can be ejected.

document DE 195 12 501 A1 discloses a method for producing a printed product with at least two personalized printed sheets, according to which the order of the printed sheets transported to a main feeder is checked by reading an identifier printed on the respective printed sheets and comparing the sequence thus determined with a previously determined protocol.

In the practice of such processes, it has been found that the production of different printed products which may contain printed sheets of the same information content presents problems.

In view of these problems in the prior art, the object of the invention is to provide a method with which the production of various printed products can be monitored simply and reliably.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the development of the known method described in claim 1, in which the printing sheets for producing the printed products are successively fed to a production site and the composition information of at least one fed sheet one of the production site position information containing two sub-information realized according to the domino principle, the first of which designates one or more printed sheets to be fed to the production site prior to the feeding of this sheet, while the second sub-information comprises one, two or more of the production site hereinafter referred to printed sheet, wherein the position information of at least two of the production point sequentially supplied sheet to be compared with each other in the evaluation.

This invention is based on the recognition that to reliably verify the composition of printed products, it is not necessary to compare the compositional information of all the signatures with a total data set representing the printed product, but rather that it suffices if the individual printed sheets fed sequentially to the production site be checked if they are compatible with each other. By a suitable choice of the composition information, a printed sheet provided with composition information can be assigned to different printed products in this method, if only care is taken that the composition information of the remaining sheets of this printed product indicates a direct or indirect relationship with this sheet. It is particularly intended to the execution of such methods in which only individual sheets have a composition information, the information content, however, indicates that other sheets are not provided with a corresponding composition information. From these signatures, the information can be derived that they have no separate composition information and this information can be compared in the evaluation with the provided on one or more of the remaining printed sheets of the printed product composition information.

Expediently, an error signal is generated when carrying out the method according to the invention if, as a result of the evaluation, a faulty composition of the printed product is detected. In response to the error signal, the apparatus used to perform the method, such as a gathering machine, may be stopped and / or the defective printed product rejected.

As already explained above in connection with conventional gathering machines, the printing sheets for the production of the printed products are fed one after the other to a production location. In accordance with the method according to the invention, the composition information of at least one supplied printed sheet contains a print sheet which immediately indicates the printed sheet to be supplied directly and / or immediately thereafter Position information, wherein in the course of the evaluation, the position information of at least two of the production point to be supplied successively sheet in the evaluation are compared. The position information of the printed sheets form a general description for all permissible sequences of printed products. The position information on the printed sheet consists of two partial information, the first of which designates one or more printed sheets to be fed to the production site prior to the feeding of this sheet, while the second partial information one, two or more of the production point to be supplied after printed sheets. In the context of the invention is also thought to give individual position information information content that before or after this sheet no further sheet is to be supplied.

In addition to the positional information, the compositional information may include product information indicative of the membership of the signature to one or more printed products, the error signal being generated when the evaluation of the product information from two to one print product, composing the signature results in the sheets not becoming a printed product may be composed. The product information may contain two or more pieces of information. In this context, it can be thought that individual products to a, for example, a common. Order assigned product group and one of the partial information identifies this product group. A second partial information can indicate the affiliation of the printed sheet so marked to a specific printed product of the product group. This information thus characterizes those printed products in which the corresponding printed sheet may be present. May be a product in several. Products may be marked with special values (wildcards) of this sub-information. This can, for example, be realized in such a way that the product information merely indicates a product group, but not a specific product. In addition, it is also intended to provide partial information of the product information, which shows that the printed sheet so marked is only optionally contained in the corresponding printed product and can optionally be replaced by a printed sheet with otherwise identical composition information.

In order to identify the affiliation of printed sheets to groups of printed products, the product information, as explained above, can develop partial information, which designates belonging to the group. The labeling of superordinate groups can basically be continued as desired.

In the context of the invention is intended to the execution of such methods in which the composition information of at least one signature is compared only in the production of the first printed product of a series of similar products with one of at least one further provided for the production of such printed products printed sheet information. In this case, the method according to the invention is carried out only in the device of the machine used to produce the printed products. Basically, only similar products can be produced with such methods in a machine device. In the production of printed products, after the execution of the method according to the invention in connection with the production of the first product of the series of similar products, the composition information of at least one print sheet is compared with the composition information of the corresponding print sheet used for the first product of the product sequence and an error signal is generated the composition information of the sheet to be used for the production of the following printed products is different from the composition information of the corresponding sheet used for the production of the first printed product.

In another embodiment of the invention, the compositional information of at least one signature in the manufacture of each printed product of a sequence of similar products is compared with information derived from at least one further printed sheet for producing such printed products. In this embodiment of the method according to the invention, printed products with different printing sheet compositions can be produced in one production cycle. In the context of the evaluation of the composition information, it can also be determined in the production of different printed products within a product sequence whether the composition of individual printed sheets leads to approved printed products characterized by the type of composition information.

As already explained above in connection with conventional methods, the production site realized in the form of a section of a collecting chain can be conveyed along a production path during the composition of the printed products and the printing sheets required for producing the printed product can be fed in succession to the production site with feed devices arranged along the production path become. In this case, as already explained above, within the scope of the invention, it is also intended to supply printing sheets for two or more printed products with one feeding device. In this case, it is advantageous if the composition information of the corresponding printed sheets in the production of each printed product is compared with at least one information derived from another printed sheet intended for the production of this printed product becomes. In any case, it is expedient in these methods if, in the evaluation of the composition information, additional position information representing the position of the respective feed device with respect to the production path is taken into account. This position information can be transmitted together with the composition information to a control device and / or stored in the control device and assigned to the composition information.

In addition, it is usually additionally checked whether the printed products supplied by a feeding device coincide and then an error signal is generated if composition information of a printed sheet deviates from the composition information of the remaining printed sheets supplied with this feeding device. If print sheets for two or more printed products are to be supplied with one feeder, a corresponding check can be made without affecting the operational reliability if the composition information of the feeder fed to the feeder for feeding two or more printed products feed sheet contains partial information showing is that at the corresponding feeder sheets with different composition information may be supplied. After the evaluation of this partial information, the generation of an error signal is prevented when printed sheets having mutually different composition information are supplied with this feeder.

1. 1. Ein Druckbogen soll mehrfach hintereinander in einem Druckprodukt vorkommen.
2. 2. Ein Druckbogen gehört zu einem "Coming and Going-Produkt".
3. 3. Ein Druckbogen darf auch um 180 ° verdreht eingelegt werden.

The partial information explained above forms additional information which can be attributed to neither the product information nor the position information. Such additional information may be included in the composition information in a variety of ways. In this context, the following additional information is intended, inter alia:

1. 1. A sheet should occur several times in a row in a printed product.
2. 2. A printed sheet belongs to a "coming and going product".
3. 3. A printed sheet may also be inserted rotated by 180 °.

In the context of the invention, a variable product production is also intended in which at least one printed sheet is selected as a function of the evaluation of the composition information provided on at least one further printed sheet during the compilation of the printed products. In this context, for example, thought of it, individual Stop feeders when it is indicated by the composition information of a sheet that no sheet is to be supplied to the corresponding feeder.

As already explained above, the composition information of a printed sheet may include initial or final information indicating that for the composition of a sheet before or after feeding this sheet to a production site, no further sheet is to be added thereto, whereby an error signal is generated in that a print sheet is fed to one of the preceding and following feeders serving to feed the start or finish information sheets along the production path.

Although the composition information can also be detected before or after the delivery of the printing sheet, it has proved to be particularly useful in the context of the invention, if detected on at least one feeding device provided on the printed sheet composition information and possibly together with the location of this Feed device with respect to the production path and / or with respect to other feeders performing position information is forwarded to a control device. In this case, the composition information can be coded according to a predetermined coding method, for example in the form of a bar code, wherein the decoding can take place in the control device. In order to increase the variability of methods according to the invention, it has further proven to be expedient if the composition information contains a part information representing or indicating the coding method and the control device carries out the decoding in accordance with this partial information. As already explained above, for the composition of the printed products it is also possible to supply printed sheets without composition information, the feeding of which is indicated by the composition information provided on at least one printed sheet.

As can be seen from the above explanation of the method according to the invention, a device suitable for carrying out such methods is characterized by a plurality of feeding devices or feeders designed for feeding printed sheets to a production point, wherein at least two feeding devices provide one for detecting printed sheets to be fed therewith Essentially, the control device is operable to compare the composition information acquired by at least two detection devices, and to a control device designed to evaluate the composition information detected by the detection devices. there the production points of the device according to the invention can be realized in the form of individual sections of a collecting chain as in conventional collating machines, while the feeding devices can be realized in the form of conventional printing sheet feeders and the detecting device can have a bar code reader.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer zur Ausführung erfindungsgemäßer Verfahren betreibbaren Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2

eine Detaildarstellung der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Vorrichtung,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung eines Verfahrens, bei dem fünf unterschiedliche, zu einem gemeinsamen Auftrag gehörende Produkttypen hergestellt werden,

Fig. 4

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung einer ersten Ausführungsform erfindungsgemäßer Verfahren,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung einer zweiten Ausführungsform erfindungsgemäßer Verfahren,

Fig. 6

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung einer dritten Ausführungsform erfindungsgemäßer Verfahren und

Fig. 7

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung einer vierten Ausführungsform erfindungsgemäßer Verfahren.

The invention will be explained with reference to the drawing, to which reference is expressly made with respect to all essential to the invention and in the description unspecified highlighted details. In the drawing shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a device operable to carry out the method according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a detailed representation of in Fig. 1 illustrated device,

Fig. 3

a schematic representation for explaining a method in which five different, belonging to a common order product types are produced,

Fig. 4

a schematic representation for explaining a first embodiment of inventive method,

Fig. 5

a schematic representation for explaining a second embodiment of inventive method,

Fig. 6

a schematic representation for explaining a third embodiment of the inventive method and

Fig. 7

a schematic representation for explaining a fourth embodiment of the inventive method.

In the Fig. 1 The apparatus shown comprises a total of four printing sheet magazines 10, 12, 14 and 16, from which with investors 20, 22, 24 and 26 individual sheets 1 can be deducted and fed to a production site. As in Fig. 2 shown, the production points are at the in Fig. 1 illustrated device in the form of individual sections of a gathering chain 60 executed on the opened from the magazine 10 to 16 with the feeders designed as a sheet feeder 20 to 26 feed sheet 1 opened and stored astride. The printed sheets 1 are each in the direction of arrow B on the running collector chain 60 dropped and transported in the direction of the arrow P ', which can be placed on the first dropped on the gathering chain 60 sheet with the help of the following investor more sheets. In the course of further processing, a magazine, a booklet or a book of predetermined content is produced from the printed sheet thus brought together at the production sites.

According to Fig. 1 are associated with the individual investors 20, 22, 24 and 26 detection devices 30, 32, 34 and 36, with which provided on the sheet to be supplied composition information can be detected. When using the Fig. 1 and 2 In the embodiment shown, the composition information in the manner of a bar code 4 is printed on a trimming 3 of the individual printed sheets and are detected by means of detection devices implemented in the form of bar code readers 30 to 36. The Barcodes 4 corresponding data, together with the corresponding position information of the investor via a suitable data acquisition system to a in the in the Fig. 1 and 2 illustrated embodiment as a central control device 50 realized control device forwarded. In the control device 50, the composition and position information is evaluated by comparing the composition information provided on the individual sheets withdrawn from the magazines 10 to 16 to determine whether or not a predetermined criteria can be produced from this sheet. The following definitions are used to explain the composition information: <u> Table 1 </ u> Sheet, sheet Smallest, unassembled element of a product Sub-sheet S Instead of a single, specific printed sheet in the product, a small number of different sub-sheets occur. A maximum of one of the subbots may be included in one product. Product P A desired combination of printed sheets forms a product (= book or booklet). Order A An order indicates the quantity of all desired products that are generated from the quantity of all printed sheets. Sheet address APS Each printed sheet has an address that states to which order and to which product it belongs and which sub-sheet number it bears. address segment A, P and S are the 3 address segments in the sheet address Special functions F Special properties of individual sheets or a product with regard to the topology properties Link left x Link to neighbor left (x points to predecessor) Left right y Link to neighboring boats on the right (y points to successor) Coding mode M M denotes the chosen encoding method which maps the topology properties of the arc into a number. Code value W Integer value from a value range (eg 0 .. 99 99 99 99), which is assigned to a sheet by the coding method M.

As can be seen from Table 1, the product information can contain a total of three address segments A, P and S, wherein for each of these address segments a wildcard "*" or "O" can stand, which indicates that this address segment can have any value. This results in the combination possibilities summarized in Table 2 for product information from individual address segments: <u> Table 2 </ u> *. *. * Global sheet, it can be used in any order (very rare, could possibly apply to an advertising sheet) A. *. * Bow used in more than one product of the order AP * Normal case: the sheet must exist exactly once in a single product APS Sub-sheet, which may or may not be present in exactly one product A. * .S Sub-sheet, which can occur in several products *. PS Sub-sheet, which can also be found in other orders in a single product (very rare case) *. P. * Bow, which must be available in different orders in product P

With the product information structured in this way, different products of a common product series or of a joint order can be identified, as in Fig. 3 is recognizable.

According to Fig. 3a ), five different types of products belonging to a single order are to be produced. The products may, for example, be a catalog. All product types have a common cover page and a common index. The first product type is intended for distribution in Switzerland and contains corresponding printed sheets. The second product type is intended for distribution in Germany and contains appropriate printed sheets. The third product type is intended for distribution in the English-speaking world and contains a first sub-sheet. The fourth product type is also intended for distribution in English-speaking countries and contains no sub-sheet. The fifth product type is intended for distribution in English-speaking countries and contains a second sub-sheet. A suitable structure of the product information for these product types is in Fig. 3b ). Thereafter, all printed sheets of this product type are equipped with an address segment A representing the order. The print sheets of the first product type are equipped with an address segment "1" that identifies this product type. The print sheets for the second product type are labeled with a product type of this type Address segment "2" provided and the sheets for the production of the third to fifth product type are equipped with a common address segment "3". The product information "A. *. *" For the cover sheet and the index sheet shows that these sheets can be used for all product types.

The product information explained above does not contain any information about the order and number of sheets in a product. It can only be determined if a sheet may or may not be included in a product. The position information indicating the order of the sheets in a product can be realized according to the "domino principle" and represent the topology of the products. As with the domino game, an arc with a position information realized by the pair of numbers (x, y) includes a previous arc with a position information in the form of the number pair "*, x" and a subsequent arc with a position information in the form of a number pair "y. *". , There may be special rules for the first and last bows, as shown in the following table: <u> Table 3 </ u> 0 Wild, any value allowed on the other side 97 The bow may, but need not be, at the beginning (only for x-links) 98 The bow may, but must not be at the end (only with y-links) 99 End of the link, the bow must at the beginning resp. Be the end 90..92 1, 2 or> = 3 sheets without barcode follow inside the product 93..95 1, 2 or> = 3 sheets without barcode are at the product end or end

• Wenn beide Links einer Positionsinformation auf einem Bogen den gleichen Wert haben, dann ist dieser Bogen nur fakultativ vorhanden. Das kann beim Einrichten der zur Ausführung des Verfahrens ausgelegten Vorrichtung festgelegt werden.

For the basis of the Fig. 3 explained product composition then arise as a possible position information for the individual sheets in Fig. 4a ) shown position information. Also possible are partially identical position information, if the sheets can be distinguished by the product information, as in Fig. 4b ). For the position information is still to explain:

• If both links of a position information on an arc have the same value, then this sheet is only optionally available. This can be determined when setting up the device designed to carry out the method.

A link with the value 0 is compatible with any link on the other side. Therefore, an arc with the position information "0.0" may be disposed at an arbitrary position of a product. When the inventive method is carried out such that the composition information only in the production of the first printed product of a series of similar products with one of at least one further for the production of such Printed products provided sheet-derived information is compared, an arc with the position information "0.0" only at this "reference phase", ie when setting up the machine, be placed anywhere. During subsequent production, it is then only allowed to be collected in the same way as specified during the setup in the reference phase.

The composition information provided on the individual sheets may contain, in addition to the product information and the position information, one or more additional information items representing particular characteristics of the sheet itself or the feeding device used to process the sheet. This additional information may be included in the composition information by the following information values: <u> Table 4 </ u> Special function F importance 0 No special function available (default value) 1 Symmetrical bow, it may also be inserted twisted 2, 3, 4, 5 The same bow occurs 2..5 times in a row 6 Coming and going product: 1. and last bow are the same, but inserted by 180 °, as 2. and 2.last bow, .. etc. 7 Linking x the sheets in the stack are variably linked with subsequent sheets 8th Linking y the sheet in the stack are variable linked with previous sheet 9 Linkage x this arc is constant, but the sequence is from a stack with variable linking y 10 Linkage y this arc is constant, but the predecessor sheets come from a stack with variable linking x

An advantage of the inventive method compared to conventional methods for the production of printed products, such as newspapers, magazines or books, is the fact that a review of the product manufacturing is possible without additional information from the outside, such as information about the overall product topology or Product composition, needed. A review of the printed products can be done once when setting up the machine. When using the special function F according to Table 4, these are the special functions up to 6. With the special functions 7 to 10, the manufacturing process can be extended to dynamically controlled product compositions. These special functions thus make it possible to produce several different products in one machine cycle in one machine cycle. This is esp. Favorable, if in addition to a variable bow sometimes the same arc can be contained in different products. This makes a simple "selective binding" without a complicated "selective binding controller" possible.

Such variable production, which is enabled by the special function value 7, is determined by the Fig. 5 explained. The first sheet of products to be fed to feeder 500 should each contain the home address to which the product is being sent. According to Fig. 5 Three regions are planned and, depending on the region in which the respective addressee lives, an arc with corresponding regional content should be added to the printed product. For the first sheet withdrawn with the feeder 500, the special function value 7 is allowed, while the special function value 10 is allowed for the following sheets to be added with the following investors 200, 300, 400. In the case of the Fig. 5 Thus, three different products are produced with the aid of the feeders 200, 300, 400, and only one of the feeders 200, 300, 400 is used for producing a printed product, while with the aid of the feeder 100 a sheet common to all printed products is added.

In a production process used to produce the three production products that differ with regard to the regional content, a printing sheet with the composition information XYZ7 (1.99) is then removed from a corresponding printing sheet stack in a first process cycle for producing the first printed product and applied to the collecting chain discarded. Then, the sheet having the composition information X.Y.Z.10 (20.1) is withdrawn from a corresponding sheet stack with the aid of the feeder 400 and dropped onto the gathering chain. Finally, with the feeder 100 of the products common to all products with the composition information X.Y.Z.0 (99.20) to complete the first printed product with the help of the investor 100 withdrawn and dropped onto the gathering chain.

In the second and third process cycle for the production of the second and third printed products, firstly with the feeder 500 a printed sheet with the composition information XYZ7 (3.99) is drawn off from the corresponding printing sheet stack and dropped onto the gathering chain. Then, the sheet common to the second and third product sheets or regional sheets having the composition information XYZ10 (20.3) is peeled off by means of the feeder 200 and dropped on the gathering chain. The second and third printed product of the printed product sequence is then completed by the sheet common to all products with the compositional information XYZ0 (99.20), which is withdrawn with the feeder 100 and dropped onto the gathering chain.

For the fourth product of the printed sheet sequence, a printing sheet with the composition information X.Y.Z.7 (2.99) is withdrawn from the corresponding sheet stack with the aid of the feeder 500 and dropped onto the gathering chain. This sheet is added with the help of the feeder 300 a print sheet with the composition information X.Y.Z.10 (20.2). This is done with the feeder 300. Finally, the printed product is completed by means of the feeder 100, which pulls the sheet common to all products with the compositional information X.Y.Z.0 (99.20) from the corresponding sheet stack and drops it onto the gathering chain.

In this way, investors 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 produce a total of three different printed products that differ in regional content and address information.

With the aid of the special functions indicated in Table 4 and represented by corresponding partial information of the composition information, it is possible to mark sheets for products which at least partially consist of identical sheets but different languages. In this case, linguistically mixed sheet stacks may be used at the feeder to which the first language-dependent sheet is to be fed. With the help of a special function value that allows variable product information for the corresponding investor, this can be done in accordance with the Fig. 5 realize the described production process. Table 4 does not list this special function. Furthermore, using the special function given in Table 4, it can also be effected that a product takes different transport routes, depending on the value of one or more components of the composition information. So can in the basis of the Fig. 5 explained embodiment, two points in the product flow are controlled so that products that are used in different regions are discharged via different ways.

As already explained above, the composition information provided on the printed sheet can be coded according to a predetermined coding method. For the production of different products from complex product compositions, it has proven to be favorable in terms of a code that is as short as possible when coded composition information is used in the context of the invention according to different coding methods. For processing the composition information, it is favorable if the composition information includes a part information representing the coding method and the control means executes the decoding according to this part information.

With a coding method, a numerical value W can be generated: $$\mathrm{W}=\mathrm{W}\left(\mathrm{M},\mathrm{A},\mathrm{P},\mathrm{S},\mathrm{F},\mathrm{x},\mathrm{y}\right)\approx \mathrm{M}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{F}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{x}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{y}\left(\mathrm{only\; symbolic\; notation}\right)$$

Different value ranges for the individual components can be used in the individual coding methods. It is also conceivable that new components are added or individual components are completely omitted and replaced by a predetermined placeholder. The latter can assume "0" or another wildcard value that is not used in any other coding method M. The following table exemplifies different coding methods. Unused components are defined with "-" and wildcard values, which are shown in parentheses: <u> Table 5 </ u> Fashion: 1 2 3 4 5 Number of digits 8th 8th 8th 8th 10 Value range A 0..9 - (-1) 0..9 0..99 0..99 Range of values P 0..9 0-999 0..99 0..9 0..9 Value range S 0..9 - (0) - (0) - (0) - (0) Range of values F - (0) - (0) - (0) - (0) 0..99 Value range x 0..99 0..99 0..99 0..99 0..99 Range of values y 0..99 0..99 0..99 0..99 0..99

By way of example, the coding method 1 (Mode 1) will be explained. In this coding method, the composition information consists of a total of eight digits. The first number indicates the order to which the product to be manufactured belongs and can assume a value of 0 to 9. The second digit indicates the type of product to be produced with the appropriate signature and may assume a value in the range of 0 to 9. The third digit indicates the property of the signature as a sub-sheet, ie as an optional signature in the product designated by the third digit, and may also assume a value in the range 0-9. The fourth digit defines a special function that this sheet can have in the product. In the coding method 1, this special function value is not occupied and occupied by the wildcard value "0". The fifth and sixth digits define the value range for the linking part of the position information. This linking information can be selected from the range of 0 to 99. The seventh and eighth digit finally sets the link information y of the position information. This linking segment y can also assume a value from 0 to 99.

To use the individual coding methods, it should be noted that for each sheet of a product, the coding method can be chosen independently of the coding method of the other products. In the coding method explained with reference to Table 5, however, the coding method 2 (M = 2) is incompatible with the other coding methods if the value for A is not set equal to 0 in these other coding methods.

Based on Fig. 6 another embodiment of the invention will be explained. This embodiment is based on the problem that a bank with 163 branches regularly wants to send a magazine to customers. Each store has its own presentation of the magazine, whereby at least the envelope is branch specific. Larger branches may additionally use one or two custom arcs to which a maximum of two more general arcs are added. A general description of the composition of corresponding journals is given in Fig. 6a ) recognizable. For this problem, the coding method M = 2 is suitable, in which the position information only consists of the product number, which here can correspond to the store number. The link over the position information is in Fig. 6b ). If you want the additional security that old sheets from earlier editions are recognized as wrong, you can increase the link numbers x and y by 5 with each new order.

Based on Fig. 7 a further example of methods according to the invention is explained. This example is based on the problem that a German and an English edition of a book should be released. Inside the book is a specially printed sheet with high-quality images for both editions. This sheet does not contain composition information. The composition of corresponding products is shown schematically in FIG Fig. 7a ) indicated. In this case, all coding methods can be used, and the coding method 4 (M = 4) would be a good choice, because this order can be distinguished from many other orders.

The corresponding codings for the individual sheets are in Fig. 7b ).

Finally, it should be noted that the position information of the individual sheets are usually applied in the form of bar codes which can be read with a stitch code reader.

Claims (15)

1. A method for producing printed products (5), wherein the printed products (5) are composed of printed sheets (1), and in order to check the composition, composition information provided on at least one printed sheet (1) and characterising this printed sheet (1) with respect to predetermined printed sheet properties is evaluated, during the evaluation the composition information of at least one printed sheet (1) being compared to information derived from at least one further printed sheet (1) thus assembled for the production of the same printed product (5), characterised in that the printed sheets (1) are fed sequentially to a production station for production of the printed products (5), and the composition information of at least one fed printed sheet (1) includes position information characterising the printed sheet (1) that was fed immediately before and will be fed immediately afterwards to the production station with two partial pieces of information realised by the domino principle, of which the first identifies one or more printed sheets (1) which are to be fed to the production station before feeding this sheet, while the second partial piece of information identifies one, two or more printed sheet(s) (1) to be fed afterwards to the production station, the position information of at least two of the printed sheets (1) to be fed sequentially to the production station being compared to each other during the evaluation.
2. The method according to Claim 1, characterised in that an error signal is generated if, as a result of the analysis, faulty composition of the printed product (5) is established.
3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the composition information contains product information indicating that the printed sheet (1) belongs to one or more printed products (5), and the error signal is generated when the evaluation of the product information of two printed sheets (1) assembled to form one printed product (5) shows that the printed sheets (1) may not be assembled to form one printed product (5).
4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the composition information of at least one printed sheet (1) is only compared during the production of the first printed product (5) of a product series to information derived from at least one further printed sheet provided for the production of this printed product.
5. The method according to Claim 4, characterised in that the composition information of at least one printed sheet (1) is compared during production of each further product of the product series to the composition information of the corresponding product sheet (1) used for the first printed product (5) of the product series.
6. The method according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the composition information of at least one printed sheet (1) is compared during the production of each printed product (5) of a product series with information derived from at least one further printed sheet (1) provided for the production of this printed product (5).
7. The method according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the production station is conveyed along a production path during the assembly of the printed products (5), and the printed sheets (1) are fed with feed devices (20, 22, 24, 26) positioned along the production path.
8. The method according to Claim 7, characterised in that printed sheets (1) for two or more printed products (5) are fed with at least one feed device (20, 22, 24, 26).
9. The method according to Claim 8, characterised in that the composition information of the printed sheets fed by the feed device designed for feeding printed sheets (1) for two or more printed products (5) contain partial information after the evaluation of which generation of an error signal is prevented if printed sheets (1) with composition information differing from each other are fed by this feed device.
10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that when assembling the printed sheets (1), at least one printed sheet (1) is selected depending on the evaluation of the composition information provided on at least one further printed sheet (1).
11. The method according to any of Claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the composition information of a printed sheet (1) contains start and end information with which it is indicated that during production of the printed product (5) before or after feeding this printed sheet no further printed sheet is to be added, and the error signal is generated when a sheet is fed by a preceding or following feed device (20, 22, 24, 26) positioned along the production path serving to feed the printed sheets containing the end information.
12. The method according to any of Claims 7 to 11, characterised in that at least at one feed device (20, 22, 24, 26) the composition information provided on the printed sheet (1) to be fed with said feed device is captured and relayed to a control device (50).
13. The method according to Claim 12, characterised in that the composition information is encoded according to a predetermined encoding method and is decoded in the control device (50).
14. The method according to Claim 13, characterised in that the composition information contains partial information indicating the encoding method, and the control device (50) implements the decoding according to this partial information.
15. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that in order to assemble the printed products (5), printed sheets (1) without any composition information are fed, feeding of the latter being indicated by the composition information provided on at least one printed sheet (1).

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