EP0257390B1 - Folding apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a folding apparatus with an upstream first longitudinal folding device, preferably designed as a former, and with at least one transverse folding device with a collecting cylinder equipped with folding knives and grippers, which is preceded by a cross-cutting device with an acceleration path preferably adjoining it and which is equipped with at least one folding flap assigned to the folding knives Folding cylinder cooperates, which is followed by at least one delivery device, preferably a transverse fold delivery device, and a second longitudinal fold device with an associated longitudinal fold delivery device.

The known arrangements of this type are usually only set up for a very specific production. Experience has shown that this often leads to undesirable restrictions. It is in fact often desirable to be able not only to design products with and without a transverse fold and possibly with and without a second longitudinal fold, but also to cut products cut to about half or a quarter of the size of the plate or forme cylinder of the upstream printing press to be able to process. This is not possible with the known arrangements. Therefore, these do not prove to be versatile enough.

Proceeding from this, it is therefore the object of the present invention to increase the versatility of a folder of the type mentioned at the beginning.

This object is achieved in that the two multi-arm, mutually adjustable dashboard containing cylinder has two sets of grippers, of which the grippers of the one set are each taken up next to a folding knife on the associated dashboard and can be activated as an alternative to the folding knives and the grippers of the another set, which can be activated together with the grippers of the first set or with the folding knives, are accommodated on their own dashboard that each folding cylinder, which also contains two multi-arm, adjustable dashboards, also activates two sets of alternatively to one another and / or alternatively to the folding flaps , with the simultaneously activated grippers of the collecting cylinder interacting grippers, of which the grippers of the one set each have a folding flap on the associated dashboard and the grippers of the other set on their own Instrument holders are included, and that the cross-cutting device can be changed from one section length to another section length that is half as large and vice versa.

These measures advantageously result in a combination folder or section apparatus for the optional processing of e.g. B. on half or quarter circumference cut products, which can optionally be worked with and without a longitudinal fold and / or with and without a transverse fold and / or with and without collecting. In the case of cross-fold-free but longitudinally folded production, the fiber course advantageously coincides with the longitudinal fold course, which is often desirable. Instead of the first longitudinal fold, a longitudinal cut can also be provided. For this purpose, a corresponding, optionally activatable longitudinal cutting device is only to be provided in the area of the first longitudinal folding device. In the case of a second longitudinal fold device, it is also possible to work with and without a second longitudinal fold. It is therefore also possible in an advantageous manner to produce so-called two-up products in which the course of the fibers matches the course of the two folds. The measures according to the invention thus clearly allow a high degree of versatility. In the case of cross fold production, the folding knives and folding flaps as well as the grippers of the collecting cylinder, which are accommodated on their own dashboard, are activated. The other grippers are passivated. If half-circumferential products are to be designed without cross folds, the folding blades and folding flaps are passivated. In addition to every second gripper of the collecting cylinder, every second gripper of the folding cylinder or the folding cylinder is activated. If the transverse folding device is passivated when processing short products cut to a quarter circumference, both gripper groups of the collecting cylinder and the folding cylinder or the folding cylinder are activated, the products being transferred to the intermeshing grippers of the successive cylinders. The dashboard with folding knives and grippers or folding flaps and grippers are simply adjusted so that the mutual grippers mesh with each other, i. H. take the position that the folding blades and jaws have in the case of cross fold production. Since a complete set of grippers is seated on the arm carriers assigned to the folding knives or the folding flaps, very simple adjustment is advantageously possible by means of the folding adjustment which is present in any case with a variable folding apparatus. For this purpose, the dashboards with folding knives and grippers or folding jaws and grippers can simply be in mutual tooth engagement, so that a common adjustment is possible in a simple manner. The measures according to the invention thus clearly result in a simple construction and usability despite the high versatility.

In the case of a second longitudinal folding device, the transverse fold laying device can advantageously be arranged downstream of the second longitudinal folding device. For this purpose, the band guide leading from the cross-folding device to the cross-folding delivery device can simply pass through the second longitudinal folding device. This makes it possible to operate the second longitudinal folding device with one and the same band guide or to lay out the products without a second longitudinal fold via the transverse fold delivery device. This also applies in an advantageous manner in the case of what is known as envelope production, that is to say also products which are cut without cross folds and possibly completely without longitudinal folds simply laid out over the cross fold delivery device.

A further expedient development of the superordinate measure can consist in the fact that the cross-cutting device has a knife cylinder which is provided with two knife receiving points offset by 180 _° , optionally with knives which can be occupied by knives, and a groove cylinder which is preferably provided with two grooves offset by 180 _° . This measure enables a quick changeover from cut to half the circumference to cut to a quarter circumference by simply occupying one knife or both knife receiving points of the knife cylinder with a knife. In addition, it is possible in a simple manner to replace the second knife with a transverse perforating knife, so that there is a transverse perforation of products cut on half the circumference, which can facilitate subsequent transverse fold formation or the avoidance of pinch folds in the second longitudinal fold.

In a further development of the superordinate measures, the second longitudinal folding device can be preceded by an optionally activatable longitudinal perforating device, which is preferably attached to the frame of the second longitudinal folding device. The longitudinal perforation facilitates the production of the second longitudinal fold. The fastening of the longitudinal perforating device to the frame of the second longitudinal folding device advantageously also results in an automatic adjustment of the longitudinal perforating device together with the adjustable second longitudinal folding device.

Another expedient measure can consist in the fact that the collecting cylinders are assigned two folding cylinders which are offset with respect to one another. In this way, gaps between the successive products can also be produced in the case of cross-fold-free production, so that they can be braked in an advantageous manner, which enables the entire delivery device to run comparatively slowly downstream of the cross-folding device.

Further developments and advantageous refinements of the superordinate measures result from the following description of an exemplary embodiment using the drawing in conjunction with the remaining subclaims.

The single figure of the drawing shows a side view of a folder according to the invention with an upstream folder in a schematic representation.

The folding device according to the invention, which has two parallel side walls 1, is arranged with its inlet below a folding former 2 which forms a first longitudinal folding device and which is fastened to the machine frame of a printing machine which is upstream of the folding device 1 and is not shown here. The paper web 3 printed in the printing press is drawn over the folding former 2 to form a first longitudinal fold, which can be followed by folding rollers 4, between which the folded paper web 3 flows. In the illustrated embodiment, the former 2 is associated with a longitudinal cutting device 5 formed by a cutter disc, which can be placed in and out of operation and is arranged so that the paper web 3 can be cut open at the location of the first longitudinal fold and thus separated into superimposed web halves.

In the area of the folder inlet located below the former, two pairs of pull rollers are provided, each with at least one driven and one pivotable roller. The rollers of the pairs of pull rollers 6 can be designed as so-called sandwich rollers, in which steel and rubber rings are alternately arranged side by side. Below the draw rollers there is a cross cutting device 7, which can be changed from cut to half the circumference to cut to a quarter circumference based on the plate or forme cylinder of the double circumference printing machine arranged upstream and vice versa. The cross-cutting device 7 consists of a knife cylinder 8 and a slot cylinder 9. The slot cylinder 9 is provided with two slots 10 offset by 180 _° . The knife cylinder 8 has two knife receiving points 11 which are offset from one another by 180 _° , into each of which a knife bar 13 with a knife 12 can optionally be inserted. When cutting to a quarter circumference, both knife receiving points 11 are equipped with a knife bar 13. When cutting on half the circumference, only one knife receiving point 11 is occupied. In this case, the groove for cutting the paper web 3 required knife receiving point 11 can be occupied with a perforating knife for producing a transverse perforation.

The transverse cutting device 7 is followed by a transverse folding device 15 with the interposition of an acceleration section 14. The acceleration section 14, which can be driven at a variable speed, enables the format variation required in the case of a variable folder. The transverse folding device 15 comprises a collecting cylinder 19 which is equipped with grippers 16 and 17 and folding knives 18 and which cooperates here with two folding cylinders 23 which are offset from one another on their circumference and provided with grippers 20 and 21 and folding flaps 22. The collecting cylinder 19 and the two folding cylinders 23 each consist of two multi-arm, mutually rotatable fitting carriers 24, 25 and 26, 27, which hold the fittings in the form of the grippers 16, 17 or 20, 21 and the folding knife 18 and the folding jaws 2 serve. The grippers 16 and 17 of the collecting cylinder 19 form two gripper salts, namely a first set with the grippers 17 accommodated in each case in addition to a folding knife 18 on one arm of the armature holder 24 also receiving the folding knife 18 and a second set with those on the arms of the only one The grippers of the instrument holder 25 have the grippers 16 picked up. The grippers of the collecting cylinder 19 can be switched over from collective production to non-collected production. Accordingly, these grippers can be designed as flat single grippers, which grip in a manner known per se in the case of collective production. The grippers 20, 21 of the two folding cylinders 23 also form two gripper sets, namely one The first set with the grippers 20 arranged next to a folding flap 22, together with the adjacent folding flap 22 on one arm of the same fitting support 26, and a second set with the grippers 21 each accommodated on one arm of the further fitting support 27 which is only occupied by grippers.

The grippers 17 of the collecting cylinder 19 arranged next to a folding knife 18 can be activated as an alternative to the folding knives 18. Depending on the type of production, the grippers 16 of the second set of grippers of the collecting cylinder 19 can be activated together with or as an alternative to the folding blades 18 and thus with or without the grippers 17 of the first set of grippers. Depending on the type of production, the grippers 20 and 21 of the two folding cylinders 23 can be activated as an alternative to the folding jaws 22 or in sets as an alternative to one another and cooperate with simultaneously activated grippers of the collecting cylinder 19 in the cylinder contact area. A high degree of versatility can thus be achieved by optionally activating the various fittings of the collecting cylinder 19 and folding cylinder 23.

In transverse fold production, the folding blades 18 and the folding flaps 22 are activated and adjusted so that they interact in the cylinder contact area, as indicated in the drawing, which is based on an adjustment with transverse fold production, in the contact area between the collecting cylinder 19 and the upper folding cylinder 23. Simultaneously with the folding blades 18, the grippers 16 of the collecting cylinder 19, which are accommodated on the separate armature support 25, are activated in transverse fold production and hold the front ends of the products transferred from the acceleration path 14 to the collecting cylinder 19 until the transverse fold is carried out. The grippers 17 of the second gripper set on the collecting cylinder side are not required in cross fold production and can be passivated. The same applies to the grippers of the two folding cylinders 23. If products are to be produced without a transverse fold, the folding knives 18 and the folding flaps 22 are passivated and, depending on the length of the section, on a quarter or half the circumference both gripper sets or only one gripper set of the collecting cylinder 19 and the folding cylinder 23 activated. The individual products are transferred from the grippers on the collecting cylinder to the grippers of the folding cylinder 23 or a folding cylinder 23 which mesh with them in the cylinder contact area. If all the grippers are required, which is the case when cutting to a quarter of a circumference, the armatures 24 and 26 of the collecting cylinder 19 and folding cylinder 23, which are occupied simultaneously with the grippers 17 and the folding knives 18 or the grippers 20 and the folding flaps 22, are compared the other armature support 25 or 27 rotated so that the grippers 17 and 20 come into the position which the folding knives 18 or folding flaps 22 assume in the transverse fold production. The fitting carriers 24 and 26 assigned to the folding blades 18 and folding flaps 2 are in mutual tooth engagement and can therefore be adjusted jointly both for folding regulation and for accomplishing the gripper setting described above. The adjustment can take place by means of a regulating device 28 indicated here in the form of a handwheel.

The collecting cylinder 19 can be odd-numbered, z. B. as here, five parts. Depending on the fittings 24 and 25 have three, as here five, seven or so more arms, each with a gripper 16 or a gripper 17 and a folding knife 18. The distance between the grippers of each set of grippers or the arms of the two fitting supports of the collecting cylinder 19 is somewhat larger than the largest processable format length, ie as half the circumference of the largest possible plate or forme cylinder, so that cuts are cut to half the circumference Products in which, as already mentioned, only one gripper set is activated, results in trouble-free operation. The individual or jointly operable folding cylinders 23 can be evenly divided into several parts, e.g. B. as here, four parts. If only one folding cylinder 23 is provided, its fitting supports 26, 27 each have an equal number of arms, so that products cut to a quarter circumference can also be passed without problems. In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown with two folding cylinders 23 which can be acted upon alternatively, there is the peculiarity that both sets of grippers each require only two grippers 20 and 21 which are offset from one another by 180 _° . Accordingly, of the four folding jaws 22 provided here, only two folding jaws, which are offset by 180 _° relative to one another, are positioned next to a gripper 22 and the armature support 27 assigned to the other gripper set has only two arms, each with one gripper. The distance between the grippers of the folding cylinders 23 which are respectively accommodated on the same dashboard corresponds to the gripper distance on the collecting cylinder side.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, each folding cylinder 23 is followed by a second longitudinal folding device 29 designed as a sword folding unit with an associated longitudinal folding delivery device 30 in the form of a paddle wheel interacting with a conveyor belt, and an alternatively activatable separate transverse fold delivery device 31, likewise in the form of a paddle wheel interacting with a delivery belt. The transport of the products from the upstream folding cylinder 23 to the associated cross-folding delivery device 31 or second longitudinal folding device 29 takes place by means of a belt guide 32, which is only schematically indicated here, which passes through the associated second longitudinal folding device 29 and above the paddle wheel of the associated cross-folding delivery device 31 in the form of a u. U. provided with a tail brake ejection wedge 33 ends. If the second longitudinal folding device 29 is activated, the products running over the band guide 32 in question are delivered via the associated longitudinal fold delivery device 30. If products are produced without a second longitudinal fold, the delivery takes place regardless of whether the transverse folding device 15 is activated or not, via the transverse fold delivery device 31 arranged downstream of the second longitudinal folding device 29. For this purpose, the products removed from the folding cylinders 23 are passed through the band guide 32 through the second longitudinal folding device 29. The second longitudinal folding device 29 can be assigned a longitudinal perforating device 34 which can optionally be activated together with it. This can be fastened in alignment with the folding knife on the frame of the associated second longitudinal folding device 29, so that the associated longitudinal perforating device is automatically also adjusted when the second longitudinal folding device is adjusted.

In the case of cross fold production, there are gaps between the successive products. The same applies in the case of an alternate loading of the two folding cylinders 23 which are offset with respect to one another. The products entering the belt guide 32 can accordingly be braked by reducing the length of the gaps in order to achieve a comparatively slow running of the delivery devices by means of a suitable braking device 35. For this purpose, the belt guide 32 can have two interlocking sections which are driven at stepped speeds. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the brake device 35 is designed as brake rollers provided with brake shoes.

As already indicated above, the collecting cylinder 19 can be changed over from collected production to collective production and vice versa. The products collected on top of each other can be connected to each other. For this purpose, a stapler 36 arranged upstream of the folding cylinders 23 or a device for applying glue strips etc. can be assigned to the collecting cylinder 19.

• a) einmal längs- und anschließend einmal quergefalzter Produkte,
• b) einmal längs- und anschließend einmal quer-und dann nochmals längsgefalzter Produkte,
• c) im Bereich des ersten Längsfalzes aufgeschnittener Produkte, die einmal quer- und anschließend einmal längsgefalzt sind,
• d) lediglich zweimal längsgefalzter Produkte,
• e) im Bereich des ersten Längsfalzes aufgeschnittener und dann mittels der zweiten Längsfalzeinrichtung mit einem Längsfalz versehener Produkte,
• f) lediglich einmal längsgefalzter Produkte,
• g) überhaupt nicht gefalzter, d. h. auch im Bereich des ersten Längsfalzes aufgeschnittener Abschnitte.

The folding apparatus shown represents, as the above explanations are likely to show, a versatile, variable folding and cutting apparatus which enables the production of a wide range of products, e.g. B. the manufacture

• a) once lengthwise and then once cross-folded products,
• b) once longitudinally and then once transversely and then again longitudinally folded products,
• c) products cut open in the region of the first longitudinal fold, which are folded once lengthways and then lengthways once,
• d) only twice longitudinally folded products,
• e) Products cut open in the region of the first longitudinal fold and then provided with a longitudinal fold by means of the second longitudinal folding device,
• f) longitudinally folded products only once,
• g) sections which have not been folded at all, ie also cut open in the region of the first longitudinal fold.

All types of production apply regardless of the number of benefits on the plate or form cylinder circumference in principle for each section length, although the production types a) to e) most for half-circumference and the production types f) and g) most for quarter-cut Products, each based on a plate or forme cylinder with two uses on the circumference (so-called double circumference machine) come into question. With only one use on the circumference (single circumference machine), on the other hand, a) to e) cut over the entire circumference and for f) and g) cut over half the circumference. An even smaller-sized cut would be possible if the knife cylinder 8 contains more knives.

Claims (11)

1. A folder comprising a first longitudinal folding device (2) preferably in the form of a former on the feed side of the folder and at least one transverse folding device (15) having a collect cylinder (19) equipped with folding blades (18) and grippers (16), arranged to be supplied from a transverse cutting device (7) with an acceleration path (14) preferably adjoining it and which cooperates with at least one folder cylinder (23) with folding jaws (22) associated with the folding blades (18), such folder cylinder being followed by at least one delivery device, preferably in the form of a transverse folding delivery device (31) and a second longitudinal folding device (29) with an associated longitudinal folder delivery device (30) characterized in that the collect cylinder (19) having two multi-arm relatively adjustable fixture supports (24 and, respectively, 25), has two sets of grippers (16 and, respectively, 17), of which the grippers (17) of the one set are respectively mounted adjacent to one, folding blade (18) of this fixture support (24) associated with this blade and are able to be put into operation as an alternative to the folding blades (18) and the grippers (16) of the other set, which are able to be put into operation jointly with the grippers (17) of the first set or with folding blades (18), are mounted on their own fixture support (25), and each folding cylinder (23) also has two multi-arm fixture supports (26 and, respectively, 27) able to be adjusted in relation to each other also has two sets of grippers (27), which are able to be put into operation as an alternative to each other and/or as an alternative to the folding jaws (22), and are adapted to cooperate with the simultaneously activatable grippers (20 and, respectively, 21) of the collect cylinder (19), of which the grippers (20) of the one set are respectively mounted adjacent to one folding jaw (22) on the fixture support (26) associated with the latter and the grippers (21) of the other set are mounted on their own fixture support (27) and the transverse cutting device (7) is able to be reset from one cut length to another cut length which is half as long and vice versa.

2. The folder as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transverse cutting device (7), which is preferably able to be reset from cutting to half the periphery to cutting to one quarter of the periphery, has a knife cylinder (8) provided with two knife receiving sites (11) offset from each other by 180° and able to be selectively fitted with knives (12), and furthermore has a groove cylinder (9) which is preferably provided with two grooves (10) offset by 180_° and the knives of the transverse cutting device (7), of which in the case of transverse fold production, one knife is preferably in the form of a transverse perforating knife, are respectively detachably mounted in a knife beam (13) able to be fitted in an associated knife receiving site (11).

3. The folder as claimed in any one preceding claim, characterized in that adjacent to the first longitudinal folding device (2) there is a longitudinal cutting device (5).

4. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that in the case of there being a second longitudinal folding device the transverse folding device (31) is arranged following the second longitudinal folding device (29).

5. The folder, as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the conveyor belt (32) running from a folding cylinder (23) belonging to the transverse folding device (15) to the transverse folding delivery device (31) extends through the associated second longitudinal folding device (29).

6. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the second longitudinal folding device (29) is preceded by a selectively activated longitudinal perforated device (34) preferably secured to the frame of the second longitudinal folding device.

7. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the collect cylinder (19) is associated with two mutually offset folding cylinders (23) provided with folding jaws (22), and preferably only half of the folding jaws (22) are mounted jointly with an adjacent gripper (20) on one respective arm of the associated fixture support (26) and the fixture support (27) only fitted with grippers (21) has only half as many arms as the fixture support (26) having the folding jaws (22).

8. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folding cylinder or, respectively, the folding cylinders (23) are each followed by a braking device (35).

9. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that respectively the fixture support (24 and, respectively, 26) fitted with folding blades (18) and grippers (17) and, respectively, with folding jaws (22) and grippers (20) is able to be adjusted in relation to the other fixture support (25 and, respectively, 27) and preferably the fixture support (26) fitted with folding jaws (22) and grippers (20) and the fixture support (24) fitted with folding blades (18) and grippers (17) are in interlocking toothed engagement and they are able to be jointly adjusted using a common regulating device (28).

10. The folder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collect cylinder (19) is made in an odd number of parts and preferably in five parts and the folding cylinder or, respectively, the folding cylinders (23) are made in an even number of parts and preferably in four parts.

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