EP0264347B1 - Device for processing a web - Google Patents

Abstract

A means (3) for treating a web (5), consisting of virgin paper, to form printed documents (7) has a printing unit (51) for printing variable data and other details, treatment devices (39, 71, 77, 83) arranged before and after the printing unit (51) in relation to the direction of transport of the web (4) and constructed as cartridge-type inserts, each having at least one rotatable treatment member in order to fashion the web (5) and possibly to subject it to other treatments, transporting means for transporting the web (5), electric drive devices (63, 67) for driving the rotatable treatment members, and control means (93). The latter control the drive devices (63, 67) during operation in such a way that the web portions situated in the treatment devices (39, 71, 77, 83) and in the printing unit (51) are transported and treated synchronously relative to one another. The means allows the entire treatment of the web (5) to be carried out in a small space and with little energy consumption, and the treatment devices (39, 71, 77, 83), the transporting means and the control means (93) to be produced and installed easily and cost-effectively. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

The device can be used to process at least one web, preferably partially or entirely of paper, for the formation of documents. A document is understood to mean a printed document, such as a letter from a company or an official administration. Such documents are normally produced in larger series, preferably each document in a series being printed at least in part with changeable information, ie data and information which change from document to document and for example the name and address of the recipient and this individually relevant information represent. In addition to the information that changes from document to document, the documents can also be used for all documents produced or at least for a series of such information, such as the name of the company or administration producing and / or sending the documents, the name of the documents, such as Order confirmation or invoice, and line for delimiting columns and fields. After printing, the web can be shaped in various ways and, for example, cut into sheets, which are packed in separate envelopes for shipping. The method and the system can possibly also serve to fold the documents after the printing and to connect them in places in such a way that each document simultaneously forms a tear-open cover which determines the address of the recipient on the outside and the recipient on the internal parts Contains information.

Instead of producing documents, the device may also be used to produce envelopes for sending documents from a web. For example, the envelopes can be printed with the address of the sender and / or other constant information during their manufacture and / or can be provided with a window.

Systems are known from CH-A-628 855 in which a virgin, ie unprinted and imperforate paper web is passed through a series of separate, autonomous units or devices and processed into documents by treatments carried out in the various devices. One of the systems disclosed in the cited patent has a unwinding device for unwinding a web of virgin paper, a tapering device for perforating an edge strip on each of the two longitudinal edges of the paper web, a printing device for printing constant information, a printing device. Device for printing certain, changeable information by a computer and a second shaping device for cutting off the perforated edge strips of the paper web and for cutting it up into sheets. Another system disclosed in the above-mentioned Swiss patent specification has an unwinding device, a tapering device for perforating the two longitudinal edge strips of the paper web, a printer for printing changeable information and a winding device for winding the printed web. In the operation of such and similar systems used in practice, the means of transport of the various facilities are regulated by regulating devices in such a way that the paper web forms loops between the facilities. As a result, excessive tensile stresses on the paper web can be avoided, even though the stepping motors, which are often controlled by the computer, have means of transport for Printing devices serving to print changeable information move the paper web intermittently and the unwinding and shaping devices normally have, at least in part, relatively heavy and sluggish means of transport that can only be accelerated and braked slowly. The systems known from CH-A-628 855 thus allow the continuous processing of a virgin paper web into finished documents, but still have the disadvantage that the systems require a relatively large number of different facilities and separate means of transport and are therefore relatively expensive and also have a relatively large amount of space need.

The shaping devices currently used in practice generally have a frame, means of transport and, for treating the paper web, two treatment elements which are rotatably mounted in the frame about mutually parallel axes of rotation and can be driven by a drive motor of the device, between which the paper web is guided during operation . For example, the devices used to perforate the two longitudinal edge strips of the paper web facing away from one another have two treatment organs, one of which serves as a matrix and each has a number of holes or depressions distributed over its circumference for forming the two rows of holes during operation, intervene over the circumference of the other treatment organ, engage individually attached stamps and thereby punch out holes. Because of the wear and tear that occurs during punching, the punches have to be replaced from time to time, which is done in known devices in that the punches are replaced individually with the treatment organ mounted in the frame. This has the disadvantage that the device and thus the entire system to which the device belongs must be shut down for a relatively long period of time, for example several hours. In addition, the two treatment organs are known Devices stored in the frame in an unadjustable manner, so that there is no possibility of compensating for manufacturing inaccuracies and, under certain circumstances, considerable friction losses can arise, the overcoming of which requires powerful drive motors.

In the devices which are currently usually used in practice for cutting sheets off a paper web, there are also two treatment members, rotatably mounted about parallel axes of rotation in the frame of the device, which can be driven by a drive motor of the device, namely two rollers arranged one above the other. The lower roller has a smooth, cylindrical contact surface and consists at least in part of a particularly hard special steel, while the upper roller consists of only semi-hard steel and holds at least one cutting knife parallel to its axis of rotation. Each time the upper roller or a knife passes through the lower roller during operation, it strikes the paper web passed between the rollers and the roller underneath and cuts a sheet off the paper web. With these devices too, the need to replace the knives from time to time means that the device and the entire system have to be shut down for a longer period of time. In addition, these devices have the disadvantage that a lot of noise and strong vibrations occur as a result of the blows which occur when sheets are cut and that the rollers bend. As the deflection increases with increasing roll length, it is difficult or impossible to cut paper webs whose widths exceed a certain critical value. Furthermore, the vibrations generated by the blows and the also large frictional forces make a strong frame and a strong drive motor necessary, which increases the space requirement as well as the manufacturing and operating costs. Furthermore, with a pair of rollers having a certain diameter, only sheets whose length is equal to that can be cut off Roller circumference or, if the upper roller has more than one knife, is equal to the roller circumference divided by the number of knives. Similar disadvantages also exist in the known shaping devices, in which the knives instead of a continuous cutting edge have a cutting edge which has interruptions in order to form rows of holes which run transversely to the longitudinal direction of the web and serve as target tear lines.

As already mentioned, it is also known from CH-A-628 855 to equip the systems with a printing device for printing constant information in addition to the printing device that can be changed for printing and is used by a computer to provide certain information. Such a printing device also has two treatment elements, between which the paper web is passed and at least one of which is rotatable and provided with a printing form. If the printing form has to be replaced, this can also necessitate a relatively long interruption in the operation of the entire system in known printing devices.

From DE-A-1 957 212 a device is known for providing a web serving for the formation of cigarette packs with slits extending transversely thereto. The device has a stationary knife and a cylinder which is rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to the stationary knife and is provided with slightly helically curved knives. The stationary knife and the cylinder are fastened or rotatably mounted in a carrier which can be pivoted about a pivot axis by means of a threaded bolt. A drive shaft parallel to the longitudinal direction of the track is connected to the cylinder via two gears, each with a transport roller and via a worm gear arranged between these gears and provided with an adjustable worm, or a planetary or differential gear and a joint or a flexible coupling. During operation, the helical knives arranged on the cylinder slide over the stationary knife, crossing them.

The worm or planetary or differential gear and the joint or flexible coupling are relatively complicated and expensive and take up a lot of space. Furthermore, in the device known from DE-A-1 957 212, it is time-consuming and difficult to change the distances between cuts which follow one another along the path or to replace the knives.

DE-C-484 551 discloses devices for cutting paper webs at right angles or obliquely to their longitudinal direction. The facilities have a support and a rotatable knife cylinder. A gearwheel rotatably mounted in the support meshes with a gearwheel rigidly connected to the cylinder. The apex of the teeth of the gearwheels and / or the base surfaces of the gaps present between the teeth are bent or angled such that the cylinder can be pivoted about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to the plane running through the axes of rotation of the two gearwheels.

EP-A-0 183 336 discloses a device with a number of structural units for processing a web, for example cutting, perforating, folding and printing. Each unit has means of transport for transporting the web, treatment organs and a microprocessor. The microprocessors belonging to the various structural units are connected to one another and to a control device by a bus connection. When operating the facility, the work processes are coordinated with one another by the microprocessors. However, the path between the different building units forms loops, so that the path can be accelerated differently in the different building units (see column 2, lines 54 to 58 and column 5, lines 39 to 47). With regard to printing, it should also be noted that the printing assembly is apparently only intended for printing constant information and continuously changing numbers, but not for printing data that can be changed as desired.

The invention is based on the object of eliminating disadvantages of the known devices. In particular, it is intended to make it possible to design the treatment device used to produce cuts running transversely to the web in a light, compact and such that only a low power is required to drive it, so that it can be driven, for example, by a stepper motor. Furthermore, the treatment device provided with the knives should be exchangeable with little expenditure of time. In addition, the relationship between the rotational speed of the or each rotatable treatment member and the transport speed of the web should be easy and quick to change. Furthermore, the device should be economically producible. It is also sought that the facility for the "on-line" processing of a web can be expanded into documents and / or sleeves and that the number of separate components of the means of transport and of the regulating means required for regulating the latter can be kept low .

This object is achieved on the basis of the prior art known from DE-A-1 952 212 by a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, the device according to the invention being characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the device emerge from the claims dependent on claim 1.

The invention further relates to a treatment device according to the preamble of claim 13, which according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing part of this claim.

die Figur 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer Anlage zur Datenverarbeitung mit einer Einrichtung zur Verarbeitung einer Papierbahn zu Dokumenten,

die Figur 2

einen Schnitt durch eine Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zum Perforieren der Papierbahn entlang von ihren beiden Längsrändern,

die Figur 3

einen Schnitt durch eine Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zum Zerschneiden der Papierbahn in Blätter,

die Figur 4

eine Seitenansicht der Behandlungs-Organe der in der Figur 3 dargestellten BehandlungsVorrichtung,

die Figur 5

eine schematisierte Draufsicht auf die Papierbahn und die Messer der in den Figuren 3 und 4 dargestellten Behandlungs-Vorrichtung, zur Veranschaulichung des Schneidvorgangs,

die Figur 6

eine Ansicht der in der Figur 1 dargestellten Einrichtung und einer Hebevorrichtung zum Ein- oder Ausbauen einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung,

die Figur 7

einen schematisierten Seitenriss eines Teils einer Einrichtung mit einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zur Herstellung von quer zur Papierbahn verlaufenden Perforationen und einer Faltvorrichtung,

die Figur 8

eine Ansicht eines Messers mit einer Unterbrüche aufweisenden Schneide zur Herstellung von quer zur Papierbahn verlaufenden Perforationen,

die Figur 9

einen schematischen Seitenriss einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zur Bildung von Klassierungs-Lochungen,

die Figur 10

einen schematisierten Seitenriss einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zum stellenweisen Verbinden von Papierbahnen durch Prägen,

die Figur 11

einen schematisierten Seitenriss einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung zum stellenweisen Verkleben von Bahnen,

die Figur 12

eine Ansicht einer Behandlungs-Vorrichtung mit einer elektrischen Antriebs-Vorrichtung,

die Figur 13

eine schematisierte Ansicht einer Druck-Einrichtung mit daneben angeordneten, zum Fassonieren einer Bahn dienenden Behandlungs-Vorrichtungen,

die Figur 14

eine schematisierte Ansicht einer Fassonier-Einheit zur Bildung entlang der Längsränder einer Bahn verlaufender Loch-Reihen,

die Figur 15

eine schematisierte Ansicht einer andern Fassonier-Einheit,

die Figur 16

eine schematisierte Ansicht einer Einheit zur Bildung von Hüllen,

die Figur 17

eine schematisierte Ansicht einer Anlage mit einer aus separaten Einheiten bestehenden Produktionskette und

die Figur 18

eine schematisierte Darstellung einer Einrichtung mit ähnlichen Teilen wie die Figur 1.

The invention will now be explained with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. Show in the drawing

the figure 1

1 shows a schematic representation of a system for data processing with a device for processing a paper web into documents,

the figure 2

3 shows a section through a treatment device for perforating the paper web along its two longitudinal edges,

the figure 3

2 shows a section through a treatment device for cutting the paper web into sheets,

the figure 4

3 shows a side view of the treatment organs of the treatment device shown in FIG. 3,

the figure 5

2 shows a schematic plan view of the paper web and the knives of the treatment device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, to illustrate the cutting process,

the figure 6

2 shows a view of the device shown in FIG. 1 and a lifting device for installing or removing a treatment device,

the figure 7

2 shows a schematic side view of part of a device with a treatment device for producing perforations running transversely to the paper web and a folding device,

the figure 8

2 shows a view of a knife with an interruption in the cutting edge for the production of perforations running transversely to the paper web,

the figure 9

2 shows a schematic side elevation of a treatment device for forming classification holes,

the figure 10

2 shows a schematic side view of a treatment device for connecting paper webs in places by embossing,

the figure 11

2 shows a schematic side view of a treatment device for partially gluing webs,

the figure 12

2 shows a view of a treatment device with an electric drive device,

the figure 13

2 shows a schematic view of a printing device with treatment devices arranged next to it, which are used to form a web,

the figure 14

2 shows a schematic view of a Fassonier unit for forming rows of holes running along the longitudinal edges of a path,

the figure 15

a schematic view of another Fassonier unit,

the figure 16

2 shows a schematic view of a unit for forming envelopes,

the figure 17

a schematic view of a plant with a production chain consisting of separate units and

the figure 18

a schematic representation of a device with similar parts as Figure 1

The system shown in FIG. 1 for data processing and for the production of documents has a digitally operating computer 1 consisting of one or more separate structural units and a device 3 arranged in the same room or elsewhere for processing a flexible web 5 made of paper into documents 7 on. The device 3, consisting for example of a coherent structural unit, has a frame 11 standing on the floor of a room and a housing 13 formed from parts connected to it, the housing wall on the observer side and also other parts being omitted in FIG.

The end region of the device 3, which is located on the left in FIG. 1, forms an unwinding part 15. This has an unwinding part 15 which is rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation in the frame 11 and on which the still virgin, i.e. unprinted and imperforate part 5a of the web 5 is wound. The shaft of the spool 17 is connected to an electrical drive device 21 via a mechanical connection means 19, for example a gear, which is indicated by a dash-dotted line. The unwinding part 15 also includes a control device 23 which is electrically connected to the drive device in order to regulate the motor of the drive device 21 during operation such that the web 5 between the unwinding part and the subsequent shaping and printing part 25 forms a freely sagging loop 5b with a constant sag or possibly held with at least one dancer roll . The control device can be designed, for example, in the manner known from the Swiss patent document 628 855 already cited.

The shaping and printing part 25 has a transport and guide device 27 with transport members 29, 31 rotatably mounted about parallel, horizontal axes of rotation. These are connected to one another and via mechanical, for example a gearbox, connecting means 33 represented by a dash-dotted line in rotary connection with an electric drive device 35 and, during operation, engage a section of the web 5 coming from the unwinding part 15 in order to transport it and respectively.

The shaping and printing part 25 is also provided with a treatment device 39 which adjoins the transport and guide device 27 with respect to the transport direction of the web 5. As will be explained in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2, the device 39 has two rotary axes that can be rotated about horizontal axes that are parallel to one another Treatment elements 41, 43 for providing the web 5, which is passed between the two latter during operation, with a row of holes 5d at each of the two longitudinal web edges 5c.

The styling and printing part 25 furthermore has a printing unit 51 which can be changed for printing and is generally also used for printing constant information and which can be designed, for example, as a laser printing unit. Furthermore, in addition to the transport and guiding device 27, there are further transport means which, for example, have at least two transport elements 53, 55 which are movably held in the frame 11 and provided with teeth in order to move in relation to the direction of transport of the web before or after Engage printing unit 51 with its teeth in the holes of the web formed by treatment device 39. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the two transport members 53, 55 each consist of a rotatably mounted roller, but could also be formed by toothed conveyor belts and rotatable members for moving the conveyor belts. The rotatable treatment members 41, 43 of the treatment device 39 are in rotary connection with one another. Furthermore, they and the rotatable transport member 53 are in rotationally operative connection with an electric drive device 63 mounted on the frame 11 via partially common mechanical connecting means 61. The transport member 55 is in rotationally operative connection with an electrical drive device 67 fastened on the frame 11 via mechanical connection means 65 .

The shaping and printing part 25 has at least one treatment device arranged with respect to the web transport direction after the printing unit 51 and the transport member 55, namely for example three treatment devices 71, 77 and 83. Device 71 has two treatment elements 73, 75, of which at least one and, for example, each can be rotated about a horizontal axis of rotation is. One of the two treatment organs 73, 75 has a printing form for printing constant information and / or a printer for printing information that changes in a predetermined manner, for example continuously increasing document or page numbers. The treatment device 71 is further provided with ink supply means and / or detachably connected, the information printed with the treatment device 71 normally containing at least one color different from the color of the information printed with the printing unit 51. The treatment device 77 has two treatment elements 79, 81 which can be rotated about horizontal axes of rotation parallel to one another, one of which serves as a transport roller and cutting support and the other has two disk-shaped knives with cutting edges running continuously along a circular line around the perforated edge strips of the Cut off lane 5. The treatment device 83, the design and mode of operation of which will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, has two treatment elements 85, 87, one of which, namely the upper treatment element 87, can be rotated. The treatment device 83 is used to cut the web 5 into sheets which form the documents 7 already mentioned and can be collected in a collector 89. The rotatable treatment elements of the treatment devices 71, 77, 83 are partially connected to the drive device 67 by elements of the connecting means 65 that are common to several treatment devices and the transport element 55.

Each of the treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83 is detachably held in a compartment 91 of the device 3, the compartments 91, for example through edges in at least one side wall of the housing 13, possibly closable openings at the bottom, on both of them transversely to the web Transport sides extending and preferably also limited and defined above and are accessible through these openings from the environment. Inside the Housing 13, the compartments are at least partially limited, for example, at the bottom and possibly also laterally and / or above, by means of guide means which are fastened to the frame and are shown in FIGS -Transport direction extending sides of the compartment must have at least openings for the passage of the web 5. All treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83 are slidably guided with the guide means horizontally and at right angles to the direction of transport of the web 5 and releasably secure and fixable in a working position with securing means also indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that each Treatment device can be inserted into a compartment 91 from one side of the device 3, can be secured in its working position and can be pulled out of the compartment again. The insertion and removal of each treatment device is preferably carried out from that side of the frame 11 or to that side of the frame on which the connecting means 33, 61, 65, later for the treatment devices 39, 83, belong still described, located in the frame 11 gears, each of which is in engagement with a gear mounted in the support of the treatment device in question.

Each electric drive device 21, 35, 63, 67 is equipped with an electric motor. Since the drive device 21 has to generate relatively large torques for accelerating, rotating and braking the coil 17, it is equipped with a powerful, conventional motor, that is to say that it rotates continuously during operation. The rotatable transport members 29, 31, 53, 55, on the other hand, only require lower torques and drive powers. Furthermore, the treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83 are designed in such a way that their rotatable treatment elements for accelerating, turning and braking only require relatively small torques and drive powers. The motors of the drive devices 63, 67 and preferably also that of the Drive device 35 are designed as stepping motors, which can be accelerated and braked very quickly and accordingly can be started and stopped almost immediately.

The drive devices 21, 35, 63, 67, the printing unit 51 and further electrical devices of the device 3 are electrically connected to electrical control means 93 of the device, which have a small, digitally operating computer, such as a microprocessor and circuitry for signal adaptation. The control means 93 mounted in the frame 11 are electrically connected to the one-part or multi-part computer 1 of the data processing system, which is arranged separately from the frame 11 and together form computing and control means.

The treatment device 39 shown separately in FIG. 2 has a multi-part support 101 formed by a frame construction with a generally cuboidal outline. The support 101 is guided in the housing 13 with the guide means already mentioned, designated 103 in FIG. 2, which have at least one rail rigidly attached to parts of the frame 11 and at least partially delimiting the compartment 91 on the lower side of the treatment device 39 . The support can roll, for example, on rolling bodies 105 formed by rollers or balls along the guide means. The securing means 107, which have also already been mentioned and serve to releasably secure the treatment device 39 in the compartment 91 and are indicated schematically in FIG. 2, have, for example, at least one locking device with a part fastened to the guide means 103 and thereby to the frame 11 and at least one movable locking element , which has about a pawl and in the working position of the treatment device 39 and its support 101 acts on the latter and thereby secures it against displacement. The locking element can, for example, manually by its Release into its locking position and vice versa or be loaded in such a way by a spring and / or its own weight that when the treatment device 39 is pushed into the compartment 91 it automatically engages in the support when it reaches the working position. In the latter, preferred embodiment, the securing means 107 can have a manually operable actuating element, for example formed by a pushbutton, which is connected to the or each locking element in such a way that the or each locking element can be moved back into its release position by actuating the actuating element . Instead of a locking device, the securing means can also have any other quick-locking or screw-fastening device, but should advantageously be designed such that the treatment device or its support can be released and released quickly.

The connecting means 61 used to create a releasable rotary connection between the two rotatable treatment members 41, 43 and the motor shaft of the drive device 63 permanently fastened to the frame 11 have a gear wheel 111 and a gear wheel 113 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 109 held on the frame 11, that sits in a rotationally fixed manner on a hollow shaft 115 which is rotatably supported in support 101 about a horizontal axis of rotation 117 by means of a bearing having at least one rolling element. The treatment organ 41 has a shaft 119 and two disk-shaped punching tools 121 rigidly attached to it, which are designed as matrices and are provided with holes 121a distributed uniformly over their circumference. The ends of the shaft 119 are rotatably supported with bearings in side parts 127 and 129 of a support 125 formed by a frame construction and arranged in the support 101. The end of the shaft 119 of the treatment member 41 is detachable and, for example, non-rotatable by coupling means 131 having a screw and driver means the hollow shaft 115 connected. The coupling means 131 can be designed, for example, in such a way that they enable the carrier 125 to be adjusted in more detail, in positions in which the axis of rotation of the shaft 119 is aligned with the axis of rotation 117 or possibly intersects it at very small angles. The treatment member 43 located above the treatment member 41 has a shaft 139 and two disk-shaped punching tools 141 fastened thereon, each of which has a ring distributed over its circumference, for example individually releasably fastened punch 143. The two ends of the shaft 139 are rotatably supported with bearings in the side parts 127, 129 of the carrier 125 about an axis of rotation 151. The carrier 125 is for example with a Stellvor 153 having holding and guiding means steadily and continuously adjustable in the support 101, namely namely pivotable about a pivot axis 155 and fixable in any pivot positions, the pivot axis 155 crossing the two axes of rotation 117 and 151 at right angles . The adjusting device 153 has, for example, a part fastened to the support 101 with a scale and an adjusting screw at right angles to the pivot axis 155. On the hollow shaft 115, between the gear 113 and the side part of the support 101 facing it, a gear 157 is rigidly and, in particular, non-rotatably fastened, the toothing of which meshes with that of a gear 159, which is rigidly and in particular rotationally fixed on the shaft 139. The teeth of the two gearwheels are designed in such a way that they enable small swivels about the pivot axis 155 which has already passed through them. The toothing of the gear wheels 157, 159 can have teeth, for example, the flanks of which are slightly convex in a plan view perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the respective gear wheel. The pivot axis 155 is, for example, exclusively determined by the toothing of the gear wheels 157, 159, although bearing means could possibly be provided in order to additionally support the carrier 125 in the support 101 so that it can pivot about the pivot axis 155.

FIG. 2 also shows a section of the web 5 passed between the two treatment organs 41, 43, this being drawn for clarity as coming from behind, above and towards the front and below. When the treatment device 39 is in operation, the hollow shaft 115 is rotated by the drive device 63 via the two gear wheels 111, 113, as a result of which the treatment member 41, which is directly connected to the hollow shaft 115 in a rotationally fixed manner, and that via the two gear wheels 157, 113 159 in operative connection with the hollow shaft 115 standing treatment member 43 are rotated. The punches 143 of the punching tools 141 of the treatment member 43 then each engage in holes 121a of the punching tools 121 of the treatment member 41, as a result of which, at each of the two longitudinal edges 5c of the web 5, a row of holes 5d running in the longitudinal direction thereof runs into an edge strip of the Lane 5 is punched.

Ideally, the guide means 103 or, more precisely, the direction of displacement of the support 101 defined by this and the axis of rotation 117 run exactly at right angles to the longitudinal and transport direction of the web 5. If there are deviations from the ideal case mentioned as a result of any manufacturing and / or assembly inaccuracies should result, the pivotability of the carrier 125 about the pivot axis 155 enables the axes of rotation of the two treatment elements 41, 43 to be set precisely at right angles to a plane that runs vertically and in the longitudinal direction of the web 5. The angle between the axis of rotation 117 and that of the treatment member 41 that arises when adjusting the pivot position of the carrier 125 is, as already mentioned, very small, and is at most about 3 ° and generally at most 2 ° and preferably at most 1 °. The adjustability of the directions of the axes of rotation of the treatment members 41, 43 helps to enable a precise perforation of the web 5 and to keep the friction losses when perforating and transporting the web low, which in turn does this contributes to keeping the power requirement of the stepping motor of the drive device 63 small. Otherwise, the described, adjustable arrangement of the carrier 125 in the support 101 enables these two parts and other parts of the treatment device 39 to be configured largely identically or similarly, as in the treatment described below, which serves to cut sheets from the web 5. Device 83 in which the adjustability of the carrier serves a different purpose.

The treatment device 83 shown separately in FIG. 3 has a support 201 which is configured similarly or identically to the support 101 and is guided in the guide means 103 corresponding guide means 203 which are fastened to the frame 11 and can be displaced horizontally in the relevant compartment 91, the rolling bodies 105 corresponding rolling elements 205 are present. Furthermore, securing means 207 designed in the same way or similar to the securing means 107 are present.

The connecting means 65 used to create a separable rotary connection between the rotatable treatment element 87 and the drive device 67 permanently attached to the frame 11 have the same or at least a similar design as the gear 111 and, analogously to the latter, rotatably mounted with bearing means 209 in the frame 11 211 on. This is in engagement with a gearwheel 213, which is rigidly and in particular rotationally fixed on a hollow shaft 215, which is rotatably supported with at least one bearing in the support 201 about an axis of rotation 217 that is at least exactly horizontal and at right angles to the longitudinal and transport direction of the web . The treatment organ 85 has a shaft 219 and an elongated cutting tool 221 rigidly attached to it, on which on the upper side a knife 223 running parallel to its longitudinal direction and to the shaft 219 is rigidly but releasably attached. The ends of shaft 219 are in Side parts 227, 229 of a carrier 225 arranged in the support 201 are held, for example rotatably mounted. Coupling means 231 may also be present, by means of which the shaft 219 could be coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the hollow shaft 215, but the shaft 219 uncoupled and the treatment element 85 or, more precisely, its cutting tool 221 with a releasable locking element 233 on the side part in a non-rotatable manner 229 is blocked. The treatment element 87 located above the treatment element 85 has a shaft 239 and a cutting tool 241 rigidly and non-rotatably fastened thereon, to which at least one knife 243 running parallel to the shaft 239 is rigidly but releasably fastened. The two ends of the shaft 239 are rotatably supported with bearings in the side parts 227, 229 of the carrier 225 about an axis of rotation 251. The carrier 225 has similar or identical outline shapes and dimensions as the carrier 125 and is held in the support 201 analogously to the latter with holding and guiding means in such a way that it can be adjusted continuously and continuously with an adjusting device 253 of the holding and guiding means, namely about a pivot axis 255 is pivotable and fixable in any pivot positions, the pivot axis 255 crossing the two axes of rotation 217 and 251 at right angles. The adjusting device 253 is designed similarly to the adjusting device 153 and has, for example, a part fastened to the support 201 with a scale and an adjusting screw. On the hollow shaft 215, in addition to the gear 213, a gear 257 is fixed rigidly and in particular in a rotationally fixed manner, the toothing of which meshes with that of a gear 259 which is rigidly and in particular rotationally fixed on the shaft 239. The toothing of the gearwheels 257, 259 are configured analogously to those of the gearwheels 157, 159 in such a way that they enable small pivotings about the pivot axis 255 running through them.

Each knife 223, 243 has a cutting edge 223a or 243a with one from one to the other without interruption Longitudinal edge of the cutting edge extending to be cut. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the cutting tool 241 is designed such that it can optionally be provided with only one knife 243 or with two diametrically opposed knives. In addition, each of the knives 223, 243 is fastened to the respective cutting tool 221, 241 in an adjustable manner with clamping and adjusting screws at right angles to the longitudinal axis. When the treatment member 87 is rotated during operation of the treatment device 83, the cutting edge 243a of its knife 243 moves once each time over the cutting edge 223a of the knife 223, preferably without touching it, the one between the two Treatment organs 85, 87 through which web 5 is cut in a manner explained in more detail by a shear-like treatment operation. The adjustable fastening of the knives 223, 243 to the cutting tools 221, 241 enables the minimal distance between the cutting edges of the knives that results during the cutting process to be optimally adapted to the thickness of the web 5.

The shafts 219 and 239 of the two treatment elements 85 and 87 are held in the carrier 225 in such a way that they and accordingly the knives 223 and 243 held by them and in particular their cutting edges 223a and 243a are skewed to one another, namely parallel to one between the horizontal treatment plane running through the two treatment elements 85 and 87, parallel to the axis of rotation 217 and perpendicular to the swivel axis 255, but forming an angle with one another in a projection onto this intermediate plane. In this projection, the cutting edge 223a of the knife 223 of the non-rotatable, that is to say stationary, treatment member 85 forms, with a straight line parallel to the axis of rotation 217 and perpendicular to the direction of web transport, the angle shown in FIG. 5 and designated by ϑ _f . The axis of rotation 251 of the treatment element 87 and the cutting edge 243a of the or each attached to it, mobile, ie around the axis of rotation 251 of the rotatable knife 243 forms the angle ϑ _{m shown in} FIG. 5 in the projection onto the intermediate plane with a straight line parallel to the axis of rotation 217. FIG. 5 was drawn for the case that the adjustable carrier 225 is in a swivel position, in which the two angles ϑ _f , ϑ _{m have} the same amount but different signs. It should also be pointed out that the angles ϑ _f and ϑ _m in FIG. 5 were drawn in a greatly exaggerated size and in reality have absolute values of at most 3 °, preferably at most 1 ° and for example 0.2 to 0.4 ° each.

If during operation the web 5, from which, for example, the two edge strips each containing a row of holes 5d were cut off beforehand with the treatment device 77, moves between the two treatment members 85, 87 of the treatment device 83, the treatment member 87 is rotated in a direction of rotation in which its circumferential part currently facing the web 5 moves at least generally in the transport direction of the web, namely in FIG. 5, downward from the upper edge of the drawing sheet. If the mobile knife 243 is now moved away in this direction over the fixed knife 223, the cutting edges of the two knives first intersect at their ends to the left in FIG. 5, after which the crossing point moves to the right along the fixed cutting edge 223a. During this movement of the intersection of the cutting edges 223a, 243a, the web is cut off from left to right by shearing off. During this cutting process, both the web 5 and the point of intersection of the two cutting edges move in the transport direction of the web. With a suitable determination of the process parameters, the web is cut along a line which is at least practically straight or exactly straight with respect to the web and at least approximately or exactly perpendicular to the longitudinal and transport direction of the web. Such a course of cuts can be achieved by determines the peripheral speed at which the mobile cutting edge 243a is rotated about the axis of rotation 251 such that the point of intersection of the two cutting edges moves at a speed whose component in the transport direction of the web 5 is at least approximately and preferably exactly the same as the speed of the web itself is. Such a cutting process performed by shearing causes no or at least no noteworthy beating, only little friction and also little noise. The treatment device 83 can therefore easily be formed by a relatively light, cassette-like insert, which can be inserted into a compartment 91 in the manner described, and can be driven by a relatively low-power stepping motor.

The length of a sheet cut off from the web 5 by the treatment device 83 is of course equal to the distance by which the web is transported during the time interval between two successive cuts. Experiments have shown that the treatment device 83 can easily be operated at knife circumferential speeds which deviate quite considerably from the web transport speed and, for example, are significantly greater than this. The blade lengths can therefore be changed without changing the treatment elements 85, 87 by replacing the gears 257, 259 with two gears which give a different transmission ratio and thereby changing the ratio between the peripheral speed of the or each knife 243 and the web transport speed . By pivoting the carrier 225, the angles ϑ _f and ϑ _{m can} then be adjusted such that the web is cut again exactly at right angles to its longitudinal and transport direction. When pivoting the carrier, the angle between the cutting edges 223a, 243a, ie the algebraic difference angle ϑ _m -ϑ _f , remains constant, the carrier possibly also being able to be pivoted, if necessary, into positions in which the axis of rotation 251 of the rotatable treatment member 87 parallel to the axis of rotation 217 or on the same side of this axis of rotation as the cutting edge of the fixed knife 223. However, the cutting edge of the fixed knife 223 must form an angle slightly different from 90 ° with the direction of transport of the web 5 in all positions. For example, interchangeable pairs of gears 257, 259 can be provided to selectively feed the web into 304.8 mm (12 inch) or 279.4 mm (11 inch) or 203.2 mm (8 inch) length sheets cut. Incidentally, the blade length can of course also be changed by optionally attaching one or two knives to the cutting tool 241.

The fact that all treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83 used for shaping or printing are installed in the same device and held by the same frame 11 together with the printing unit 51 used for printing the changeable information, is used for processing the virgin Paper web 5 requires only relatively little space for finished documents. Furthermore, the device 3 can be produced more cheaply than a system which has several separate shaping and printing devices with its own transport and drive devices for the shaping and printing of the paper web. Furthermore, the operation of the device 3 also requires less energy than the operation of previously known systems, in which separate shaping devices with autonomous drive and control devices are present in relation to the transport direction of the paper web before and after its laser printing device.

Now some details of the use of the system will be explained. When the system is in operation, data are processed digitally with the computer 1 and 3 documents 7 are produced with the device 3, which can be, for example, invoices, credit notes and messages of any kind. The documents to be produced can do all of that have the same format or different formats, normally a number of documents with the same format are formed one after the other. The computer 1 feeds the device 3, namely its control means 93, information about the documents to be created and the control means 93 then control the various devices of the device 3. The sections of the web 5 required for the production of the documents are continuously in a virgin state, ie unwound from the spool 17 as unprinted and imperforate paper, provided with the rows of holes 5d by the treatment device 39 and then transported through the printing unit 51 with the transport members 53, 55 engaging in the holes in the rows of holes 5d, the changeable Information, namely data supplied by computer 1 relating to a single document, such as a date, the address of the recipient and other information relating to this, and in general also constant information for a whole series of documents, such as the name of the person producing the document Company or administration, the name of the document type u nd prints lines to delimit fields and columns. The web 5, which is normally printed in one color, for example black, by the printing unit 51 then arrives at the treatment device 71, which prints the web 5, for example, with information having at least one other color. These can be constant for at least one series of documents and, for example, contain a trademark of the company producing the document and / or change it in a predetermined manner and represent, for example, a document or page number. The web is then transported to the two treatment devices 77 and 83 by any additional transport means, not shown, and / or the treatment devices 71, 77, 83 themselves, which cut off the edge strips with the rows of holes 5d or the Cut the web into sheets 7 forming the documents in the manner already described.

The computer 1 and the control means 93 can, for example, be designed such that the processing and printing of the data at the same time, i.e. can take place in "on-line" operation. However, it is also possible to first store a certain amount of data supplied by the central processing unit of the computer on a data carrier, such as a magnetic disk or a floppy disk, and then to read the stored data and to supply it to the printing unit 51.

The printing unit 51 forming the central and most important device of the device 3 requires a step-by-step, for example line-by-page or sheet-by-line or at least quasi-continuous transport of the web 5 for its operation, depending on its design and the data supply method. The control means 93 control the stepping motors of the drive devices 35, 63, 67 and any other drive devices such that the various transport members 29, 31, 53, 55 transport the web intermittently and step by step or continuously to and from the printer unit 51 in accordance with the requirements of the printing unit. Since the rotatable treatment elements of the treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83 are driven by the drive devices 63, 67 belonging to the transport means and driving the transport elements 53, 55, it automatically and inevitably results that the rotatable treatment elements Or at least approximately and normally at the same time set in motion or brought to a standstill with the transport members 29, 31, 53, 55, which serve to transport the web through the printing unit 51 and act on the web, and are brought to a standstill when rotating, namely circumferentially or angular speed, which is proportional to the speed at which the transport members 29, 31, 53, 55 move and transport the web to and from the printing unit 51. The stepping motors of the drive devices 35, 63, 67 can start and end one to produce one Number of documents serving the printing process and, if necessary, during this intermittent, step-by-step transport of the web are accelerated and braked very quickly and strongly and are therefore started and stopped almost immediately. In contrast to this, the drive device 21, which does not have a stepping motor, but a motor 21 designed for continuous, continuous rotation, can be accelerated and braked only relatively slowly, with a large mass and, accordingly, a large moment of inertia. The spool 17 is therefore not exactly accelerated, rotated and stopped at the start and end of a printing process and, if necessary, intermittent transport of the web in synchronism with the drive devices 35, 63, 67, but controlled by the control device 23 in such a way that it only tracks the web feeds relatively slowly changing speed, the loop 5b allows compensation.

During operation, an element of a treatment device, for example a punch 121 or 141 of the treatment device 39, a printing form of the treatment device 71, or a knife of one of the treatment devices 77 and 83 may be worn out or other damage must be replaced. Furthermore, after a series of documents has been prepared, there may be a need to print a series of documents with different, constant information or to cut them to a different sheet length, which also requires the replacement of certain elements, namely the printing form of the treatment device 71 or the Gears 257, 259 of the treatment device 83 makes it necessary. For such cases, for example, a reserve set of treatment devices can be provided, the latter taking up only a relatively small amount of space in comparison to the entire system and also incurring only low costs. The treatment device built into the device 3, of which at least one element is replaced or must be changed, can then be pulled out of the relevant compartment 91 after the securing means securing it to the frame 11 has been released and replaced by a treatment device of the reserve set. A mobile lifting device 261 with, for example, a hydraulically height-adjustable table 263 can be used to install or remove a treatment device, as is shown in FIG. 6 for the treatment device 83. The height of the table 263 is of course set such that the treatment device can be pushed at least approximately horizontally into or out of the compartment 91. The exchange of a treatment device can be accomplished in a relatively short time interval, for example about 2 to 5 minutes, so that only a little of the operating time, which is very valuable in large data processing systems, is lost. Of course, there is also the possibility not to replace a treatment device on which an element has to be replaced or something else has to be done, but only to be temporarily removed from the compartment 91 and to be reinstalled in the compartment 91 after the necessary change has been made.

If, for example, only monochrome information is to be printed and / or if it is not necessary to cut off the perforated edge strips of the web, the treatment device carrying out the treatment in question can of course be removed quickly and easily from the device 3 without replacement. However, treatment devices which serve to carry out other treatments can also be provided, which can optionally be installed in one of the compartments 91, the number of compartments also being able to be increased if necessary. In the following, some of the treatment devices 71, 77, 83, or possibly in addition to such built-in treatment devices, will be described.

For example, the treatment device 83 can be replaced by the treatment device 271 shown in FIG. 7 with two treatment organs 273, 275. Similar to the treatment organs 85, 87, the two latter are provided with knives, but the knife 223 and / or the or each knife 243 is replaced by a knife of the type of the knife 283, one of which is shown in FIG Section can be seen. The cutting edge 283a of the knife 283 is divided into teeth 283c by incisions 283b and thus has a cutting edge with interruptions. The treatment device 271 does not cut the web 285 fed to it into sheets, but rather provides these with predetermined folding lines and / or rows of cuts or perforations forming perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web. If a treatment device 271 producing such desired folding lines and / or desired tear lines is installed in the device 3 according to FIG. 7, its collector 89 can be replaced by a folding device 291 in order to fold the paper web at the perforations and to run zigzag Form endless forms. The web can then later be cut into sheets at the perforations by manual tearing or with a separating device. Otherwise, the device could also be equipped with a device which can be used either as a sheet collector or for folding. Furthermore, instead of the folding device, a device could be provided to further process the web in some other way and, for example, to separate it into sheets after certain intermediate treatments at the desired tear lines.

FIG. 9 shows a treatment device 301 with two treatment elements 303 and 305 in order to punch a classification perforation for each document to be formed in the paper web 325, two or more on a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web arranged holes that allow the document to be placed in a folder having. Each of the two treatment organs 303, 305 has a shaft 307 or 311 and at least one punch tool 309 or 313, which is seated on it in a rotationally fixed manner, with holes or stamps for punching the perforations. The treatment device 301 has a support 321 designed for insertion into a compartment 91 and for releasable fixation therein. The shafts 307, 311 are in a carrier corresponding to the carriers 125, 225, arranged or adjustable in the support 321 or directly in the support rotatably mounted, are in rotationally operative connection with one another by a pair of gearwheels and can also be driven via a gearwheel corresponding to the gearwheels 113, 213.

FIG. 10 shows a treatment device 331 with two treatment elements 333 and 335, each of which has a shaft 337 or 341 and an embossing tool 339 or 343 attached to it. Furthermore, the treatment device 341 has a support 351 which can be installed in a compartment 91. The shafts 337, 341 are rotatably mounted in a carrier arranged in the support 351 or directly in the support and can be driven via a gear wheel corresponding to the gear wheels 113, 213. The embossing tool 339 is designed as a matrix and has, for example, a row of holes or depressions running parallel to its axis of rotation, while the other embossing tool 343 is provided with embossing stamps around at least two paper webs which are supplied to the treatment device 331 and consist of the same or different types of paper 355, 357 to be connected in places by means of an embossed connection known as a "crimp lock" and thereby producing documents, each of which has at least two sheets.

The treatment device 361 shown in FIG. 11 has two treatment elements 363, 365, each with a rotatably mounted shaft 367 or 371, adhesive supply means 375 and a support 391. With the treatment device, At least two, namely, for example, three webs 377, 379, 381 consisting of paper are partially equipped with a treatment device 331 or 361 by gluing and direction, it is of course also to be equipped with means for feeding and any pretreatment of the additional paper webs.

FIG. 12 shows a treatment device 401 with a support 403 and treatment organs, not shown, of which at least one can be rotated and which is used to carry out any of the treatments which can be carried out with the treatment devices described above. Instead of the gearwheel 113, 213 of the treatment devices 39 and 83, the treatment device 401 has an electrical drive device 405 attached to its support 403, which has an electrical motor, preferably a stepping motor, for driving the or each rotatable treatment element . The treatment device 401 can be detachably installed in a compartment of a device corresponding to the device 3, analogously to the treatment devices described above. However, instead of or in addition to the gearwheels 111, 211, this device has an electrical connection which is electrically connected to its control means, for example formed by a plug, and which makes it possible to electrically separate the drive device 405 via a cable 407 provided with a plug to connect electrical control means of the device. During operation, the control means can control the drive device 405 in such a way that the or each treatment element driven by the latter is driven analogously in step with the transport elements of the device, as has been described for the treatment devices 39, 71, 77, 83.

If, in the case of an existing printing device or unit, it is not possible, due to lack of space or for other reasons, to install treatment devices intended for treatment, in particular shaping, in compartments of the printing device or unit, one or more treatment devices can be used Assign those to the printing unit without installing them in it. An example of such a system is shown in FIG. 13. The system or device according to FIG. 13 has a printing device or unit 503 with a frame 511, a printing unit 551, namely a laser printing unit, which can be controlled by an electrical control means of the printing unit that has a computer in order to be able to change and to print consistent information on the web 505, which is made of paper and is supplied by a reel-off device or unit, not shown. The unit 503 also has transport means for transporting the web 505 with rotatable transport elements 553, 555 and electrical drive devices 563, 567 for driving the transport elements. A treatment device 539 and 583, which has a support and two treatment organs, is arranged on each side of the printing unit 503 facing away from one another. The treatment device 539 located in front of the printing unit 551 with respect to the web transport direction is, for example, analogous to the treatment device 39 for forming rows of holes running along the two longitudinal edges of the web 505, while those with respect to FIG Web transport direction arranged after the printing unit 551 treatment device 583, for example, analogous to how the treatment device 83 can serve to cut sheets. The unit 503 is equipped for each treatment device with a gear 575 or 577, which is mounted in its frame 511 and is in rotational connection with the drive device 563 or 567. The treatment device 539 has a rotatably mounted in its support, analogous to the gear 113 in rotational connection with its rotatable Treatment organs standing gear 585, which is connected to the gear 575 via a transmission element 589 consisting of a toothed belt or a tooth chain. The treatment device 583 has a gear 587 which is rotatably mounted in its support and which is in operative connection with its rotatable treatment member and corresponds to the gear 213 and which is connected to the gear 577 via a transmission element 591, namely a toothed belt or a tooth chain. In particular, in the event that the treatment devices 539, 583 are only to be arranged next to the unit 503 for a limited time, their support can be free-standing or in some way attached to the height-adjustable table 523 or 533 of a mobile lifting device 521 or 531 are standing, wherein the lifting devices can be secured with brake means or the like against unintentional displacements.

There is also the possibility of providing a system or device with at least one device that serves for the treatment, in particular shaping and / or colored printing, of a web of paper that does not contain a computer-controlled printing unit, namely a structural unit or unit, also referred to as a peripheral unit and can be provided with at least one compartment corresponding to the compartments 91, in which a treatment device is detachably inserted, instead of at least one conventional treatment organ mounted directly in the frame of the unit in question. Such units, as will be explained with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 17, can, together with a printing unit having a computer-controlled printing unit for printing changeable information, ie data, have a device in the form of a production chain for the "on-line" Form processing from a web. The transport members and treatment devices of the units comprising the latter can in this case can be controlled by the control means of the computer-controlled printing unit or directly by the computer of the data processing system controlling this control means, so that the web is transported in the same way as in device 3 in all treatment devices in the same way as in the pressure controlled by the computer and printing the changeable information -Unit. However, it would also be possible to form a production chain from such units, in which the individual units are completely or partially autonomous, as is known from the Swiss patent document 628 855 cited at the beginning.

Figures 14, 15 and 16 show examples of such units. The shaping unit 603 shown in FIG. 14 has a frame and transport means with transport elements 629, 631, 653, which correspond to the transport elements 29, 31, 53 of the device 3 and are rotatably mounted in the frame, as well as at least one drive device 663 an electric motor. The shaping unit has a compartment 691 which is designed analogously to the compartments 91 and in which a treatment device 639, which is designed similarly or identically to the treatment device 39, is detachably inserted, the rotating treatment members of which are driven by the drive device 663 during operation in order to punch rows of holes running in a path along the longitudinal edges of the path.

The shaping unit 703 shown in FIG. 15 has a frame and rotatably mounted transport members 755, 757, which are used to transport a web, and which can be driven by an electric drive device 767. The unit is provided with two compartments 791 designed in accordance with compartments 91, in which treatment devices 779 and 783 are detachably fastened. These have rotatable treatment elements which can be driven by the drive device 767. The treatment device 779 can be used, for example, for punching classification holes and the treatment device 783 for cutting the web into sheets.

The unit 803 shown in FIG. 16, which is used to produce sleeves 897, has a frame, means of transport used to transport a web with transport members 855, 857 and at least one drive device 867 and at least one treatment device inserted in a compartment 891 883. The treatment device 883 can, for example, be designed analogously to the treatment device 83 for cutting the web into sheets. However, the treatment device 883 could instead also be used to provide the web with perforations forming desired folding lines and / or intended tear lines or to connect sections of the web with other sections of the same web, for example by gluing, or at least two webs in places to stick together. Furthermore, the unit 803 can also be provided with more than one compartment 891 intended for accommodating one treatment device each, so that the unit has various rows of holes, for example for cutting off edge strips with holes running in the longitudinal direction of the web and / or Perforating and / or for cutting into sheets and / or treatment devices used for gluing can be equipped.

FIG. 17 shows the previously announced exemplary embodiment of a system with a computer 901 for data processing and a device for processing a web 905, which is formed by a production chain of units each having a separate frame. With regard to the direction of transport of the web 905, a unwinding unit 915, a molding unit 603, a printing unit 925 and a molding unit 703 are present. The unwinding unit 915 contains components similar to the unwinding part 15 of the device shown in FIG. 1 and the printing unit 925 contains a printing unit 951, configured similarly to the printing unit 51, for printing changeable information, means of transport with at least one drive device and control means 993 with a digitally operating computer. The computer 901 is electrically connected to the control means 993, which in turn are connected to the printing unit 951 and the drive devices of the various units, the electrical connection to the drive device of the unwinding unit 915 possibly being omitted.

The device for processing a web shown in FIG. 17 could also be changed such that the unwinding unit 915 and the molding unit 603 would be combined into a single unit with a common frame. This unit would accordingly have an unwinding part and a shaping part with a treatment device for producing rows of holes running along the web edges.

Furthermore, in the production chain shown in FIG. 17, the unit 703 could be replaced by a unit 803 and printed on a web in "on-line" operation with changeable information, cut into sheets by the treatment device 883 and these cut with the device 893 Process envelopes 897, which form so-called folded letters and contain the address of the recipient on an outside and information for the recipient on at least one side inside the envelope.

The production chain shown in FIG. 17 could also be modified in other ways, for example one of its units could be equipped with a treatment device for printing the web with differently colored information and / or with means for folding the web. Instead, one could also provide at least one additional unit that serves one of these purposes.

Furthermore, one could provide a unit that has a frame, an unwinding part held by this and a molding part held by the same frame with transport means for transporting a web and at least two compartments each corresponding to a compartment 91, in each of which a treatment Device is arranged. The treatment device following the unwinding part with respect to the web transport direction can be designed, for example, the same or similar to the treatment device 39 and accordingly punch a row of holes in operation in each of the two longitudinal edges of the unwound web. The second treatment device with respect to the web transport direction can be designed in the same way or similar to the treatment device 271 in order to provide the web with perforations running transversely to it. A unit of the same or similar design as the printing unit 925 could then be connected to this unit. The unit comprising the unwinding part and the shaping part could, however, also have a second treatment device which is designed according to the treatment device 83 in order to cut the web into sheets by cuts running transversely to it. A printing unit which is designed for printing on separate sheets could then be connected to such a unit.

Units of the types shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 and the variants of these units described above could also be used for processing webs to be printed or printed in the "off-line" process, the latter meaning that each web is in a separate operation that takes place before or after the treatment is printed with the or each treatment device of the unit in question. If, for example, the unit 603 is to be used for such an "off-line" method, one could, for example, provide a device which, in relation to the web transport direction, is designed in sequence to be identical or similar to the unwinding unit 915 Unwinding unit, a Fassonier unit 603 and a unit to rewind the web provided with rows of holes running in its longitudinal direction or to provide and fold with transverse perforations. Instead of two separate units 915 and 603, it would also be possible to use a unit which has both an unwinding part and a molding part with a treatment device which is designed according to the treatment device 39 for producing rows of holes in the web edges , can be arranged in an analogous manner for "off-line" operation. If a unit 703 or 803 is to be used for the "off-line" process, one could, for example, provide a device which has a unit 703 or 803 and this upstream, for supplying a printed web web supply means. The latter can be formed, for example, by an unwinding unit or a unit that contains a web folded into a stack.

The unit 803 and its treatment device 883 can also be designed to produce envelopes 897 which form window envelopes from an unprinted web. In this case, the treatment device 883 or one of the treatment devices which may additionally be present could possibly also be designed to cut out the windows.

The device 1003 shown in FIG. 18 has largely similar parts to the device 3 shown in FIG. 1 and differs from it primarily by the different guiding of the web 5. The spool 17 is namely located between the printing unit 51 and the collector 89. The web 5 runs from the spool 17 first to the right over the transport and guide device 27 and through the treatment device 39 to the printing unit 51 and then away from it through the treatment devices 71, 77, 83 through to the collector 89. The means of transport used to transport the train point, for example Instead of the rotatable transport member 53, a movable transport member 1053, which is formed by a conveyor belt and is guided by rollers 1057, 1059 in such a way that it is in relation to the direction of transport of the web 5 both before and after the printing unit 51 on the Path engages. In operation, one of the rollers 1057, 1059 is driven by the drive device 63 and serves as an auxiliary transport element for moving the transport element 1053. The rollers have teeth that engage in longitudinal perforations of the transport element 1053, which in turn has teeth that are in engage the holes of the web 5 made with the treatment device 39. The control means 93, which have a digital computer, can be connected to a computer which is arranged separately from the same as in the device 3 shown in FIG. 1 and / or can even have a reading device for reading data carriers, for example magnetic disks or magnetic disks or optical data carriers, so that in the latter case, data written by a data processing system magnetically or optically on data carriers can be read and printed by the reading device independently of the computer of the data processing system.

It is also possible to produce a device or unit which has a frame which is fixed or has castors and can be moved on the floor and can then be fixed at a designated location on the floor by blocking the castors or in some other way and which has at least two and for example three or more Subjects limited, into each of which a treatment device can be inserted along guide means. The compartments are arranged, for example, in the uppermost, table-like part of the frame and are designed in the form of parallel channels or channels that are open at the top. The upper sections of the treatment devices can then protrude from the top of the channel-shaped compartments, the part of the web that is passed through the treatment device being above the table-like part and its compartments, for example. In the frame there are also means of transport for transporting the web and for each treatment device, a functionally corresponding gear wheel 111, 211 is mounted. These means of transport and gearwheels can be driven by an electric motor which is held in the frame and is common to all means of transport and treatment devices, and the means of transport and gearwheels can be driven, for example, by a toothed belt which on the one hand on all the mentioned gearwheels and on the other hand on one engages on the shaft of the motor or gear driven by the motor gear. The device or unit can then be connected upstream or downstream of a printing unit, for example in relation to the web transport direction, and can be equipped with various types of treatment devices according to its purpose. In this case, the motor can be operated analogously to the motors of the drive devices 35, 63, 67 in synchronism with the transport and drive means of the printing unit. The table-like part, which forms at least two compartments and has guide means for inserting the treatment device, can also be installed directly as a subunit in the frame of a device which has a printing unit corresponding to the printing unit 51 instead of being part of a movable frame. However, the device or unit having the table-like part with compartments and guide means for receiving or guiding several treatment devices can also be operated in the “off-line” mode as defined above.

The treatment devices 39, 83 could also be constructed symmetrically such that the gears 113, 213 and possibly additionally the gears 157, 159, 257, 259 can optionally be mounted on one of the two sides of the supports 101, 201. The other treatment devices with functional functions corresponding to the gears 113, 213 Gears can also be constructed in an analogous manner in such a way that the said gears can optionally be arranged on one of the two sides of the supports. This makes it possible to freely select the frame side on which the functionally corresponding gear wheels 111, 211 are arranged and rotatably mounted in the frame and from which the treatment devices can be inserted into the compartments. This in turn increases the versatility of the treatment devices with regard to their installation and is particularly advantageous when different, already existing facilities or units are to be retrofitted with treatment devices.

The systems, facilities and treatment devices and their operation can be modified in other ways. In this regard, it should first be noted that the variants described can be combined with one another in different ways. For example, it is possible in all of the described devices, instead of the treatment devices with treatment devices which are rotated by a drive device of the transport means of a device and are designed according to treatment device 401 and have their own drive device with their own motor. To provide devices, wherein the motor is then electrically connected to the electrical control means of the device to which the treatment device in question belongs. Otherwise, motor devices which exclusively serve to drive at least one treatment device could be provided, which are not attached to the support of the treatment device itself, but rather to the frame of the device to which the treatment device belongs. The motor of the drive device is then electrically connected to the electrical control means of the device in question and by mechanical connecting means to a gearwheel mounted in the support of the treatment device to the or each connected to the treatment device of the treatment device to be driven. In this context, it should also be noted that in order to create a rotational connection between a drive device mounted on the frame of a device and the or each treatment element to be driven of a treatment device, mechanical connecting means instead of a gearwheel mounted in the device frame, which is connected to a gear in the support of the treatment device is engaged, could have any releasable coupling.

The treatment device 39 used to produce the rows of holes 5d could, for example, be modified such that a treatment member 41 having the punching tool 121 serving as a die is not non-rotatably connected to the hollow shaft 115, but is freely rotatably supported and then in operation is rotated by the treatment member 43, the punch 143 of which engage in the holes 121a. Otherwise, the carrier 125 could possibly be attached to the support 101 in an unadjustable manner. In this case, the special toothing of the gearwheels 157, 159, which enables pivoting about the pivot axis 155, could be replaced by conventional toothing.

In the case of the treatment device 77 used to cut off the edge strips having the hole rows 5d, the knives with cutting edges running continuously along a circular line could be replaced by knives whose cutting edges have interruptions in order to produce perforations which serve as desired tear lines, so that the Edge strips with the rows of holes 5d can be torn off later.

Furthermore, the treatment device 83 could possibly also be modified in such a way that, during operation, both treatment organs are rotated about their axes. To enable shearing processes that result at least approximately and preferably exactly at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the web, the knives of the two treatment organs would then have to be moved at circumferential speeds that are different in terms of the direction of rotation and / or the amount. All the changes described above with regard to the treatment device 83 can of course also be carried out in an analogous manner in the case of the treatment device 271 which serves to generate nominal tear lines running at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the web.

The rolling bodies 105, 205 of the various treatment devices that enable rolling on guide means could be replaced by lubricants, so that the supports can slide along the guide means when the treatment devices are moved.

In the case of those devices and units which, like the devices 3, 1003 and the unit 703, two or more treatment devices which are detachably fastened in the same frame , two or more treatment devices designed as inserts could be arranged next to one another without lateral separating elements in the same compartment. The various treatment devices and in particular the treatment device 39 used to produce rows of holes running along the longitudinal edges of the web and the intended folding lines and / or intended tear lines for cutting sheets or producing transverse to the longitudinal direction of the web serving treatment devices 87 and 271 could possibly be designed, rather than as cassette-like, slide-in shelves, to be releasably installed in any other way in facilities, with the treatment devices even possibly being supported by anyone to mount the facility in question belonging parts could be replaced.

The devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 18 could also be changed such that their unwinding part 15 is separated from the rest of the device and is formed by a separate unit and / or that a device corresponding to device 893 is also installed in the device, to process the documents into foldable letters.

The webs used to produce the documents and / or envelopes could be multi-layered and, for example, have a paper layer and additionally a layer made of metal or a copy material used for the formation of copies or could be designed as multi-layer self-adhesive paper. Furthermore, the webs could possibly be made of plastic or a cardboard-like material, but are said to have flexibility that allows them to be processed.

The functions of the computer 1 and the computer belonging to the control means 93 could of course be used be exercised by one and the same computer, which is either installed in the device 3 or arranged separately from it. Furthermore, the printing units and / or the various drive devices could possibly be controlled by analog computing and / or control means instead of at least one digitally operating computer.

Claims (13)

1. System for processing at least one flexible web (5, 285, 505, 905) preferably consisting at least in part of paper, especially for the manufacture of documents (7) and/or envelopes (897) therefrom, comprising a frame (11), transport means, which are held by this, serve for transporting the web (5, 285, 505, 905) and have at least one electrical drive device (35, 63, 67), and a processing device (83, 271, 583, 783, 883), which comprises a support (201), a carrier (225) which is pivotable relative thereto about a pivot axis (255) and fixable in different pivot settings and two processing members (85, 87, 273, 275), which are each provided with at least one knife (223, 243, 283) and of which at least one is rotatably mounted in the carrier (225), for processing of the web (5, 285, 505, 905) transported through between them, wherein the cutting edges (223a, 243a, 283a) of the knives (223, 243, 283) belonging to different processing members (85, 87, 273, 275) form an angle with one another and at least one of them forms an angle different from 90° with the transport direction of the web (5, 285, 505, 905), characterised thereby that a gearwheel (257) is mounted at the support (201) to be rotatable about a rotational axis (217), that the processing member (87) rotatably mounted at the carrier (225) is connected, to be secure against relative rotation, to a gearwheel (259) rotatable together with it about a rotational axis (251), that the two gearwheels (257, 259) have teeth standing in engagement with each other, the flanks of which teeth are convexly curved in a plan view at right angles to the rotational axis (217, 251) of the respective gearwheel (257, 259), and that the pivot axis (255) crosses the two rotational axes (217, 251) at right angles as well as extends through the toothings of the two gearwheels (257, 259).
2. System according to claim 1, characterised thereby that the cutting edges (223a, 243a) of all knives (223, 243) are without interruptions, in order to cut up the web (5, 505, 905) into sheets by transversely extending cuts.
3. System according to claim 1, characterised thereby that the cutting edge (283a) of the or each knife (283) of at least one of the processing members (273, 275) is provided with interruptions, in order to provide the web (285) with perforations forming desired, transversely extending tear lines.
4. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised thereby that each knife (223, 243) is straight and that the or each knife (243) belonging to a rotatable processing member (87, 275) is parallel to the rotational axis (251) of the processing member (87,275).
5. System according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised thereby that the gearwheel (257) rotatably mounted on the support (201) is detachably mounted and that the gearwheel (259) connected with the rotatable processing member (87) is detachably connected with the said processing member (87).
6. System according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised thereby that the frame (11) has guide means (203) for the displaceable guidance of the support (201) on the frame and that securing means (207) are present in order to selectably secure the support (201) in a work setting serving for processing of the web (5, 285, 505, 905) or to release it and by the latter to enable the processing device (83, 271, 583, 783, 883) to be able to be displaced as well as separated from the frame (11).
7. System according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised thereby that the gearwheel (257) rotatably mounted on the support (201) is connected, to be secure against relative rotation, with a gearwheel (213), which stands in engagement with a gearwheel (211), which is mounted on the frame (11) and rotatable by a drive device (67) held by the frame (11).
8. System according to claim 6 or 7, characterised thereby that the gearwheel (211) mounted on the frame (11) and the gearwheel (213), which stands in engagement with this and is connected, to be secure against relative rotation, with the gearwheel (257) mounted on the support (201), are bringable out of engagement and back into engagement through displacement of the processing device (83) along the guide means (203).
9. System according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised thereby that a further processing device (39, 539, 639), which with respect to the transport direction of the web (5, 285, 505, 905) is disposed in front of the processing device (83, 271, 583, 783, 883) having the knives (223, 243, 283) and which comprises two rotatable processing members (41, 43), is present in order to provide the web (5, 285, 505, 905) at each of its two longitudinal edges (5c) with a row of holes (5d) extending in its longitudinal direction, and that a printing mechanism (51, 551, 951), which with respect to the web transport direction is arranged after the last-mentioned processing device (39, 539, 639) and in front of the first-mentioned processing device (83, 271, 583, 783, 883) and which is for printing of the web (5, 285, 505, 905) with data variable by control means and/or computing means (1, 93), is present.
10. System according to claim 9, characterised thereby that the rotatable processing members (41, 43, 87, 275) of the processing devices (39, 83, 271, 539, 583, 639, 783, 883) stand in rotational operative connection with the or an electrical drive device (35, 63, 67, 563, 567, 663, 767, 867) of the transport means and/or at least one additional electrical drive device (405) and that the or each electrical drive device (35, 63, 67, 405, 563, 567) is electrically connected with the control means and/or computing means (1, 93) and controllable by this.
11. System according to claim 10, characterised thereby that the control means and/or computing means (1, 93) are constructed in order to so control the or each drive device (35, 63, 67, 563, 567, 663, 767, 867), which serves for the purpose of transporting the web (5, 285, 505, 905) through the processing devices (39, 83, 271, 539, 583, 639, 783, 883) and the printing mechanism (5, 551, 951) and/or of driving at least one of the rotatable processing members (41, 43, 87, 275), that movable transport members (29, 31, 53, 55, 553, 555, 629, 653, 755, 757, 855, 857, 1053), which engage at the web (5, 285, 305, 905), of the transport means and the rotatable processing members (41, 43, 87) are simultaneously set into movement and brought to standstill, and that the rotatable processing elements (41, 43, 87, 275) are rotated at a speed which is proportional to the speed of the transport members (29, 31, 53, 55, 553, 555, 629, 653, 755, 757, 855, 857, 1053).
12. System according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised thereby that the or each rotatable processing member (41, 43, 87, 275) of the or each processing device (39, 83, 271, 539, 583, 639, 783, 883) stands in rotational operative connection with an electrical drive device (63, 67, 405, 563, 567, 663, 767, 867), which has a stepping motor.
13. Processing device for a system according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised thereby that it comprises a support (201), a carrier (225), which is pivotable relative thereto about a pivot axis (255) and fixable in different pivot settings, and two processing members (85, 87, 273, 275), which are each provided with at least one knife (223, 243, 283), for the processing of the web (5, 285, 505, 905) transported between them, of which at least one member is rotatably mounted in the carrier (225), that the cutting edges (223a, 243a, 283a) of the knives (223, 243, 283), which belong to different processing members (85, 87, 273, 275), form an angle with each other and at least one of them forms an angle different from 90° with the transport direction of the web (5, 285, 905), that the cutting edges (223a, 243a) of all knives (223, 243) are without interruptions in order to cut up the web (5, 505, 905) into sheets by transversely extending cuts, or that the cutting edge (283a) of the or each knife (283) of at least one of the processing members (273, 275) is provided with interruptions in order to provide the web (285) with perforations forming desired, transversely extending tear lines, that a gearwheel (257) is mounted at the support (201) to be rotatable about a rotational axis (217), that the processing member (87) rotatably mounted at the carrier (225) is connected, to be secure against relative rotation, with a gearwheel (259) rotatable together with it about a rotational axis (251), that the two gearwheels (257, 259) have teeth standing in engagement with one another, the flanks of which are convexly curved in plan view at right angles to the rotational axis (217, 251) of the respective gearwheel (257, 259), and that the pivot axis (255) crosses the two rotational axes (217, 251) at right angles as well as extends through the toothings of the two gearwheels (257, 259).

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