EP0358066B1 - Process and arrangement for converting printed articles - Google Patents

Abstract

Printed articles are converted and conveyed with high performance by a method wherein the printed articles are organised in clusters (2, 2'). A cluster of printed articles is a group of at least two individual printed articles which are jointly processed in cluster streams over a partial section or in a partial process. Such a cluster stream can be divided or reduced to a cluster stream of lower magnitude (decreasing number of printed articles per cluster). It is also possible to mix or combine cluster streams. As a result, it becomes possible to provide a processing performance at the desired positions, within an overall system, which in principle has no upper limit. At the same time, the process permits increased flexibility by means of special buffer facilities, redundancy, etc, with relatively low expenditure of materials and costs. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention lies in the field of printing technology and relates to a method for producing, conveying and further processing printed products in the form of tabloids, two or more folds, and to an arrangement for carrying out the method.

In modern printing plants, ever higher processing speeds and capacities are required for the further processing of print products that are produced by rotary presses. One of the reasons for this is that modern rotary presses, in addition to multi-color printing, enable high-quality offset printing quality, which means that brochures, magazines and other printed products can also be increasingly produced. At the same time, the processing should have great flexibility so that as many final formats of the printed products as possible can be processed or achieved using the same system. Cost considerations also play a role here, since identical components can be used for different functions in flexible systems, and on the other hand, partial systems with high capacity can be used well. Flexibility is also desired with regard to the expandability of systems, since an existing system for larger runs or new print products is often used at later times to be used. There is also a desire for the greatest possible utilization and full utilization of the systems, especially in view of the relatively high investment costs of the printing press and conveyor systems.

Conventional conveyor and processing systems in printing plants are usually based on serial processing concepts. In this case, printed products or partial products, etc. are mostly transported by means of conveyor belts, conveyors or the like in a conveyor line, often as a shingled stream, and fed to processing systems. Since rotary presses generally print on paper webs in series, it is only natural to process the printed products in series. A serial processing concept is often also necessary because of the steps involved in further processing that require a serial process. Accordingly, conventional conveyor and processing systems have remained attached to this serial principle to this day.

For special applications, especially if high processing capacities were desired, serial processing systems were adapted and precautions were taken which brought a certain increase in processing capacity. However, such arrangements only concerned specific bottlenecks in processing and a fundamental solution to the problem, ie increasing the processing capacity and, above all, making the entire system more flexible or at least several work steps in the system remained unsolved. Buffer systems were provided, for example, or the flow of printed products was divided into several partial flows by means of switches. Such a device is described, for example, in European Patent No. 272398. This invention shows a method and apparatus in which one or more continuous streams of printed matter using buffering devices is divided on feed lines of at least two processing stations. Another method according to Swiss Patent 649 063 shows how a conveyor track is divided into several tracks in order to "be able to use the known and proven conveyor technology". This is to solve the task of maintaining the performance of the investors while maintaining the mentioned conveyor technology.

As it turns out, the "well-known and proven" serial funding concepts also have significant disadvantages, which come to the fore with large funding capacities. As with all serial processes, bottlenecks inevitably arise at locations that have a longer throughput time or a slower clock cycle, which can also be attributed to a lack of flexibility. As mentioned above, the problems of such a bottleneck can be partially solved with a buffer. However, if a bottleneck is run for a very long time or even permanently without any interruption, a fundamentally unlimited buffer capacity must be provided. As a result, all subsequent systems can only be operated with the bottleneck performance. Obviously, the buffering usually used in such cases is an insufficient solution if the overall system is to achieve high performance. For this reason, other known solutions, similar to the device according to Swiss Patent 649 063, attempt to circumvent the bottleneck to a limited extent by dividing the required processing capacity over several transport or processing routes. Several basically independent processing paths are created, which in turn use serial funding. If, for example, a subsequent processing is to be carried out with a work station which has a very high output per se, the separate subsequent tracks would have to be brought together again, which would require expensive equipment. A division of the conveyor tracks also has the disadvantage that in addition to a large space requirement for the separate lanes of each of these lanes require their own control, processing means, etc. In fact, the mechanical and organizational effort is multiplied. When dividing the main conveyor track, the subsequent tracks are usually loaded alternately by setting switches. In the short term, ie during the loading period from the main conveyor track, each of the subsequent tracks must be able to absorb the high conveying capacity of the main conveyor track. The individual subsequent lanes must therefore be designed for an equally high capacity, although this was only required for a short time, or additional buffers must be used. In the case of very high outputs, ie processing 80,000 or more copies per hour, conventional systems with serial conveying, which solve capacity problems with subsequent lanes, come up against fundamental problems, since physical processing limits are reached.

In order to increase further processing capacities, parallel processing methods are also proposed according to the prior art. For example, according to the utility model publication DE-U-8713282.6, books fed in series on a conveyor belt are transferred to conveyor belts running in parallel during a corresponding stop of the conveyor belt in order to be conveyed in parallel, functionally independent stations for fold-in and pressing .

According to US Pat. No. 4519599, two still unaddressed booklets are grasped by a continuously operating collecting section and positioned in a stapler in which they are stapled at the same time. The method described is derived directly from a corresponding method for stapling staples with approximately double back length, which are cut into two staples after stapling.

For processing speeds of up to 80,000 copies per hour, as are to be achieved for the on-line processing of tabloids from a rotary press, fundamental problems arise when using the methods and devices according to the prior art.

It is the object of the invention to provide a method and an arrangement for the production, conveyance and further processing of printed products such as tabloids, two-folds or multiple folds, also into small-sized intermediate or end products, which start from product streams which occur continuously in conventional conveying formations, and their processing with high processing capacity, which is basically open at the top make possible without buffering. Furthermore, the method according to the invention and the arrangement according to the invention should allow flexibility by means of capacities which can be moved in the system, work with higher efficiency with regard to processing speed and less machine expenditure, and be simple and inexpensive to expand with regard to the devices necessary for carrying them out.

This object is achieved by a method with the features according to independent claim 1 and an arrangement with the features of independent claim 15.

The invention creates a movable or usable flexibility in the overall system instead of using buffers, the capacity of which by definition is poorly used. This creates a very large processing capacity with relatively little mechanical effort, which can be easily adapted to fluctuating performance.

Fig. 1

zeigt eine schematische Ansicht eines Clusterstroms mit Clustern zu je vier Druckprodukten

Fig. 2

zeigt ein Blockdiagramm mit einer Übersicht über ein Beispiel eines Verfahrensablaufs gemäss der Erfindung

Fig. 3

zeigt das Koppeln zweier Clusterströme unterschiedlicher Ordnung zu einem Clusterstrom 5. Ordnung

Fig. 4

zeigt ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Gesamtsystems unter Verwendung des erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens

Fig. 5

zeigt ein Ausführungsbeispiel einer Fördereinrichtung für einen Clusterstrom 4. Ordnung

Fig. 6a-6c

zeigen drei mögliche Anordnungen der Druckprodukte in einem Cluster

Fig. 7

zeigt ein Beispiel einer Entnahme von Druckprodukten aus einem Schuppenstrom zur Bildung von drei parallelen Clusterströmen

Im allgemeinen besitzten heute Rotationspressen sehr hohe Leistungen, so dass schon unmittelbar am Ausgang der Rotationspresse die Förderung der Druckprodukte gleichfalls hohe Leistungen aufweisen muss, um diese Leistung abzufangen. Ausserdem ist es möglich, dass höhere Verarbeitungskapazitäten erst in späteren Arbeitsschritten erforderlich sind weil bspw. aus mehreren Anlegern oder aus einem Lager bzw. Puffer mehrere Materialströme zusammengeführt werden sollen. Des weiteren kann es erforderlich sein, für einen bestimmten Arbeitsschritt, der langsam abläuft, die erforderliche Kapazität aufrechtzuerhalten. Das erfindungsgemässe Verfahren kann demnach an einer oder mehreren beliebigen Stellen eines Gesamtsystems oder aber auch über den gesamten Bearbeitungsweg von der Rotationspresse bis zur Spedition Einsatz finden, um diese Ziele zu erreichen.Exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention and an arrangement for carrying out the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

Fig. 1

shows a schematic view of a cluster stream with clusters of four printed products each

Fig. 2

shows a block diagram with an overview of an example of a method sequence according to the invention

Fig. 3

shows the coupling of two cluster streams of different orders to a 5th order cluster stream

Fig. 4

shows an embodiment of an overall system using the inventive method

Fig. 5

shows an embodiment of a conveyor for a 4th order cluster stream

6a-6c

show three possible arrangements of the printed products in a cluster

Fig. 7

shows an example of a removal of printed products from a shingled stream to form three parallel cluster streams

In general, rotary presses today have very high outputs, so that the conveyance of the printed products must also have high outputs immediately at the outlet of the rotary press in order to intercept this output. It is also possible that higher processing capacities are only required in later work steps, for example because several material flows from several investors or from one warehouse or buffer are to be brought together. Furthermore, it may be necessary to maintain the required capacity for a particular work step that is slow. The method according to the invention can accordingly be used at one or more arbitrary points in an overall system or else over the entire processing path from the rotary press to the freight forwarder in order to achieve these goals.

The invention uses the idea that the further processing of the printed products should take place in parallel, that is to say in other words the serial principle of conventional systems is abandoned, but the information inherent in the serial conveying and processing should nevertheless be retained in the parallel concept, for which reason it is referred to as quasi-parallel becomes. From this point of view, the funding cycle (synchronization) must be considered in particular. The innovative conveying and processing concept thus allows integration into an existing system with serial conveying while maintaining the synchronization of processing and conveying and enables conversion of the quasi-parallel conveying back into serial transport at any time.

The invention aims at parallel processing in the sense that not only parallel, functionally (in terms of time and material) but independent conveyor lines are provided, but that functionally parallel processing of the printed products is achieved. According to the invention, the printed products are processed and promoted in functional clusters . A print product cluster is to be understood here to mean a group of at least two individual print products which are processed in parallel in at least a partial route or a partial process. A cluster is to be understood as a "grouping" with a functional relationship, in the sense of a family. The mutual arrangement of the printed products of a cluster can vary and the individual printed product within this cluster can have a certain freedom. Functionally parallel processing occurs when the print products of a cluster are processed simultaneously, for example within the same cycle, with the print products of a cluster either being subjected to identical work steps or the work steps at least having a mutual relationship. In addition, the printed products of a cluster have a defined mutual arrangement, ie they are in a mutually spatially defined position. In that a print product cluster forms a logical group, the clusters can be easily merged with other clusters at any time, recombined for serial promotion or put together within a cluster. The formation of clusters can also be understood as the organization of the printed products in functional groups. It is essential that the arrangement of the printed products within a cluster enables the processing of the individual printed products in a simple manner. For this purpose, the printed products are spaced or separated from one another in such a way that they are accessible in all areas (ie on all edges and side surfaces).

The invention thus differs fundamentally from conventional print shop funding principles, which, as already mentioned, at most divide a main conveyor line into two or more parallel follow-up tracks, but in which no attention is paid to the functionally simultaneous processing of a cluster. On the basis of an orderly, serial conveyance from the rotation, for example as a shingled stream, the division of this main conveyor section is downgraded, that is to say in other words, this division is reversible only with greater mechanical (and financial) effort. This is due to the fact that the subsequent tracks are functionally independent or decoupled from each other, so that these tracks can only be merged into a serial, uniform stream again by converting them into a uniform mutual arrangement with a uniform phase, etc. In contrast, in the method according to the invention, the order of the serial conveyance is not destroyed because of the principle of cluster processing, ie the internal connection is preserved. As will be explained further below, it is easily possible to process or remove printed products one after the other over short distances, for example for a specific work step, without, however, dissolving the clusters organizationally or functionally . The possibilities of serial conveying are completely preserved in the processing principle according to the invention.

The idea of the invention is based on a conversion of the printed products conventionally supplied in serial form, for example as a scale stream, into a cluster stream. In principle, this conversion can take place at any point in an overall system. At the same time, the invention also makes it possible to convert the cluster stream into a conventional funding process again at any point, even if it is only for a single work process. The procedural possibilities claimed in the claims show the corresponding arrangement options according to the invention. The individual arrangements can be designed with conventional means or with conveying and processing devices that are particularly suitable for cluster funding.

Such a cluster stream 7 is shown schematically in FIG. The printed products for the clusters are supplied by a feed 1, not shown in detail. For example, one or more clamp conveyors, several feeders or any other conveying devices for printed products can be provided as the feed. Printed products are removed from this feeder 1 simultaneously or successively, for example with a clamp gripper, and a first printed product cluster 2 is formed. The printed products 4 of a cluster must be arranged so that each individual printed product is accessible for subsequent processing. It is obvious that the mutual spatial arrangement can vary widely and must be tailored to the desired work processes. In the example shown, four printed products are arranged next to one another in a plane and aligned parallel to one another. The printed products thus combined in a cluster basically remain in this mutual arrangement throughout the entire processing path, ie from the work station 6A to 6H, in many cases even up to the shipping company 6J. Each cluster 2 is subjected to various work steps on processing path 6A-6H. Of course, the printed products, for example for a specific work step, can be removed from the cluster at short notice. However, it is necessary that such printed products are integrated into the corresponding cluster immediately after this process so that the functional togetherness within the cluster is not destroyed. At a work station 6E, for example, the printed products 4 'of a cluster 2' are successively removed from the arrangement of the cluster 2 'and processed in the station 6E. In the conveyor area 6e immediately after the work station 6E the printed products 4 'are again in their functional arrangement within the cluster.

The term “end product” is to be understood in the following print shop products as they exist after the method according to the invention has been carried out, ie at the exit of an arrangement according to the invention, a forwarding state generally being reached at this exit. On the other hand, the term “starting product” should be understood to mean all printed products as they are fed to an arrangement according to the invention, in order then to be converted into end products. Starting products of different formats can be used to carry out the method according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a process sequence according to the invention, clarifying the principle of the invention. Starting products are fed from a feeder 1 in conventional, serial conveying. At least part of the supplied product stream is converted into a cluster stream in a conversion device 31. In many cases, all starting products are converted into a cluster stream. This cluster stream is now subjected to various work steps 11 and then the processed end products are stored or temporarily stored, packaged, forwarded, etc. The flexibility of the method is evident in the further possibilities, some of which are indicated in the figure by additional paths. It is possible, for example, to apply certain work steps 12 to the as yet unconverted, serially promoted product stream. This is desirable, for example, if the method according to the invention is only used within a complete system for the final processing, ie in terms of the method at the end of the overall process. Furthermore, it is possible to temporarily or completely or partially the cluster stream (indicated by the path p₁-p₂-p₃) or finally (indicated by the path p₆-p₅) to convert back into a serial promotion. Of course, it is again possible to apply additional work steps 11, 13 to these serially conveyed printed products. The figure shows that it is also possible for special applications to divide the product stream into a cluster stream (p₆-p₇) and a serially promoted partial stream (p₁-p₂-p₄). It is thus easily possible to process a part of the printed products in a cluster stream with high performance and at the same time to process a part in a conventional manner in order to optimize the machine effort. It is obvious that further possible combinations can be carried out within the scope of the invention without abandoning the inventive concept, ie in some areas of the overall process which require flexible promotion and processing with high performance, to provide cluster processing. So it is of course possible to run several cluster streams in parallel, to mix cluster streams with conventionally promoted products (e.g. plugging in) or to combine cluster streams from different rotations or from rotation and storage.

The following table shows an overview of the most important basic options: Mix Couple share To reduce Mixing different cluster streams into a new cluster stream Coupling different cluster streams to a new cluster stream Splitting a cluster stream into one or more cluster streams and / or a conventionally funded product stream Reduction of a cluster current to such a lower order (see below). Mixing a cluster stream with a conventionally funded product stream Coupling a cluster stream with a serially promoted product stream Split a conventionally funded product stream and convert it into at least one cluster stream Reduction of a cluster stream into a serial stream with individual products (see below)

Coupling of clusters or of individual printed products occurs when these are merged and the size of the cluster increases in the sense that the number of functional units in this cluster increases. In contrast, there is mixing if a first cluster is combined with at least a second cluster and / or one or more serial print product streams, but the number of elements of the cluster does not increase but only the scope of the individual elements of the cluster increases. A cluster is naturally present when a cluster stream or its cluster is divided, ie there are at least two cluster streams with a smaller number of elements per cluster. Accordingly, the splitting of a cluster stream can be seen as a reverse process of coupling. Of course, the individual functions do not have to be in pure form. For example, there may be a combination of several cluster streams with simultaneous mixing / coupling.

In view of the fact that the elements of a printed product cluster can not only be individual printed sheets, simple tabloids etc., but these elements can grow into extensive printed products in the course of the process, a cluster can "grow" in two fundamentally different types ". On the one hand, the number of elements can increase or the size of the individual elements can increase. To clarify this fact, growth in the first sense, that is to say the increase in the number of elements within the cluster, will therefore be spoken of as an increase in the order of the cluster . A second order cluster contains, for example, two printed products, a fourth order cluster contains four printed products. Nothing is said about the scope of the printed products or the number of their components. The coupling of cluster streams can thus be understood as a transfer of, for example, two clusters into a higher-order cluster, whereas the mixing does not change the order of the clusters, but increases the scope of the individual print products contained in the cluster. In theory, it could even be operated with the term cluster or a 1st order cluster stream, which would correspond to a serial product stream. However, it is then no longer a print product cluster in the sense of the invention, since a single print product lacks the features of the cluster that are inherent in the concept, so that this expression should not be used here.

Figure 3 illustrates the coupling of a first cluster stream 7 '(2nd order) with a second cluster stream 7˝ (3rd order) to form a main cluster stream 7 (5th order). In this example, the two cluster streams 7 ', 7˝ are performed one above the other. Such an arrangement can be used, for example, if the printed products of the cluster stream 7 'can be processed more slowly than those of the cluster stream 7'. In general, the printed products within a cluster are identical, ie they have the same size and are in the same processing stage. Depending on the requirements, the information about the arrangement of the clusters in the streams 7 'and 7''can also be retained after coupling. In general, however, the information about the coupled “super” clusters 7 will be used as the new output variable, provided that a subsequent transfer in the streams 7 ′, 7 ″ corresponding cluster streams is subsequently no longer necessary or desired.

For special applications it may also be desirable to combine different printed products in a cluster. In this case e.g. different printed products from the cluster streams 7 ', 7' 'are combined in the cluster main stream 7. As an example, a 4th order cluster stream with 4 different print products per cluster can be considered. This can be edited and then reduced to a serial stream with individual products. The above-mentioned reduction of a cluster can, for example, take place in such a way that the components of an end product that are actually promoted and processed in such 4th order clusters are inserted into one another in a final work step.

Another great advantage of the inventive idea of cluster processing is the ability to easily integrate cluster processing into a conventional overall system with serial funding and processing. A major advantage over previously known measures to increase capacity or speed is that cluster processing enables clocked operation. It is important that the cluster is processed with a cycle that is linked to the system cycle.

. Um zusätzliche Pufferungsmassnahmen bei der Konversion in einen Clusterstrom zu vermeiden, ist es erforderlich, dass dieser Durchlaufwert in der nachfolgenden Clusterbearbeitungs-Strecke aufrechterhalten bleibt. An einer Stelle X₂ der Clusterbearbeitungs-Strecke darf der Takt der Clusterförderung demnach höchstens

betragen. Dabei bedeutet n die Ordnung der im Bereich der Strecke 33' geförderten Cluster, bzw. deren Anzahl Druckprodukte. Es ist leicht ersichtlich, dass der Clustertakt T₁ über die Ordnung der Cluster mit dem Systemtakt T verknüpft ist. Da eine Pufferung auch vermieden werden kann, wenn T₁ kleiner als ist, drückt sich das Verhältnis zwischen Systemtakt T und Clustertakt T₁ allgemein wie folgt aus:

$\text{T₁ = n / Y·A₁ = (n/Y) · T}$

(Y: Parameter)

Durch geeignete Wahl der Clusterordnung n₁ sowie des Parameters Y (grösser als 1) kann die Förder- bzw. Bearbeitungsgeschwindigkeit entlang der Clusterbearbeitungs-Strecke 33' so gewählt werden, dass der durch die Arbeitsschritte, die in diesem Bereich vorgenommen werden, erforderte Clustertakt T₁ erreicht wird. Eine Erhöhung der Ordnung des Clusters ermöglicht ein Vergrössern des Arbeitstaktes und somit die Durchführung langsamer Arbeitsschritte, ohne dass der Durchlaufwert gesenkt werden müsste. Ist Y = 1, so ist der $\text{Clustertakt = n · T}$

und damit der Durchlaufwert A₂ gleich gross wie der Durchlaufwert A₁.In Figure 4, the integration of two cluster processing lines 33 ', 33''is shown schematically in an overall system. From a rotation 60, printed products are transported in conventional serial conveying with a system cycle T (period between two supplied printed products [unit sec.]). The throughput value A 1 (number of printed products per second) at any point X 1 of this first serial feed 3 is calculated $\text{A₁ = 1 / T}$

. In order to avoid additional buffering measures when converting to a cluster stream, it is necessary that this throughput value is maintained in the subsequent cluster processing section. At a point X₂ of the cluster processing route, the cycle of cluster funding may therefore be at most

be. Here, n means the order of the clusters conveyed in the region of the route 33 ', or their number of printed products. It is easy to see that the cluster clock T 1 is linked to the system clock T via the order of the clusters. Since buffering can also be avoided if T₁ is less than, the ratio between system clock T and cluster clock T₁ is generally expressed as follows:

$\text{T₁ = n / Y · A₁ = (n / Y) · T}$

(Y: parameter)

By a suitable choice of the cluster order n 1 and the parameter Y (greater than 1), the conveying or processing speed along the cluster processing section 33 'can be selected such that the cluster cycle required by the work steps carried out in this area reaches T 1 becomes. Increasing the order of the cluster enables the work cycle to be increased and therefore slow work steps to be carried out without the throughput value having to be reduced. If Y = 1, then that is $\text{Cluster clock = n · T}$

and thus the throughput value A₂ is the same as the throughput value A₁.

besitzen. Der entsprechende Clustertakt T₂ auf der Clusterbearbeitungs-Strecke 33'' beträgt maximal $\text{n₂ / (2·A₁)}$

. Um in diesem Beispiel die beiden Clustertakte T₁ und T₂ gleich gross werden zu lassen, müsste demnach die Ordung n₂ der Cluster im Bereich 33'' mindestens doppelt so gross sein wie n₁.Furthermore, from a warehouse 61 via a feed 3 ', starting products are also preferably conveyed with the system clock T, so that the corresponding throughput value A₃ at any point X₃ is equal to A₁. If the cluster stream and the feed 3 'are now to be coupled to form a uniform cluster stream, this must have a run-through value at a point X₄ $\text{A₄ = A₁ + A₃ = 2 · A₁}$

have. The corresponding cluster cycle T₂ on the cluster processing line 33 '' is a maximum $\text{n₂ / (2 · A₁)}$

. In order to make the two cluster clocks T₁ and T₂ the same size in this example, the order n₂ of the clusters in the area 33 ″ would have to be at least twice as large as n₁.

In order to be able to edit the clusters in the sequence within the cluster cycle T 1, T 2, the individual work stations 6A-6H along the lines 33 ', 33''must be designed accordingly. This means that these stations must have a performance corresponding to the throughput value, provided that all print products of a cluster have to be processed in each station. Since cluster processing is also aimed at slow work steps, it may be necessary to apply one work step to several print products of a cluster within one workstation. This can be done, for example, by using several identical, synchronously controlled processing devices. If, for example, on the route 33 ', 4th order clusters are conveyed and all four printed products of a cluster are to be stapled within one cycle T 1 in the work station 6D, four stapling devices can be arranged in parallel. The specific design of the work stations can vary greatly depending on the desired function. For example, if a work step in the work station 6B only requires a very short work cycle, the printed products of a cluster can also be processed by means of a device which processes the printed products in series. For this purpose, this facility is the clusters are moved transversely to the conveying direction and one printed product after another is processed.

The size of a cluster is therefore preferably also selected as a function of the cycle or conveying speed T 1, T 2 desired for the cluster processing. If relatively slow processing steps for processing the printed products after conversion into a cluster stream are to be carried out, the cycle T 1, T 2 can be increased or the conveying speed of the printed product clusters can be reduced, so that the subsequent steps can be carried out within the required working cycles . It is a great advantage of the method according to the invention that the individual work steps, depending on the choice of the size of the clusters and the cluster cycle, can proceed relatively slowly. This makes it possible to use inexpensive, slow-working individual components even in very fast overall processes. In addition, interface problems that arise due to different processing speeds of the individual components are largely avoided.

If the parameter Y is chosen to be relatively large, i.e. Y »1 (for example 5) (assuming that the work cycles of the workstations 6F-6H allow this), a relatively short cluster cycle T₂ and thus a certain buffering at the conversion point 62 can be achieved. As a result, gaps in the cluster stream (empty clusters) occur during normal operation, so that this buffer option can only be used to a limited extent.

However, real buffering is preferably achieved in that the cluster processing lines allow a variable, as large as possible cluster size. Is such a route on the promotion and possibly also processing of clusters of the 12th order, but in normal operation only clusters of the 4th order are promoted and processed, it is obvious that buffering up to three times the capacity is possible. Such a solution is also recommended if active or passive redundancy is to be created within a system for certain workstations. It is thus possible in a simple manner to provide redundancy of the workstations by designing all or only part of the cluster processing route for the promotion of clusters of relatively high order (for example 5th order and higher). In normal operation with clusters of a lower order, either buffering can take place or workstations can be designed redundantly. Buffering is realized by using a monitoring / control unit, for example a PLC or computer control unit, to form clusters of variable size after a conversion point 62, so that buffering is made possible by varying the cluster size. It is understood that in normal operation, clusters of identical order are usually formed and the cluster size is only varied for buffering.

The cluster current in the example of FIG. 4 is finally reduced to a low-order cluster current. If, for example, partial products (for example the content of a brochure) were fed in via the cluster processing line 33 and envelopes were fed in via the feeder 3, partial products and envelopes are simultaneously arranged in a cluster after the conversion point 62. At the reduction point 63, the partial products are inserted into the envelopes and fed to the forwarding agency 64 or other storage or conveyor systems as a low-order cluster stream.

Linking the cluster clocks to the system clock allows a cluster stream to be converted back into serial funding at any time. This makes it possible to use cluster processing for a limited area within an overall system, for example only for labor-intensive processing processes. Here, among other things, there is a clear difference to conventional systems, which divide a print product flow to increase performance into several time-dependent and thus clock-decoupled follow-on paths and thus lose flexibility in a wide range. An adjustment of the system cycle and cluster cycle represents an essential element with regard to the return to serial funding with the same input parameters (cycle, phase, etc. as existed before a cluster processing route).

However, it is also possible and preferable for specific applications to promote the cluster streams continuously in a flowing manner or alternately continuously / clocked. If work steps are to be applied to a continuously promoted cluster current, the corresponding workstations must enable continuous processing. This can be done by means of work equipment that is carried along (or rotatively).

The funding is also designed to support n-order clusters. FIG. 5 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment for the promotion of a 4th order cluster current. The print products cluster 2 each contain four print products. By means of a feeder 5, which is shown only schematically in this figure, the printed products are fed and, if necessary, isolated. It must be noted that the investor 5 has been shown in a greatly reduced form for the sake of clarity. The printed products are fed to the latter via a conveying means, not shown here, for example a clamp conveyor, or as a shingled stream. Such a feeder 5 and the type of separation can be designed in a conventional manner. The individualized print products are now fed in the direction of arrow A to a removal point by means of a feed 1, for example by means of a clamp conveyor. In this exemplary embodiment, the clusters 2, which are put together in the removal station 19, are transported with a plurality of chain strands 36 and transported to the workstations. The chain strands are indicated here by dash-dotted lines.

A common drive shaft 39 is driven by a first motor 37. The circulating chain strands 36 are guided over deflection wheels of the drive shaft and a second shaft 40. These chain strands 36 are preferably driven with a cycle T '. Conveying cams 41 are arranged on the chain strands 36 at regular intervals (only two of these conveying cams 41 are designated in the figure). As can be seen from the drawing, eight such chain strands 36 are provided here to promote a cluster with four printed products each. Each individual printed product is transported in the direction of arrows B by two feed cams 41. Since the chain strands 36 are driven together, the printed products are always transported synchronously in this exemplary embodiment. The printed products are preferably on conveyor plates, which can be designed in a conventional manner. The conveying cams 41 ensure the parallel alignment of the printed products in the transport direction. For a first work station 6, the mutual lateral alignment of the printed products is shown schematically. By means of a lifting cylinder 42, vertical guide plates 43 are moved back and forth transversely to the transport direction in the direction of arrow C. As a result, the individual printed products of a cluster are pushed against guide rails or plates 44 and thus correctly positioned laterally. At the same time, counter cams 45 are provided at the individual work stations for positioning the clusters in the transport direction. The timed promotion and processing of the clusters enables the individual Print products of a cluster are only fine-tuned at the individual workstations. At a transfer point, the clusters are taken over, for example, by a gripper chain 50, driven by a second motor 38, with a plurality of grippers 51 and transported further in the direction of arrow D.

In order to implement a conveyor device for higher-order clusters, the number of chain strands 36 can be increased, for example. If only 4th order clusters are processed in normal operation, the chain strands which are then not used can be used in the sense of passive redundancy in the event of faults. A simple changeover of the active funding to the passive one allows the failure of certain work equipment to be "avoided".

The funding for the clusters can also be designed uniformly, for example by providing a common conveyor belt, possibly provided with grippers, by means of which the printed products of the clusters are transported. This means that the material and funding required to transport the clusters can be reduced to a large extent. It is obvious that the promotion and processing of the clusters can take place in a much smaller space than with a conventional division of product streams into follow-up lanes.

The spatial arrangement of the printed products within the cluster and the clusters among one another can vary widely within the scope of the inventive idea. Figures 6a to 6c show some arrangement examples of cluster funding. In these figures, the printed products are each arranged in 4th order clusters parallel to one another. Of course, parallel alignment is not necessary to the invention, but these arrangements are preferred Application examples. In the arrangement according to FIG. 6a, the printed products are arranged one above the other and are conveyed essentially horizontally. FIG. 6b shows a 4th order cluster with printed products arranged in parallel and next to one another. Such an arrangement is, for example, well suited for transport using a clamp transporter. The direction of conveyance is preferably selected in the direction of arrows F. In this mutual arrangement of the printed products, they are easily accessible for subsequent work steps and the regular, parallel alignment allows easy conversion into conventional funding and back. In order to make the printed products more accessible for certain workstations, the conveying direction F or the arrangement of the printed products within the clusters can be varied on a cluster processing line. E.g. an arrangement according to FIG. 6b can be achieved by a spatial 90 ° rotation of clusters according to FIG. 6a.

It should also be noted that the format of the individual print products can vary in the course of processing. Folding the starting products supplied as a tabloid means that smaller-sized two-folds are contained in the clusters. However, this format change has no influence on the functional organization of the print products in the cluster.

The arrangement of FIG. 6c, in which the printed products are organized parallel to one another in a plane in a line Ebene deserves special attention. In particular, the direction of conveyance in the direction of arrow F 'could be regarded as a serial conveyance based solely on the drawing. However, since the printed products shown are functionally combined in a cluster, the quasi-parallel funding character remains in spite of funding on one line. On the other hand, there is a possibility of printing products to be processed in series in such a cluster in individual work stations by funding in a line. Changing the conveying direction of such clusters between the directions F and F 'can therefore bring substantial advantages if certain work processes that are applied to the printed products require special accessibility because of the construction of the corresponding processing devices. Since the conveying means can be designed very differently depending on the transport direction (for example parallel chain strands for the conveying direction F or a single gripper chain for the conveying direction F '), the conveying directions have an important meaning.

In the method according to the invention, each individual printed product is processed quasi-parallel in a cluster, but each starting product "on its own", nota bene in each case functionally dependent, together with the other printed products of the cluster . Despite the functional togetherness of the printed products within a cluster, in the sense of a "family togetherness", it is possible to temporarily remove the printed products from their generally constant mutual arrangement. In the context of the inventive idea, it is essential that the information about the togetherness of the printed products of a cluster or a family is retained. The arrangements shown in FIGS. 6a-6c, for example, can therefore temporarily be completely spatially resolved without "destroying" a cluster. It is only necessary that the cluster can be regenerated again by a control or monitoring device.

Regeneration is also possible by replacing individual printed products with identical replacement printed products. A cluster in which, for example, a printed product had to be eliminated as defective in one work step, can be identified by an identical one Printed product to be replaced. It is also possible to mutate a cluster stream by systematically supplementing or exchanging one or more printed products within the cluster. Such a mutation may be desirable, for example, if a regional part is to be added to only part of the total production in the course of newspaper production. Regeneration or a temporary disintegration of the clusters is possible in connection with an automated computer control system, as it can monitor the location and organization, etc. of the cluster and / or the individual print products as required.

It is a major advantage that the invention also offers flexible options for organization within the clusters. In an important application, the clusters each contain identical print products. In addition, it is possible to arrange the various sub-products (components) of an end product in a cluster, to process them and, for example, to put them together to reduce them to the end product. By mixing a cluster with a lower-order cluster, individual supplements or partial products can be added to parts of a large edition, for example.

However, flexibility is also guaranteed with regard to the work processes applied to the clusters. For example, a first work step is applied to a part of the cluster's printed products in a work station, which is different from the work step applied to the remaining printed products of the cluster. Accordingly, differently processed printed products are available within the clusters immediately after this workstation.

It is of course also possible to form several cluster streams from a uniform, serially promoted product stream.

FIG. 7 shows the formation of three parallel cluster streams 7 ′, 7 ″, 7 ″ ″ at three removal stations 19 ′, 19 ″, 19 ″ ″. The individual printed products are removed, for example, with a product clamp according to the Swiss patent specification No. 670619 from a product stream 17 conveyed by means of a cycle conveyor. In doing so, every third copy is taken from the stream of shed conveyed from the left at each tapping point. In the drawing, the "certain" printed products for the different cluster streams are indicated by different hatching.

The cluster flows 7 ', 7'',7''' can be brought together again at any time to form a uniform scale flow. The clusters are physically broken down, but the functional association of the print products of a cluster can be saved . Even with such a (temporary) merging into a shingled stream, the information about the cluster membership of the individual print products can be retained and the original clusters can be regenerated from the print products belonging to a family at a later time.

Claims (18)

1. Method for the manufacture, conveying and further processing of printed products in the form of tabloids, two or multi-folds, in which within a system controlled by a system clock (T) with a plurality of conveying processes for serially or parallel conveyed printed product sequences of starting or intermediate printed products, said starting or intermediate printed products are ordered with respect to the working steps in the printed product clusters (clusters), the term cluster being understood to mean a group of at least two individual printed products, which at least over a partial process are subject to identical working stages or working stages with a reciprocal relationship, in that the timed cluster derived from the system (T) with the associated cluster clock (T₁, T₂, etc.) are formed in parallel or serial conveying processes and where with respect to the serial or parallel printed product sequences with the system clock (T) from which they are removed by means of conveying processes the clusters remain returnable by correspondingly associated cluster clocks into said printed product sequences with the system clock and thus the clusters as a cluster flow are passed with a cluster clock adapted to the following working stage through the corresponding working stages, the clusters in intermediate working stages and with corresponding adaptation of the cluster clock by cluster or conveying process changes are supplied in ordered manner as starting or intermediate products to the next working stage and at the end and accompanied by the adaptation of the cluster clock to a final conveying process, are discharged as end products, i.e. as tabloids, two or multi-folds, from the said working stage.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cluster clock (T₁, T₂) is at a maximum n times the system clock (T), n being the number of printed products in the cluster, i.e. indicates the cluster order.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the printed products in a printed product cluster are juxtaposed or superimposed with parallel lateral faces.
4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the printed products in a printed product cluster are arranged parallel to one another in one plane on a line.
5. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cluster flow is mixed or coupled with at least one further cluster flow or a serial printed product flow.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that cluster flows of different or the same order are mixed or coupled together.
7. Method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that cluster flows of identical or different printed products are mixed or coupled.
8. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cluster flow is reduced to a lower order cluster flow.
9. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cluster flow is subdivided into at least two lower order cluster flows.
10. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the printed products of a cluster are subject to different working steps, so that a cluster with different printed products is obtained.
11. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that all the printed products of a cluster are simultaneously processed.
12. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least one printed product of each cluster is processed in time-displaced manner in a working station as compared with the other printed products of the same cluster.
13. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that systematically or as a replacement for damaged printed products at least one printed product of the cluster or specific cluster is replaced by a printed product from another supply means.
14. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that during the conveying of the cluster flow the conveying direction and/or reciprocal arrangement of the printed products of each cluster are varied.
15. Arrangement for performing the method according to one of the claims 1 to 14, in which immediately following a rotary press, a store or following a first serial conveying section (3) at least one first cluster processing section (33', 33'') is provided, which has conveying means (36-45; 50-51) for conveying printed products clusters and at least one processing station (6A-6D) for processing the printed product clusters.
16. Arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in that the cluster processing section (33', 33'') has conveying means (36-45; 50, 51) for conveying the printed product clusters driven by means of a drive.
17. Arrangement according to one of the claims 15 or 16, characterized in that a first cluster processing section (33', 33'') and at least one linear product flow (3') or a second cluster processing section jointly lead into a conversion station (62) used for mixing or coupling the clusters or printed products.
18. Arrangement according to one of the claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the processing station (6A-6H) have a number of processing devices corresponding to the order of the cluster flow to be processed.

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