EP0410400B1 - Device for feeding material to folding and damping devices of rotary printing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for feeding material for folding and damping devices of rotary printing machines having a supply and conveyor device (5) for liquid or pasty compositions which is connected via a pipeline system (4) to at least one spreading nozzle (3). A metering valve (8) is arranged in the pipeline (4) upstream of the spreading nozzles (3). The metering valve (8) is adjustable, a flowmeter (16) having a control circuit (15) being connected to it downstream. An interface (43) to the rotary printing machine can be installed via the control circuit (15). The metering valve (8) has a sliding valve with a slotted sleeve in which a metering mandrel having one tapered end and a control edge is guided in a lengthwise adjustable manner. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for supplying material to folding and dampening systems on rotary printing presses with the features in the preamble of the main claim.

Folding gluing and dampening systems are loaded with different materials, for example adhesives or the so-called softening, a solution with relaxed water for moistening the paper web for a clean and damage-free fold formation. The materials should emerge from the application nozzle in a stream which is as thin as possible and at the same time constant. The fluid flow must be adapted to the paper web speed of the rotary printing press. The problem here is that the web speeds of modern rotary printing presses are very high, for example 13 to 15 meters per second, while at the same time only relatively low supply pressures are available or desirable in the material supply system for the folder gluing and dampening system.

Previously known material supply systems have difficulties in enabling an even application. This is also due to the fact that the variation of the flow rates was previously only possible by regulating the delivery pressure and changing the nozzle. The possibilities of pressure control fail when several application nozzles are supplied centrally, but are at different distances and / or are arranged with different installation heights. In order to ensure an even supply, the pressure on the application nozzle must be set with the most unfavorable conditions become, which leads to an excess of other application nozzles. Intervention on the application nozzle itself, for example by replacing the nozzle tube, is complex and cannot solve the existing problems satisfactorily.

US-A-2 747 865 shows a seam gluing system in connection with a printing or binding machine. From a pressure vessel, a low-viscosity adhesive is fed via lines to two application nozzles. Three shut-off taps are arranged in the feed lines, one of which is designed as a main tap and the other two as line taps assigned to the application nozzles.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to show a possibility for better material supply, which allows a safe control even of small flow rates at low pressures and in particular different paper web speeds.

The invention solves this problem with the features of the main claim.
The arrangement of a metering valve in the line of the material supply system in front of the application nozzle allows a selective flow rate setting without negative effects on the supply pressure. The volume flow emerges evenly and without pulsation at the application nozzle. It can be quickly and easily set to the desired value and adapted to different paper web speeds. The disturbance variables such as different line losses, temperature and pressure fluctuations, changes in viscosity and friction losses can be largely eliminated or compensated for.

A dosing valve in the material supply system not only has advantages if the supply pressures are to be low for plant-specific reasons. On the other hand, the metering valve also enables a significant increase in the supply pressure, since the application pressure at the application nozzle nevertheless remains desirably low due to the pressure drop in the metering valve. A pressure increase in the material supply system up to the metering valve has the advantage that the line diameter can be reduced while on the other hand, it is also possible to transport materials over even greater distances. Viscous liquids can also be pumped. Overall, the influence of the disturbance variables present in the material supply system is also reduced with increasing supply pressure. The folder gluing and dampening system equipped with such a material supply system can work more effectively and economically.

Depending on the type and size of the material supply system, a single metering valve to which several application nozzles are connected can suffice. However, it is cheaper to connect a separate metering valve to each application nozzle. The metering valves can be adjusted by hand, and operation can also be carried out manually or mechanically via an electric motor or other control device. In this case, it is advisable to place the metering valve as close as possible to the associated application nozzle so that the operator can check the order and adjust the metering valve accordingly.

In the optimal embodiment, the metering valve is set automatically. For this purpose, it is connected to a downstream flow meter and a control circuit. In this arrangement, not only disturbances are corrected. An interface to the rotary printing press can also be switched via a preferably microprocessor-controlled computer integrated in the control loop, so that its settings, in particular the paper web speed, can be transferred to the material supply system. The computer can be designed as a separate component or can be integrated in the control of the fold gluing and dampening system.

The material supply system according to the invention is particularly suitable for fold gluing and dampening systems and the supply with liquid and pasty masses, such as glue, softening, dishwashing detergent and cleaning agents, etc., but can also be used in other areas of application.

The device for material supply according to the invention can work with conventional metering valves. However, these cannot be set as precisely as desired for small flow rates and also have certain leakage losses, which can act as a clear error with small flow rates.

To optimize this, a metering valve is therefore proposed which is distinguished by a particularly high resolution and fine adjustability. The metering valve according to the invention is also particularly suitable for low supply pressures of up to approximately 3 bar. It can also be used with advantage for adhesives, softening and other liquid or pasty masses in folder gluing and dampening systems or the like.

The metering valve according to the invention has a slotted sleeve and a metering mandrel, which enable a particularly exact setting of the flow rate with minimal leakage losses. This also minimizes the sources of error in the material supply system.

By mutually adapting the jacket openings of the slotted sleeve and the tapered end of the metering mandrel, which is preferably designed as a calibration cone, different characteristics for the flow rate can be achieved. The jacket openings can be designed as a circular, triangular, oval or slit-shaped opening, depending on the desired characteristic and the material to be conveyed. The angle of inclination of the calibration cone can be changed. To enable a wide range of adjustments, the slotted sleeve is detachably arranged and can be replaced.

The metering valve according to the invention has at least one slide valve for setting and in connection with the control circuit also for regulating the flow rate. For a safe shut-off of the volume flow for intermittent application or when the system is at a standstill, it is advisable to install a seat valve. Several slide valves can also have a common and externally arranged seat valve. To achieve a compact unit, however, it is advisable to connect the seat and slide valve and to accommodate them in a common housing. The seat valve is advantageously pneumatically controlled via the compressed air supply, which is usually present anyway. A membrane, preferably a membrane package, is used for the safe separation of the conveyed materials and the compressed air.

Further advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Fig. 1 und 2:

Schemapläne eines Materialversorgungssystems,

Fig. 3

einen Längsschnitt durch ein Dosierventil mit Sitz- und Schiebeventil und

Fig. 4

einen schematischen Ausschnitt von einer Falzklebe- und Befeuchtungsanlage.

The invention is shown schematically, for example, in the drawings. Show in detail

1 and 2:

Schematic plans of a material supply system,

Fig. 3

a longitudinal section through a metering valve with seat and slide valve and

Fig. 4

a schematic section of a folder gluing and dampening system.

1 and 2 show a material supply system (1) of a folder gluing and dampening system (2). The latter is installed in a high-speed rotary printing press (not shown) in which one or more paper webs run at a speed of 13 to 15 meters per second or more.

Fig. 4 illustrates a part of the system in a functional diagram. On the paper webs (41) on the application nozzles (3) in the example shown on the one hand glue and on the other hand softening for fold moistening in an application strip (42) is applied. Then the paper webs (41) are brought together and, depending on the type of end product to be manufactured, folded, glued, cut or further processed.

The application nozzles (3) are part of the material supply system (1) and the folder gluing and dampening system (2). 1 and 2, they are fed from a supply and conveying device (5) via lines (4). The supply and conveying device (5) here consists in detail of a pressure tank (6) and a compressed air supply (7). Alternatively, supply from large containers via controllable pumps, intermediate containers etc. is also possible. In the exemplary embodiment shown, softening is supplied, which is conveyed by means of a pressure of up to 3 bar via the line (4) through a filter (11) and a branching point to two application nozzles (3). A check valve (12) is connected upstream of the filter (11).

In front of each application nozzle (3), a metering valve (8) is arranged in the line (4), with which the flow rate can be adjusted by means of an actuator (21). As described in more detail below for Fig. 3, the metering valve (8) consists of a slide valve (9) on which the flow rate is set by means of the actuator (21) leaves. In the embodiment shown, the metering valve (8) also includes a seat valve (10) to shut off the volume flow. The seat valve (10) is accordingly arranged in front of the slide valve (9) and is pneumatically controlled from the pressure supply (7) via a control valve (13) and a control line (14). The check valve (12) is also controlled pneumatically so that the central line can be closed when changing the pressure tank (6). The control valve (13) is actuated electromagnetically.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3, the actuator (21) is designed as a manually operated rotary handle. Alternatively, the actuator (21) can also be designed as a linear slide valve or in some other way. If the material supply system (1) is in operation, the operator monitors the volume flow emerging at the application nozzle (3) and adjusts the metering valve (8) or the slide valve (9) according to the desired specifications.

Fig. 2 shows a way to automate and control the adjustment process. Between the upper metering valve (8) and its application nozzle (3) a flow meter (16) is arranged, which measures the volume flow. The flow meter (16) is part of a control circuit (15) and reports the measured actual values via a signal line (17) to a computer (18), where they are compared with a target value. Depending on the comparison result, an actuating signal is sent to a servomotor (20) on a further signal line (17) via an amplifier (19), which actuates the actuating member (21) accordingly. The servomotor (20) is preferably designed as an electrical stepper motor, but can also be designed in a different way. The computer (18) has a microprocessor and is integrated in the control of the folder gluing and dampening system (2). He also has an interface (43) to the rotary printing press, at which operating data of the rotary printing press, in particular the speed of the paper webs (41), can be queried. The computer (18) has an internal electronic memory in which the setpoints for the volume flow to the application nozzles (3) associated with the different web speeds are defined. The setpoints can also be calculated using a program in operation.

An intermediate solution between FIGS. 1 and 2 provides the arrangement of a servomotor (20) without the control circuit (15). This enables remote adjustment of the metering valves (8) to be carried out by the operator, which can then be located correspondingly far from the application nozzles (3). In this embodiment, the flow meter (16) with a corresponding display for the operator can also be present.

Fig. 3 shows the metering valve (8) in longitudinal section. The seat and slide valve (10,9) are housed in a common valve housing (31), which is closed on both sides by valve covers (32,33). Alternatively, the seat valve (10) and the slide valve (9) can also be accommodated in separate housings and can also be spaced apart from one another over larger distances.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the volume flow enters the seat valve (10) at the inlet (22) and, when the blocking ball (24) is open, passes via a downward flow channel (28) into the slide valve (9), at the outlet (23) of which it exits again. The seat valve (10) consists of a membrane (26) which can be pressurized with compressed air via a compressed air connection (27), to the front of which a longitudinally guided pressure pin (25) is attached. To open the valve, the pressure pin (25) presses on the locking ball (24) and lifts it against the restoring force of the compression spring from the valve seat. The membrane (26) consisting of several layers closes off the compressed air chamber against the volume flow.

The slide valve (9) has a slotted sleeve (29) in which the metering mandrel (36) is guided longitudinally with its cylindrical shaft under tight contact. The slit sleeve (29) has two diametrically opposite jacket openings (30) and is mounted transversely to the flow channel (28) in the valve housing (31). In this way, the jacket openings (30) open into the flow channel (28) and allow the volume flow to reach the metering mandrel (36).

The dosing mandrel (36) has at its rear end an adjusting screw (34) which is in engagement with a counter thread in the valve housing (31). Then a stop (35) and the actuator (21) designed here as a rotary handle are arranged. The metering mandrel (36) can be moved forwards and backwards by rotating the actuator (21), its stroke movements being limited by the stop (35) coming into contact with the housing walls.

The shaft of the dosing mandrel (36) merges on the other side after a control edge (38) into a calibration cone (37). A spring (39) presses against the front mandrel end, which is supported in a bore in the housing cover (32) and also dips into the slotted sleeve (29).

In the position shown, the shaft of the dosing mandrel (36) is located in the passage area between the two jacket openings (30) and blocks the flow. If the dosing mandrel (36) is turned back, the control edge (38) and the subsequent calibration cone (37) clear the flow opening. The opening width increases the further the metering mandrel (36) is turned back.

The flow rate depends essentially on the shape and size of the jacket openings (30), the shape of the calibration cone (37) and the stroke position of the dosing mandrel (36). In addition, the delivery pressure of the injected volume flow is also included. The jacket openings (30) can be triangular, circular, oval, slot-shaped or in some other way. Instead of the conical shape, the tapering end of the dosing mandrel (36) can also have a different shape, for example a sloping and at the same time spherical contour. The further design of the jacket openings (30) and the tapered end (37) depends on the viscosity of the material to be conveyed, the desired characteristic, the pressure range and other factors. In the embodiment shown with a circular jacket opening (30) and a calibration cone (37), with a mandrel stroke of approx. 6 mm, flow rates of 0 to 120 g per minute can be set, the supply pressures not exceeding 3 bar.

The slotted sleeve (29) is pressed into the valve housing (31) and is held in its position by the housing cover (32). After removing the cover, it can be ejected with a suitable tool and exchanged for another slotted sleeve (29). The dosing mandrel (36) can also be removed and replaced.

The material supply system (1) and the metering valve (8) shown are intended and designed for softening. With appropriate adaptation to the other material, both can also be used for glue application or other liquid or pasty masses in a seam gluing and dampening system (2). A folder gluing and dampening system (2) can have several separate material supply systems (1) or a combined system for the application of different masses.

PARTS LIST

• 1 material supply system
• 2 fold gluing and dampening system
• 3 application nozzle
• 4 line
• 5 Storage and conveyor system
• 6 pressure tank
• 7 pressure supply
• 8 dosing valve
• 9 slide valve
• 10 seat valve
• 11 filters
• 12 shut-off valve
• 13 control valve
• 14 control line
• 15 control loop
• 16 flow meter
• 17 signal line
• 18 computers
• 19 amplifiers
• 20 servomotor
• 21 actuator
• 22 inlet
• 23 outlet
• 24 locking ball
• 25 push pin
• 26 membrane
• 27 Compressed air connection
• 28 flow channel
• 29 slotted sleeve
• 30 jacket opening, slot
• 31 valve housing
• 32 housing cover
• 33 housing cover
• 34 set screw
• 35 stop
• 36 dosing mandrel
• 37 tapered end, calibration cone
• 38 control edge
• 39 spring, compression spring
• 40 seal
• 41 paper web
• 42 application strips
• 43 interface

Claims (14)

1. Device for feeding material to folding/glueing and dampening devices (2) of rotary printing machines with a storage and conveying arrangement (5) for materials in fluid or paste form which is connected by a pipe system (4) to at least one applicator nozzle (3), a dosaging valve (8) being arranged in the pipe (4) before the applicator nozzle (3), characterised in that the dosaging valve is controllable, a flow meter (16) with a control circuit (15) being arranged between the dosaging valve (8) and the applicator nozzle (3).
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that a dosaging valve (8) is arranged before each applicator nozzle (3).
3. Device according to Claim 2, characterised in that a computer (18) is integrated into the control circuit (15) and has an interface (43) with the rotary printing machine for the input of machine parameters.
4. Device according to Claim 1 or one of the following claims, characterised in that the dosaging valve (8) is controlled mechanically, electrically and/or pneumatically.
5. Device according to Claim 1 or one of the following claims, characterised in that the dosaging valve (8) has a slide valve (9) with a slotted housing (29) in which a dosaging plug (36) with a tapered end (37) and a leading edge (38) is longitudinally movable.
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterised in that the slotted housing (29) is arranged at right angles (28) to the flow channel, and has two openings (30) which lie opposite one another.
7. Device according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the slotted housing (29) is fixed releasably in the valve housing (31).
8. Device according to Claim 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that the tapered end (37) of the dosaging plug (36) is constructed as a calibration cone.
9. Device according to Claim 6 and 8, characterised in that at least the opening (30) on the inlet side and the calibration cone (37) are co-ordinated with one another to form different flow characteristics.
10. Device according to Claim 5 or one of the following claims, characterised in that the dosaging plug (36) has an adjusting screw (34) and an adjusting element (21) at one end, while a spring (39) engages on the other end.
11. Device according to Claim 5 or one of the following claims, characterised in that the slotted housing (29) has inside it a seal (40) for the stem of the dosaging plug (36).
12. Device according to Claim 5 or one of the following claims, characterised in that a controlled seat valve (10) which shuts off the flow is arranged before the slide valve (9).
13. Device according to Claim 12, characterised in that the seat valve (10) and the slide valve (9) are arranged in a common housing (31).
14. Device according to Claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the seat valve (10) has a pneumatically controlled diaphragm (26) with a pressure pin (25) which acts on a spring-loaded shut-off ball (24).

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