EP0550828B1 - Method and device for handling printed products - Google Patents

Abstract

The processing drum (12) which is rotatable about the shaft (14) has advancing means (72) for intermittent advance of the printed products (10) deposited straddled on the supports (24). These advancing means (72) execute a working stroke in the upper region of the circular path around the shaft (14) and in the lower region a return stroke. The processing drum (12) is embraced from below by a pulling element (46) on which holding members (44) are arranged at the spacing (A) of the supports (24) in order to prevent the printed products (10) falling down as they pass through the lower part of the circular path and at the same time to support the elongated processing drum (12). <IMAGE>

Description

2. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing printed products, according to the preamble of claims 1 and 2 respectively.

A method and a device of this type is known from EP-A-0 341 425 and the corresponding US-A-5,052,667. A device for collecting printed products has a processing drum driven in rotation about its axis, with radial wall elements, on which saddle-shaped supports running parallel to the axis are arranged in the radially outer end regions. Controllable clamping arrangements are provided in each receiving part delimited by two adjacent wall elements, which are displaceable in the direction of the axis. In successive feed sections of the processing drum, printed products straddled onto the supports or printed products already placed thereon are deposited. The two printed product parts engaging on both sides of the support, each engaging in a receiving part, are held clamped by the relevant clamping arrangements during the passage through the lower part of the orbit and fed to the next section in the axial direction. The clamping arrangements thus simultaneously prevent the printed products from falling off the processing drum. In the upper area of the orbit, in which the printed products rest on the supports due to their own weight, the clamping arrangements are loosened and are pushed back to their original position by a return stroke. In this known embodiment, the entire lower part of the orbit is used for the axial transport of the printed products by one step at a time, and the printed products are not conveyed in the upper region of the circulating spell. The product parts of the printed products placed on adjacent editions engaging in a receiving part are each held together by a clamping arrangement.

Starting from this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to further develop the known method in such a way that the device used to carry out the method is as simple, variable and flexible in use as possible, and the processing drum can be constructed with a small diameter.

This object is achieved by a method which has the features of claim 1. An extremely simple structure for implementing this method is defined in claim 2.

Since the means of transport push the printed products according to the invention, they can be constructed very simply since they do not have to exert any clamping or holding action. The printed products are prevented from falling from the processing drum by holding means which are not arranged on the processing drum itself, but are separated from it. The processing drum thus has a minimum of moving parts, is extremely simple and compact in construction and has a high level of reliability. The fact that the printed products as they pass through the lower part of the orbit around the Axis at least in that section in which they are directed with their fold or the supports essentially against the bottom with respect to the supports, ie in the axial direction and only move in the direction of rotation with the supports, is in favor of the simple construction of the processing drum to make full use of the time available during one revolution for the transport or processing of the printed products. However, this is compensated by the high reliability, the low maintenance and adjustment effort and the small space requirement. Because at least part of the feed of the printed products takes place in the upper part of the orbit, areas of the orbit can be used for the transport of the printed products, which are hardly used for processing the printed products due to the space requirement of the processing station and the necessary free accessibility even with known devices To be available. At the same time, the present invention offers the possibility that the printed products stand still in the axial direction where the printed products are stacked on top of one another. This simplifies the synchronization between the feed stations for the printed products and the processing drum and allows the printed products to be stacked one on top of the other.

In a particularly preferred embodiment according to claim 3, the flexibility and the inherent weight of the printed products or their parts are used. In this form of training, the sliding cams or driver webs are sliding-active in that area of the orbit in which the product part engaging in the receiving part in question rests on the wall element due to its weight and the sliding cams or driver webs carry out a return stroke in that region of the orbit in which the product part in question sags due to its weight and flexibility and is removed from the wall element. The sliding cams or driver webs do not have to be withdrawn from the area of the receiving parts for the return stroke, which enables a particularly simple construction of the feed means.

Particularly preferred and simple forms of training of the device according to the invention are specified in claims 4 and 5.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention not only allows the collection of printed products, but also the collection, whereby printed products as a whole are introduced into the receiving parts and come next to one another or next to product parts of the printed products placed on the supports. In that area of the orbit where the printed products are pushed in the axial direction, all printed products lie against the wall or the floor and form part of the carriage and are therefore forcibly carried. When the carriage is returned with the feed means, the printed products are not taken along, since they either rest against the fixed wall of the adjacent wall element or against a corresponding product part and, due to their properties, are safely removed from the effective area of the carriage.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is specified in claim 7. The printed products are essentially only fed during a quarter of a revolution, so that a considerable time is available during which the printed products do not move with respect to their requirements and are not in contact with the holding means.

In one embodiment of the device according to the invention, the processing drum can be built with a particularly small diameter, since no space in the processing drum is required for the drive device.

A particularly simple adaptation and adjustment of the device to different-format printing products is guaranteed in a form of embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Since, according to the present invention, the printed products are not held in a clamped manner and thus printed products deposited on adjacent editions are not held together by a clamp arrangement, it is possible, if desired, to hold the feed means assigned to an edition in the course of one or more revolutions so that they do not convey or convey do not perform a return stroke. This is stated in claim 10 and makes it possible, for example, to compensate for non-fed printed products by moving the printed products deposited on a support past the same feed station at least twice, ie making two rotations in the same drum section.

In a further preferred embodiment according to claim 11, the printed products are not or only slightly pressed in the area of their fold between the support and the holding means, which prevents any damage. The holding elements also support the printed products in the area adjoining the fold, which prevents spreading beyond a desired extent.

In a particularly simple manner, the desired distance between the supports and support elements can be maintained in an embodiment according to claim 12. In this case, if the tension members connected to the support elements are essentially inelastic, as specified in claim 13, the processing drum is supported, which allows the simple construction of processing drums which are long in the axial direction.

A design form of the device according to the invention, which requires extremely little space and avoids long complicated feed conveyors, is specified in claims 15 and 16, respectively.

Further preferred forms of training are specified in the remaining dependent claims.

Fig. 1

perspektivisch und teilweise stark vereinfacht die erfindungsgemässe Einrichtung;

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht in Richtung des Pfeiles II der Fig. 1 der Verarbeitungstrommel der Einrichtung mit einem Zuförderer;

Fig. 3

stark vereinfacht die Verarbeitungstrommel mit schematisch angedeutetem Bewegungsverlauf der Vorschubmittel zum Vorschieben der Druckereiprodukte im Zuge einer Umdrehung der Verarbeitungstrommel;

Fig. 4

vergrössert einen Teil der Verarbeitungstrommel;

Fig. 5

in perspektivischer Darstellung ein Wandelement der Verarbeitungstrommel mit einer sattelförmigen Auflage;

Fig. 6

vereinfacht einen Teil der Verarbeitungstrommel im Bereich wo die Halteelemente sich von den Auflagen trennen und der Vorschub der Druckereiprodukte beginnt;

Fig. 7 und 8

den Einlauf- bzw. Ablaufbereich der Halteelemente;

Fig. 9

teilweise geschnitten und vergrössert, einen in der Fig. 2 mit dem Pfeil IX bezeichneten Teil der Verarbeitungstrommel;

Fig.10

eine Ansicht in Richtung des Pfeiles X der Fig. 9; und

Fig.11

in Draufsicht und vereinfacht eine weitere Ausbildungsform der erfindungsgemässen Einrichtung.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

perspective and partially greatly simplified the inventive device;

Fig. 2

a view in the direction of arrow II of Figure 1 of the processing drum of the device with a feed conveyor.

Fig. 3

greatly simplifies the processing drum with a schematically indicated course of movement of the feed means for feeding the printed products in the course of one revolution of the processing drum;

Fig. 4

enlarges part of the processing drum;

Fig. 5

in perspective a wall element of the processing drum with a saddle-shaped pad;

Fig. 6

simplifies part of the processing drum in the area where the holding elements separate from the supports and the feeding of the printed products begins;

7 and 8

the inlet and outlet area of the holding elements;

Fig. 9

partially cut and enlarged, a part of the processing drum designated by the arrow IX in FIG. 2;

Fig. 10

a view in the direction of arrow X of FIG. 9; and

Fig. 11

in top view and simplifies another form of training the device according to the invention.

The device for processing printed products 10 shown in FIG. 1 has an elongated processing drum 12 which is rotatably supported about its horizontal axis 14 and is driven in the direction of rotation D by means of a drive motor 16. A plurality of wall elements 22 are fastened to the drum shaft 20, which is rotatably mounted on a machine frame 18 shown in simplified form, which are arranged approximately in axial planes, extend over the entire processing-active length of the processing drum 12 and, viewed in the circumferential direction, are evenly distributed. As will be described in more detail below, the wall elements 22 have saddle-shaped supports 24 in their radial end regions, which run parallel to the axis 14. Two adjacent wall elements 22 each delimit a pocket-shaped receiving part 26, in which projecting means (not visible in FIG. 1) protrude around the printed products 10 'straddled on the supports 24 or printed products 10' introduced into the receiving parts 26 step by step along the supports 24 or To advance wall elements 22 in the feed direction V. In the course of one revolution of the processing drum 12, the feed means control a drive device 28, in each case one working stroke in the feed direction V and thereby take the printed products 10, 10 'with them by one step, and a return stroke counter to the feed direction V without the printed products 10, 10 'to influence.

Along the processing drum 12, twelve feed stations 30 are arranged side by side and in the feed direction As seen, a feed station 32 is connected downstream of these feed stations 30. The feed stations 30 described in more detail below are designed to feed folded printed products 10 to the processing drum 12 in a known manner and to place them astride their supports 24 or printed products 10 already deposited thereon. With the device shown in FIG. 1, printed products 10 are thus collected. The removal station 32 is provided to take the printed products 10, 10 ′ processed into a finished product from the processing drum 12 and to convey them away.

The processing drum 12 has drum sections 34 of the same width directly following one another in the axial direction, this width being slightly smaller than a working stroke of the feed means, but corresponding to a step by which the printed products 10, 10 'are respectively advanced. The drive device 28 is provided in the region of a first drum section viewed in the feed direction V and designated 34.1. A first feed station 30 is assigned to the adjacent drum section 34.2 following in the feed direction V, also called the feed section. In the exemplary embodiment shown, in the next drum section 34.3 there is no processing of the printed products 10 fed in the second drum section 34.2, whereas, on the other hand, the next drum section 34.4, again a feed section, is assigned a second feed station 30, by means of which further printed products 10 astride the ones already on the pads 24 stored printed products 10 are stored. Between this second feed station 30 and that in the feed direction As seen from the next feed station 30, there are two further drum sections 34, designated 34.5 and 34.6, in which likewise no processing of the printed products 10 takes place. The drum sections 34, 34.3, 34.5, 34.6 located between the feed sections 34, 34.2, 34.4 are each indicated by two dash-dotted lines which indicate the position of the printed products 10 in these drum sections 34, 34.3, 34.5, 34.6. In a corresponding sequence, the drum sections 34 following the drum section 34.6 are again assigned to further feed stations 30, wherein it should be noted that between each two feed sections 34 there is at least one drum section 34 to which no feed station 30 is assigned. These last-mentioned drum sections 34 can be assigned different processing stations, as shown in FIG. 1 with the aid of a device 36 for introducing printed products 10 '(inserts), a schematically indicated device 38 for adhering inserts to the corresponding printed products 10 and a likewise schematically indicated Stapling device 40 for stapling the collected printed products 10 is shown. Such processing stations can of course also be assigned to drum sections 34.3, 34.5 and 34.6.

With the exception of the first drum section 34.1, to which the drive device 28 is assigned, and the last drum section 34.7, also referred to as the removal section, seen in the feed direction V, which is assigned to the removal station 32, each drum section 34 has holding means 42 which approximate the processing drum 12 from below in the area of the lower half, to on the one hand to prevent the printed products 10, 10 'from falling off the supports 24 or falling out of the receiving parts 26 when they pass through the lower half of the orbit around the axis 14 together with the supports 24 and receiving parts 26, and on the other hand to support the processing drum 12 . For the sake of clarity, only the holding means 42 in the area of a single drum section 34 are indicated in FIG. 1.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the holding means 42 have holding members 44, which are arranged at a distance A, which corresponds to the distance between the supports 24, on an endless traction element 46. The traction element 46 engages with its upper active strand 46 'the processing drum 12 from below to approximately the level of the axis 14. On both sides of the processing drum 12 and above the axis 14, the traction element 46 is guided around deflection rollers 48, 48', which are not on Booms shown on the machine frame 18 and rotatable about the axis 14 parallel-axis rotary shafts 50 are rotatably mounted. Below the active strand 46 ', two deflecting rollers 52, 52' are also freely rotatably mounted on the machine frame 18, around which the rear strand 46 '' of the pulling element 46 is guided. Of course, the holding means 42 can also grip the processing drum 12 from below by a smaller angle; but at least to the extent that the printed products 10, 10 'are prevented from falling off the processing drum 12.

Each holding member 44 has at least one U- or V-shaped support element 54, which comes into engagement in the effective area of the holding means 42 with the respective support 24, in order to on the one hand the pulling element 46 and thus the To drive holding members 44 rotating synchronously with the processing drum 12 and on the other hand to support the processing drum 12. For this purpose, the tension member 46 is essentially inelastic; chains, toothed belts and the like are particularly suitable for this. Each holding member 44 also has a holding element 56 which surrounds the relevant support 24 at a distance and extends in the longitudinal direction of the processing drum 12 in each case approximately over a drum section 34.

Fig. 2 shows above the processing drum 12, a conveyor 58 of a feed station 30, which in a known manner has individually controllable grippers 60, one behind the other on a chain 64 indicated by dash-dotted lines and guided in a cross-sectionally C-shaped rail 62 are arranged. The chain 64 of the conveyor 58 is driven revolving in the conveying direction F and its conveying speed corresponds approximately to the revolving speed of the supports 24 of the processing drum 12, and the mutual spacing of the grippers 60 also corresponds approximately to the distance A between the supports 24, as seen in the conveying direction F. The processing drum 12 is preceded by a generally known opening device 66 in order to open the printed products transported by the conveyor 58 with the open side edge 68 ′ leading in front of the fold 68 of the printed products 10, so that in each case a support 24 is placed between the printed product parts 70 lifted apart from one another by the opening device 66 , 70 'can retract. The printed product parts 70, 70 'are immersed in the receiving parts 26 on the two sides of the corresponding wall element 22. By opening the gripper 60 then the corresponding printed product 10 falls astride the saddle-shaped support 24. The feed station 30 thus conveys a print product 10 to each support 24, which can of course be multi-leaf.

The feed means 72 have slide cams 75, which are assigned to each wall element 22 and are designed as driver webs 74 and are highlighted in FIG. 3 by hatching. These driver webs 74 protrude beyond the wall elements 22, viewed in the direction of rotation D, into the receiving part 26 which respectively precedes and delimits the wall element 22. In this figure, the holding means 42 are only indicated by the holding elements 56. The drive device 28 controls the driver webs 74, each associated with a wall element 22, in such a way that they carry out a working stroke by rotating the processing drum 12 by approximately 90 °, starting approximately when the holding means 42 expire from the processing drum, the length of the arrows 76 indicating the stroke symbolize in the feed direction V as a function of the rotational position of the processing drum 12. The working stroke therefore takes place approximately in that quadrant which begins in the direction of rotation D approximately at the height of the axis 14 and ends approximately vertically above the axis 14. In the following quadrant, the driver webs 74 maintain their position, and starting approximately at the height of the axis 14 until approximately vertically below the axis 14, the driver webs 74 are driven to carry out a return stroke to the original position, as symbolized by the arrows 76 '; these symbolically show the return stroke as a function of the rotational position of the wall element 22 in question.

3 to the right of a vertical plane through the axis 14 of the orbit of the supports 24, the respective printed product part 70, which leads with respect to a support 24, bears against the front wall 78 of the wall element 22 in question, whereby the safe take of the printed products 10 is ensured by the driver webs 74. On the other hand, these printed product parts 70 sag in the area to the left of the vertical plane mentioned, owing to their inherent flexibility, so that the carrier webs 74 can carry out the return stroke without influencing the printed products 10. The printed products 10 thus maintain their position with respect to the supports 24 from the end of the working stroke to the beginning of the next working stroke for approximately three quarters of a revolution of the processing drum 12. The effect of the printed product part 70 resting on the front wall 78 of the relevant wall element 22 and the sagging of this printed product part 70 is further enhanced in the areas lying to the right and left of the vertical plane by the axis 14 in that the wall elements 22 with respect to axial planes running through them Direction of rotation 10 seen, are slightly inclined forward.

The structure of the processing drum 12 will now be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The wall elements 22 have profile-like support elements 80 with a foot part 82 which is L-shaped in cross section and a guide part 84 which is approximately C-shaped in cross section. The foot part 82 is penetrated by fastening elements 86, preferably screws, in order to fasten the supporting element 80 to the drum shaft 20. Seen in the radial direction, outside the The guide part 84 has the corresponding support 24, approximately triangular in cross section, attached to each support element 80. The guide part 84 is open to the front, as seen in the direction of rotation D, and its flanks 88, 88 'facing one another are encompassed by U-shaped plastic profiles 90, on which wheels 92 with a concave tread of a carriage 94 are guided. These wheels 92 are freely rotatably mounted on a plate 96, which forms the front wall 78 of the wall element 22 and is attached and protrudes therefrom. The end region of the plate 96 facing the drum shaft 20 is bent in a groove-like manner in order to limit the receiving part 26 as the base element 100. The free end of this base element 100 engages under the support element 80 of the next wall element 22, as seen in the direction of rotation D, in the region of the transition from the foot part 82 into the guide part 84. The outer end region of the plate 96, seen in the radial direction, is bent over by a corresponding recess 102 in to reach under the edition 24. The carrier webs 74 are fixedly arranged on the sheet metal 96 at a distance of one stroke on the side facing away from the support element 80, so that they engage in the receiving part 26 arranged upstream of a wall element 22. A carriage 94 extends over the entire processing-active length of the processing drum 12, although it is of course conceivable that this carriage consists of several connected carriage parts.

At the end of the carriage 94 facing the drive device 28, an angle lever 104 is fastened to the sheet 96, which, viewed in the radial direction, projects beyond the relevant support 24 and has a freely rotatably mounted part 104 'on its outer part 104, which extends approximately in the tangential direction Control roller 106 carries. This control roller 106 is guided in a link arrangement 108 which is guided around the drum section 34.1 in order to move the carriages 94 and thus the feed means 92 as a function of the rotational position of the wall element 102 in question, as indicated in FIG. 3. Such a drive device 28 allows the processing drum 12 to have a small diameter.

As indicated by the double arrow B, the angle lever 104 can be arranged on the carriage 94 so as to be displaceable in the radial direction in order to withdraw the control roller 106, out of engagement with the link arrangement 108, into a rest position 106 'indicated by dash-dotted lines. The controlled bringing into and out of engagement of the control roller 106 enables the individual release of the feed means 72 associated with a support 24 from the drive device 28, for example for one revolution, and the subsequent reconnection. When the control roller 106 is in the rest position 106 ', there is no movement of the feed means 72 associated with the support 24 in question in the direction of the axis 14 and thus no axial conveyance of the corresponding printed products 10, 10'. If, for example, no printed product 10, 10 'is incorrectly placed on a support 24 in a feed section 32.2, 34.4, this can be detected and the control roller 106 can be disengaged from the drive device 28. The missing printed product 10, 10 'can then be added the next time it is used and the connection between the feed means 72 in question and the drive device 28 can be reactivated.

Instead of controlling the angle lever 104, the drive device 28 can also have a switch arrangement in order, if desired, to let the control roller 106 in question move into a secondary branch of the link control which runs approximately in the circumferential direction.

From FIG. 5 it can also be seen how the printed products 10 astride the supports 24 are pushed forward on their trailing edge 10 ″ seen in the feed direction V by driver webs 74 during a working stroke. The return stroke of the feed means 72 is indicated by the dashed arrow. As indicated by the double arrow C, the drive device 28 can be moved in the direction of the axis 14 and fixed at the desired location with respect to the machine frame 18. This also changes the axial position of the carriage 94 with the driver webs 74, as is indicated by dash-dotted lines. This provides a simple adjustment of the device to other printed products 10, 10 'to be processed in the fold length.

6 shows part of the processing drum 12 in the area where the holding means 42 run from the supports 24. Each edition 24 is surrounded by a printed product 10, the respective preceding printed product part 70 abutting against the carriage 94 forming the front wall 78 of the relevant wall element 22, and the printed product part 70 'following this edition 24 is spread apart from the wall element 22 due to its flexibility and on which Printed product part 70 of the printed product 10 located on the trailing edition 24 abuts. 3 begins the working stroke of the feed means 72 as soon as the holding means 42 expire from the supports 24. This happens approximately at the level of the axis 14, which is indicated in FIG. 6 by the dash-dotted line 14 '. Since the feed means 72 assigned to a wall element 22 each start the working stroke in terms of time before the feed means 72 assigned to the next wall element 22, in that area of the orbit of the supports 24 in which a work stroke is carried out, the printed products 10 located on successive supports 24 are offset in a step-like manner in the feed direction V.

9 and 10 show the preferred embodiment of a holding member 44. The holding element 56, which is approximately V-shaped in cross section, extends along the support 24 and projects above both the printed product 10 to be prevented from falling off. A support element 54 is fastened at each of its two ends, which on its side facing the support 24 has an approximately U-shaped or V-shaped recess 110, which is approximately the same shape with respect to the shape of the support 24. In the present case, the traction element 46 has two endless chains 112, which run parallel to one another at a distance from one another by the length of a holding member 44 and from which pins 114 project, each of which engages in a support element 54 (see FIGS. 7, 8). The holding members 44 are pivotable about these pins 114.

The support elements 54 encompassing the supports 24 ensure a predetermined distance between the holding elements 56 and the supports 24 in order to prevent damage to the printed products 10. Support the holding elements 56 the printed products 10 in the area adjoining the fold 68, so that they cannot spread out to such an extent that they can protrude from the receiving part 26 in the lower area of the orbit, see FIG. 9 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 also non-folded printed products 10 'introduced as inserts into the receiving parts 26 are securely held in the receiving parts 26, since these printed products 10' are in each case in contact with the bottom element 100 when passing through the upper part of the movement path and when passing through the lower region of the orbit within the relevant holding element 56 come to rest. In order to hold the printed products 10 in contact with the supports 24, the holding elements 56 can be mounted prestressed in the direction against the supports 24 or have an elastic covering, for example made of foam rubber, on their side facing the supports 24.

In order to limit the pivoting angle of the holding members 44 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the chains 112, stop pins 116 are arranged on the chains 112, which cooperate with corresponding stop surfaces 118, 118 'on the support elements 54.

FIG. 7 shows the entry of the holding means 42 onto the processing drum 12 and FIG. 8 shows the exit of these holding means 42 from the processing drum 12 step by step, with the holding members 44 and wall elements 22 with supports 24 in the work cycle and dash-dotted holding members 44 and supports 24 in solid lines are indicated in the middle between work cycles. When the support elements 54 run onto the relevant support 24, the stop pins 116 hold in cooperation with the stop surface 118 the holding members 44 in a position so that the recesses 110 and the supports 24 are aligned with one another. In the course of the further rotation of the processing drum 12 in the direction of arrow D and the corresponding co-movement of the holding means 42, the holding members 44 are inclined slightly backwards, due to the orientation of the wall elements 22 slightly inclined forwards in relation to the relevant axial plane, as is shown in FIG. 7 of the lowest holding member 44 is indicated. The position of this holding member 44 is determined by the support 24. Likewise, when the support elements 54 run away from the relevant support 24, the stop pin 116 holds the support elements 54 in the position aligned with the support 24, the stop pin 116 interacting with the stop surface 118 'of the support element 54 (FIG. 8).

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the grippers 60 of each conveyor 58 run in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis 14 of the processing drum 12. Unwinding stations 120 are upstream of these conveyors 58, as described, for example, in EP-A-0 281 790 or the corresponding US-A-4,898,336 and EP-A-0 298 267 or the corresponding US-A-4,995,563. A bearing arrangement 124 for a winding 126 is arranged on a vertical stand 122. The winding 126 consists of printed products 10 wound together with a winding belt 128 under tension in a scale formation on a winding core. An endless belt 130 lies undershot on the winding 126 and feeds the unwound printed products 10 to a belt conveyor 132. The unwinding stations 120 are part of one Double unwinding station, since two unwinding stations are provided side by side with a common stand 120 next to each other. Two unwinding stations 120 are connected in series, which are used alternately in order to ensure uninterrupted operation when one unwinding station 120 has to be equipped with a new reel 126. The respective belt conveyors 132 convey the unwound printed products to a transfer device 134, as is known from EP-A-0 368 009 or the corresponding US-A-5,042,792. There, the printed products 10 are conveyed with the fold ahead against a stop and bent out towards the top, so that in each case one gripper 60 can grip a printed product 10 in the region of its fold 68. The chains 64 on which the grippers 60 are arranged and deflection wheels for the chains 64 of the conveyors 58 are indicated by dash-dotted lines.

It should be noted that the two bearing arrangements 124 arranged on a single stand 122 are aligned with respect to the processing drum 12 in such a way that the relevant printed products 10 are conveyed in one plane, and two drum sections 34 are fed in each, between which a further drum section 34 lies. Two successive double unwinding stations seen in the longitudinal direction of the processing drum 12 are each spaced apart by the length of two drum sections 34, which in turn allows the printed products to be fed in on one plane and also enables the bearing arrangements 124 to be loaded with coils 126.

The removal station 32 also has a generally known gripper conveyor 140. This detects the finished printed products lying on the supports 24 in the area of their folds 68 and conveys them away. To enable gripping, the supports 24 have cutouts 142 in the region of the drum section 34.7.

At 144, conveyor devices designed as belt conveyors are referred to, which pass underneath the processing drum 12 in order to be able to feed printed products 10 to the transfer device 134 independently of the unwinding stations 120 shown. The device denoted by 36 can have a generally known feeder 146, which in each case draws off the bottom product 10 'from a stack in a known manner, which is fed to the processing drum 12 via a belt conveyor 148 and shot into the receiving part 26.

The operation of the device shown in FIG. 1 is as follows. The conveyor 58 of the first feed station 30, seen in the feed direction V, feeds a printed product 10 in the feed section 34.2 of each support 24, so that it comes astride the support 24, as shown in FIG. 2. When the processing drum 12 is rotated in the direction of rotation D, the stored printed products 10 maintain their position with respect to the supports 24 until the feed means 72 each carry out a working stroke. This takes place in the rear upper quadrant of the processing drum 12, which is not visible in FIG. 1. The printed products 10 arrive in the drum section 34.3, where no processing takes place. In the course of the next revolution, the printed products 10 are removed from this drum section 34.3 fed to the feed section 34.4, where a further printed product 10 is now placed astride each printed product 10 by the corresponding conveyor 58. These two printed products 10 placed one on top of the other are then gradually pushed in the course of three further revolutions of the processing drum 12 to the feed section assigned to the next feed station 30, where another printed product 10 is again placed astride it. In this way, the printed products 10 are gradually fed to a subsequent drum section 34 in the course of each revolution, where further processing of the printed products 10 may or may not take place. When the finished printed products 10 reach the feed section 34.7 at the end of the processing drum 12, the finished products are taken over by the gripper conveyor 140 and carried away.

If necessary, inserts 10 ′ are added to the printed products 10 on the right side by means of the device 36 and / or inserts are attached to the printed products 10 on the right side by means of devices 38. Furthermore, the collected printed products 10 can be stapled together by means of the stapling device 40. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that the printed products 10 are each prevented from falling down by holding means 42 when they pass through the lower part of the movement path.

FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment of the device according to the invention similar to FIG. 1. The main difference is that the movement path 136 of the grippers of the conveyors 58 is no longer exclusive run in one plane, but are bent in an S-shape in the central region, in order to enable a single further drum section 34 to always be present between successive drum sections 34 (feed section) assigned to a feed station 30. In this figure, the drum sections of the processing drum 12 are only indicated with arrows provided with corresponding reference numerals 34.

The processing drum 12 is freely rotatably mounted on the machine frame 18 and continuously driven by means of the drive motor 16 shown schematically. The drive device 28 for the feed means, not shown in this figure, is also only indicated symbolically, as is the removal station 32.

Each feed station 30 has two unwinding stations 120 connected in series, and as described above in connection with FIG. 1, the unwound printed products 10 are fed to the transfer device 134 via belt conveyors 132. From this, the printed products 10 are taken over individually by the grippers 60 of the conveyor 58 and fed to the relevant feed section 34. The unwinding stations 120 of each two adjacent feed stations 30 are arranged back to back, so that between a pair of unwinding stations 120 that are adjacent to each other, a passage remains free in order to load the unwinding stations 120 on both sides of this aisle with reels 126. This different distance between the unwinding stations 120 is compensated for by the movement path 136 of the grippers, which is S-shaped in the plan view. For the rest is the mode of operation of the device shown in this FIG. 11 is the same as the device shown in FIG. 1 and described above.

Of course, it is also conceivable to assign not only drum section 34.7, but also another drum section 34 to an exit station. In this case, different finished products can be produced with the same processing device.

Instead of the gripper conveyor 140 of the removal station 32, it is also possible to provide a belt conveyor on which the finished products fall from the supports 24 due to their own weight. If printed products which either contain loose inserts or which have assembled printed products are to be removed by means of a gripper conveyor, it is also conceivable that the gripper conveyor detects the finished printed products 10 below the processing drum 12. It is fundamentally possible for the removal station to take over the collected printed products 10 at any point in the circumferential direction.

It is of course also conceivable to support the holding members 44 assigned to the adjacent drum sections 34 on a chain 64. Furthermore, the traction elements 46 or chains 64 can be guided in rails in order to hold the support elements 54 in contact with the supports 24 and to support the processing drum 12. In this case, the tension members 46 can be elastic.

A holding element can also have two or more Extend drum sections 34 and each have a support element at its ends.

Since the present invention makes it possible to make the processing drum 12 very long and with a small diameter, it is also advantageous to drive it on both ends. It is also conceivable to drive the pulling elements 46 so that they drive the processing drum 12 via the engagement of the support elements 54 and supports 24.

The processing drum can also be positioned between the holding means 42, e.g. be supported by separate chains and support elements.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the holding means 42 encompass the processing drum 12 not only in the lowest section of the lower part of the orbit, in which the supports 24 and folds 68 of the printed products 10 are directed downwards, but on both sides over this section out further up. This allows the processing drum 12 to be rotated at a higher speed, it being entirely conceivable that the start of the conveying stroke still begins as long as the printed products 10 and supports 24 are encompassed by the relevant holding element 56. It should be noted here that the printed products 10 do not collide with support elements 54. In any case, however, in the mentioned section of the orbit, in which the printed products 10 are prevented from falling off the processing drum 12 by the holding means 42 alone and not by friction with the wall elements 22 and supports 24, no conveyance takes place.

Claims (18)

1. Process for processing printing products, in which folded printing products (10) are deposited in at least one feed section (34, 34.2, 34.4) of a processing drum (12) driven rotationally about an approximately horizontal axis (14), in a straddling manner on the saddle-shaped rests (24) of said drum, which rests are distributed regularly in the circumferential direction and run approximately parallel to the axis (14), and are then transported during the course of revolutions of the processing drum (12) step by step in direction of the axis (14) along the rests (24) to a removal section (34.7) of the processing drum (12) and, when passing through a section of the lower part of the circulating path about the axis (14), in which section the fold (68) of the printing products (10) is directed essentially downward, are prevented from falling off the processing drum (12), characterized in that the printing products (10) are advanced in the upper part of the circulating path by at least one part of a step in each case by pushing against their trailing edge, seen in transporting direction (V), and the printing products (10) at a standstill in the direction of the axis (14) in said section of the lower part of the circulating path are exclusively prevented from falling off by endless holding means (42) which are arranged underneath the processing drum (12) and run along with the rests (24).
2. Apparatus for carrying out the process according to Claim 1, having a processing drum (12) driven rotationally about an approximately horizontal axis (14) and having saddle-shaped rests (24) which are distributed regularly in the circumferential direction, run approximately parallel to the axis (14) and are arranged on approximately radial wall elements (22), having at least one feed section (34, 34.2, 34.4), in which folded printing products (10) can be deposited in a straddling manner on the rests (24), having a removal section (34.7), which is offset with respect to said feed section in the direction of the axis (14) and in which the processed printing products (10, 10') can be carried away from the processing drum (12), and having transport means for the step-by-step transport of the printing products (10, 10') from the feed section (34, 34.2, 34.4) to the removal section (34.7), the transport means performing a working stroke (76) during the course of a revolution of the processing drum (12) in the direction (V) from the feed section (34, 34.2, 34.4) toward the removal section (34.7) and a return stroke (76') in the opposite direction, and the printing products (10, 10') being prevented from falling off the processing drum (12) in a section of the lower part of the circulating path of the rests (24), in which section the rests (24) are directed essentially downward, characterized in that the transport means are formed by advancing means (72) which act on the printing products (10, 10') exclusively in a pushing manner and, seen in the direction (V) of the working stroke (76), on the trailing edges (10'') of said products, perform at least a part of the working stroke (76) in each case in an upper region of the circulating path and are advancing-inactive in the said section of the circulating path, and in that underneath the processing drum (12) there are arranged endless holding means (42) which, at least in the said section of the circulating path, reach around the processing drum (12) and run along synchronously with the rests (24).
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the advancing means (72) have sliding cams (75) which are assigned to each wall element (22), project beyond the latter in a receiving part (26) bounded by said wall element and a neighbouring wall element (22), are spaced apart in the axial direction by a working stroke (76) and are preferably designed as driving fillets (74).
4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the wall elements (22) have profile-like guide members (84) running in the direction of the axis (14), on which members the advancing means (72) are guided in the manner of a carriage or slide.
5. Apparatus according to Claim 3 and 4, characterized in that the advancing means (72) have carriages (94) which are mounted on the guide members (84), preferably form in each case the front wall (78) of the wall element (22) concerned and on which the sliding cams (75) or driving fillets (74) are arranged.
6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, characterized in that the carriages (94) have a bottom element (100) which is preferably designed in the manner of a channel and inwardly bounds the receiving part (26) concerned in the radial direction.
7. Apparatus according to one of Claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the advancing means (72) assigned to a wall element (22) reach into the receiving part (26) bounded, seen in the direction of rotation (D) of the processing drum (12), in each case by the latter and the neighbouring preceding wall element (22), and perform a working stroke (76) within a region of the circulating path of the rest (24) concerned, following the section of the lower part of the circulating path and ending approximately vertically above the axis (14), and perform a return stroke (76') within a further region of the circulating path following said first region and ending approximately vertically below the axis (14).
8. Apparatus according to one of Claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the advancing means (72) are driven by means of a drive mechanism (28) which has a stationary slotted-link arrangement (108) which is preferably arranged outside the processing drum (12) and in which a following member (106) of the advancing means (72) respectively assigned to a wall element (22) is guided.
9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that the position of the drive mechanism (28) can be set with respect to the processing drum (12) in the direction of the axis (14).
10. Apparatus according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the connection between the advancing means (72) assigned to a rest (24) and the drive mechanism (28) is releasable in a controlled manner, or the slotted-link arrangement (108) has a secondary branch into which the following members (106) can be made to enter individually, in order to hold the advancing means (72) concerned firmly in the direction of the axis (14) during a revolution of the processing drum (12).
11. Apparatus according to one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the holding means (42) have holding elements (56) which are preferably cross-sectionally V-shaped, extend at least approximately over the length of a drum section (34), reach around the rests (24) at a distance and are fastened on endless drawing members (46) led around deflection wheels (48, 48', 52, 52') mounted rotatably parallel to the axis (14).
12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, characterized in that a supporting element (54) shaped approximately diametrically opposed to the rests (24) and connected to the drawing members (46) concerned is arranged at both ends on each holding element (56), and the supporting elements (54) engage with the rests (24) outside the printing products (10, 10').
13. Apparatus according to Claim 12, characterized in that the drawing members (46) are essentially inflexible, in order to support the processing drum (12) by means of the supporting elements (54).
14. Apparatus according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the supporting elements (54) are strictly pivotable with respect to the drawing members (46).
15. Apparatus according to one of Claims 2 to 14, characterized in that the processing drum (12) has a plurality of feed sections (34, 34.2, 34.4) and between successive feed sections (34, 34.2, 34.4) there is provided at least one further drum section (34, 34.3).
16. Apparatus according to Claim 15, characterized in that the feed sections (34, 34.2, 34.4) are assigned feed stations (30) which have conveyors (58) which are provided with grippers (60) and circulate in planes running approximately parallel to one another and transverse to the axis (14), and in that the supply conveyors (58) preferably have rectilinearly ahead of them unwinding stations (120) for unwinding the printing products (10) wound up together with a winding band (128) to form a roll (126).
17. Apparatus according to Claim 15 or 16, characterized in that drum sections (34) between in each case two feed sections (34) or the feed sections (34, 34.2, 34.4) and the removal section (34.7) are further assigned processing stations, preferably supplement feeding devices (36), supplement adhesively-attaching devices (38) or stitching devices (40).
18. Apparatus according to one of Claims 2 to 17, characterized in that the removal section (34.7) is assigned a removal station (32) with a removal conveyor (140), which takes over the printing products (10, 10') at any desired point, seen in the circumferential direction of the processing drum (12).

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