EP0709218A1 - Process and device for marking printed products - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is for newspapers, periodicals, etc. (24). These are held by individual clamps (14) in an overlapping pattern and transported through a first station (30), where typing is carried out on one outside surface (34) of each. The papers are then transported through a second station (52) where typing takes place on the opposite outside surface (50). Before this, part at least (36, 36') of each outside surface is exposed which had previously been covered by another item. Between the station the items can be turned over to expose the second outside surface. The items can be transported by the clamps in the suspended position travelling upwards through the first station and downwards through the second.

Description

6. The present invention relates to a method and a device for labeling printed products, such as newspapers, magazines, inserts and the like, according to the preamble of claims 1 and 6, respectively.

A method and a device of this type are known from EP-A-0 096 228 and the corresponding US Pat. No. 4,538,161. The device has a writing station with an inkjet pen, over which a conveyor runs in the horizontal direction. This has clamps arranged one behind the other at the same distance on a pulling element, with the clamp jaw pointing towards the rear in the conveying direction. Each clip holds a printed product at an edge running at right angles to the direction of conveyance and, with the trailing edge region opposite this edge, pulls it over and over it on a support of the writing station. The lower outside of each printed product facing the writing station is overlapped in a scale-like manner by the leading printed product, so that only the trailing edge section in which the printed products are labeled by means of the inkjet pen is exposed.

The known method and this known device are ideally suited for labeling the printed products on one outside in the edge section. But you are neither intended nor suitable for being able to label printed products on the other outside.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a generic method and to create a generic device which enables the printing of printed products either on any of the two or both outer sides.

This object is achieved by a method and by a device which has the features of claims 1 and 6, respectively.

According to the invention, there are two writing stations which are each intended to write on one of the two outer sides of printed products. The exposure of a region of the at least one outer side according to the invention allows the printing of printed products at locations which were previously covered due to the scale-like overlap of the printed products. Areas that were previously covered by the conveyor can also be made accessible to the writing station by the exposure.

Preferred developments of the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

eine Fördereinrichtung mit im Abstand angeordneten Klammern, die die Druckereiprodukte schuppenartig überlappend in vertikaler Richtung von unten gegen oben an einer ersten Schreibstation und, nach dem Durchlaufen eines Bogens, umgeschlagen von oben gegen unten an einer zweiten Schreibstation vorbeiführen;

Fig. 2

in perspektivischer Darstellung von der ersten Schreibstation auf einer Aussenseite beschriftete Druckereiprodukte;

Fig. 3

in perspektivischer Darstellung ein von der ersten Schreibstation an einer gegenüber Fig. 2 unterschiedlichen Stelle beschrifteten Druckereiprodukt;

Fig. 4

in perspektivischer Darstellung von der zweiten Schreibstation bezüglich Fig. 2 und 3 auf der anderen Aussenseite beschriftete Druckereiprodukte;

Fig. 5

in perspektivischer Darstellung das in der Fig. 3 gezeigte Druckereiprodukt von der zweiten Schreibstation auch auf der anderen Aussenseite beschriftet;

Fig. 6

die in der Fig. 1 gezeigte Einrichtung, wobei nur jede zweite Klammer der Fördervorrichtung mit einem Druckereiprodukt besetzt ist;

Fig. 7

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 2, mittels der ersten Schreibstation gemäss Fig. 6 beschriftete Druckereiprodukte;

Fig. 8

in gleicher Darstellung wie Fig. 4, mittels der zweiten Schreibstation gemäss Fig. 6 beschriftete Druckereiprodukte;

Fig. 9

gegenüber Fig. 6 vergrössert die zweite Schreibstation und einen Teil der Fördervorrichtung;

Fig. 10

eine radartig ausgebildete Fördervorrichtung mit hintereinander angeordneten Klammern, deren gegenseitiger Abstand veränderbar ist, um die Druckereiprodukte mit verkleinerter Ueberlappung an zwei Schreibstationen vorbeizuführen und dann einer trommelartigen Verarbeitungsstation zu übergeben; und

Fig. 11

vergrössert einen Teil der in der Fig. 10 gezeigten Einrichtung, gesehen in Richtung des Pfeiles XI der Fig. 10.

The invention will now be described with reference to two training forms shown in the drawing. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

a conveying device with spaced clamps, which overlap the printed products in a scale-like manner in the vertical direction from below towards above at a first writing station and, after passing through a sheet, folded up from above towards below at a second writing station;

Fig. 2

printed products labeled in perspective from the first writing station on an outside;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a printed product labeled by the first writing station at a different location compared to FIG. 2;

Fig. 4

2 and 3 printed products labeled on the other outside in perspective representation of the second writing station;

Fig. 5

in perspective view, the printed product shown in Figure 3 from the second writing station also labeled on the other outside;

Fig. 6

the device shown in Figure 1, wherein only every second bracket of the conveyor is occupied with a printed product.

Fig. 7

in the same representation as Fig. 2, by means of 6 printed products labeled first writing station;

Fig. 8

in the same representation as FIG. 4, printed products labeled by means of the second writing station according to FIG. 6;

Fig. 9

6, the second writing station and part of the conveying device are enlarged;

Fig. 10

a wheel-shaped conveying device with brackets arranged one behind the other, the mutual distance of which can be changed in order to guide the printed products with reduced overlap past two writing stations and then to transfer them to a drum-like processing station; and

Fig. 11

10 enlarges part of the device shown in FIG. 10, viewed in the direction of arrow XI in FIG. 10.

The device shown in FIG. 1 has a conveying device 10 with controllable clamps 14 arranged at a dash-dot line and continuously driven in the conveying direction F, at the same distance from each other controllable clamps 14. The self-contained traction element 12, for example a chain, is, as is generally known and as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, guided in a channel and deflected in a takeover area 16 for driving around a deflection wheel 18. Conveying devices 10 of this type are described, for example, in EP-A-0 600 183, EP-A-0 557 679, EP-A-0 557 680 and CH-A-644 816, and the corresponding U.S. Patent Nos. 5,395,151, 5,356,128, 5,388,820 and 4,381,056. The guided traction element 12 thus determines a movement path 20 for the clamps 14.

Arranged underneath the deflection wheel 18 is a feed conveyor 22 which is designed as a belt conveyor and is intended to feed products 24, arranged in a scale formation S, in the feed direction Z, in which, seen in the feed direction Z, each printed product 24 rests on the trailing one against a stop 26 to promote. Each clamp 14 encircling the deflection wheel 18 grips and transports the uppermost printed product 24 which bears against the stop 16 and is raised by means of a suction arrangement, as is disclosed in EP-A-0 551 601 and the corresponding US Pat. No. 5,398,920 hanging past a first writing station 30 from below towards above in a vertical section running in the first section 28 of the movement path 20 adjoining the deflection wheel 18. The printed products 24, which are preferably multi-leaf folded newspapers, magazines, parts thereof or inserts, are held by the clamps 14 with an edge 32 running at right angles to the conveying direction F and transported with a scale-like overlap, so that one of the first writing stations 30 facing and pulling member 12 facing away from the outside 34 of each printed product 24, only one edge area 36 is freely accessible, which extends along the edge 38 opposite the edge 32, the trailing edge 38 in the first section 28.

The first writing station 30 has an inkjet pen 40, as disclosed in EP-A-0 096 228 and in the corresponding US Pat. No. 4,538,161, which is intended to print all or certain printed products 24 in the edge region 36 of the to label first outside 34. The label 42, see FIG. 2, is, for example, the address of the recipient, a code for further processing, a message or the like. The inscription 42 is applied in an inscription field 42 ′ which adjoins one side edge 44 of the printed products 24 and which extends only over a portion of the edge region 36. The labeling field 42 'can of course also adjoin the other side edge 44', as shown in FIG. 3, be located in the center of the edge region 36 or extend entirely over it.

Downstream of the first section 28, the conveying device 10 has a likewise second section 46 of the movement path 20, which also runs in the vertical direction and in which the conveying direction F runs from top to bottom. The first section 28 and second section 46 are connected to one another via an arc section 48, which extends approximately in the shape of an upside-down U. Since the printed products 24 are transported in a hanging position by means of the clamps 14, they are turned over as they pass through the arch section 48, so that the first outer side 34 in the second section 46 now faces the pulling element 12 and the other second outer side 50 faces a second writing station 52. This is on the same side as the first with respect to the movement path 20 Writing station 30 arranged and formed substantially the same. As a result of the scale-like overlap of the folded printed products 24, an edge area 36 ', which extends along the now leading edge 38, is now exposed from the second outer side 50, in which the second writing station 52 now attaches or can attach further inscription 54, as is the case with Fig. 4 shows. The corresponding further labeling field 54 'can in turn connect to one of the two side edges 44, 44', extend over the entire edge region 36 'or in the central region thereof. It goes without saying that the label 54 can have different or the same content as the label 42.

FIG. 5 shows the printed product 24 shown in FIG. 3 with the label 54 attached to the second outside 50. This is opposite the label 42. With the device shown in FIG. 1, the printed products 24 can thus optionally be labeled on one or both of the outer sides 34, 50. Of course, it is also possible not to label individual printed products 24 of the scale-like formation, to label some printed products 24 only on one of the outer sides 34, 50 and others on both outer sides 34, 50.

Viewed in the direction of conveyance F, the second section 46 is followed by a transfer section 56, in which the printed products 24 are transferred to a further processing station, for example a drum-like device for collecting, collating or inserting printed products, by opening the clamps 14.

Such further processing devices are known, for example, from EP-A-0 550 828 and EP-A-0 341 425 and the corresponding US Pat. Nos. 5,324,014 and 5,052,667.

The device shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the device shown in FIG. 1 and is therefore no longer described in detail; the same reference numerals designate the same objects. The only difference is that in the takeover area 16, only every second clamp 14 is now equipped with a printed product 24. The consequence of this is that the overlap of the printed products 24, seen in the conveying direction F, is reduced in comparison to FIG. 1 when the printed products 24 are of the same size. In any case, the width of the edge regions 36, 36 ', as seen in the conveying direction F, is enlarged in comparison to FIG. 1; 6, the width of the edge regions 36, 36 ′ corresponds to twice the distance between the clamps 14, with the device according to FIG. 1 only the single distance.

As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 7 and 8, the enlargement of the edge regions 36, 36 'has the consequence that the labeling fields 42', 54 ', at right angles to the edge 38, have a greater extent, and thus the labeling 42, 54 can be attached at locations which are covered by an adjacent printed product 24 in the operating mode of the device according to FIG. 1.

Holding the printed products 24 in a hanging position by means of the clamps 14 and passing through the arc section 48 has the result that all printed products 24 are transferred to the second writing station 52 when they are turned over. The conveying device 10 is thus designed between the first and second writing stations as an arrangement for exposing an area covered by another printed product 24, the edge area 36 ′ of the second outer side 50.

9 shows an enlarged part of the sheet section 48 and the adjoining second section 46 of the conveying device 10, as well as the second writing station 52 arranged next to the second section: 46. The writing heads of the ink jet recorder 40 are on a frame 58 fixed, preferably adjustable in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction F. The adjustability enables labeling in different sections of the edge region 36 '. Guide rails 60 are also arranged on the frame 58, which run past the print heads 10 to the side of the write heads and in the direction toward the conveyor device 10, in order to guide the edge 38 of the printed products 24 leading in the second section 46 and to prevent them from reaching the write station 52 at the Waiting for transportation. It goes without saying that the first writing station 30 does not require such guide rails 60, since the printed products 24 are transported past there with the trailing edge 38.

Printed products 24 guided past the second writing station 52 can be labeled in the exposed edge area 36 'of the second outside 50 facing this writing station 52.

The brackets 14 can be pivoted about an axis 14 ′ running at right angles to the conveying direction F, this enables the transport, even of relatively small printed products 24 in a hanging position. If only large-format printed products 24 are to be processed, it would be conceivable to provide non-pivotable clamps 14, the jaws of which are arranged at least approximately at right angles to the conveying direction F. It can also be seen that areas of the outer sides 34, 50 of the printed products 24 can be exposed for labeling or exposed areas 36, 36 'can be enlarged by controlled pivoting of the clamps 14. It is possible, for example, in the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the clip 14 immediately after the end of the labeling by means of the first writing station 30 of the printed product 24 held by this clip 14, from the position pointing backwards in the direction of conveyance F. , to pivot clockwise into a position approximately at right angles to the conveying direction or forward. As a result, the coverage of the next printing product 24 is reduced. In this case, the brackets 14 are pivoted by means of suitable control means, for example a backdrop; as disclosed in the above documents.

The embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in FIG. 10 has a wheel-shaped conveying device 10, as is shown and described in detail in the older Swiss patent application No. 02 667 / 94-2. The wheel-like conveyor 10 can also be designed as disclosed in EP-A-0 606 550 and the corresponding US Pat. No. 5,425,837. Reference is expressly made to these documents.

Radial arms 64 protrude at a fixed circumferential distance from a carrier wheel 62 which is driven to rotate continuously in the conveying direction F about its axis of rotation 62 '. On each of these cantilevers 64, a support arm 66 designed as an angle lever and a double-armed control lever 68 are pivotably mounted. At the free end of the approximately radial arm arm of each support arm 66, a bracket 70 is pivotally mounted, which is also connected via a coupling 72 to the one lever arm of the control lever 68 in question. On the other lever arm of the support arm 66 and control lever 68, a control roller 74 is freely rotatably mounted, each of which is guided in a closed control groove 76, 76 'running around the carrier wheel 62. The control grooves 76, 76 'are recessed on a stationary control ring 78.

The pivoting position of the support arms 66 with respect to the arms 64 and the control groove 76 'determine the pivoting position of the clamps 70 by means of the control groove 76. The distance to the adjacent brackets 70 can be changed by pivoting a support arm 66.

The clamps 70 are moved with the open mouth 70 ′ directed towards the front in the conveying direction F to a take-over area 80, where they are equipped with a printed product 24, possibly a card or a folded sheet, which is lifted off a supply stack 82.

The control grooves 76, 76 'are designed such that when the printed products 24 are grasped, the speed of the clamps 70 by pivoting the support arms 66 in the counterclockwise direction, ie opposite to the direction of rotation F, is reduced, this is evident from the short distance between the two clamps 70 located in the supply stack 82. In a region following the takeover area 80, the support arms 66 are then pivoted forward again in a clockwise direction, which increases the distance from the trailing bracket 70 and thus reduces the overlap of the corresponding printed products 24 or even eliminates them in the case of small printed products 24.

With regard to the transfer area 80 in the conveying direction F, offset by approximately 270 °, there is a transfer area 84 in which the printed products 24 are transferred to a further processing station 86. The shown further processing station 86 is a drum-like device with saddle-shaped supports 90 arranged around a common horizontal axis of rotation 88 and driven in the direction of rotation U, on which the folded printed products 24 opened by means of an opening device 92 are placed astride. The clamps 70 are rotated counterclockwise by the control groove 76 'and the distance of the clamps 70 is adapted to the spacing of the supports 90 by the control groove 76, so that in each case the mouth 70' of the relevant clamps 70 is aligned with a support 90.

A first writing station 30 is arranged laterally next to the opening device 92, and a second writing station 52 is arranged in a stationary manner with respect to the movement path 20 on the other, radially inner side, cf. also FIG. 11. The writing stations 30, 52 are intended to print products 24 on their radially outer side first To label the outside 34 or the radially inner second outside 50. The labeling takes place either on one of the two outer sides 34 or 50 or simultaneously on both outer sides 34 and 50.

As can be clearly seen from the three brackets 70 shown directly upstream of the writing stations 30, 52, in a section 94 of the approximately circular movement path 20 of the brackets 14 upstream of the writing stations 30, 52, the mutual distance between them is reduced and decreased by pivoting the support arms 66 in the counterclockwise direction so that the scale-like overlap of the corresponding printed products 24 is increased. However, since at the same time the support arm 66 of the printed product 24 moving past the writing stations 30, 52 is pivoted clockwise, the area 96 of the first outer side 34 covered by the subsequent printed product 24 is reduced or canceled, as a result of which the first outer side 34 is inscribed over a large area first writing station 30 is enabled.

The aforementioned simultaneous pivoting of the support arms 66 in opposite directions also exposes an area 96 ′ of the radially inner second outside 50 of the printed products 24, so that this second outside 50 can also be labeled over a large area.

In the example shown, the decelerating and accelerating of the clamps 70 serves both to expose regions 96, 96 ′ of the printed products 24 and to insert the radially outer part of the folded printed products having the first outer side 34 into opening cams 98 of the opening device 92, as is also described in the earlier CH patent application No. 02 667 / 94-2.

As indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 10, the first and second writing stations 30, 52 can also be arranged between the take-over area 80 and the opening device 92 or the transfer area 84, the path of movement 20 of the clamps 70, viewed in the radial direction, between the two opposite writing stations 30,52 passes through.

It is also conceivable to transport the printed products by means of a conveyor device according to FIG. 1 hanging on the pivotable brackets along an approximately straight and horizontal movement path section and to arrange the two writing stations offset below this movement path section and in the conveying direction. The printed products are then moved with their free edge area and resting on support rails over the one writing station and with their free edge area leading and resting on support tapes which are driven at a higher speed with respect to the clamp speed, over the other writing station. This type of transport and support exposes peripheral areas of the printed products.

Claims (12)

Method for labeling printed products, such as newspapers, magazines, supplements and the like, in which the printed products (24), held individually by clamps (14) of a conveying device (10), in the conveying direction (F) with a scale-like overlap on a writing station (30) to and then transported past it and thereby printed products (24) are labeled on one (34) of their two outer sides (34, 50), characterized in that the printed products (24) are guided past a second writing station (52) and thereby printed products (24) are inscribed on the other (50) of the two outer sides (34, 50), and that before the inscription at least one of the outer sides (34, 50) an area (36, 36 ') of this outer side (34, 50) is exposed is, which was previously covered by another printed product (24). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the printed products (24) between the two writing stations (30, 52) spaced apart in the conveying direction (F) to expose an area (36 ') of the second outside to be labeled by means of the second writing station (52) (50) are handled. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the printed products (24) from the brackets (14) held suspended at one (30) of the two writing stations (30, 52) with essentially from below towards the top and at the other writing station (52) with the conveying direction (F) directed essentially from above towards the bottom. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the overlap of the printed products (24) to expose an area of at least one outer side (34, 50) is reduced or eliminated by increasing the distance between successive brackets (70). Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the printed products (24) are printed simultaneously on both outer sides (34, 50) by means of writing stations (30, 52) arranged on opposite sides of the movement path (20) of the clamps (14). Device for labeling printed products, such as newspapers, magazines, supplements and the like, with a writing station (30) intended for labeling a (34) from two outer sides (34, 50) of printed products (24) and a conveyor device (10) along a in closed and successively arranged clamps (14) running past the writing station (30) and running in the direction of conveyance (F), the printed products (24) being held individually by the clamps (14) with a scale-like overlap against the writing station (30) and then promoted past this, characterized by a for Inscription of the other (50) of the two outer sides (34, 50) of printed products (24) is determined by a second writing station (52), past which the movement path (20) passes, and an arrangement for connecting at least one of the writing stations (30, 52) Exposing an area (36 ') covered by another printed product (24) of that outside (50) which is to be labeled in the relevant writing station (52). Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the writing stations (30, 52) are arranged one behind the other with respect to the movement path (20) on the same side and in the conveying direction (F), and in that the conveying device (10) is designed with its clamps (14) to hold the printed products (24) at an edge (32) running transversely to the conveying direction (F), the printed products (24) having the edge (38) opposite this edge (32) in the conveying direction (F) with respect to the relevant one Bracket (14), for labeling one outside (34), trailing one (30) of the writing stations (30, 52) and, for exposing an area (36 ') of the other outside (50), leading the other of the writing stations ( 52) can be supplied. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the clamps (14) are intended to hold the printed products (24) hanging, and that one of the writing stations (30) is arranged at a first section (28) of the path of movement (20) , in which the conveying direction (F) essentially from below against runs above, and the other of the writing stations (52) is arranged at a second section (46) of the movement path (20), in which the conveying direction (F) runs essentially from above to below. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the conveying device (10) has a control device (66,68,72,76,76 ') for changing the distance between successive brackets (14) in order to enlarge an area (96, 96 ') to expose at least one outer side (34, 50). Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the two writing stations (30, 52) are arranged at least approximately opposite one another and the movement path (20) runs between them. Device according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the brackets (14) are pivotable about an axis (14 ') extending transversely, preferably at right angles to the conveying direction (F). Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized by control means for pivoting the brackets (14) to expose an area (36,36 ').

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