EP1009628B1

EP1009628B1 - Perforation device

Info

Publication number: EP1009628B1
Application number: EP96929338A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Risto Pekka Antero Nokelainen
Original assignee: Mail Systems Oy
Current assignee: Mail Systems Oy
Priority date: 1995-09-06
Filing date: 1996-09-05
Publication date: 2003-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-05
Also published as: DE69626703T2; DE69626703D1; ES2195006T3; FI954179A; EP1009628A1; WO1997009171A1; FI954179A0; FI104546B

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to a perforator according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention can for instance be implemented in the perforation of paper sheets printed out from a printer.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Letter sheets often have a section defined with perforation, which the receiver can tear off. The perforated parts are frequently forms such as bank transfer slips or reply forms. Such letters are typically printed out in large series and inserted in mailing envelopes by mechanical means.

Letters of the kind above can be printed out on preperforated paper. In that case, different paper qualities will be required if unperforated sheets are desired. In addition, the perforation will always be in the same place of the sheet, and thus there will be limitations on the layout of the printout. If a perforated paper web is fed from a reel to be printed out, each sheet will have a perforation, whether desired or not.

There are perforators connected to printers, which perforate paper in the direction of movement. These also have the drawback of providing each sheet with a perforation. Patent specification EP A 658406 discloses such a device, which allows the length of the perforation and its position on the sheet to be regulated in advance. Yet this device will also provide each sheet with similar perforation.

GB 2 213 755 A discloses an apparatus for perforating sheet material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION General description

A perforator as defined in claim 1 has now been invented. The remaining claims describe a number of preferred embodiments of the invention.

The essential feature of the invention is that perforation in the direction of movement can be performed-under control, limited to a specific distance, and on selected sheets. Moreover, the perforation may be given the desired length on each sheet.

The device has a perforating tool, which can be controllably set in perforating position or neutral position, in which perforation is not performed. In practical operation, this can be done by making the distance of the perforating tool to the moving paper variable, so that the tool either touches the paper, producing a perforation, or is at a distance from the paper, so that no perforation is produced.

In the preferred embodiment, the device comprises a perforating tool that is movable relative to the paper. The tool can be moved in any suitable manner, pneumatically for instance.

The tool control apparatus is preprogrammed to receive a signal from the printer output data or by reading a code on the paper by means of a reader.

The transverse position of the perforating tool is preferably adjustable. This allows the perforation to be positioned in the desired place in each case.

There may also be several, for instance two perforating tools. This allows a corresponding number of perforations, e.g. two perforations, to be performed simultaneously.

The perforation may be performed after or before printing. The device may be firmly connected to the printer or separate from it

The arrangement in accordance with the invention allows the same paper to be consistently used in the printer, while perforation is nevertheless performed selectively on the desired sheets alone. This yields a particular advantage when perforation is needed only on specific pages of printout letters with many pages.

The device in accordance with the invention enables high printout speeds to be obtained.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings pertain to the special description of the invention. In the drawings

figure 1 is a schematic view of the perforation process,
figure 2 shows a printout unit to which a perforation unit has been connected,
figure 3 illustrates selective perforation of a letter with many pages, and
figure 4 is a front view of the perforation unit.

Special description

In the configuration in figure 1, paper sheets 1 pass through perforation unit 2, where the paper is perforated in the travel direction if needed. The perforation unit includes a perforating disc 3 rotating in the direction of movement of the paper and an opposing roll 4, the paper running between these two. The perforating disc is vertically movable such that it can be brought into contact with the paper, producing perforation, or kept apart from the paper, so that no perforation is produced.

In the first step in figure 1, paper 1 is about to enter perforation unit 2. If the paper is to be perforated, the actuator of the perforation unit is given a signal to lower perforation disc 3 for the time the paper passes in front of the disc (step 2). Thus a perforation 5 in the direction of movement is produced on the paper. When the paper has passed by the disc, the disc will automatically rise to its upper position (step 3). If no perforation is desired, the perforation unit is not given any signal, the paper passing then through the unit with the perforation disc constantly at a distance from the paper.

Figure 2 illustrates a configuration where perforating unit 2 is placed in printout unit 6. In this, paper is taken from reel 7, is cut into sheets 1 and the desired message is printed on the sheets with printer 8. The printout is controlled by means of computer 9 and control unit 10. If perforation is desired on the sheet, a signal 11 is emitted from the control unit to the perforation unit. The perforated sheets are stacked in a pile 12 and transferred to a mailing machine, for instance.

The printout unit in figure 2 can also be used to prepare serial letters comprising several sheets 1. Thanks to the selective perforation, the desired perforation is obtained just on the intended pages. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a process where perforation 5 is performed on the second and fourth page of a four-page letter.

Figure 4 is a front view of a perforation unit 2. It includes two rotatable perforating discs 3 with opposing rolls 4. The pairs of disc/roll can be moved in the transverse direction. Each of the perforating discs is connected with an independently controlled, pneumatically operating shifting apparatus 13, by means of which the disc can be lowered into perforating position, if desired. In normal operation, the disc is in upper position. If the sheet 1 passing underneath is to be perforated, the shifting apparatus is given a pulse, and then the disc is pressed against the sheet over the desired period such that a perforation with the desired length is produced. Such a perforation unit has a capacity of over 30,000 perforated sheets per hour.

The opposing roll 4 of perforation disc 3 is flat, i.e. it has no groove matching the disc. In this manner, there will be no relief on the paper, which could hamper any further handling of the paper.

Claims

A perforator for perforating sheets of paper including means for running the sheets successively through the device and means for perforating a moving sheet in its direction of movement, which perforator has a perforating tool (3) having a perforating position, in which the paper is perforated, and a neutral position, in which the paper is not perforated, and the perforator has a control apparatus, by means of which the perforating tool is optionally set either in perforating position or in neutral position, characterised in that, for perforating any selected sheets of a letter comprising at least two sheets (1), the perforating tool is set by means of the control apparatus such that the desired sheets of the letter alone will be perforated, which control apparatus is preprogrammed to receive a signal from a printer output data or by reading a code on the sheet by means of a reader.
A perforator as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance of the perforating tool (3) from the paper can be set by means of a control apparatus such that, in the perforating position, the tool touches the paper, and in the neutral position, it is kept apart from the paper.
A perforator as claimed in claim 2, which has a perforating tool (3) movable relative to the paper.
A perforator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the position of the perforating tool (3) is variable in the transverse direction.
A perforator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which there are two or more perforating tools (3).
A perforator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which the perforating tool (3) is a rotating disc.
A perforator as claimed in claim 6, in which the perforating tool (3) is connected with an opposing roll (4).
A perforator as claimed in claim 7, in which the opposing roll (4) has a flat surface.
A perforator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 for perforating the sheets (1) after printing the sheets.
A perforator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, in which the peforator is connected with a printer (6).
A method for perforating sheets, which perforation is performed with a device having a perforating tool, which has a perforating position, in which the paper is perforated, and a neutral position, in which the paper is not perforated, and a control apparatus, by means of which the perfozating tool is optionally set either in perforating position or neutral position, in which method the sheets are run successively through the perforating device, where the moving sheet is perforated in its direction of movement, characterised in that, for perforating any selected sheets of a letter comprising at least two sheets, the control unit receives a signal from a printer output data or reads a code on the sheet by means of reader to set the perforating tool into the perforating position when a sheet to be perforated enters the perforating device.
A method according to claim 11, wherein after the perforation, the sheets (1) are transfered to a mailing machine.