EP1049643A1

EP1049643A1 - Machine for processing foil

Info

Publication number: EP1049643A1
Application number: EP97948674A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans Wyssmann; Johannes Georg Schaede
Original assignee: De la Rue Giori SA
Current assignee: KBA Notasys SA
Priority date: 1997-12-24
Filing date: 1997-12-24
Publication date: 2000-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-24
Also published as: CA2316176A1; ATE238958T1; AU4119199A; EP1049643B1; WO1999033735A1; DE59709996D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for processing foil in which foils (2) transported by a chain conveyer (13) are cut by a cross cutter device (21).

Description

Sheet processing machine

The invention relates to a sheet processing machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

DE-AS 10 44 589 describes a cross-cutting device for paper webs. This cross cutting device is followed by a belt system for transporting the sheets cut from the web.

DE 42 38 387 AI discloses a cutting register control device on cross cutters of rotary printing presses. Here, a rotating cutting cylinder is provided which interacts with a fixed counter knife.

The object of the invention is to create a sheet-processing machine which allows individual sheets to be cut quickly and precisely transversely to the transport direction.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are, in particular, that in a sheet-processing machine, cross cutting at the beginning and end of a sheet and / or cutting of the previously formed longitudinal strips of a sheet of value notes into individual notes of value takes place without manual intervention. Using integrated inspection devices, it is possible to check both the print quality itself and the cutting register in the sheet processing machine. In this way, the front and back sides of the sheet, which are printed in face and reverse printing, for example, can be checked simultaneously. The interaction of the cross-cutting devices with a chain conveyor enables simple adjustment of the cutting register, which is advantageously carried out by a position-controlled electric motor driving a cutting cylinder.

A longitudinal cutting device can be assigned to a processing cylinder of the sheet processing machine, so that the sheet is cut "inline" into two or more partial sheets. These sheets can be placed on stacks that can be selected, for example, by means of the inspection device, i.e. sorted stacks with perfect sheets and with reject sheets are formed. This has the advantage that if the partial sheet is defective, the entire sheet is not discarded.

With this sheet processing machine, all sides of a sheet can be trimmed and cut into partial sheets. All cuts and the perfecting can be checked using inspection devices and placed on selectable stacks.

This sheet processing machine can perform a plurality of processing operations "inline", which leads to an increase in production and a reduction in manual work. In addition, the quality of the products created in this way is increased.

In particular, with an embodiment according to claim 11, sheets of banknotes can be reliably processed into individual banknotes in a rational manner.

Appropriate further developments of the invention result from the dependent claims. O 99/33735

The sheet processing machine according to the invention and further embodiments are shown in the drawing and are described in more detail below. Show it

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a sheet processing machine;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the processing steps in the sheet processing machine;

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a stack of a boom of the sheet processing machine;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged, schematic side view of a processing cylinder of the sheet processing machine according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged, schematic top view of the processing cylinder of the sheet processing machine according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment for processing note sheets;

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of a cutting and separating station of the machine according to FIG. 6;

Figure 8 is a schematic representation of the processing steps in the machine of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment.

A sheet processing machine 1 for cross and longitudinal cutting of sheets 2 has integrated inspection devices 3, 4, 6. The sheets 2 are preferably printed sheets of paper, for example securities. This sheet processing machine 1 is constructed, for example, as follows:

A feeder 7 essentially has a first stack 8, a sheet separating device 9 and a O 99/33735

NEN feed table 11. This feeder 7 is followed by a system 12, which is designed, for example, as a vibration system. A first chain conveyor 13 interacts with this vibrating system 12. This chain conveyor 13 has a pair of revolving chains 14, to which chain gripper systems with grippers 16 extending transversely to the transport direction are attached. The chains 14 are deflected by a first sprocket shaft 17 and a second sprocket shaft 18. Between the first 17 and second sprocket shaft 18, the chains 14 run at least partially along a straight line. Viewed in the direction of transport T, the first inspection device 3 is arranged after the first sprocket shaft 17. This inspection device 3 has a suction box 19 whose working surface facing the chain gripper systems is at least partially transparent. Lighting devices (not shown) are arranged under this transparent work surface.

A first cross cutting device 21 is connected downstream of this suction box 19. The cross cutting device 21 has a rotating cutting cylinder 22 and a fixed counter knife 24 fastened to a cross member 23. The cutting cylinder 22 is at least provided with an axially extending pit into which a chain gripper system passing by can be immersed with the grippers 16. A width of the pit in the circumferential direction is larger than a width required by the chain gripper system, so that the chain gripper systems passing by with the grippers 16 and the cutting cylinder 22 can be shifted in phase with one another for adjusting the cutting register. in the In the present example, arms rotating on both sides are provided, between which a cross-piece extending transversely to the transport direction is arranged for receiving a cutting knife 26. The cutting cylinder 22 has a drive that is phase-adjustable with respect to the chain conveyor 13, which in the present example is advantageously designed as a separate, position-controlled electric motor. The counter knife 24 is arranged slightly inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22, ie the counter knife 24 includes an opening angle alpha with the transport direction T which is not equal to 90 °, for example 89 °. This results, for example, in an angle of inclination of the counter knife 24 to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22 of 1 °. In addition, the counter knife 24 is slightly rotated about its longitudinal axis, ie the counter knife 24 has a slight twist. The electric drive of the cutting cylinder 22 follows the chain conveyor 13 with an identical circumferential speed, so that ultimately an exactly right-angled cut of the sheet 2 is produced by the twist and superimposed transport speed.

The axially extending cutting knife 26 of the cutting cylinder 22 is slightly inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22 and has a twist in the longitudinal direction. The cutting knife 26 of the cutting cylinder 22 and the counter knife 24 are adapted to one another.

Instead of the fixed counter knife 24, a rotating counter cylinder is also possible, which has, for example, a counter knife 24 for performing a scissor cut or a counter bar. It is also possible to have cutting knife 26 and counter knife 24 in parallel. run allel to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22 and without twist. The cutting cylinder 22 or counter cylinder can also have a plurality of cutting knives 26.

This cross-cutting device 21 is followed by a second inspection device 4 in the area of the chain conveyor 13. This second inspection device 4 essentially consists of a sensor 27, lighting devices 30 and a suction box 35.

A turning device 28 connects to the chain conveyor 13. In the present example, this turning device 28 essentially consists of a storage drum 29 and a turning drum 31. The storage drum 29 has a "double" circumference for receiving two sheets and is therefore provided with two controllable gripper systems 32 and two suction systems 33 arranged opposite one another fitted. A distance in the circumferential direction between gripper systems 32 and suction systems 33 can be adjusted to a length of the sheets 2 to be transported. The suction systems 33 are movable in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction.

The turning drum 31 has two adjacent, controllable gripper systems 34, 36 which are arranged pivotably about their longitudinal axis.

Turning drum 31 and storage drum 29 are phase-adjustable to one another.

The turning device 28 is followed by a processing cylinder 37 with a cooperating longitudinal cutting device 38. This processing cylinder 37 has at least twice the circumference for receiving at least two sheets and four gripper systems 39, 41, 42, 43 which can be controlled independently of one another. Two these This gripper systems 39, 41 and 42, 43 are each in the axial direction, with respect to a center of the machining cylinder 37, approximately axially symmetrical in a cylinder pit next to one another and can be displaced in the axial direction relative to one another. In the present example, one of the two axially adjacent gripper systems 39 and 42 is fixedly arranged in the axial direction and the second gripper system 41 and 43 can be displaced relative to the first gripper system 39 and 42, for example by means of cam 40 and cam rollers 45. However, both gripper systems 39; 41 and 42; 43 can be moved. A first pair of two gripper systems 39, 41 configured in this way is offset by a second pair of these gripper systems 42, 43 by 180 °.

The longitudinal cutting device 38 assigned to the processing cylinder 37 and having a plurality of cutting wheels 44 is arranged shortly after the turning drum 31 in the sheet transport direction T. In the present example, this longitudinal cutting device 38 has a crossmember 46 which extends transversely to the transport direction and on which three independently actuatable and axially displaceable cutting wheels 44 are arranged.

After the processing cylinder 37, a second chain conveyor 47 with two rotating chains 48 is arranged, which have a plurality of chain gripper systems with grippers 49. These chain gripper systems consist of two chain gripper arrangements lying next to one another in the axial direction, that is to say transversely to the transport direction, which are arranged approximately symmetrically with respect to the center of the machine and can be actuated independently of one another. Instead of the processing cylinder 37 The chain conveyor 47 can also have chain gripper systems that can be moved relative to one another in the axial direction.

More than two gripper systems 39; 41 and 42; 43, i.e. any number, can be moved. In the case of three gripper systems arranged axially next to one another, for example, the gripper system arranged in the middle could be stationary in the axial direction and the two outer gripper systems could be pushed away from the middle one.

The chains 48 are deflected by a first and a second sprocket shaft 51, 52. A center 53 formed by the first sprocket shaft 51 and machining cylinder 37 or connecting line between these parts, closes with an opening 54 formed by the machining cylinder 37 and the cutting wheels 44 an opening angle Beta less than 180 °, for example

After this sprocket shaft 51, a suction box 56 is arranged in the chain conveyor 47 below the chain 48. This suction box 56 is followed by a second cross-cutting device 57, which is constructed identically to the first cross-cutting device 21. This second cross-cutting device 57 is followed by a third inspection device 6 with a sensor 58, lighting devices 59 and a suction box 61.

Then there is a boom 62 in the area of the chain conveyor 47. This boom 62 has six stacks 63, 64, 66-69, two of which are each next to each other in pairs and the resulting three stack pairs 63, 64 and 66, 67 and 68, 69 there are arranged one behind the other. The stacks 63, 64 and 66, 67 of the first two stack pairs arranged side by side each have common lifting devices, so that one stack pair is raised and lowered together. In the third pair of stacks, separate lifting devices are provided for the two stacks 67, 68 lying next to one another, so that the two stacks 67, 68 can be raised and lowered independently of one another.

Gripper systems or chain gripper systems are to be understood as a plurality of grippers which are arranged on a shaft which can be pivoted about a longitudinal axis.

The functioning of the sheet processing machine 1 is as follows:

A sheet 2, in particular a paper sheet printed in face and reverse printing, is fed from the first stack 8 to the feed table 11 by means of the sheet separating device 9. From this feed table 11, the sheet 2 is gripped by the vibrating system 12 and transferred in the area of the first sprocket shaft 17 of the first chain conveyor 13 to the grippers 16 of a chain gripper system. This chain gripper system detects the front end of the sheet and transports the sheet 2 along the straight part of the chain conveyor 13 to the first inspection device 3. By means of the first inspection device 3, the sheet 2 is examined segment by segment for damage, such as cracks and holes. The watermark of sheet 2 is also inspected by transmitted light. The sheet 2 is guided by the suction box 19 of the first inspection device 3, which is acted upon by pressure. The chain gripper system transports the sheet 2 through the cross cutting device 21 to the second inspection device 4. There the sheet 2 is sucked in by the suction box 35 of the second inspection device 4 in the area of the beginning 71 of the sheet 2. The end 72 of the sheet 2 is still in the cross-cutting device 21, in which a narrow strip 73, which extends axially and transversely to the transport direction, is cut from the end 72 thereof. The transport speed of the chain conveyor 13 and the peripheral speed of the cutting knife 26 are matched to one another, so that the end 72 of the sheet 2 is cut at right angles to the transport direction T.

This sheet 2, which has a first cut 74, is now inspected by the second inspection device 4. A front side (face side) of the sheet 2 and a new edge of the sheet 2 (cutting register) resulting from the trimmed end 72 are checked.

The grippers 16 of the chain gripper system then transfer this sheet 2 with its start 71 to a gripper system of the storage drum. This storage drum 29 transports the sheet 2 in the direction of the turning drum 31. If the end 72 of this sheet now reaches the area of the suction systems 33 of the storage drum 29, these suck the trimmed end 72. Thereupon, the suction systems 33 move approximately arrow-shaped away from the center of the storage drum 29 and thus tighten the sheet 2 both in the circumferential direction and in the direction of its lateral edges.

The phase shift between the turning drum 31 and the storage drum 29 is set to the length of the sheets 2 to be processed. The storage drum 29 transports the beginning 71 of the sheet 2 through the gap between the turning drum 31 and the storage drum 29 until the suction systems 33 reach this gap. The trimmed end 72 of the sheet 2 is gripped by the first grippers 34 of the turning drum 31 and released by the suction systems 33 by switching off the negative pressure. The grippers 34, 36 of both gripper systems of the turning drum 31 then pivot towards one another, and the trimmed end 72 is transferred from the grippers 34 of the first gripper system to the grippers 36 of the second gripper system. In their further course, the grippers 34, 36 pivot back into their original position.

The trimmed end 72 is now gripped in advance in the transport direction T by the grippers 36 and the untrimmed beginning 71 is trailing.

From the turning drum 31, the sheet 2 is transferred to a pair of gripper systems 39, 41 or 42, 43 of the processing cylinder 37. On the processing cylinder 37, the sheet 2 is provided with three cuts 76, 77, 78 in the longitudinal direction - ie in the transport direction T. By means of the second and third cuts 76, 77, narrow strips 79, 81 are cut off from both longitudinal sides of the sheet 2.

Gripper division of the gripper systems 39, 41, 42, 43 of the processing cylinder 37 and the width and position of the sheet 2 are matched to one another such that the two cut strips 79, 81 are not gripped by grippers.

The fourth cut 78 separates the sheet 2 in the middle into two partial sheets 82, 83. Again, there is no gripper in the area of the cut 78. O 99/33735

12th

If these three longitudinal cuts 76, 77, 78 are complete, even with the maximum length of the sheet 2, the two partial sheets 82, 83 are moved apart in the axial direction. For this purpose, in the present example, a gripper system 41 or 43 or 39 or 42 executes a stroke in the axial direction by means of a cam roller which interacts with a cam disk. Only after the two partial sheets 82, 83 have been moved away from one another are these two partial sheets 82, 83 transferred in the region of the first sprocket shaft 51 to the grippers 49 of a chain gripper system of the second chain conveyor 47. The gripper system 41 or 43 of the processing cylinder 37 is moved back to its starting position before the next whole sheet 2 is taken over.

The two partial sheets 82, 83 are fed from these grippers 49 to the second cross-cutting device 57. To calm the sheet 2, it is sucked in along the suction box 56 upstream of the cross-cutting device 57 and the end 72 of the partial sheets 82, 83 located in the grippers 49 of the chain gripper system is already guided over the suction box 61 of the third inspection device 6. From the trailing start 71 of sheet 2, i.e. of the two pulled-apart partial sheets 82, 83, a strip 86 is cut off by means of a fifth cut 84 in the axial direction at right angles to the transport direction T. The sheet 2 is now trimmed on all sides and separated into two partial sheets 82, 83.

The back (reverse side) of the sheet 2, ie the backs of the two partial sheets 82, 83, is together with the edges trimmed in the longitudinal direction and the trailing start 71 of the sheet 2, ie the trailing, transversely trimmed ends of the partial sheets 82, 83, checked by the inspection device 6.

From the inspection device 6, the chain conveyor 47 transports the partial sheets 82, 83 which have been trimmed on all sides and checked on the front and back to the six stacks 63, 64, 66-69 of the delivery arm 62. There, the partial sheets 82, 83 can optionally be placed on one of the six stacks 63, 64, 66-69. In this case, the first four stacks 63, 64, 66, 67 preferably take up so-called “good” sheets and the last two stacks 67, 68 arranged next to one another pick up rejects.

FIG. 6 schematically shows the example of a sheet processing machine which is set up to cut sheets of note with a certain number of notes into individual notes and to remove these notes from the main transport path and, in the event that previously identified misprints are present, from the correct notes separate.

In the example considered, each note sheet 2, as shown in FIG. 8a, has eight security impressions WD, which are in the form of a matrix in two columns S1 and S2, ie in two longitudinal rows, based on the direction of transport, and in four rows R1, R2, R3 and R4, ie are arranged in four transverse rows across the transport direction. As indicated in FIG. 6, these sheets of note pass, for example, by means of a chain conveyor 100 from a printing machine (not shown) into the sheet-processing machine of interest here, which O 99/33735

14

according to a transverse cutting device 102, a longitudinal cutting device 106 and a device 111. In this device 111, the longitudinal strips cut in the longitudinal cutting device 106 are drawn at their front ends by the grippers 113 of the chain gripper systems of a chain conveyor 112 along a main transport path 114 and cut into individual notes of value, which are transported away from the main transport path 114 and separated according to misprints and perfect notes to be stacked into bundles.

The cross-cutting device 102 is constructed similarly to the cross-cutting device 21 or 57 in the first exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 and consists of a cutting cylinder 103 which in this case has two diametrically opposed cutting knives 104 which interact with a fixed counter knife 105. The value sheets brought up by the chain conveyor 100 arrive at a sheet transport system which has a first transport cylinder 101a as an input cylinder, a second transport cylinder 101b as an output cylinder and a flat base 101 as a transport path, which lies in the upper tangential plane of these transport cylinders which is common to the two transport cylinders 101a and 101b which the slips of note are slid past the cross cutter 102. In the area of the counter knife 105, the base 101 has a gap into which this counter knife projects. The distance between the two transport cylinders 101a and 101b is smaller than the length of a sheet of note in the transport direction, so that the leading edge of the sheet at a time from O 99/33735

15

Transport cylinder 101b is detected, on which the rear region of the sheet is still held on the circumference of the transport cylinder 101a and is carried by it.

The transport cylinders 101a and 101b are preferably suction cylinders with suction openings, the suction air supply of which is controlled in such a way that the sheets are pushed from the first transport cylinder 101a onto the base 101, for example a metal sheet, and are taken over by the second transport cylinder 101b after passing through the cross-cutting device 102.

The transport of a sheet of notes of value and the trimming of its two transverse edges takes place as follows in detail: A sheet of notes of value released by the grippers of the chain conveyor 100 is sucked in by the first transport cylinder 101a and taken along until the front edge of the sheet reaches the beginning of the base 101 forming the transport path. At this point, that is to say at the beginning of the base 101, the suction air is switched off, so that the sheet is pushed onto the base 101 as the transport cylinder 101a continues to rotate. As soon as the front edge of the sheet reaches the cross-cutting device 102, the front edge is trimmed by a cutting knife 104, while the sheet is advanced further until the trimmed front edge reaches the second transport cylinder 101b, which now takes over the sheet by suction and continues to pull it. As already mentioned, this sheet transfer by the transport cylinder 101b takes place before the rear end of the sheet leaves the first transport cylinder 101a and is released by it. While the rear end of the sheet cuts the cross cutter O 99/33735

16

device 102 happens, the rear edge of the sheet is trimmed by the other cutting knife 104, as indicated in FIG. 8b.

The sheets thus trimmed then arrive in the longitudinal cutting device 106, which in the example under consideration has a transfer cylinder 107 taking over the sheet from the transport cylinder 101b, a processing cylinder 108 and cutting wheels 109 interacting with it. The processing cylinder 108 and the cutting wheels 109 are constructed essentially exactly like the processing cylinder 37 and the cutting wheels 44 of the longitudinal cutting device 38 according to FIG. 1 and are therefore not described again in detail. In this longitudinal cutting device 106, the two longitudinal edges of the sheet are trimmed at the same time, and the sheet is divided into longitudinal strips, in the example under consideration into two longitudinal strips L, which correspond to the two value note columns S1 and S2, as shown in FIG. 8c. At the same time, the two longitudinal strips L are separated somewhat from one another as they pass through the processing cylinder 108, as described in the first exemplary embodiment.

The longitudinal strips are taken over from the processing cylinder 108 by the grippers 113 of the chain conveyor 112 and now pass through the device 111 for cutting and separating the individual notes of value. The longitudinal strips are pulled at their front ends by the grippers 113 onto the main transport track 114, which is set up in such a way that they are kept in a flat state at a distance from one another, continuously moving longitudinal strips. The device 111 has cutting and separating stations 115 which are arranged one behind the other and have the same structure, the number of which is equal to the number of rows per sheet of note minus one. Since in the example considered each sheet of notes 2 has four rows, three stations 115 are provided, the spacing from one another of which is somewhat greater than the width of a row of notes, that is to say the dimension thereof in the direction of transport.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 7, each station 115 has a cross-cutting device 120, an endless conveyor belt 124 which interacts with it and is mounted at a distance above the main conveyor path 114, parallel to it, and two deposit tables 125 and 126 for the notes of value. This cross cutting device 120 has a cutting cylinder 121 with a cutting knife 122, which works together with a fixed counter knife 123. This counter knife 123 is arranged with its holder in a gap in the main transport path 114. With regard to the cutting function, the cross-cutting device 120 is essentially constructed in the same way as the cross-cutting device 21 or 57 in the first exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1. In addition, however, the cutting cylinder 121 is designed as a controllable suction cylinder with suction openings, not shown, which suction the individual notes of value obtained after the cut holds on the cylinder surface and transported to the conveyor belt 124, which is a controllable suction belt, which takes these notes of value from the cutting cylinder 121. The cutting into individual notes of value and their further transport in the device 111 takes place as follows:

As soon as the longitudinal strips lying next to one another at a distance, which are drawn at their front ends by the grippers 113 of the chain conveyor 112 on the main transport path 114, reach the first cross-cutting unit 120 of the first station 115 with their rearward-side printing impressions in the transport direction, the two rear banknotes become corresponding the original rear transverse row R4 of the relevant note sheet, cut off and conveyed from the continuously rotating cutting cylinder 121, which also acts as a transport cylinder, to the conveyor belt 124.

While in each station 115 a single cutting cylinder 121 cooperating with a single counter knife 123 simultaneously cuts all the longitudinal strips transported next to one another into individual value notes, as many adjacent conveyor belts 124 are provided above the cutting cylinder 121 as there are longitudinal strips of a sheet, i.e. the number of conveyor belts 124 arranged next to one another is equal to the number of columns of a sheet. In the example under consideration there are two conveyor belts 124 lying next to one another with corresponding storage tables 125 and 126. The suction and release of the notes of value through the cutting cylinder 121 takes place by corresponding control of the suction air supply, i.e. of the negative pressure at the suction openings of the cutting cylinder 121.

The suction effect of the conveyor belts 124 is controlled in such a way that all perfect banknotes open the one tray table 125 is stacked and all misprints that were determined in an earlier processing stage during a quality control of the note sheets are stacked on the other tray table 126. The misprint detection can take place, for example, in a known manner by automatic scanning of the individual security impressions on the note sheet and by electronic storage of all positions of the security impressions recognized as misprints in a computer, the misprints being sorted out by appropriate control of the suction effect of the conveyor belts 124 by the computer. All misprints that were recognized visually or electronically can also be identified by a marking, which is detected by a sensor that scans the relevant security impressions or security notes, the signal of which switches the suction effect of the relevant conveyor belt 124 on and off.

As soon as after the cut-off of the back banknotes of the original bank note R4, the now back bank notes of the vertical stripes, corresponding to the original bank note row R3, reach the second station 115, the banknotes of this original bank R3 are cut off and, as described above, transported away and after misprints and perfect Separate notes. This operation is repeated in the third station 115, in which the notes of the original row R2 are cut and sorted. Of the longitudinal strips still pulled by the grippers 113 of the chain conveyor 112, the two values corresponding to the original row R1 now remain. notes which are taken over in the last station 116 by a suction roller 130 and fed to the two conveyor belts 124 which, together with the deposit tables 125 and 126 for the misprints and the perfect banknotes, are constructed exactly as described above for a station 115.

Of course, the sheet processing machine according to the invention can also process note sheets which have 3 or more columns or longitudinal rows and any other number of transverse rows. The number of cutting and separating stations 115 to be arranged at a distance from one another is always the same as the number of transverse rows per sheet of note minus one, followed by a last station 116 for the first transverse row of a sheet in the transport direction.

In the stations 115 and 116 described above, all perfect banknotes are stacked one after the other into bundles with 100 banknotes each, which have one and the same banknote position on the original successive banknote sheet of a stack of sheets, that is to say the positions with the same longitudinal and same transverse rows , so that a correct value sequence is formed. If, therefore, the numbering of the security notes on the note sheet has been carried out in the usual way, that is, if the note prints in the same note positions of successive sheets have been given a consecutive numbering and if misprints previously recognized during numbering have been skipped, then the bundles of notes formed also contain notes consecutive numbering. Such a nu e- ration with numbering units controlled by an appropriate computer is known.

The device 111 described above for cross-cutting the longitudinal strips and for separating the individual notes of value can also be connected downstream of the sheet processing machine described with reference to FIG. 1, in order to split the longitudinal strips formed there into individual notes of value and to separate and bundle them in the case of sheets of note of value.

Figure 9 shows schematically another embodiment of a sheet processing machine according to the invention. In this case, note sheets 2 are processed, which are printed with 35 security notes, which are arranged in five longitudinal rows and seven transverse rows and are moved in the direction of the arrows from one processing station to the next. The security prints WD on the sheets have previously been inspected visually or electronically for their quality, and the security prints recognized as misprints WD 'are marked with a cross for later disposal.

First, the sheets of note pass through a cross-cutting device, which can be constructed like the cross-cutting device 102 according to FIG. 6 and in which the two transverse edges are cut off, as indicated for sheet 2a. Then the sheet passes a first longitudinal cutting device with two rotating cutting wheels, in which the two longitudinal edges are cut off, as indicated for the sheet 2b. Subsequently, in a second longitudinal cutting device with four rotating cutting wheels, the sheet is divided into five longitudinal strips, corresponding to the five longitudinal rows, as indicated for the longitudinal strips 2c. -> t

The construction of these longitudinal cutting devices corresponds to that of the longitudinal cutting device 106 according to FIG. 6. During the longitudinal cutting, the longitudinal strips are simultaneously somewhat separated from one another in the transverse direction, as described in the first two exemplary embodiments, and then reach a device corresponding to device 111, where they are removed from the grippers 113 of a chain conveyor, as in the example according to FIG. 6. In this case, the device has six cross cutting devices 130 mounted one behind the other at a distance, the cutting cylinder and the fixed counter knife of which extend across all longitudinal strips and at the same time cut all longitudinal strips into individual notes of value. These cross-cutting devices 130 are constructed in the same way as the cross-cutting devices 21 or 57 in the first exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 and in this case are not used to remove the accumulated notes of value.

As described with reference to FIG. 6, the back notes of the five longitudinal stripes, i.e. the rear transverse row of a sheet, are first cut off, then, with a time offset, the notes of the following transverse row etc., while the remaining parts of all the longitudinal stripes are continuously removed the grippers 113 engaging at their front end are pulled. After the sixth cut, only the foremost notes of the former vertical stripe remain.

In this case, the cut notes of value per transverse row are removed from the area of each transverse cutting device with the aid of a transport device which is moved transversely to the transport direction of the longitudinal strips. System, for example a conveyor belt, as indicated schematically in Figure 9 by the arrows 131. From the groups of five cut notes each, which correspond to a transverse row of the original sheet, the marked misprints W 'are now separated out and collected by a suitable screening device. In each case 100 successive flawless value notes W, which originate from the same transverse rows of successive sheets, are stacked into a bundle, and this bundle B is banded. In the example under consideration there are seven bundling stations for the formation of bundles B, in each of which there are only notes of value coming from the same transverse rows of consecutive sheets, that is to say only from the first or only from the second or only the second or only from the seventh transverse rows of consecutive sheets in the correct order.

The bundles B occurring in succession in each bundling station are stacked into packages P, with every other bundle being rotated through 180 ° in the bundle plane beforehand in a known manner, so that all packages in package P do not lie one above the other. As soon as a package P comprises ten successive bundles, it is transported, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9, to a package banding station, where the package containing ten bundles of 100 notes each receives a band in the correct order. This banded packet BP is then fed in a known manner to a packaging station after the notes of value within the packet have been counted again. As described above and as can be seen from FIG. 9, all banded packages BP each contain banknotes in the correct order from the same transverse rows of the original successive sheets. In this case, the numbering of the security prints on the sheet can preferably be carried out in such a way that only the perfect security prints within each row are numbered continuously, while the previously found misprints are skipped when numbering, as mentioned in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 6 and 7. In this case, the packets BP each contain one thousand consecutively numbered notes of value.

The above-described formation, consolidation and bundling of individual notes of value in the correct order is made possible in particular by the cross-cutting devices described, by means of which the previously formed longitudinal strips of a sheet are cut into individual notes of value at the same time, in accordance with the original transverse rows, the respective remaining parts of the longitudinal strips at their front ends are continuously moved forward by the grippers of a chain conveyor.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Sheet processing machine (1) with at least one chain conveyor (13; 47; 112), the chain gripper systems with grippers (16; 49; 113) for transporting sheets (2; 82; 83), characterized in that on the chain conveyor (13; 47; 112) at least one cross cutting device (21; 57; 120; 130) is arranged, which interacts with this chain conveyor and is set up to move the moving sheets (2; 82; 83) and / or those previously formed by longitudinal sheet cutting Cut the longitudinal strips of the sheets transversely to the transport direction.

2. Sheet processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-cutting device (21; 57, 120, 130) has a rotating cutting cylinder (22, 121) with at least one cutting knife (26; 122), which with a fixed counter knife (24; 123 ) interacts.

3. Sheet processing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the cutting knife (26; 122) and counter knife (24; 123) with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder (22; 121) are arranged slightly inclined and have a twist.

4. Sheet processing machine according to eggs of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cross cutting device (21; 57; 120; 130) has a rotating cutting cylinder (22; 121) that the cutting cylinder with respect to the chain conveyor (13; 47; 112) is phase adjustable and that a separate, position-controlled electric motor is preferably arranged as the drive of the cutting cylinder.

5. Sheet processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a suction box (35; 61) is arranged in the transport direction (T) immediately after the cross cutting device (21; 57).

6. Sheet processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that an inspection device (4; 6) is arranged after the cross cutting device (21; 57).

7. Sheet processing machine according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the suction box (35; 61) is assigned to the inspection device (4; 6).

8. Sheet processing machine according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is set up for trimming at least one transverse edge of the sheet.

9. Sheet processing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that it has a first cross cutting device (21) for trimming the rear transverse edge, a sheet turning device (28) and a downstream second cross cutting device (57) for trimming the other transverse edge.

10. Sheet processing machine according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a longitudinal cutting device (38) is mounted in front of the second cross cutting device (57).

11. Sheet processing machine according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is set up to cut bill of value, which have matrix-shaped security prints arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse rows, into individual security notes and for this purpose a longitudinal cutting device (106 ) for cutting the sheets into longitudinal strips (L), corresponding to the longitudinal rows, and for the simultaneous trimming of the two longitudinal edges of the sheet, a chain conveyor (112) connected downstream of this longitudinal cutting device with grippers (113) pulling the longitudinal strips and along this chain conveyor (112) spaced-apart transverse cutting devices (120), the Number is equal to the number of transverse rows of a sheet minus one and which simultaneously cut off the notes of value belonging to an original transverse row from the continuously moving longitudinal strips, notes of consecutive transverse rows being cut one after the other with a time delay, and also that each cross-cutting unit (120) receives the cut notes transporting transport device is assigned.

12. Sheet processing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the transport device transporting the cut notes of value is formed by the cutting cylinder (121) of each cross-cutting device, this cutting cylinder preferably being designed as a controllable suction cylinder.

13. Sheet processing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the transport device that transports the cut banknotes is a transport means that is moved transversely to the transport direction of the longitudinal strips, preferably a transport belt.

14. Sheet processing machine according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that each of the transport devices which transport the individual notes of value is followed by at least one separating device (124) which separates the perfect notes of value (W) from misprints (W).

15. Sheet-processing machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the said separating device supports (125, 126) for collecting all perfect banknotes (W) and all misprints (W).