EP1140630A1

EP1140630A1 - Method and device for applying a protective coating to stacks of printed products

Info

Publication number: EP1140630A1
Application number: EP99953804A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karl Ernst Timmerbeil
Original assignee: Ferag AG
Current assignee: Ferag AG
Priority date: 1998-12-07
Filing date: 1999-10-13
Publication date: 2001-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-13
Also published as: PL348061A1; EP1140630B1; DK1140630T3; JP2002531340A; ES2190262T3; DE59903938D1; AU759655B2; RU2230691C2; WO2000034127A1; CA2353836A1; AU1036800A; ATE230369T1

Abstract

Stacks (1) of printed products which products are characterized in that they each have an edge of increased thickness are wrapped in such a manner that those stack sides in which the above-mentioned edges are arranged are completely covered by the coating (4) and are thus well protected. Since said stacks (1) are less stable in a direction transversal to the mentioned edges, the stacks (1) are discharged from a stacking shaft (20) in which the stacks are produced in a direction parallel to the mentioned edges and directly between the forks (12 and 13) of a pair of forks (12/13). The stack (1) is compressed between the forks (12 and 13) and the pair of forks (12/13) containing the compressed stack (1) is guided through a curtain (14) of a coating material. Said coating material is closed around the pair of forks (12/13) and the stack (1). Once the coating is applied, the coated stack (1/4) is separated from the pair of forks (12/13) by performing a movement of the pair of forks (12/13) relative to the stack (1/4) and is conveyed on.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE OF STACKS OF PRINTED PRODUCTS

The invention is in the field of ner packaging technology and relates to a method and a device according to the preambles of the corresponding independent claims. The method and device are used to create protective covers around stacks of printed products. They are particularly suitable for stacks of printed products with an edge, in the area of which the product is thicker than in other areas and the stability of the stack is reduced by their increased thickness, and of printed products on which this edge, in particular, which is excellent due to its increased thickness protect is. Such printed products are, for example, double-folded newspapers with a collar edge (edge of the second fold) or magazines with a glued or stapled back edge.

Newspapers are available from a rotary press or from a reel, but also from various (eg insert drum) as a shingled stream in which the edge of the bundle is the leading edge of each newspaper. For transport and distribution, these newspapers are stacked (usually in cross-stack) and the stacks are optionally provided with cover sheets and then strapped and / or wrapped.

The outside of a double-folded newspaper is at the same time its first page, so that the information printed on it runs, so to speak, without interruption around the second fold edge and is therefore very exposed. The first page of the newspaper usually carries information that is classified as important and should not be damaged for this reason. However, as will be explained later, this is not without problems. The same also applies to glued or otherwise bound magazines or similar, booklet-like printed products, the back edges of which are also edges with an increased thickness and thereby reduce stacking stability, can also be printed and are also very exposed to damage.

Newspaper and magazine stacks, even if they are cross-stacked, are less stable across the bundle or back edges (edges which are distinguished by increased thickness) than parallel to it. The reason for this is that even when such a stack is laid horizontally, at least part of the Products have a favor across the excellent edges and can therefore slip in this direction even with small accelerations. This is not the case in the direction parallel to the marked edges. For this reason, stack displacements parallel to the excellent edges are significantly more problem-free, that is, they can be carried out with significantly simpler means and greater accelerations than displacements transverse to these edges

It is known to move stacks for wrapping with a wrapping material (e.g. plastic film) through a curtain of the wrapping material that is essentially stretched vertically from top to bottom. The wrapping material wraps around the leading side of the stack and can form an annular wrapping on the trailing stack side can be closed, the wrapping material being simultaneously separated in such a way that it in turn forms a curtain for a subsequent stack. If a stack is now to be wrapped in such a way that in particular the excellent edges (for example collar or back edges) of the stacked products are to be protected by the wrapping, the stack must be moved transversely to these edges through the curtain of the wrapping material, which in turn is due to the low stack stability leads to problems. For wrapping stacks of newspapers or magazines, it is proposed, for example, to push them through the curtain of the wrapping material directly when they are ejected from the stacking shaft.This can be easily achieved if the stacks are ejected parallel to the excellent edges and thus wrapped parallel to these edges, although Envelopes are created which do not lie against the excellent product edges and therefore do not protect them. It is also proposed to eject the stacks transversely to the excellent product edges and to move them directly through the curtain, with envelopes being created which lie against the excellent product edges and effectively protect them . Although this method leads to a desired product, because of the low stacking stability in the ejection direction, it has many problems which cannot be solved satisfactorily, in particular for high ejection speeds and accelerations

In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is also proposed that straps ejected from the stacking shaft parallel to the marked edges immediately after ejection are strapped transversely to the ejection direction and thus stabilized for further steps, in particular for a protective covering. With such a method, wrappings can be created without any problem, which lie against the excellent product edges and thereby protect them, but the strapping upstream of the wrapping represents a very high risk of damage for precisely these edges.

So there does not seem to be a satisfactory method by which the edges of printed products, which have excellent thickness, for example the edges of the bundles or spines of newspapers or magazines in a stack, can be easily and sustainably protected by a protective wrapping, as is the case in rolled packages of newspapers and magazines, the production of which also belongs to the prior art. It is now the object of the invention to demonstrate a method and to create a device with which it is possible with simple means and high speeds to easily stack stacks of printed products, each of which has an edge characterized by increased thickness, from these edges Eject the stacking shaft and immediately afterwards to wrap it with a protective covering in such a way that the covering lies closely against those sides of the stack on which the marked edges are arranged. The method according to the invention and the device for carrying out the method should also be applicable for the serial wrapping of stacks with individually different heights.

This object is achieved by the method and the device as defined in the patent claims.

The method according to the invention is based on the idea of ejecting stacks from the stacking shaft transversely to the excellent product edges and thereby positioning them between the forks of a pair of forks, pressing the stack between the forks, moving the pair of forks with the pressed stack through the curtain of the wrapping material, to seal the wrapping material on the trailing side of the fork pair and stack and then to separate the wrapped stack from the fork pair by a relative movement between the stack and the fork pair. In this method, the stacking movement necessary for the wrapping is carried out transversely to the marked edges when the stack is clamped between the forks and is therefore stable and can be moved quickly and easily against the resistance of the wrapping agent without further stabilizing means.

Since the wrapping is first placed and closed not only around the stack but around the stack pressed with the forks, i.e. around the stack and pair of forks, and since the fork pair is separated from the wrapping when the stack and fork pair are separated, the method according to the invention leads to this only to tighten one Wrapping if the printed products are sufficiently elastically compressible in the direction of their thickness and / or if the wrapping material has sufficient elasticity in such a way that the wrapping material lies tight enough against the stack after the forks have been pulled out.

It turns out that stacks of newspapers or magazines with the usual heights can easily be provided with protective wrappings made of polyethylene film with a thickness of 15 to 50 μm by the process outlined above, whereby wrapped stacks are produced which are stable enough to be easy for example afterwards to be strapped and processed

The method and the device according to the invention are described in more detail with reference to the following figures. Show:

FIG. 1 shows a stack of newspapers or other printed products which are provided with a protective cover and which have an edge which is distinguished by an increased thickness;

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the successive steps of the method according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show two schematically illustrated exemplary embodiments of the device according to the invention;

Figure 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a press fork, which is additionally equipped to apply a cover sheet to a stack. Fϊgur 1 shows a stack 1 of printed products 2, each with an edge 3 distinguished by increased thickness, for example of newspapers or magazines with bundle or. Back edges. In the stack shown, all the highlighted edges are arranged one above the other on the same side of the stack, so that the stack is higher on this side than on the opposite side. However, it could also be a cross stack in which groups of printed products (partial stacks) are stacked on one another in such a way that the groups of excellent edges are arranged alternately on two mutually opposite sides of the stack. In a cross stack, the instability caused by the increased thickness of the marked edges is not as great as in a stack as shown in FIG. 1. Nevertheless, this instability is present and is not negligible for the handling of cross stacks.

The stack 1 of FIG. 1 has a protective covering 4 which surrounds the stack transversely to the marked edges 3 and which is at least as wide as the marked edges long. The wrapping lies on the side stacking surfaces in which the excellent edges 3 are arranged, as well as on the underside and on the top of the stack and provides good protection for the excellent edges. The wrapping material can protrude from the stack on both sides and the outstanding wrapping parts can be in a further processing of the stack, for example via the uncovered side faces of the stack, so that the stack is then protected on all sides by the protective wrapping.

In addition to the protective function, a stack wrapping 4, as shown in FIG. 1, also has an at least limited stabilizing function, such that the wrapped stack can be accelerated with significantly fewer problems even across the excellent edges than the stack that has not yet been wrapped. FIG. 2 shows the successive steps a to e of the method according to the invention for creating a protective covering 4 around a stack 1, for example around a cross stack, which has three groups of printed products stacked crosswise. The line of sight is parallel to the excellent edges. The steps are as follows:

a A stack 1 is ejected parallel to the marked edges 3, for example from a stacking shaft, into an ejection position, the stack being guided laterally and at the front by ejection guides (10/10 ', 11 11') and being pushed onto a carrying fork 12 (ejection direction the paper surface of the figure).

In the ejection position, a pressing fork 13 is lowered onto the stack 1, the stack 1 is pressed between the carrying fork 12 and the pressing fork 13, and the ejection guides (10/10 ', 11/11') are at least partially removed from their guiding position.

c The stack 1 pressed between the carrying fork 12 and pressing fork 13 is moved transversely to the marked edges through a curtain 14 of a wrapping material into a wrapping position.

d The wrapping material is closed on the trailing side of fork pair 12/13 and stack 1 to form a protective wrapping 4, 14 joints 15 being created, for example, on the wrapping 4 and on the curtain

e Stack 1 and fork pair 12 13 are separated from one another by a relative movement between stack 1 and fork pair 12/13 parallel to the Neten edges, the separation being carried out in the wrapping position or advantageously in a separation position, are moved into the fork pair 12/13 and stack 1 before the separation

Steps c, d and e are shown in FIG. 2 in an upper and a lower variant. According to the above variant, the pressed stack 1 is moved through the curtain 14 of the strapping material without changing its position in such a way that the strapping material must be connected on a stack side containing excellent edges (connection point 15). For an even more complete protection of the excellent edges, this is avoided according to the lower variant, in that the stack 1 pressed between the forks 12 and 13 is rotated by 90 ° about its own axis between the ejection position (b) and the wrapping position (c), so that the trailing side is formed by one of the forks 12 or 13. The connection point 15 is now created at a point spaced apart from the printed products, thereby avoiding any risk to the products.

Figure 2 shows schematically the most important parts of the device according to the invention. These are the following:

• The side and end-side ejection guides 10/10 'and 11/11' which are arranged in the ejection position and which are at least partially displaceable from a guide position (a) to a rest position (b), for example by vertical displacement of the top (10, 11 ) and lower (10 ', 11 *) guide parts;

the pair of forks 12/13 which can be displaced from the ejection position into the strapping position and, if appropriate, from the strapping position into the separating position, consisting of the carrying fork 12 and the pressing fork 13, which are one in the ejection position Have distance from one another at least equal to the stack height and which are pressed against one another (if appropriate, the pair of forks is additionally displaced for the separation and / or between the ejection position and Umhüllungspositionum90 ^o rotatable about its own axis).

The means known per se for tensioning the strapping material as a substantially vertical curtain 14 at the entrance to the wrapping position (c, d) and for connecting and disconnecting on the trailing stack side in such a way that, for example, each on the closed wrapping 4 and on the reclamped curtain 14 a connection point 15 is formed.

Furthermore, the device for carrying out the method according to the invention in FIG. 2 also has separating means, not shown, with the aid of which stack 1 and fork pair 12/13 are separated from one another. These are, for example, bolts that can be inserted into slots in the forks 12 and / or 13 and that can be displaced relative to the pair of forks 12/13 in the direction of excellent edges, as shown in FIG. 3.

Figure 3 shows schematically and from a bird's eye view a possible spatial arrangement of the necessary parts of the inventive device. An arrow S indicates a supply of printed products 2 with leading, excellent edges 3 (represented by the bold line) which products 2 are supplied, for example, as a shingled stream. The feed opens into a stacking shaft 20 in which a stack 1 is formed. The stacking shaft 20 is arranged in such a way that the stack 1 is ejected essentially perpendicular to the feed direction (arrow S). On the ejection side of the stacking shaft 20, the side and front ejection guides 10 and 11 of the ejection position and the pair of forks 12/13, of which only the pressing fork 13 is visible, are arranged. The fork pair 12/13 is perpendicular to the direction of ejection (parallel to the feed direction) through the curtain 14 in the Wrapping position movable. To separate the wrapped stack from the fork pair, bolts 21 are inserted into slots 22 of the forks in the wrapping position, for example, and moved against the fork end (arrows B), while the fork pair 12/13 remains stationary. The movement of the bolts 21 separates the wrapped stack 1/4 from the fork pair 12/13 and, for example, on a conveyor belt (not shown) perpendicular to the feed direction (arrow S) (arrow W).

A device as shown in FIG. 3 can be operated with a single pair of forks 12/13 if means are provided with which the pair of forks is moved back and forth between the ejection position and the wrapping position. To increase the capacity of the device, however, a plurality of fork pairs 12/13 are advantageously provided, which, for example, are attached equidistically to an endless chain and are cyclically moved by this chain in a self-contained way. FIG. 3 shows two fork pairs 12/13 and part of a drive chain 23 is indicated.

It can easily be seen from FIG. 3 that the path of the fork pairs 12/13 in addition to the ejection position and the wrapping position can include further processing positions, which are arranged, for example, in a row: for example, a processing position following the wrapping position, in which the wrapped stack 1 is printed, for example, in which wrapping parts projecting around the stack are closed around the stack etc. Following one or a plurality of such positions, a separation position is then to be provided, at which the wrapped stack 1 is separated from the fork pair 12/13, as shown in the figure 3 for the wrapping position is to be provided. It is of course also conceivable to provide additional processing positions between the ejection position and the wrapping position in which the stack that has not yet been wrapped is processed The individual parts of the device shown in FIG. 3 as well as the drives and guide means necessary for their movements are easy to implement by a person skilled in the art and therefore do not need to be shown or described in more detail here

FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the device for carrying out the method according to the invention. The function of the device parts are the same as for the device shown in FIG. 3. The device parts are identified by the same reference numerals. The device has four pairs of forks 12/13, which are arranged at a 90 ° distance from each other about a substantially vertical axis 30 which can be driven in rotation in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise) The ejection position (position 9 o'clock), the wrapping position (position 6 o'clock) and the Separation position (position 3 o'clock) are also circular and arranged at intervals of 90 °. Obviously, it is also possible to provide a machining position in the 3 o'clock position and the separation position in the 12 o'clock position

In a device as shown in FIG. 4, fewer or more than four fork pairs 12 13 can also be provided, which are then spaced apart from one another by corresponding equal angles

FIG. 5 shows a press fork 13 with an additional function, which is equipped with a movable compartment for a cover sheet 31 to be applied to a stack in the ejection position or for the application of another flat product. The press fork 13 is shown in two positions, at the top in a position spaced from a cast stack 1 and at the bottom in a position lowered onto the stack 1 The pressing fork 13 has a compartment 32, which is fastened on the underside of the pressing fork in such a way that it can be pivoted to a limited extent in such a way that it is at a free state at the free end of the fork so that, for example, a cover sheet 31 ejected by a printer 33 is directly between them Fork 13 and tray 32 can be pushed. When the fork 13 is lowered onto a stack 1, the compartment 32 is pressed against the underside of the fork and is thereby essentially closed. When the wrapped stack and the pair of forks are separated, the compartment 32 with the pair of forks is pulled out of the casing and the cover sheet 31 remains on the stack 1

Although the method and the device according to the invention are designed for stacks of products with an edge characterized by increased thickness, they can of course also be used for products without such an edge.

Claims

PA TE NT AN S PRÜ C HE

1. A method for the sequential wrapping of stacks (1) of printed products (2), each having an edge (3) characterized by increased thickness, the stack (1) parallel to the marked edges (3) from a stacking shaft (20) are ejected, the stack (1) following the ejection being guided through a curtain (14) of a wrapping material and the wrapping material being closed around the stack (1) in such a way that the wrapping material around the stack (1) is wrapped ( 4), which completely covers the top and bottom of the stack and the side of the stack in which the excellent edges (3) are arranged, characterized in that each stack (1) to be wrapped is ejected from the stacking shaft (20) into an ejection position, In which ejection position the stack (1) is guided through side and front ejection guides (10/10 '/ l 1/11') and rests on a carrying fork (12) that a pressing fork (13) lowered onto the stack (I) and the stack (1) between the carrying fork (12) and

Pressing fork (13) is pressed, that the ejection guides (10/10 '/ l 1/11') are at least partially removed, that the fork pair (12/13) with the pressed stack consisting of carrying fork (12) and pressing fork (13) (1) is moved and wrapped in a direction which is transverse to the marked edges by the curtain (14) of the wrapping material into a wrapping position, the wrapping (4) being produced around the stack (1) and around the fork pair ( 12/13) and that the wrapped stack (1/4) is separated from the fork pair (12/13) by a relative movement parallel to the marked edges (3) between stack (1) and fork pair (12/13).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fork pair (12/13) with the pressed stack (1) is moved substantially perpendicular to the direction of ejection through the curtain (14) of the wrapping material

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of forks (12 13) with the pressed stack (1) is rotated by 90 ° and is moved through the curtain (14) of the wrapping material

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fork pair (12/13) with the pressed stack (1), before it is moved through the curtain (14) of the wrapping material, is rotated about its own axis

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the press fork (13) a cover sheet (31) for the stack (1) is added before the press fork (13) is lowered onto the stack (1), and that the cover sheet (31) with the stack (1) is separated from the fork pair (12/13)

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fork pair (12/13) with the pressed stack (1) is subjected to further processing steps before or after the wrapping

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that in the further processing steps the stack (1) and / or the wrapping (4) are printed or that the stack (1) projecting wrapping parts are closed around the stack (1)

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the wrapping material has a width which is at least as large as the length of the marked edges (3) of the printed products (2).

Method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the wrapping material is a polyethylene film with a thickness in the range from 15 to 50 µm.

10. The device for carrying out the method according to claim 1, which device means for ejecting a stack parallel to the marked edges (3) of the stacked printed products (2) in an ejection position, means for stretching a curtain (14)

Wrapping material, means for moving the stack (1) through the curtain, means for closing and separating the Umschlagungsπ-material on the trailing side of the stack (1) and means for conveying away the wrapped stack (1/4), characterized in that the device also borrowed side and front ejection guides in the ejection position

(10/10 '/ l 1/11'), which can be moved at least partially into a guide and a rest position, as well as at least one pair of forks (12/13) which can be brought into an ejection and a wrapping position, consisting of a carrying fork (12 ) and a pressing fork (13) which can be pressed against the carrying fork and in the wrapping position or in a separating position, with which

Fork pair (12/13) cooperating means for separating the wrapped stack (1/4) from the fork pair (12/13).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that a plurality of fork pairs (12/13) is provided, which fork pairs (12/13) are movable on at least one cyclic path, such that a fork pair (12/13) after the other by the ejection, the wrapping position and back to the ejection position is movable.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the plurality of fork pairs (12/13) is designed and drivable such that the fork pairs (12/13) between the ejection position and the wrapping position at least one further processing position and / or after the wrapping position pass a separation position or at least one machining position and a separation position

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the fork pairs (12/13) are arranged to be movable in a circle about a substantially vertical axis.

Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the ejection position, the wrapping position and the separation position are spaced apart from one another or from a machining position by an angle of 90 °.

15. Device according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the fork pairs (12/13) are rotatable about their own axis

16. Device according to one of claims 10 to 15, dadurdi characterized in that the separating means in the longitudinal shield (22) of the carrying fork (12) and / or the pressing fork (13) are engaging bolts (21)

7. Device according to one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that the pressing fork (13) is equipped for receiving additional, the stacks (1) to be added products (31).