EP1207128B1 - Folding apparatus with a guiding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The folding apparatus has a first cylinder (3) and a second cylinder (6). A guide device (12) guides at least one trailing end of a product which is passed from the first cylinder to the second cylinder. The guide device is movable and/or deformable. The first cylinder may be a transfer cylinder and the second cylinder may be a folding cylinder.

Description

The present invention relates to a folding apparatus with a transfer cylinder, a folding cylinder and with a guide device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Guiding devices for guiding folded products during the folding process, so-called "fold-off guides" are generally used in machines which substantially fold flat material by means of a rotational movement. In the context of printing presses, these machines include flap folders, pinless folders, wheel folders, knife folders, rapier folders, etc.

Guide means for guiding the seaming products in the folding operation used in folders for folding paper products assist in carrying out the signature or bow, direction changes or sudden accelerations or decelerations. Such accelerations or delays often result in the occurrence of folded corners of the folded products, i. of dog-ears, and smearing the paint on the freshly processed paper. Conventional guide devices are guide devices with a fixed radius. While helpful to some extent, they can not accommodate the speed change requirements during product folding. Further, it has been found that the fixed radius guides have not been found to be adequate due to increasing speeds.

From JP 02-221063 A, a guide brush made of a flexible material is known, which is provided in a gusset received between two copy-leading cylinders in parallel bearings, and whose shape allows a desired copy guide at a given operating speed.

A device for supporting the controlled copy transport in the folder of rotary printing machines is already known from EP 0 576 810 A1, wherein a rotating and acted upon with suction air guide means is provided in a gusset between copy-leading cylinders of the folder over the length of the copy-carrying cylinder. The guide means in this case has annular running surfaces, which form recesses for circulating conveyor belts, by which the guide means is set in rotation. Due to the rotation of the guide means with the peripheral speed of the copy-carrying cylinders, speed differences are eliminated. The guide means has a circular cross-section and rotates about a stationary axis of rotation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a guide device for guiding the products or the trailing ends of the products in the folding process in a folding machine of a paper processing machine, which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages of the aforementioned devices and methods, and the Improved control over the current speed range, as well as a further increase in speed, while at the same time the Occurrence of dog-ears, ie of folded corners, as well as a smearing of the signatures reduced.

This object is achieved by the merlanals of claim 1.

A folder according to the invention comprising a transfer cylinder, a folding cylinder arranged downstream of the transfer cylinder and guide means forming a fold guide surface in the vicinity of the folding cylinder which guides at least one trailing end of a moving product transferred from the transfer cylinder to the folding cylinder during transfer and with respect thereto Limited movement is characterized in that the guide device is so movable, rotatable and / or deformable that the shape of the fold guide surface formed by the guide means is changed synchronously with the transferred moving product.

It can be provided in a further embodiment of the invention that the guide device is movable and / or deformable such that forms a synchronous with the transferred moving product moving Korrugations wave.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the guide device comprises at least one flexible plate or a flexible strip, wherein the plate or the strip is received on two parallel to an axis of the transfer cylinder extending clips.

According to a further feature of the invention, one or both of the clasps are rotatably arranged about an axis parallel to the axis of the transfer cylinder to the shape of the flexible plate or strip by bending the plate or strip due to rotation of at least one of the clasps change.

According to a further feature of the invention, the guide device according to the invention is formed by an endless belt which is fixed in such a way that that it passes around or is guided around a plurality of guide rollers and forms a dynamically movable rebate guide surface which moves in the vicinity of the second cylinder or the folding cylinder at a speed substantially equal to the speed of the periphery of the folding cylinder.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the folding cylinder is formed by a jaw cylinder, which carries at least one folding flap, which is designed to fold the signature.

According to a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, the transfer cylinder is formed by a Punkturzylinder or a gripper cylinder, which has at least one folding blade for pushing in or pushing the signatures into the jaw of the jaw cylinder in the rebate.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the guide device according to the invention by a control cam or cam disc having rotating body, for. B. a cylinder having at least one bulge or a raised portion and which rotates synchronously with the signature to be transported through the gap.

Further features of the invention are described in the subclaims.

Although the invention herein is described in terms of guide means for guiding signatures or sheet material in a folder of a sheet processing machine, its application is not limited to the details shown, as various modifications and structural changes can be made without departing from the spirit and the invention to leave the range of equivalents.

• Fig. 1A, 1B und 1C schematische Seitenansichten, die das Prinzip des Querfalzens in einem Falzapparat einer Rollenrotationsmaschine verdeutlichen;
• Fig. 2; Momentaufnahmen einer Reihe von Stellungen des Falzapparates, zwischen dem Eintritt einer Signatur in den Falzapparat und einer vollständigen Entfernung der Signatur;
• Fig. 3; eine schematische Seitenansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Führungseinrichtung;
• Fig. 4A , 4B und Fig. 4C schematische Seitenansichten einer Abwandlung der ersten Ausführungsform der Führungseinrichtung;
• Fig. 5 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer zweiten Ausführungsform der Führungseinrichtung gemäß der Erfindung; und
• Fig. 6 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer dritten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Führungseinrichtung zum Führen von Falzprodukten während des Falzvorgangs.

The invention will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. In the drawings show:

• 1A, 1B and 1C are schematic side views illustrating the principle of transverse folding in a folder of a web-fed rotary machine;
• Fig. 2; Snapshots of a series of positions of the folder, between the entry of a signature in the folder and a complete removal of the signature;
• Fig. 3; a schematic side view of a first embodiment of the guide device according to the invention;
• 4A, 4B and 4C are schematic side views of a modification of the first embodiment of the guide device;
• Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of the guide device according to the invention; and
• Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the guide device according to the invention for guiding folded products during the folding process.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a schematic representation of a folding apparatus which provides a signature separated from a web with a first transverse fold.

The endless web 1 runs here from a last printing unit, not shown, or a product end processing unit, not shown, z. As a former, before it is cut into signatures and folded in the desired shape. The web 1 is first picked up by picking needles 2 from grippers on the transfer cylinder 3. The transfer cylinder 3 can be carried out instead of a pin cylinder as a gripper cylinder. Following the recording of the signature by the Punktumadeln 2, the web is cut by the cutting blade 4 on a cutting cylinder 5. After the paper has been transported into the gap between the transfer cylinder 3 and a folding cylinder 6 - in the illustrated embodiment, a jaw cylinder - presses a folding blade 7, the paper between a movable jaw 8 and a stationary jaw 9 on the folding cylinder 6. At this time, the Punktumadeln 2 retracted into the transfer cylinder 3 inside.

Likewise, the foregoing description can also be applied to a sheet processing machine. In this case, the signature is not separated from an endless web, but arrives in the form of a sheet in a sheet-fed rotary machine or in a sheet feeder.

As shown in Fig. 1C, the signature is held at this point by the folding cylinder 6 and pulled in the counterclockwise direction. A trailing edge 10 of the signature continues its movement along a curvilinear or curved path which is described by the periphery of the transfer cylinder 3 and by the periphery of the subsequent folding cylinder 6. On the other hand, the leading edge 11 is subjected to a very sudden change in direction when it is detached from the clockwise rotating transfer cylinder 3 and is literally "whipped" into the counterclockwise rotation of the folding cylinder. From the folding cylinder 6, the signature is then transported to other folders, folding cylinders or to a boom, not shown.

As already indicated above, the leading edge 11 of the signature is subject to extreme acceleration, which leads to whipping or hitting the leading edge 11 when it changes its direction of movement from the transfer cylinder 3 to the folding cylinder 6. As a result, the leading edge 11 also becomes a trailing edge. The signature edges 10 and 11 following the fold are therefore also referred to as signature ends or signature tails.

A guide device 12 according to the invention has a fold guide surface which is arranged above the cylinders 3 and 6 in order to minimize the stress of the signature caused by the acceleration and the free whip effect. Guide devices that have a fixed radius can not accommodate the changing requirements and needs during product folding and speed changes. The resulting problems are shown in the image sequence of FIG.

During the first moments of the direction reversal shown in the instantaneous views 20, 35, and 50, the guide means 12 should have a larger radius to minimize smearing and acceleration of the signature. High accelerations can lead to dog ears when the leading edge of the signature in the range of peripheral speed of the jaw cylinder 6 (upwards) turns in the direction opposite to the clockwise direction. During the middle portion of the folding operation, a smaller radius is helpful to control the movement of the signature as shown in the instantaneous views 65, 80 and 95. During this period of the folding operation, the end of the signature tends to overtake the fold as the fold advances at a constant angular velocity. A smaller radius of the guide means would be helpful at this point to limit the movement of the signature end shot out of the gap between the jaw cylinder 6 and the pin cylinder 3. As has been shown, excessive movement of the end of the signatures leads to dog-ears. In addition, the constant desire for higher speeds requires guide devices with a larger radius.

As shown in Fig. 3, the first embodiment of the invention has a guide means 12 having a statically variable shape. The term "static" as used herein refers to the fact that the seam guiding surface does not move in the direction of signature transport, and that in another embodiment of the invention, the guide means remains completely stationary during the folding operation.

• Erstens kann die Drehung eine einmalige Einstellung des Winkels vor dem Start eines speziellen Druckauftrags oder eines Laufs des Falzapparates sein. Anders ausgedrückt verbleibt die erfindungsgemäße Führungseinrichtung während des gesamten Laufs stationär.
• Zweitens kann die Drehung während des Hochfahrens der (Druckmaschine) aus dem Stillstand auf Produktionsgeschwindigkeit justiert oder eingestellt werden. Da niedrigere Geschwindigkeiten einen im Vergleich zu höheren Geschwindigkeiten unterschiedlichen Radius für die Führungseinrichtungen erfordern, wird die Spange 14 während des Hochfahrens in Uhrzeigerrichtung gedreht. Dies bedeutet, dass die flexible Führungseinrichtung in Abhängigkeit von der Geschwindigkeit des Falzzylinders gebogen wird.
• Drittens kann die erfindungsgemäße Führungseinrichtung synchron zur Falzsequenz einer jeden Signatur eingestellt oder verändert werden. In diesem Fall wird die Führungseinrichtung in einer vergleichsweise entspannten Position gehalten, wenn die vorlaufende Kante 11 der Signatur zum ersten Mal durch Beschleunigen von ihrer Bewegung mit dem Punkturzylinder 3 zu ihrer Bewegung mit dem Falzklappenzylinder 6 (siehe Fig. 2, Sequenzen 5, 20, 35) überführt wird; und die erfindungsgemäße Einrichtung wird zu einem kleineren Radius hin gebogen, wenn das Ende 10, 11, der Signatur dazu neigt, zu flattern und den Falz, d.h. die Falzkante, zu überholen (siehe hierzu Momentdarstellungen 65, 80, 95).

The guide device 12 according to the invention consists of a flexible plate or is formed by a plurality of mutually parallel and extending in the signature transport direction strips which are held between a first clip or clamping device 13 and a second clip or clamping device 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first clasp 13 is stationary and defines an orientation of the left side of the guide device 12 according to the invention such that it is substantially parallel to a tangent the clasp carrying cylinder 6 (perpendicular to the radius) runs. The second clasp 14 rotates about an axis that is parallel to the axes of the cylinders 3 and 6. The rotation (of the clamping device 14), which adjusts or changes the radius of the flexible guide device 12 according to the invention, can be effected in one of the following three ways:

• First, the rotation may be a one-time adjustment of the angle prior to the start of a particular job or run of the folder. In other words, the guide device according to the invention remains stationary during the entire run.
• Second, the rotation during startup of the press can be adjusted from standstill to production speed. Since lower speeds require a different radius for the guide means compared to higher speeds, the clasp 14 is rotated clockwise during start-up. This means that the flexible guide device is bent in dependence on the speed of the folding cylinder.
• Third, the guide device according to the invention can be set or changed synchronously with the fold sequence of each signature. In this case, the guide means is held in a comparatively relaxed position when the leading edge 11 of the signature is for the first time accelerated from its movement with the pin cylinder 3 to move with the jaw cylinder 6 (see Figure 2, Sequences 5, 20). 35) is transferred; and the device according to the invention is bent to a smaller radius when the end 10, 11 of the signature tends to flutter and to overtake the fold, ie the fold edge (see momentary representations 65, 80, 95).

After this end 10, 11 of the signature has left the critical area in which the whipping movement or envelope movement leads to dog-ears and greasing (moment charts 115, 140), the flexible guide means is relaxed back to its original position and prepared for a new signature. In a further embodiment of the statically changeable guide device of the first Embodiment is the flexible guide means, or guide means 12, attached to two pivotable retaining clips or fastening clips 13, 14.

As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C, the clips 13 and 14 permit independent adjustment, variation or deformation of the right side and the left side of the guide device according to the invention. When referring to "side", this means that the reference to the right and left sides used herein refers only to the illustration with the transfer cylinder 3 on the right side and the folding cylinder 6 on the left side (as in FIG the figure shown).

At the beginning of a predetermined folding operation of a signature (instantaneous representations 5, 20), the flexible guide device 12 according to the invention is comparatively relaxed, and the two clips 13 and 14 are in their respective zero positions or center positions, as shown in FIG. 4A.

If the leading edge 11 of the signature is about to be torn from the jaw-carrying cylinder 6 from its furthest from the lying position to the position where the signature is pulled along by the jaw cylinder (6) (momentary views 35, 50; 65), both clasps 13 and 14 are rotated counterclockwise. The resulting shape of the flexible guide means 12 is in this case a flattened in the vicinity of the spangentragenden cylinder 6 and pointing in the direction of the transfer cylinder 3 toward, or shifted to this shape, d. H. This leads to a deformation of the guide device 12. This is shown in Fig. 4B.

When the end of the signature moves to the left away from the transfer cylinder 3 (momentary representations 80, 95, 110), the deflection or deflection of the guide device 12 substantially follows the end. This is achieved by rotating both clasps 13 and 14 in a clockwise direction and thereby causing the guide device 12 according to the invention to form a corrugation wave moving from right to left synchronously with the signature. This is shown in FIG. 4C.

After the signature has left the fold region (moment representation 140, 155), the flexible guide device 12 is prepared by turning the clips 13 and 14 counterclockwise again for a subsequent signature.

Depending on whether the guide means 12 is driven synchronously with each signature, or only when the speed of the folder changes, the clips 13 and / or 14 may be connected directly to the drive gears of the cylinders 3 and 6 via a gear train, or can be powered by its own motor. The force required to rotate the clasps 13 and 14 to change the shape of the flexible guide means 12 is comparatively small, so that a comparatively small and inexpensive motor is sufficient.

According to Figure 5, the second embodiment of the invention shown therein is characterized by a dynamically changing guide device according to the invention. Here, the guide means is formed by one or more belts 15, which, as shown, rotate clockwise. The speed of the belt 15 is substantially identical to the peripheral speed of the cylinders 3 and 6. In this case, the belt or belts 15 revolve around guide rollers 16 whose axes of rotation are parallel to the cylinders 3 and 6. As indicated by the upper left guide roller 16, the belt 15 is held taut by a spring 17, which urges the roller 16 radially outward. If desired, or if necessary, the other guide roller 16 can also be acted upon by a spring, or it can be accommodated in adjustable bearing blocks.
A cam roller 18 rotates at about the same speed with the belt 15 in the same direction in the clockwise direction. The cam roller 18 includes a cam surface that causes the lower run 12 of the belt 15, such as the guide 12, to change its shape in synchronism with the signatures passing through the folder. The guide roller 18 is set in such a way that the whipping movement of the signature end 10, 11 is reduced in order to prevent the formation of dog-ears and the smearing of the freshly printed signatures.

The third embodiment of the invention, which is shown in Fig. 6, has a guide roller 18 or an eccentric 18, the surface of which comes into direct contact with the signature without a belt or more belts 15 are interposed. The guide device 18, which is designed in this case as a rotating body, thus performs a movement.

The movement, z. As a rotation and / or translation, or the deformation of the guide means causes the surface of the guide means is variable and the product to be transported, or at least a trailing end of the product during the transfer from a cylinder to a downstream cylinder such The result is that the product can be handed over without damage and at high speed.

List of reference numbers

1

endlose Bahn

2

Punkturnadeln

3

Punkturzylinder/Übertragungszylinder

4

Schneidklinge

5

Schneidzylinder

6

Falzzylinder (Falzklappenzylinder)

7

Falzmesser

8

Falzklappe (beweglich)

9

stationäre Falzklappe

10

nachlaufende Kante

11

vorlaufende Kante

12

Führungseinrichtung zum Führen der Signatur beim Falzvorgang

13

erste Spange

14

zweite Spange

15

Riemen

16

Führungsrolle

17

Feder

18

Kurvenrolle oder Exzenter

5,20,35,65,80,95,115,140 in Fig. 2 = Momentdarstellungen

1

endless track

2

Point needles

3

Pin cylinder / transfer cylinder

4

cutting blade

5

cutting cylinder

6

Folding cylinder (jaw cylinder)

7

folding blade

8th

Folding flap (movable)

9

stationary folding flap

10

trailing edge

11

leading edge

12

Guide device for guiding the signature during the folding process

13

first clasp

14

second clasp

15

belt

16

leadership

17

feather

18

Cam roller or eccentric

5, 20, 35, 65, 80, 95, 115, 140 in FIG. 2 = instantaneous representations

Claims (9)

1. Folding apparatus with a transfer cylinder (3), a folding cylinder (6), which is disposed downstream of the transfer cylinder (3), and a guide device (12) which forms a folding-guide surface and guides and limits the movement of at least one trailing end of a moving product transferred from the transfer cylinder (3) to the folding cylinder (6) during the transfer,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) can be moved, rotated and/or deformed such that the shape of the folding-guide surface which is formed by the guide device (12) is changed in synchronism with the moving product which is transferred from the transfer cylinder (3) to the folding cylinder (6) and in synchronism with the folding sequence of the transferred product.
2. Folding apparatus according to Claim 1,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) can be moved and/or deformed such that a corrugation undulation moving in synchronism with the transferred moving product is formed.
3. Folding apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) comprises at least one flexible plate or one flexible strip, wherein the plate or the strip is held at two clips (13, 14) which extend parallel to an axis of the transfer cylinder (3) .
4. Folding apparatus according to Claim 3,
   characterised in
   that at least one of the clips (13, 14) is disposed in a rotatable manner for changing the shape of the flexible plate or the flexible strip by bending the place or the strip in consequence of a rotation of at least one of the clips (13, 14) about an axis which extends parallel to the axis of the transfer cylinder (3).
5. Folding apparatus according to Claim 1,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) is formed by at least one continuous belt (15) which is disposed such that it circulates around a plurality of guide rollers (16) and forms a dynamically movable folding-guide surface, wherein the folding-guide surface moves in the vicinity of the second cylinder (6) at a speed which corresponds substantially to the speed of the periphery of the second cylinder (6).
6. Folding apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterised in
   that the folding cylinder (6) is a folding jaw cylinder which has at least one folding jaw (8, 9) for folding the signature.
7. Folding apparatus according to Claim 6,
   characterised in
   that the transfer cylinder (3) is a pin cylinder or a gripper cylinder which comprises at least one tucker blade (7) for pushing the signature into the folding jaw (8, 9) of the folding jaw cylinder at the folding position.
8. Folding apparatus according to Claim 1,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) is a rotating body, e.g. a cylinder, which has a control cam, is provided with at least one elevation or bulge and rotates in synchronism with the signatures which are transported through the gap.
9. Folding apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in
   that the guide device (12) is disposed above the folding cylinder (6) and the transfer cylinder (3).

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