EP1593636B1 - Folding machine for printing machines or folders - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a folding device for printing presses or folders according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the DE 196 42 124 A1 is a folding device consisting of a driven Falzwalzenpaar, a cyclically up-and-down folding blade and a folding table known. A printed product or a single sheet is detected by several conveyor belts and driven against stops in the production direction and subsequently provided with a longitudinal fold, for example a third fold. The printed product can be pressed by means of pressure springs or pressure rollers for better fixation during the folding against the folding table. Disadvantage is that pressure springs and pressure rollers are additional components that complicate the accessibility in Falztischbereich for maintenance and operation.

From the US-A-5,222,934 a folding device is known in which the angle between the upper and lower conveyor belts is adjustable in order to ensure the adaptation to different thickness printed products.

Furthermore, from the DE 32 39 799 A1 a folding device known in the tensioning rollers, the force of the conveyor belts on the folded copies to be transfigured is adjustable.

On this basis, it is the object of the present invention to provide a folding device for printing presses or folders, in which no pressure rollers or pressure springs are required for fixing the printed product on the folding table.

This object is achieved by the measures of claim 1.

The invention consists, in particular, of contact at the stop for the printed product to be folded and / or just behind the printed product in a range of 2 to 15 mm, ie just before and / or just behind the product To provide product fixation, which are formed by means of the position-adjustable conveyor belts in connection with inlet and / or outlet portions of the folding table. These inlet and outlet sections are slightly deeper and run rounded and / or stepped, with paragraphs on the Falztischebene. The inlet and / or outlet portions are preferably in areas of the leading and / or trailing end of the product and are wrapped by conveyor belts, wherein the pressure effect on the printed product by variable in their position band guide elements, preferably Belt rollers, belt rollers whose position change causes a change in the Umschlingungs in the contact zones. Under the Umschlingungsänderung is meant a change or adjustment of the length of the contact between conveyor belts and the folding table or the sections.

In contrast to known solutions, which form relatively small contact zones due to the line contact of the springs or tape rolls, the size of the contact zone can be influenced by the change in the looping to a much greater extent, and achieve better fixation. In addition, the printed product is guided more stable by its slight warping when entering the folding table. Thus, no vibrations can occur which can influence the position of the incoming printed product. The folding table is designed in the area of the product inlet with a warping or warped shape.

With this arrangement, a high stability of the folding quality can be achieved in connection with a simplification of the operation. The tighter management of the printed product during the folding process can significantly reduce the folding deviations. It can be achieved a reduction of waste by faster achievement of good products, with higher speeds can be achieved with the same good folding deviations. The system is less prone to failure and the usability of the folding device can be greatly improved. The already existing in the folding device conveyor belts can be performed with the function of Umschlingungseinstellung, so that an integration of this function can be realized in existing components and thus no other components are required, which could limit the work space and impede accessibility.

By edges and / or radii on the product stop or in the region of the product stop and immediately after the printed product end, i. At the folding table in the region of the product inlet, a contact zone can be realized for the purpose of forming a product fixing in conjunction with adjustable strip guiding elements. The edges and / or radii, which are preferably designed as cutouts and bevels, are used to change the looping in the contact zones and thus adjustability of the contact pressure.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht der Falzeinrichtung mit Falztisch und
• Fig. 2 Varianten der Gestaltung des Falztisches für dessen Produkteinlaufbereich nach Fig. 1.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention is explained with reference to the drawings. It shows very schematically:

• Fig. 1 a side view of the folding device with folding table and
• Fig. 2 Variants of the design of the folding table for the product inlet area after Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 1 shows a folding device 11 of a folding apparatus, not shown, or a printing press consisting of a driven pair of folding rollers 7, a cyclically up-and-out folding blade 2 and a folding table 4. A printed product 3 is detected by several conveyor belts 5 and driven in the product inlet direction A against at least one stop 8 , By means of the folding blade 2, the printed product 3 is provided with a longitudinal fold, for example a third fold. The printed product 3 is guided between conveyor belts 5 and is pressed by means of this against the folding table 4. At the stop 8 for the printed product 3 and / or just behind the printed product end in a range α1, α2 of 2 to 15 mm, ie just before and just behind the printed product, inlet and outlet sections 9, 10 are present. These sections 9, 10 can be wrapped by the conveyor belts 5, so that contact zones are formed, wherein the pressure effect on the printed product 3 can be influenced by variable in their vertical position tape guide elements 1, 6. The tape guide elements 1, 6 are preferably belt rollers or belt rollers. The sections 9, 10 are advantageously rounded, ie configured not sharp-edged, and / or executed with cutouts (see Fig. 2 Variants a to c). The sections 9, 10 may alternatively be configured with a radius R (variant d) or a replacement radius E imitate inlet rollers or inlet rollers 12 (variant e), which may already extend from the inlet region of the folding table 4. The change in position of the tape guide elements 1, 6 causes a change in the wrap, ie a change or adjustment of the length of contact between conveyor belts 5 and the folding table 4, in the sections 9, 10. All design measures - change in position of the conveyor belt 5 in connection with the shape of the Sections 9, 10 - have the goal to provide freedom for a Umschlingsänderung the conveyor belt 5, and thus to allow a sufficient and adjustable looping of the conveyor belt 5 and an adaptation to different section lengths Al, print formats and paper properties. By this Umschlingungsänderung an adjustable fixing force for the printed product 3 can be realized on the folding table 4.

The folding table 4 is designed hard chrome plated to reduce wear. Alternatively, hardened, replaceable elements, for example bolts, rails, etc., not shown, can be used in the region of the sections 9, 10. The tape guide elements 1, 6 are advantageously designed as eccentrically mounted rollers. There is the possibility of skew correction when the eccentrically mounted tape guide elements 6 are not shown separately on page SI and page SII (operating side and drive side) in the inlet region of the folding table 4.

To create the sections 9, 10, there are various ways of designing the folding table 4 (see Fig. 2 ). Variation a shows a Falztischkürzung, variant b shows a folding table 4 with step-like heels, variant c shows a folding table 4 with bevels, variant d shows a folding table 4 with large inlet radius R and variant e shows a folding table 4 with inlet rollers or inlet rollers 12, the one Emulate replacement radius E. The folding table 4 is preferably designed arched in product part upright A, wherein the printed product 3 is warped during shrinkage. At sections 9, 10 and between these, the inlet of the printed product is made flat. This causes a positionally stable guidance of the printed product 3 on the folding table 4. The adjustability of the position of the tape guide elements 1, 6, these or the conveyor belts 5 can be adjusted to different product thicknesses.

Reference numerals:

1

Tape guide

2

folding blade

3

print product

4

folding table

5

conveyor belt

6

Tape guide

7

pair of folding rollers

8th

attack

9

Inducer section

10

Outlet section

11

folding device

12

Infeed rollers / infeed rollers

A

Product inlet direction

al

section length

e

spare radius

R

radius

α1

Area of the contact zone

α2

Area of the contact zone

Claims (12)

1. A folding apparatus (11) for printing machines or folders, consisting of a driven pair (7) of folding rollers, a folding blade (2) which travels up and down in a timed cycle, and a folding table (4), wherein at least one printed product (3) is picked up by a number of conveyor belts (5) and conveyed against at least one stop (8), wherein the conveyor belts (5) can be lowered onto, or raised from, the folding table (4) for the purpose of fixing the printed product (3), while forming a flat contact which is formed at the run-out and/or run-in sections (9, 10) of the folding table (4), characterised in that the folding table (4) has, in the region of the stop (8), at least one run-out section (10) which lies lower than the plane of the folding table and slopes below this plane in the direction of running-out of the product.
2. A folding apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveyor belts (5) can be adapted to the run-out and/or run-in sections (9, 10) of the folding table (4) for the purpose of fixing the printed product (3), and the said run-out and/or run-in sections (9, 10) are located a short distance in front of, and a short distance behind, the printed product (3).
3. A folding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, for the purpose of adjusting a force that presses the printed product (3) onto the folding table (4) and/or adapting to different thicknesses of printed product, a length of the contact at the run-out and/or run-in sections (9, 10) can be adjusted by means of the conveyor belts which can be raised and lowered.
4. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the folding table (4) has at least one run-in section (9) which lies lower than the plane of the folding table and rises to this plane in the direction (A) of running-in of the product.
5. A folding apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, characterised in that the rising and/or subsiding takes place in at least one step and/or in at least one bevel and/or in at least one radius.
6. A folding apparatus according to claim 1 or 5, characterised in that the conveyor belt (5) can be lowered onto the run-out section (10), or raised from the latter, for the purpose of adapting to the folding table (4).
7. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the folding table (4) is hard-chromium-plated.
8. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the belt-guiding elements (1, 6) which guide the conveyor belt (5) are eccentrically mounted.
9. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that replaceable, hardened elements can be used in the region of the run-out and run-in sections (9, 10).
10. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the run-out and run-in sections are not sharp-edged.
11. A folding apparatus according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterised in that the eccentrically mounted belt-guiding elements (1, 6) are separately adjustable on the operating side and the driving side, under which circumstances it is possible to carry out correction of a skewed position of the printed product (3) when it runs in onto the folding table (4).
12. A folding apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, between the run-out and run-in sections (9, 10), the printed product (3) is guided along a path which is not curved.

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