EP1950159A1 - Stacked arrangement of flat objects and method and device for manufacturing the arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Stacking arrangement (1) comprises a number of stacked sections (4) each having one or more flat objects. The edges of the objects lie over each other in the stacked sections which are displaced relative to each other across the stacking height (H) and across the edges so that the edges protrude from the arrangement in alternating stacked sections. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) Method for the production of a stacking arrangement; and (2) Device for producing the stacking arrangement. Preferred Features: End plates (6) are arranged on the front sides of the arrangement and have a shape and size which is larger than the shape and size of the flat objects.

Description

The invention is in the field of further processing of flat objects, in particular of printed products. The invention relates to a stacked arrangement of the objects as well as to a method and an apparatus according to the preambles of the corresponding independent claims, which method and apparatus are used to produce the stack-like arrangements. In the stack-like arrangement, the flat objects are arranged substantially parallel to each other and adjacent to each other.

Stacks of flat objects, in particular of rectangular or square printed products, such as newspapers, magazines or brochures, are produced not only for the transport and shipping but also for temporary storage of the articles. In the stacks, the format of all objects is substantially the same and they are aligned with each other, so that all their edges are on top of each other. In the case of newspapers and magazines, the stacks for shipping are known to have a stack height (stack width transverse to the areal extent of the printed products) which is similar to the lengths and widths of the printed products. These stacks are strapped for their stabilization, for example, with a plastic tape and thereby also compressed and / or they are wrapped with a plastic film. For temporary storage of printed products For example, of supplements that are printed at a first time and folded and stapled, for example, and added to another printed product at a later time, pile formations (also called rods) are common in which the stack height is much greater than the lengths and widths of Printed products and which are positioned during production and usually also during storage with approximately horizontal orientation of the stack height. Such stacks have so-called end plates (eg wooden boards) for stabilization at their two ends and are usually strapped one or two times with a plastic band.

The stacking and handling of stacks is largely unproblematic if the objects to be stacked have a constant thickness over their entire areal extent. If this is not the case, the stacks become unstable even at low stacking heights and can not be stabilized by strapping, sometimes even no longer, when a strapping with a high tension is placed around the stack. In particular, this problem arises for folded or stapled printed products which have a folded edge area which is significantly thicker than the remaining areas of the printed product, in particular thicker than the area of the edge opposite the fold edge (flower).

For producing stacks of printed products with an edge region which has a greater thickness than the other regions, for example folded or stapled printed products, it is known to rotate the printed products of superimposed stacking sections relative to one another by 180 ° about a stack axis parallel to the stack height, in that the thicker edge regions of the printed products are arranged in a stacking section on the one stacking side and in the two adjacent stacking sections on the opposite stacking side. In this case, the smaller the difference in thickness between the fold edge region and other regions of the stack sections can include the more printed products Printed products are. The stacks created in this way are called cross stacks. Cross-piles of printed products with a thicker edge area are significantly more stable than piles of the same printed products, in which all printed products are aligned the same, and thus can have a greater stack height.

Cross stacks are advantageous wherever they are manually dismantled, because for a person who sells the print products one at a time or feeds them in sections to further processing (eg, a feeder), the extra labor required to turn every other stacking section is so that all printed products have the same orientation, negligible. However, if the stacked objects are to be separated by machine for further processing and fed to further processing with the same orientation, the handling of cross stacks becomes considerably more complicated. For this reason, it is still not customary in the field of further processing of printed products to use cross-stack-like formations for the temporary storage of subsequently to be singulated by machine. In general, the above-mentioned rods are not cross-stack but stacks in which all printed products are aligned the same.

The invention now has for its object to provide a stacked arrangement of flat objects with an excellent edge, the excellent edge being different from the other edges in particular in that the edge region of the excellent edge is thicker than the regions of the other edges. The stack-like arrangement according to the invention should be at least as stable as corresponding cross stacks, but the articles in the stacked arrangement according to the invention are all aligned the same, ie in such a way that the excellent edges are all arranged on the same stack side. It is further the object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for producing the stack-like arrangement.

This object is achieved by the stack-like arrangement of flat objects and by the method and the apparatus for producing the stack-like arrangement, as defined in the patent claims.

In the stack-like arrangement according to the invention, the flat objects all have the same orientation, that is, equal edges, in particular the excellent edges lie on the same stack side for all objects. However, the articles are in sections transversely to the stacking height and transversely to the excellent edge so shifted or staggered arranged that project in alternating stacking section the excellent edges of the objects on one side of the stack or the edges opposite the excellent edges on the opposite stack side slightly. Within the stacking sections, when the section has a plurality of articles, the excellent edges of the articles are superimposed. But there are also stack sections with only one object conceivable.

The stacking sections of the stacked arrangement according to the invention are thus arranged offset relative to one another, wherein the extent of the offset of the stacking sections relative to each other depends on the properties of the excellent edges, in particular the width transversely to the excellent edge of an edge region in which a thickness difference is still stack relevant. The thickness of the stacking sections or the number of objects per section is dependent on the thickness difference between the area of the excellent edge and the other areas of the flat objects, wherein all sections of a stack can be the same thickness or different thicknesses. Particularly advantageous are stacks, in which the stacking sections with thicker edge regions projecting from the stack are larger than the stacking sections, in which edge regions opposite the thicker edge regions project out of the stack.

The method and apparatus for producing the stacked arrangement of the present invention are different from known methods and apparatuses for making stacks in which all the flat items have the same orientation (no cross stacks) in that the items arrive in sections as they are fed to the growing stacks are arranged offset transversely to the stack height and transverse to the excellent edge relative to each other and that for the preparation of this displacement a correspondingly controlled movable displacement means is provided.

The stacked arrangement according to the invention is particularly suitable for printed products with an edge which is distinguished by a greater thickness. These are in particular once folded or twice folded printed products or stapled in a fold printed products, such as newspapers, magazines or brochures. The magazines and brochures, for example, consist of interfolded sheets and are stapled if necessary. The newspapers are once folded (tabloid) or folded twice, with the excellent edge being the edge of the second fold. Such printed products are usually rectangular or square, but this is not a requirement for the inventive, stack-like arrangement.

It turns out that the stack-like arrangement according to the invention is particularly suitable for stapled printed products whose folded edges have no stack relevant greater thickness, but in which the stapling by their additional thickness the Stacking negatively affected, that is the stack makes unstable or limits the possible stack height.

Figur 1

eine erfindungsgemässe stapelartige Anordnung von rechteckigen Druckprodukten, welche Anordnung Endplatten aufweist und mit einem Umreifungsband umreift ist;

Figur 2

einen Ausschnitt aus der stapelartigen Anordnung gemäss Figur 1 in einem grösseren Massstab und quer zum Versatz der Stapelsektionen gesehen;

Figur 3

eine beispielhafte Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung zur Herstellung der erfindungsgemässen, stapelartigen Anordnung gemäss Fig. 1;

Figuren 4, 5

zwei beispielhafte Ausführungsformen von Versetzungsmitteln, die sich für die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 3 eignen;

Figur 6

eine weitere beispielhafte Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung zur Herstellung von erfindungsgemässen, stapelartigen Anordnungen.

Exemplary embodiments of the stacked arrangement of flat objects and of the method and apparatus for their manufacture will be described in detail with reference to the following figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

an inventive stack-like arrangement of rectangular printed products, which arrangement has end plates and is strapped with a strapping;

FIG. 2

a section of the stack-like arrangement according to FIG. 1 seen on a larger scale and across the offset of the stacking sections;

FIG. 3

an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus for producing the inventive, stack-like arrangement according to Fig. 1 ;

FIGS. 4, 5

two exemplary embodiments of displacement means, which are suitable for the device according to FIG. 3 suitable;

FIG. 6

a further exemplary embodiment of the apparatus for producing inventive, stack-like arrangements.

In the following, stack-like arrangements of rectangular printed products with a folding edge, the area of which is thicker or has stapling thicker places than other areas, as well as methods and devices for their preparation will be described. It goes without saying that the same stack-like arrangements, methods and devices with other flat objects with an excellent edge, in particular an edge with an edge region which is thicker than other regions, are applicable.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an inventive, stack-like arrangement 1 of printed products 2, which substantially corresponds to a so-called rod. The printed products 2 are rectangular. For example, there are two folded newspapers or stapled magazines (magazines or brochures). The printed products 2 are all the same orientation in the stack-like arrangement 1, wherein all edges 3 (folding edges) which are distinguished by their greater thickness are directed towards the bottom (or towards the top). The stack-like assembly 1 has a plurality of stacking sections 4 and 4 'with the printed products within each stacking section aligned with each other, but each second stacking section 4 is shifted across the stacking height H relative to the other stacking sections 4' such that the thicker edge regions 3 of each section 4 protrude from the stack-like arrangement, while for the other sections 4 ', the edge regions 3' opposite the thicker edge regions project.

Since in the stacked arrangement according to the invention the thicker edge regions are only partially adjacent to one another, they do not contribute completely to the stack height H and can thus not destabilize the arrangement as is the case in a known stack in which all printed products are aligned identically.

The stack-like arrangement according to FIG. 1 has at its two ends in a conventional manner end plates 6 and is strapped with a strapping. The end plates do not have the same format as the printed products, as is the case for known stacks (bars), but are larger by the offset h of the stacking sections. This will prevent the on two opposite sides of the Arrangement protruding areas of the printed products are damaged by the strapping. But it is of course also possible not to apply the strapping in a plane parallel to the offset h of the stack sections, as shown in the FIG. 1 is shown, but perpendicular thereto (in FIG. 1 dash-dotted lines indicated), such that the strapping band spans over those staple sides from which none of the staple sections protrude. Also, a double cross strapping or an arrangement of two or more than two parallel strapping is conceivable.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a section of the stack-like arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1 on a larger scale. The stack-like arrangement 1 is shown on a conveying surface 10 (eg conveyor belt) on which the printed products are conveyed in a stacking direction S parallel to the stacking height in the production of the arrangement, wherein in the growing, stack-like arrangement the printed products 2 in alternation by the offset h are shifted against each other. In one in the FIG. 2 Not shown feeding point, the printed products are supplied in a conventional manner, for example, as a scale flow with leading folding edges from above and parked on the conveying surface 10. For the displacement of the stacking sections relative to one another in the FIG. 2 not shown accordingly controlled Versetzungsmittel used, with the aid of the stacking sections 4 and 4 'are alternately parked directly on the conveying surface 10 or the offset h on the conveying surface on a correspondingly shaped part of the displacement means. Exemplary embodiments of dislocation agents are described in connection with FIGS FIGS. 3 to 6 described.

The stacking sections in the FIG. 2 illustrated, stack-like arrangement 1 are not all the same size. The stacking sections 4 with protruding thicker edge regions 3 comprise more printed products than the stacking sections 4 ', of which the edge regions 3' opposite the thicker edge regions 3 project.

The stacking sections 4 'advantageously comprise only so many products that their thickness corresponds approximately to the additional thickness of the thicker edge regions of a section 4, in other words such that the thicker edge regions of the printed products which directly adjoin the stacking section 4' on both sides have the smallest possible distance from one another have, therefore, essentially touch, as in the FIG. 2 is shown.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary apparatus for producing stack-like arrangements according to FIG. 1 , The device corresponds to the displacement means in the publication EP-1523443 (or US-2005/0206063 Device described F567). Their known parts are therefore described only very summarily for this reason. For details refer to the publication mentioned.

The device has a feed means 11, with the aid of which printed products are supplied, for example in a scale flow, to the conveying surface 10 moving in the stacking direction S and are advantageously set down with their thicker edge region on the conveyor base, where they form a stack-like arrangement 1 growing in the stacking direction S. ' form. The device is advantageously equipped with an acceleration means, not shown, which ensures that the stack-like arrangement in the region of the feed point is relatively loose and only in a stacking direction spaced from the feed point acceleration point against a downstream counter-holder (not shown) are driven. As a result, a stack pressure is generated, such that the stacked printed products can no longer move relative to each other, while the printed products between feed point and acceleration point still relatively loose follow each other and can still be aligned. Discrete, stack-like arrangements 1 are separated from the growing and pressed arrangement and conveyed further in the stacking direction S. These stack-like arrangements 1 are provided at their end faces with end plates 6, for which a Plattenpositioniermittel 12 is provided. Then the stack-shaped arrangements 1 are strapped with the aid of a strapping band in a strapping station 13 and removed from the apparatus transversely to the stacking direction, wherein the strapping station is not a necessary component of the apparatus.

In contrast to the device known from the publication mentioned above, the device according to the invention has FIG. 3 in addition to a displacement means 15, with which the supplied printed products are deposited in successive sections alternately on the conveying surface 10 or by the intended offset h above.

That in the FIG. 3 Displacement means 15 shown has a circumferentially driven circulating member 16 (eg, chain or belt) on which at regular intervals before each other displacement elements 17 are arranged. The length of the displacement elements 17 in the direction of rotation corresponds to the thickness of the sections 4 'to be created, the corresponding length of the distances between successive displacement elements 17 corresponds to the thickness of the sections 4 to be created. The displacement means 15 is designed and arranged such that the displacement elements 17, for example in FIG a distance between two conveyor belts forming the conveyor surface 10 are moved over the conveyor surface at the same speed and direction as the conveyor surface 10 through the feed location and accompany the growing, stacked arrangement at least until immediately after the acceleration point. In this case, the revolving member is arranged such that its upper level is approximately at the height of the conveying surface 10 and the displacement elements are dimensioned such that their surface facing away from the conveying surface 10 projects by the offset h above the conveying surface 10. All printed products that are placed on the conveying surface 10 form stacking sections 4, all printed products that are placed on the displacement elements 17 form stacking sections 4 '.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show further Versetzungsmittel 15 which are suitable for an apparatus for producing inventive, stack-like arrangements, for the preparation of the stacking direction S or the stack height is oriented approximately horizontally and the printed products are conveyed from above (feed direction Z) in the feed point, as also in the device according to FIG. 3 the case is. Since the in the FIGS. 4 and 5 shown dislocation means 15, the growing stack-like arrangement can not go beyond the thickness of a section, they are better suited for devices in which the growing stack-like arrangement is pressed from the feed point, for devices, the above, from the Zuführungsstelle spaced acceleration means according to the publication EP-1523443 (or US-2005/0206063 Not have, F567).

The displacement means 15 according to FIG. 4 in turn has a revolving driven circulating member 16 which is arranged for example between two conveying surfaces forming the conveyor surface 10 and the stepwise over two pulleys 20 and 21 runs, such that it runs in the conveying direction after the stage below the conveying surface 10 or at the same level and upstream of the step by the offset h above the conveying surface 10. The two deflection rollers 20 and 21 are reciprocated by suitable means (not shown) parallel to the stacking direction S (arrows V and V '), such that the step itself optionally located behind the feed point or in the stacking direction S away from the feed point or the stacking direction S against this moves.

FIG. 4 shows the displacement means 15 in three successive stages of producing a stack-like arrangement according to the invention: on the left in the creation of a section 4 '(printed products are placed on the stage, ie by the offset h on the conveying surface 10), during which the pulleys 20 and 21 itself move at approximately the same speed as the conveying surface 10 in the stacking direction S (arrow V); then right just before you start creating one the section 4 'following section 4, before the pulleys are moved at an increased speed in the opposite direction (arrow V') behind the feed point; and finally at the bottom right during the production of a section 4 (printed products are placed on the conveying surface 10), during which the guide rollers 20 and 21 are stationarily positioned behind the feeding point.

The displacement means 15 according to FIG. 5 is similar to the dislocation agent according to FIG. 3 , but wherein the displacement elements 17 are not arranged on a rotating member but on a rotationally driven wheel 23. The wheel 23 is arranged to rotate about an axis 24, wherein the axis 24 is arranged below the conveying surface 10 and extends transversely to the stacking direction S. The wheel 23 has, for example, at its periphery evenly distributed four spaced-apart displacement elements 17, which protrude from the Radperipherie and have outer surfaces 18 which are approximately flat. The wheel 23 is arranged, for example, at a distance between two conveyor belts forming the conveyor surface 10 such that an offset element 17, which is in the upper zenith of the wheel 23, projects beyond the conveyor surface 10 by the offset h and the periphery of the wheel 23 is below the conveyor belt 10 Conveying surface 10 is located when no displacement element 17 is positioned in the upper zenith of the wheel 23.

FIG. 6 shows that unlike those in the FIGS. 2 to 5 in which stacking preparations are shown with horizontally oriented stack height, it is also possible to produce inventive, stack-like arrangements with vertical stack height. A device used therefor has, as known devices for the production of stacks with vertical stack height, a stacking shaft 30 and a feeding means 11 for supplying printed products 2 against the upper, open end of the stacking shaft. The feeding means 11, which is designed, for example, as a conveyor belt, guides the printed products 2 obliquely from above to a feed side 31 of the open upper end of the stacking shaft 30 and conveys them over the shaft opening from where they are moved to a stacking table 32 which is moved downwards during stacking or to printed products already stacked on the stacking table 32. The feeding of the printed products is performed at a speed such that the printed products abut on the side opposite the feed side and thereby aligned on that side.

For the production of inventive stack-like arrangements 1, the distance between the feed side of the stacking shaft 30 and the opposite side by at least the offset h is greater than the corresponding dimension of the printed products. Further, a displacement means 15 reciprocating at the designated offset h is provided which, depending on the section (4 or 4 ') being stacked, is advanced into the stacking shaft 30 or retracted accordingly. Advantageously, the displacement means 15 comprises two parts, a first part which is arranged on the feed side opposite side, and a second part which is arranged on the feed side, as shown in FIG FIG. 6 is shown.

FIG. 6 shows the device in three consecutive stages of batch production. The printed products 2 are supplied, for example, with the folded edges in advance in a scale flow, in which the leading folding edges are at the top. On the left is the beginning of the stacking with the stacking table 32 fully raised. The displacement means 15 has moved back, the stacking section to be produced is a section 4 (in the case of stacking with leading folding edges). When the stacking section 4 has a sufficient thickness, the displacement means is moved into the stacking shaft, as shown to the right in FIG FIG. 6 is shown. By a corresponding reciprocation of the displacement means 15 arise in the stack shaft alternately stacking sections 4 and 4 'until the stacking table 32 has reached its lowest position and the finished stack-like arrangement of the stacking shaft 30 can be removed, which is advantageously carried out transversely to the feed direction.

Claims (18)

A stacked assembly (1) comprising a plurality of flat articles each having an excellent edge (3), said flat articles being arranged parallel to and adjacent each other across a stacking height (H), and all said edges (3) being of equal orientation and are arranged on the same stack side, characterized in that the stack-like arrangement (1) comprises a plurality of stacking sections (4, 4 ') each with one or more than one of the flat objects, wherein in the stacking sections (4, 4') the excellent edges (3) of the objects lie on one another and wherein the stacking sections (4, 4 ') are arranged offset relative to one another transversely to the stacking height (H) and transversely to the marked edges (3) in such a way that in alternate stacking sections (4, 4') ) the edges (3) or edges (3 ') facing the excellent edges (3) protrude from the stack-like arrangement. Stack-like arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by a strapping. Stack-type arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that end plates (6) are arranged on the end faces of the stack-like arrangement, the end plates (6) having a shape and size which is larger than the shape by the size of the offset (h) Size of flat objects. Stack-like arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an edge region of the excellent edge (3) has a greater thickness than other regions. Stack-like arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that all stacking sections (4, 4 ') have an equal number of flat objects. A stack-type arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the stacking sections (4 ') with projecting edges (3') facing the excellent edges (3) have less flat objects than the stacking sections (4) with projecting edges (3). Stack-like arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the flat objects are printed products (2). A stackable arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the printed products (2) are folded or stapled printed products with a folded edge and that the folded edge is the excellent edge (3) of the printed products. A stackable arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the flat objects are twice-folded newspapers, stapled or non-stapled tabloids, magazines or brochures. A method of making stacked arrays (1) of a plurality of flat articles each having an excellent edge (3), the articles all being fed in the same orientation of the excellent edge (3) and in the stacked configuration substantially transverse to one Stack height (H) are arranged parallel to each other and adjacent to each other, characterized in that successively to a feed-side End of the stack-like arrangement attached stacking sections (4, 4 '), each having one or more than one of the supplied articles whose excellent edges lie on each other, are offset transversely to the stack height (H) and transversely to the excellent edges (3) against each other in that stacking sections (4) having protruding excellent edges (3) and stacking sections (4 ') with protruding edges (3') opposite the excellent edges (3) are alternately added in the stacked arrangement (1). A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the stack-like arrangement (1) with substantially horizontal stacking height (H) is created, wherein the flat objects are fed at a feed point to the feed side stack end from above and to create the offset (h) in alternating Stacking sections (4, 4 ') are placed on a conveying surface (10) or on a projecting over the conveying surface element. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the stack-like arrangement (1) with substantially vertical stacking height (H) is created, wherein the flat objects of the stack-like arrangement (1) are supplied from obliquely above on a feed side and that to create the offset (H) of the stacking sections (4, 4 ') a displacement means (15) in the horizontal direction is moved back and forth. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the flat objects are printed products (2) and that the excellent edges (3) are fold edges. Apparatus for producing stacked arrangements (1) of flat objects, which apparatus comprises feeding means (11) for feeding the flat objects, means for stacking the supplied flat objects and means for conveying away the stack-like arrangements (1), characterized in that the device further comprises a movable displacement means (15) for establishing an offset (h) between adjacent stacking sections (4, 4 '). Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the means for stacking comprises a conveying surface (10) and the feeding means (11) for feeding the flat objects from above and placing the flat objects in a feed point on the conveying surface (10) is equipped and that the displacement means (15) comprises at least one element which projects in the feed point alternately over the conveying surface or not. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the displacement means (15) comprises a plurality of spaced-apart displacement elements (17). Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the displacement means comprises a in a stacking direction (S) displaceable stage. Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the means for stacking the flat objects comprises a stacking shaft (30), that the feeding means (11) is equipped for feeding the flat objects to a feed side of the stacking shaft (30) and that the displacement means (15) has a horizontally movable element to and fro.

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