EP2297014B1 - Insertion apparatus and insertion method - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has a loop (10) having compartments (12) around a rotational axis (D) of a closed circular path (U). The partition walls (14) are provided in compartments along the direction of rotation. The apertures (16) are provided in the compartments, for insertion of folded printed product (2) at supply location (S1). A subject matter (8) is inserted into the folded product through a controllable opening (20) for maintaining folded product in open state, at supply location (S2). The partition walls are flexed and compartments are arranged around the rotational axis. An independent claim is included for plug-in method for inserting flattened subject matter into foldable printed product.

Description

The invention is in the field of further processing of printed products and more particularly relates to an apparatus and method for inserting flat objects into a folded printed product, e.g. an envelope. Such flat objects are, for example, other printed products, printed pre- or additional products, newspaper parts, samples, brochures, flyers and other supplements. The invention is used, for example, for producing a multipart printed product.

For inserting flat objects between the two product parts of a folded printed product, it is known to transfer the printed products coming from the rotary printing press to a separate device to hold and open it, introduce the flat objects and remove the resulting end product and promote further. The devices previously used for this purpose, eg according to EP-A 0 588 764 or EP-A 1 090 867 , Circulating systems include a plurality of compartments that are moved along a circular orbit about an axis of rotation by being disposed on a rigid body of revolution, such as a wheel. At the periphery of the circulating system, the feeding stations for the printed products and the items to be inserted are arranged. The printed products are fed into the compartments with the fold in advance and opened and opened by an opening device so that the flat objects can be introduced into the opened product. The compartments are defined by dividing walls, which are in the extend substantially radial direction. The orientation of the compartments, ie the direction of an imaginary line or surface between two adjacent partitions, is radial. This allows, inter alia, a maximum large opening of the compartments, so that there are tolerances when inserting the products.

Similar devices with substantially radially aligned compartments are from the documents FR-A 1 323 844 . DE-B 12 62 298 . US 3,420,516 or DE-A 14 36 585 known.

A disadvantage of the known devices, however, are the large accelerations to which the products are exposed during insertion into the compartments due to the change in direction between the Zuführmgsrichtung and the direction of promotion in the circulation system (see. JP 06 321403A ). Another problem is the adaptation to different formats: The distance between the two partitions varies greatly with the radius on which the distance is measured. Since the products are usually fixed at their radially outer edges in the compartments, shorter products are spread open more than longer products and thus may be charged in an undesirable manner. Finally, the compartments must have a certain depth in order to process products with a given maximum format. The radial orientation of the compartments leads to relatively large diameters of the system.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an apparatus and a method for inserting flat objects in folded printed products, which avoids the problems of the prior art. The products should in particular be treated gently, with an adaptation to different formats should be possible.

The object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 14. Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

The invention is based on a prior art, as described above. The apparatus comprises a circulation system having a plurality of compartments movable along a closed circular orbit about an axis of rotation, delimited in the circumferential direction by dividing walls and having openings along the circumference for introducing the printed products and the articles into the compartments. The circulation system is designed, for example, in the manner of a paddle wheel. For opening and keeping open the printed products introduced at a first feed point with the folded edge first into the compartments, a controllable opening device is provided. This is set up so that the folded printed products are opened in front of a second feed point for the flat objects and are moved past this feed point in the opened state, so that the articles can be inserted into the open product. According to the invention, the partitions run at least in regions substantially in the manner of a tangent to the circular orbit. The compartments are thus open in a substantially tangential direction counter to the direction of rotation and preferably oriented in particular at an angle of less than 45 ° relative to the orbit. The orbit is, for example, the path of those ends of the partitions, which face the axis of rotation, or the path of the compartment floor. This is spaced from the axis of rotation, so that the compartments can be arranged in the manner described. The direction of an imaginary line or surface between two adjacent partitions thus extends substantially tangentially to the orbit or intersects them at a small angle.

If the orbit is defined by the path of that point of the compartments, so the partitions or the compartment bottoms, which has the smallest distance r to the axis of rotation, the partitions are preferably in the immediate vicinity of the compartment floor tangent to the so defined orbit. The partitions are preferably bent in the area facing away from the compartment floor area to the axis of rotation. The compartments open preferably opposite to the direction of rotation.

The inventive method provides that the printed products and preferably also the items to be inserted are supplied in a direction which substantially corresponds to the alignment of the trailing partition of the associated compartment, if this is in the region of the corresponding feed. Depending on the position of the second feed point, the object can also be introduced parallel to the leading dividing wall.

The invention makes it possible to supply the printed products in the direction of the compartments and by rotation of the circulating system initially without significant change in direction and thus promote further without large accelerations. The air resistance of the printed product is reduced by moving the product with the folded edge in the direction of the product level, rather than perpendicular to it.

The invention has the further advantage that the distance between the partitions in dependence on the depth of the compartment (from the periphery in the direction of the axis of rotation) does not change as much as in radially oriented compartments. The initially described problems with the format adaptation are therefore avoided.

Another advantage is that the diameter of the circulating system for processing products having a given maximum format is reduced by the orientation of the compartments deviating from the radial direction compared to systems in which the compartments are radially oriented, and therefore the system according to the invention is more compact as the prior art can be performed.

This embodiment of the circulation system with shingles arranged around the center of rotation compartments also leads to the products are promoted within the circulation system in a very compact formation, which allows high flow rates. The formation essentially corresponds to an imbricated formation which undergoes a deflection. The difference to a conventional scale formation is that inside the circulation system partitions between the products are arranged. The compartments are spirally wound around the axis of rotation.

For feeding the products substantially in the direction of rotation or in the direction of the instantaneous orientation of the compartment, a feeding station for the folded printed products is preferably arranged relative to the circulation system so that the printed products are introduced substantially tangentially or secantially to the orbit, more preferably substantially horizontally Direction.

It has been shown that curved against the direction of rotation, for example, helically spiraling around the axis of rotation partitions have advantages because they facilitate the opening of the products. Because when fixing one of the product parts against the curved partition, the folded product spreads due to its inherent rigidity usually without additional measures. The opening device can therefore easily by a clamping element be realized that presses one of the product parts against the partition. Alternatively, the opening means may be realized by one or more suction air nozzles in the dividing wall, whereby the adjacent product part is sucked against the dividing wall. Such opening devices, which fix only one of the product parts, can also be used in straight compartment walls.

A curved partition has the additional advantage that the space requirement (diameter of the device) compared to the case with straight partitions is reduced.

The opening process is preferably supported by further measures. Such measures may be the appropriate arrangement of the various stations along the orbit, which make it possible to exploit the change in position of the product during transport along the orbit and thus the gravity to open. Furthermore, opening elements can be provided which can be inserted between the product parts and lift them apart from one another. Finally, the product parts can also be lifted from each other by blowing in air.

For selectively picking up a product and selectively releasing it at a dispensing position, a control device is used with which the opening device can be controlled in dependence on the position of the compartments along the orbit. This is realized for example by a stationary control link, which cooperates with arranged on the compartments mitbewegten elements.

To adapt to different formats preferably slidable stop elements are provided, which within the compartments as a stop for the

Serve fold edge and thereby define the compartment floor. The stop elements are moved, for example, in the radial direction to support products of different formats so that the edge opposite the folded edge is format-independent in the region of the compartment opening.

To deliver the completed products to a removal device, a stripping device is preferably provided which pushes the products out of the compartments at a delivery position. The stripping device preferably engages the folded edges. It is particularly stationary and moves the product due to the relative movement between stripping and the circulation system. The stripping device can be adjustable for format adaptation.

• Fig. eine erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung zum Einstecken von flachen Gegenständen in gefaltete Produkte;
• Fig. 2-4 eine Vorrichtung gemäss Fig. 1 mit verschiedenen Varianten der Zuführstationen und der Wegförderung;
• Fig. 5-7 verschiedene Varianten der Öffnungseinrichtung.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and described below. It shows purely schematically:

• FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention for inserting flat objects into folded products; FIG.
• Fig. 2-4 a device according to Fig. 1 with different variants of the feeder stations and the way conveyance;
• Fig. 5-7 different variants of the opening device.

Fig. 1 shows a plug-in device 1 with a circulation system 10, which comprises a plurality of compartments 12. In each case a compartment 12 is formed by two adjacent planar or an area spanning partitions 14 which at least a rotational body (not shown here) are rotatably mounted about a rotation axis D. The partitions 14 define receiving pockets for products which taper from the periphery of the circulation system 10 and the compartment opening 16 to the compartment floor 13.

By the rotation about the horizontal axis of rotation D running here, the compartments 12 describe a circular orbit U with a radius r. In the present case, the orbit U denotes the path of that dividing wall end 15 which lies at the smallest distance r from the axis of rotation D (r> 0). If the web of another point on the partition 14 is viewed, e.g. the outer partition wall end 15 ', the corresponding orbit U' is concentric with the innermost orbit U, but has a larger radius r '.

According to the invention, the compartments 12 and the partition walls 14 are not oriented radially to the axis of rotation D or to the circular path U, U ', as in the prior art. The partitions 14 extend in the region of their inner end 15 is substantially tangential to the orbit U with the smallest radius r, which also indicates the minimum distance of the compartment floors 13 to the axis of rotation D. The corresponding tangent T is shown schematically in the upper part of the circulation system 10 for one of the compartments 12. If an orbit U 'with a larger radius r' considered, the partitions 14 extend secantially to the orbit U '. It is also possible that the partitions 14 extend at a smallest possible angle secant to the inner orbit U. The compartments 12 open in the opposite direction (clockwise here), i. E. the compartment opening 16 runs after the compartment floor 13.

In the region of the radially outer ends 15 'of the partition walls 14 holding elements 22 are arranged, which are part of an opening device 20. These also includes a control device not shown in detail in the form of a control link and cooperating controls with which the holding elements 22 can be moved between an open position and a clamping position.

In the area of the compartment floor 13 stop elements 18 are arranged, which define a total of cylinder jacket-shaped stop surface for the folded edge 5 of the products. The distance a of the stop elements 18 from the axis of rotation D is preferably adjustable to adapt to different product formats, so that the outer edges of the products 2 always occupy the same position. In the lower part of the orbit U there is a stripping device 24 for pushing out the products 2 from the compartments. The scraper 24 is presently stationary, but could also comprise one or more traveling elements, e.g. a wheel, a cam belt or a gripper chain.

In the upper region of the orbit U, here to the left of its vertex, a feed station 30 for folded printed products 2 is arranged. Downstream of this in the right part of the orbit U there is a feed station 40 for articles 8 to be inserted into the products 2. These objects 8 can be designed and assembled in various ways. Below the circulating system 10 is a removal conveyor 50 for transporting the products 2 with the inserted objects eighth

The rotation of the circulating system 10 as well as the product feed of the feed stations 30, 40 is controlled by exchanging suitable control signals preferably coordinated with each other by a common control device 60.

The following describes the function of the plug-in device 1:

By the feed station 30, the folded products 2 are introduced in the closed state with the folded edge 5 ahead at a first feed point S1 in the compartments 12. The products 2 are fed during feeding in a substantially horizontal feed direction Z1 and separated from the feed stream. The position of the feed point S1 is selected so that the compartments 12 and the trailing partition wall 14 of a compartment 12 there also has a substantially horizontal orientation. Therefore, the products 2 also keep their original direction of movement within the circulation system 10, so that large relative movements as well as strong braking and friction forces on the product 2 are avoided.

The products 2 consist of two product parts 4, 6, which are folded to form a prefold 3 on the trailing product part 6. The prefold 3 is clamped in the closed state of the product 2 by the clamping element 22 against the partition wall 14. As the compartment 12 rotates clockwise, the product 2 is moved to be opened by gravity. As Fig. 7 shows, the opening process can be supported by blowing air. The non-retained product part 4 is supported by the leading partition 14 of the compartment 12. In this situation, the flat object 8 is inserted into the opened product 2 at the second feeding point S2. The feeding direction Z2 of the articles 8 also substantially coincides with the orientation of the compartments 12 at the feeding point S2.

After inserting the article 8, the clamping element 22 is released, so that the product 2 can be pushed out of the compartment 12 by the stripping device 24 and delivered to the removal device 50. In the present case, the Products 2 stored in a scaly formation on a conveyor belt, but it is also a transfer to a gripper conveyor possible, as in Fig. 4 shown.

The stop element 18 is moved to adapt to different formats, for example in the radial direction (adjustment of the distance a). This makes it possible to fix the products 2 always at the same location, here at the prefold 3. The transfer to the removal device 50 can be done without any adjustments. This has advantages in particular when transferring to a gripper conveyor, because the control of the gripper movement does not have to be adapted to different product positions within the compartment 12 (see Fig. 4 ).

By moving the stop element 18, the compartment 12 changes its depth. However, the opening angle of the product 2 does not change as much as a function of the depth as in systems with radially oriented partitions 14, so that an undesirable large expansion of the product 2 is avoided. The effective opening width d of the compartments 12, which limits the expansion of the product 2, is significantly smaller than the width of the opening 16 measured in the circumferential direction, which would be decisive for radially oriented products, due to the tangential orientation of the partition walls 14.

The partitions 14 of the circulation system Fig. 1 are opposite to the direction of rotation, ie towards the axis of rotation D out, bent. Since the products 2 are fixed to the trailing partition wall 14 of a compartment 12, the bending of the partition wall 14 and the inherent rigidity of the product 2 will easily allow the product 2 to open.

The partitions 14 could also be straight. It is also possible that they are not full-surface, but consist of several elements that define a support surface. Likewise, front and back of a partition 14 could not each be associated with a compartment 12, but each compartment 12 could have separate support members for the leading and the trailing compartment wall. Another variant is to attach transport bags to a conveyor, such as a chain, which is moved, for example, rail-guided along the orbit. The orbit could also be other than circular in this case. In the Fig. 1 shown construction of the circulation system, however, is structurally particularly simple.

Fig. 2 shows a device 1 according to Fig. 1 with a feed station 30, the products 2 optionally online from a gripper conveyor 32, which is connected for example to the output of a printing press, or offline from a product memory 36 receives. The products 2 are conveyed on a conveyor belt 34 to the feed point S1 and thereby accelerated, for example.

In the Fig. 2 sketched feed station 40 for the einzusteckenden objects 8 consists of two counter-rotating conveyor belts 42, 44, between which larger and more complex items 8 can be recorded and promoted. The conveyor belts 42, 44 run in the region of the feed point S2 in such a way that the conveying direction Z2 of the articles 8 approximately corresponds to the instantaneous orientation of the compartments 12, here they are inclined obliquely downward. For example, the delivery station 40 may be as in FIG EP-A 1 475 329 be described described. For assembling and introducing more complex objects, a device according to EP-B 1 456106 be used.

As described above, the conveying device 50 comprises a conveyor belt 52 whose conveying direction in the region of the product delivery corresponds to the instantaneous conveying direction (circulation direction) of the products 2. The products 2 deposited in an imbricated formation can subsequently be taken over by further conveyors or guided over deflections 54, eg as in FIG EP-A 1 411 011 described.

Fig. 3 shows a variant of the arrangement Fig. 2 in which the conveying direction of the products 2 in the feeder 30 is reversed. The imbricated formation of the products 2 is fed above the circulating system 10 counter to the direction of rotation in the upper part and rotated by 180 °, realized here by two circularly deflected counter-rotating conveyor belts. The products 2 are then introduced into the compartments 12 as described above.

In the Fig. 3 shown Wegfördereinrichtung 50 includes in addition to the Fig. 2 shown components a gripper conveyor 56, which takes over the products 2 in a substantially upright position in which they were brought by the deflection 54. The grippers grasp the products 2 at the collar or at the folded edge.

Fig. 4 shows a variant in which the products 2 are taken over by the circulating system 10 directly from a gripper conveyor 58. The products 2 are gripped here by the grippers 59 at their open edge opposite the folded edge 5. They are easily pushed out of the compartments 12 by a scraper element 24, so that the edge protrudes and can be grasped by the grippers 59. The transfer point is located laterally of the circulation system 10 at a position in which the compartments 12 are still oriented upwards, so that the open product edge is still above the folded edge 5. The product 2 will be so pushed against gravity from the compartment. This allows a very precise control of the product movement.

For size adaptation, the stripping element 24 is preferably also adjustable, so that the product edge to be gripped is always located at the same position

The direct adoption of products 2 by grippers from a circulating system 10 is described in the non-prepublished application no. CH 0098/08 to which reference is made here in terms of the design of the circulation system and the control of the gripper supplementary.

Fig. 5-7 show various ways in which a product 2 introduced into a compartment 12 can be held and opened.

In the example of Fig. 5 located at the outer end 15 'of the partition 14, a clamping element 22 which is controlled relative to the partition wall 14 is pivotable and one of the product parts 6 can clamp at its prefold 3 against the partition wall 14. The products 2 open by changing the compartment 12 by moving along the orbit U its orientation. In the area of the pocket bottom 13, movable stop elements 18 are arranged, against which the folded edge 5 abuts during the conveyance through the circulation system 10.

Shown dashed are stop elements 18 ', which have a greater distance a from the axis of rotation D and a product 2' with lesser length (folded edge 5 ') hold so that its prefold 3' can be detected by the clamping element 22.

In the example of Fig. 6 14 nozzles 26 are arranged in the partition, which are connected to a vacuum source 27. The trailing in the direction of rotation product part 6 is held by suction on the corresponding compartment wall. The product 2 opens in turn with a change in orientation of the compartment 12. The Saugluftzufuhr can preferably be controlled or interrupted in order to suck the product 2 only when he is completely inserted into the compartment 12, and release it at the transfer point again. In this variant, no prefold 3 is necessary.

Fig. 7 shows an example in which the opening operation of a product 2 already held on a product part 6 is supported by additional means. These are presently realized by further nozzles 28 which are connected to a compressed air source 29. The nozzles 28 preferably blow in air between the two product parts 4, 6, ie in the direction of the folded edge 5, so that they stand out from one another. The nozzles 28 are stationary or moved with the compartments 12; in the latter case, the compressed air supply is preferably controllable. Instead of compressed air and mechanical means could be used to open the product 2, for example, an opening sword.

Claims (15)

1. An apparatus (1) for inserting flat objects (8) into a folded printed product (2), comprising a circulating system (10) with a plurality of compartments (12) which can be moved along a closed circular circulating path (U) about a rotational axis (D), are delimited by dividing walls (14) in the circulating direction and, along the circumference, have openings (16) for inserting the printed products (2) and the objects (8) into the compartments (12), and with a controllable opening device (20) for opening and keeping open printed products (2) which are inserted into the compartments (12) at a first feed point (S1), in such a way that the flat objects (8) can be inserted into the opened folded printed products (2) at a second feed point (S2), characterized in that the dividing walls (14), at least in parts thereof, run substantially tangentially with respect to the circulating path (U).
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the circulating path (U) is defined by the path of that point of the dividing walls (14) or the compartment bases (13) which is at the smallest distance (r) from the rotational axis (D), and that the dividing walls (14) extend tangentially with respect to the circulating track (U) in the immediate vicinity of the compartment base (13).
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dividing walls (14) are bent toward the rotational axis at least in the region which faces away from the compartment base (13) and/or that the dividing walls (14) are bent counter to the circulating direction.
4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings (16) of the compartments (12) are oriented counter to the circulating direction.
5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a feed station (30) for the folded printed products, which feed station (30) is arranged relative to the circulating system in such a way that the printed products (2) are inserted at the first feed point (S1) substantially parallel to that dividing wall (14) of the corresponding compartment (12) which follows in the direction of revolution, and preferably in the circulating direction.
6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base (13) of the compartments (12) is defined by stop elements (18) which are arranged at a predefined distance (a) from the rotational axis (D), wherein preferably the distance (a) of the stop elements (18) from the rotational axis (D) is variable for adaptation to different formats.
7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circulating system (10) is a paddle wheel which can be rotated about the rotational axis (D).
8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening device (20) comprises a controllable clamping element (22) which is capable or fixing one of the product parts (4, 6) of the folded printing product (2) in the compartment (12), preferably the trailing product part (6) in the circulating direction in the region of its radially outer edge (3).
9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening device (20) is capable of fixing one of the product parts (4, 6) of the folded printed product (2), preferably the product part (6) trailing in the circulating direction, in the compartment (12) by means of suction air.
10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the opening device (20) is capable of raising the unfixed product part (4) from the fixed product part (6) by means of blowing air.
11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized by a control apparatus, by way of which the opening device (20) can be controlled as a function of the position of the compartments (12) along the circulating path (U).
12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a stationary stripping device (24) which is capable of pushing the printed products (2) with the inserted objects (8) out of the compartments (12) by acting on the folded edge (5) in such a way that the printed products (2) can be accepted and conveyed further by a removal device (50).
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the stripping device (24) can be displaced relative to the circulating system (10) for adaptation to different product formats.
14. A method for inserting flat objects into folded printed products with an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:

    o feeding the printed products (2) at a first feed point (S1) into the compartments (12) of the circulating system (10) in a direction (Z1) which extends substantially parallel to the trailing dividing wall (14) on the compartment (12) when the latter passes the first feed point (S1);

    ○ opening the printed products (2) in the compartments (12) during the movement along the circulating track (U);

    ○ inserting the flat objects (8) into the opened printed products (2) at a second feed point (S2);

    ○ discharging the printed products (2) with the inserted flat objects (8) out of the circulating system.
15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the flat objects (8) are fed at the second feed point (S2) in a direction (Z2) which extends substantially parallel to the trailing dividing wall (14) of the compartment (12), when this passes the second feed point (S2), wherein the objects (8) are preferably fed in the circulating direction.

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