EP2626213A1 - Wire stitcher with multiple stitching heads - Google Patents

Abstract

The stitcher has stitching heads (20) for clamping assembled printed products and comprising elongated components e.g. wire supplying unit (1), wire cutter (2), wire shaper (3), housing (5) and rebate presser (6). An ejection area of a clamp (8) is arranged eccentrically to a central longitudinal axis of the stitching heads, where the components of one of the heads are formed mirror inverted with respect to the components of another head. The wire shaper is arranged at a right side of a middle axis (7) of the housing, where the clamp has crown width of 14 mm.

Description

Saddle stitchers with which collated printed products are stapled by means of staples generally have a plurality of stapling heads, which are arranged above a so-called gathering chain, by means of which the printed products are fed to the stapling heads. The stapling heads themselves usually have a slender elongate shape, so that they can be pushed close to each other to achieve short staple distances. For constructional reasons, the ejection area of the clamps is arranged eccentrically to a central longitudinal axis of the stapling head by arranging on one side of the housing the former and the guides for the drive slide, with which the clamps are pushed into the printed product, and other components next to it such as B. the wire feed and cutting device and their adjustment mechanisms and adjusting wheels are arranged, which must be accessible to the operator. A saddle stitcher with such stitching heads is for example in the EP 2147800 described. More saddle stitchers or stitching heads are described in the US 7,337,937 B2 , of the US 7,637,489 B2 as well as the US 7,780,157 ,

Since there is a desire for shorter staple distances for certain printed products or formats, attempts have also been made to reduce the distance between staples by design measures on the stapling head. Thus, from a manufacturer stapling heads are offered with a smaller width. The reduction in width is achieved by reducing the back length of the brackets and thus the driver slide from the current standard 14 mm to 10 mm. However, this in turn brings with it other disadvantages. Thus, with smaller back lengths of the clip only a wire of lesser strength can be used. Because of the forming forces, the shorter the clamp back, the thinner the wire. However, thinner wires, in turn, have poorer product piercing properties because they bend more easily. As a result, in turn, only thinner products can be stapled.

In the DE 102008010670 A1 It is also proposed to reduce the clip spacing by placing the blank holder on the side of the stapling head which already the cutting box is attached. In this document is also addressed to use two with respect to the cutting box and blank holder mirror-image stitching heads and to arrange so that there are no hold-down between the stitching heads and thus they can be pushed together more closely. However, even with this measure, the minimum clip spacing apart from the cutting box / blank holder is limited to the housing width of the stapling head itself.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a saddle stitcher in which the stitching heads can be pushed together to achieve a small staple spacing of less than the stapling head width.

This object is achieved according to the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, characterized in that the saddle stitcher has at least two stitching heads, the assemblies are constructed in terms of structure with respect to all essential components in mirror image to those of the other stapling head.

In the saddle stitcher according to the invention thus two different types of stitching heads are used, which are not identical, but their assemblies are mirror images of each other. All essential components of a stapling head so, unless they are already symmetrical in itself, manufactured and assembled mirror-inverted. In this way, stapling heads, in which the staple spacing is practically determined only by the shorter distance of the driver slide of a housing wall and thus can be pushed together so symmetrically constructed stapling heads far enough that the minimum stapling distance not much more than twice this distance of the driver slide Housing outer wall amounts.

It is useful if at least two consecutive groups of two stapling heads are arranged on the saddle stitcher, wherein the first group has two similar stapling heads and the second group has two similar but mirror-inverted stapling heads constructed in mirror-inverted fashion to the stapling heads of the first group. Because if this then arranged with the respective shorter intervals of their driver slide to an outer wall of the stapling head housing adjacent to each other in the saddle stitcher can be made, even with format widths from 70 mm double staple stitching with a staple spacing of at least 44 mm in the double-use or in other words, a staple spacing of z. B. 45 mm not only as usual in the double benefit with a smallest format width of 85 mm, but also be achieved in smaller formats down to 70 mm. All this with conventional staples, which have a back length of 14 mm and are well suited for stapling thick signatures.

Furthermore, it is possible to arrange on the saddle stitcher one or more successive groups of two stitching heads, wherein at least one group has two mutually mirror-inverted stitching heads. In this design, the stitching heads are within the format closely adjacent to each other recorded in the saddle stitcher, so that in single use Doppelklammerheftungen with a staple spacing of 25 to 40 mm even with format widths below 70 mm are possible.

Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments with reference to FIG Figures 1 to 4b of the accompanying drawings.

In the FIGS. 1a to 1c For example, various configurations of standard stapling heads 20 are schematically depicted as being arranged in a saddle stitcher for stapling printed products of varying format width and number of uses. The basic structure of the stitching heads is always the same. Each stapling head 20 consists of a housing 5, whose central axis is denoted by 7. On the left side seen by the viewer is the wire feeder 1 and the wire cutter 2. Right of the central axis 7 of the wire former 3 is arranged and the staple driver 4, which is vertically movable in corresponding guides in the housing 5 and a roller 4a through not here shown controls the saddle stitcher periodically pushes the formed in the stapling head brackets 8 in the printed product 10. Denoted at 11 is the center axis of the printed product 10 and at 9 the center axis of the bracket 8. In addition, the stapling head 20 has further assemblies in its interior, which controls the cutting of the wire and the clip is bent. The Wire feeder 1 and the wire cutter 2 cause the eccentric arrangement of the wire transformer 3 (where the wire is bent to the clip) and the staple driver 4 in the housing 5. This offset is characterized by the distance of the central axis 7 of the stapling head to the central axis 9 of the staple.

The following is specifically about stapling products 10 with very short back lengths and products 10, which have several benefits that are separated after stapling.

Will a product 10 as in FIG. 1a provided with a bracket 8, the center axes 9 of the clip and the center axis 11 of the product are congruent, the central axis 7 of the stapling head 20 is located outside the central axis 9 of the clip. To ensure a good product quality of such stapled printed products 10, it is now necessary to arrange two so-called folding guides or hold-down 6 in pairs on both sides of the stapling head 20.

With such an arrangement of a stapling head for central stapling single staple can be printed products 10 with very small back length down to about 70 mm staple, in which case other constraints come to fruition and set the back length or format width down towards limits. It is assumed that working with a stapling head 20, the 14 mm wide staples in the product 10 drives, as is always the case in the following embodiments.

However, stapling staples are not very popular because of the lack of stability of stapled product 10. Wherever possible, one therefore tries to staple printed products of smaller back lengths with two staples. This case is in FIG. 1b shown. In general, the brackets 8 are each arranged at the same distance from the central axis 11 of the product 10. However, the staple spacing of the center axes 9 of the staples can not be smaller than the dimension of the width b of a stapling head 20. In this case, the stapling heads 20 would be pushed directly one against the other and the use of a Falzdrückers 6 would be limited or not possible (depending on the back length the printed product 10). Since the stitching heads 20 described generally approx. 45 mm are wide, taking into account the staple lengths, a required edge distance from the bracket 8 to the edge of the product 10 and additionally possibly even space for the Falzdrücker 6 are therefore set for stapling of printed products 10 in the individual downwards traceable limits ie printed products with a spine width of less than 80 mm, in this conventional arrangement practically no longer can be produced in a two-chamber stapling.

In Figure 1c now the arrangement of four standard stapling heads 20 is shown in a narrow printed product 10 in the double-benefit. With s the width of the punched section is designated. Due to the geometric conditions shown above can be stapled with the conventional stapling heads 20 in the double benefit only printed products 10 down to a spine length of 85 mm and even that waiver of Falzdrückern that would find no place in the arrangement shown between the four stitching heads 20 ,

In FIG. 2 is the stapling head 20 shown in the preceding figures in an exploded view with respect to in FIG. 1 not visible assemblies shown. Of the six main assemblies shown there, only the staple driver 4 is symmetrical in itself. The other components, first of all the housing 5 with the guides for the staple driver and the bearing and fastening means for the remaining components, are constructed asymmetrically. The same applies to the wire cutter 2 and the control lever 12 for wire cutting. Finally, the wire transformer 3 and the bending tool 13 with respect to their respective vertical center axis asymmetries.

In FIG. 3 a further stapling head 120 is shown, according to the invention with respect to its components in all essential components in mirror-inverted to the assemblies of the stapling head after FIG. 2 is constructed. The assemblies of the stapling head 120 are compared with a FIG. 2 provided by 100 higher reference number and are therefore not described again at this point. Accordingly, this stapling head 120 has after FIG. 3 also in the assembled state with full functionality one mirrored construction opposite the stapling head FIG. 2 including its external dimensions.

Now if these stapling heads after FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 can be used together in a saddle stitcher as shown below, can be double staple stitching of simple use and also in the double benefit for printed products with even reduced back length produced.

Due to the in FIG. 4a shown mirror-inverted arrangement of the self-mirrored assemblies of the stitching heads now arises at the same Falzrückenlänge as in the case of FIG. 1b with conventional stapling heads the possibility to provide two Falzdrücker 6 between the stitching heads, or renouncing the Falzdrücker completely or partially, make stapling at a Falzrückenlänge of 70 mm and below. Particularly evident are the achievable with the invention advantages in the illustration FIG. 4b , in the four stapling heads, on the left two conventional stapling heads 20 and on the right two mirrored stapling heads 120 are shown, which are pushed very close to each other. In this illustration, 70 mm wide printed products 10 can be stapled with the 44 mm wide stapling heads in the double-use 10 with a die cut of 2 mm, which would not have been possible with conventional stapling heads without the use of mirror-inverted stapling heads.

But even when stapling printed products 10 with longer Falzrücken can use the given by the mirror-inverted stapling heads 120 given advantages by then the stapling heads are moved apart and thus space for additional Falzdrücker is created with which the quality of stapling can be further improved ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 101

wire feed

2, 102

Wire cutter

3, 103

Drahtumformer

4, 104

staple driver

4a

role

5, 105

casing

6

Hold down / Falzdrücker

7

Central axis / housing

8th

clinch

9

Central axis / parentheses

10

print product

11

Central axis / printed product

12, 112

control lever

13, 113

bending tool

20, 120

stapling head

Claims (7)

Saddle stitcher for collated printed products with a plurality of stitching heads for stapling the printed products, wherein the stitching heads each consist of several assemblies (1-6, 12, 13), have an elongated shape and the ejection region of the staples (8) eccentric to a central longitudinal axis (7) the stapling head (20) is arranged,
characterized,
in that the saddle stitcher (2) has at least two stitching heads (20, 120), whose assemblies (1-6, 12, 13; 101-106, 112, 113) are mirror-inverted relative to all other essential components in terms of their construction Stapling head are constructed. A saddle stitcher according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that at least two successive groups of two stapling heads (20, 120) are arranged on the saddle stitcher, the first group having two identical stapling heads (20) and the second group having two stapling heads (120th) constructed mirror-inverted to the stapling heads (20) of the first group ), such that the adjoining stapling heads (20) of the first group and the (120) of the second group adjoin each other with the respective shorter distances of their discharge area for the staples (8) to an outer wall of the stapling head housing. (Figure 4b) A saddle stitcher according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that one or more successive groups of two stitching heads (20, 120) are arranged on the saddle stitcher, wherein at least one group has two stitching heads (20, 120) arranged mirror-inverted relative to one another. (Figure 4a) A saddle stitcher according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the stitching heads staples having a back width of at least 14 mm, preferably processed and the minimum distance of the staple ejection regions between two mirror constructed stapling heads (20, 120) 36 mm or less. Use of the saddle stitcher according to claim 2 and 4 for the production of double staple stitches with a staple spacing of at least the stapling head width or above at a format width of 68 to 82 mm in the double-use. Use of the saddle stitcher according to claim 3 and 4 for the production of double staple stitches with a staple spacing of 25 to 40 mm with a format width of a maximum of 72 mm. A saddle stitcher according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the stapling heads (20, 120) comprising the following mutually mirrored assembly: wire cutters (2, 102), wire transducers (3, 103), staple drivers (4, 104), housings (5, 105), control levers (12, 112) for Wire cutter, bending tool (13, 113), and that at least three of these assemblies are constructed asymmetrically in itself and are mirror-inverted with respect to the similar assemblies of the other stapling head.

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