ITTO20111121A1 - METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BOOKS OF BOOKS FROM SHEETS - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

â € œMETHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING PACKS OF BOOKS STARTING FROM SHEETSâ €

The present invention relates to a machine for making booklets starting from printed single sheets.

As is well known, digital printing is progressively replacing traditional printing in cases where the circulation of the book is relatively limited.

The term â € œbookâ € is used here in the broadest sense, and includes proper books, brochures, pamphlets and other publications characterized by a multiplicity of bound pages.

In the case of digital printing, the book is generally made from printed sheets with one page per side or from four-page signatures or quarters, obtained by folding a printed sheet in half. The quarters are assembled to form a booklet by metal stitch or thread binding at the median fold.

Due to the thickness of the sheets, the front edge of the booklet (meaning the one opposite the spine), once sewn, is not flat but convex as each sheet is set back, with respect to the immediately innermost sheet, by a quantity substantially equal to the thickness of the sheets. It is therefore necessary to carry out a recovery operation to trim the front edge by cutting or milling.

A similar problem arises in the case in which a series of recesses must be obtained on the edge of the book that highlight its subdivision into parts (rubrication).

The problem of the convexity of the front edge of the book does not arise when the book is produced starting from single sheets defining only one page per side; however, also in this case the address book may be required.

The purpose of the present invention is the realization of a machine and a method for the production of book sets starting from sheets, which allow to eliminate re-operations on the finished book.

The above object is achieved by a machine according to claim 1 and by a method according to claim 15.

For a better understanding of the present invention, two preferred embodiments are described below, by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective, schematic and partial view of a booklet making machine according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial and enlarged perspective view of a station of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged view of a detail of the machine of Figure 1;

figure 4 is a flow diagram of the control of the machine of figure 1;

figure 5 is a perspective, partial and enlarged view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

figure 6 and figure 7 are perspective and enlarged views of details of the machine of figure 5;

figure 8 is a perspective view of a detail according to a variant of the invention; and figure 9 is a perspective view of a machine according to a further embodiment of the invention.

With reference to Figure 1, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole a machine for making a booklet starting from a plurality of printed sheets 2, preferably by means of a digital printer, constituting four-page signatures or quarters.

The machine 1 essentially comprises a station 3 for feeding and squaring the sheets 2, a station 4 for creasing and lateral trimming of the sheets 2 and a station 5 for collating the sheets 2.

The first station 3 comprises a roller conveyor 6 defining a transport plane P. The rollers 6, motorized in a known way, have axes A horizontal and inclined with respect to the perpendicular to the transport direction T in order to advance the sheets 2 while keeping them in contact with a lateral shoulder 8 in order to ensure correct alignment. The sheets 2 are kept in contact with the rollers 7 by a ball pressure device 10, of known type, of which the balls are only schematically shown.

The sheets 2 are fed with their own short sides 11 (intended to define the front edge of the set, not illustrated) arranged parallel to the transport direction T.

Station 4 comprises a pair of shafts 12, 13 (Figure 2) with horizontal axes parallel and vertically overlapping each other, on opposite sides of the transport plane P and perpendicular to the transport direction T. One of the shafts 12, 13, for example the lower shaft 13 is motorized in a conventional way and not illustrated; the other shaft, for example the upper shaft 12, takes the motion from the shaft 13 through a transmission not illustrated.

On the lower shaft 13 there is rigidly fixed a creasing disk 14 provided with a circumferential creasing blade 15 arranged on a vertical median plane with respect to the sheets 2; on the upper shaft 12 a disk 16 is rigidly fixed, in a corresponding axial position, with a circumferential annular recess 17 able to cooperate with the sheets 2 on the opposite side of the blade 15, acting as a matrix, to perform a median creasing 18 on the sheets 2 (fig. 1) as they advance along the path T. The disc 14 and the disc 16 together constitute a device for pre-marking the sheets 2. It should be noted right now that the creasing can be replaced by any another pre-marking operation capable of producing a weakening along a fold line.

A pair of drive rollers 19 arranged on axially opposite parts of the disc 16 are keyed onto the upper shaft 12. Similarly, a pair of drive rollers 20 arranged on axially opposite sides of the disc 16 is keyed onto the shaft 13. .

The rollers 19, 20 are provided with an annular coating 21 of elastomeric material. The rollers 19 and the rollers 20 are arranged on the opposite side of the transport plane P, so that each pair of rollers 19, 20 cooperates with the sheets 2 in conditions of slight interference and adherence.

On the upper shaft 12, on the opposite sides of the disc 16 and on the outside of the rollers 19, two trimming discs 22 are mounted in a rotationally fixed and axially movable position. Similarly, on the lower shaft 13, on the opposite sides of the disc 14 and on the outside of the rollers 20, two trimming discs 23 are mounted in an angularly fixed and axially movable position.

The discs 22, 23 are each provided with respective blades 24; the blades 24 of the discs 22 and of the corresponding discs 23 are offset with minimum play in the axial direction and have an interference in the radial direction (fig. 3), so as to cooperate with each other with a scissor effect on the sheets 2.

The axial position of each pair of discs 22, 23 is adjustable by means of a respective electric motor 25, preferably of the â € œbrushlessâ € type, as illustrated in figure 3. Each motor 25 has a screw output shaft 26 having an orthogonal C axis to the direction of transport T and actuating a nut screw 27 constrained to translate. The latter is integral with a plate 28, which carries a pair of forks 29, 30 which engage with relative freedom of rotation the circumferential grooves 31 of the respective discs 22, 23, so that a translation of the nut screw 27 produces a simultaneous axial displacement of the discs 22, 23 to bring them closer or further away from the discs 14, 16.

The electric motors 25 are controlled by a programmable control unit 32 (Figure 1), which adjusts the position of the discs 22, 23 according to the thickness of the paper and the position of the sheet in the booklet, as will be described below.

The control unit 32 receives an input signal S1 from a presence sensor 33 associated with the conveyor 6 and adapted to detect the presence and position of a sheet 2 entering the second station 4, and from a control panel 34 through which the operator can set data relating to the job to be performed (for example the number of sheets that make up the set, the thickness of the paper, etc.).

The collating station 5 comprises two guides 35 placed at the exit of station 4 and a saddle 36. The guides 35, consisting for example of shaped bars, are configured in such a way as to interact with the sheets 2 and fold the two downwards lateral flaps along the median crease 18 while the sheets themselves advance towards the saddle 36. The sheets 2 therefore accumulate on an upper edge 37 of the saddle 36 in correspondence with the median crease 18 to form a booklet 38.

With reference to the flow diagram of figure 4, at the beginning of the work cycle the work parameters are set on the control panel 34 (block 40). From a subsequent block 41 waiting for the start command, one passes to a block 42 in which the start-up of machine 1 is enabled. Conveyor 6 is therefore started and the feeding of sheets 2 begins at station 4, where the shafts 12, 13 are driven into rotation.

In a subsequent block 43 a counter of sheets K is reset to the value 0. Block 44 waits for the S1 signal of sensor 33 to be active, after which one passes to block 45 in which the counter K is increased by one unit and to block 46 which enables trimming adjustment, the brushless motors 25 are then activated, which arrange the disks 22, 23 in the stored axial position as a function of the value of K.

In the subsequent block 47 it is checked whether the value of K has reached Kmax. If not, one returns to block 44 and the cycle continues until the Kmax value is reached. In this case, which corresponds to the completion of the dossier, a block 48 is reached in which it is checked whether a stop command has been entered from the control panel 34. If so, the machine stops (block 49) and the cycle ends. If not, one returns to block 43, in which the value of K is reset, and the operations described for the next set are repeated.

The operation of the machine 1, already partially evident from the foregoing, is as follows.

When the machine is started up, the sheets 2 are fed in succession from the conveyor 6 to the unit 4. As soon as a sheet is detected entering the unit 4, the position of the trimming rollers 22, 23 is adjusted so as to trim the sheet sideways according to the parameters of the job. Each sheet 2 is then creased and trimmed, and is deposited on the saddle 36. Once the set is completed, the sheets 2 are taken from the saddle 36 to be subjected to conventional bookbinding operations. Each sheet 2 is trimmed to size so that the leading edge of the resulting set is flat.

Although the choice of a flat front profile is the most frequent, the machine 1 is suitable for making any profile, for example concave.

If the book is made up of a plurality of files assembled using any binding technique, the trimming control can be different from one booklet to another, depending on its position in the book, in order to obtain a flat or profiled central profile.

Figure 5 illustrates a machine 50 according to a different embodiment of the invention.

The machine 50 differs from the machine 1 described in that it comprises, in addition to the feeding station 3 and the creasing and trimming station 4, a bookmarking station 51 in which a strip 52 extending along a part of a lateral edge is removed of the sheet.

The station 51 comprises a transversal cutting device 53 and a longitudinal cutting device 54 arranged in cascade, preferably but not necessarily downstream of the station 4, on each side of the machine. For clarity, a device 53 and a device 54 are shown on one side of the machine.

The transversal cutting device (Figure 6) comprises a support structure 55 movable in a transversal direction with respect to the direction T for feeding the sheets by means of a brushless motor 56 and a screw-nut screw pair (57). The support structure 55 (partially illustrated) carries a second brushless motor 58, which moves by means of a transmission belt 59 to a cutting roller 60 having a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction T and a blade 60a applied along its own generator. A die roller 61 is arranged with an axis parallel to the axis of the cutting roller 60 symmetrically to it with respect to the plane P, so that the rollers 60 and 61 act on opposite sides of the sheets 2 when they advance along the plane P The rollers 60, 61 are supported by the support structure 55 in a manner not illustrated.

The longitudinal cutting device 54 (figure 7) comprises a cutting head 62 carried by a support 63 movable horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction T under the action of a brushless motor 64, above the plane P, by means of a screw-nut pair 65.

The cutting head 62 comprises a cutting blade 66, having a horizontal axis orthogonal to the direction T, and is connected to the support 63 by a linear actuator 67 with a vertical axis adapted to move it between a raised position and a working position in which the the cutting blade contacts the sheets 2 as they advance along the plane P. A reference roller 68 (fig. 5) is placed on the other side of the plane P, symmetrically with respect to the working position of the cutting blade 66.

The dragging of the sheets 2 through the station 51 is carried out by means of two pairs of endless belts 69 wound on respective driving pulleys 70 keyed on the shaft 12 and on the shaft 13 in place of the rollers 19 of the machine 1, and respective pulleys idle 71 idlers supported by idler shafts not shown.

The operation of the machine 50, as regards the feeding station 3 and the creasing and trimming station 4, is completely similar to what is described with reference to the machine 1.

At the exit from the creasing and trimming station 4 the sheets 2 are picked up by the belts 69 and advanced through the station 51.

At the entry of each sheet 2 into station 51, detectable for example by a sensor not shown, and if the command parameters provide for it, the cutting heads 62 are positioned in a direction orthogonal to the direction T and lowered so as to remove a strip 52 along the lateral edges of the sheets 2 (already trimmed in the second station 4).

The transversal cutting devices 53 are also activated which make a transversal cut 73 having a length equal to the width of the strip 52 removed and in a predetermined position which defines the length of the strip itself.

When the cutting heads 62 arrive at the respective transverse cuts, the cutting blades 66 are raised with respect to the sheet 2 to interrupt the longitudinal cut.

The processed sheets 2 accumulate, folded, on saddle 36 as described above.

When the booklet is formed, the strips removed from the sheets define notches in the front edge of the book (rubrication) which highlight, for example, the beginning of chapters or parts of the book.

Figure 8 illustrates a cutting device 75 according to a variant embodiment of the invention. The cutting device 75 is suitable for use in the tagging station 51 and allows both the transversal cut and the longitudinal cut to be carried out, and therefore to replace the devices 53, 54. The cutting device 75 is very similar to the device of transversal cutting 53, from which it differs only in that the cutting wheel 60 comprises, in addition to the blade 60a for the transversal cut, a circumferential blade 60b for the execution of the longitudinal cut. The cutting device 75 can be used in place of the devices 53, 54 as long as the diameter of the wheel 60 is sufficient to obtain a sufficient circumferential development of the blade 60b.

Finally, Figure 9 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the booklets are made not starting from folded signatures, but from simple sheets bound together along an edge.

The machine, indicated as a whole with the number 80, is similar to the machine 50, with the exception of the collating station 5, in which the sheets are simply stacked.

The sheets 2 are fed arranged with their long sides parallel to the direction of transport T. In the station 3 for feeding and squaring the sheets 2, the position of the shoulder 8 is adjusted so as to prevent the sheets 2 from interacting with the pre-marking device 14, 16 and with one of the two pairs of trimming discs 22, 23.

The other pair of trimming discs 22, 23 is generally set back, as shown in figure 9, to avoid interaction with the sheets. In fact, trimming is generally not carried out since the front edge of the booklet, opposite to that in which the sheets are bound together, is flat.

However, a pair of trimming discs 22, 23 could be used if a shaped front edge, for example concave, is desired.

The sheets 2 then pass through the indexing station 51, conveniently provided with a single cutting device 75 identical to that shown in Figure 8.

In the collating station, the sheets 2 (already provided with the indexing notches) are stacked one on top of the other to form a booklet, which can be bound with conventional binding techniques.

From an examination of the machines 1, 50 and 80 made according to the present invention, the advantages that it allows to be obtained are evident.

In particular, the in-line cutting upstream of the collating allows to avoid rework operations such as cutting or milling of the front edge, and / or to carry out the indexing in a simple and economical way. The trimming is easily programmable and can be used for the production of books with any number of pages to obtain any front profile of the book.

Finally, it is clear that the machines 1, 50, 80 described and the relative method of operation can be subject to modifications and variations which do not depart from the scope of protection of the claims.

In particular, the cutting tools can be of any type, for example laser.

In the case of laser cutting, it is sufficient to equip the laser head (or only the optic inside it) with a movement of displacement of the beam in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction T. The longitudinal cut is performed keeping the laser head fixed and exploiting the advancement of the sheet, the transversal cut is performed keeping the sheet fixed and moving the laser beam laterally.

The machine 1 or 50 could finally comprise a creasing station and a trimming station which are distinct and cascaded together.

Furthermore, two distinct trimming stations can be provided for the two sides of the sheet. The indexing can be performed before or after the trimming phase, or between the two trimming phases if distinct.

As an alternative to the control panel 34, the machine could be equipped with a remote data acquisition system.

As mentioned previously, creasing can be used by any other means of pre-marking the fold, such as for example an incision, a partial cut, a mechanical forcing.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS 1. Machine for making book sets (38), comprising a transport station (3) configured to advance a succession of sheets (2) along a transport direction (T) in a transport plane (P) and a collating station (5) configured so as to arrange the sheets (2) superimposed on each other to form a booklet (38), characterized in that it comprises at least one cutting unit (22, 23; 51; 75) configured to perform operations cutting on at least one lateral edge of the sheets (2), said cutting unit (22, 23; 51; 75) being arranged upstream of the collating station (5). 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said cutting unit comprises at least one trimming unit (22, 23) for laterally trimming said sheets (2). 3. Machine according to claim 2 for the production of booklets (38) starting from sheets (2) defining quarterly signatures, characterized in that it comprises a pre-marking unit (14, 16) for making a line of median weakening (18). 4. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said trimming group (22, 23) and said pre-marking group (14, 16) are combined in a single trimming and pre-marking station (4). 5. Machine according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the trimming unit comprises at least one pair of trimming discs (22, 23) rotating and arranged so as to remove opposite side edges of said sheets (2) while these advance along the transport direction (T). Machine according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the position of the trimming discs (22, 23) is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the direction (T) of transport of the sheets (2). 7. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a control unit (32) configured to adjust the axial position of the trimming discs (22, 23) for each sheet (2) according to at least the position of the sheet (2) within the file (38). 8. Machine according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that said pre-marking assembly comprises a pair of creasing rollers (14, 16) configured to cooperate on opposite sides with the sheets (2). 9. Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises two shafts (12, 13) parallel to each other, with axes perpendicular to the direction of transport (T) and arranged on opposite sides of the said transport plane (P), to each of said shafts (12, 13) a respective one of said creasing rollers (14, 16) being fixed; the trimming discs (22, 23) being mounted in a rotationally rigid and axially movable manner on the respective said shafts (12, 13). 10. Machine according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one electric motor (25) for adjusting the axial position of the at least one pair of trimming discs (22, 23) along the respective shafts (12, 13) . 11. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said collating station (5) comprises a saddle (36) provided with an upper edge (37) and a pair of guides (35) configured to arrange the sheets in exit from the pre-marking and trimming station (4) on said saddle (36) and bending them along said weakening line (18). 12. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cutting unit comprises a tagging unit (51). 13. Machine according to claim 12, characterized in that said indexing unit (51) is configured in such a way as to make a longitudinal cut and a transverse cut to remove from the sheets a strip (52) extending along part of a lateral edge of the same. 14. Machine according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a single cutting tool (60) to perform said longitudinal cut and a transverse cut 15. Method for making book sets (38), comprising the steps of advancing a succession of sheets (2) along a transport direction (T) in a transport plane (P), and arranging the sheets (2) superimposed on each other to form said bundles (38), characterized in that it comprises a side trimming or indexing step of the sheets (2) carried out upstream of the collating step. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that it comprises a pre-marking step for forming on the sheets (2) a median longitudinal weakening line (18). 17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that said trimming and pre-marking steps are carried out in a single creasing and trimming station (4). 18. Method according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the trimming step comprises the operation of removing opposite lateral edges of said sheets (2) while they advance along the transport direction (T) by means of blades ( 24), and by including the step of adjusting the position of the blades (24) in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the sheets (2) before the trimming step. 19. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that said labeling step comprises the operations of making a longitudinal cut and a transverse cut to remove from the sheets (2) a strip (52) extending along part of a lateral edge of the same . Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the indexing step is performed before the collating step.