JP2000344418A - Chopper folding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and rapidly adjust folding timing without needing a high degree of skill by providing tip sensors directly in front of a stopper, a plate timing sensor for detecting the moving timing of a chopper plate, and a display device for displaying these signals in waveform. SOLUTION: This chopper folding device is provided with tip sensors 9a, 9b for detecting the arrival of the tip of a signature 1 into a position immediately before abutting on a stopper 2 in order to grasp the position of the signature 1 before and after the signature 1 is folded and the moving timing of a chopper plate 3, a plate timing sensor 10 in a chopper drive mechanism 14 for detecting the moving timing of the chopper plate 3, and rear end sensors 11a, 11b provided at a traveling part paper guide 13 to detect the rear end position of the signature 1. The chopper folding device is further provided with a control device 27 for taking in these signals, and a display device 28 for displaying these signals in waveform. The relation between the position of the signature 1 and the moving timing of the chopper plate 3 can thereby be always monitored visually.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a folding device for a printing press, and more particularly to a chopper folding device for folding a signature using a chopper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing press, a chopper folding device is used as a device for forming a fold on a signature that is conveyed one after another. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an overview of the chopper folding device. As shown in the figure, the chopper folding device mainly includes a stopper 2, a chopper, and a folding roller 6. The chopper includes a chopper blade 3, a chopper arm 4, and a chopper drive mechanism. In FIG. 8, the swing shaft 2 of the chopper drive mechanism is shown.
Only 0 is represented.

[0003] The signature 1 is sent to the chopper folding device from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. When the conveyed signature 1 arrives at the position of the stopper 2, the chopper blade 3 descends, and the signature 1 is pushed downward accordingly. This is shown in FIG. The signature 1 pushed downward is fed between the two rollers of the folding roller 6, where the folding roller 6 makes a fold in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the signature is conveyed, and is discharged to the next step. .

In the chopper folding apparatus, the above operation continuously folds the signatures 1 sent one after another at right angles to the transport direction. FIG. 9 shows the state of the signature 1 obtained as a result of this processing. In the figure, A indicates a correctly folded state, and B and C indicate defective states. B is the case where the perpendicularity was not kept correctly when folding, and C is the case where the direction of the fold is correct but not folded at the center of the signature 1.

The occurrence of such a defect is mainly caused by the timing at which the chopper blade 3 descends with respect to the signature 1 being conveyed, in other words, the timing at which the signature 1 starts to be folded. It is empirically known that this is caused by folding timing).

FIG. 10 shows a general relationship between the folding timing and the state of the product after processing. A, B,
C represents three states with different folding timings, a,
b and c respectively represent a state diagram, a cross-sectional view, and a product state in each of the states A, B, and C. A in the figure is a case where the timing at which the chopper blade 3 descends is too early and the signature 1 is folded in a state where the signature 1 does not hit the stopper 2. In this case, a folding deviation as shown in the figure c tends to occur. Also, C
On the contrary, the timing at which the chopper blade 3 descends is too late, and the signature 1 is folded in a state pressed against the stopper 2, and in this case, defects such as misalignment and breakage are likely to occur. B is in an appropriate state, and it starts to be folded at the moment when the signature 1 contacts the stopper 2. In this case, the product is finished with high accuracy.

Therefore, in the operation of the chopper folding apparatus, it is inferior to maintain the proper folding timing, that is, the timing at which the chopper blade 3 starts to contact the signature 1 almost at the same time that the signature 1 hits the stopper 2. This will prevent the occurrence.

Conventionally, the operator of the apparatus monitors the folding timing visually, and when a deviation of the folding timing is recognized, the timing of lowering the chopper blade 3 and the speed of the transport belt 5 are changed to change the timing. Was adjusted to keep the proper folding timing.

[0009]

However, the proper folding timing is a delicate timing, and the folding timing is determined by the material of the signature 1, the type and amount of the ink being printed, and the signature. The adjustment operation for maintaining the proper folding timing described above is very difficult and requires a high degree of skill, since it varies depending on various conditions such as the state of arrival, temperature and humidity. Therefore, there is a problem that a skilled person is always required to operate the apparatus.

In addition, since monitoring is performed visually, when a shift in the folding timing is recognized, a considerable shift has already occurred in many cases, and as described above, it is difficult to perform an adjustment operation for correcting the shift. Therefore, it takes a considerable amount of time to return to the proper folding timing after the deviation actually occurs. Therefore, there is a problem that the occurrence of defective products is increased and productivity is reduced.

In order to solve such a problem, conventionally, FIG.
An apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-272971 whose structure is shown in FIG. This apparatus is provided with a rotation angle detecting means 10 'for detecting the rotation angle of the swing axis of the chopper, and a sensor 9' for detecting the edge of the signature transmitted, and the signature is detected by the sensor 9 '. So that the angle detected by the rotation angle detecting means 10 'at the time when the differential mechanism 24' has reached a preset value.
Is used to automatically change the timing at which the chopper blade descends or the transport timing of the transport belt.

However, the preset value, which is used as a reference for adjusting the folding timing in this apparatus, needs to be changed depending on the operating conditions. To determine the value, skill is also required and it is not easy. Absent.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that can easily and quickly adjust folding timing in order to efficiently perform high-quality signature processing without requiring advanced skills.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a chopper folding device, comprising: a tip sensor for a signature provided immediately before a stopper; and a blade for detecting a movement timing of the chopper blade. A timing sensor,
It is characterized by having a display device for displaying those signals as waveforms. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and quickly adjust the folding timing in the chopper folding device.

Further, in the above-mentioned invention, as one aspect thereof, a trailing edge sensor for detecting the trailing edge of the signature immediately before the signature strikes the stopper may be provided. Further, in the above invention, another aspect is the above chopper folding device,
It is characterized by having an electric stopper moving device and an electric device for adjusting the phase position of the chopper blade.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the chopper folding device determines a folding timing at that time from signals from the tip sensor and the blade timing sensor, and a signal for adjustment is obtained from the result. And an input device for inputting a reference for the determination.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, such embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.
In the drawings, the same or similar components will be described with the same reference numerals or reference symbols.

FIG. 1 is a plan view and a control system diagram of a chopper folder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the chopper folder according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is an AA view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the state of each sensor signal and the product quality, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the state of each sensor signal and the signature and stopper.

FIG. 1 shows a chopper folding apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 3, like the conventional apparatus, the apparatus includes a stopper 2, a chopper blade 3, a chopper arm 4, a chopper driving mechanism 14, and a folding roller 6. The operation is the same as that of the conventional device.
Is sent by the conveyor belt 5, and the signature 1 is
At about the same time, the chopper blade 3 descends, and the signature 1 is pushed between the folding rollers 6 to be creased and discharged.

As described in the prior art, in the chopper folding apparatus, the folding timing of when the chopper blade 3 starts to contact the signature 1 has a great effect on the processed product, so that the signature 1 is folded. In order to grasp the relationship between the position of the signature 1 before and after and the movement timing of the chopper blade 3 as digital data, the present apparatus is provided with the following three types of sensors.

The three types of sensors detect a leading edge sensor 9 (9a and 9b in FIG. 1) for detecting that the leading end of the signature 1 has come to a position immediately before hitting the stopper 2, and a moving timing of the chopper blade 3. A blade timing sensor 10 provided in a chopper drive mechanism 14 and a trailing end sensor 11 (FIG. 1) for detecting the trailing end position of the signature 1 provided on a traveling paper guide 13 fixed to a beam 18. 11a and 11b)
It is.

Further, the three types of sensors (9, 10,
A control device (A) 27 for taking in the signal of 11) and a display device 28 for displaying the signal in a waveform are provided. Thereby, the relationship between the position of the signature 1 and the movement timing of the chopper blade 3 can always be visually monitored, and the folding timing can be accurately and directly grasped. Further, the deviation from the appropriate folding timing at that time can be grasped numerically.

FIG. 4 shows an experimental result when the present apparatus is used. This experimental value indicates the relationship between the state of each sensor signal and product quality. In the figure, A, B, and C represent three different states, and a, b, and c respectively represent the waveform of each sensor signal in each of the states A, B, and C, the variation in the squareness of the processed product, and the parallelism. This shows the degree of variation. Note that the perpendicularity is the dimension of T in FIG. 9D, and the parallelism is
H means the dimension of H in D.

In the figure, state A indicates that the folding process by the chopper blade 3 has been completed before the signature 1 hits the stopper 2, that is, without the tip sensor 9 sensing. State B is a case where the folding process by the chopper blade 3 is performed when the signature 1 hits the stopper 2 moderately.

Next, a state C shows a state in which the signature 1 hits the stopper 2 too strongly. As shown in a in the figure, the presence of the two waveforms of the leading edge sensor 9a or 9b and the presence of a small peak at the end of the waveform of the trailing edge sensor 11a or 11b indicate that the signature 1 bounced off the stopper 2. Is shown. As can be seen from b and c in the figure, it can be seen that the variation of the product is small and the accuracy is good in the state B.

FIG. 5 shows the position of each sensor signal moved so that the passage of time coincides with each other in order to make the states A, B, and C in FIG. 4 easy to understand. The positional relationship between the signature 1 and the stopper 2 is shown. In the figure, A, B, and C represent the same state as in FIG. 4, and a, b, and c show the waveforms of each sensor. D is a state diagram showing the positional relationship between the signature 1 and the stopper 2.

As described above, it can be considered from the experimental results that the waveform and timing of each signal being in the state B in FIG. 4 means that the proper folding timing has been reached. Therefore, in the present apparatus, the operation to maintain the state B while watching the display device 28 will maintain the proper folding timing. It should be noted that it is considered that there is no need to change the criterion of operation for keeping the state of B under any operating conditions since the folding timing is viewed almost directly. That is, a high level of skill is not required for determining the adjustment of driving.

The adjustment of the operation for maintaining the state of B in FIG. 4 is performed by rotating the handle 17 or the phase adjustment handle 25 in FIG. The handle 17 changes the position of the stopper 2,
The phase adjustment handle 25 adjusts the timing at which the chopper blade 3 descends.

The handle 17 is mounted on a bracket 16 fixedly mounted on a support shaft 15 fixed on a frame (not shown) so as to be freely rotatable in the rotational direction and fixed in the axial direction. It is screwed into the female thread machined on the shaft end. Further, the stopper support shaft 26 is also used for the support shaft 1.
5 is mounted on the bracket 16 fixedly movable in the axial direction and fixed in the rotational direction, and is fixed to the stopper 2.
With this mechanism, the position of the stopper 2 can be changed by rotating the handle 17.

The phase adjustment handle 25 adjusts the phase by the phase adjustment mechanism 24 provided in the chopper drive mechanism 14. The power from the driving source B is supplied to the phase adjustment mechanism 24, the crank 23, the link 22, and the swing arm 2.
1, and transmitted to the chopper arm 4 on which the chopper blade 3 is fixed via the swing shaft 20, and by changing the phase with the phase adjustment handle 25, the timing at which the chopper blade 3 descends can be changed. . The phase adjusting mechanism 24 can be implemented by, for example, a harmonic drive or a planetary gear. FIG. 2 schematically shows a case of a harmonic drive.

As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment,
Regardless of the operating conditions, the folding timing, which is the reference for proper operation, can be detected almost directly, and it can always be grasped as the signal waveform and numerical value, so accurate adjustment to maintain the appropriate folding timing Can be performed easily and quickly.

In this apparatus, the rear end sensor 11 for detecting the rear end position of the signature 1 is provided as a sensor. However, the rear end sensor 11 is not provided, and only the front end sensor 9 and the blade timing sensor 10 are provided as sensors. May be installed.

Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a side view of the chopper folding device according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, in the apparatus of the first embodiment, the adjustment of the stopper moving device 33 and the phase adjusting mechanism 24, which has been manually performed by the handle, is to be performed by remote control or automatic control.

As shown in FIG. 6, a motor (A) is provided instead of the handle 17 in FIG.
29, and a rotary encoder (A) 30 for detecting the movement position of the stopper 2 is provided. The detection of the movement position of the stopper 2 may be performed by directly providing a potentiometer or the like.

Similarly, for the phase adjustment by the phase adjustment mechanism 24, a motor (B) 31 is provided instead of the phase adjustment handle 25 in FIG. 2, and a rotary encoder for detecting the phase position of the chopper blade 3 is provided. (B) 32 is installed. With these motors and rotary encoders, the position of the stopper 2 and the phase of the chopper blade 3 can be adjusted remotely or automatically.

Further, the leading edge sensor 9, the blade timing sensor 10, and the trailing edge sensor 1 in the first embodiment.
1 and the front end sensor 9 and the rear end sensor 1
1, a control device (B) 34 for calculating the time difference between the signal waveform and the signal of the blade timing sensor 10 and determining the waveform and calculating the difference between the target value and the time difference is provided.
The control device (B) 34 sends a signal for correcting the state to a proper state (a signal for setting a proper folding timing) based on the result of the processing to the motor (A) 29 and the motor (B). Output to 31. Further, an input device 35 for inputting the reference value for the waveform determination and the target value of the time difference to the control device (B) 34 is provided. By installing these, the adjustment of the position of the stopper 2 and the phase of the chopper blade 3 can be automatically controlled.

In the above-described apparatus according to the second embodiment, the position of the stopper 2 and the phase of the chopper blade 3 for maintaining the proper folding timing can be adjusted by remote control. Since it can save the trouble of manual operation and also enables automatic control,
Individual differences between operators can be eliminated. Note that, in the above-described apparatus, the apparatus may employ only remote operation without performing the automatic control.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, in any of the apparatuses, the leading edge sensor 9 and the trailing edge sensor 11 of the signature 1 are provided in plural in the transport direction of the signature 1 as shown in FIG. Provided (for example, 11b and 11c in the figure), signature 1
May be detected in more detail. Also,
A plurality may be provided in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (for example, 9a to 9d in the figure) so that a transport failure such as the signature 1 being transported in an inclined manner may be detected.

The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but extends to the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0040]

As described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention has the following effects.

First, the chopper folding device includes a tip sensor of the signature provided immediately before the stopper, a blade timing sensor for detecting the movement timing of the chopper blade, and a display device for displaying those signals in a waveform. With this configuration, it is possible to easily and quickly adjust the folding timing in the chopper folding device, and it is possible to efficiently perform high-quality signature processing without requiring advanced skills.

Secondly, in the chopper folding device, by providing a trailing edge sensor for detecting the trailing edge of the signature immediately before the signature hits the stopper, more accurate folding timing adjustment is possible.

Third, since the chopper folding device has the electric stopper moving device and the electric device for adjusting the phase position of the chopper blade, the folding timing can be adjusted by remote control.

Fourth, the chopper folding device further determines a folding timing at that time from the signals of the tip sensor and the blade timing sensor, and outputs a signal for adjustment based on the result, By having an input device for inputting the criteria for the determination, the device can be automatically controlled, and labor saving and reduction of individual differences among operators can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view and a control system diagram of a chopper folding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the chopper folding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an AA view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the state of each sensor signal and product quality.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the state of each sensor signal and the positional relationship between a signature and a stopper.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a chopper folding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the chopper folding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a sensor arrangement position.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an overview of a conventional chopper folding device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a state of a signature processed by the chopper folding device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a folding timing and a state of a product after processing.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus described in JP-A-3-272971.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 signature 2 stopper 3 chopper blade 4 chopper arm 5 transport belt 6 folding roller 9 tip sensor 9 ′ sensor 10 blade timing sensor 10 ′ rotation angle detecting means 11 rear end sensor 12 stopper paper guide 13 running paper guide 14 chopper drive Mechanism 15 Support shaft 16 Bracket 17 Handle 18 Beam 20 Swing shaft 21 Swing arm 22 Link 23 Crank 24 Phase adjustment mechanism 24 'Differential mechanism 25 Phase adjustment handle 26 Stopper support shaft 27 Control device (A) 28 Display device 29 Motor (A) 30 Rotary encoder (A) 31 Motor (B) 32 Rotary encoder (B) 33 Stopper moving device 34 Control device (B) 35 Input device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A chopper folding device which stops a conveyed signature with a stopper and folds the signature with a chopper blade, a tip sensor provided immediately before the stopper for detecting a tip of the signature, and driving of the chopper blade. A blade timing sensor provided in a mechanism for detecting a movement timing of the chopper blade; a control device for receiving a signal from the tip sensor and the blade timing sensor and outputting a signal for displaying a waveform of the signal And a display device for receiving the output signal of the control device and displaying the waveforms of the signals of the tip sensor and the blade timing sensor. 2. The chopper folding device according to claim 1, further comprising a rear end sensor for detecting a rear end of the signature immediately before the signature strikes the stopper. 3. The chopper folding device according to claim 1, wherein an electric stopper moving device for moving the position of the stopper, a position detector for detecting the position of the stopper, A chopper folding device comprising: an electric device for moving a phase adjustment mechanism for adjusting a phase position; and a phase detector for detecting a phase position of the chopper blade. 4. The chopper folder according to claim 3, further comprising: receiving signals from the tip sensor and the blade timing sensor, determining a waveform of the signal from the tip sensor, and determining a signal from the tip sensor and the blade. A control device that calculates a difference between a time difference between the signal of the timing sensor and a target value of the time difference, and outputs a signal to the stopper moving device and the electric device of the phase adjustment mechanism based on the calculation result; Chopper folding device having an input device for inputting a reference for the determination and a target value of the time difference.