JP2007091473A - Knife folding device and method of adjusting knife folding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a knife folding device enabling the high speed and silent knife folding step by a simple structure, enabling the less wear of parts, and enabling the easy adjustment of the height and inclination of a folding knife relative to a folded product. <P>SOLUTION: This knife folding device 20 comprises a fixed frame 1, the folding knife 15, and a drive device. The drive device comprises a motor 3, an entraining body disk 5, a connecting rod 6, a gear 12, a toothed belt 13, and an eccentric part 14. The drive device suitably produces the lifting operation of the folding knife 15 substantially vertically along a guide pipe 8 to produce pleats on a sheet-like body to be printed 2. The overall drive device is disposed so that its position can be adjusted vertically relative to a frame 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The invention relates to a knife folding device according to the premise of claim 1 and to a method for automatically adjusting the height of the folding knife of the knife folding device according to claim 6.

  Numerous knife folding devices are known from the prior art. This type of knife folding device typically has a folding knife with a pair of folding rollers attached which can be moved substantially vertically by a drive. The operation method of the knife folding device is such that a sheet-like printed material arranged between the folding knife and the folding roller is pushed between the folding rollers by the lifting and lowering operation of the knife. Grabs the sheet, folds it, and transports it to the next. At this time, the depth at which the folding knife descends in the region between the folding rollers and the inclination of the folding knife with respect to the plane on which the axis of the folding roller is located are important. If the descending depth is too small, the folding roller does not grip the sheet-like printed material as expected, and if the descending depth is too large, the folding knife itself enters between the folding rollers to stop the machine. It will come. Therefore, it is important to set the optimal descending depth of the folding knife in the region between the folding rollers.

Prior art folding knives consist of high-mass movable components that can be adjusted in height and tilt by a tool during folding operations involving high technology or when the machine is deactivated. Examples thereof are described in Patent Documents 1 to 7.
German Patent Specification No. 10214911 German Patent Application No. 10229468 German Patent Application Publication No. 4018707 German Patent Application No. 4018709 European Patent Application No. 987210 European Patent Application Publication No. 1354835 U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,319

  In the case of the configuration described above, the folding knife is generally arranged on a guide pipe that moves periodically and runs in a sliding bearing bush fixedly connected to the frame. In each technical embodiment of the folding knife unit, a mechanism for a manual or mechanical folding knife height adjustment unit is incorporated in the guide pipe. The drawback is that the knife folding device is limited in terms of performance and speed due to the laborious technique of the folding knife height adjustment unit. Since the mechanism for height adjustment is built into the moving parts, this can cause vibrations of the device with significant noise generation when the number of cycles is high, and the parts wear out relatively quickly. End up.

  In this respect, the knife folding device allows quiet and low-wearing operation even for high-speed folding processes and adjusts the height and inclination of the folding knife relative to the folded product during machine operation. It is desirable that it can be easily performed. Patent Document 3 discloses the adjustment of the height of the folding knife. According to this, the shaft for driving the crank transmission of the folding knife is supported by a support plate that can be vertically adjusted by the guide portion of the housing. . The position change of each gear of the spur gear transmission associated with this height adjustment is ensured by the action of the support roller, the coupling lever and the compression spring subjected to the initial load. Due to the fact that the drive is divided into fixed parts and height-adjustable parts, the drive is quite complicated and still has a large number of wear parts. Moreover, with this drive device, it is impossible to adjust the inclination of the folding knife relative to the folded product.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to simplify and improve a known knife folding apparatus.

  The object is according to the invention to be provided with a fixed frame, a knife and a drive device, the drive device being arranged along the guide unit in order to cause a knife-like crease in the sheet-like substrate. This is achieved by a knife folding device with the features of claim 1, which is suitable for causing the knife to move up and down in a substantially vertical direction. Furthermore, this object is achieved by a method comprising the steps of claim 6.

  According to this, the entire drive device is arranged so that it can be adjusted vertically relative to a fixed frame.

  In an advantageous embodiment, the drive of the knife folding device is arranged on a rocking plate, the rocking plate has a fixed center point, and the rocking plate adjusts the height of the folding knife. Therefore, it arrange | positions so that rotation is possible centering | focusing on this center point. In other words, the height adjustment of the folding knife functions by the swinging of the driving device itself, and as a result, the top dead center and the bottom dead center of the lifting and lowering operation of the knife are displaced along the guide unit for height adjustment. Since the entire drive device is arranged on only one rocking plate, any height change is automatically made by such a single rocking movement of the rocking plate. This oscillation can be automated very easily. In addition, since the height adjustment itself and the drive for it are not involved in the raising and lowering operation of the folding knife, a height adjusting mechanism that moves together as a whole is unnecessary. Thereby, the number of parts required for the lifting and lowering operation of the knife is reduced. Correspondingly, a small motor can be used for driving, the manufacturing costs are reduced and the operation of the knife folding device is even more economical.

  In an advantageous development of the knife folding device according to the invention, the guide unit is rotatably supported on the frame in order to adjust the tilt of the folding knife relative to the surface of the sheet-like substrate. Yes. In this way, it is possible to interfere with both the tilt and the height of the folding knife, without the need to use additional moving parts and without having to move the means for adjusting the tilt of the folding knife together There is.

  In another advantageous development of the knife folding device according to the invention, the drive device comprises a drive disk with an eccentric connecting rod, which connects the folding knife in a substantially vertical direction along the guide unit. Move to. The rotation axis of the guide unit is preferably located substantially on the axis of the drive disk. Since the rotation shaft of the guide unit is fixed, the drive disk shaft is displaced by the swing of the swing plate by the drive device. As a result, the rotation shaft and the drive disk shaft are slightly spaced from each other.

  The method of the present invention includes the following steps.

  a) a knife comprising a knife and a drive adapted to cause the knife to move up and down in a substantially vertical direction along the guide unit in order to produce a fold by the knife in the sheet-like substrate Preparing a folding device;

  b) A step of moving the knife to a position where the knife does not substantially cause a crease in the sheet-like printing medium during the lifting / lowering operation of the knife, particularly by moving the bottom dead center of the lifting / lowering operation of the knife.

  c) A step of raising and lowering the knife.

  d) A step of checking whether or not the ascending / descending operation of the knife has caused a crease in the sheet-like printed material.

  e) automatically lowering the lower turning point of the knife in an incremental manner.

  f) A step of automatically repeating steps c) to e) until the ascending / descending operation of the knife causes a crease in the sheet-like printed material.

  The folds of the sheet-like printing medium are formed by pushing the sheet-like printing medium between the folding rollers that rotate in opposite directions.

  Preferably, the checking step d) comprises an automatic check, in particular using a sensor. Although it is conceivable that the operator checks whether or not the sheet-like printed material is actually folded, this is preferably performed by a sensor such as an optical detector.

  In another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method comprises the step of automatically adjusting the inclination of the knife so that the knife is kept substantially horizontal with each raising and lowering movement of the knife. Yes. It is particularly preferred that the step of causing the knife to move up and down is also performed automatically. In this case, all of this method proceeds automatically. For example, the control unit determines the position at which the folding knife must move at least in step b) in order to ensure that the ascending / descending operation of the knife hardly causes creases in the sheet-like printed material. It can be calculated based on the known thickness or material of the print. Naturally, proceeding in the reverse order, that is, selecting a position where the sheet-like substrate is reliably folded, and then setting the lower folding point incrementally until the position at which folding does not take place. It is conceivable to automatically raise it. Such an approach is less preferred because there is a risk that the folding knife will get between the folding rollers. Moreover, a new sheet is folded each time in such an operating mode, whereas in an advantageous operating mode of the method according to the invention, the method can be carried out with only one sheet.

  In addition, the “incremental expression” referred to in this specification means a method of increasing in steps by a predetermined amount.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The embodiment of the knife folding device according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is only schematically illustrated. Other members necessary for operation, such as support members, drive devices, control members, housings, etc., which are not important to the present invention, are shown only schematically or illustrated as it is obvious to those skilled in the art. Not. In particular, the housing part, which is another member belonging to the knife folding device, and the folding roller below the folding knife are omitted.

  1 and 2 show a first embodiment. The fixed frame in the form of a support plate 1 firmly connected to a housing (not shown) of the knife folding device 20 is rocked so that it can swing relative to the support plate 1 about a center point 10. A moving plate 4 is arranged. The drive device 18 serves to oscillate the oscillating plate 4 about the center point 10 in accordance with a command from the control unit 17. The control unit 17 also controls the motor 3 of the folding knife driving device, and in addition to this, it is preferably connected to a higher-order folding machine control unit. From this folding machine control unit, for example, the sheet-like printing material 2 is printed. Receive information on thickness, material properties and dimensions.

  The motor 3 drives the gear 12 that rotates about the disk shaft 19 of the entrainment disk 5 via the toothed belt 13. A connecting rod 6 is arranged at the eccentric part of the entrainment disk 5, and this connecting rod 6 is fixed to a knife support 7 that supports the folding knife 15. The knife support portion 7 includes a guide bush that slides on the two guide pipes 8. Furthermore, the guide pipe 8 is firmly connected to a receiving angle 9 which is rotatably arranged in a frame in the form of a fixed support plate. At this time, the receiving angle 9 can rotate around the rotation shaft 11 together with the guide pipe 8 in order to adjust the inclination of the folding knife 15. In FIG. 2, the rotating shaft 11 and the disk shaft 19 are coaxial. However, since the position of the axis of the disc shaft 19 is determined depending on the height adjustment of the folding knife 15 by the swing of the swing plate 4 about the center point 10, this is only one special case. . However, since the height adjustment of the folding knife 15 depending on the format and type of the sheet-like printed material 2 is only a small distance compared to the dimension of the knife folding device 20, the swing plate 4 is swung. Even when moved, the disk shaft 19 and the rotating shaft 11 of the receiving angle 9 are kept substantially coaxial. A driving device (not shown) is attached to the receiving angle 9 so that the inclination of the folding knife 15 can be automatically adjusted. In this way, all the parts that serve to drive the folding knife 15 are supported on the rocking plate 4, and together with the rocking plate 4 oscillating, the center portion 10 is the center of the eccentric portion 14, and accordingly. The folding knife 15 moves accordingly so that the top dead center and bottom dead center of the folding knife 15 are adjusted. At this time, the folding knife 15 follows this height adjustment along the guide pipe 8.

  3 to 5 show another embodiment.

  A driving device for the knife folding device 20 'is arranged on the fixed frame 1' so that the position of the driving device can be adjusted in the vertical direction. The housing 22 can be vertically adjusted along the guide bolt 24 by the spindle 23. A motor 3 ′ that drives the entrainment disk 5 ′ is fixed to the housing 22. A connecting rod 6 ′ is arranged eccentrically on the entrainment disk 5 ′, and this connecting rod 6 ′ is fixed to a knife support 7 that supports the folding knife 15. The knife support 7 is firmly connected to the guide pipe 8 '. The guide pipe 8 'moves in the vertical direction in the holding part 21 provided with a sliding bearing. In addition, the folding knife 15 ′ can swing around the rotation shaft 25 relative to the fixed frame 1 ′.

  The adjustment, in particular the fully automatic adjustment of the optimum folding knife height, is performed as follows. First, in particular, the position of the folding knife 15 is calculated in advance based on the data obtained from the control unit 17 regarding the format of the sheet-like printed material 2, the properties of the material, and the folding method. When the folding knife 15 is at the top dead center of the lifting / lowering operation, the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 is so far that the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 can be inserted between the folding knife 15 and the folding roller without any trouble. So that it is above the surface. On the other hand, the folding knife 15 does not push the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 between the folding rollers when the folding knife 15 is at the bottom dead center, so that the folding roller is not pushed into the sheet-shaped substrate. The printed body 2 is not gripped and does not fold. The inclination of the folding knife 15 is preferably parallel to the surface of the sheet-like substrate 2 during this process. After preparing the sheet-shaped printing medium 2, the folding knife 15 is raised and lowered, and subsequently, it is checked whether or not the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 is folded. In the present invention, the sheet-like printed material 2 should not be folded. If not, the method must be re-executed by raising the position of at least the bottom dead center of the lifting operation of the knife. However, normally, when the lifting / lowering operation of the folding knife 15 is first performed, the sheet-like printed material 2 is not folded, and accordingly, the lower folding point is automatically incremented following the check. Pulled down. Then, the raising / lowering operation of the folding knife 15 is caused again to check whether or not the sheet-like printing material 2 is folded, and until the raising / lowering operation of the folding knife 15 causes the sheet-like printing material 2 to fold, It is automatically lowered again. Thus, the method ends and the folding knife 15 is within the range of 1/2 of the increments up and down from the best height adjustment position.

  Whether or not the folding operation of the folding knife 15 caused the folding of the sheet-like printing medium 2 is arranged in the area of the folding roller, and detects whether or not the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 has passed the folding roller. This is done by the sensor 16. When the control unit 17 confirms through the sensor 16 that the sheet-like printed material 2 has not passed the folding roller, the control unit 17 swings the swing plate 4 by an increment, and then continues with the motor. 3, the driving device 18 is controlled to cause the knife 15 to move up and down once more. Alternatively, the control unit 17 controls the driving device of the spindle 23 accordingly. After reaching the set height when the sheet-shaped printing medium 2 is folded for the first time, the bottom dead center of the folding knife 5 is lowered again by a predetermined amount, and all the sheet-shaped printing mediums It may be intended to increase the probability that 2 is actually pushed between the folding rollers by the folding knife 15.

It is a perspective view of the front side of the knife folding apparatus by this invention. It is a perspective view of the back surface side of the knife folding apparatus by this invention. It is a perspective view of the front side of another embodiment. It is the perspective view of the front side which looked at the embodiment of Drawing 3 from another angle. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view showing the embodiment of FIG. 3 together with a fixed frame.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1 'Fixed frame 2 Sheet-like to-be-printed body 3, 3' Motor 4 Oscillating plate 5, 5 'Entraining body disk 6, 6' Connecting rod 7 Knife support part 8, 8 'Guide pipe 9 Receiving angle DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Center point 11 Rotating shaft 12 Gear 13 Toothed belt 14 Eccentric part 15 Folding knife 16 Sensor 17 Control part 18 Drive device 19 Disk shaft 20, 20 'Knife folding apparatus 21 Holding part 22 Housing 23 Spindle 24 Guide bolt 25 Rotating shaft

Claims (10)

A fixed frame (1, 1 '), a folding knife (15), and drive devices (3, 3', 5, 5 ', 6, 6', 12, 13, 14), and the drive device (3,3 ′, 5,5 ′, 6,6 ′, 12,13,14) is a guide unit (8,8 ′) for generating a fold by a knife in the sheet-like printed material (2). 9, 9, 21) in a knife folding device (20, 20 ′) adapted to cause a vertical movement of the knife in a substantially vertical direction,
The drive devices (3, 3 ′, 5, 5 ′, 6, 6 ′, 12, 13, 14) are arranged so that they can be vertically adjusted with respect to the fixed frame (1, 1 ′). The knife folding device characterized by being made.   The guide unit (8, 8 ′, 9, 21) is configured to adjust the inclination of the folding knife (15) relative to the surface of the sheet-like printed material (2). 1. The knife folding device according to claim 1, which is rotatably supported by 1, 1 ′).   The drive device (3, 3 ′, 5, 5 ′, 6, 6 ′, 12, 13, 14) is an entrained disc (5, 5 ′) having an eccentric connecting rod (6, 6 ′). The connecting rod (6, 6 ') moves the folding knife (15) substantially vertically along the guide unit (8, 8', 9, 21). The knife folding apparatus as described.   The drive device (3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14) is arranged on a rocking plate (4), the rocking plate (4) having a fixed center point (10). The knife folding device according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating plate (4) is arranged so as to be rotatable about the center point in order to adjust the height of the folding knife (15).   Knife folding according to claim 2, wherein the rotation axis (11) of the guide unit (8, 9) is substantially located on the entrainment disc axis (19) of the entrainment disc (5). apparatus. In the method of adjusting the height of the folding knife of the knife folding device (20, 20 ′),
a) Raising and lowering of the knife in a substantially vertical direction along the guide unit (8, 8 ', 9, 21) in order to cause the knife (15) and the sheet-like printed material (2) to be folded by the knife. Providing a knife folding device (20) comprising a drive device (3, 3 ', 5, 5', 6, 6 ', 12, 13, 14) adapted to cause movement;
b) moving the knife (15) to a position where the knife (15) does not substantially cause a crease in the sheet-like printing medium (2) during the lifting and lowering of the knife;
c) causing the knife to move up and down;
d) a step of checking whether or not the lifting and lowering operation of the knife has caused a crease in the sheet-like substrate (2);
e) automatically lowering the lower turning point of the knife (15) incrementally;
f) a method for adjusting the height of the folding knife, including the step of automatically repeating steps c) to e) until the lifting and lowering operation of the knife causes a crease in the sheet-like substrate (2). .   Method according to claim 6, wherein the checking step comprises an automatic check, in particular using a sensor (16).   The method according to claim 6, comprising automatically adjusting the inclination of the knife (15) so that the knife (15) is substantially horizontal with each raising and lowering movement of the knife.   The method of claim 6, wherein the step of raising and lowering the knife is performed automatically.   The method according to claim 6, wherein the knife folding device (20, 20 ') is a knife folding device (20, 20') according to claim 1.

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