WO2011112109A2

WO2011112109A2 - Process and device for carrying out a photograph album

Info

Publication number: WO2011112109A2
Application number: PCT/RO2010/000013
Authority: WO
Inventors: George-Marian Costea
Original assignee: George-Marian Costea
Priority date: 2009-11-16
Filing date: 2010-08-11
Publication date: 2011-09-15
Also published as: WO2011112109A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and a device for carrying out a photograph album directly from the photographic sheets whereon photo images, particularly processed digital images, have been transposed. According to the invention, the process includes an operation wherein the thickness of the folded prints is uniformized, between the two halves thereof there being introduced a handling plate. This assembly is introduced into an assembling device guided and immobilized with some of its sides in relation to some vertical columns adequately adjusted by rotating them in relation to some eccentric spindles. The folded edge of the photographic print is located in an vertical aligning plane valid for all the leaves of the album. Above the folded print there is placed a double-adhesive cardboard sheet which is aligned in a second vertical plane, with its edge towards the spine, thereafter it is adhered with the back side to the upper surface of the print secured in the device, on the upper face of the cardboard leaf there being obtained an album leaf proper and so on until obtaining a block of leaves. According to the invention, the device for the application of the process consists of a base plate (5) whereon there are mounted some vertical columns (12 and 13) that can be rotated about an eccentric spindle (z) and which ensure the guiding and immobilization of the folded prints (2')), together with a handling letter "T"-shaped plate (C); at the same time the double-adhesive cardboard sheets (3) are aligned by means of spacing bushes (15) gliding on the vertical columns, being displaced upwards and downwards, manually or by means of a pneumatic cylinder (E), through a rod-piston (18) and a coupling fork (16).

Description

PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT A PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM

The invention relates to a process and a device for carrying out a photograph album, and particularly, a photograph album containing digital images, said album being made directly of photographic sheets, usually named "photographic prints". In other words, the invention relates to carrying out photograph albums of a known structure, wherein the album leaves are the photographic sheets themselves, with images on the front side and adhered back-to-back onto a cardboard leaf for stiffening. This characteristic clearly differentiates this album from the traditional solutions wherein, on some more or less rigid cardboard leaves (bound to a spine together with a sensibly more rigid cover, the "raw" condition album being purchased from a store), the purchaser performing the difficult task of "posting" his/her previously taken photos and of fixing the same by rudimentary means.

The present invention is predominantly intended to professional photographic shops and laboratories which, after processing and obtaining the photographic prints will also reunite them in an album, the photos being delivered as such to the customer.

From the patent application KR 100899434/26.05.2009 there is known a process for carrying out a photograph album which comprises a first operation in which all the images to be included in an album are transferred onto a photographic sheet of rectangular format (photographic print) on which the images are disposed in a "grid" system, namely on horizontal rows and vertical columns.

After obtaining the photographic print, there follow more operations of successive "armonica" - type folding thereof, according to some horizontal lines which separate the rows with images therebetween. It is obvious that the number of folds is dictated by the number of rows with images of the print. Then the adhesive is applied to the back side of the folded strips and these are compressed as a "block" and, after drying, the "block" is cut transversely into segments in the shape of equally long fascicles, equal in number with the number of columns in the initial photographic print in the flat condition. Each fascicle obtained shows a number of leaves equal to half of the initial number of rows. The fascicle leaf to become the album leaf itself is double, a pair of images being adhered back-to-back through the previous adhering operation after the "armonica"-type folding. Then, all the fascicles are superimposed one on top of the other, oriented in the same way, with the own spine towards the back side, thus forming a common spine by using an adhesive and thereafter attaching a cover.

This known process has the disadvantage first that, although of reduced dimensions, the album leaves are sufficiently rigid, at larger dimensions their stiffness decreases, and together therewith the manufacturing process itself and its use by the customer are rendered difficult.

At the same time, the process has a limited field of use, being recommended only for reduced dimensions, namely for a 10 x 15 cm image format, at the most; in the longer dimensions the grouping of images on a single photographic sheet requires limitless gauge photographic paper, or in case of processing on a continuous strip of paper in widths over 60 cm. For these dimensions, the manufacturing process itself becomes more difficult as far as the handling of the prints is concerned. At the same time, a high manual labour volume with many exclusively hand-carried out operations, without accuracy, involving high costs and low quality can be noticed.

The technical problem solved by the invention is to elaborate a process for manufacturing a photograph album, which allows some operations to be mechanized even in the low series conditions, which, as a rule, are characteristic to this field.

A first objective of the invention is that of simplifying and limiting the number of hand-made operations which co-operate in making the album.

Another objective is that of conceiving a device for assembling the album leaves, provided with technical means allowing a correct aligning of the leaves thereof and obtainiong a high quality.

The process for carrying out a photograph album, as claimed by the invention, solves the proposed problem in that, the reuniting of the previously folded prints in a block of leaves consists of the following operations and steps:

a) rendering the folded prints thickness uniform and stiffening them by introducing a relatively rigid letter "T"-shaped handling plate, with a metal rule at one end, and a thickness of 0.25 ... 0.3 mm, between the two equal wings containing the printed images at the inner side, this assembly being maintained up to the process end;

b) placing the first folded print together with its handling plate onto a horizontal plate of a device with four vertical guide columns that are adjusted by progressively rotating them, up to eliminating all the degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane of the folded print-handling plate assembly; the print folded margin being simultaneously brought into contact with two of the columns, thus there being materialized a vertical aligning plane which is the same for all prints forming the album, in the region of the spine of the block of leaves;

c) placing, above the folded print, immobilized between the device columns, a double-adhesive cardboard leaf, 4 ... 5 mm narrower than the print width, and aligning its edge towards the spine, according to a second aligning plane parallel to the prints aligning plane but 4 ... 5 mm shifted relatively thereto; the second aligning plane is materialized by lowerring two gliding spacing bushes, on the two device columns, the edge oriented towards the spine of the cardboard leaf being also brought into contact simultaneously with the outer surfaces of the two spacing bushes coaxial with the guide columns; then there follows the step of adhering, in the aligned position, the lower face of the double-adhesive cardboard leaf, onto the upper face of the folded print;

d) placing the following folded print, and aligning with the folded edge on the front columns, followed by overlapping the same and adhering to the upper surface of the double-adhesive cardboard sheet previously adhered to the first folded print, and obtaining the first album leaf, afterwards, there is alternatively repeated the operation under point c and then the operation under point d, the folded prints making the articulation-like mobile connection between the cardboard leaves of the album;

e) after aligning and adhering the last folded print, the whole ream is extracted from between the guide columns and the handling plates are removed to obtain the block of leaves of the photograph album.

The device for the application of the process claimed by the invention comprises a base plate whereon, in some boring with parallel axes, there are mounted two pairs of guide bushes; two vertical front columns are introduced into the pair of guide bushes arranged on an aligning axis and other two rear columns are introduced into the guide bushes that are on an axis parallel to the first axis, and at a distance D₃; the columns having the possibility of easily eccentrically rotating about the guide bushes axes, to be brought into tangential contact with the corresponding edges of a handling plate carrying a folded photographic print with a width I; on the two front closer columns there are introduced some spacing bushes intercoupled by a fork penetrating with the ends into some circular channels belonging to the spacing bushes, that may glide along the front columns and may be immobilized at any height, the spacing bushes being displaced through a rod-piston of a pneumatic cylinder mounted under the base plate.

The said guide bushes are secured to the base plate by means of a nut and are provided with a flange with a front surface at the same level as the upper face of the base plate; the cylindrical-shaped columns are provided with an eccentric spindle that can rotate inside the boring of the guide bush and may be blocked by a striated nut.

For a width I of the album leaves, namely of the photographic prints and implicitly another width of the handling plate, the guide bushes related to the more remote rear columns are mounted in other holes located on the same transverse axis, but at a longer distance away.

The sliding spacing bushes are provided at the lower side with a cylindrical zone having a diameter selected so that the bush wall thickness in this area is equal to the shifting desired to exist between the edges to the spine of the cardboard leaves and the folded margins of the folded photographic print.

In a simplified variant, the device is provided with some cylindrical-shaped spacing bushes that can be displaced manually on the front columns and secured in the desired position by means of a locking screw.

The said handling plate is letter "T'-shaped and consists of a metal rule and a cardboard plate, the latter having the width equal to the photographic print width and less than the length of the metal rule; the metal rule and the cardboard plate being coplanar and integral to each other by means of a plastic covering applied by the process of hot rolling (plastification).

In an improved variant, the front closer columns play the role of electromagnetic core, when supplying with electric current a coil wound on a housing, coaxially mounted on the outer side of the guide bush of the front columns and secured under the base plate by a nut.

In a last variant, the device symmetrically presents, between the two spacing bushes, under the driving fork, two supports wherein there are mounted some adjustment screws provided with longitudinally polarized permanent magnets that are capable of attracting the handling plate and of maintaining it in steadfast contact with the cylindrical surfaces of the front columns, so that, by lowering the fork along the front columns, the handling plate is pushed downwards by the spacing bushes and placed onto the base plate, while the folded margin of the photographic print, which covers the metal rule edge of the handling plate stays in contact with the front columns.

With a view to pneumatically carrying out both the lifting and simultaneous lowering of the two spacing bushes on the front columns, the piston-rod of the pneumatic driving cylinder is integral at the external end with a bush wherein, to the top side, there is secured an axially polarized permanent magnet that is in contact with the lower surface of the driving fork so that, by the magnetic coupling created between the driving fork and the driving cylinder piston rod there is ensured the driving fork lowering on the front columns together with the two spacing bushes, also by means of the pneumatic driving the same as for lifting, but also gravitationally.

The following advantages are obtained by the application of the invention:

- extending the size range at which the photograph album can be carried out, the leaves being however big, as a consequence of the fact that images are printed on only one leaf, namely two consecutive leaves, these being then placed along the photographic strip;

- obtaining a superior aspect concomitantly with an increase of the strength

- of the album leaves to repeated folding, as a consequence of the high accuracy of alignining the leaves in the spine;

- reducing the number of operations and the complexity thereof, thereby reducing the costs;

- using a personnel for carrying out the same, that do not require special preparation and skills.

There is given hereinafter an embodiment of the invention in connection with Figures 1 - 18 which represent

Figure 1 - is a perspective view of a photograph album for which the present invention is destined;

Figure 2 - is a view of the photographic print used for carrying out the

sheets of the photograph album illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 - is a partial cross-section, at enlarged scale, according to a horizontal plane I - I through the photograph album of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 - is a perspective view of a folded print positioned on a related handling plate within the process of carrying out a photograph album, according to the invention; Figure 5 - is the illustration, in perspective, of the operation of materializing the aligning plane, in the spine area, of all photograph album leaves;

Figure 6 - is the illustration, in perspective, of the operation of positioning a double- adhesive cardboard leaf, materializing a second aligning plane of the cardboard sheets and initiating the operation of adhering to the back of the folded photographic print; Figure 7 - is a side view, in the direction of arrow II in Figure 6, showing more clearly the stage of aligning at the spine side of a cardboard leaf, after adhering the same onto the folded print;

Figure 8 - is a view similar to the one in Figure 7, illustrating the next operation wherethrough a new folded print is aligned with the first and assembled by adhering with the cardboard leaf;

Figure 9 - is a perspective view of a block of leaves of the photograph album obtained by the application of the process, according to the invention;

Figure 10 - is a perspective view of the device for the application of the process of carrying out a photograph album;

Figure 11 - is a cross-section about a vertical plane III - III in Figure 10; Figure 12 - is a partial perspective view of the device in Figure 10, in a simplified variant;

Figure 13 - is a plane view of the handling plate and partial cross-section therethrough, according to the plane IV - IV;

Figure 14 - is a vertical section similar to the one in Figure 11 , showing an improved variant of the assembling device in Figure 10;

Figure 15 - is a perspective view of the device of Figure 10 in a last variant; Figura 16 - is a vertical section about a transverse lane V-V of Figure 15;

Figure 17 - is a vertical view about a second transverse plane VI-VI of Fig. 15; Figure 18 - is a horizontal section about a plane VII-VII of Figure 17.

A photograph album of the previously mentioned type which can be achieved based on the present invention, is now known per se to the persons skilled in the art, as well as, to a certain extent, to the public. As shown in Figure 1 , the album is presented in a book shape, with thicker and more rigid leaves, the album being rectangular or even square. The album leaves, as previously mentioned, do not show any means of attaching or fixing detached (independent) photos as in the traditional albums, the album being carried out directly from photographic prints, namely photographic paper on which a photo or a group of photos was reproduced, these being digital photos as a rule.

The photograph album is consequently constituted from a block A of sheets 1 , reunited on one of their sides, for example, the dimension I, and thus forming a spine a.

The essential element constituting each leaf 1 and finally, the whole album is the photograph print 2 or a photographic sheet containing images, which, being folded to half, according to a folding line b - parallel to the side of dimension I - is adhered with its back onto a cardboard leaf 3 (the half on the left side of line b) and on a cardboard sheet 3, respectively - as in Figure 1 (for the half on the right side of the line b).

Conventionally, from now on we shall refer to the folded print 2', thereby making the necessary distinction in relation to the photographic print 2 in flat condition, the reference number 2' being also used in the explanatory drawings.

The photographic print 2 or the photographic leaf containing images - illustrated in the flat condition in Figure 2 - is carried out from a photographic paper (for example „Endura-type paper produced by Kodak company) with the width I and length L and presents on the face one or more images achieved and processed digitally on a specialized apparatus (mini-laboratory), known per se.

This technique of processing the digital images allows to obtain multiple arrangements and positioning of the images, based on the photographer's creation art. Thus, as shown in Figure 2, on the photographic leaf 2 there can be carried out a panoramic image e which extends on the whole length L, consequently including the folding line b which devides the total field into two subfields of an equal width L/2. At the same time, on the same photographic print 2, there can be achieved disparated imaged d separated by a framing e as well as some images f overlapped on another image, for example on the panoramic view c.

Coming back to Figure 1 , there can easily be noticed that the block of sheets A of the album is protected by a cover B made up of adequate materials and reunited with the body of the album, for example, by means of the guard leaf 4.

As shown in the cross-section of Figure 3, by opening the photograph album on any leaf, this presents the viewer on a face g of the left-hand leaf as well as on a face h of the right-hand leaf (the following leaf) images from the same face of the photographic print 2.

As it can be seen in Figure 3, on an enlarged scale, the leaves 1 of the album are articulated in relation to one another by a folded portion [ of the folded prints 2', in said position there being produced the closing/opening of the leaves 1 of the album, by the elasticity of the material itself.

Practically, the cardboard leaves 3 are the ones ensuring the integration therebetween of the halves of the prints 2 that are adhered on the rear unprinted surface, on each of the two faces of the cardboard leaves 3. At the same time, the cardboard leaves 3 have also the role of stiffening the album leaves 1 , ensuring the maintaining of the photographic prints in flat condition and preventing their deterioration in time. The cardboard leaves 3 also facilitate the safe manoeuvering (browsing) of the album leaves by the viewer.

In order to allow the unhindered flexing of the folded prints 2', in the region i in the spine a, upon repeated opening/closing manoeuvers, the cardboard leaves 3 are retracted with the edge i, from the spine a by a distance k = 4 ... 5 mm (determined experimentally) in relation to a plane P for aligning the folded margins m of prints 2'.

The aligning as precise as possible at the spine a level, both of the folded margins m of all folded prints 2' and of the inner edges j of the cardboard leaves 3 in relation to a second aligning plane Q, as well as the parallelism between the edges j and the folded margins m, are premises leading to the elimination of stresses in the spine upon handling the leaves, and consequently, avoiding the premature deterioration of some leaves and of the whole assembly.

At the same time, by observing these requirements, a pleasant aspect is conferred on the block of leaves and there can considerably be reduced the duration and costs relating to finishing the work (there can even be completely eliminated the margins rounding-cutting operation), fact that constitutes one of the objectives of the present invention, and of the process and device for carrying out a photograph album, respectively.

There will be presented hereinafter the process of carrying out a photograph album according to the present invention, with reference to Figures 4 ... 9.

As it is already known, the first operation is the obtaining of the photographic prints 2 with the dimensions I X L (as in Figure 2). These are carried out on a specialized equipment known per se, by using a photographic paper strip with a standard width of 127, 152, 201 mm etc. The equipment also ensures the cutting with high precision, at the same dimensions, of all prints that will constitute the photograph album. These photographic prints 2, after their having been cut, are subjected to a bending or scratching operation on the images containing face, said linear recess being carried out with known apparatuses, in the direction of the folding line b, parallel with the small side equal to I of the photographic print 2- as in Figure 2.

There follows the folding up of all prints 2 to half, along the folding line b and with the printed surface to the inner side, said operation being carried out even manually, there being obtained the so-called folded print 2'.

After this operatioin, as shown in Figure 4, inside each folded print 2, there is introduced a relatively stiff, letter„T"-shaped handling plate C having the same width I (as the folded print 2') and being provided at one end with a metal rule (the construction and technical characteristics of the handling plate C will be presented further on in the description).

There shall be mentioned that the number of the handling plates C shall be equal to that of the photographic prints 2 that constitute the album. At the same time, there shall be retained that the folded prints 2' together with the related handling plates C, pass together through all the process steps up to obtaining the block of leaves A, thereafter the plates C are retracted.

The following operation- see Figure 5- consists in materializing the aligning plane P (previously defined and also illustrated in Figure 3), vertical plane starting from the folded margin m of the first leaf of the album. For this purpose, the folded print 2' together with the related handling plate C are placed on a horizontal plate 5 of an assembling device D, which is also a subject-matter of the present invention and that will also be described later. Positioning of the print 2' and of the handling plate C assembly is made so that a metal rule 6 whose ends n protrude from the ends of the folded print 2' rest between two pairs of adjustable vertical columns of the device D.

By succesively and progressively rotating the more remote columns in opposite directions, their cylindrical surfaces are brought in tangential contact, first with the two opposing sides (of length L/2) of the folded print 2'. After this stage, the pair of closer columns are slightly rotated also in contrary directions until they come into contact with the folded margin m of print 2' and push it, so that the more remote columns are also brought into tangential contact with the free edges o of the metal rule 6.

After performing all these adjustments, the first folded print 2' is immobilized in the device D, all its degreees of freedom, except the one in the vertical upward direction, being eliminated, the adjustment performed being maintained unchanged for the rest of the leaves, identical in size, of the album, that will be effectively assembled on this device D.

By immobilizing the four columns of the device D, it is obvious that the two closer columns, in tangential contact with the folded margin m of print 2', precisely and securely materialize the aligning plane P in the area of the spine a_of the album, for all the leaves thereof, by two generatrices p_ and g of their cylindrical surfaces, that intersect under a 90° angle the folded margin m of the print 2'.

There follows an operation of placing, between the device columns, the first cardboard sheet 3 (for stiffening and tying between them the folded prints) that is mainly aligned with edge j parallel to the folded margin m of print 2' and retracted by a distance k = 4 ... 5 mm. This operation is illustrated in Figure 6. The cardboard sheet 3, in itself is made of double adhesive cardboard, both ends being consequently self- adhering, and protected by a protective coating 7 and 8, that can easily be removed. Obviously, the cardboard leaf 3 has the length equal to the width I of the folded print 2' and its width I is smaller by 4 ... 5 mm than the side L/2 of the folded print 2', namely l_c = L/2 - (4 ... 5) mm.

Before introducing the cardboard sheet 3 between the device D columns, some sliding spacing bushes concentric with the columns are temporarily lowered down the closer columns, thereby materializing the second plane Q for aligning the cardboard leaves 3, said plane being parallel to the first plane P.

The sliding bushes consequently have the role to position the edge i of the cardboard leaf 3, parallelly to the folded margin m of print 2' and retracted by the distance Jk from the latter. Then the lower protective coating 7 is partially detached and edge i is simultaneously brought into contact with the outer cylindrical surfaces of the two sliding bushes, thereafter, as shown in Figure 7, the cardboard leaf 3 is adhered to the upper outer surface r of the folded print 2', by using a pinch roller 9. Then the upper protective coating 8 of the cardbord leaf 3 is partially removed, the sliding bushes are lifted, thereby releasing the columns and the following assembly consisting of another folded print 2' and a relative handling plate C being introduced therebetween. The metal rule 6 of the latter is positioned horizontally and maintained in contact with the cylindrical surfaces of the four columns (both by means of the folded print 2' and directly)- as in Figure 8- while being pressed downwards and lowered towards the cardboard leaf 3, being progressively adhered thereon after removing the coating 8, by also using the pinch roller 9. By firmly and permanently maintaining contact between the folded margin m of the folded print 2' and the cylindrical surfaces of the two left- hand columns, the correct aligning of the folded prints 2' in plane P is guaranteed. This operation can be considerably facilitated if at the basis of the two left-hand columns there is attached an electromagnet type winding concentric with said column, having the role of a core, so that there are generated some forces F for attracting the metal rule 6 perpendicular to the aligning plane P materialized by the surfaces of the columns.

The operations and stages described above are repeated in the same succession and with the same characteristics, there being obtained a block of leaves A- as in Figure 9 - having a spine a wherein the folded margins m are all photographic prints 2', are precisely aligned in an aligning plane P. At the same time, the edges i of all the adhered cardboard leaves 3, are aligned in a second aligning plane Q, parallel to plane P and retracted by the distance k = 4 ... 5 mm related thereto. As a consequence of additionally guiding the opposing lateral edges of the folded prints 2' and of the cardboard leaves 3., respectively, while progressively assembling them (leaf by leaf), the block of leaves A' also presents an aligning on the lateral sides paralel to each other, as well as on the face opposing the spine a, so that it is possible to eliminate the operation of rounding the margines.

After carrying out the block of sheets A, as shown above, the process ends with the last operation which consists in sealing a cover B to the block of sheets A, said operation being known per se. The cover B is secured to the block of sheets A in the simplest way by adhering its lower part on half of the guard sheet 4 with the same dimensions as the print 2', the other half of the guard sheet being adhered on the outer face of a double-adhesive cardboard leaf of the first sheet 1 of the album for the front cover; the procedure is similar to the back cover. According to the invention, the device for applying the process for carrying out a photograph album, described above, consists in assembling the device D and a set of handling plates C.

The assembling device D consists of a rectangular base plate 5 carried out of an adequate material, for example melamined wood chipping, textiles, PVC, duramid etc. The base plate 5 is provided with boring with parallel axes, wherein there are mounted some guide bushes 10. A pair of guide bushes 10 are arranged with their axes at a distance Di, on an axis s parallel to the short side of the base plate 5 and, the other two guide bushes 10 are arranged at a distance D₂ sensibly longer than Di, on the axis t parallel to axis s and positioned in relation to the first axis t at a distance D3. At the same time, the four guide bushes 10 are located simetrical as against a longitudinal axis X-X'.

Other additional boring 10' can be also provided simetrical as against the axis X- X' on the axis t, wherein, at a higher width of the print 2', there can be mounted the guide bushes 10, at a distance D₄.

As it can be seen in Figure 1 , the guide bush 10 presents a flange u whose front surface is located in the upper face plane x of the base plate 5 as well as a partially threaded cylindrical body y which penetrates in the boring extant in the base plate 5 and whereon it is secured by a nut 11.

In the four guide bushes 10 a pair of front columns 12 and a pair of little shorter back columns 13 are mounted.

Each of the columns 12 and 13 which are identical, except for the length- is provided with an eccentric spindle z having a smooth portion for guiding inside of the bush 10, which is continued with a threaded region a^ which goes beyond the length of bush 10 and on which a striated nut 14 is provided. Columns 12 and 13 can be easily rotated by hand without a play between the eccentric spindle z and the conjugated boring of the guide bush 10. According to the need, columns 12 and 13 can be blocked in any position by tightening the striated nuts 14 arranged beneath the base plate 5.

On the front columns 12 there are located some spacing bushes 15 which can glide with minimum radial play along the front columns 12.

The two spacing bushes 15 glide simultaneously, being intercoupled by means of a fork 16 whose ends penetrate into a circular channel b' practically into the body of +he spacing bushes 15.

The fork 16 presents a horizontally oriented milling c' at the two ends through which the fork 16 may perform lateral movements inside the circular channel b' of the spacing bushes 15, thereby some deviations from the parallelism of the axes of the two front columns 12 being compensated.

As it can also be seen in Fig. 11 , the spacing bushes 15 have a double conic shape, being thicker at their middle side to allow the existence of the circular channel b' and also for conferring on the spacing bushes 15 a bigger mass necessary in the operation of positioning and aligning the cardboard leaves 3 upon the formation of the block of leaves A.

At the lower side, the spacing bushes 15 present a cylindrical zone d' of a diametre e' selected so as to result a well-defined thickness k of the wall, namely k= 4 ... 5 mm, namely equal to the shifting between the edge j of the cardboard leaf 3 and the margin m of the folded print 2', shifting that can also be seen, for example, in Figure 3 and Figure 7.

The displacement of the two spacing bushes 15 along the front columns 12, is made pneumatically, by means of a driving cylinder E located under the base plate 5 with the upper end inside a bush 17 that is mounted similarly to the spacing bushes 10, in the base plate 5, between the two front columns 12, on the common axis s. A rod- piston 18 of the pneumatic cylinder E has its upper end in free contact with the lower face of the fork 16 so that the lifting strokr of the spacing bushes 15 is made pneumaticallz by withdrawing the rod-piston 18 within the cylinder E, the fork 16 together with the two spacing bushes 15 lowers freely, by gravity, on the front columns 12.

The driving cylinder E is supplied with air having reduced pressure, supplied by a motor-compressor 19, through a hand-operated distributor 20 and through some choke valves 21 for adjusting the air flows towards and from the cylinder E.

In a simplified variant - illustrated in Figure 12 - the pneumatic drive can be given up and consequently, on the two front columns 12 there are arranged the spacing bushes 22, with a simpler form which, easily slide along the columns 12, being lifted manually and then left free, they fall due to their own weight. The spacing bushes 22 can be immobilized to the desired position by tightening some locking screws 23. The remainder of the device construction is identical to the one described previously.

As shown before, during the operations of carrying out the photograph album, according to the invention, there is used a handling plate C, which is illustrated in Figure 10 as being placed on the plate 5 of the device D, in order to see its direct relationship with the columns 12 and 13 of the assembling device D. As shown in Figure 13, the handling plate C comprises the previously mentioned metal rule 6 having a thickness of 0.25 ... 0.3 mm, assembled coplanarly with a cardboard plate 24, with a high density and a thickness equal to that of the metal rule 6.

The metal rule 6 is carried out of steel sheet that is resilient but resistant to bending, preferably made of spring steel strip and has a length l_i longer that the width | of the cardboard plate 24, the regions n protruding from the cardboard plate having an approximate length of 40 ... 50 mm.

The metal rule 6 has a width l_r = 25 ... 30 mm, corelated with the distance D₃ between the aligning axes s and t_of the two pairs of guide bushes 10 of the device D.

The two components 6 and 24 are assembled by means of a cover 25 made of plastic material, uniformly applied on all the surfaces uniformly, by a hot rolling or plastifying operation of a plastic foil of about δθμητι thick, made, for example, by OPUS company-Poland.

The total length L₂ of the handling plate C shall be a little more than the width L/2 of the folded print 2' (it is a variable dimension within a standard width lof the prints, namely of the photographic paper strip width from which the prints are obtained).

After plastifying, the width | of the cardboard plate 24 shall be rigorously equal to the width Lof the photographic prints 2. The handling plate C, besides the function of handling the folded prints 2' has also the role of uniformizing (equalizing) the thickness of the folded print 2', having in view that this is bigger at the folded margin level m, along the bending.

At the same time, it ensures the planeity and stiffness necessary for the folded print 2' with a view to easily and securely handling during assembling the album and, particularly, upon performing the operation of aligning the folded margins of all prints.

The handling plate C also has the role of ensuring the immobilization of the folded print 2' in the space between the four columns 12 and 13 of the assembling device D, on the base plate 5 thereof, while applying, aligning and adhering the double- adhesive cardboard sheet 3 onto the folded print surface 2'.

In an improved variant- irrespective whether used or not, the pneumatic drive of the spacing bushes 15 - the assembling device D, as mentioned when presenting the process, facilitates the guiding of the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C between the front columns 12 and rear columns 13, if the two front columns12 are in the position to generate a magnetic field of attracting the metal rule 6.

Therefor, the constructive solution illustrated in Fig 14 is adopted, but this being obviously applied onlz onto to the two front columns 12 of the assembling device D. In this variant, the front columns 12 are compulsorily carried out of a ferromagnetic material, for example a full steel bar J to constitute the magnetic core of an electromagnet.

The eccentric spindle z is carried out with a bigger length and it is introduced into the guide bush 10 also longer and also carried out of steel.

To the outer side of the guide bush 10, below the base plate 5 there is introduced a coil 26 wound on a housing 27 (reel) which is secured by tightening the nut 11. The same as in the basic construction (also see Figure 11) the front columns 12 can rotate (about the eccentric spindle axis z) inside the boring of the guide bush 10, in order to come into tangential contact with the folded margin m of the print 2', supported by the handling plate C. At the same time, the columns 12 can be locked in the desired position by means of the striated nut 14 that is screwed in by hand on the threaded region a^ of the eccentric spindle z.

On the front columns 12 there can glide the spacing bushes 15 or 22 which, in this variant shall be carried out from a non-magnetic material, for example brass or bronze, so as not to unfavourably interact with columns 12.

Also, the fork 16 for coupling the two spacing bushes 15 is to be carried out of a non-magnetic material, preferably duralumin or even plastic material.

The coils 26 are dimensioned so that, upon their being supplied with electric current, the magnetic fields induced in the front columns 12 are sufficiently strong to maintain the margin m of the folded print 2', wherein there is the steel rule 6 of the handling plate C, in permanent contact with the cylindrical surface of the front column 12, as shown in Figure 14. After introducing the metal rule 6, together with the folded print

2' between the columns 12 and 13, previously adjusted at the necessary distance, this assembly is attracted to the front columns 12 and is then pushed dowards by hand with a view to applying the progressive adhering onto the upper surface of a cardboard sheet 3 previously adhered on a print 2' located on the base plate 5 of the device D.

In another variant illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, the fork 16 and the spacing bushes 15 are lowered on the front columns mainly also by means of the driving cylinder E. For this purpose, the piston-rod 18 of the driving cylinder E is integral, by its upper end, with a bush 28, wherein there is secured, for example by pressing or adhering by using a suitable adhesive, a longitudinally polarized permanent magnet 29, which under the action of the magnetic attraction force, is in contact with fork 16 as in Figure 16. By means of this magnetic coupling, the driving cylinder E ensures both lifting and lowering of the fork 16 and, implicitly of thre spacing bushes 15 on the front columns 12, in the two distinct working positions. It is mentioned that the lowering action is also facilitated by the gravity attraction naturally exerted on the cumulated masses of fork 16, of the two spacing bushes 15 and of other elements integral with the fork 16.

In a last variant of the assempling device D - also illustrated in Figure 15- it can be seen that under the fork 16, symmetrically between the two spacing bushes 15 there are arranged two identical supports 30, provided at the upper side with a threaded spindle f , wherethrough the supports 30 are secured to the fork 16 by means of a nut 31. As shown in Figure 17, under the driving fork 16, in the supports 30 there is machined a threaded boring for mounting therein an adjustment screw 32. The adjusting screw 32 is provided on its axis with a hole g^ for securing therein, by adhering or pressing, a second longitudinally polarized permanent magnet 33, preferably having a cylindrical shape similar to the permanent magnet 29 mounted on the end of the piston rod 18 of the driving cylinder E.

For the good operation of the device, it is important for both longitudinal axes of the two adjusting screws 32 and implicitly of the permanent magnets 33 to be arranged in the same horizontal plane defined by some lower front surfaces h' of the spacing bushes 15 on the front columns 12- as also shown in Figure 18 - and, at the same time to be parallel to one another and perpendicular to the front edge of the handling plate C.

To allow the complete lowering of the driving fork 16 on the front columns 12 in the lower working position, so as to seat the spacing bushes 15, prior to starting the formation of the block of sheets, with the front surface h' onto the base plate 5, the latter being provided with two cut-outs V (also visible in Figure 15 and 17) placed in the vertical direction under the two supports 30.

Coming back to Figure 18, there can clearly be noticed the manner of relative laying out of the adjusting screws 32 with the permanent magnets 33 of the front columns 12, whereon there slides a spacing bush 15 of the rear columns 13 and of the letter„T"-shaped handling plate C introduced inside a folded print 2' and placed onto the base plate 5.

As mentioned before, also with reference to Figure 14, the streadfast contact between the folded margin m of the photographic print 2' and the cylindrical surfaces of the front columns 12 can be maintained with increased safety and easier by means of some forces of magnetic attraction F of the metal rule 6, said forces being oriented towards the front columns 12. According to the last variant of the device, as shown in Figure 17, the approximately horizontal positioning between the columns 12 and 13 of the handling plate C and of the related photographic print 2' is performed so that the upper face ]' of the print 2' on the metal rule 6 rests simultaneously on the front surfaces IV of the two spacing bushes 15 and, at the same time, the folded margin m of the photographic print 2' is simultaneiusly in contact with the front columns 12, by manually pushing the same. In this position, the adjusting screws 32 are rotated in a direction or reversely, so that, between the folded margin m of the photographic print 2' and the extremity of the permanent magnet 33 there remains an optimal clearence ranging from 0,5 ... 1 mm. It is important for this clearance k to have about the same size for both permanent magnets 33, as also shown in Figure 18.

The permanent magnets 33 are dimensioned so that their magnetic fields are sufficiently strong to develop attraction forces F oriented perpendicularly to the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C (passing through the folded region of the first photographic print 2'). The size of the attraction force couple F shall be high enough to ensure the permanent contact of the folded margin m of the photogtaphic print 2' (which fits tightly on the edge of the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C) with the cylindrical surfaces of the two front columns 12 and does not allow the handling plate C to be inclined or to slide under its own weight.

Slightly sustained with one hand, the handling plate C is lowered thereafter towards the base plate 5, by manoeuvering the distributor 20 controlling the driving cylinder E which, through the rod 18, bush 28 and the permanent magnet 29 drives the fork 16.

The fork, by the lower front surfaces h' of the sliding spacing bushes 15 simultaneously press on the photographic print 2', close to its folding region and implicitly on the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C which is pushed downwards. The metal rule 6 continues to remain in permanent contact on the front columns 12 by means of the folded margin m of the print 2', said contact being ensured by the magnetic attraction forces F exerted by the permanent magnets 33 onto the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C.

After the double adhesively adhering the cardboard leaf to the upper face of the photographic print 2' that is on the base plate 5, the driving cylinder E is reversely supplied with pressurized air, so that the rod 18 carries out the lifting travel towards the upper working position. At the beginning of this travel, the last applied cardboard leaf 3 is immobilized by manually pressing and consequently the attraction forces F exerted by the two permanent magnets 33 onto the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C are overcome. By using the couple of permanent magnets 33 for ensuring a steadfast and continuous contact with the front columns 12 of the folded margins m of the prints 2', there is obtained a high precision in aligning the album leaves, due, to a great extent, to the elimination of the human error inherently occurring upon the alignining operation, particularly upon aligning the folded margins of the photographic prints. At the same time, it is estimated that the pneumatic displacement towards the base plate 5 of the assembly consisting of the fork 16, spacing bushes 15 and the supports 30 containing the permanent magnets 33 is liable to lead to a safe and silent operation, without blockage or sticking of the spacing bushes 15 on the front guide columns 12 even in default of an adequate lubrication. Moreover, the working times can also be reduced by increasing the displacement speed of the movable assembly on the two front columns 12, there being obtained a lowering of the manufacturing costs.

In any of the variants described above, the assembling device D, according to the invention, presents some characteristic dimensions and namely D₂ and D₃ that have to be correlated with other elements. Thus, distance Di between the axes of the guide bushes 10 of the front columns 12 shall be by 20 ... 25 mm less than the width I of the folded print 2' (different standardized widths), namely Di< I - (20 ... 25) mm. The distance D2 between the axes of the guide bushes 10 of the rear columns 13 shall be by 20 ... 30 mm longer than the width I of the folded print 2', namely D₂ = I + (20 ... 30) mm.

The distance D₃ between the axes of the guide bushes 10 of the front columns 12 (located on axis s) and the axes of the guide bushes 10 of the rear columns 13 (located on axis t) shall allow the corresponding lateral guiding of the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C between the cylindrical surfaces of the columns 12 and 13.

To this end, the distance D₃ is determined by taking into consideration, among others, the size of width I of the metal rule 6 of the handling plate C, by the relation D₃ = l_r + (20 ... 30) mm.

Claims

PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT A PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM CLAIMS

1. Process for carrying out a photograph album, comprising a first operation of printing, preferably digital images, onto a leaf three times larger than the album leaf itself, folowed by a bending according to a median line and folding the photographic print with the images to the inner side according to the median line and then orderly reuniting all the folded prints and obtaining a block of leaves, the process ending with an operation of attaching a cover to the block of leaves, by means of some guard leaves, characterized in that the reuniting in a block of the previously folded prints consists of the following operations and phases:

a) uniforming the folded print thickness and stiffening them by introducing between the two equal wings, containing the printed images to the inner side, a relatively rigid „T"-shaped handling plate, with a metal rule to one end and a thickness of 0.25 ... 0.3 mm, this assembly being maintained up to the end of the process;

b) positioning the first foled print, together with its handling plate, onto a horizontal plate of a device with four guide columns that are adjusted by progressively rotating them, up to eliminating all the degrees of freedom, in the horizontal plane of the folded print-handling plate assembly; the folded margin of the print is simultaneously brought into contact with two of the columns, thereby there being materialized a vertical alignment plate, which is the same for all prints that constitute the album, in the spine region of the block of leaves;

c) positioning above the folded print, immobilized between the device columns a double-adhesive cardboard leaf, narrower by 4 ... 5 mm than the width of the print and aligning its edge towards the spine- according to a second aligning plane, parallel with the alligning plane of the prints but shifted by 4 ... 5 mm relative thereto; the second aligning plane is materialized by lowering two gliding spacing bushes on the two columns of the device, the edge positioned to the spine of the cardboard leaf being also simultaneously brought into contact with the outer surfaces of the two spacing bushes, coaxial with the guide columns; there follows an adhering stage, in aligned position of the lower face of the double adhesive cardboard leaf onto the upper face of the folded print;

d) positioning the following folded print and aligning the same with the folded margin on the front columns, followed by overlapping and adhering on the upper face of the double adhesive cardboard leaf, previously adhered onto the first folded print and obtaining the first album leaf, thereafter there are alternatively repeated the operation under point c and then the operation under point d, the folded prints making the mobile articulation-type connection between the cardboard leaves of the album;

e) after aligning and adhering the last folded print, the whole ream is extracted from between the guide columns and the handling plates a removed, thereby the block of leaves of the photograph album being obtained.

2. Device for carrying out the operations of assembling and obtaining the block of leaves according to the process in claim 1 , caracterized in that it consists of a base plate (5) on which, in some boring with parallel axes there are mounted two pairs of guide bushes (10); two front vertical columns (12) are introduced into the pair of guide bushes (10) arranged on an aligning axis (s) and two other rear columns (13) are introduced into the guide bushes (10) arranged according to an axis parallel with the axis (s) and at a distance D₃; the columns (12 and 13) having the possibility of easily eccentrically rotating about the axes of the guide bushes (10) in order to be in tangential contact with the corresponding edges of a handling plate (C ) carrying a folded photographic print (2'), having a width (I); on the two front closer columns (12) there are introduced some spacing bushes (15) coupled to one another by means of a fork (16), which penetrates with its ends into some circular channels (b') belonging to the spacer bushes (15), that can glide along the front columns (12) and can be immobilized at any height; the spacing bushes (15) are displaced through a rod-piston (18) of a pneumatic cylinder (E) mounted under the base plate (5).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide bushes (10) are secured to the base plate (5) with a nut (11) and are provided with a flange (u) with a front surface (y) at the same level with an upper surface (x) of the base plate (5); the cylindrical-shaped columns (12 and 13) are provided with an eccentric spindle (z) that can rotate inside the boring of the guide bush (10) and can be blocked by a striated nut

(14) .

4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that for another width (I) of the album leaves, namely of the photographic prints (2) and implicitly on another width of the handling plate (C ), the guide bushes (10) related to the farther rear columns (13), are mounted in other holes (10') arranged on the same transversal axis (t), but at another longer distance (D₄).

5. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the glide spacing bushes

(15) are provided at the lower side with a cylindrical region (d') having a diameter (e ) selected so that the thickness of the bush wall (15) in this region is equal to the shifting

(k) that is desired to exist between the edge (j) of the cardboard sheet (3) and the folded margin (m) of the folded photographic print (2').

6. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that in a simplified variant, it is provided with spacing bushes (22) of a cylindrical shape, that can be displaced manually on the front columns (12) and secured in the desired position with a locking screw (23).

7. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the said handling plate (C ) is letter„T"-shaped and consists of a metal rule (6) and a cardboard plate (24), the latter having the width (I ) equal to the width of the photographic print (2) and less than the length (l_i)of the metal rule (6); the metal rule (6) and the cardboard plate (24) are coplanar and integral to each other by a cover (25) made of plastic material, applied by the hot rolling (plastifying) process.

8. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that in an improved variant the closer front columns (12) play the role of electromagnetic core when supplying with electric current a coil (26) wound on a housing (27), mounted coaxially on the outer side of the guiding bush (10) of the front columns (12) and secured under the base plate (5) with a nut (11).

9. Device according to claim 2, characteried in that symmetrically between the two spacing bushes (15), under the driving fork (16) there are secured two supports (30) wherein there are mounted some adjustment screws (32) provided with some longitudinally polarized permanent magnets (33) that are capable of attracting the handling plate (C ) and of maintaining it in steadfast contact with the cylindrical surfaces of the front columns (12), so that, by lowering the fork (16) along the front columns (12), the handling plate (C ) is pushed downwards by the spacing bushes (15) and placed on the base plate (5), while the folded margin (m) of the photographic print (2') covering the edge of the metal rule (6) of the handling plate (C ) stays in contact with the front columns (12).

10. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the rod (18) of the piston of the pneumatic driving cylinder (E) is integral at the external end with a bush (28) wherein above there is secured an axially polarized permanent magnet (29) which is in contact with the lower surface of the driving fork (16) so that, through the magnetic coupling created between the fork (16) and rod (18) of the piston of the driving cylinder (E) there is ensured the lowering on the front columns (12) of fork (16) togewther with the two spacing bushes (15) also by means of the pneumatic driving as in the case of lifting, but also by gravity.