WO2019087354A1

WO2019087354A1 - Paper folding machine

Info

Publication number: WO2019087354A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/039737
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宏生山本; 晋哉渡邊; 至一中村; 茂脇本; 田渕　秀明
Original assignee: ホリゾン・インターナショナル株式会社
Priority date: 2017-11-02
Filing date: 2017-11-02
Publication date: 2019-05-09
Also published as: CN111278756A; US20200346887A1; JPWO2019087354A1; EP3705429A1; EP3705429A4

Abstract

The present invention is provided with: folding mechanisms (11, 15, 24) that are disposed at respective folding positions (A to C) on a transport path 1; guides (8, 19, 20, 28, 29) against which one side edge or both side edges of transported paper (P) is made to abut, thus positioning the paper with respect to the folding positions; stoppers (12, 16, 25) against which a front end of the transported paper is made to abut, thus stopping the paper at the folding positions in a positioned manner; a fold-shift detection unit (50) that detects a fold shift of the paper at each of the folding positions; and a controller (42) that controls the positions of the guides and the stoppers. Each time the number of detection data items received from the fold-shift detection unit reaches a predetermined number of samples at each of the folding positions, the controller calculates an average value of fold shifts at each of the folding positions by using the detection data items corresponding to the number of samples and adjusts the positions of the guide(s) and/or the stopper that are/is involved in the corresponding folding position, in order to correct a fold shift corresponding to the average value.

Description

Paper folding machine

The present invention relates to a sheet folding machine that forms a signature by folding a printed sheet along a folding line set in the printing surface.

In the bookbinding process, normally, a sheet of a predetermined size, which has been surface-printed in page order, is folded along a folding line set on the printing surface to form a signature, and each signature is collated. Forms a book block, wherein a folding machine is used to form signatures from the printed sheets.

As this type of paper folding machine, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1.
The paper folding machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a sheet feeding unit, a conveying unit connected to the downstream side of the sheet feeding unit, and first to third sheet folding units connected to the downstream side of the conveying unit. Have.

The sheet feeding unit has a sheet loading table that can be moved up and down, and a sheet feeding rotor that feeds sheets one by one from the bundle of sheets stacked on the sheet loading table.

The transport unit includes a transport belt that transports the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding unit to the first sheet folding unit, and a positioning rule that is disposed along the transport direction and aligns the position of the transported sheet. . The transport belt is disposed at a slight angle with respect to the alignment rule, and the sheet is transported by the transport belt while the one side edge side is along the alignment rule. The alignment ruler can be driven by the motor in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

The first sheet folding section folds the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The first sheet folding section is provided with a buckle and a group of rollers extending at right angles to the transport direction at the entrance of the buckle. A first stopper is disposed in the sheet introduction gap of the buckle, and the leading end of the sheet to be introduced abuts against the first stopper, whereby the sheet is positioned at a predetermined folding position.
Then, the portion from the leading edge of the sheet to the folding line is inserted into the buckle, and the subsequent portion of the sheet is inserted between the pair of folding rollers, and the sheet is folded at right angles to the transport direction. Thereafter, the sheet is sent to the second sheet folding unit via a gear that applies perforations.

The second sheet folding unit folds the sheet in the transport direction. In the second paper folding portion, there is provided a first folding knife which is vertically movably disposed at a position aligned with the gear and extends in the transport direction, and disposed immediately below the first folding knife, A pair of first folding rollers extending in parallel, and a second stopper extending perpendicularly to the transport direction on the downstream side of the first folding knife and in contact with the leading edge of the sheet transported from the first sheet folding unit Be equipped.
The position of the second stopper is independently adjustable in the transport direction and in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

First and second guides are attached to both ends of the second stopper and extend parallel to the first folding knife. The first guide functions as a reference guide for positioning in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the second guide conveys the sheet conveyed to the second sheet folding unit by the elastic biasing force of the spring. Press on the first guide.

Then, after the sheet conveyed from the first sheet folding portion is stopped by the second stopper, the sheet is positioned so that the perforation of the sheet is aligned with the first folding knife by the first and second guides. Be done. Thereafter, the first folding knife descends, and the sheet is inserted between the pair of first folding rollers, folded in the direction along the transport direction, and sent to the third sheet folding unit.

The third sheet folding unit folds the sheet conveyed from the second sheet folding unit in a second conveying direction (a conveying direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction from the sheet feeding unit to the second sheet folding unit). The third folding portion is disposed so as to be capable of moving up and down, and is disposed immediately below the second folding knife which extends in the second conveying direction and the second folding knife and extends parallel to the second folding knife A pair of second folding rollers, and a third stopper extending at right angles to the second transport direction on the downstream side of the second folding rollers and in contact with the leading edge of the sheet transported from the second sheet folding unit Be equipped.
The position of the third stopper can be adjusted independently in the transport direction and in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

Third and fourth guides are attached at opposite ends of the third stopper and extend parallel to the second folding knife. The third guide functions as a reference guide for positioning in the direction perpendicular to the second conveyance direction of the sheet, and the fourth guide is conveyed to the third sheet folding portion by the elastic biasing force of the spring. Press the paper against the third guide.

Then, the sheet conveyed from the second sheet folding unit is positioned by the third and fourth guides after being stopped by the third stopper. Thereafter, the second folding knife descends, and the sheet is inserted between the pair of second folding rollers, and is folded in the direction along the second transport direction to complete the signature. The completed signature is discharged from the folding machine.

By the way, there are variations in actual dimensions even if the sheets have the same standard size. Further, in a rotary press such as an offset rotary press, when the roll paper is cut into each sheet after printing on the roll sheet, the cut position of the roll sheet fluctuates, so that the size of each sheet varies.
In addition, there are also variations in the position of the printing surface of the sheet.

As a result, the paper is misfolded during operation of the paper folding machine, but if this misregistration is within the allowable range, the signature is regarded as a finished product while the misregistration exceeds the allowable range. In the case, the signature is rejected and rejected. This is done by the operator visually inspecting the signatures ejected from the folding machine.

Then, each time a defective product is detected, the paper folding machine is stopped to adjust the positions of the alignment ruler, the first to third stoppers, and the first and third guides. This adjustment takes into consideration the degree of variation of the size of the sheet and the position of the printing surface according to the misregistration of the defective product detected visually by the operator, so that the misregistration becomes as small as possible within the allowable range. This is done by adjusting the position of the alignment ruler, the first to third stoppers, and the appropriate one of the first and third guides.

However, this work is time-consuming and time-consuming, and since this work is done based on the experience and intuition of the worker, it also requires the skill of the worker. Therefore, this work is for increasing productivity and reducing cost. It was an obstacle.

In this case, an apparatus has been proposed in the prior art for automatically detecting sheet misplacement, which for example is an inspection mark attached to a printed sheet and crossing a fold line set on the sheet, and a sheet fold It has a CCD camera which is disposed on the machine and detects inspection marks (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

The CCD camera is disposed at one or more folding positions in the sheet folding machine, and captures an inspection mark folded at the previous folding position of the sheet every time the sheet stops at the folding position.
Then, each time the inspection mark is photographed by the CCD camera, the position, the length and the area of the acquired inspection mark, and the position, the length and the position of the inspection mark when the sheet is folded along the folding line without displacement. By comparing the area with the area, the amount of misfolding of the sheet is automatically detected.

However, even if the detection of a paper break is automated, it is necessary to manually adjust the relevant members as before each time a fold out of tolerance is detected. There is no particular increase in productivity, and no significant cost reduction can be achieved.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-261726 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 7-277593

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding machine capable of automatically detecting a folding error and automatically performing adjustment for the correction of the folding error.

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, there is provided a paper folding machine for forming a signature by folding a printed sheet along a folding line set on a printing surface of the sheet, the entrance end and A conveying path of the sheet having an outlet end and at least one folding position provided in the middle, and one sheet of the sheet along the conveying path, between the inlet end and the leading folding position; And a conveyance mechanism for conveying between the adjacent folding positions and between the rearmost folding position and the outlet end, and the sheet stopped at the folding position and disposed at the folding line A folding mechanism for folding the sheet along the position adjustable guide for positioning the sheet with respect to the folding position by bringing one side edge or both side edges of the sheet transported to the folding position by the transport mechanism into contact with each other; , Each of said folding position A position-adjustable stopper which is disposed on the flow side and causes the sheet to be positioned and stopped at the folding position by bringing the front end of the transported sheet into contact, and a misregistration for each sheet and for each folding position A paper folding machine including a misregistration detection unit for detecting the position of at least one of the guide and the stopper related to the corresponding folding position based on detection data of the misregistration detection unit; A data receiving unit including: a drive mechanism capable of driving the guide and the stopper; and a controller operatively connected to the drive mechanism, the controller receiving the detection data from the folding detection unit A data counting unit that counts the number of detection data received by the data receiving unit for each of the folding positions; and the data receiving unit A data storage unit for storing the received detection data for each of the folding positions, and each time the number of the detection data stored in the data storage unit reaches a predetermined number of samples for each of the folding positions, A statistical processing unit that calculates an average value of the folding deviations for each of the folding positions using the detection data of the above-mentioned, and each time the average value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the folding deviation corresponding to the average value A paper folding machine is provided, characterized in that it has an adjusting portion for adjusting the position of at least one of the guide and the stopper related to the corresponding folding position to correct.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller further comprises a shift allowance storage unit for storing the average value of the fold deviation as a shift allowance for each of the folding positions, and the shift allowance storage unit The stored data is updated each time the average value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the controller is further operatively connected to the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism, and the detection is performed by the data receiving unit. Each time data is received, the detection data is compared with the deviation tolerance value, and a defective item check unit that stops the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism when the detection data exceeds the deviation tolerance value ing.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the paper folding machine is further provided on the downstream side of the last folding position in the transport path or at the outlet end, and recovers the paper in which the folding failure has occurred. The controller further includes a shift allowance storage unit for storing the average value of the folds as a shift allowance for each of the folding positions, and the data stored in the shift allowance storage unit Is updated each time the average value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, and the controller is further operatively connected to the collection unit, and each time the data reception unit receives the detection data, A defective product check unit that compares the detected data with the deviation tolerance value, and recovers the sheet corresponding to the detected data when the detection data exceeds the deviation tolerance value. It has.

According to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the statistical processing unit of the controller causes the statistical processing unit of the controller to select the number of samples stored in the data storage unit every time the number of samples reaches the number of samples. The standard deviation of the fold is further calculated using the detection data for the number of samples and the average value for each fold position, and the variation determination value of the fold is calculated based on the standard deviation, and the controller Further, each time the variation determination value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the variation determination value is compared with a predetermined deviation allowable value, and the variation is further connected to the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism. It has a defective item check unit that stops the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism when the determination value exceeds the deviation allowable value.

According to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the paper folding machine is further provided on the downstream side of the last folding position in the transport path or at the outlet end, in which the folding failure occurs in the paper. The statistical processing unit of the controller includes a collection unit for collecting, and the number of the detection data stored in the data storage unit reaches the number of samples for each of the folding positions, for each of the folding positions. The standard deviation of the misalignment is further calculated using the detection data and the average value for the number of samples, the variation judgment value of the misalignment is calculated based on the standard deviation, and the controller is further configured to: Each time the variation determination value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the variation determination value is compared with a predetermined deviation allowance value, and the variation determination value is previously connected. And a defective checking unit for recovered by the recovery unit of the sheet corresponding to the case of exceeding the deviation allowable value.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically detect, for each folding position, the sheet misregistration occurring during operation of the paper folding machine, and for each folding position, each time the obtained detection data reaches a predetermined number of samples, The average value of detection data is calculated, and the related stoppers and / or guides are automatically adjusted using the calculated average value, so that the amount of work by the operator is significantly reduced, and the skill is required for the operation. As a result, productivity is dramatically improved, and a great deal of cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, according to the present invention, the adjustment of the paper folding machine is statistically performed so as to minimize the misalignment, including not only the misalignment exceeding the tolerance but also the misalignment within the tolerance. The accuracy of the adjustment is better than before, which lowers the incidence of rejects.

1 is a perspective view of a folding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the paper folding machine of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of the 2nd and 3rd folding position vicinity of the paper folding machine of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the misregistration detection unit of the paper folding machine of FIG. (A) is a block diagram which shows a structure of a controller of the paper folding machine of FIG. 1, (B) and (C) is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification of (A), respectively. (A) is a top view which shows the paper folded without a gap by the 1st folding mechanism of the paper folding machine of FIG. 1, (B) and (C) were folded by the 1st folding mechanism. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a sheet having a misregistration.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the attached drawings.
In general, there are misaligned folds in a fold line and misaligned parallel to a fold line as the fold deviation of a sheet generated in a sheet folding machine, but in the following, the fold line is simplified to simplify the description. An embodiment in which only a fold deviation parallel to.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the folding machine of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration around the second and third folding positions of the paper folding machine of FIG.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the paper folding machine of the present invention has an inlet end 1a and an outlet end 1b, and has a first folding position A, a second folding position B and a third folding position in the middle The conveyance path 1 provided with C is provided.
In this embodiment, the transport path 1 has a first portion 1c extending substantially linearly from the inlet end 1a through the first folding position A to the second folding position B, and the second folding position B to the first A second portion 1d extending to the third folding position C at right angles to the portion 1c of the second portion, and a third portion linearly extending from the third folding position C to the outlet end 1b at right angles to the second portion 1d And 1e.

In this embodiment, at the inlet end 1a of the transport path 1, a sheet feeding device 2 for feeding sheets P one by one to a sheet folding machine of the present invention is connected.
The sheet feeding device 2 has a sheet loading table 2a that can be moved up and down, and a sheet feeding rotor 2b that feeds out the top sheet P of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet loading table 2a. Are fed one by one to the conveyance path 1.

In the present invention, the sheet P is printed by imposition printing in page order, and is folded along a folding line set on the printing surface to form a signature.
Further, on the surface of the sheet P that is mountain-folded along the folding line, a mark M for detecting a folding deviation is attached, and extends across the related folding line. The mark M is printed in a margin portion extending outside the printing area of the sheet P when the sheet P is printed.

The sheet folding machine of the present invention also includes a first transport mechanism 3 for transporting sheets P one by one along the transport path 1 (first portion 1c) from the entrance end 1a to the first folding position A. A second transport mechanism 4 for transporting the sheet P one by one along the transport path 1 (the first portion 1c) from the first folding position A to the second folding position B, and one sheet P A third transport mechanism 5 for transporting the sheet P along the transport path 1 (the second portion 1d) from the second folding position B to the third folding position C; A fourth transport mechanism 6 is provided which transports from the third folding position C to the outlet end 1b along the third portion 1e).

The first transport mechanism 3 has a plurality of first transport belts 7 extending between the inlet end 1 a of the transport path 1 (the first portion 1 c) and the first folding position A.
A first guide (alignment ruler) 8 is disposed on one side of the transport path 1 (first portion 1c) and extends along the transport path 1 (first portion 1c). The first guide 8 positions the sheet P relative to the first folding position A by engaging with one side edge of the sheet P being conveyed.

Among the plurality of first conveyor belts 7, the first conveyor belt 7 adjacent to the first guide 8 is inclined so as to gradually approach the first guide 8 toward the downstream side, and the remaining first conveyor belts 7 are inclined. The transport belts 7 extend parallel to one another along the transport path 1 (first portion 1c).
As a result, the sheet P is conveyed by the first conveyance belt 7 while the one side edge side thereof is along the first guide 8.

The first guide 8 is slidably guided in the direction perpendicular to the transport path 1 (first portion 1c). An intermediate portion of the first guide 8 is screwed to the first screw shaft 10 which can be rotationally driven about the axis by the first motor 9, and the first guide 8 is rotated by forward and reverse rotation of the first motor 9. The position of is adjustable.

At the first folding position A, a first folding mechanism 11 that folds the sheet P in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is disposed.
The first folding mechanism 11 includes a buckle 11a and rollers 11b to 11d disposed at the lower end opening of the buckle 11a.

The buckle 11a is provided with a first stopper 12 that brings the leading end of the sheet P to be introduced into contact with the buckle 11a and stops the sheet P in a state where the sheet P is positioned at the first folding position A.
The first stopper 12 is slidably attached to the buckle 11a in the longitudinal direction of the buckle 11a and attached to the first belt drive mechanism 13 disposed on the buckle 11a to adjust the position in the longitudinal direction of the buckle 11a It is possible.

The first belt drive mechanism 13 is disposed at an interval in the length direction of the buckle 11a, and extends between the pair of

horizontal pulley shafts

13a and 13b extending in the width direction of the buckle 11a and the

pulley shaft

13a and 13b. A pair of

endless belts

13d and 13e stretched via 13c and a second motor 13f capable of rotationally driving one pulley shaft 13a.

The first stopper 12 is attached to the

endless belts

13d and 13e, and along with the rotational movement of the

endless belts

13d and 13e by the drive of the second motor 13f, the first stopper 12 is in the length direction of the buckle 11a. You can move to

The second transport mechanism 4 extends along the transport path 1 (first portion 1c) between the first folding position A and the second folding position B in the transport path 1 (first portion 1c). It has a plurality of second conveyor belts 14 which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the conveyance path 1 (the first portion 1c).

At the second folding position B, a second folding mechanism 15 that folds the sheet P in the direction along the transport direction is disposed.
The second folding mechanism 15 is disposed above the second folding position B so as to be capable of moving up and down, and is disposed opposite to the folding knife 15 a extending in the transport direction and below the second folding position B And has a pair of

folding rollers

15b, 15c extending parallel to the folding knife 15a.

Further, on the downstream side of the second folding position B, the sheet is spread at a right angle to the folding knife 15a (in the transport direction) and brought into contact with the leading end of the transported sheet P to position the sheet P at the second folding position B. A second stopper 16 is arranged to stop in the closed state.
The second stopper 16 is slidably attached to a pair of slide guides 17 a and 17 b extending in the conveyance direction on both sides of the conveyance path 1 (first portion 1 c), and is attached to the second belt drive mechanism 18 Position adjustment is possible in the transport direction.

The second belt drive mechanism 18 includes a horizontal pulley shaft 18a extending at right angles to the transport direction on the downstream side of the second stopper 16,

pulleys

18b and 18c attached to both ends of the pulley shaft 18a, and pulleys 18b and 18c. And a pair of

endless belts

18f and 18g stretched between the

pulleys

18d and 18e, and the

pulleys

18b and 18c and the

pulleys

18d and 18e, and the third motor 18h and the third motor 18h. It comprises an endless belt 18i stretched between the pulleys of the drive shaft of the motor 18h and the pulley 18b.
The both ends of the second stopper 16 are attached to the

endless belts

18f and 18g, and the position of the second stopper 16 can be adjusted in accordance with the rotational movement of the

endless belts

18f and 18g by the drive of the third motor 18h. .

The second stopper 16 has second and

third guides

19 and 20 extending perpendicularly to the second stopper 16 from the second stopper 16 toward the upstream side of the transport path 1 (the first portion 1c). Is slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the second stopper 16.
The second and

third guides

19 and 20 position the sheet P with respect to the second folding position B by engaging with both side edges of the sheet P being conveyed.

In addition,

second screw shafts

21a and 21b parallel to the second stopper 16 are rotatably mounted on both ends of the second stopper 16 around the axes, and at the outer ends of the

second screw shafts

21a and 21b, The drive shafts of the

fourth motors

22a and 22b attached to the second stopper 16 are connected.

Then, the second and

third guides

19 and 20 are screwed into the

second screw shafts

21a and 21b, and the forward and reverse rotation of the

fourth motors

22a and 22b allows the second and

third guides

19 and 20 to be rotated. The position can be adjusted.

The third transport mechanism 5 is disposed between the second folding position B and the third folding position C in the transport path 1 (the second portion 1d) at intervals in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, A plurality of third conveyor belts 23 extending in the conveyance direction are provided.

At the third folding position C, the third folding mechanism 24 that folds the sheet P in the direction along the transport direction is disposed.
The third folding mechanism 24 is disposed above the third folding position C so as to be capable of moving up and down, and is disposed opposite to the folding knife 24 a extending in the transport direction and below the third folding position C. And has a pair of

folding rollers

24b, 24c extending parallel to the folding knife 24a.

Further, on the downstream side of the third folding position C, the sheet P is positioned at the third folding position C by being brought into contact with the leading edge of the sheet P conveyed at a right angle to the folding knife 24a (conveying direction). A third stopper 25 is arranged to stop in the closed state.
The third stopper 25 is slidably attached to a pair of slide guides 26 a and 26 b extending in the conveyance direction on both sides of the conveyance path 1 (second portion 1 d), and is attached to the third belt drive mechanism 27. Position adjustment is possible in the transport direction.

The third belt drive mechanism 27 has a horizontal pulley shaft 27a extending at right angles to the transport direction on the downstream side of the third stopper 25, pulleys 27b and 27c attached to both ends of the pulley shaft 27a, and pulleys 27b and 27c. And a pair of

endless belts

27f and 27g stretched between the

pulleys

27d and 27e, and the pulleys 27b and 27c and the

pulleys

27d and 27e, spaced apart on the upstream side of the second motor 27h and the fourth motor 27h. It comprises an endless belt 27i stretched between a pulley of a drive shaft of a motor 27h and a pulley 27d.
Then, both ends of the third stopper 25 are attached to the

endless belts

27f, 27g, and the position of the third stopper 25 can be adjusted in accordance with the rotational movement of the

endless belts

27f, 27g by the drive of the fourth motor 27h. .

The third stopper 25 has fourth and

fifth guides

28 and 29 extending perpendicularly to the third stopper 25 from the third stopper 25 toward the upstream side of the conveyance path 1 (second portion 1 d). Is slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the third stopper 25.
The fourth and

fifth guides

28 and 29 position the sheet P with respect to the third folding position C by engaging with both side edges of the sheet P being conveyed.

In addition,

third screw shafts

30a and 30b parallel to the third stopper 25 are rotatably mounted on both ends of the third stopper 25 around the axis, and at the outer ends of the

third screw shafts

30a and 30b, The drive shafts of the

fifth motors

31 a and 31 b attached to the third stopper 25 are connected.

Then, the fourth and

fifth guides

28, 29 are screwed into the

third screw shafts

30a, 30b, and the forward and reverse rotation of the

fifth motors

31a, 31b allows the fourth and

fifth guides

28, 29 to be rotated. The position can be adjusted.

The fourth transport mechanism 6 is disposed between the third folding position C and the outlet end 1b in the transport path 1 (third portion 1e) at intervals in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and each transport direction A plurality of fourth conveyor belts 32 are provided.

Thus, the sheet P supplied from the sheet feeding device 2 to the first conveyance belt 7 (the first conveyance mechanism 3) is moved by the first conveyance mechanism 3 along the conveyance path 1 (the first portion 1c). It is conveyed to the folding position A of 1. During this conveyance, the sheet P is aligned at the first folding position A by the first guide (alignment ruler) 8.

At the first folding position A, the sheet P is inserted into the buckle 11 a by the pair of

rollers

11 b and 11 c, and the leading end of the sheet P is aligned at the first folding position A by abutting on the first stopper 12. Stop in the normal state. Next, a portion of the sheet P protruding from the inlet of the buckle 11a is inserted between the pair of

rollers

11c and 11d, and the sheet P is folded in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.
The folded sheet P falls onto the second conveyance belt 14 (second conveyance mechanism 5), and is conveyed to the second folding position B by the second conveyance belt 14.

The sheet P conveyed by the second conveyance belt 14 is stopped at the second folding position B by the second stopper 16, and the second stopper 16 and the second and

third guides

19 and 20 Aligned to the folding position B of 2. Next, the folding knife 15a descends, and the sheet P is inserted between the pair of

folding rollers

15b and 15c, and is folded in the direction along the transport direction, and the third transport belt 23 (third transport mechanism 5) It falls upward and is sent to the third folding position C by the third conveyor belt 23.

The sheet P conveyed by the third conveyance belt 23 is stopped at the third folding position C by the third stopper 25, and the third stopper 25 and the fourth and

fifth guides

28 and 29 Aligned to the folding position C of 3. Next, the folding knife 24a descends, and the sheet P is inserted between the pair of

folding rollers

24b and 24c, and is folded in a direction along the transport direction, and the fourth transport belt 32 (fourth transport mechanism 6) The sheet falls upward and is discharged from the outlet end 1 b of the conveyance path 1 to the outside of the sheet folding machine by the fourth conveyance belt 32.

The sheet folding machine according to the present invention also includes a folding error detection unit 50 that detects a folding error for each sheet P and each folding position A to C.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the misregistration detection unit 50. As shown in FIG.
4 and 3, folding detection unit 50 is attached to second stopper 16 of second folding mechanism 15, and detects when sheet P stops at second folding position B. A first sensor 33, a first camera 34 attached to the second stopper 16 and photographing a mark M regarding the first folding position A of the sheet P stopped at the second folding position B, and a third The second sensor 35 is attached to the third stopper 25 of the folding mechanism 24 and detects when the sheet P stops at the third folding position C; The second camera 36 captures an image of the mark M relating to the second folding position B of the sheet P stopped at the folding position C.

Then, each time the first camera 34 outputs a detection signal from the first sensor 33, the first camera 34 performs a photographing operation, and each time the second camera 36 outputs a detection signal from the second sensor 35. , Shooting operation is to be performed.

The misregistration detection unit 50 is also disposed above the transport path 1 (third portion 1 e) on the downstream side of the third folding position C in the transport path 1 (third portion 1 e). A mark relating to the third folding position C of the sheet P is disposed side by side with the third sensor 37 that detects the passage of the front end and the third sensor 37 in the width direction of the conveyance path 1 (third portion 1e) It has a third camera 38 for capturing M.
The third camera 38 is configured to perform a photographing operation each time a detection signal is output from the third sensor 37.

The misregistration detection unit 50 further pre-stores, as a reference value, the area value of the mark M in each of the images taken by the first to

third cameras

34, 36, 38 for the paper P having no misregistration. And an image processing unit 40 for calculating the area of the mark M in the image by performing image processing on the image captured by the first to

third cameras

34, 36, and 38. .

Although the calculation of the area by the image processing unit 40 is performed using a known appropriate image processing method, in this embodiment, for example, a mark is drawn from the background in the image using a binarization process or a blob process. It is done by separating M as blobs and measuring the blob area.

Further, each time the area of the mark M is calculated by the image processing unit 40, the misregistration detection unit 50 detects a misregistration by calculating the difference between the calculated value and the corresponding reference value, and the detected data And a detection unit 41 that outputs the

The method of detecting the misalignment by the detection unit 41 will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
6 (A) is the first folding mechanism 11 is a plan view showing the sheet P ₀ which folded without folding deviation, FIG. 6 (B) and FIG. 6 (C) by a first folding mechanism 11 FIG. ₅ is a plan view showing folded sheets P ₁ and P ₂ having a misregistration.
FIG 6 (A) ~ 6 mark _M 0 ~ _{M 2} of the sheet _P shown in (C) 0 ~ _{P 2} is first when the sheet _P 0 ~ _{P 2} is stopped in the second folding position B Taken by the camera 34 of

Referring to FIG. 6A, reference value storage unit 39 stores in advance the area value of mark M ₀ in the image of sheet P ₀ photographed by first camera 34 as a reference value.

Now, the sheet P ₁ that shown in FIG. 6 (B) stops the second folding position B, when taken by a first camera 34, the area value of the mark M ₁ in the image of the paper sheet P ₁ is an image It is output from the processing unit 40. Then, the detection unit 41 subtracts the reference value from the area value of the mark M _1, by dividing the subtracted value by the width of the mark M _0, and outputs the division value as the detection data of the folding deviation.
In this example, since the area value of the mark M ₁ is greater than the reference value, the detection data is the positive value. The detection data of the positive value indicates that the actual folding line is shifted downstream in the transport direction with respect to the set folding line.

Further, the sheet P ₂ that shown in Fig. 6 (C) stopped in the second folding position B, when taken by a first camera 34, the mark from the image processing unit 40 in the image of the paper sheet P ₂ M ₂ The area value of is output. Then, the detection unit 41 subtracts the reference value from the area value of the mark M _2, by dividing the subtracted value by the width of the mark M _0, and outputs the division value as the detection data of the folding deviation.
In this example, since the area value of the mark M ₂ is smaller than the reference value, the detection data becomes a negative value. The detection data of the negative value indicates that the actual folding line is shifted upstream in the transport direction with respect to the set folding line.

The paper folding machine according to the present invention also includes a first motor 9 (drive mechanism of the first guide 8), a first belt drive mechanism 13 (drive mechanism of the first stopper 12), and a second belt drive mechanism. 18 (drive mechanism of the second stopper 16), drive mechanism of the

fourth motors

22a and 22b (second and third guides 19 and 20), drive of the third belt drive mechanism 27 (third stopper 25) And a controller 42 operatively connected to the

fifth motors

31a, 31b (drive mechanisms of the fourth and fifth guides 28, 29).

FIG. 5A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the controller 42. As shown in FIG.
The controller 42 is a computer in which a program is incorporated, and counts the number of detection data received by the data reception unit 43 receiving data detected from the misregistration detection unit and the data reception unit 43 for each of the folding positions A to C A data counting unit 44 and a data storage unit 45 for storing data received by the data receiving unit 43 for each of the folding positions A to C are provided.

Each time the number of detection data stored in the data storage unit 45 reaches a predetermined number of samples for each of the folding positions A to C, the controller 42 also uses the detection data for the number of samples to fold It has a statistical processing unit 46 that calculates the average value of the deviation.

That is, when the statistical processing unit 46, for each folding position A ~ C, for example, a predetermined number of samples is n, ₁ the value of the detection data _{_{δ, δ 2, δ 3,}} ···, is a [delta] _n , The average value of detection data

Calculated according to and output the calculated average value.

In this case, the predetermined number of samples may be stored in advance in the memory of the controller 42 as a predetermined value, or the controller 42 has an input unit for receiving an input of the number of samples, and through this input unit An appropriate number of samples may be input to the controller 42.

Further, each time the average value is calculated by the statistical processing unit 46, the controller 42 corrects the deviation corresponding to the average value, the

guides

8, 19, 20 related to the corresponding folding positions A to C, An adjusting portion 47 is provided to adjust the position of at least one of the

stoppers

28 and 29 and the

stoppers

12, 16 and 25.

Thus, according to the present invention, the misregistration of the sheet P generated during the operation of the paper folding machine is automatically detected for each of the folding positions A to C, and the detected data obtained for each of the folding positions A to C is Every time a predetermined number of samples is reached, an average value of detection data is calculated, and the calculated average value is used to automatically perform the

relevant stoppers

12, 16, 25 and / or the

guides

8, 19, 20, 28, 29 Therefore, the amount of work by the workers is significantly reduced, and the work is not required to be performed, thereby dramatically improving the productivity and achieving a great cost reduction.

FIG. 5B is a block diagram showing a modification of the controller 42. As shown in FIG.
In the modification of FIG. 5 (B), in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 5 (A), the controller 42 'stores a deviation average value as a deviation allowance for each of the folding positions A to C. A storage unit 48 is provided. Then, the data stored in the allowable shift value storage unit 48 is updated each time the statistical processing unit 46 calculates an average value.

In this modification, the controller 42 ′ is further operatively connected to the first to fourth transport mechanisms 3 to 6 and the first to

third folding mechanisms

11, 15 and 24, and is detected by the data receiving unit 43. Each time data is received, the detected data is compared with the deviation tolerance value, and when the detection data exceeds the deviation tolerance value, the first to fourth transport mechanisms 3-6 and the first to

third folding mechanisms

11 , 15, 24 has a defect check unit 49 for stopping.

According to the modification of FIG. 5 (B), not only the adjustment for the folding error of the paper folding machine but also the check of the defective product can be performed automatically.

In the modification of FIG. 5 (B), the sheet folding machine is stopped when a defective product is detected, but instead, the sheet folding machine is not stopped when a defective product is detected. The defective product can be automatically collected.
In this case, the paper folding machine is further provided on the downstream side of the third folding position C in the transport path 1 (third portion 1e) or at the outlet end 1b, and has a recovery unit for recovering a defective product. The defective product check unit 49 is operatively connected to the collection unit, and each time the data reception unit 43 receives the detection data, the detection data is compared with the deviation tolerance value, and the detection data exceeds the deviation tolerance value. In this case, the corresponding paper P is collected by the collection unit.

FIG. 5C is a block diagram showing another modified example of the controller 42 of FIG. 5A.
In the modification of FIG. 5C, in addition to the controller 42 ′ ′ having the configuration shown in FIG. 5A, the statistical processing unit 46 ′ further detects the detection data stored in the data storage unit 45. Every time a predetermined number of samples is reached for each of the folding positions A to C, the standard deviation of the folding deviation for each of the folding positions A to C is calculated, and the variation judgment value of the folding deviation is calculated based on the standard deviation. There is.

That is, the statistical processing unit 46 ', for each folding position A ~ C, for example, a predetermined number of samples is n, ₁ the value of the detection data _{_{δ, δ 2, δ 3,}} ···, is a [delta] _n When

The standard deviation σ of the folding error is calculated according to the following equation, and the variation judgment value α of the folding error is calculated based on the standard deviation σ, for example,
α = σ × m (m = 1 or 2 or 3) (3)
Calculate according to

The controller 42 ′ ′ is further operatively connected to the first to fourth transport mechanisms 3 to 6 and the first to

third folding mechanisms

11, 15, and 24, and the statistical processing unit 46 ′ calculates the variation determination value. Every time the deviation judgment value is compared with a predetermined deviation allowance, when the deviation judgment value exceeds the deviation allowance, the first to fourth conveyance mechanisms 3-6 and the first to third folding mechanisms It has defective goods check part 49 'which makes 11, 15, 24 stop.

In this case, the predetermined deviation allowance may be stored in advance in the memory of the controller 42 ′ ′ as a predetermined value, or the controller 42 ′ ′ is provided with an input unit for receiving an input of the deviation allowance. An appropriate deviation allowance may be input to the controller 42 '' through this input unit.

According to the modification shown in FIG. 5C, not only the adjustment for the folding error of the paper folding machine but also the check for the defective product can be performed automatically.

In the modification of FIG. 5 (C), the sheet folding machine is stopped when a defective product is detected, but instead, the sheet folding machine is not stopped when a defective product is detected. The defective product can be automatically collected.
In this case, the paper folding machine is further provided on the downstream side of the third folding position C in the transport path 1 (third portion 1e) or at the outlet end 1b, and has a recovery unit for recovering a defective product. The defective item check unit 49 'is operatively connected to the collection unit, and the variation determination value is compared with a predetermined deviation allowable value each time the variation determination value is calculated by the statistical processing unit 46', and the variation determination value is determined. When it exceeds the deviation allowance value, the corresponding paper P is collected by the collection unit.

While some preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications within the scope of the appended claims. It goes without saying that variants can be devised.

For example, in the above embodiment, in order to simplify the description, the present invention is limited to the case where the fold deviation occurs in parallel to the fold line, but the present invention only generates the fold deviation parallel to the fold line. However, the present invention is also applicable to the case where a misregistration occurs obliquely to the fold line.

In the case where both the folding deviation parallel to the folding line and the folding deviation crossing the folding line occur, the first to

fifth guides

8, 19, 20, 28, 29 of the paper folding machine are the above-mentioned ones. In addition to being movable in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction as in the embodiment, the inclination angle with respect to the transport direction can be adjusted, and the first to

third stoppers

12, 16, 25 can be implemented as described above. As well as being movable in the transport direction as in the example, the tilt angle with respect to the transport direction is also adjustable.

Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the paper folding machine has three folding positions A to C, the buckle type folding mechanism is disposed at the first folding position A, and the knife type folding mechanism at the second folding position B Are arranged and the knife folding mechanism is arranged at the third folding position C, but the folding machine can have any number of folding positions and any type of folding suitable for each folding position A folding mechanism may be arranged.

Reference Signs List 1 conveyance path 1a inlet end 1b outlet end 1c first portion 1d second portion 1e third portion 2 sheet feeding device 2a sheet placement shelf 2b sheet feeding rotor 3 first conveying mechanism 4 second conveying mechanism 5 Third transport mechanism 6 Fourth transport mechanism 7 First transport belt 8 First guide (alignment ruler)
9 first motor 10 first screw shaft 11 first folding mechanism 11a buckle 11b-11d roller 12 first stopper 13 first belt drive mechanism 13a, 13b pulley shaft 13c pulley 13d, 13e endless belt 13f second Motor 14 Second transport belt 15 Second folding mechanism 15a Folding knife 15b, 15c Folding roller 16 Second stopper 17a, 17b Slide guide 18 Second belt drive mechanism 18a Pulley shafts 18b to 18e Pulleys 18f, 18g Endless Belt 18h Third motor 18i Endless belt 19 Second guide 20 Third guide 21a, 21b Second screw shaft 22a, 22b Fourth motor 23 Third conveyor belt 24 Third folding mechanism 24a Folding knife 24b , 24c folding roller 25 third stopper 26a, 26 Slide guide 27 Third belt drive mechanism 27a Pulley shafts 27b to 27e Pulley 27f, 27g Endless belt 27h Fourth motor 27i Endless belt 28 Fourth guide 29 Fifth guide 30a, 30b Third screw shaft 31a, 31b Fifth motor 32 Fourth transport belt 33 First sensor 34 First camera 35 Second sensor 36 Second camera 37 Third sensor 38 Third camera 39 Reference value storage unit 40 Image processing unit 41 Detection unit 42, 42 ', 42 "controller 43 Data reception unit 44 Data counting unit 45 Data storage unit 46, 46' Statistical processing unit 47 Adjustment unit 48 Deviation allowance storage unit 49, 49 'Defective product check unit 50 Fold deviation detection Unit A First folding position B Second folding position C Third folding position M, M ₀ , M ₁ , M ₂ mark P, P _0, _P 1, _{P 2} paper

Claims

A sheet folding machine for forming a signature by folding a printed sheet along a folding line set on a printing surface of the sheet,
A transport path for the sheet having an inlet end and an outlet end, at least one folding position being provided in the middle;
The sheet is conveyed, one sheet at a time, along the transport path, between the entrance end and the front folding position, between the adjacent folding positions, and between the rear end folding position and the outlet end A transport mechanism,
A folding mechanism that is disposed at each of the folding positions and folds the sheet stopped at the folding position along the folding line;
A positionable guide for positioning the sheet with respect to the folding position by bringing one side edge or both side edges of the sheet to be transported to the folding position by the transport mechanism;
A position adjustable stopper which is disposed on the downstream side of each of the folding positions and causes the sheet to be positioned and stopped at the folding position by bringing the front end of the transported sheets into contact with each other;
The apparatus includes a misregistration detection unit that detects misregistration for each of the sheets and for each of the folding positions,
In the paper folding machine, the position of at least one of the guide and the stopper related to the corresponding folding position is adjusted based on the detection data of the misregistration detection unit.
A drive mechanism capable of driving the guide and the stopper;
A controller operatively connected to the drive mechanism;
The controller
A data receiving unit for receiving the detection data from the misregistration detection unit;
A data counting unit that counts the number of the detection data received by the data receiving unit for each of the folding positions;
A data storage unit for storing the detection data received by the data reception unit for each of the folding positions;
Every time the number of detected data stored in the data storage unit reaches a predetermined number of samples for each folding position, an average value of the misalignments for each folding position is used using the detection data for the number of samples A statistical processing unit that calculates
Every time the average value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the position of at least one of the guide and the stopper related to the corresponding folding position is adjusted in order to correct the folding deviation corresponding to the average value. And an adjusting unit.
The controller further comprises:
A deviation allowance storage unit for storing the average value of the deviation as the deviation allowance at each folding position, and the data stored in the deviation allowance storage unit is calculated by the statistical processing unit. Updated every time
The controller further comprises:
Each time the detection data is received by the data reception unit, the detection data is compared with the deviation tolerance value, and the detection data is operatively connected to the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism. 2. The paper folding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a defective product check unit which stops the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism when exceeding.
The apparatus further comprises a recovery unit provided downstream of the last folding position in the transport path or at the outlet end, for recovering the sheet in which a folding error has occurred.
The controller further comprises:
A deviation allowance storage unit for storing the average value of the deviation as the deviation allowance at each folding position, and the data stored in the deviation allowance storage unit is calculated by the statistical processing unit. Updated every time
The controller further comprises:
Each time the detection data is received by the data reception unit, the detection data is compared with the deviation tolerance value, and the detection data exceeds the deviation tolerance value. 2. The paper folding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a defective product check unit for collecting the corresponding paper by the collection unit.
The statistical processing unit of the controller controls the detection data by the number of samples for each folding position every time the number of detection data stored in the data storage unit reaches the number of samples for each folding position. And calculating the standard deviation of the misplacement using the average value and calculating a variation determination value of the misplacement based on the standard deviation;
The controller further comprises:
Each time the variation determination value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the variation determination value is compared with a predetermined deviation tolerance value, and the variation determination value is operatively connected to the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism. The paper folding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a defective product check unit configured to stop the transport mechanism and the folding mechanism when the displacement allowable value is exceeded.
The apparatus further comprises a recovery unit provided downstream of the last folding position in the transport path or at the outlet end, for recovering the sheet in which a folding error has occurred.
The statistical processing unit of the controller controls the detection data by the number of samples for each folding position every time the number of detection data stored in the data storage unit reaches the number of samples for each folding position. And calculating the standard deviation of the misplacement using the average value and calculating a variation determination value of the misplacement based on the standard deviation;
The controller further comprises:
Each time the variation determination value is calculated by the statistical processing unit, the variation determination value is compared with a predetermined deviation tolerance value, and the variation judgment value is the deviation tolerance value. 2. The paper folding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a defective product check unit which causes the collection unit to collect the paper that falls under the case of exceeding.