EP0768267A2 - Buckling folder with a bag for folding and collecting - Google Patents

Abstract

The upsetting folding machine is provided with one or more folding pockets, each of which has a paper stop, of which a folding pocket (5) is set up for collecting and then folding several paper sheets (B) together, from which the collected paper sheets (B) together pass through the folding unit, which is one of an upper and a lower feed roller (W1) formed feed point (EZ) and at least one fold point (F1) forming folding roller pair (W1, W2). In front of the feed point (EZ) there is a sheet feed device with a conveyor track directed towards the feed point (EZ), in which there is a stacking ramp (13). In order to ensure trouble-free operation even when the infeed depth is smaller than the largest sheet format, there is a vertical distance above the conveyor path (16) between the feed point (EZ) provided with an open passage gap (4) and the stacking ramp (13). An additional sheet drive (14) is arranged, which partially takes the newly arriving sheet in a position lifted by the feed point (4) in a position lifted from the conveyor track (16) or from the sheet deposited behind the stacking ramp (13) in the conveyor track (16) a collecting folder (5) arranged behind it is conveyed. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an upset folding machine with one or more folding pockets each provided with a paper stop, of which a folding pocket is set up for collecting and then jointly folding a plurality of paper sheets, and from which the collected paper sheets together pass through the folding unit, which has one of an upper and a lower feed roller has formed feed point and at least one pair of folding rollers forming a fold point, with a sheet feed device with a conveyor path directed towards the feed point, in which a stacking ramp is located, arranged in front of the feed point.

A device for collecting and folding several sheets of paper of different lengths by means of a collecting station is already known (DE-Gbm G 94 04 431.7), at the paper sheets collected in the collecting station pass through a subsequent upsetting folder which has at least one folding pocket with a paper stop set up for executing lifting movements and is provided with at least one paper deflector arranged in front of a further folding pocket.
The collecting station is provided with an electromagnetically controllable sheet locking device, which is arranged in a sheet conveying path which is directed towards the intake point of the upsetting folder. The sheet conveyor track has a stacking ramp between a plurality of conveyor belts or belts which run endlessly above and below the sheet conveyor track and through which the incoming sheets are stacked one above the other in front of the sheet locking device. In the upsetting folder, only one folding pocket is open and active, the paper stop of which is set to an infeed depth corresponding to half the format length of the long paper sheet and is spring-loaded in the infeed direction between two fixed end positions.

With this known device, long and short sheets of paper can be transported together through an upsetting folder and thereby folded so that one or more short sheets of paper are folded together into the long sheet of paper without being folded themselves, in order to be easily put into an envelope or sealed in an inserting device. The long sheets of paper can be inserted into the collection station either before or after the short sheets of paper. The folding of these paper sheets around the accompanying short paper sheets can be carried out either in the first or in the second folding pocket or fold point. All that is required is another programming of the electronic control device that is usual in such systems.
This device is not suitable for collecting and folding several sheets of paper of the same length because the folding pocket behind the feed point must be set to a feed depth that corresponds to the format length of the short sheets of paper and folding always takes place when a long sheet of paper is drawn in . Incidentally, in this device the paper sheets are not collected in a folding pocket but in a collecting station upstream of the folding unit or its retractable parts, which must have its own sheet locking device and which takes up space accordingly.

There is also known an upset folding machine with several pairs of folding rollers each forming a fold (DE-A-41 14 105), the several of the individual folds has associated folding pockets, each of which is provided with a paper stop, the stop surface of which can be adjusted to stop levels which result in different lead lengths for the incoming folding material. In order to be able to use this compression folding machine both as a conventional folding machine for folding individual continuous sheets of paper as well as for collecting and jointly folding several sheets of paper, a folding pocket designed to accommodate several sheets of paper at the same time is arranged and designed such that the individual sheets of paper with their entire length automatically reach up to Run in the paper stop and remain in it. In addition, this folding pocket has a pushing device which, with the aid of a special drive controlled by a presettable sheet counting device or code reading device, executes impulsive lifting movements by means of which the sheets of paper collected in this folding pocket are conveyed together into the subsequent folding point.
Since this involves collecting several sheets of paper in a folding pocket that is inclined downward in the direction of entry and equipped with an ejector, it is a prerequisite for their correct functioning that the collected sheets of paper all have at least approximately the same length and the inlet depth this length is set so that a small push is sufficient to push the paper sheets collected in this folding pocket with their leading edges facing the subsequent folding point into this folding point so that they are grasped there and transported further. However, there is no folding of the paper in this fold point. The folding can then only take place with the help of a subsequent folding pocket and subsequent further folding points.
This device is not suitable for folding sheets of paper of different lengths together. In addition, in conventional upset folding machines, the first folding pocket, that is to say the folding pocket located immediately behind the drawing-in point, cannot be used as a collecting folding pocket, because it has an increasing course in the direction of entry and the incoming paper sheets would immediately fall out again.

In another known upset folding machine (US 3 830 754), the conveyor belts are driven at a higher conveying speed than the two infeed rollers upstream of the infeed point formed by two infeed rollers and provided with a stacking ramp, in order to overlap the sheets of paper successively reaching the stacking ramp as much as possible to obtain. In this way, the a remaining offset in the paper sheets entering the folding pocket immediately downstream, not folded at the same time, but offset in time and space from each other in a folding point, which they pass vertically downwards in order to then automatically push themselves into one another in an approximately vertical position.
Apart from the fact that multiple folds are not possible with this method, in practice a phenomenon of electrostatic charging which has a very negative effect on the functioning has proven to be very disruptive. Due to the electrostatic charging of the individual sheets of paper, which is essentially caused by their sliding over one another, the transport and thus the degree of overlap of the individual sheets of paper become uncontrollable. The sheets of paper stick together at different overlaps so that not all of them reach the stop in the folding pocket and a completely uncontrolled folding occurs. This device is therefore not functionally reliable.

The invention is based on the object of designing a device of the type mentioned at the beginning with simple means such that paper sheets immediately following the feed point and in the area of the feed point successively incoming sheets of paper run smoothly collected and then transported together through the upsetting folder and possibly folded several times, even if the inlet depth set in this folding pocket is considerably shorter than the format length of the individual paper sheets measured in the direction of entry.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that an additional sheet drive is arranged between the feed point provided with an open passage gap and the stacking ramp with a vertical distance above the conveyor track, which drives the newly arriving sheet in one of the conveyor track or from behind the stacking ramp in the sheet lifted from the conveying path, the sheet is partially conveyed through the feed point into the collecting fold pocket arranged behind it.

The particular advantages of this invention lie in the fact that sheets with different format lengths can be processed and that the friction which creates an electrostatic charge between the incoming and already collected sheets of paper is reduced to a trouble-free minimum.

The implementation of the additional sheet drive according to claim 2 using a suction roll has the particular advantage that such a sheet drive in Sheet separation devices has proven itself in practice for many years and guarantees trouble-free operation at high working speeds.
The design according to claim 3 allows the functionality of the sheet drive designed according to claim 2 to be optimized with regard to the nature of the folding material to be processed.
The configurations according to claims 4 and 5 also contribute to increasing the functional reliability.

While in principle it would also be possible to continuously drive the upper feed roller and to move it each time to initiate a folding process from a raised position to a lowered position, in which, in cooperation with the lower feed roller arranged underneath, they capture the collected paper sheets and form a folding loop can lead to the first fold, the embodiment according to claim 6 has the advantage that it can be realized much easier, cheaper and more reliable even at high working speeds.

The configurations according to claims 7 and 8 also contribute to simplifying and achieving a high level of functional reliability at a high working speed. The embodiment according to claim 9 is advantageous in that it offers the possibility of setting the distance of the stacking ramp from the paper stop of the collecting folder to different format lengths or to different types of folds.

Fig. 1

in schematischer Seitenansicht eine Stauchfalzmaschine mit einer Sammelfalztasche zum Sammeln und Falzen mehrerer Papierbogen sowie mit einer Zuführeinrichtung;

Fig. 2

einen Ausschnitt aus Fig. 1 in vergrößerter Darstellung;

Fig. 3

eine andere Ausführungsform der oberen Einzugswalze in schematischer Seitenansicht;

Fig. 4

die gleiche Anordnung wie Fig. 1 lediglich in einer anderen Funktionseinstellung

Fig. 5

ein vereinfachtes Blockschaltbild einer elektronischen Steuereinrichtung;

Fig. 6

die Anordnung der Fig. 1 in schematischer Draufsicht;

Fig. 7

einen Schnitt VII-VII aus Fig. 5 und

Fig. 8

schematisch vier in Zick-Zack-Form gefalzte Papierbogen.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

in a schematic side view of an upset folding machine with a collecting folder for collecting and folding several sheets of paper and with a feed device;

Fig. 2

a detail of Figure 1 in an enlarged view.

Fig. 3

another embodiment of the upper feed roller in a schematic side view;

Fig. 4

the same arrangement as Fig. 1 only in a different function setting

Fig. 5

a simplified block diagram of an electronic control device;

Fig. 6

the arrangement of Figure 1 in a schematic plan view.

Fig. 7

a section VII-VII of Fig. 5 and

Fig. 8

schematically four sheets of paper folded in a zigzag shape.

The compression folding machine shown schematically in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 has three folding rollers W1 , W2 and W3 which are arranged in the usual way and form two folding points F1 and F2 . Above the folding roller W1 , an upper feed roller E is arranged in the same vertical plane 1, the axis A1 of which runs parallel to the axis A2 of the folding roller W1 and also parallel to the axes A3 or A4 of the remaining folding rollers W2 and W3 . The folding roller W2 also serves as the lower feed roller, which interacts with the upper feed roller E at times. The upper feed roller E expediently has the same outer diameter as the folding rollers W1 , W2 and W3 . However, it is provided with a segment-like flattened circumferential section 3 and it is not driven continuously, but only temporarily and in each case only for a full revolution via a single-speed clutch 2 in synchronism with the folding rollers W1 to W3 , which means that it has the same circumferential speed as the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3 . In the rest position the upper feed roller E, the flattened peripheral portion 3 receives the upper feed roller E the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it forms W1 or lower feed roller an open passage gap 4 with the circumferential surface of the folding roller, the height h is about 4-5 mm if normal folding paper or sheets of similar quality are processed with this folding machine.

The feed point EZ formed by the upper feed roller E and the folding roller W1 or lower feed roller arranged below it has the open passage gap 4 in the rest position of the upper feed roller E1 .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the passage gap 4 of the feed point EZ is formed by a peripheral section 3 'of the upper feed roller E1 , which has a radius R1 which is reduced by the gap width h . The feed roller consists of a cylindrical core 3/1 with the radius R1 and an elastic jacket 3/2, the thickness d of which corresponds to the gap width h . The tapered peripheral section 3 'is thus formed by an interruption of the jacket 3/2, which extends over an angle β of approximately 80 ° -90 °.

Immediately behind this feed point EZ or behind the passage gap 4 is a collecting fold pocket 5 designed in the usual way with an adjustable paper stop 6. This folding fold pocket 5 has an inclined position which increases in the direction of the arrow 7 by an angle α of approximately 35 °. Below the first folding roller W1 , a second folding pocket 8 is arranged in the usual way, which also has an adjustable paper stop 9 and which serves to receive the folding material arriving from the folding point F1 . From this folding pocket 8, the folded material is then conveyed out of the upset folding machine onto a storage table 10 by the folding point F2 .
In the customary manner, adjustable paper deflectors can also be arranged in front of the folding pockets, which are required to carry out certain types of folding.

The paper feed into the passage gap 4 takes place in the direction of arrow 11 from a sheet feed device 12 via a stacking ramp 13 and by means of an additional sheet drive 14. This additional sheet drive 14 is in the form of a rotatingly driven suction roller 15 between the stacking ramp 13 and the feed point formed by the passage gap 4 EZ arranged. The sheet feed device 12 defines a substantially horizontal conveyor track 16 directed towards the feed point EZ , in which the lower and upper conveyor runs 17 and 18 of endless conveyor belts or belts 19 and 20 run, which run over drive and deflection pulleys 21 are and are continuously driven at a conveying speed which corresponds approximately to the peripheral speed of the folding rollers W1 to W3 , which also rotate continuously. These drive or deflection disks 21, 22 are each fastened to shafts 24 and 25 arranged one above the other in a common vertical plane 23.

A horizontal paper guide 26 is arranged between the drive or deflection disks 21, 22 and the intake point or the passage gap 4, the upper side of which lies in the same plane as the conveyor track 16.

The stacking ramp 13 consists of two wedge-shaped blocks 28 and 29 arranged symmetrically to a longitudinal central axis 27 (FIG. 6) of the overall arrangement, each of which has a lifting surface 30 that slopes obliquely in the conveying direction and ends in a common horizontal plane 31. This horizontal plane 31 lies at a vertical distance b above the conveyor track 16 or above the upper guide surface of the paper guide 26. This vertical distance b is expediently somewhat larger than the height h of the passage gap 4.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper guide 26 has slots 37, within which the blocks 28 and 29 forming the stacking ramp 13 can be adjusted in their horizontal plane in the conveying direction and can be set to different distances from the passage gap 4.
The sheets B fed from the conveyor runs 17, 18 of the conveyor belts 19, 20 in the conveyor track 16 are raised by the stacking ramp 13 into the horizontal plane 31, so that they each pass over the ones already on the paper guide 26 stored sheets B or the sheet B still gripped by the suction roller 15 can be transported away and also detected by the suction roller 15.

The arrangement of the suction roll 15 is such that its jacket surface has 34 from the upper side of the paper guide 26 and from the conveyor track 16 is a vertical distance a which should be at most equal to the vertical distance b of the vertical plane 31. Most conveniently, however, it is, if the vertical distance a is the same size or slightly smaller than or as the height h of the passage gap 4 and if the vertical distance b is slightly larger than the vertical distance a .
The hollow suction roller 15, which has a plurality of suction bores 32 arranged in rows in the axial direction and evenly distributed over the circumference, is provided in its interior with a suction air chamber 33 which is formed by the cavity of an essentially cylindrical suction housing 35 arranged concentrically with the suction roller 15, which has a plurality of vertically downwardly directed suction bores 36. These suction bores 36 are arranged at the same axial spacing as the rows of suction bores 32 of the suction roller 15, so that the suction bores 32 of the rotating suction roller 15 each successively temporarily come into congruence with the vertical radial suction bores 36 of the housing 35 directed from above onto the conveyor track 16 or the paper guide 26.

The suction air chamber 33 is connected to a vacuum pump 40 via a suction air line 39. The strength of the suction effect acting on the suction bores 36 and 32 can be regulated by means of a bypass valve 45 and can be optimally adapted to the paper quality to be processed in each case.
The suction roll 15 is continuously driven synchronously with the folding rolls W1 , W2 and W3 .
As can be seen from FIG. 6, the suction roller 15 has an axial length which is approximately half the size of the axial length of the feed roller E or of the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3 which are of equal length among themselves. The folding roller 15 is arranged symmetrically to the longitudinal center axis 27 in the axial center of the feed roller E or the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3 .

The conveying speed of the sheet feed device 12 is expediently the same as the peripheral speed of the uniformly rotating suction roll 15 and at most the same as the peripheral speed of the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3 .
When it is switched on, the electrically controllable single-speed clutch 2 connects the feed roller E or E1 with the drive of the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3, not shown.

To control the single-speed clutch 2, control electronics 42 are provided (FIG. 5), to which two light barriers 41 and / or a code reader 43 arranged in the area of the stacking ramp in the conveyor track 16 are connected. While the light barriers 41 emit a counting signal to a counter of the control electronics for each sheet of paper B passing through, the code reader 43 is provided for reading control codes which are attached to the individual sheets of paper B supplied and which are processed in the control electronics so that they are given Switch on the single-speed clutch 2 for one revolution at the time. The counting pulses emitted by the light barriers 41 serve the same purpose, which are fed to a presettable counter and generate the switch-on signal of the single-speed clutch 2 when the preset number of pulses is reached.

During operation, individual sheets from the sheet feed device 12 are first fed via the stacking ramp 13 in such a way that they are gripped by the suction roller 15 and in a position lifted from the conveyor track 16 or the paper guide 26 through the open passage gap 4 to the paper stop 6 in the folding folder 5 will be introduced. It is thereby ensured that the newly arriving paper sheets do not come into contact with the paper guide 26 or with the paper sheets B already placed thereon, at least in the area lying in front of the passage gap 4. As a result, the electrostatic charge that normally arises due to surface friction between the sheets of paper 3 is largely avoided, but at least reduced to a minimum. The mode of operation, ie the trouble-free entry of the individual sheets of paper B into the folder 5 is not impaired. The subsequent sheet is pushed over the hanging end of the sheet that has already run in and then releases it from the suction roll 15, so that the rear section thereof can also be deposited on the paper guide 26 or on the sheets B already present. The suction efficiency set ensures that only one sheet B can be held by the suction roller 15. It is thus possible to operate the suction roller 15 with a constant, constant suction effect. Impulse operation is not required.
Due to the adjustability of the stacking ramp 13 within the conveyor track 16, it is possible to adjust its distance from the feed point EZ or from the paper stop 6 of the collecting folder 5 according to the respective sheet format lengths and fold types.
Both sheets of the same length and of the same length can be collected and folded together.

As soon as the sheets B in the predetermined number have been collected in the collecting folder 5, ie have completely run into them, the single-speed clutch 2 receives a switch-on pulse for one revolution from the control electronics, so that the feed roller E or E1 makes one full revolution and thereby causes that the rear sheet sections which are still outside the feed point EZ or the passage gap 4 are detected and "drawn in" together, so that, as shown in FIG. 4, fold loops 50 are formed, which are finally folded in the fold point 1 and then in the usual manner either into the second fold pocket 8 and then through the second fold point 2 to the outside or past the second fold pocket 8 directly into the second fold point F2 .
In this way, for example, the end product, schematically shown in FIG. 8, of a zigzag-folded sheet stack 52 can be produced from four sheets of paper.
The directions of rotation of the folding rollers W1 , W2 , W3 , the suction roller 15 and the feed rollers E and E1 are each indicated by arrows 51.

In addition, it should also be mentioned that the open passage gap 4 could also be produced by a correspondingly eccentric mounting of a fully cylindrical feed roller 4.

Claims (9)

Compression folding machine with one or more folding pockets, each of which is provided with a paper stop, of which one folding pocket is set up for collecting and then folding several paper sheets together and from which the collected paper sheets together pass through the folding unit, which has at least one feed point formed by an upper and a lower feed roller has a pair of folding rollers forming a folding point, with a sheet feed device with a conveyor path directed towards the feeding point, in which a stacking ramp is located, being arranged in front of the drawing-in point,
characterized by
that an additional sheet drive (14) is arranged between the intake point provided with an open passage gap (4) and the stacking ramp (13) at a vertical distance above the conveyor track (16), which drives the newly arriving sheet in one of the conveyor tracks (16 ) or from the sheet lifted behind the stacking ramp (13) in the conveyor track (16) through the sheet Feed point (4) partially transported into a folding folder (5) arranged behind it. Upsizing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional sheet drive (14) consists of a rotatingly driven suction roll (15), the suction effect of which is directed against the conveyor track (16). Upsizing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the strength of the suction effect of the suction roll is adjustable. Upsizing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the vertical distance (a) of the lateral surface (34) of the suction roll (15) from the conveyor track (16) is at most the same size as the dimension by which the stacking ramp projects above the conveyor track. Upsizing machine according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the peripheral speed corresponding to the conveying speed of the sheet feeding device the uniformly rotating suction roller (15) is at most the same size as the peripheral speed of the folding rollers (W1, W2, W3). Compression folding machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper feed roller (E) by means of a remotely controllable single-speed clutch (2) each from a rest position forming the passage gap (4) for one revolution with respect to its peripheral speed in synchronism with the folding rollers (W1, W2 , W3) can be driven. Compression folding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the passage gap (4) of the intake point is formed by a segment-like flattened peripheral section (3) of the upper intake roller. Compression folding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the passage gap (4) of the intake point (E2) is formed by a peripheral portion (3 ') of the upper intake roller (E1) which has a radius (R1) which is reduced by the gap width (h). Upsizing machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the stacking ramp (13) within the conveyor track (16) can be adjusted to different distances from the intake point.

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