EP1955866A1 - Device for gluing sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

A bonding device has a rotationally driven transport drum (10) for moving a sheet along a curved path, and a feed device (20) for supplying a sheet (B) on to the drum (10) near the sheet feed position (P1). A holder (30) fixes the sheet on the transport drum (10) during its transportation from the initial position to the output position (P2). An adhesive mechanism (40) is between the feed- and output-position for coating the sheet on the transport drum (10) with adhesive, the sheet then being placed on to the uppermost sheet (B) on the stacking table (50) for pressing with it.

Description

The invention relates to a device for gluing sheet material according to the preamble of the independent claim.

With the spread of digital photography so-called photo books are becoming increasingly popular. Hereby the customer assembles an illustrated book in electronic form by means of suitable software from his present picture material and sends it to a photo lab. There, the individual pages of the book are exposed on photographic support material (photo paper) and developed and then assembled into a photo book. Alternatively, the customer can also leave the compilation of the image material (layout) to the photo lab.

The production of photo books, in particular the physical installation of the individual image-carrying photo paper sheets to a book today is still a complex and, above all, relatively slow process, and accordingly such photo books are still relatively expensive today.

The so-called Leporello method is a well-known bookbinding method, in which folded double sheets are glued together with the image-bearing sides together to form a stack. The Leporello process is in principle also advantageous for the production of photo books, but there are still no suitable gluing devices that would meet the usual requirements in the photographic industry. For reasons of economy, the production capacity of the gluing device must be very high, for example, about 4000 book pages per hour corresponding to 100 photo books of 40 pages. Another complication arises from the material properties of the photographic paper, because it requires the glueing of a special hot-melt adhesive. Known gluing devices are either not set up for the processing of hot-melt adhesives or, by design, do not have the required power capacity.

The present invention is now an apparatus for gluing sheet material to be created, which is characterized mainly by a high processing performance and is also suitable for processing of hot melt adhesives.

The solution of this problem underlying the invention results from the features described in the characterizing part of the independent claim. Particularly advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung der wichtigsten Komponenten eines Ausführungsbeispiels der erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2-3

auszugsweise Darstellungen analog Fig. 1 in verschiedenen Arbeitsphasen der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 4

eine Skizze zur Erläuterung des Leporello-Buchbindeverfahrens,

Fig. 5

eine Schrägansicht der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 6-11 1

vereinfachte Schnittdarstellungen in verschiedenen Arbeitsphasen der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 12

eine teilweise geschnittene Aufsicht der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 13

eine Ausführungsvariante des Leimwerks der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 13a

eine Ansicht einer Breitschlitzdüse des Leimwerks nach der Linie XIIIa-XIIIa der Fig. 13,

Fig. 14a-b

eine Funktionsskizze einer aktiven Blattausrichtung auf der Transporttrommel der Vorrichtung und

Fig. 15a-b

eine Prinzipskizze einer Niederhaltevorrichtung der erfindungsgemässen Verleimungsvorrichtung.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of the most important components of an embodiment of the inventive device,

Fig. 2-3

extracts analogous representations Fig. 1 in different working phases of the device,

Fig. 4

a sketch to illustrate the Leporello bookbinding method,

Fig. 5

an oblique view of the device,

Fig. 6-11 1

simplified sectional views in different working phases of the device,

Fig. 12

a partially sectioned plan view of the device,

Fig. 13

an embodiment variant of the gluing unit of the device,

Fig. 13a

a view of a slot die of the gluing unit along the line XIIIa-XIIIa of Fig. 13 .

Fig. 14a-b

a functional sketch of an active sheet alignment on the transport drum of the device and

Fig. 15a-b

a schematic diagram of a hold-down device of the inventive glueing device.

The basic structure of the device is most clearly shown in the schematic representation of Fig. 1 recognizable. The apparatus comprises as a central core a rotatably driven transport drum 10 for transporting a sheet along a circular arc-shaped path from a feed position P to a discharge position P2. It further comprises a feed device 20 for feeding a sheet B onto the transport drum 10 in the region of the feed position, holding means 30 for holding a sheet on the drum surface, a pressure roller 35, a gluing unit 40 for coating a sheet on the transport drum 10 with a glue, especially a hot-melt adhesive, a movably driven storage table 50 for glued sheets B and by a motor 60 symbolized drive means for the transport drum 10, the feeder 20, the glue unit 40 and the storage table 50. The rotational movement of the transport drum 10 is indicated by the arrow 11.

The feed device 20 comprises a suction bar 21 arranged on a pivotable drive lever 22 and a transport roller pair 23. The drive lever 22 is in contact with a motor-driven cam 25 (FIG. Fig. 6 ) and moves the squeegee 21 on the pair of transport rollers 23 to and again away from this, as indicated by the arrow 24. The suction strip 21 comprises a number of suction openings, not shown, which are connected to a suction pump, also not shown. The row of suction openings extends substantially parallel to the axis of the transport drum 10, in the Fig. 1 ie perpendicular to the drawing plane.

In the end of the drive roller 22 remote from the transport roller pair 23, the suction strip 21 is located below a supply magazine 26 (FIG. Fig. 6 ) for sheets to be glued B and detects the sheet B lying there or the lowest sheet of a sheet stack located in the supply magazine. This is done by a short vertical Lifting movement achieved. The means for generating this lifting movement can be, for example, pneumatic and are in the Fig. 1 for the sake of clarity not shown. As the drive lever 22 moves toward the transport roller pair 23, the sheet B caught by the squeegee is entrained and inserted with its leading edge into the gap between the two rollers of the transport roller pair 23. This then transports the sheet B on the surface of the transport drum 10. Then the drive lever 22 returns to its more distant Endschwenkstellung back. The movement of the drive lever 22 is synchronized with the rotational movement of the transport drum 10, so that a sheet is placed on the transport drum every other revolution.

The holding means 30 in the transport drum 10 hold the abandoned sheet in the region of the leading edge. The holding means 30 comprise similar to the suction strip 21 an axially parallel row of suction ports 31 which are connected to a suction pump 32. When placing a sheet on the transport drum 10, this is in a rotational position in which the suction openings 31 are in the region of the feed position P1, so that the leading edge of the abandoned sheet is held.

In practice, the exact positioning of the abandoned sheets on the transport drum 10 is very important. According to a particularly advantageous development of the device according to the invention, therefore, an active positioning is provided, as used in the Figures 14-15 outlined.

The transport drum 10 is recessed sector-shaped in front of the holding means 30 and the suction openings 31, whereby a rebounding, approximately radially extending stop wall 14 is formed. The sheets B are first roughly deposited by the feed device 20 such that their leading edge or folded edge B _V protrudes beyond the positioning edge formed by the abutment wall 14 and the drum periphery ( Fig. 14a ). The positioning edge forms a reference position for the leading edge B _{V of} the leaves B. Subsequently, a sunk in the sector-shaped recess 13 of the transport drum 10 arranged stop flap 15 is raised radially outwardly and folded against the stop wall 14. there the sheet edge is pushed back from the stopper flap 15 to the positioning edge and thus the sheet B is positioned exactly ( Fig. 14b ). Subsequently, the stopper flap 16 is again in their in Fig. 14a moved back home position shown. The movement of the stop flap 15 is synchronized with the rotational movement of the transport drum 10, which may be realized for example by suitably shaped mechanical scenes or pneumatic means.

The sheet placed and positioned on the transport drum 10 is now moved by the rotating transport drum 10 through the glue unit 40 into the delivery position P2. The pinch roller 35 additionally holds the sheet firmly on the drum surface.

The glue unit 40 comprises a reservoir 41 filled with a hot-melt adhesive with a heater 42 in order to keep the hot-melt adhesive at the required working temperature. A scoop roller 43 dips into the liquid hot-melt adhesive and transfers it to a glue application roller 44. The latter finally coats the sheet passing by on the transport drum 10 with a thin layer of hot-melt adhesive.

The glue application roller 44 is, as indicated by the arrow 45, mounted pivotably about the scoop roller 43, so that it can be lifted off the transport drum 10 or returned to it. These are in the Fig. 1 not shown pneumatic adjusting provided, which are driven by a sheet detector in the form of a photoelectric barrier 46. The sheet detector detects when a sheet is under the glue application roller, and then causes a corresponding adjustment of the glue application roller 44th Die Fig. 3 shows the glue application roller 44 in lifted from the transport drum 10 state.

The gluing unit 40 may alternatively have a glue application nozzle 48 instead of the glue application roller, as shown in FIGS Figures 13 and 13a is shown. The glue application nozzle 48 is fed from the reservoir 41 via a feed pump 47. The glue application nozzle 48 has an elongate nozzle slot 48a, which is arranged parallel to a surface line of the transport drum 10 analogously to the glue application roller is. The sheet detector 46 is used analogously to control the activation / deactivation of the glue application nozzle 48, so that glue is applied only when a sheet is in the region of the glue application nozzle on the transport drum. The glue application nozzle 48 may be designed such that it can be pivoted away from the transport drum 10 for cleaning purposes. The nozzle slot 48a can also be divided into several sections, wherein then depending on the sheet width only the corresponding number of sections is activated.

A very essential part of the inventive device is the storage table 50. This is, as the two arrows 51 and 52 indicate, driven in two mutually perpendicular directions movable and thereby passes through the following cycle of motion: raising to the level of the transport drum 10, horizontal movement of the Transport drum passing substantially in the tangential plane 12 of the transport drum 10 in the region of the dispensing position P2, lowering and horizontal return movement to the starting position. The cycle of movement of the tray table 50 is in strict synchrony with the rotation of the transport drum 10, the latter performing two complete revolutions during a complete cycle of movement. While the tray 50 is in the range of the dispensing position P2, ie during its passage immediately under the transport drum, its speed is exactly the same size as the peripheral speed of the transport drum 10. The raising and lowering of the tray (arrow 52) is done with conventional, the clarity half pneumatic means, not shown. The back and forth movement of the storage table in the horizontal direction (arrow 51) by means of a drive lever 53, which is controlled by a rotating cam 54, the rotational movement is coupled to the rotational movement of the transport drum, wherein the transport drum 10 turns per revolution of the cam twice , ( Fig. 11 ).

On the storage table 50 is a sheet B, with which the sheet located on the transport drum 10 is to be glued. The stacking table may also contain a stack of (already glued) sheets, in which case the sheet located on the transport drum is glued to the uppermost sheet of the sheet stack.

The FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the actual gluing process. The movements of the transport drum 10 and the delivery table 50 are coordinated so that the delivery table reaches the transfer drum at the precise moment when the leading edge of the sheet B located on the transport drum coincides exactly with the leading edge of the (top) sheet located on the delivery table ( Fig. 2 ). Upon further rotation of the transport drum 10 and synchronous Mitbewegung the tray table 50 which is located on the transport drum sheet B is accurately placed on the sheet on the tray and pressed with this ( Fig. 3 ). The sheet carrying the glue layer on the transport drum detaches from this and is deposited on the delivery table. The transport drum 10 and the tray table 50 move continuously further into their in Fig. 1 starting positions shown and a new gluing cycle can begin.

The device shown can be used for the gluing of simple sheet material, for. B. for the production of two-layer postcards. Specifically, the device according to the invention, however, is designed for the production of photobooks according to the already mentioned Leporello method in which folded double sheets are glued together and thus bound to form a book. The Fig. 4 clarifies this. Each folded double sheet B includes an upper sheet portion Ba and a lower sheet portion Bb. For bonding, the lower sheet portion Bb of a double sheet is respectively bonded to the upper sheet portion Ba of the underlying double sheet. The glue layer between the leaf parts is in Fig. 4 denoted by G.

For the production of photobooks by the Leporello method, the individual double sheets are placed in a stack (manually or preferably automatically) in the supply magazine and then placed in order with the leading edge on the transport drum. The first double sheet of a photo book to be created is not coated with hot-melt adhesive, but deposited only on the storage table 50. All subsequent double sheets are coated as described above with hot melt adhesive and then glued to the topmost double sheet on the tray.

The Figures 5-12 show in a somewhat simplified form a practical realization of the inventive gluing in the application for the production of photobooks by the Leporello method, so that folded double sheets are processed.

According to Fig. 5 the individual components are arranged on or between two parallel plates 101 and 102 of a mounting frame. It can be seen on the top of a professional storage magazine 26 for receiving a stack to be processed, folded double sheets, a roller 23 of the transport roller pair, the transport drum 10, the pinch roller 35, the glue unit 40 with the glue application roller 44, the tray 50 and a conveyor 72 in the form a conveyor belt. The latter will be returned further down. Furthermore, in Fig. 5 still different parts of the total designated 60 drive means for the transport drum and other movably driven device components recognizable. From the transport drum 10 projects axially a suction tube 33, which with the suction openings 31 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) in the transport drum 10 and for connection to the suction pump 32 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) serves.

In the excerpted sectional view of Fig. 6 are the squeegee 21, the drive lever 22 and this controlling cam 25 recognizable. Furthermore, it is schematically indicated how the folded double sheets B are arranged in the supply magazine 26.

From the Fig. 7 It can be seen how a double sheet B is transported from the transport drum 10 to the glue application roller 44 and is held by the suction openings 31 in the region of its leading edge on the drum surface. On the storage table is a folded double sheet B, with which the sheet is to be glued on the transport drum.

The Fig. 8 corresponds essentially to the sketch of Fig. 2 , It can be seen how the front edge (leading edge) of the double-sheet B on the transport drum coincides with the front edge of the double-sheet B on the delivery table 50.

Analog corresponds to the Fig. 9 essentially the sketch of the Fig. 3 , The tray table 50 moves under the transport drum 10 and is pushed up. As a result, the glued sheet is rolled up onto the sheet located on the tray 50. Subsequently, the tray is lowered and returned to its original position.

The stack of glued leaves B located on the delivery table 50 may be prone to fanning or bulging. Therefore, according to a further aspect of the invention, a movable hold-down device is provided on the storage table 50, as shown in the Figures 15a-15b schematically outlined. The hold-down device substantially comprises one across the tray table 50 (in FIGS FIGS. 15a and 15b perpendicular to the plane) extending terminal block 55 which engages over the leading edges of the stack of glued leaves B and resiliently presses against the tray table. The terminal block 55 is mounted on both sides of the tray table at the free ends of two (dotted symbolized) pivot levers 56, which in turn are mounted on the storage table. The pivot levers are kinematically connected to link followers 57, which slide in stationary link guides 58. The arrangement is made such that the pivot lever are pivoted synchronously to the reciprocating movement of the tray table 50 upwards or downwards and thus the terminal block 55 accordingly lifted from the stack of sheets (opened) or pressed against this (closed). Of course, the movement of the terminal block 55 could also be realized differently, for example by pneumatic means

During the forward movement of the tray table 50 from its rear end position (corresponding to FIG Fig. 1 ) until just before the position in which its leading edge comes under the transport drum 10 (corresponding to Fig. 2 ) the terminal block 55 is depressed ( Fig. 15a ). During the further forward movement of the transport table 50, the terminal block 55 is raised ( Fig. 15b ), so that the sheet stack is free and the next sheet can be stored. When so open terminal strip, the tray 50 moves to its front end position and then back. Once the transport table 50 with its front edge under the transport drum 10th comes, the terminal block 55 is then lowered again, so that it presses the now grown by a sheet stack of sheets against the transport table 50.

When all the sheets belonging to a photo book are glued to a stack, the stack is removed and removed from the apparatus. For this purpose, a sheet removal device is provided, which consists of a gripping device 71 and the already mentioned conveyor 72. In Fig. 10 this is outlined. The tray table 50 is moved to the left (in the drawing) until the sheet stack BS (slightly protruding beyond the edge of the table) comes into the engaging portion of the gripper 71. The gripper 71 holds the stack of sheets and the tray moves back. Then, the gripping device 71 sets the sheet stack BS on the conveyor 72, which then laterally (in the Fig. 10 perpendicular to the plane of the drawing) leads out of the gluing device.

The Fig. 11 shows details of the drive means for the transport drum 10, the delivery table 50, the feed device with the drive lever 22 and the cam 25 and the transport and pressure rollers and the scoop and glue application roller of Glimwerks. All rotating parts are driven by non-designated drive belt by a common motor 60 and synchronized with it. In particular, the cam 54 can be seen, which controls the drive lever 53 for the storage table. The gripping device 71 and the conveyor 72 have a separate drive, which in the Fig. 11 for the sake of clarity is not shown.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the gluing device is designed for processing different sheet formats. For different sheet widths (transverse to the transport direction), the gluing unit 40 is arranged axially parallel relative to the transport drum 10, as shown in FIG Fig. 12 is shown. As a result, only that length of the glue application roller 44 is in contact with the transport drum 10, which corresponds to the selected sheet width. In this way, the transport drum is protected from contamination. At the same time, the suction openings 31 in the transport drum 10 are adjustable insofar as only those suction openings 31 are connected via the suction pipe 33 with the suction pump 32 within the selected sheet width are. The suction tube 33 is telescopically formed for this purpose and has in its interior a co-displacing with the gluing piston 34, through which more or less many suction ports 31 are connected to the suction pipe 33 and thus with the suction pump 32 depending on the position of the glue unit 40.

With the inventive device double sheets with a width of 3.5 "-12" and a length of about 100mm - 450mm can be processed. Due to the special training, around 100 photo books (stacks of sheets) with 40 pages each can be completed in one hour. The device is also able to produce two-layer postcards.

Claims (21)

A device for gluing sheet material, wherein a sheet is coated on one side with glue and then placed precisely on another sheet and pressed with this, characterized by a rotating driven transport drum (10) for moving a sheet along a circular arc-shaped path from a feed position (P1) to a dispensing position (P2), a feed device (20) for feeding a sheet (B) onto the transport drum (10) in the region of the feed position (P1), holding means (30) for holding the fed sheet (B) on the transport drum (10 during its transport movement from the loading position to the dispensing position, a gluing unit (40) arranged between the feeding position and the dispensing position for coating the glued sheet (B) transported on the transporting drum (10) parallel to a tangential plane (12) of the transporting drum and movably driven tray table (50) for glued sheets and drive means (60) for the feeder (20), the transport drum (10), the Glue (40) and the delivery table (50), wherein the delivery table (50) during its forward movement of the sheets deposited thereon (50) speed synchronous tangential in the Dispensing position (P2) on the rotating transport drum (10) so moved past that on the transport drum located, coated with glue sheet (B) accurately placed on the top sheet (B) on the storage table (50) and is pressed with this. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive means (60) comprise lifting means for the delivery table (50) which press the delivery table (50) during its forward movement against the transport drum (10) and lift it off the transport drum (10) during its return movement , Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed device (20) has a movably driven suction strip (21) and a pair of transport rollers (23), the suction strip (21) engaging a sheet (B) located in a supply magazine (26) and in the gap between the rollers of the transport roller pair (23) and introduces the pair of transport rollers (23) the Sheet on the transport drum (10) leads. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding means (30) comprise at least one substantially axially parallel row of suction openings (31) which can be subjected to negative pressure in the transport drum (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is equipped with positioning means (15) for actively positioning a sheet (B) on the transport drum (10). Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the positioning means comprise a movably driven stop flap (15), by means of which the front edge (B _V ) of a sheet (B) fed onto the transport drum (10) to a defined reference position on the transport drum (10). can be pushed. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gluing unit (40) is designed for a hot-melt adhesive and has a heated storage container (41) for the hot-melt adhesive. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gluing unit (40) has a glue application roller (44) and adjusting means which can deliver the glue application roller (44) to the transport drum (10) and lift it off. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the gluing unit (40) has a sheet detector (46) cooperating with the adjusting means, which causes the glue application roller (44) to be lifted off the transport drum (10) when the transport drum (10 ) no sheet (B) is located in the area of the glue application roller (44). Device according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the gluing unit (40) comprises a glue application nozzle (48) and a feed pump (47) for feeding the glue application nozzle from a glue storage container (41). Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the glue application nozzle (48) has an elongated nozzle slot (48a) which is aligned substantially parallel to a surface line of the transport drum (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a holding-down device (55) for pressing the stack of glued sheets (B) on the delivery table (50) against it during a part of the back and forth movement of the delivery table. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the hold-down device has a raisable and lowerable terminal block (55) which engages over the leaves located on the tray at the front edge and the lifting movement is synchronized with the back and forth movement of the tray table (50). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movements of the feed device (20), the transport drum (10) and the delivery table (50) are clock-synchronized and coordinated so that the glue-coated sheet (B) fits exactly on the top the leaves on the table (50) is stored. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport drum (10) carries out two revolutions in each working cycle defined by a complete back and forth movement of the delivery table (50). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive means for the delivery table (50) comprise a first pivotable drive lever (53) which cooperates with a motor-driven first cam (54) and thereby the delivery table (50) per revolution of the first Cam once moved back and forth. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive means for the squeegee (21) of the task device (20) have a second pivotable drive lever (22) which cooperates with a second cam (25) rotatably connected to the transport drum (10) and while the squeegee (21) per revolution of the second cam once back and forth. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive means for the transport drum (10), the delivery table (50) and the feeding device (20) have a common drive motor (60). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gluing unit (40) is arranged to be adjustable parallel to the axial direction of the transport drum (10) to accommodate different blade widths. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding means (30) of the transport drum (10) are adjustable to different blade widths. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a sheet removal device, which comprises a gripping device (71) and a conveyor (72), wherein the gripping device (71) on the delivery table (50) located glued sheets (B) from the storage table (50) on the conveyor (72) sets.

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