Patent Application
20110058917
The invention relates to an apparatus for processing by milling the spine region of a book block, which is clamped into at least one clamping device arranged on a conveying arrangement, such that the overhanging spine projects in downward direction. Along the conveying path, the book block is moved past a rotary-driven processing tool on a stationary processing station which acts upon the spine, wherein the at least one clamping device is attached to a rotating frame that rotates around a perpendicular axis of rotation and is provided with an immovable as well as a movable clamping jaw for the opening and closing of the clamping device, wherein the device furthermore comprises a supporting member that is designed to counteract the cutting forces generated by the processing station.
Apparatuses of the aforementioned type are used for the adhesive binding of printed sheets into book blocks, magazines, paperback books, telephone directories or similar printed products. In the process, the printed sheets are first gathered into loose, unbound book blocks and are then conveyed to the apparatus, a so-called perfect binder. A perfect binder of this type is disclosed, for example, in Swiss patent document CH 325 096. Clamping devices for clamping in the unbound book blocks with the spines pointing downward are arranged uniformly spaced apart along a carousel table rotating around a vertical axis. During a rotation of the carousel table, the unbound book blocks held by the clamping jaws are processed or adhesive-bound along the spine area with the aid of processing stations attached to a stationary machine frame, and if applicable, are provided with a fold or a cover. Following the feeding operation, the unbound book blocks, positioned to rest on the spines, are transferred to a vibrating table and the spine areas of the printed sheets are uniformly aligned. The clamping device, which consists essentially of an immovable and a movable clamping jaw, is subsequently closed so that the spine area to be milled off projects from the clamping jaws. In the following milling station, a specified area of the spine is milled off with the aid of a milling machine positioned directly below the clamping jaws, wherein the clamping jaws form supporting members which counteract the cutting forces generated in the processing station.
Using the above-described perfect binder, it is necessary to adjust the shortest possible distance between the milling machine and the clamping jaws to avoid the danger otherwise present at the milling machine discharge side that the sheets of the book block are pushed away by the milling forces and are bent around the clamping jaw. The clamping device opens up again above a following alignment table, so that after the alignment the book block spines project far enough from the clamping jaws of the clamping devices to allow access to the side areas near the spine for subsequent processing operations, in particular for applying adhesive to the side areas and for pressing a backing strip or the cover on the sides. A disadvantage of the prior art is that following the opening of the clamp, the outermost pages resting directly against the clamping jaws can adhere to the clamping jaws as a result of friction or an electrostatic charge, thereby making it impossible to ensure a perfect alignment of the book blocks and resulting in insufficient quality for the printed products or even a rejection. A further disadvantage is the large space requirement for the alignment table as well as the expenditure for its production.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the aforementioned type, for which the currently required operation of opening the clamping device to apply adhesive to the flanks of the book block spine can be eliminated.
The above and other objects are accomplished according to one aspect of the invention wherein there is provided a device for processing by milling of a spine of a book block which, according to one embodiment, includes a conveying arrangement including a rotating frame that rotates around a perpendicular axis of rotation and at least one clamping device attached to the rotating frame to clamp the book block such that the spine projects downward to present an overhang portion in a processing direction along a conveying path, wherein the at least one clamping device comprises an immovable clamping jaw and an opposite-arranged, movable clamping jaw to open and close the at least one clamping device; a stationary processing station including a rotary driven processing tool positioned along the conveying path to process the downward-projected spine of the book block in a processing region; and a first supporting member assigned to the processing station to counteract cutting forces generated by the processing station, wherein the supporting member is rigidly mounted at a fixed location and includes a guide member that supports the overhang portion of the book block in the processing region and a stabilizing element that rests against at least one of the immovable or moveable clamping jaws of the at least one clamping device and is attached to the guide member.
The present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Each clamping device 4 comprises an immovable clamping jaw 7 and a movable clamping jaw 8, arranged opposite each other, between which the book blocks 9 can be clamped in. The immovable clamping jaw 7 is rigidly connected to the rotating frame 3 while the movable clamping jaw 8 is guided so as to be displaceable along the rotating frame 3, transverse to the flat sides of the book block 9. In the Figures, the immovable jaw 7 is always shown on the outside while the movable jaw 8 is always shown on the inside. However, it depends on the configuration of the perfect binder 1 which clamping jaw 7, 8 is located on the inside and which clamping jaw is located on the outside and is not important to the invention. With the aid of compression springs 10 that are supported on the rotating frame 3, the movable clamping jaw 8 is tensioned against the immovable clamping jaw 7 and the book block 9 is thus clamped in. The clamping device 4 is opened with the aid of a cam roller 13 that operates jointly with a stationary control cam 12 and is arranged at the end of a guide rod 11, which is connected to the movable clamping jaw 8.
The stationary processing stations 6 for processing the spines 14 of the book blocks 9 are successively arranged in conveying direction F below the conveying arrangement 5, wherein these processing stations process the book blocks 9 while the conveying arrangement 5 is operational or standing still. A complete processing cycle may involve the following operations: supplying a clamping device 4 with a book block 9, for which the book block 9 is positioned with the spine 14 resting on a table; closing of the clamping device 4; milling of the spine 14 of the book block 9 and, if applicable, notching of the spine 14; applying adhesive to the spine and to the sides and, if applicable, also creating a fold and/or attaching a cover to the spine 14 of the book block 9 as well as pressing it against the sides; opening of the clamping device 4 for the purpose of conveying the bound printed product or the untrimmed, unfinished product to further processing stations.
According to an embodiment of then invention, an apparatus for the processing by milling of the spine 14 of a book block 9 conveyed with the overhanging spine projecting in downward direction from the clamping device 4 on the conveying arrangement 5, is assigned to a milling station 15. On the upper end of a perpendicular shaft, the apparatus is provided with a processing tool 16 that operates at high speeds and to which are attached cutting blades 17 or notching blades 18. Furthermore provided is a supporting member 19 that counteracts the cutting forces generated by the processing tool 16 at a clamping jaw 7, 8 of the clamping device 4 and functions to guide the projecting book block spine region on the side. The supporting member 19 that is assigned to the processing station 6 is arranged locally fixed and is provided with a stabilizing element 20 that fits against the clamping jaw 7, 8 of the clamping device 4 and is attached to a guide member 21 for supporting the projecting region of the book block. The stabilizing element 20 comprises two frictionally adhering, freely rotating guide rolls 22 or a guide surface 30 that faces the clamping jaw 7, 8. The supporting member 19 can be pivoted around an axis 23, arranged substantially perpendicular to the conveying path, thereby ensuring that in the region of the clamping jaws 7, 8, the supporting member 19 automatically aligns itself parallel to the clamping jaws 7, 8. To compensate for the constantly changing distance resulting from the polygonal effect between the axis of rotation 2 for the rotating frame 3 and the clamping jaw 7, 8 of the clamping device 4, the supporting member 19 is arranged movable in radial direction, relative to the axis of rotation 2. In
Guide segments 26 are arranged for guiding the supporting member 19 between the clamping jaws 7, 8. These guide segments 26 together with the clamping jaws 7, 8 form a closed control path 27 around the rotational axis 2 of the rotating frame 3. To ensure that the supporting member 19 precisely follows the control path 27, it is pressed with a spring force against the control path 27. The distance between the axis for the milling machine 15 and the rotational axis 2 is selected such that the conveying path for the clamping device 4 in the processing region extends approximately at a right-angle to the processing direction of the processing tools 16. The supporting member 19 should at least be long enough so that its effect extends over the processing region of the processing tool 16 along the conveying path.
Also conceivable is a different embodiment, for which one or both supporting members 19, 28 are operated with the aid of an electric motor, not shown herein, for example a servomotor. In that case, a motor can be used to rotate the supporting members 19, 28 around the axis 25 or the axis 23.
While several embodiments of the invention are described above, it should be understood that the foregoing is presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by the above-described embodiments, but should instead be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
