Device for retention of products on a transporting surface in a folder

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6705981
  • Patent Number
    6,705,981
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, January 27, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 16, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
The present invention is related to a device for seizing flat material (1). The device includes a transfer cylinder (6) rotating about an axis and having an outer surface (16). A cutting cylinder (3) cooperates with said transfer cylinder (6) and has at least one knife assembly (5) mounted thereon. A set of product seizing elements (7) is arranged in the outer periphery of said cutting cylinder (3), actuable about a common center point (11). Tips (25) of said product seizing elements (7) cooperate with counterparts (9) on the surface (16) of said transfer cylinder (6).
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is related to a device for a retention of products on a transporting surface in a folder, particularly for web-fed rotary printing presses.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,780 is related to a rotary cutting and folding mechanism for printing machines. In this solution pins are disclosed, carried by one of the folding cylinders to temporarily hold the leading edge of the web or the sheets. According to this disclosure retractable pin elements are assigned to a cutting knife arranged on a cutting cylinder and corresponding anvil bars are assigned to a folding cylinder. Said pin elements are arranged as to penetrate an incoming web of material or a sheet to be seized on a respective transporting cylinder's surface. A product rim being penetrated by punched holes of said pin elements is subject to further trimming operations when finishing the respective folded products and nowadays primarily is acceptable by the customer only on newspapers.




U.S. Pat. No. 1,900,288 discloses a folding cylinder to the surface of which a plurality of anvil bars is assigned. Similar to the disclosure according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,780 previously described, retractable pin elements are assigned to each of said anvil bars. Said anvil bars cooperate with knives received on the circumference of a cutting cylinder. Said pin elements are mounted within the interior of said folding cylinder. Similar to the disclosure according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,780 said retractably mounted pin elements penetrate said products to be conveyed on the surface of the respective folding cylinder.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,881 is related to a method and apparatus for improving newspaper folding and cutting mechanisms. The improvement is related to folding newspapers in the collecting mode. Inside and outside web sections are printed with the same number of lines and transferred to a folding cylinder which collects them in an overlapping relation. Expanding means incorporated in the body of the cylinder expand its effective radius to permit the trailing edge of the outside section to be cut to a length equal to that of the inside section without recutting the inside section again. The collected sections are then passed through second fold rollers for final folding.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,109 concerns a folding drum in a folding apparatus for a rotary printing press. Tips of folding blades project to the outside of the folding drum through gaps between the respective blades. At least two bands are integrally connected by a respective band mount position with a plurality of groups of such integrally connected bands being provided. Each band mount position is mounted to the folding drum via respective adjusting devices such that the expansion of the bands of each group of the folding drum can be adjusted. Preferably each adjusting device includes an adjusting plate engaged with an adjusting rack to which the bands are mounted and an adjusting shaft. The adjusting plate is mounted to the adjusting shaft at an eccentric position with respect to its engagement with the adjusting rack.




In known folders according to the state of the art, a set of cutting cylinders is included to create the signatures which are then forwarded into an accelerator section made of strips of transferring material such as tapes, to give an example.




Several methods are employed to prevent the signatures from opening after it has been severed from a web of material and forwarded into respective sets of tapes. At high speeds the forces acting on the book are too large and render most of these methods ineffective.




Other methods include cutting a portion of signature in the cutting cylinders' area, then performing the final cut in a second pair of cutting cylinders or directly on a pinless transfer cylinder.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to prevent respective leading edges of web of materials from opening up during a transitory period after the previous signature has been severed from the web of material.




A still further object of the present invention is to introduce a respective leading edge of a web of material into a set of tapes accurately, the respective sets of tapes assigned to a further cylinder of a respective folder apparatus.




According to the invention, a device for seizing flat material comprises:




a transfer cylinder rotating about an axis and having an outer surface,




a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder, said cutting cylinder having at least one knife mounted thereon, and




a set of product seizing elements arranged on the outer periphery of said cutting cylinder actuatable about a common center point, tips of said product seizing elements cooperating with counterparts on the surface of said transfer cylinder.




The advantages of the present invention are to be seen in that the leading edge of webs of material is under positive control upon a respective transitory period after the respective previous signature has been cut from said web of material. Thus, an opening up of the respective leading edge is prevented. An opening of the respective leading edge of the web of material would result in an inaccurate insertion or the occurrence of dog ears of the respective leading edge upon transfer of said leading edge into a respective sets of tapes after the transitory period. The accuracy of product transfer during the respective transitory period determines the accuracy of folding operations during the respective signature's transport through the folder apparatus.




In further embodiments of the present invention said product seizing elements are arranged on the surface of a cutting cylinder and actuated when a respective new leading edge travels upon the respective circumference of a transfer cylinder. To allow for seizing the entire leading edge of the respective web of material, said product seizing elements may be arranged spaced apart from each other, extending over the entire width of the respective cutting cylinder. To allow for a relative movement of said product seizing elements said product seizing elements being shaped as finger elements are rotatably mounted in brackets. Said brackets are to be arranged in a simple and easy manner on the respective face portions of the cutting cylinder for example. To allow for simultaneous movement of the respective product seizing elements when actuated said seizing elements are arranged on a common axis.




Said common axis is journalled in respective levers which are rotatably mounted about center points to allow for a seizing movement of said product seizing elements. Said seizing movement occurs when a respective dwell sections of a cam element assigned to said cutting cylinder actuates a cam follower mounted to said lever which is mounted pivotably about the previously mentioned center point.




The seizing movement of the tips of the respective seizing elements is initialized when a previously cut signature from the leading edge of the web of material is created. Then, said tips of said product seizing elements engage said newly created leading edge positioned above a respective counterpart for a cutting operation. To allow for a supported but still flexible seizing operation, said leading edge of a web of material is positioned above an anvil bar received in respective grooves on the surface of said transfer cylinder, the anvil bars having a rather elongated shape to enlarge said leading edges seizing zone.




Said product seizing elements are preferably mounted to respective product conducting cylinders or pinless folders assigned to respective web-fed rotary printing presses for commercial and newspaper printing.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both to its construction and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a schematically given view of a web travel path into the cutting nip between two cooperating cylinders of a folder assembly,





FIG. 2



a


shows product seizing elements seizing a respective leading edge of a web of material prior of insertion into a belt entry,





FIG. 2



b


shows a respective leading edge of a web of material prior to its release by said product seizing elements





FIG. 3

shows a perspective view of a respective arrangement of product seizing elements extending over the width of a paper conducting cylinder such as a cutting cylinder and





FIG. 4

shows a perspective view of a respective arrangement of product seizing elements which fit within a paper conducting cylinder such as a cutting cylinder.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




In

FIG. 1

a schematically side elevation of a web travel path into the cutting nip between two cooperating cylinders in a folder assembly is given.




In this configuration of a folder assembly


35


, a former board


2


is arranged prior to respective pair of nip rollers


4


, which receive a longitudinally folded web of material


1


. The respective web of material


1


could as well be received from said pair of nip rollers


4


without being longitudinally folded by said former board


2


previously arranged. After passing of a second pair of nip rollers


40


said web of material


1


is received within a nip between a cutting cylinder


3


having an outer surface


15


and a transfer cylinder


6


having an outer surface


16


, respectively. Said cutting cylinder


3


rotates about an axis


23


, whereas said transfer cylinder


6


is rotating about an axis


24


, respectively. Below a transfer area within which said web of material


1


is transferred to a respective transfer cylinder's


6


surface


16


a set of tapes


8


is arranged, into which the respective products severed from the respective leading edge will be inserted. In a fixed position with a center point concentric to the first cylinder


3


a cam element


10


is mounted which serves for an actuating purpose of product seizing elements


7


given in greater detail in

FIGS. 2



a


,


2




b


, respectively. To said surface


15


of the cutting cylinder


3


at least one knife


5


is assigned, cooperating with respective counterparts


9


assigned to the surface


16


of said transfer cylinder


6


. Said at least one knife


5


on the circumference of the cutting cylinder


3


is received in a knife box


17


for easier exchange and fixing thereof. Said sets of tapes


8


capturing the respective leading edge of the web of material


1


after the transitory period rotate about pulleys


14


, one of which is only schematically given here.





FIG. 2



a


shows product seizing elements seizing a respective leading edge of a web of material supported by a respective counterpart prior to the set of tapes.





FIG. 2



a


shows said transfer cylinder


6


to be rotated in a sense of rotation


27


given by the arrow in the vicinity of the transfer cylinder's surface


16


. The respective leading edge section


13


of a web of material


1


supported by said surface


16


of the transfer cylinder


6


. The cutting edge of said leading edge


13


is located above a cutting counterpart


9


, for example an anvil bar, having a substantially rectangular shape. Said anvil bar is received in a groove of said transfer cylinder


6


. The rectangular shape of said counterpart


9


provides for a larger product seizing zone on the respective surface


16


of the transfer cylinder due to the enhanced length circumferential direction of said counterpart


9


.




The respective cooperating cylinder


3


, for instance a cutting cylinder comprises an outer surface


15


. Into said outer surface


15


of said cutting cylinder


3


a plurality of knife boxes


17


are received, each knife box having a respective knife


5


. Both cylinders, i.e. cutting cylinder


3


and transfer cylinder


6


are faced such that counterparts


9


and said knives


5


assigned to the respective cylinder when cooperating which each other sever a respective signature from the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


. To the outer periphery of said cutting cylinder


3


an actuating element


10


is assigned of which only a portion is shown here. The outer periphery of said cutting cylinder


3


further comprises bracket elements


21


of which only one is given in the embodiment according to

FIG. 2



a


. In said bracket elements


21


levers


20


are rotatably mounted about a center point


11


given in dashed lines in the embodiment according to FIG.


1


. Said lever elements


20


comprise a set of product seizing elements


7


, which are located in a gap


15




a


in cylinder surface


15


, gap


15




a


being shown schematically by dashed lines and in more detail in FIG.


3


. Said product seizing elements


7


assigned to said lever


20


are longitudinally extended finger-shaped elements having a tip


25


and provided for cooperation upon actuation with said leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


supported by said counterparts


9


on the surface


16


of said transfer cylinder


6


. Said product seizing elements


7


being received within a lever


20


are arranged on a common axis


18


extending over the entire width of said paper conducting cylinder such as a cutting cylinder


3


. To secure the seizing movement with respect to the leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


said set of seizing elements is keyed by a key


19


within said lever


20


. The movement of said lever


20


about said center point


11


is actuated by an actuating element


12


such as a cam follower, cooperating with the respective surface of said cam element


10


assigned to one face of said cutting cylinder


3


. Said lever


20


rotatably received about said center point


11


may be spring biased for actuation and is actuated by respective high and low dwell portions of said cam element


10


, when cooperating with said cam follower


12


. Said cutting cylinder


3


substantially rotates in a sense of rotation indicated by reference numeral


26


assigned to the respective arrow.





FIG. 2



b


shows a respective leading edge


13


of a web of material


1


prior to release by said product seizing elements


7


assigned to said cutting cylinder


3


.




In this stage of rotation of said paper conducting cylinders


3


,


6


, respectively, said leading edge


13


received on the surface


16


of said transfer cylinder


6


has moved upon rotation of said cylinders into the respective senses of rotation


26


,


27


, respectively, towards the entry section of said sets of tapes


8


rotating about pulleys


14


. As can be derived from the configuration according to

FIG. 2



b


said levers


20


receiving said cam follower


12


have been actuated via the surface of the cam element


10


assigned to said cutting cylinder


3


rotating the respective sets of tapes to seize the respective leading edge


13


received above the counterpart


9


. Thus, during the transitory period after a previously severed signature has been inserted into the sense of tapes


8


positive control is exerted upon the respective leading edge and prevents the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


from opening up. The facing of the actuating movement of said levers


20


receiving said product seizing elements


7


about the center point


11


is faced such that upon common rotation of said cylinders


3


,


6


, respectively, said product seizing elements'


7


tips


25


are maintained in continuous contact with the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


. Thus, upon common rotation of the product seizing elements


7


engaging the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


the lever


20


actuated via cam follower


12


cooperating with cam elements


10


adopts an inclined position


29


shown in

FIG. 2



b.






The respective cam followers


12


which are used for an actuating element of said levers


20


about said center point


11


are mounted on respective cam follower axis


34


in cooperation with said cam element


10


, the cam follower


12


actuates said lever


20


about its respective center point


11


to control the position of product seizing elements


7


relative to the transfer cylinder's


6


surface


16


. The actuation of the product seizing elements' tips is such that the finger-shaped product seizing elements


7


continue to hold the leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


onto the surface


16


of the respective transfer cylinder


6


. The facing is maintained until said respective product leading edge


13


is captured by the sets of tapes


8


rotating about pulleys


14


. After the sets of tapes


8


have received the respective leading edge which is later on severed from the web of material


1


by a cutting operation of a further knife


5


and a further counterpart


9


on the respective cylinders


3


and


6


, respectively, the fingers are free to move away from the respective transfer cylinder's surface


16


and rotate around the cutting cylinder


3


for a next seizing movement of a newly created respective leading edge.




To the respective surface


15


of a cutting cylinder a plurality of product seizing elements


7


can be assigned, preferably in the vicinity of respective knife assemblies


5


which are received in knife boxes


17


, for instance. The number of knife assemblies


5


on the surface of the respective cutting cylinder


3


determines the number of cutting counterparts


9


being received in respective grooves on the surface of said transfer cylinder


6


.





FIG. 3

shows a perspective view of a respective arrangement of product seizing elements extending over the width of a cutting cylinder.




Said cutting cylinder


3


given in a partial view here comprises two face elements to which brackets


21


are assigned. Said brackets receive said actuatable levers


20


in center points


11


said levers being actuated by actuating elements


12


such as given as cam followers. Said cam followers


12


are received in respective axis


34


on said lever elements


20


having a substantially L-shaped configuration. Said levers


20


assigned to the brackets arranged on both faces of the cutting cylinder


3


further comprise a common axis of rotation


18


. On said axis of rotation


18


, which is beneath surface


15


, said finger-shaped product seizing elements


7


are arranged in a surface gap


15




a


spaced from one another by a spacing


31


over the entire width


33


of the cutting cylinder


3


. The spacing


31


of the respective product seizing elements


7


over the entire width of said surface


15


of the cutting cylinder


3


provides for a simultaneously occurring seizing of the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


to be processed. Further, the spacing


31


serves the purpose to provide a location for passage through the tape trollies or pulleys. In the configuration according to

FIG. 3

said knife tips


32


of said knife elements


5


received in boxes


17


in the respective surface


15


of the cutting cylinder


3


are shown in greater detail. Said tips


25


of the respective product seizing elements


7


may comprise pads for having elastic properties to facilitate a smooth seizing action on the respective leading edge


13


of the web of material


1


.




The cam motion can withdrawal the product seizing elements


7


into gap


15




a


as the elements


7


pass through the nip, and then extend the elements


15


beyond surface


15




a


as shown in

FIGS. 2



a


and


2




b


. Besides a cam activated actuation of the respective product seizing elements


7


on cutting cylinder


3


a remote controlled activation of said seizing motion may be conceivable as well. To this end to the respective end portions of the common axis


18


to which the respective product seizing elements


7


are commonly mounted electrical actuators such as electric motors may be assigned, which are remote controlled and could be activated on a respective seizing action of a leading edge


13


.





FIG. 4

shows the elements


7


and the support and actuating device for the fingers, removed from cylinder


3


. The respective identification numbers are similar to those in FIG.


3


.




Product seizing elements according to the present invention are preferably used in pinless folder assemblies


35


assigned to rotary printing presses for commercial and newspaper purposes.















Reference Numeral List


























 1




web of material







 2




former board







 3




cutting cylinder







 4




pair of nips







 5




knives







 6




transfer cylinder







 7




product seizing elements







 8




set of tapes







 9




cutting counterpart







10




cam







11




center point







12




cam follower







13




leading edge







14




pulleys







15




cutting cylinder surface







15a




gap







16




transfer cylinder surface







17




knife box







18




axis







19




key







20




lever







21




bracket







22




cam dwell section







23




rotating axis cutting cylinder







24




rotating axis transfer cylinder







25




seizing element tip







26




sense of rotation







27




sense of rotation







28




cut







29




inclined lever position







30




lever mounting axis







31




spacing







32




knife tip







33




cylinder width







34




cam follower axis







35




folder assembly







40




nip rollers














Claims
  • 1. A device for seizing flat material comprising:a former board for folding the flat material; a transfer cylinder rotating about an axis and having an outer circumferential surface; a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder and having at least one knife mounted thereon and for cutting the flat material downstream of the former board; and a set of product seizing elements arranged in an outer periphery of the cuffing cylinder and actuable about a common center point, the product seizing elements having edges, the edges cooperating with the outer circumferential surface of the transfer cylinder so as to hold a leading edge of the flat material against the outer circumferential surface, the product seizing elements including a set of fingers spaced apart from each other by spacings; and a set of tapes, the tapes passing through the spacings of the fingers.
  • 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the product seizing elements are mounted to the cutting cylinder for cooperation with the outer surface of the transfer cylinder arranged adjacent to the cutting cylinder.
  • 3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the product seizing elements are mounted on a common axis.
  • 4. The device according to claim 3 wherein the common axis is journalled in levers arranged on face portions of the cutting cylinder.
  • 5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the levers are mounted in brackets of the cutting cylinder for movement about center points.
  • 6. The device according to claim 4 wherein the common axis is keyed to the levers.
  • 7. The device according to claim 4 wherein the levers comprise a respective actuating element cooperating with an actuating element assigned to the cutting cylinder.
  • 8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the product seizing elements are mounted in respective brackets arranged on cutting cylinder.
  • 9. The device according to claim 1 further comprising counterparts to the at least one knife on the transfer cylinder and wherein a leading edge of a respective web of material is positioned above one of the cutting counterparts.
  • 10. The device according to claim 9 wherein the cutting counterparts have an elongated shape forming pads, the edges of the product seizing elements moving toward the pads upon actuation.
  • 11. The device according to claim 1 wherein an actuating element is assigned to a face portion of the cutting cylinder.
  • 12. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the transfer cylinder has an anvil bar at the outer circumferential surface, the at least one knife contacting the anvil bar.
  • 13. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a set of tapes located between the transfer cylinder and cutting cylinder.
  • 14. A device for seizing flat material comprising:a transfer cylinder means for rotating about an axis and having an outer circumferential surface; a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder and having at least one knife mounted thereon and for cutting the flat material downstream of the former means; means for seizing a product arranged in an outer periphery of the cutting cylinder and actuable about a common center point, the products seizing means including product seizing elements having edges, the edges cooperating with the outer circumferential surface of the transfer cylinder so as to hold a leading edge of the flat material against the outer circumferential surface, the means for seizing a product including a set of fingers spaced apart by spacings; and a set of tapes located between the transfer cylinder and the cutting cylinder, the tapes passing through the spacings of the fingers.
  • 15. A device for seizing flat material comprising:a former board for folding a flat material; a transfer cylinder rotating about an axis and having an outer surface and a counterpart at the outer surface, the counterpart being an anvil; a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder and having at least one knife mounted thereon for cutting the flat material downstream of the former board; and at least one product seizing element arranged in an outer periphery of the cutting cylinder and actuable about a common center point, the product seizing element having an edge, the edge cooperating with the outer surface of the transfer cylinder and the at least one knife contacting the anvil to hold the flat material between the outer surface and the anvil, the at least one product seizing apparatus including a plurality of fingers spaced apart by spacings; and a set of tapes, the tapes passing through the spacings of the fingers.
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