Method and arrangement for producing an adhesive-bound printed item composed of several printed products

Abstract

An arrangement and method for producing an adhesive-bound, printed item composed of a number of printed products. A circulating conveyor includes a conveying track and a plurality of space-apart conveying units driven along the conveying track, wherein along a first conveying section of the circulating conveying printed products are gathered into loose book blocks in the conveying units which are positioned transverse to the conveying direction and in a reclined position that is inclined counter to the conveying direction. The circulating conveyor includes an additional conveying section to which the book blocks are supplied from the first conveying section for being conveyed to an adhesive binder. The additional conveying section is operative to accelerate the conveying units so that a divisional spacing between the book blocks is increased, and to pivot the conveying units so that the book blocks are moved to an upright position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a simplified representation of an adhesive binder according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a circulating conveyor 4 with which printed products 1 are gathered into loose book blocks 5 along a first conveying section 2 of a conveying track 6. The conveyor 4 consists of several successively arranged conveying units 19, which can move along a closed guide path 14. Each conveying unit 19 can be moved individually, thus making it possible to vary the speed and the spacing between the conveying units 19 along the guide path 14. A conveying unit 19 essentially comprises a table 15, an end stop 16 that is positioned perpendicular to the table, and a side end stop 17 for holding the printed products 1, which is positioned perpendicular to the end stop 16. The side end stop 17 is only needed during the gathering operation and is designed such that it can be moved out of the end side region 13 for the printed products 1. The conveying units 19 can be pivoted around at least one axis, relative to the conveying direction F. The conveying units 19 are arranged along the first conveying section 2, in a back, or reclined, position that is inclined counter to the conveying direction F and such that they are positioned at a slight downward angle relative to the side end stop 17. As a result, the printed products 1 and/or the book blocks 5 rest with one flat side 9 on the table 15, with one side edge 22 against the end stop 16, and with the end side region 13 against the side end stop 17. Sheet feeders (not shown herein), which are arranged along the guide path 14, supply the conveying units 19 in a manner known per se with printed products 1, such that the conveying units 19 hold complete, loose book blocks 5 at the end of the first conveying section 2, which rest along three sides against the conveying units 19 because of their inherent weight, and thus are aligned with the conveying units 19 along three sides. To reduce the slip stream effect, the divisional spacing 11 between successive conveying units 19 is kept as small as possible in the first conveying section 2.

In an additional section 3 which follows section 2 of circulating conveyor 4, the book blocks are transferred to conveying clamps 8 that move along a circulating path 21 of a downstream installed adhesive binder 7. As compared to the conveying section 2, the book blocks 5 held by the conveying clamps 8 that move along a circulating path 21 have a different orientation and the divisional spacing 12 is increased. The side edges 22 of the printed products 1, which previously rested against the end stops 16, now point in downward direction and form a book block spine 25 while the flat sides 9, 10 are positioned in vertical planes, parallel with the direction of conveyance.

The book blocks 5 must be accelerated along the additional conveying section 3 in order to increase the divisional spacing 12 and must be pivoted to an upright position, in which they are approximately parallel to the conveying direction F. From this position, they can be lifted up and transferred with the aid of lifting devices 24 to the conveying clamps 8 of the adhesive binder 7. At least during the lifting up of the book blocks 5 to be transferred to the conveying clamps 8, in an end region 23 of the additional conveying section 3, the conveying units 19 move at the same speed and in the same direction as the conveying direction F for the circulating conveying clamps 8 of the adhesive binder 7. Once the book blocks 5 are held in place by the conveying clamps 8, the conveying units 19 are moved back to the starting position that is required for the gathering process, relative to the orientation of the conveying direction F, wherein the conveying units 19 must again be spaced apart at the smaller divisional spacing 11 by the start of the gathering process.

At least near the end of the first conveying section 2, a force P, P′, which may be generated by, for example, blast nozzles, acts upon the book blocks 5, thereby causing them to rest with their flat sides 9, 10 against the conveying unit 19. This is necessary to keep the book blocks 5 in the conveying units 19 from being displaced during the acceleration and/or pivoting movements. A holding device 18 is furthermore provided on the side opposite the tables 15, which is activated to hold the flat sides 10 of the book blocks 5 against the tables 15, at least at the start of the acceleration and/or pivoting movement. The holding device 18 may comprise of a plurality of blast air feeding nozzles 20, which are arranged along the second conveying section 3 and press the book blocks with blast air against the tables 15. Alternatively, a sliding device may be used to press the book blocks against the tables 15.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and that the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing adhesive-bound, printed items composed of a number of printed products, comprising: gathering printed products into loose book blocks along a first section of a circulating conveyor, the gathering being conducted while the printed products are positioned transverse to a conveying direction and in a reclined position that is inclined counter to the conveying direction;supplying the book blocks to an additional conveying section of the circulating conveyor, following the first section;accelerating the book blocks in the additional conveying section to achieve a greater divisional spacing between the book blocks;pivoting the book blocks to an upright position such that one side edge of the respective book blocks is in a position approximately parallel to the conveying direction; andlifting the book blocks up from the parallel position and transferring the book blocks to respective conveying clamps of an adhesive binder.

2. The method according to claim 1, including positioning the one side edge to form a spine of the book block.

3. The method according to claim 1, including exerting a force onto flat sides of the book blocks at least near the end of the first conveying section to hold the book blocks in place.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the exerting step includes forming a force-locking connection prior to the acceleration or pivoting of the book blocks.

5. An arrangement for producing an adhesive-bound, printed item composed of a number of printed products, comprising: a circulating conveyor comprising a conveying track and a plurality of space-apart conveying units driven along the conveying track in a conveying direction, the circulating conveyor further including:a first conveying section along which printed products are gathered into loose book blocks in the conveying units which are positioned transverse to the conveying direction and in a reclined position that is inclined counter to the conveying direction; andan additional conveying section to which the book blocks are supplied from the first conveying section for being conveyed to an adhesive binder, wherein the additional conveying section is operative to accelerate the conveying units so that a divisional spacing between the book blocks is increased, and to pivot the conveying units so that the book blocks are moved to an upright position.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, and further including circulating conveying clamps arranged above the additional section of the circulating conveyor and driven in a conveying direction and at a conveying speed, wherein the book blocks are lifted up and transferred to the conveying clamps from the conveying units in the additional section, andwherein the additional section is driven so that the conveying units move at least during the operation of lifting up the book blocks for the transfer to the conveying clamps at the same speed and in the same direction as the circulating conveying clamps.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the conveying units include lifting devices.

8. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the conveying units are adapted to hold the printed products and/or the loose book blocks.

9. The arrangement according to claim 5, further including a holding device installed along the additional conveying section to act upon the loose book blocks.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the holding device comprises blast air feeding nozzles.

11. (canceled)