Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Bending – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-05-08
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Bending
Folding
C493S421000, C493S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228013
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a folding machine with at least two folding stations rotated by 90° relative to each other, sequentially arranged, in particular provided with pocket folders, wherein a corner conveyor table is provided between the respective two sequentially arranged folding stations, and exhibits at least one straightedge that is situated at a right angle to the product direction of travel in the preceding folding station and can be spaced at variable distances relative to the output of the preceding folding station, along with a conveyor that leads alongside this straightedge, preferably designed as a conveyor belt with outwardly open transverse slots connected with an air intake device in terms of flow.
PRIOR ART
Folding machines of the kind mentioned at the outset can be used to make so-called factory folded sheets, each with folds offset relative to each other by 90°, which is encountered in particular in the manufacture of books and booklets. The functional dimensions of the individual folding stations must here be adjusted to the dimensions of the largest product that passes through. The width of the first folding station corresponds to at least the width of the largest format to be processed. The width of the second folding station corresponds to at least half the format length. The width of the third folding station corresponds to at least half the format width. The width of the fourth folding station corresponds to at least one fourth of the original format length, and so on.
In the known arrangements of the kind mentioned at the outset, which are designed as single-flow machines, no transfer devices allocated to the straightedges have thus far been provided. In the known arrangements of the kind mentioned at the outset, which are designed for double flow, transfer devices are provided for one flow. However, these have fixed dimensions, wherein the width corresponds to half the width of the preceding folding station, and the length corresponds to half the width of the downstream folding station. As a result, the products run through all folding stations in a manner symmetrical to the center longitudinal plane only when processing printed sheets with the largest possible format. When processing smaller formats, passage through the folding stations becomes asymmetrical starting from the second folding station.
The printed sheets to be folded always pass through the first folding station symmetrical to the center longitudinal plane. However, the asymmetrical passage by the sheets through the remaining folding stations leads to a series of undesired disadvantages. For example, this results in an asymmetrical load on the folding rollers, folding pockets and curved points, and hence in a correspondingly asymmetrical wear on these parts, which reduces their life and negatively impacts the attainable quality. In addition, the asymmetrical passage by the sheets also has an unfavorable effect on the achievable precision. This becomes particularly evident in so-called zigzag folded sheets. To this end, the folding rollers must be set to the smallest sheet thickness up to the fold before last. Therefore, they must be pressed apart by the folding sheets, which get thicker and thicker. Given an asymmetrical load, the folding rollers do not remain parallel when they separate, but become inclined relative to one another, which has a negative impact on sheet guiding, and hence production accuracy. Another drawback is that the asymmetrical sheet passage also necessitates more adjustment work. Each format change requires that perforating and grooving blades along with sheet guiding elements be repositioned, which can be very time-consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve a generic type arrangement with simple and cost-effective means in such a way that a sheet passage symmetrical to the center longitudinal plane of the respective folding station can be achieved in all folding stations and for all production conditions.
This object is achieved according to the present invention by allocating a transfer device with an effective adjustable transport length to the straightedge of each corner conveyor table, wherein the transfer device supplies the products to it, and is connected to the output of the respective preceding folding station.
These measures ensure that a transfer device is allocated to each flow for both single-flow and multiple-flow arrangements. Since their length is adjustable, a sheet passage through this folding station symmetrical to the center longitudinal plane of the respective folding station can be achieved, which ensures a uniform load, and hence wearing of the folding station elements, and precisely parallel folding rollers, along with a low adjustment effort. Another advantage to the measures according to the present invention lies in the fact that equally wide folding stations can readily be used without having to worry about the disadvantages described at the outset. Therefore, it is also advantageously possible to set up the sequential folding stations in parallel, which enables an increase in the number of possible parallel folded sheets. This also ensures a high variability.
The transfer devices can exhibit at least one rotating conveyor belt to which are allocated one reversing element adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the belt on the straightedge side, and at least one stationary reversing element on the folding station side, and which interacts with a fastening device. This results in a simple, straightforward and robust structural design for the transfer devices.
The transfer device can suitably exhibit two stationary reversing elements arranged in the area of the output of the corner conveyor table preceding the folding station. A strand of the allocated conveyor belt or allocated conveyor belts is allocated to these reversing elements, which also limit a compensation loop that is engaged by a fastening element moveable in the opposite direction to the reversing element on the straightedge side, against the effect of a restoring force. These measures advantageously enable a placement of the compensation loop in the area between the corner conveyor table and preceding folding station, thereby ensuring a high level of compactness.
In another advantageous measure, the feeding devices can each exhibit a sled adjustably mounted on a longitudinal guide parallel to the transport direction, which contains a shaft that forms the reversing element on the straightedge side. This enables an easy adjustment of the reversing element on the straightedge side, and hence the effective transport length of the accompanying transfer device.
The longitudinal guide can suitably exhibit two guide rails of varying length, wherein a sled is mounted on both guides, and exhibits a shaft extending over the width of the machine, and wherein additional sleds that extend only over part of the width of the machine can be cantilevered on the longer guide rails, if necessary. These measures simplify, in a beneficial manner, the retooling of multiple-flow production to single-flow production, and vice versa. To this end, all that need be done is remove or insert the shorter sleds.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4179107 (1979-12-01), Harris
patent: 4279409 (1981-07-01), Pemberton
patent: 4427405 (1984-01-01), Hoshi
patent: 4901993 (1990-02-01), Hansch
patent: 5377965 (1995-01-01), Mandel et al.
patent: 5405127 (1995-04-01), Welborn
patent: 5954006 (1999-09-01), Nishikawa et al.
patent: 6029968 (2000-02-01), Honegger
Franz Gremser KG
Jones Tullar & Cooper P.C.
Kim Eugene
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