Device and method for processing streams of sheets
The invention relates to a sheet processing arrangement with a sheet processing device, at least two parallel running streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) being produced. The arrangement also has a merging device (11) for making the streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) merge into a single stream of sheets (F1, F2), the stream of sheets (F1, F2) being fed by a chain table (13) to a further processing machine arranged downstream of the merging device (11).
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sheet processing arrangement for processing a number of parallel running streams of sheets.
2. Description of the Background Art
Sheet processing arrangements which respectively process a stream of sheets comprising individual sheets arranged one behind the other on a running belt are known To increase the capacity of such a sheet processing arrangement, the throughput speed of the sheet processing devices forming the sheet processing arrangement may be correspondingly increased. This increases the throughput speed of the individual sheets through the entire arrangement. Since, however, the sheet-processing industry has concerned itself with this ever since its inception, further development in the area of increasing the throughput speed of the sheet processing arrangements has already been exhausted. Furthermore, with increased throughput speed, there is a rise in the noise level of the running mechanisms and mechanical wear. Another possibility for increasing the capacity of a sheet processing arrangement is to operate a number of sheet processing devices in parallel. In this case, however, a number of further processing machines are also used, which increases the production costs and, among other things, the production area that is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention is based on the object of providing a sheet processing arrangement of the type described at the beginning and a corresponding method with which an increase in the capacity of a sheet processing arrangement can be achieved in as simple a way as possible and with least possible effort.
This object is achieved in a sheet processing arrangement for processing a number of parallel running streams of sheets by said arrangement having a sheet processing device, a merging device for making the streams of sheets merge together into a single stream of sheets and a further processing machine, arranged downstream of the merging device.
Preferred embodiments of the sheet processing arrangement are disclosed herein.
The object defined above is also achieved according to the invention in a method disclosed herein, in which all the streams of sheets are made to merge together into a single stream of sheets by the merging device, the single stream of sheets being fed to the further processing machine.
Particularly preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention are disclosed herein.
The arrangement according to the invention with the features disclosed herein has the advantage over the known approaches to a solution that the actual capacity of a sheet processing arrangement can be multiplied in a low-cost and simple manner. The same applies to the method according to the invention of an embodiment as disclosed herein, which, by comparison with customary methods for processing a number of parallel running streams of sheets in a sheet processing arrangement, likewise allows a multiple increase in capacity with a reduced number of downstream further processing machines.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail on the basis of drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The exemplary embodiment represented in
The output side of the transfer table 9 is functionally connected to an inlet of a merging device 11 for uniting the streams of sheets. The merging device 11 has, seen from above, a V-like arrangement, which is formed by two conveyor lines 11a and 11b. The longitudinally arranged fork-shaped inlet of the merging device 11 is arranged in such a way that the two parts of the separated sheets arranged next to each other pass onto the respective conveyor lines 11a and 11b. The outlets, arranged on the right in
It goes without saying that any desired sheet processing device may be used instead of the pocket folding machine 3, such as for example a sheet-fed printing machine, a web-fed printing machine with cross-cutter, an unwinding device with cross-cutter or the like.
It is also possible to arrange a number of sheet processing devices next to one another, so that the overall capacity is once again multiplied. Such an arrangement allows a multiple stream of sheets that has been converted into a single stream of sheets to be made to merge together in such a way that they can be further processed by a single downstream further processing machine.
Claims
1. A sheet processing arrangement for processing a number of parallel running streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2), the arrangement having
- a sheet processing device (3),
- a merging device (11), arranged downstream of the sheet processing device (3), for making the streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) merge together into a single stream of sheets (F1, F2) and
- a further processing machine, arranged downstream of the merging device (11).
2. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the merging device (11) is preceded by a separating device, which divides a primary stream of sheets (B) into at least two streams of sheets (D1, D2).
3. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the further processing machine has a chain table (13) for taking over the single stream of sheets (F1, F2).
4. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the merging device (11) is formed by at least two conveyor lines (11a, 11b) arranged at least partially one over the other.
5. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 4, in which the running speed of the conveyor lines (11a, 11b) of the merging device (11) can be set with respect to the running speed of the chain table (13) in such a way that the sheets (F1, F2) in the single stream of sheets on the chain table (13) are at a predetermined distance from one another.
6. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the sheet processing device is a sheet-fed printing machine, a web-fed printing machine with cross-cutter or an unwinding device with cross-cutter.
7. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the sheet processing device is a folding machine (3).
8. The sheet processing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the further processing machine is a thread sealing machine, a thread stitching machine or an envelope-filling machine.
9. A method for processing a number of parallel running streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) in a sheet processing arrangement with a sheet processing device (3), a merging device (11), arranged downstream of the sheet processing device (3), and a further processing machine, arranged downstream of the merging device (11), in which method
- all the streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) are made to merge together into a single stream of sheets (F1, F2) in the merging device (11),
- the single stream of sheets (F1, F2) being fed to the further processing machine.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, in which a primary stream of sheets (B) is divided into at least two streams of sheets (D1, D2) by means of a separating device arranged upstream of the merging device (11).
11. The method as claimed in claim 9, in which the single stream of sheets (F1, F2) is fed to the further processing machine by means of a chain table (13).
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, in which the number of streams of sheets (D1, D2, E1, E2) are fed to the chain table (13) by means of at least two conveyor lines (11a, 11b) arranged at least partially one over the other and forming the merging device (11).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, in which the running speed of the conveyor lines (11a, 11b) is set with respect to the running speed of the chain table (13) in such a way that the sheets (F1, F2) in the single stream of sheets on the chain table (13) are arranged at a predetermined distance from one another.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 14, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 4, 2007
Applicant: Maschinenbau Oppenweiler Binder GmbH & Co. KG (Oppenweiler)
Inventors: Eberhard Krieger (Weinstadt), Georg Dannemann (Backnang), Klaus Stocklossa (Marbach)
Application Number: 11/452,423
International Classification: B65H 5/02 (20060101);