METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, PROCESSING A MOVING, PRINTED MATERIAL WEB
A method and apparatus of moving printed material web includes two processing arrangements arranged one above the other that are optional in operation. A material web is processed either in the upper, first processing arrangement or in the lower, second processing arrangement. In the processing section belonging to the first processing arrangement, the material web is folded about a line parallel to its advancement direction. In the processing section belonging to the second processing arrangement, the material web is separated, along a line parallel to its advancement direction, into two material-web strands, which are then positioned one above the other. The two processing sections having in common a pair of braking rollers and a pair of drawing rollers and also a longitudinal-cutter.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/453,661, filed May 18, 2009, which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 08 009 232.3, filed May 20, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to methods of, and apparatus for, processing a printed material web moving in an advancement direction. The material web is preferably printed by a digital printer.
It is known for endless material webs printed in a digital printer to be processed into end products in a processing line following the digital printer. It is desirable for end products of various types to be produced using the same processing line.
SUMMARYOne object of the present invention, is to provide method and apparatus which make it possible for printed material webs to undergo different kinds of processing in a time-saving and space-saving manner.
Two processing sections are used on an optional basis and allow a printed material web to undergo different kinds of processing, and make it possible for products of different types to be produced in one and the same processing line. Arranging the processing sections one above the other shortens the processing line, which gives rise to a space-saving construction. Using a folding mechanism of roof-like design for the longitudinal folding of the material web also contributes to such a space-saving construction. Changeover from one processing mode to the other processing mode, i.e. changeover from processing of the material web in the one processing section to processing in the other processing section, can be done easily in that, when the one processing section is not in use, it is moved, preferably by lateral displacement, into a non-operational position outside the movement path of the material web.
The construction of the processing apparatus 1 according to the invention will be described in the first instance with reference to
This processing apparatus 1 has a first processing arrangement 2 with a first processing section 3 and a second processing arrangement 4 with a second processing section 5. The processing arrangement 2 belongs to a first processing unit 6, while the second processing arrangement 4 belongs to a second processing unit 7. The two processing units 6 and 7 are arranged one above the other and have a common entry 8 for the material web 9 which is to be processed.
The material web 9, which runs into the processing apparatus 1 through the entry 8, runs through a pair of braking rollers 10, which has a merely schematically indicated longitudinal-cutting means 11 arranged downstream of it, as seen in the running direction D of the material web 9. As
The first processing section 3 also has a pair of transporting rollers 13 and a perforating unit 14, which are both accommodated in the upper processing unit 6. The perforating unit 14 serves to produce longitudinal perforations 15 (tear-off perforations). It is also possible, however, for the perforating unit 14 to be set such that the line of perforations 15 is located along the envisaged folding line. The perforating unit 14 has arranged downstream of it a scoring unit 16 which provides the material web 9 with scoring 17 running along the envisaged folding line. It is also possible, however, to dispense with the scoring unit 16. In this case, folding takes place without scoring 17. As
The above described structural elements 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 23 belonging to the first processing section 3 are accommodated in the upper processing unit 6.
As can be gathered, in particular, from
The two processing arrangements 2 and 4 arranged one above the other are used alternately—as is yet to be described. If the material web 9 is to be processed in the upper processing section 2, that is to say folded, then the upper processing unit 6 is located in its operating position, which is shown in
If, in contrast, the material web 9 is to be processed in the lower, second processing section 5, then the upper processing unit 6 is moved into its non-operational position, which is illustrated in
A description will now be given hereinbelow of how the material web 9 is processed either in the upper, first processing section 3 or in the lower, second processing section 5.
As
If the material web 9 is then to be processed, rather than in the first processing section 3 as described, in the lower, second processing section 5 (
In the case of the material web 9 being processed in the lower, second processing section 5, as shown in
It is also possible to separate the material web 9 in the longitudinal-cutting means 11 into more than two material-web strands and then to position these material-web strands one above the other.
If, however, the material web 9 is divided up into two material-web strands 9a, 9c of approximately equal width and the material-web strand 9c is fed to the folding mechanism 19 in alignment with the material-web strand 9a, this gives rise to the end product which is illustrated in
In the case of the embodiment which is shown in
It is, of course, also possible for the material web 9 to undergo processing steps other than those described in the first processing section 3 or second processing section 5.
In the case of a further variant, a further folding unit may be provided in the processing apparatus 1 downstream of the folding mechanism 19 or downstream of the angle bars 26 as seen in the advancement direction D, in order for the material web 9 which has already been folded to be folded again and/or for the two material-web strands 9d, 9e located one above the other to be folded.
It has been described with reference to
In the case of the exemplary embodiments shown, the processed material web 9 leaving the processing apparatus 1 is fed to a cross-cutting apparatus. Of course, it is also possible, instead of such a cross-cutting apparatus, to provide processing modules of other types.
Claims
1. An apparatus for processing a printed material web moving in an advancement direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a first processing arrangement and a second processing arrangement arranged one above the other having a common entry for the material web which is to be processed, wherein the material web is fed from the entry to at least one of the first processing arrangement and the second processing arrangement, the first processing arrangement is arranged to fold the material web about a line parallel to the advancement direction of the material web and the second processing arrangement is arranged to separate the material web into at least two material-web strands by longitudinal cutting along at least one line parallel to the advancement direction, and then to position the material-web strands one above the other.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an upper processing arrangement of the first processing arrangement and the second processing arrangement can be displaced to the side, as seen in respect to the advancement direction, relative to a lower processing arrangement.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing arrangement includes a folding mechanism of roof-like design and via which the material web is guided under tensile stressing.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second processing arrangement has a longitudinal-cutting unit for the longitudinal cutting of the material web and also has angle bars which are arranged downstream of the longitudinal-cutting unit and via which a material-web strand is guided.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first processing arrangement has a scoring unit, which is arranged upstream of the folding mechanism for scoring the material web along a predetermined folding line, and a perforating unit, which is arranged upstream of the folding mechanism for perforating the material web along the envisaged folding line and for applying longitudinal perforations at a distance apart from the predetermined folding line.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein transporting rollers are arranged upstream and downstream of the folding mechanism to produce the tensile stressing.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 19, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 19, 2015
Inventors: Jakob GERHARD (Brittnau), Martin GFELLER (Oftringen)
Application Number: 14/547,907
International Classification: B65H 35/00 (20060101); B65H 45/06 (20060101);