Collating machine for printed sheets

Abstract

A collating machine for printed sheets having a row of feeding stations with magazines for accommodating stacks of printed sheets and at least one magazine for accommodating cards, stickers, product samples or similar advertising means to be affixed onto printed sheets, having devices for individually separating the printed sheets and advertising means from the magazines, having a device for applying an adhesive prior to the joining of the advertising means to the printed sheet, having a collecting conveyor which comprises a collecting channel and a continuous conveyor chain with drivers, which from behind push the printed sheets along the collecting channel, and having an intermediate conveyor, which is disposed above the collecting conveyor and on which a printed sheet and an advertising means are joined together by adhesion and conveyed further in a clocked manner for deposit onto a printed sheet and/or printed sheet stack fed by the drivers of the conveyor chain of the collecting conveyor in the collecting channel, is, in order to affix advertising means to the underside of the printed sheets, characterized by a first feeding station (A) for advertising means (2) and a second feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1) and a conveyor (8), on which an advertising means (2) individually separated from the first feeding station (A) may be deposited and fed in the correct position to the second feeding station (B) and on which a printed sheet (1) individually separated from the second feeding station (B) may be deposited in the correct position onto the advertising means (2) in the sense of being affixed to the underside of the printed sheet (1).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a collating machine for printed sheets having a row of feeding stations with magazines for accommodating stacks of printed sheets and at least one magazine for accommodating cards, stickers, product samples or similar advertising means to be affixed to printed sheets, having devices for individually separating the printed sheets and advertising means from the magazines, having a device for applying an adhesive prior to the joining of the advertising means to the printed sheet, and having a collecting conveyor which comprises a collecting channel and a continuous conveyor chain with drivers, which from behind push the printed sheets along the collecting channel.

[0002] To collate printed sheets into inner books use is made of collating machines having a row of feeding stations with a delivery drum between a magazine and an intermediate support, having a separating device, which comprises a suction element for downward bending of, in each case, the bottom printed sheet of a stack and a gripping mechanism on the delivery drum for grasping the downwardly bent printed sheet and removing it from the printed sheet stack. The collating machine further comprises a collecting conveyor with a collecting channel, in which drivers of a continuous conveyor chain move and strip the individually separated printed sheets from the intermediate support and collate them into an inner book on the collecting channel. During this process, an alignment of the printed sheets at the folded edge by the drivers of the conveyor chain as well as at the aligning edge of the collecting channel is effected.

[0003] The collating machines may be equipped with so-called card fixers for affixing cards, stickers, product samples or similar advertising means to printed sheets. To this end, the feeding stations are provided with a delivery drum and a gripping mechanism as interchangeable stations so that the card fixers may be used at any station location. The printed sheet, on which a card or the like is to be affixed, is conveyed by the drivers in the correct position on an intermediate support and by means of the delivery drum a card or the like is rolled onto the printed sheet, after an adhesive has previously been applied onto the card as the latter passes an application nozzle. The peripheral speed of the delivery drum in said case corresponds to the conveying speed of the collecting conveyor. The printed sheet with an affixed card slides from the intermediate support onto a printed sheet stack in the collecting channel.

[0004] From DE-OS 27 40 320 a method of inserting cards into printed sheet stacks is known, in which the card to be inserted is fastened by means of adhesive to a printed sheet in such a way that the card adheres to the printed sheet during the operations following collation. In the collating system comprising a row of feeding stations, which is usable for the method, printed sheets and insertion cards are individually separated from magazines by means of separating elements and grippers on delivery drums and fed in the delivery direction to a collecting conveyor having drivers. In an operation controlled by photocells the insertion card, as it is removed by the delivery drum, is sprayed by means of a pistol with a volatile or crystallizing adhesive and deposited on a printed sheet. In said case, the position on the sheet may be determined by the time of deposit of the insertion card by the delivery drum. A pressure roller is then used to bond the fed insert firmly to the printed sheet of a collated printed sheet stack. The adhesive used with said method loses its adhesive properties only after a specific time, with the result that there is no displacement of the insertion card during the subsequent processing steps of the printed sheet stack. During processing the sheet stack, e.g. in a jogging station, cutting station and binding station, the insert is held stationary in the printed sheet stack. A change in the position of the insert card, which may lead to its being glued in with the printed sheet stack or to its being damaged during trimming, is therefore ruled out.

[0005] In a further refinement of the method according to DE-OS 27 40 320, printed sheets from magazines are deposited onto a revolving intermediate conveyor having drivers, which engage behind the printed sheets, and are supplemented by an insertion card, which is fed by feeding stations and provided with a coating of adhesive, and are deposited onto collated printed sheets of the collecting conveyor.

[0006] It is obvious that the collating machines with card fixer known from prior art are designed for affixing advertising means from above onto printed sheets. Against said background the object of the invention is to propose a collating machine of the described type which allows an affixing of cards, stickers, product samples or similar advertising means onto printed sheets from below, i.e. onto the reverse side of the printed sheets.

[0007] Said object is achieved by the invention in a surprisingly simple and economical manner by means of a first feeding station for advertising means and a second feeding station for printed sheets and a conveyor, on which an advertising means individually separated from the first feeding station may be deposited and fed in the correct position to the second feeding station and on which a printed sheet individually separated from the second feeding station may be deposited in the correct position onto the advertising means in the sense of being affixed to the underside of the printed sheet. Advantageous developments of the invention arise from the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0008] There now follows a detailed description of the invention by way of example and with reference to the diagrammatic drawings. The drawings show:

[0009] FIG. 1 A cutout from a collating machine according to the invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 A perspective individual view of the belt conveyor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] In a collating machine having a row of feeding stations printed sheets are individually separated from magazines and stacked in a specific order on a collecting conveyor 3. The collecting conveyor 3 comprises a collecting channel 4 and a continuously revolving conveyor chain 6, on which are situated drivers 7, which engage through the collecting channel 4 and from behind push a plurality of collated stacked printed sheets 1 along the collecting channel 4.

[0012] The embodiment illustrated in the drawing shows a cutout of a collating machine having a first feeding station “A” for advertising means 2, e.g. a card, and a second feeding station “B” for printed sheets 2 disposed downstream in conveying direction, and having a conveyor 8 between the feeding stations “A” and “B”. In the embodiment the feeding stations “A” and “B” comprise delivery drums 9 disposed between a magazine 10 and the conveyor 8 and having a gripping mechanism 11 on the delivery drum 9 for grasping an advertising means 2 and a printed sheet 1 bent down from the stack by means of a sucker 12. The conveyor 8 takes the form of a belt conveyor, which may be acted upon by suction air and revolves in synchronism with the collecting conveyor 3 and on which an advertising means 2 individually separated from the first feeding station “A” is deposited and conveyed further in the correct position to the second feeding station “B” and, as it passes an adhesive application nozzle 5, is provided with spots of adhesive. If the checking device 13 signals a missing or double printed sheet 1, the adhesive application nozzle is not activated.

[0013] In the second feeding station “B” a printed sheet 1 is individually separated and rolled in the correct position onto the advertising means 2 fed by the belt conveyor 8. According to the invention, the advertising means 2 is therefore affixed to the underside of the printed sheet 1. The belt conveyor 8 and the collecting conveyor 3 of the collating machine are synchronously tuned to one another and the peripheral speed of the delivery drums 9 is synchronized and corresponds to the conveying speed of the collecting conveyor 3.

[0014] As is apparent from the perspective view in FIG. 2, the belt conveyor 8 with its top run covers a suction box 14 having a number of upwardly open suction channels 14a extending in the conveying direction, which may be acted upon by a partial vacuum and are associated with arrangements of suction hole rows 8a of the belt conveyor 8 for conveying the advertising means 2. The arrangements of suction hole rows 8a are situated at cyclical distances from one another in the belt conveyor and the width of the suction surface may be optimally adjusted to the format width of the advertising means 2 by connecting and disconnecting the suction air of individual suction channels 14a using known means.

[0015] The printed sheet 1 with the advertising means 2 affixed from below is finally moved by the belt conveyor 8 synchronously onto a printed sheet stack 1 a, which is advanced by the drivers along the collecting channel 4 of the collecting conveyor 3.

Claims

1. Collating machine for printed sheets having a row of feeding stations with magazines for accommodating stacks of printed sheets and at least one magazine for accommodating cards, stickers, product samples or similar advertising means to be affixed to printed sheets, having devices for individually separating the printed sheets and advertising means from the magazines, having a device for applying an adhesive prior to the joining of the advertising means to the printed sheet, having a collecting conveyor which comprises a collecting channel and a continuous conveyor chain with drivers, which from behind push the printed sheets along the collecting channel, and having an intermediate conveyor, which is disposed above the collecting conveyor and on which a printed sheet and an advertising means are joined together by adhesion and conveyed further in a clocked manner for deposit onto a printed sheet and/or printed sheet stack fed by the drivers of the conveyor chain of the collecting conveyor in the collecting channel, characterized by a first feeding station (A) for advertising means (2) and a second feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1) and a conveyor (8), on which an advertising means (2) individually separated from the first feeding station (A) may be deposited and fed in the correct position to the second feeding station (B) and on which a printed sheet (1) individually separated from the second feeding station (B) may be deposited in the correct position onto the advertising means (2) in the sense of being affixed to the underside of the printed sheet (1).

2. Collating machine according to

claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor (8) is a belt conveyor, which may be acted upon by suction air, for holding and feeding the advertising means (2) in the correct position.

3. Collating machine according to

claim 2, characterized by a suction box (14), which is covered by the top run of the belt conveyor (8) and has upwardly open suction channels (14a) extending in conveying direction, which may be acted upon by a partial vacuum and are associated with arrangements of suction hole rows (8a) of the belt conveyor (8) and are individually adjustable to the format width of the advertising means (2) by connecting and disconnecting the air pressure.

4. Collating machine according to

claim 2, characterized in that the arrangements of suction hole rows (8a) are situated at cyclical distances apart from one another in the belt conveyor (8).

5. Collating machine according to

claim 1, characterized by a device (5), which is associated with the conveyor (8), for applying an adhesive onto the advertising means (2).

6. Collating machine according to

claim 5, characterized in that the device (5) for applying the adhesive is actuable in dependence upon a missing- or double-sheet checking device (13).

7. Collating machine according to

claim 1, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

8. Collating machine according to

claim 3, characterized in that the arrangements of suction hole rows (8a) are situated at cyclical distances apart from one another in the belt conveyor (8).

9. Collating machine according to

claim 2, characterized by a device (5), which is associated with the conveyor (8), for applying an adhesive onto the advertising means (2).

10. Collating machine according to

claim 3, characterized by a device (5), which is associated with the conveyor (8), for applying an adhesive onto the advertising means (2).

11. Collating machine according to

claim 4, characterized by a device (5), which is associated with the conveyor (8), for applying an adhesive onto the advertising means (2).

12. Collating machine according to

claim 9, characterized in that the device (5) for applying the adhesive is actuable in dependence upon a missing- or double-sheet checking device (13).

13. Collating machine according to

claim 10, characterized in that the device (5) for applying the adhesive is actuable in dependence upon a missing- or double-sheet checking device (13).

14. Collating machine according to

claim 11, characterized in that the device (5) for applying the adhesive is actuable in dependence upon a missing- or double-sheet checking device (13).

15. Collating machine according to

claim 9, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

16. Collating machine according to

claim 10, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

17. Collating machine according to

claim 11, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

18. Collating machine according to

claim 12, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) for printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

19. Collating machine according to

claim 13, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) or printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.

20. Collating machine according to

claim 14, characterized by a delivery drum (9) in the feeding station (B) or printed sheets (1), which delivery drum is disposed in such a way relative to the conveyor (8) that the printed sheet (1) is joined to the advertising means (2) by being rolled onto the latter, which is fed by the conveyor (8) and provided with an adhesive coating.