Setting device for bending layer material more particularly paper

Abstract

A setting device for bending layer material is provided, which includes a substantially stationary base frame, a running path defining a running direction and a cross-sectional running plane, and first and second guide faces for guiding the layer material. The first guide face includes a bending face on a bending body and the second guide face includes a deflection face. The first and second guide faces are operationally directly interconnected by the layer material when passing between the first and second guide faces. The bending body includes a bending flank directly connecting to the bending face. The bending flank and the deflection face commonly bound a gap traversed by the layer material and defining a gap width, the bending flank defining a gap plane at the gap from the deflection face up to the bending face. The layer material defines a free length which is not in contact with the deflection and bending faces. Positioning means are included for varying the gap width. The positioning means displace the deflection face relative to the bending face to a bending position in which the free length of the layer material is equal to or less than the deflection radius. Oscillations of the layer material in the free length are prevented, thus preventing tearing of the material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/049,731 filed Mar. 27, 1998.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a device with which flexible or elastic materials can be worked to achieve a desired non-stressed shape, such as a flat shape. Such materials may be substrates or other rollable materials having a constant thickness which are worked as individual sheets or as an endless material web.

[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art

[0005] Paper is frequently supplied as a reeled material web, and therefore tends to curl, i.e. a portion of the web when spread out flat is subject to an inherent bending stress and thus tends to curve or curl to relieve the bending stresses on release of external forces. However, it may also be desirable to bend or work a flat layer which is planar when free of stress in order that it will assume a curved position. In any case, bending of the material breaks the stresses in the material by moving a face of the material which is to be curved relative to a bending face. In this arrangement the material defines an angle of wrap in the portion which comes into contact with the bending face. This angle of wrap is determined by the position of a deflector or guide for the material provided next to the bending face. This deflector may be provided upstream and/or downstream of the bending face. For modifying the angle of wrap or for optionally working both faces of the material the deflector arrangement and the bending face means are preferably adjustable relative to each other. For this purpose the bending face may be positioned on a device frame so that it can be adjusted relative to the deflector during the entire bending operation, e.g. to transpose material sections in sequence having continuously changing curl tendencies into the same, non-stressed planar shape or the like. Such an adjustment may, however, result in a bulky configuration involving complicated control mechanisms and control movement inertia which makes it difficult to quickly react to varying curl tendencies or other properties of the material. If the length of the material section that is tensioned freely or linearly between the bending face and the deflection face is greater than the deflection radius of the deflection face, in addition to the aforementioned drawbacks, the material section oscillates at high running speeds to the detriment of consistent good quality working.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,703 to Shelor discloses a decurling apparatus for controlling the curl characteristics of a web. The web is drawn over one of a pair of decurling rollers, the position of which may be varied to change the sharpness of the angular path of the web. The free web length between the decurling roller and an adjacent turn roller is at least approximately twice the radius of the turn roller, and can be substantially more, depending on the position of the decurling rollers. The systems of Shelor would be subject to oscillations of the web, yet Shelor does not include any suggestion as to how to avoid or reduce such oscillations.

[0007] Transverse oscillations are generated when the paper or material is unsupported and conveyed at low or high speed but exposed to air currents and machine oscillations. These oscillations of the paper result in oscillations of the surrounding air. The oscillations of the paper and the air tend to rhythmically superimpose, increasing the amplitude of oscillation of the paper or even sympathetic vibration. Such oscillations lead to alternating tensile stresses and consequently exceed the fatigue yield of the paper, causing tearing of the paper. These oscillations tend to become higher as the deflection radius becomes smaller.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object is to overcome the drawbacks of known configurations of the kind described. A wide variety of stresses should be introduceable into the material by simple constructional means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a setting device for bending layer material is provided, which defines remote first and second layer faces and a layer thickness. The setting device includes a substantially stationary base frame, a running path defining a running direction and a cross-sectional running plane, and first and second guide faces for guiding the layer material. The first guide face includes a bending face on a bending body and the second guide face includes a deflection face. The deflection face defines a deflection axis and a deflection radius. The bending face defines a bending axis and a bending radius smaller than the deflection radius. The first and second guide faces are operationally directly interconnected by the layer material when passing between the first and second guide faces. The bending body includes a bending flank directly connecting to the bending face. The bending flank and the deflection face commonly bound a gap traversed by the layer material and defining a gap width, the bending flank defining a gap plane at the gap from the deflection face up to the bending face. The layer material defines a free length which is not in contact with the deflection and bending faces. Positioning means are included for varying the gap width. The positioning means displace the deflection face relative to the bending face to a bending position in which the free length of the layer material is equal to or less than the deflection radius.

[0010] The deflection face and the bending face thus define boundaries to a relatively narrow gap which permits material to pass preferably free of compression stress. The clear width of the gap (and hence the free length of the layer material) is variable so that the minimum gap width is many times smaller than the deflection radius when the material wraps around the bending face. This width can be measured in an axial plane of deflection passing through the center of the bending face or the angle of wrap. The minimum width for a particular device may be smaller than half, a quarter or a tenth of the deflection radius, or smaller than 50 or 30 times the thickness of the material so that the free running zone between the two guiding faces is at most as large as the deflection radius, and is preferably smaller as compared thereto corresponding to one of the cited values.

[0011] Although the position of the bending face may be adjusted during the bending operation it is, however, advantageous to have only the deflection face adjustable transverse to the deflection axis since the distances involved and time required for such positioning are relatively small. Positioning means is preferably provided so that the deflection face can be set tangentially to the plane of the bending flank.

[0012] A web of paper to be worked is expediently secured with its leading edge overlapping a trailing edge of an advanced paper web, e.g. by an adhesive tape before the ends or the seam reaches the working station. If the seam is passed on an arc or angle of wrap through the working engagement at the bending face it may easily tear. For this reason, the guiding faces may be mutually displaceable in sudden short impulses so that the seam can be guided past one or both guiding faces without curvature or even contact, thus preventing damage.

[0013] Although the device can be made for bending engagement with only one face of the material, it is expediently configured for alternating bending engagement on both faces. For this purpose two separate bending faces are mutually and separately adjustable relative to the device frame. The deflecting faces provided for this purpose, on the one hand, and the bending faces, on the other hand, face each other and are minimally spaced from each other by a spacing which is maximally as large as the deflection radius or smaller. The deflecting faces may be formed by rotational faces or rollers, the clear width therebetween as measured in their common axial plane being smaller than their radius. At both deflecting faces and at the bending face the material may be simultaneously guided and thus curved alternately in opposite directions.

[0014] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a setting device for bending layer material to vary curl characteristics of the layer material is provided. The setting device has remote first and second layer faces, and includes a stationary base frame and a running path defining a running direction and a cross-sectional running plane. Guide faces, namely first and second guide faces for separately guiding the layer material are provided. The first guide face includes a bending face for varying the curl characteristics and the second guide face includes a deflection face having first and second subfaces. The bending face is spaced from the first and second subfaces in the running direction. The first subface defines a first deflection axis and the second subface defines a second deflection axis. The bending face defines a bending axis and a bending radius, with at least one of the first and second subfaces defining a deflection radius larger than the bending radius. The bending face also defines running sides, namely a feed side at which the layer material runs toward the bending face and an exit side at which the layer material runs off the bending face. The first and second subfaces are located at only one of the running sides. Positioning means are included for operationally directly interconnecting one of the first and second subfaces and the bending face by the layer material when passing between the deflection face and the bending face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Example embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following and illustrated in the drawings in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a side view of a device for a multi-ply material web;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned view as seen from the right of a single subdevice of the arrangement as shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a section through the bending tools as shown in FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a view of a bending body as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the bending body as shown in FIG. 4;

[0021] FIG. 6 is a scrap view of the bending body as shown in cross-section in FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale;

[0022] FIG. 7 is a scrap view of the suction connection of the bending body;

[0023] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting arrangement of one end of the bending body;

[0024] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bearing means of the other end of the bending body; and

[0025] FIG. 10 is a scrap view of a further embodiment of the subdevice as shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 a plurality of equal bending devices 1 are arranged in a station 2 horizontally juxtaposed and spaced from each other by an amount which is smaller than the space requirement for a single device 1. Each bending device is designed to work a separate material web 3 in a working zone. In these working zones the materials 3 have parallel running directions 4 that are inclined downwardly in running planes 5 which are parallel to each other. Each device 1 is arranged as a module for facilitated removal from a frame 6. A multi-layer material web 7 in which the webs 3 are located initially congruently on each other is fed horizontally and above the devices 1 to station 2 from separate reel stands, firstly in an aligned configuration at a roller 9 and then downstream thereof the individual material webs 3 are each deflected in sequence from the web 7 at a plurality of upper deflection rollers 8 and fed directly to the associated device 1. From the working zone each material web 3 is fed to devices 11 located below the working zone. At the devices 11, the materials 3 are placed one on another in sequence to again form the multi-ply web 7.

[0027] In front of and behind the devices 1 the frame 6 comprises portals 12 and 13 respectively, each composed of rods, the vertical supports of these portals being connected to each other via horizontal girders 14 located on both sides of the material 3. The device modules 1 are mounted on top of girders 14 and can be removed together therewith as a unit from the remaining frame 12, 13. The upper ends of portals 12, 13 are likewise interconnected with girders on which the deflectors or rollers 8 are rotatably mounted in sequence.

[0028] The single-layer material 3 is fed as an endless web to the working zone of each individual device 1 via a cylindrical guiding and deflection face 15 over which the material 3 is wrapped at a maximum angle of 90°. From face 15 the material is stretched and passes directly to a guiding or bending face 16 formed by a corner edge that is rounded in cross-section. The guiding face 15 is formed by a rotating roller or deflector body 17 and the bending face 16 by a rounded edge of a stationary bending body 18 comprising rectangular flat cross-sections throughout. Deflector body 17 and bending body 18 cover the full width of the material. Any dirt or dust appearing in the working zone or in the vicinity of a gap 20 is continuously removed by fluid flow, for example by suction means 19. A plane 10 of gap 20 slants downwards in the running direction 4 and coincides with the flank of the bending face 16 which directly opposes guiding face 15 and is formed by an entirely planar larger face 21 of bending body 18. The running plane 5 is steeper than plane 10 (face 21) so that the material 3 passes through the gap 20 from one gap boundary formed by face 15 to the opposite gap boundary formed by face 16 at an acute slanting angle before then being deflected on bending face 16 downwardly and away from face 15 over an angle of less than 90°. The free length of material 3 between the two boundaries 15, 16 is extremely short, but continuously variable. This length is at most the same as, and is preferably smaller than the radius of deflector body or roller 17 and is preferably half or a quarter thereof.

[0029] Guiding face 15 is curved about a horizontal deflector axis 22, oriented parallel to running plane 5 and at right angles to direction 4. Bending face 16 is curved about a bending axis 24 orientable parallel thereto. The two convex curved faces 15, 16 greatly differ in their radii of curvature, the radius of face 15 being at least 10 to 20 times or up to about 30 times larger than the radius of face 16. Face 15 is adjustable about a positioning axis 25 oriented parallel to axis 22, the positioning axis 25 being fixed on frame 6 and located on the side of axis 22 or of deflector body 17 that faces away from gap 20 or plane 10.

[0030] The two ends of deflector body 17 are secured or rotationally mounted on two supports 26, 27 each of which is rotationally mounted about axis 25 over at least 120° or 360° with bearings 28 and 29 respectively located at the corresponding outer sides of supports 26, 27. Unit 17, 26, 27 can be radially removed from frame 6, where necessary, together with bearings 28, 29. For precise, continuous adjustment about axis 25 positioning means 30 are provided which comprise an upright rotational motor 31 and a gear such as an angular gear 32 directly flanged thereto. Gear 32 is secured to the upper side of one member 14 and is self-locking. The corresponding support 26 is secured directly to the freely protruding output journal of gear 32 so that the gear bearing of gear 32 directly forms the corresponding sole bearing 28 for positioning unit 17, 26, 27, eliminating the need for any further separate or frame-fixed bearing on this side. The positioning means 30, 40, 42, 43 or the suction means 19 may be arranged optionally on both sides of gap 20 by e.g. arranging gear 32 optionally on each one of members 14 and the connection 52, 53, 54, 55 optionally in the region of each one of members 14. Due to this arrangement, the operator side of the device 1 may be located optionally on either side of the device 1 and, where necessary, separate from suction means 19, and positioning means 30, 42.

[0031] For adjusting the unit 17, 26, 27 control means 33 are provided on the outer side of gear 32 facing away from the unit. Control means 33 comprise a control cam 34 located in axis 25 of the output journal of gear 32 and arranged directly on an other journal positioned on the same gear shaft. The periphery of cam 34 acts on a sensor 35, such as an inductive transducer, so that by setting a variable signal value the positioning means 30 may be stopped when the corresponding position of deflector body 17 is attained. An analog indication of the position is provided by an optical display 36 on the outer side of the bearing 29.

[0032] The flat bending body 18 has a constant, full-length, outer cross-section and is replaceably secured to a rod or supporting body 37. Supporting body 37 is larger in cross-section than bending body 18. Supporting body 37 is cross-sectionally configured as a flat rectangular tubular body carrying body 18 intimately adjoined therewith on one of its two wider outer faces. Due to this the side faces of body 18 adjoining edges 16 are located in the planes of the two narrower outer faces of body 37, as can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. The ends of unit 18, 37, more particularly only the ends of body 37 are rigidly connected with circular disk-shaped flanges 38 which are replaceably fixed to plate-shaped supporting flanges 38′ of frame 2 by axial bolts which can be screwed into place from the interior of device 1 towards the outside thereof. Once the axial bolts have been released, unit 18, 37 can be radially removed from supporting flanges 38′ or conversely reinstalled.

[0033] Face 16 is manually adjustable, using positioning means 39 or 40, relative to unit 17, 26, 27 and frame 6 separately about two positioning axes 45, 46 located at right angles to each other, namely using the positioning means 40 during operation and using the positioning means 39 when operation is stopped. Axis 46 is oriented parallel to bending face 16 and to axes 22, 25 and is located to the side of bending face 16 facing away from gap 20, 10 roughly in the center axis of supporting body 37 or of the associated flanges 38. For passage of the said axial bolts flanges 38 comprise slots curved about axis 46 so that the inclination of the bending face 16 and gap flank 21 can be steadily varied and then locked in place by clamping action of the axial bolts. In one position of unit 15, 26, 27, the flank 21 is located at right angles to the common axial plane 47 of axes 22, 25, axial plane 47 intersecting flank 21 directly adjacent to bending face 16. From this position planes 10, 47 can be steadily displaced in both opposing directions. Plane 47 also spacedly opposes bending face 16 and thus slants relative to plane 10. In a center position the clear width of gap 20 is at a minimum, increasing steadily when varied in both directions as is evident from the positions indicated by dot-dashed lines in FIG. 3. The minimum gap width is preferably more than one millimeter and less than three or five millimeters. Positioning movements of both positioning means 30, 39 result in such changes in the gap width, positioning means 39 establishing the smallest possible gap width.

[0034] Positioning means 40 permit mutually slanting adjustment of bending face 16 and axes 24, 46, on the one hand, and of guiding face 15 and axes 22, 25 on the other. The cited gap width settings remain constant over the positioning length of positioning means 40. Positioning means 40 set a first end, remote from positioning means 30, of unit 18, 37 about positioning axis 25 whilst the other end of this unit merely pivots about frame-fixed axis 45, i.e. including the corresponding supporting flange 38′ in each case. Axis 45 is always located in the same axial plane as axis 25 and is laterally juxtaposed with the axial planes of axes 22, 24, 46 oriented parallel thereto. It is possible to translate axis 22 to also be in this common axial plane using the positioning means 30. The supporting flange 38′ for the flange 38 located at the first end of unit 18, 37 is adjustable by a guide 41 curved about axis 25, this guide comprising a guide pin engaging a curved slot with zero diametral clearance and rigidly connected to supporting flange 38′. The mounting about axis 45, which is oriented transverse or inclined to flank 21 or plane 10, is formed by a joint 42 comprising a joining pin fixed to frame 6 in the location of axis 45.

[0035] Each of the bearings defined by guide 41 and joint 42 comprises a mounting body 48 fixed to frame 6 laterally on the inside of the corresponding member 14. A first mounting body 48 carries guide 41 and the other mounting body carries, in a bifurcated arrangement, the joining pin of joint 42 which passes through the corresponding supporting flange 38′ between the forked arms of the corresponding mounting body 48. After this adjustment the unit 18, 37 needs to be locked only in the region of guide 41 by suitable means 43, for example by clamping. For this purpose a manually lever-operable clamping device is provided with which guide 41 can be axially tensioned relative to its corresponding mounting body 48. To facilitate manual adjustment along the guide 41 the corresponding supporting flange 38′ is provided with a radially protruding handle 44 adjoining the inner side of this mounting body 48. Clamp 43 is accessible directly on the underside of the corresponding member 14.

[0036] Bending body 18 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 consists of an integral metal body, the surface of which is completely coated, or at least coated in the region of the four longitudinal edges or bending faces 16, e.g. with a vacuum-deposited film of a harder substance, such as a ceramic oxide film or the like, having a thickness which is at most about a tenth or half a tenth of a millimeter, for example. Body 18 is optionally turnable about its longitudinal center axis and about its transverse axis oriented at right angles thereto so that with respect to member 37 each of its four edges or bending faces 16 can be optionally brought into the same working position for engaging the material 3. For this purpose fastening means for reversible bending body 18 comprise countersinks 49 on both flat sides of reversible bending body 18. The countersinks 49 are for fastener bolts with which bending tool 18 can be tensioned optionally with both flat sides against the corresponding flat side of member 37. Edges 16 may have different radii of curvature so that one bending body 18 may have different working edges or bending faces 16 for adapting to various working requirements.

[0037] Suction means 19 are stationary or not exposed to positional changes in operation, and comprise a slot-shaped fluid or suction orifice 50 located in surface 21 and passing transversely through body 18 centrally between edges 16. Opening 50 is oriented parallel to edges 16 and in line between countersinks 49. The corresponding wall of member 37 is provided with a coincidental fluid opening connecting the port of opening 50 to a flow passage 51. Passage 51 is bounded solely by the inner sides of member 37, runs full length over the latter and has at one or both ends constricted connectors 52 which are provided for both gaps 20 at the remote outer sides of support flanges 38′ and laterally adjacent to guide 41 or axis 45. A flexible tube 53, e.g. a hose, is connected to connectors 52 and traverses the underside of the corresponding member 14. The other end of tube 53 is connected via a slanting connection 55 to a longitudinal passage 54. Secured to the other longitudinal section of each member 14 is one such longitudinal passage 54 having a rectangular or square cross-section, into the side wall of which the connection 55 issues at an acute angle inclined to the flow direction in passage 54 to eliminate flow losses. The end of passage 54 located nearer to the frame part of deflector 9 translates via a bend into a passage 56 which is oriented vertically upwards, the upper end of passage 56 being connected to a suitable pressure/suction source, such as a blower.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, only one single simultaneously effective tool edge or bending face 16 is provided for each working zone or device 1 so that tool engagement is possible on one face only of the corresponding material 3. The configuration as shown in FIG. 3 is suitable for providing tool engagement optionally on both faces of the material 3. For this purpose identical units 18, 37 are secured to the same support flanges 38′ on both sides of axial plane or axis 45 and are adjustable about axis 46 independently of each other as well as being removable independently of each other. The working faces or bending edges 16 of these two units spacedly oppose each other symmetrically to plane 45. Flanks 21 are counter inclined so that their planes 10 are oriented at an obtuse angle in a V-formation to each other. Supports 26, 27 likewise support two separate deflecting faces 15, 15′ on identical deflection bodies 17 having separate deflection axes 22, 23 arranged symmetrically on both sides of an axial plane of positioning axis 25. In one position this axial plane coincides with plane 45 so that the material 3 is able to pass from deflector 8 to deflector 11 without contact between rolls 17 and bending bodies 18, i.e. without being deflected in the working zone. By pivoting unit 17, 26, 27 into the position as shown in FIG. 3 the material 3 is transferred from a deflection at a first material face on one guiding face 15 into bending engagement of the other material face with one of the bending edges or faces, namely the right-hand face 16. By pivoting in the opposite direction the material 3 is correspondingly brought into engagement with the other bending face 16 (the left-hand face 16) by the other deflection face 15′.

[0039] Due to pivoting about axis 25 the angle of wrap at the corresponding edge or bending face 16 can be varied dynamically and continuously during operation. Thereby the wrap angle at the corresponding deflection face 15, 15′ as well as the width of gap 20 may also be changed. Gear 32 automatically locks each setting by the inner obstruction of its gear members. Independently of this, the wrap angle and gap width can be altered by positioning means 39. In this respect also the two flanges 38 could be displaced relative to each other in torsional deformation of unit 18, 37 to achieve differing wrap angles along the length of edge or bending face 16, as is possible by positioning means 40. However, the dynamic variation is undertaken not with bending bodies or tools 18 but with deflector bodies 17 resulting in a very simple configuration of the suction means 19. Each passage 51 is connected to one of the connectors 52. All devices 1 are connected on each side to a common longitudinal header passage 54. The ends of the two passages 54 are connected to a common riser passage 56 via a Y-connector. Since the deflectors 17 cannot come into contact with bending bodies or tools 18 or other components of the device 1 even when fully rotated about axis 25, no means for restricting travel such as limit switches are needed. Each bending body or tool 18 or the edge or bending face 16 thereof may also be replaced by a rotating rod, the bearings of which may be flanged to the support flanges 38′ or provided on flanges 38. All components are located so as to be freely accessible, thus greatly facilitating maintenance or insertion of the material 3.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, on the side of the deflector 17 facing away from bending body 18, namely between deflectors 8, 17 or 11, 17 a further material guide 57 may be provided located nearer to deflector 17. Guide 57 does not deflect during bending but when the material 3 is guided past without contacting bending face 16 or at the most only slightly touching it. For each deflection face 15, 15′ material guide 57 comprises a corresponding frame-fixed deflector 58, 58′ or cylindrical rod or the like. In one position, deflection face 15 forms a tight passage gap with deflector 58 for S-shaped reversing deflection of the material 3 and in the other position for likewise oppositely deflecting in the region of an equal deflector gap between deflection face 15′ and deflector 58′. The material passes through the deflection gap in each case without any clamping pressure so that only one material face has deflector contact at any moment. Deflectors 58, 58′ are secured to flanges 59 and thus adjustable and removable at a support flange 59′ as already described with respect to flanges 38. Accordingly, here too, positioning means may be provided corresponding to means 39, 40, the deflectors 58, 58′ like the deflectors 16 each being located eccentrically to the corresponding positioning axis.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 the deflectors 17 are provided spacedly downstream of bending faces 16 and deflector 8 is located upstream of faces 16 as shown in FIG. 1. To engage and disengage the passage control mode for a non-worked passage of material 3 past the faces 16, the drive 31 is powered by a fluid cylinder. Drive cylinder 31 comprises two separate cylinders, each separately controllable and rigidly connected to each other in series. The piston rods face away from each other. Each cylinder can be transposed separately into two end positions so that four stop-limited working strokes, namely that of each individual cylinder and the two working cylinders are achieved. Instead of the deflectors 17 being fixedly mounted to the frame, the units 18, 37 or the supporting flange 38′ are pivoted about axis 25 of deflector 8 by drive 31. Thereby each of the two tools or bending bodies 18 can optionally be brought into engagement with the material 3. Fine adjustment of the tool 18 or of its wrap angle is achieved manually via gearing such as a worm gear.

Claims

1. A setting device for bending layer material defining remote first and second layer faces and a layer thickness, said setting device comprising:

a stationary base frame;

a running path defining a running direction and a cross-sectional running plane, and

first and second guide faces for guiding the layer material, said first guide face including a bending face on a bending body and said second guide face including a deflection face, said deflection face defining a deflection axis and a deflection radius, said bending face defining a bending axis and a bending radius smaller than said deflection radius, said first and second guide faces being operationally directly interconnected by the layer material when passing between said first and second guide faces, said bending body including a bending flank directly connecting to said bending face, said bending flank and said deflection face commonly bounding a gap traversed by the layer material and defining a gap width, said bending flank defining a gap plane at said gap from said deflection face up to said bending face, the layer material defining a free length which is not in contact with said deflection and bending faces; and

positioning means for varying said gap width, wherein said positioning means displaces said deflection face relative to said bending face to a bending position in which the free length of the layer material is equal to or less than said deflection radius.

2. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein the layer material is continuously fed to and deflected on said deflection face along said running path, said positioning means displacing said deflection face to be located tangentially and close to said bending flank with said gap width smaller than fifty times the thickness of the material layer.

3. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said deflection face is adjustable relative to said base frame and said bending face, said first and second guide faces being adjustable with respect to each other about at least one positioning axis oriented parallel to said running plane, when in said bending position a common axial plane of said deflection axis and said positioning axis traversing said bending flank.

4. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said bending face is pivotable about a setting axis oriented parallel to said bending axis and spaced from said bending axis by less than said deflection radius, and wherein said setting device further comprises a locking means for positionally locking said bending face when said locking means is adjusted about said setting axis.

5. The setting device according to claim 1, and further defining arcs of wrap including a first arc of wrap of said bending face and a second arc of wrap of said deflection face, said positioning device varying at least one of said first and second arcs of wrap, said bending flank connecting planarly to said bending face, said deflection face being located upstream of said bending face and being operationally fed by a straightened length of the layer material.

6. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said gap width is operationally variable, said deflection face being circular and said bending flank being planar up to said bending face.

7. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said deflecting face includes a first subface and a second subface spacedly opposing said first subface, said bending face including a first curling face and a second curling face spacedly opposing said first curling face, said positioning means displacing at least one of said guide faces to pass the layer material between said first and second curling faces and between said first and second subfaces linearly and without contacting said first and second curling faces.

8. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said deflection face includes a first subface and a second subface spacedly opposing said first subface, said positioning means supporting at least one of said first and said second subfaces against at least one of the first and second layer faces, when supporting said second subface by the layer material, said positioning means lifting the layer material entirely off said second subface.

9. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second guide faces includes first and second subfaces which oppose each other transverse to the layer material;

wherein said running path extends between said first and second subfaces; and

wherein said setting device further comprises setting means for variably inclining and operationally setting stationary said bending flank relative to said base frame.

10. The setting device according to claim 9, wherein said first and second subfaces are spaced from each other by more than the layer thickness, said first and second subfaces being operationally displaceable with respect to said bending face, said bending face defining running sides, namely a feed side at which the layer material runs onto said bending face and an exit side at which the layer material runs off said bending face, said first and second subfaces being commonly located at only one of said running sides.

11. The setting device according to claim 1, and further including setting flanks including said bending flank and intersecting to provide a setting edge including said bending face, wherein said setting flanks are oriented at right angles with respect to each other, said setting edge being cross-sectionally arcuated about said bending axis, setting means being included and variably inclining said bending flank relative to said deflection face while said deflection axis is stationary.

12. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said bending body includes angular faces defining said bending flank and said bending face, at least one of said angular faces defining at least two separate said bending faces for alternately engaging the layer material upon reversing said bending body relative to a bending support operationally fixedly directly supporting said bending body at a side remote from said bending flank.

13. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein said deflection face is arcuated and said bending flank is planar, said deflection face being displaceable into and out of said bending position, where said bending flank is oriented tangentially with respect to said deflection face and directly opposes said deflection face for bounding said gap with said deflection face, said positioning means displacing said deflection face out of contact with the layer material when on said running path.

14. The setting device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting direction oriented parallel to said bending flank and transverse to said gap, wherein adjusting means are included for displacing said deflection face and said bending face with respect to said base frame parallel to said adjusting direction commonly and separately with respect to each other, locking means being included and rigidly holding said bending face relative to said base frame while the layer material runs over said bending face.

15. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said deflection and bending faces is pivotable about a guide axis oriented transverse to said bending axis.

16. The setting device according to claim 1, and further including a drive motor for positively displacing at least one of said guide faces, said drive motor defining a central motor axis, wherein said central motor axis is oriented upright and transverse to said running plane, an output shaft interconnecting said drive motor and said at least one guide face, said output shaft being rotary and fixedly connected to said at least one guide face, said output shaft being oriented transverse to said central motor axis.

17. The setting device according to claim 1, and further including a plurality of individual subdevices each separately including said deflection and bending faces, wherein said individual subdevices are provided for simultaneously but separately bending separate layer material, said base frame being common for said subdevices, said subdevices being juxtaposed, said base frame bilaterally including girders bilaterally supporting said individual subdevices, said girders and said individual subdevices forming a module detachable from said base frame.

18. A setting device for bending layer material to vary curl characteristics of the layer material having remote first and second layer faces, said setting device comprising:

a stationary base frame;

a running path defining a running direction and a cross-sectional running plane; and

guide faces, namely first and second guide faces for separately guiding the layer material, said first guide face including a bending face for varying the curl characteristics and said second guide face including a deflection face comprising first and second subfaces, said bending face being spaced from said first and second subfaces in said running direction, said first subface defining a first deflection axis and said second subface defining a second deflection axis, said bending face defining a bending axis and a bending radius, at least one of said first and second subfaces defining a deflection radius larger than said bending radius, said bending face defining running sides, namely a feed side at which the layer material runs toward said bending face and an exit side at which the layer material runs off said bending face, said first and second subfaces being located at only one of said running sides, wherein positioning means are included for operationally directly interconnecting one of said first and said second subfaces and said bending face by the layer material when passing between said deflection face and said bending face.

19. The setting device according to claim 18, wherein said positioning means displace said first and second subfaces relative to said bending face while said first deflection axis is stationary relative to said second deflection axis.

20. The setting device according to claim 18, wherein said first subface opposes said second subface while the layer material passes between said first and second subfaces.

21. The setting device according to claim 18, wherein said deflection radius of both said first and second subfaces is larger than said bending radius.

22. The setting device according to claim 18, wherein said deflection radius of both said first and second subfaces is equally large.

23. The setting device according to claim 18, and further including a deflection support mounting said first and second subfaces, wherein said positioning means displace said deflection support relative to said base frame.

24. The setting device according to claim 18, and further including first and second bending supports connecting said bending face to said base frame, wherein said bending axis operationally displaceably connects to said first bending support, said first bending support operationally displaceably connecting to said second bending support, said second bending support rigidly connecting to said base frame.

25. The setting device according to claim 18, wherein said bending axis is operationally reversibly displaceable relative to said running path in a first setting direction and a second setting direction oriented transverse to said first setting direction.

26. The setting device according to claim 25, and further including a first setting axis and a second setting axis oriented transverse to said first setting axis, wherein said bending axis is displaceable in said first setting direction about said first setting axis oriented parallel to said bending axis, additionally and independently said bending axis being displaceable in said second setting direction about said second setting axis.

27. The setting device according to claim 18, and further including a running deflector spaced from said deflection face and from said bending face, wherein for passing the layer material past said bending face without altering the curl characteristics on said bending face said deflection face is displaceable from close to said bending face to a guide position close to said running deflector, when in said guide position said running deflector and said deflection face deflecting the layer material in a S-wrap.

28. The setting device according to claim 27, wherein said running deflector includes a first running face and a second running face spacedly separate from said first running face, said guide position including first and second guide positions and the S-wrap including first and second S-wraps, in said first guide position the first S-wrap running over said first running face and in said second guide position the second S-wrap running over said second running face, the first S-wrap being arcuated counter the second S-wrap.

29. The setting device according to claim 27, wherein said running deflector deflects the layer material about a running axis, said running axis being operationally displaceable relative to both said base frame and said bending face.