Apparatus and method for folding and stocking book documents

Abstract

An apparatus for folding and receiving book documents comprises a main conveying device arranged and adapted to convey unfolded book documents in a main conveying direction and a secondary conveying device arranged and adapted to receive the book documents conveyed by the main conveying device and to convey them in a secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, wherein the secondary conveying direction is transverse to the main conveying direction. Further, the apparatus comprises a receiving device arranged at a spatial distance from the first and/or the second conveying surface and configured to receive folded book documents. The device folds the conveyed book documents respectively with a movement in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction. Furthermore, a lifting device is arranged to convey the folded book documents from the main conveying device and/or from the secondary conveying device into the receiving device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for folding and receiving book documents, comprising: a main conveying device having a first conveying surface arranged and configured to convey unfolded book documents in a main conveying direction over the first conveying surface, a secondary conveying device with a second conveying surface, which is arranged and designed to receive book documents conveyed by the main conveying device and to convey them in a secondary conveying direction and against the secondary conveying direction over the second conveying surface, the secondary conveying direction running transversely to the main conveying direction, and a receiving device arranged at a spatial distance from the first and/or the second conveying surface and adapted to receive folded book documents, wherein the apparatus is designed to fold the conveyed book documents in each case with a movement of the book documents in the secondary conveying direction and against the secondary conveying direction, and wherein a lifting device is arranged and designed to convey the folded book documents from the main conveying device and/or from the secondary conveying device into the receiving device, and wherein the lifting device is at least partially retractable in the main conveyor device and/or in the secondary conveyor device, and wherein the lifting device can be lifted at least partially into the receiving device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device conveys the folded book documents in a lifting direction which is at least substantially orthogonal to the main conveying direction and/or to the secondary conveying direction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device is further arranged and configured to receive the received folded book documents respectively in a plane parallel to the book documents conveyed by the main conveying device and/or to the book documents conveyed by the secondary conveying device, and/or the receiving device is further arranged and configured to store respective last received folded book document with an extended surface facing the main conveying device and/or the secondary conveying device, and/or the receiving device further comprises at least one retaining element that is designed and arranged to fix the received folded book documents in the receiving device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main conveying device and/or the secondary conveying device have at least one inspection sensor, for example an optically or electromagnetically detecting inspection sensor, for inspecting the conveyed book documents, and/or the main conveying device and/or the secondary conveying device are further arranged and configured to convey the conveyed book documents into a reject receptacle depending on an inspection.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a folding assembly comprising: at least one gripper and/or at least one clamp and/or one horizontal pusher, which are each arranged and designed to move a book document in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, and/or at least one conveyor roller arranged and configured to move a book document in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, and/or at least one pusher arranged and designed to at least partially lift a book document, and/or at least one guide element, which is arranged and designed to guide a book document, which is at least partially lifted and/or moved in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, along a predetermined movement path, and/or at least one pressing element which is movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main conveying direction and/or to the secondary conveying direction and is designed and arranged to fold a book document moved in the secondary conveying direction or against the secondary conveying direction and/or guided by the guide element, and/or at least one guide roller, which is arranged and designed to guide and/or convey a book document moved against the secondary conveying direction and/or folded by the pusher and/or folded by the pressing element.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pressing element can be pivoted in a controlled manner about at least one axis, and/or the pressing element comprises a drivable, in particular independently drivable, circulation element, and/or the guide roller is drivable, in particular independently drivable, and/or the conveyor roller is independently drivable, and/or the pusher is movable substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the lifting device, and/or the pusher is at least partially retractable in the main conveying device and/or in the secondary conveying device, and/or the gripper and/or the clamp and/or the horizontal pusher are part of the secondary conveying device and/or are formed together with the secondary conveying device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an electronic control device that is implemented together with the apparatus and/or is connected to the apparatus in a separable or inseparable manner, wherein the control device controls and/or regulates the movements and/or the drives and/or the synchronization of the individual device components.

8. A method for folding and recording book documents, with the steps: conveying unfolded book documents in a main conveying direction; picking up the book documents conveyed in the main conveying direction with a secondary conveying device and conveying the book documents in a secondary conveying direction and against the secondary conveying direction, the secondary conveying direction running transversely to the main conveying direction; folding the conveyed book documents with a movement of the book documents in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction; and conveying the folded book documents into a receiving device, which is arranged at a spatial distance from a conveying surface of a main conveying device and/or a conveying surface of the secondary conveying device and is designed to receive folded book documents, with a lifting device, wherein the lifting device is at least partially retractable in the main conveyor device and/or in the secondary conveyor device, and wherein the lifting device can be lifted at least partially into the receiving device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising at least one of the steps: gripping and/or clamping the conveyed book documents with a gripper and/or a clamp and moving the book documents in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction; at least partial lifting of the conveyed book documents with a pusher; guiding a book document, which is at least partially raised and/or moved in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, along a predetermined path of movement with a guide element; conveying an at least partially folded/raised and/or folded book document in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction with a conveying roller and/or a guide roller; folding of a book document moved in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction and/or guided by the guide element with a pressing element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further objectives, features, advantages and application possibilities result from the following description of non-restrictive embodiment examples with reference to the associated drawings. In this context, all the features described and/or illustrated show, individually or in any combination, the object disclosed here, also irrespective of their grouping in the claims or their back-relationships. The dimensions and proportions of the components shown in Fig. are not to scale; they may differ from those illustrated here in embodiments to be implemented.

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a device for folding and holding book documents in a plan view.

(3) FIG. 2 schematically shows a section of the device example shown in FIG. 1 from a perspective rotated by 90.

(4) FIGS. 3 to 10 show schematically and by way of example a sequence of folding and recording of book documents with the method shown in FIG. 1 and the device shown in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 11 shows an alternative implementation example for a device for folding and holding book documents in a side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows an example of a device or apparatus 1 for folding and receiving book documents in a plan view. A main conveying device 10 conveys the book documents B in cycles in the main conveying direction F.

(7) The book documents B have a prepared folding line or folding axis centrally dividing the book documents B, which pivotably connects a first and a second book document half. In the example shown, the folding line or folding axis runs essentially parallel to the main conveying direction F.

(8) A receiving device 30 is arranged above the main conveying device 10, which is designed to receive the book documents B in a folded state.

(9) Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows the secondary conveying device 20 in a top view. The auxiliary conveying device 20 is designed to move the book documents B conveyed in cycles by the main conveying device 10 in a respective auxiliary conveying direction N and (following the movement of the book documents B in the auxiliary conveying direction N) to move the book documents B against the auxiliary conveying direction N in each case.

(10) The example shown in FIG. 1 further comprises an inspection sensor 11 and a reject receptacle 24. The inspection sensor 11, which in the specific example is a camera sensor, checks the book documents B conveyed by the main conveying device 10 with a control unit (not shown) in each case for property and position errors. If a property error or an uncorrectable position error of a book document B is detected by the control system, the control system causes the secondary conveying device 20 to convey the defective book document B into the reject receptacle 24. In the example shown, this is done by the secondary conveying device 20 conveying the defective book document beyond a predetermined point in the secondary conveying direction N and then releasing it. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the control system decides whether a book document B conveyed in each case by the main conveying device 10 is either conveyed by the secondary conveying device 20 into the reject receptacle 24 or, after further conveying steps, passes into the receiving device 30 arranged above the main conveying device 10, these two options being mutually exclusive.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a section of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 for folding and holding book documents from a perspective rotated by 90.

(12) Further details of the device, which are also covered by the device shown in FIG. 1 but are not shown for reasons of overview, are described on the basis of FIG. 2 as representative of both Figs.

(13) As shown schematically in FIG. 2, the secondary conveying device 20 comprises a gripper 22 which is designed to grip a book document B conveyed by the main conveying device 10. In the specifically shown example, the shown gripper 22 is a part of the secondary conveying device 20 and is movable both in the secondary conveying direction N and against the secondary conveying direction N, so that a reciprocating movement of the book document B fixed by the gripper 22 in each case is made possible. The gripper 22 is designed to engage in each case in an edge region of the book documents B conveyed cyclically by the main conveying device 10 or on a book document half, so that the book document half not fixed in each case by the gripper 22 is connected pivotably about the prepared folding line or folding axis to the book document half fixed by the gripper 22.

(14) In other embodiments (not shown), the secondary conveying device 20 may alternatively or in addition to the gripper 22 also comprise conveyor belts, horizontal slides, conveying rollers, conveying cams, conveying belts and/or rotating carriers, each of which is configured and arranged to convey the book documents B in the secondary conveying direction N and/or against the secondary conveying direction N.

(15) Further, FIG. 2 shows the receiving device 30 for the folded book documents B in a cross-sectional view. In the example shown, the receiving device 30 is arranged above the main conveying device 10, but in other embodiments it can also be arranged above the secondary conveying device 20 or above both conveying devices.

(16) The receiving device 30 shown has, on a side facing the main conveying device 10, an opening for receiving folded book documents B, the opening of the receiving device 30 being arranged above a lifting device 14 and allowing folded book documents B to pass through. Furthermore, the specifically shown receiving device 30 comprises two retaining elements 32, 33 which secure the folded book documents B received in the receiving device 30 against falling out or moving out of the opening, for example due to the acting gravity and/or vibrations of the device. In the specific example, the two restraining elements 32, 33 are elastically deformable or flexible spring elements made of a metal material, but in other embodiments they may also be non-elastic movable elements made of a metal or non-metal material. In particular, movable hinges and/or spring hinges may also serve as restraining elements.

(17) The receiving device 30, shown only schematically in FIG. 2, is designed to receive and/or stack a plurality of folded book documents B and may have further features not shown in Figs. for overview reasons, for example an unloading opening or unloading flap for removing/moving out the stored book documents.

(18) The lifting device 14 shown in FIG. 2 and already mentioned is completely recessed in a recess of the main conveying device 10 in a rest state so that it does not block the conveying path of the book documents B conveyed in cycles by the main conveying device 10. Further, the lifting device 14 shown can be raised in the lifting direction H, which is orthogonal to the main conveying direction F and the secondary conveying direction N, and lowered in the opposite direction to the lifting direction H. The lifting device 14 is arranged below the opening of the receiving device 30 and is suitable for lifting a folded book document B into the receiving device 30.

(19) FIG. 2 further shows the vertical slide 12, which is also completely recessed in a recess of the main conveyor device 10 in a resting state and can be raised in the lifting direction H and lowered against the lifting direction H. In the example shown, the vertical pusher 12 is not arranged below the receiving device 30. However, this is not necessary in all embodiments of a device for folding and receiving book documents. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the vertical pusher 12 is not coupled to the lifting device 14 and is formed separately therefrom. However, embodiments are also possible in which the vertical pusher 12 is formed jointly and/or integrally with the lifting device 14 and/or in which the vertical pusher 12 and the lifting device 14 are always raised or lowered synchronously or uniformly.

(20) Further, FIG. 2 shows a guide roller 34 arranged on the receiving device 30, which is designed to come into contact with a folded book document moving in the secondary conveying direction N or against the secondary conveying device N and to exert a pressing force on a folded book document. However, the guide roller 34 does not come into contact with an unfolded book document B conveyed by the main conveying device 10, since the unfolded book documents B are passed under the guide roller 34 by the main conveying device 10 (substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the guide roller 34).

(21) Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows a pressing element 36 which can be raised in the lifting direction H and lowered against the lifting direction H and which is arranged on the receiving device 30 so as to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the main conveying direction H. The pressing element 36 is arranged on the receiving device 30 so as to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the main conveying direction H. In addition, the pressing-on element 36 has the circulating roller 37, over which a driven circulating belt (not shown) is guided. The pressing element 36 is designed to be lowered onto a book document conveyed by the secondary conveying device 20 in the secondary conveying direction N or against the secondary conveying direction N and to exert a pressing force on the book document with the circulating belt guided over the circulating roller 37. This is further described with reference to the following Fig.

(22) Further, FIG. 2 shows the arcuately configured guide rail 38, which in the specific example shown is also arranged/fixed to the receiving device 30. In the example shown, the guide rail 38 is a metal rail coated with Teflon, which is designed to be brought into contact with a part of a book document B conveyed or moved by the secondary conveying device 20 against the secondary conveying direction N, so that at least a part of the book document B brought into contact moves along a movement path predetermined by the guide rail 38.

(23) In addition, FIG. 2 schematically shows the conveying surface OH of the main conveying device 10 and the conveying surface ON of the secondary conveying device 20. As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the first conveying surface OH and the second conveying surface ON in the example shown form a common surface or adjoin each other at an angle of 180. In the example shown, the conveying surfaces OH, ON of the conveying devices 10, 20 are the surfaces of the conveying devices 10, 20 over which the book documents B are respectively conveyed and of the surfaces of the conveying devices 10, 20 with which the conveyed book documents B are arranged or moved/conveyed in contact. The receiving device 30 is arranged at least so far away from the conveying surfaces OH, ON of the conveying devices 10, 20 that it does not hinder conveying of the book documents in the main conveying direction F and in the secondary conveying direction N as well as against the secondary conveying direction N.

(24) The process of folding and picking up book documents with a device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated schematically and by way of example in FIGS. 3 to 10.

(25) FIG. 3 shows the device shown in FIG. 2, wherein initially an unfolded book document B conveyed by the main conveying device 10 is conveyed into an area below the receiving device 30 and is fixed at one side by the gripper 22 of the secondary conveying device 20. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the prepared folding line of the book document B is located below an edge of the receiving device 30 arranged above the main conveying device 10. Thus, initially a part or a half of the book document B conveyed cyclically by the main conveying device 10 in the main conveying direction F is located below the receiving device 30, wherein the unfolded book document B initially does not come into contact with the guide roller 34 arranged on the receiving device 30.

(26) FIG. 4 shows how the secondary conveying device 20 or the gripper 22 initially conveys or moves/pulls the book document B fixed by the gripper 22 in the secondary conveying direction. The book document B is thereby moved out of an area below the opening of the receiving device 30.

(27) If the book document B has been identified as defective by the control system (not shown) using the inspection sensor 11 shown in FIG. 1, the gripper 22 can convey/move the book document B beyond an outer edge of the auxiliary conveyor device 20 and then release it so that the defective book document B falls into the reject receptacle 24, which is only indicated in FIG. 4.

(28) However, for clarification of the further manufacturing steps for folding and receiving the book documents B, it is assumed in the examples shown in Fig. that the book documents B shown are not to be discarded in each case.

(29) FIG. 5 shows how a part of the book document B or a book document half is lifted by the now following lifting of the vertical pusher 12.

(30) The vertical pusher 12 is moved out of the main conveying device 10 in the lifting direction H, whereby the book document B fixed by the gripper 22 is located above the vertical pusher 12 with a book document half not directly fixed by the gripper. This causes the book document B to be folded. In other words, it can be described that the book document half not fixed by the gripper 22 is pivoted about the folding line or folding axis by the vertical pusher 12 relative to the book document half fixed by the gripper 22, so that the two book document halves enclose an angle of less than 180. In particular, this can also occur simultaneously with a movement/conveying of the book document B against the secondary conveying direction N caused by the secondary conveying device 20 and/or by the gripper 22, so that the secondary conveying device 20 and/or the gripper 22 (by a horizontal movement) and the vertical pusher 12 (by a vertical movement) can cause the book document to be folded. This can further accelerate the execution of the method for folding the book documents.

(31) Furthermore, the book document B is brought into contact with the arcuate guide rail 38 by the lifting of a book document half by the vertical pusher 12 in the lifting direction H and/or by the conveying or movement against the secondary conveying direction N. The book document half lifted or folded by the vertical pusher 12 is guided by the guide rail 38 along a predetermined path of movement, while the secondary conveying device 20 and/or the gripper 22 continue to move the book document B to be folded against the secondary conveying direction N.

(32) FIG. 6 shows the lowering of the pressing element 36 with the circulating roller 37 onto the book document to be folded against the lifting direction H. After the book document half has been lifted or folded, the vertical slide 12 is lowered again in the main conveying device 10 against the lifting direction H, so that it does not stand in the way of further movement or conveying of the book document B by the gripper 22 or by the secondary conveying device 20 or clears the conveying path against the secondary conveying direction N.

(33) The pressing element 36 is lowered onto the book document B to be folded, so that the circulating belt guided over the circulating roller 37 (not shown for overview reasons) comes into contact with the book document B and exerts a pressing force against the lifting direction H on the book document B. In other words, it can be described that the pressing element 36 with the circulating roller 37 and the circulating belt guided over the circulating roller 37 exerts a pressing force in the direction of the main conveying device 10 on the book document B to be folded, so that the book document B is folded.

(34) FIG. 7a shows that the gripper 22 or the secondary conveyor device 20 now releases the book document B folded by the pressing element 36. The gripper 22 is moved away from the folded book document B in the secondary conveying direction N, whereby the folded book document B is moved further against the secondary conveying direction N over the main conveying device 10 by the circulating belt guided over the circulating roller 37. The folded book document B thereby comes into contact with the guide roller 34, which, like the conveyor belt guided over the circulating roller 37, exerts a pressing force on the folded book document B in the direction of the main conveyor device 10. The guide roller 34 thus cooperates with the pressing element 36 in the folding of the book document B or improves the folding of the book document B effected by the pressing element 36. Moreover, to improve the folding or to improve the exertion of a pressing force on the folded book document B, the pressing element 36 can be pivoted about a pivot axis substantially parallel to the main conveying direction F.

(35) FIG. 7b shows, in deviation from FIGS. 1 to 7a and FIGS. 8 to 11, an example of a device for folding and picking up book documents with an additional conveyor roller 35. In the example shown in FIG. 7b, the conveyor roller 35 is an independently driven conveyor roller that is partially recessed in the main conveyor device 10. In the example shown, the axis of rotation of the conveying roller 35 runs parallel to the axis of rotation of the guide roller 34. The conveying roller 35 supports the conveying of the folded book document B against the secondary conveying direction N and cooperates with the guide roller 34 and/or the pressing element 36 for folding the book document or for exerting a pressing force on the book document.

(36) As shown in FIG. 8, the folded book document B thus reaches an area above the lifting device 14 recessed in the main conveying device 10 or an area below the opening of the receiving device 30. The receiving device 30 is spaced from the conveying surface OH of the main conveying device 10 to such an extent that it does not impede the movement of the folded book document B.

(37) The pressing element 36 with the circulating roller 37 is raised in the lifting direction H to clear the conveying path for the further book documents B to be conveyed by the main conveying device 10.

(38) The lifting device 14 arranged below the folded book document B or the opening of the receiving device 30 is now lifted in the lifting direction H. The lifting device 14 is then lifted by the lifting device 30.

(39) As shown in FIG. 9, the lifting device 14 conveys the folded book document B in the lifting direction H through the opening of the receiving device 30 into the receiving device 30. Here, the lifting device 14 deforms the flexible plastically deformable retaining elements 32, 33 with the conveyed book document B, so that the folded book document B passes into the interior of the receiving device 30.

(40) FIG. 10 shows that after a subsequent lowering of the lifting device 14 against the lifting direction H, the flexible plastically deformable retaining elements 32, 33 fix the folded book document B inside the receiving device 30 or secure the folded book document B against falling out of the receiving device 30 due to gravity by blocking/impeding a movement of the folded book document B against the lifting direction H.

(41) The lifting device 14, which is lowered back into the main conveying device 10 against the lifting direction H, frees the conveying path for further book documents to be conveyed cyclically through the main conveying device 10, so thatas shown in FIG. 3a further book document B to be folded in each case can be conveyed into the area below the receiving device 30.

(42) FIG. 11 schematically shows an alternative structure of a device 2 for folding and picking up book documents, in which all process steps for folding and picking up the book documents B can be carried out exclusively with a movement of the book document B against the secondary conveying direction N (and in the lifting direction H). Deviating from the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the book documents B are here first conveyed by the main conveying device 10 into an area next to the receiving device 30, so that a conveying/moving of the book documents B in the secondary conveying direction N can be dispensed with. As illustrated by FIG. 11, however, such a device requires a considerably larger installation space or has a considerably larger space requirement. In addition, even with a device 2 as shown in FIG. 11, the secondary conveying device 20 or the gripper 22 must be moved back and forth in the course of production (or moved in the secondary conveying direction N and against the secondary conveying direction N). The distance over which the auxiliary conveyor device 20 or the gripper 22 must be moved is increased compared to a device 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 10.

(43) The variants described above, as well as their structural and operational aspects, are merely intended to provide a better understanding of the structure, operation and characteristics; they do not limit the disclosure to the embodiments, for example. The Figs. are schematic, with significant features and effects shown, in some cases significantly enlarged, to illustrate the functions, operating principles, technical embodiments and features. In this regard, each mode of operation, principle, technical embodiment and feature disclosed in the Fig. or in the text can be freely and arbitrarily combined with all claims, each feature in the text and in the other Fig., other modes of operation, principles, technical embodiments and features contained in or resulting from this disclosure, so that all conceivable combinations of the described variants can be assigned. Combinations between all individual embodiments in the text, that is, in any section of the description, in the claims, and also combinations between different variants in the text, in the claims, and in the Figs. are included. Also, the claims do not limit the disclosure and thus the possible combinations of all disclosed features with each other. All disclosed features are also explicitly disclosed herein individually and in combination with all other features.