Imbricating method, folding method, method for preparing folded blanks in an imbricated stream, and devices configured for this purpose

Abstract

An improved imbricating method, folding method, and device for producing imbricated streams (3) which are produced from singulated and preferably folded blanks (2) is provided. The method includes taking imbricated bundles of blanks including of a number of overlapping blanks corresponding to the number of the individual streams formed by the blanks of a first individual stream being transported at a distance from one another along a transport surface through a compiling station. In the process, the blanks of the at least one remaining individual stream are first of all deflected vertically with respect to the transport surface by a deflecting device of the compiling station and are then guided in the direction of the first individual stream and are subsequently deposited with an offset onto the blanks of the first individual stream.

Claims

1. An imbricating method for producing an imbricated stream (3) from at least two individual streams (15, 16) of singulated, unconnected blanks (2) which are obtained from a paper web (10), comprising first forming imbricated bundles of blanks (32) of a number of overlapping blanks (2) corresponding to a number of the individual streams (15, 16) by the blanks (2) of a first of the individual stream (15, 16) being transported at a distance from each other along a transport surface (31) through a compiling station (26), deflecting the blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) first vertically with respect to the transport surface (31) by a deflecting device (29) of the compiling station (26) and then transferring the blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) in a direction of the first individual stream (15, 16), and subsequently depositing the blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) with an offset onto the blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16), and depositing the imbricated bundles of blanks (32) so produced on one another with an offset with respect to one another in an imbricating station (27) thus combining the imbricated bundles of blanks (32) to form the imbricated stream (3; wherein a distance between two consecutive blanks (2) of the at least two individual streams (15, 16) is increased before formation of the bundles of blanks (32) by an increase in a conveying speed of the blanks (2) at least one of upon entry into the compiling station (26) or within the compiling station (26).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual streams (15, 16) are deflected upward or downward with respect to the transport surface (31) or transport plane of the first individual stream (15, 16), or the at least one remaining one of the individual streams (15, 16) is supplied with the blanks (2) along a respectively curved path of the deflecting device (29) above or below the transport surface (31) of the first individual stream (15, 16) to the blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16), or both.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveying speeds of the blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16) and of the at least one remaining one of the individual streams (15, 16) are coordinated with each other such that the blanks (2) of the individual streams (15, 16) are compiled with the offset that is predetermined to form the imbricated bundles of blanks (32).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blanks (2) are mail items, or the blanks are mail items and the mail items have been or are provided with a consecutive zip codes, and the mail items with the consecutive zip codes are compiled in the imbricated stream (3).

5. A folding method for preparing folded blanks (2) from a paper web (10), comprising supplying the paper web (10) having at least two streams of blanks (2) provided next to each other on the paper web (10) to a longitudinal cutting station (11), and separating the at least two streams from one another by longitudinal cutting producing individual streams (6, 7) of blanks (2), supplying the at least two individual streams (6, 7) to a plow folding station (13) and folding the at least two individual streams, then supplying the individual streams (6, 7) to a transverse cutting station (12) and separating individual ones of the blanks (2) of the individual streams (6, 7) from one another, and then forming individual streams (15, 16) of unconnected, singulated blanks (2), wherein the folding further comprises in a first plow folding device (18) of the plow folding station (13), folding a first flank (20) in each case into each of the at least two individual streams (15, 16) of the connected blanks (2), and in a second plow folding device (19) of the plow folding station (13), folding a second flank (21) in each case into each of the at least two individual streams (15, 16) of the connected blanks (2).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the blanks (2) are mail items that are printed or have been printed onto the paper web (10) in transverse format, and longitudinal sides of the blanks (2) are oriented transversely or at right angles with respect to a direction of a longitudinal extent of the paper web (10).

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the blanks (2) have been or are arranged on the paper web (10) with consecutive zip codes.

8. A method for producing an imbricated stream (3) of folded blanks (2), comprising providing the folded blanks (2) from a paper web (10) by supplying the paper web (10) having at least two streams of blanks (2) provided next to each other on the paper web (10) to a longitudinal cutting station (11), and separating the at least two streams from one another by longitudinal cutting producing individual streams (6, 7) of blanks (2), supplying the at least two individual streams (6, 7) to a plow folding station (13) and folding the at least two individual streams, then supplying the individual streams (6, 7) to a transverse cutting station (12) and separating individual ones of the blanks (2) of the individual streams (6, 7) from one another, and then forming individual streams (15, 16) of unconnected, singulated blanks (2), and then compiling the folded blanks by first forming imbricated bundles of the folded blanks (32) of a number of overlapping ones of the folded blanks (2) corresponding to a number of the individual streams (15, 16) by the folded blanks (2) of a first of the individual stream (15, 16) being transported at a distance from each other along a transport surface (31) through a compiling station (26), deflecting the folded blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) first vertically with respect to the transport surface (31) by a deflecting device (29) of the compiling station (26) and then transferring the folded blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) in a direction of the first individual stream (15, 16), and subsequently depositing the folded blanks (2) of the at least one remaining one of the individual stream (15, 16) with an offset onto the folded blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16), and depositing the imbricated bundles of folded blanks (32) so produced on one another with an offset with respect to one another in an imbricating station (27) thus combining the imbricated bundles of blanks (32) to form the imbricated stream (3).

9. An imbricating device (5) for preparing an imbricated stream (3) from at least two individual streams (15, 16) of singulated, unconnected blanks (2) obtained from a paper web (10), the device (5) comprising a compiling station (26) and an imbricating station (27) mounted downstream of the compiling station (26), the compiling station (26) including a transporter (28) for a first of the at least two individual streams (15, 16) and, for each further one of the individual streams (16), a deflecting device (29) with a transfer device (30), wherein the blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16) are supplied at a defined distance from one another along a transport surface (31) by the transporter (28) to the imbricating station (27) mounted downstream, wherein, the transfer device (30) of the at least one deflecting device (29) is adapted to deflect the blanks (2) of the at least one further individual stream (15, 16) vertically relative to the transport surface (31) and transfer the blanks in a direction of the first individual stream (15, 16) so that the blanks of the at least one further individual stream (15, 16) are adapted to be deposited with an offset onto the blanks (2) of the first individual stream in order to form imbricated bundles of blanks (32), wherein the transporter (28) is adapted to supply the bundles of blanks (32) to the imbricating station (27) in order to produce the imbricated stream (3), and conveying speeds of the blanks (2) on the transporter (28) and of the blanks (2) on the at least one transfer device (30) are coordinated with each other such that the conveying speed of the at least one transfer device (30) is greater than a conveying speed of the transporter (28).

10. The device (5) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one deflecting device (29) has a profile which is curved vertically with respect to the transport surface (31), and horizontally in a direction of a supporting zone (33) of the first individual stream (15, 16) on the transport surface (31).

11. The device (5) as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one of the transporter (28) or the at least one transfer device (30) comprise a conveyor belt.

12. The device (5) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transporter (28) is configured such that a conveying speed of the bundles of blanks (32) on the transporter (28) during passage from the compiling station (26) into the imbricating station (27) is greater than a conveying speed of the bundles of blanks (32) in the imbricating station (27).

13. A folding device (4) for producing folded blanks (2) from a paper web (10), the folding device comprising a longitudinal cutting station (11), a transverse cutting station (12), and with a folding station (13) arranged between the longitudinal cutting station (11) and the transverse cutting station (12), the longitudinal cutting station (11) is configured for separating at least two streams of blanks (2) provided next to each other on the paper web (10) into individual streams (6, 7), the transverse cutting station (12) is configured for separating and singulating the blanks (2) contained in the at least two individual streams (6, 7) and for producing individual streams (15, 16) of unconnected, singulated blanks (2), and the folding station (13) comprises a plow folding station configured to fold the at least two passing-through individual streams (6, 7) of connected blanks (2), the plow folding station including a first plow folding device (18) that is adapted to fold a first flank (20) in each case of each of the at least two individual streams (6, 7) of the connected blanks (2), and a second plow folding device (19) mounted downstream in a conveying direction of the individual streams (6, 7), that is adapted to fold a second flank (21) in each case of the at least two individual streams (6, 7) of the connected blanks (2).

14. A device (1) for preparing folded blanks (2) in an imbricated stream (3) comprising: a folding device (4) for producing folded blanks (2) from a paper web (10), the folding device comprising: a longitudinal cutting station (11), a transverse cutting station (12), and a folding station (13) arranged between the longitudinal cutting station (11) and the transverse cutting station (12), the longitudinal cutting station (11) is configured for separating at least two streams of blanks (2) provided next to each other on the paper web (10) into individual streams (6, 7), the transverse cutting station (12) is configured for separating and singulating the blanks (2) contained in the at least two individual streams (6, 7) and for producing individual streams (15, 16) of unconnected, singulated blanks (2), and the folding station (13) comprises a plow folding station configured to fold the at least two passing-through individual streams (6, 7) of connected blanks (2) an imbricating device (5) comprising a compiling station (26) and an imbricating station (27) mounted downstream of the compiling station (26), the compiling station (26) including a transporter (28) for a first of the at least two individual streams (15, 16) and, for each further one of the individual streams (16), a deflecting device (29) with a transfer device (30), wherein the blanks (2) of the first individual stream (15, 16) are supplied at a defined distance from one another along a transport surface (31) by the transporter (28) to the imbricating station (27) mounted downstream, wherein, the transfer device (30) of the at least one deflecting device (29) is adapted to deflect the blanks (2) of the at least one further individual stream (15, 16) vertically relative to the transport surface (31) and transfer the blanks in a direction of the first individual stream (15, 16) so that the blanks of the at least one further individual stream (15, 16) are adapted to be deposited with an offset onto the blanks (2) of the first individual stream in order to form imbricated bundles of blanks (32), and the transporter (28) is adapted to supply the bundles of blanks (32) to the imbricating station (27) in order to produce the imbricated stream (3), wherein the folding device (4) and the imbricating device (5) are connected to each other in terms of conveying for transfer of the individual streams (6, 7) of singulated, folded blanks (2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which, in a partially highly schematized illustration:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device for preparing folded blanks in an imbricated stream with a folding device and with an imbricating device arranged in a manner mounted downstream of the folding device, wherein it can be seen that the folding device and the imbricating device are connected to each other in terms of conveying, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an imbricating device according to the invention, wherein two individual streams of unconnected, singulated blanks are first of all combined with the aid of a compiling station of the imbricating device to form imbricated bundles of blanks and the imbricated bundles of blanks are then supplied to an imbricating station mounted downstream in order to produce the imbricated stream.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a device, which is denoted as a whole by 1, for preparing folded blanks 2 in an imbricated stream 3 with a folding device 4 and with an imbricating device 5.

(5) The folding device 4 and the imbricating device 5 are connected to each other here in terms of conveying for the transfer of individual streams 6, 7 consisting of singulated, folded blanks 2. In FIG. 1, an unrolling station 8 with a roll 9, from which a paper web 10 is wound, can be seen mounted upstream of the folding device 4.

(6) The folding device 4 is configured to produce the folded blanks 2 from the paper web 10. For this purpose, the paper web 10 is unrolled from the roll 9 of the unrolling station and supplied to the folding device 4.

(7) The folding device 4 comprises a longitudinal cutting station 11, a transverse cutting station 12 and a folding station 13 arranged between the longitudinal cutting station 11 and the transverse cutting station 12.

(8) From the roll 9 of the unrolling station 8, the paper web 10 is first of all supplied to the longitudinal cutting station 11. The longitudinal cutting station 11 has a knife 14 and is configured to sever two streams, which are provided next to each other, from the paper web 10, of blanks 2, which are still connected here, into the two individual streams 6 and 7.

(9) The folding station 13 is designed as a plow folding station and is configured to fold the two passing-through individual streams 6 and 7 of blanks 2, which are still connected, during the passage of the individual streams 6 and 7 through the folding device 4.

(10) The transverse cutting station 12 is arranged mounted downstream of the folding station 13. The transverse cutting station 12 is configured for separating and singulating the blanks 2 contained in the two individual streams 6 and 7 and for producing individual streams 15 and 16 of unconnected blanks 2.

(11) For the separation and singulating of the blanks 2 contained in the two individual streams 6, 7, the transverse cutting station 12 has a transverse cutter 17 which is known from the prior art and comprises a knife 17a fastened to a rotatably mounted roll.

(12) The folding station 13 comprises a first plow folding device 18 and a second plow folding device 19 which is mounted downstream in the conveying direction of the individual streams 6, 7. The first plow folding device 18 is configured for folding a first flank 20 in each case of each of the two individual streams 6, 7 of blanks 2 which are still connected here. The second plow folding device 19 which is mounted downstream is accordingly configured for folding a second flank 21 of the two individual streams 6, 7 of blanks 2 which are still connected here.

(13) A pressing device 22 can be seen mounted downstream of the second plow folding device 19, the pressing device comprising two pressure rolls 23 and 24 arranged one above the other. The two folded individual streams 6, 7 are guided between said two pressure rolls 23 and 24 in order to press the two flanks 20 and 21 onto a central portion 25 of the respective individual streams 6, 7.

(14) The imbricating device 5 is arranged mounted downstream of the folding device 4 in the conveying direction. The imbricating device 5 is configured for producing the imbricated stream 3 from the two individual streams 15 and 16 of singulated, unconnected blanks 2 obtained from the paper web 10.

(15) In the present exemplary embodiment, said blanks 2 are mail items, namely folded letters.

(16) The imbricating device 5 has a compiling station 26 and an imbricating station 27 which is mounted downstream of the compiling station 26 in the conveying direction.

(17) The compiling station 26, which is also illustrated in an enlarged illustration in FIG. 2, comprises a transporter 27, namely a conveyor belt, for a first individual stream 15 of the two individual streams 15 and 16, and a deflecting device 29 for the second individual stream 16 of the two individual streams 15 and 16. The deflecting device 29 comprises a transfer device 30.

(18) The blanks of the first individual stream 15 can be supplied to the imbricating station 27 mounted downstream at a defined distance from one another along a transport surface 31 by the transporter 28.

(19) By use of the transfer device 30 of the deflecting device 29, the blanks 2 of the second individual stream 16 are deflected vertically upward relative to the transport surface 31, are transferred in the direction of the first individual stream 15 and are deposited with an offset onto the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15 in order to form imbricated bundles of blanks 32.

(20) With the aid of the transporter 28, the imbricated bundles of blanks 32 are then supplied to the imbricating station 27 in order to produce the actual imbricated stream 3.

(21) As already explained, the deflecting device 29 has a profile which is curved vertically upward with respect to the transport surface 31 and horizontally in the direction of a supporting zone 33 of the first individual stream 15 on the transport surface 31.

(22) The transporter 28 and the transfer device 30 are each designed as a conveyor belt. Furthermore, the conveying speeds of the transporter 28, on the one hand, and of the transfer device 30, on the other hand, and therefore the conveying speed of the blanks 2 on the transporter 28 and of the blanks 2 on the transfer device 30 are coordinated with each other. This coordination is selected here in such a manner that the blanks 2 which are supplied via the transfer device 30 to the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15 can be deposited on the blanks of the first individual stream 15. Since the blanks 2 have to cover a longer distance on their path via the transfer device 30 of the deflecting device 29 than the blanks which are conveyed via the transport surface 31 of the transporter 28, a conveying speed of the blanks 2 on the transfer device 30 is greater than a conveying speed of the blanks 2 on the transporter 28.

(23) The conveying speed of the imbricated bundles of blanks 32 on the transporter 28 is greater, at least during the passage from the compiling station 26 into the imbricating station 27 mounted downstream, than a conveying speed of the bundles of blanks 32 in the imbricating station 27. The conveying speed of the bundles of blanks 32 during passage from the compiling station 26 into the imbricating station 27 and the conveying speed of the bundles of blanks 32 in the imbricating station 27 can be coordinated with each other here. This is done with the aim of being able to adjust the desired degree of imbrication of the imbricated stream 3.

(24) The imbricating station 27 has a contact pressure roll 34 in a region facing the compiling station 26. The imbricated bundles of blanks 32 are conveyed toward said contact pressure roll 34 upon exit from the compiling station 26 and are braked, as a result of which the imbricated bundles of blanks 32 run onto one another and are combined to form the desired imbricated stream 3. Said imbricated stream 3 is conveyed further to the imbricating station by a conveyor belt 35.

(25) The method described below for producing the imbricated stream 3 consisting of folded blanks 2 can be carried out on the device, which is denoted as a whole by 1, for preparing folded blanks 2 in the imbricated stream 3. The blanks 2 are first of all folded here by the folding method according to the invention and are then compiled by the imbricating method according to the invention to form the imbricated stream 3.

(26) During the folding method, the paper web 10 with two streams of blanks 2 provided next to each other on the paper web 10 is first of all supplied to the longitudinal cutting station 11. In the longitudinal cutting station 11, the two streams are separated from each other by longitudinal cutting and individual streams 6, 7 of blanks 2 which are still connected are produced. The two individual streams 6, 7 produced in this manner are then supplied to the plow folding station 13 and folded. Subsequently, the folded individual streams 6, 7 pass into the transverse cutting station 12 where the individual blanks 2 of the individual streams 6, 7 are separated from each other and individual streams 15, 16 of unconnected, singulated blanks 2 are formed.

(27) As already previously explained, the blanks 2 here are letters. The latter are printed onto the paper web 10 in transverse format, which can be undertaken, for example, in digital print. In transverse format means here that longitudinal sides of the blanks 2 are oriented transversely or at right angles with respect to the direction of longitudinal extent of the paper web 10.

(28) The blanks 2 are provided on the paper web 10 with a consecutive zip code which is not separately illustrated in the figures. The consecutive zip code can be provided here, for example, in a certain pattern with a rising or falling profile.

(29) In the first plow folding device 18 of the plow folding station 13, the first flank 20 is in each case folded in each of the two individual streams 15, 16 of blanks 2 which are still connected here. In the second plow folding device 19 which is mounted downstream of the plow folding device 18, the second flank 21 is in each case subsequently folded in each of the two individual streams 15, 16 of blanks 2 which are still connected.

(30) By use of the pressing device 22 mounted downstream of the plow folding station 13 and the pressing device 22 arranged between the two plow folding devices 18 and 19 and the pressure rolls 23 and 24 which are in each case provided therein, the flanks 20 and 21 of each of the two individual streams 15 and 16 are then fixedly pressed onto a central portion 25 of the two individual streams 6 and 7.

(31) After the folding, the imbrication takes place in order to produce the imbricated stream 3 from the two individual streams 15, 16 of singulated, unconnected blanks 2 obtained from the paper web 10.

(32) The imbricated bundles of blanks 32 are first of all formed here from a number of overlapping blanks 2 corresponding to the number of individual streams 15, 16. This takes place by the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15 being transported at a distance from one another along the transport surface 31 through the compiling station 26. The blanks 2 of the second individual stream 16 are first of all deflected vertically here with respect to the transport surface 31 by the deflecting device 29 of the compiling station 26 and are then transferred in the direction of the first individual stream 15. Having arrived there, they are deposited with an offset onto the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15.

(33) Subsequently, the imbricated bundles of blanks 32 produced in this manner are deposited on one another with an offset with respect to one another in the imbricating station 27 and are thus combined to form the imbricated stream 3.

(34) The blanks of the second individual stream 16 are deflected upward here with respect to the transport surface 31 of the first individual stream 15. The second individual stream 16 is supplied with its blanks 2 to the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15 along a curved path of the deflecting device 29 above the transport surface 31 of the first individual stream 15.

(35) The distance between two consecutive blanks of the two individual streams 15, 16 is increased before formation of the bundles of blanks 32. This takes place by increasing the conveying speed of the blanks 2 upon entry into the compiling station 26.

(36) The conveying speed of the blanks 2 of the first individual stream 15 and of the blanks 2 of the second individual stream 16 are coordinated with each other here in such a manner that the blanks 2 of the two individual streams 15 and 16 can be compiled with the desired offset from one another to form the imbricated bundles of blanks 32. In the imbricating station 27 which is mounted downstream, the imbricated bundles of blanks 32 produced in this manner are then combined to form the imbricated stream 3.

(37) The invention is concerned with improvements in the field of producing imbricated streams 3 which are produced from singulated and preferably folded blanks 2. An imbricating method, a folding method and a method for preparing folded blanks 2 in an imbricated stream 3, and also devices 1, 4 and 5 which are configured for carrying out said methods and with which a greater number of blanks 2 can be processed per unit of time are thus provided.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(38) 1 Device 2 Blanks 3 Imbricated stream 4 Folding device 5 Imbricating device 6 Individual stream of connected blanks 7 Individual stream of connected blanks 8 Unrolling station 9 Roll 10 Paper web 11 Longitudinal cutting station 12 Transverse cutting station 13 Folding station 14 Knife at 11 15 Individual stream of unconnected blanks 16 Individual stream of unconnected blanks 17 Transverse cutter 17a Knife at transverse cutter 18 First plow folding device 19 Second plow folding device 20 First flank 21 Second flank 22 Pressing device 23 Pressure roll 24 Pressure roll 25 Central portion of 6, 7 26 Compiling station 27 Imbricating station 28 Transporter 29 Deflecting device 30 Transfer device 31 Transport surface 32 Imbricated bundle of blanks 33 Supporting zone 34 Contact pressure roll 35 Conveyor belt in 27