Abstract
In a method for producing a collection (20) of pre-products by inserting a first pre-product (1) into a second pre-product (3), it is provided according to the invention that a first pre-product (1) and a second pre-product (3) are provided, wherein the second pre-product (3) has a wrapping fold (4) with a fold inner side (5). The second pre-product (3) is conveyed into an insertion position, in which the second pre-product (3) is opened and faces with the fold inner side (5) toward the first pre-product (1). The first pre-product (1) is conveyed into the opened second pre-product (3) and against the fold inner side (5) so as to form the collection (20), the second pre-product (3) assumes the conveying direction of the first pre-product (1), and the collection (20) is provided for further processing.
Claims
1. A method for producing a collection (20) of pre-products (1, 3) by inserting a first pre-product (1) into a second pre-product (3), comprising the steps: a. providing a first pre-product (1); b. providing a second pre-product (3), which has a wrapping fold (4) with a fold inner side (5); c. conveying the second pre-product (3) into an insertion position, in which the second pre-product (3) is provided for the insertion of the first pre-product and faces with the fold inner side (5) toward the first pre-product (1); d. conveying the first pre-product (1) into the provided second pre-product (3) and against the fold inner side (5) so as to form the collection (20); e. the second pre-product (3) assumes the conveying direction of the first pre-product (1); f. providing the collection (20) for further processing.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first pre-product (1) is conveyed in a conveying plane (17) and the second pre-product (3) is provided in the conveying plane (17).
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second pre-product (3) is conveyed into the conveying plane (17) substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first pre-product (1), into the insertion position.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second pre-product (3) includes a primary fold.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second pre-product (3) is conveyed with the primary fold in front when being conveyed into the insertion position.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second pre-product (3) is provided with the wrapping fold (4) while being conveyed into the insertion position.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second pre-product (3) is provided with the wrapping fold (4) before being conveyed into the insertion position.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of second pre-products (3), prior to being fed in, are conveyed at least in some sections in an overlapping arrangement, in which a leading second pre-product (3) is in each case arranged over the respective trailing second pre-product (3).
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second pre-products (1, 3) comprise a plurality of printed products (7, 7, 7).
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveying of the second pre-product (3) into the insertion position takes place against a stop element (21).
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second pre-product (3) is provided as a section of a paper or film web (30).
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the paper or film web (30) is unwound from a roll (41).
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the paper or film web (30) is processed between the roll (31) and the site at which the second pre-product (3) is located in the insertion position.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in an upstream method step, N individual printed products (7) are provided, the first pre-product (1) is formed of Nx (x=1, 2, 3 . . . ) of the N individual printed products (7) and the second pre-product (3) is formed of the x remaining individual printed products (7).
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein x=1.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collection (20) produced is moved through a pressing-together device (8), in which the second pre-product (3) is pressed onto the first pre-product (1).
17. A device for carrying out a method according to claim 1, further comprising: g. a first conveyor device (11) which conveys the first pre-product (1) into the provided second pre-product (3), which is in the insertion position, and against the fold inner side (5); h. a second conveyor device (14) which conveys the second pre-product (3) into the insertion position.
18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the first and second conveyor device (11, 14) have different conveying directions which span a common conveying plane (17).
19. The device according to claim 17, wherein the first and second conveyor device (11, 14) are arranged in such a way that the conveying directions thereof are substantially perpendicular to one another.
20. The device according to claim 17, wherein the second conveyor device (14) is assigned a pressing unit (26) which folds the second pre-product (1) before the latter reaches the insertion position.
21. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device comprises a mechanism (25) which ensures that the supplied second pre-product (3) can be fed in.
22. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device includes a pressing-together device (8), in which the second pre-product (3) is pressed onto the first pre-product (1).
23. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device includes a stop element (21) which limits the conveying of the second pre-product (3) in the insertion position.
24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the stop element (21) comprises at least one combination roller (22, 23).
25. The device according to claim 17, wherein the second conveyor device (14) is assigned means for providing a paper or film web (30).
26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the second conveyor device (14) is assigned a cutting device (42) for cutting the second pre-product (3) from the paper or film web (30).
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0103] The invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and in connection with the drawing, in which:
[0104] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic side view a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation;
[0105] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;
[0106] FIG. 3 shows in a schematic side view a second exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation;
[0107] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 3;
[0108] FIG. 5 shows in a schematic side view a third exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation;
[0109] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 5;
[0110] FIG. 7 shows in a schematic side view a fourth exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation;
[0111] FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 7;
[0112] FIG. 9 shows a schematic perspective view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation;
[0113] FIG. 10 shows a schematic detail view of an exemplary embodiment of a transfer region of a device according to the invention, in side view;
[0114] FIG. 11 shows a schematic perspective view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0115] FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, during operation. The device has a horizontal first conveyor device 11 with a conveying plane 17. The first conveyor device 11 comprises a first transport section 12, on which first pre-products 1 are being conveyed. The illustrated first pre-products 1 are printed products 7, 7, 7. The first transport section 12 comprises belt conveyors arranged at a distance from one another, wherein the first pre-products 1 are transported in a manner clamped between the belts of the belt conveyors. In order to be able to transport first pre-products 1 of different dimensions, the upper of the two belt conveyors is spring-mounted in the vertical direction. The second transport section 13 is likewise substantially formed by a belt conveyor. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the illustrated device also comprises a second conveyor device 14, by which second pre-products 3 are conveyed toward the first conveyor device 11 from the side. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second pre-products 3 are conveyed by the second conveyor device 14 in an overlapping arrangement at least in some sections. The second conveyor device 14 may to this end also comprise a folding assembly, as described for example in EP 2462043 B2. A pressing unit 26, which comprises two pressing roller pairs 27, 28, is arranged in the region of the second conveyor device 14. By virtue of these pressing roller pairs 27, 28, the second pre-products 3 are on the one hand conveyed toward the first conveyor device 11 (this being illustrated schematically by the arrow) and on the other hand are also folded so as to produce a wrapping fold 4. To this end, the cylindrical pressing roller pairs 27, 28 press together the pre-creased (or pre-scored) parts of the second pre-product 3 in the region of the pre-crease and thus stamp or fix the wrapping fold 4. During this, the pressing roller pair 28 arranged closer to the first conveyor device 11 rotates faster than the other pressing roller pair 27, as a result of which the second pre-product 3 that is to be conveyed into the insertion position is accelerated relative to the subsequent second pre-products 3, whereby the overlapping arrangement is terminated and in each case just one single second pre-product 3 is conveyed into the insertion position. During the folding operation, the second pre-products 3 are partially guided by a mechanism 25 in order subsequently to enable the insertion of the first pre-products 1. The mechanism 25, which is likewise shown only schematically, consists of two bow-shaped guides which lift upward in the vertical direction the part of the second pre-product 3 located above the wrapping fold 4 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first and second conveyor device 11, 14 are synchronized with one another so that the second conveyor device 14 in each case conveys a second pre-product 3 into the insertion position just before a first pre-product 1 is conveyed into a transfer region 24, in which the two pre-products 1, 3 are brought together. During this bringing-together, the first pre-products 1 are conveyed by a first combination roller 22 and are partially fixed on the first transport section 12. At the same time, a second combination roller 23 helps to position the second pre-product 3 relative to the first pre-product 1 in the conveying direction of the second conveyor device 14, and also to initiate the process of closing the second pre-product 3 once the pre-products have been brought together. The device also has in the transfer region 24 a supporting surface 29 which aids the positioning of the second pre-product 3, as will be explained in greater detail below (cf. FIGS. 9 and 10). The first and second conveyor device 11, 14 are synchronized in such a way that, as soon as a second pre-product 3 is in the insertion position in the transfer region 24, a first pre-product 1 is conveyed into the provided second pre-product 3 and against the fold inner side 5, as a result of which a collection 20 is formed. The collections 20 that are formed are then conveyed away on a second transport section 13. During this, the collections 20 are guided through a pressing-together device 8, in which the second pre-product 3 is tightly pressed onto the first pre-product 1 by means of pressing rollers 9, 10 from two directions.
[0116] The first pre-products 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 consist in each case of different combinations of large, medium-sized and small printed products 7, 7, 7 stacked one on top of the other. These printed products each have a fold (or a fold edge) and are arranged in a stacked manner in such a way that their folds/fold edges form a leading stack edge 2 which, when the first and second pre-products 1, 3 are brought together, is conveyed in each case against the fold inner side 5 of the associated second pre-product 3. The flower of the largest printed product 7 forms a trailing stack edge 6. First pre-products 1 constructed in this way enable a secure wrapping of a second pre-product 3 around all of the printed products 7, 7, 7 to be wrapped. As a result, it is possible to avoid the situation whereby, when a finished collection 20 is gripped by hand, individual printed products 7, 7, 7 fall out of the collection. With this type of collection, easy gripping of all pre-products by just one hand is ensured.
[0117] The embodiment of a device according to the invention which is shown schematically in FIGS. 3 and 4 is constructed in a manner substantially identical to the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the printed products 7, 7, 7 are in this case arranged in a stacked manner in such a way that their flowers form a trailing stack edge 6. The first pre-products 1 thus stacked are in each case conveyed with the fold edge of the lowermost printed product 7, which forms a leading edge of the first pre-product 1, at the front into the provided second pre-product 3 and against the fold inner side 5. A method using stacked first pre-products 1 constructed in this way may be advantageous in order to be able to wrap first pre-products 1 having a relatively large total thickness (or large maximum stack height). Insertion is made easier since such first pre-products 1 have a reduced thickness (or height) in the region of the leading edge. Moreover, second pre-products 3 which have been wrapped therearound thus remain in the wrapped-around state to an improved extent. At the same time, due to the stack edge 2 formed of the flowers at one side and the wrapped-around second pre-product 3 at the other side, such collections 20 can have a precisely defined external shape, which simplifies the further processing thereof.
[0118] The embodiment of a device according to the invention which is shown schematically in FIGS. 5 and 6 is once again of similar construction to the devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. The printed products 7, 7, 7 of the first pre-products 1 once again each have a fold (or a fold edge) and are arranged in a stacked manner in such a way that their folds/fold edges form a leading stack edge 2. However, the second pre-products 3 are in this case not supplied in an overlapping arrangement but rather are supplied individually. Such an embodiment of the invention may be advantageous for processing for example particularly large and/or heavy second pre-products 3. In comparison to what is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the illustrated device also has a relatively large supporting surface 29, which still supports the produced collections 20 even when the latter are being guided through the pressing-together device 8. The first pre-products 1 are constructed in the same way as the first pre-products 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0119] The embodiment of a device according to the invention which is shown schematically in FIGS. 7 and 8 is constructed in a manner analogous to the device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The printed products 7, 7, 7 of the first pre-products 1 are in this case once again arranged in a stacked manner in such a way that their flowers form a trailing stack edge 6. In this case, however, the first pre-products 1 are constructed in the manner shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0120] FIG. 9 shows in a perspective view a further embodiment of a device according to the invention, said device having a pressing unit 26 comprising a first and second pressing roller pair 27, 28, which at least aids the formation of a wrapping fold 4 in the second pre-product 3. Both the illustrated pressing unit 26 and the first and second pressing roller pair 27, 28 contained therein may be viewed in combination or in each case individually as a separate inventive concept. As such, in particular both the pressing unit 26 comprising the two pressing roller pairs 27, 28 can be used in combination with one another as shown, or the two pressing roller pairs 27, 28 can each be used individually per se also in other embodiments of devices according to the invention. The first pressing roller pair 27 comprises an upper and a lower cylindrical pressing roller 31, 32, whereas the second pressing roller pair 28 comprises a lower cylindrical pressing roller 34 and an upper segment roller 33 having a radius which varies in the circumferential direction. The segment roller 33 has a region (conveying segment) of increased radius, which is designed in such a way that a second pre-product 3 arranged between the second pressing roller pair 28 can thus be conveyed in a clamped manner in the direction of the first conveyor device 11, or respectively the transfer region 24. The second pressing roller pair 28 may be configured in such a way that a second pre-product 3 passing therethrough is folded (or stamped) by the pressing rollers 33, 34, or a folding of the wrapping fold 4 that has for example already been initiated beforehand by the first pressing roller pair 27 is enhanced. In particular, however, the second pressing roller pair 28 may also be configured in such a way that it does not significantly change an existing wrapping fold 4 but rather serves primarily for conveying the second pre-product 3, which has already been folded. By using such a segment roller 33, it is possible to convey a second pre-product 3 in a clamped manner until just before the latter is brought together with the first pre-product 1 (or to convey it reliably until the insertion position is reached), but reliably to release the clamping once the collection has been produced. Such a second pressing roller pair 28 may therefore also be arranged in the transfer region 24 between the first and second transport section 12, 13, without this impairing the conveying of the first pre-products 1 or of the collections 20. The second pre-products 3 are moreover folded in such a way that the parts of the folded second pre-products 3 located in each case over the first pre-products 1 in FIG. 9 are larger than the parts located under the first pre products 1. This prevents the second pre-products 3 from unfolding again in the case of the horizontal collections 20 that are shown.
[0121] FIG. 10 schematically shows the transfer region 24, in which a collection (not shown) is produced from a first and second pre-product 1, 3. To this end, the second pre-product 3 is clamped by a pressing unit 26 in such a way that a wrapping fold 4 is formed. At the same time, the second pre-product 3 thus folded is conveyed into the illustrated insertion position. The second pre-product 3, in the illustrated region above the wrapping fold 4, is guided during this by the mechanism 25 consisting of two round profiles, and is held in the open state. Below the wrapping fold 4, the second pre-product 3 is guided by a supporting surface 29. As soon as the second pre-product 3 is in this insertion position, the first pre-product 1 is conveyed by the belt conveyor of the first transport section 11 into the opened second pre-product 3 and against the fold inner side 5, as a result of which a collection (not shown) is formed. The latter is then fed by the belt conveyor of the second transport section 13 to further processing.
[0122] FIG. 11 shows in a perspective view a further embodiment of a device according to the invention, comprising a pressing unit 26 which is constructed in a manner substantially identical to the pressing unit 26 shown in FIG. 9. However, the second pre-products 3 are in this case provided as sections of a web 30. This web 30 has been printed in an upstream printing process (not shown), pre-folded and then wound in the folded state onto a roll 41. In the illustrated device, the web 30 is unwound from the roll 41 and the second pre-products 3 are cut from the web 30 by a cutting device 42. They are then opened with the aid of the mechanism 25 and fed to the pressing unit 26, which at least aids the formation of a wrapping fold 4 in the second pre-product 3.
