Process and device for handling printed products

• US 5,950,511 A
• Filed: 01/02/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grapha-Holding Ag (Rudolf B Mueller)
• Original Assignee: Grapha-Holding Ag (Rudolf B Mueller)
• Inventors: Luthi, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Eugenia A.
• Application Number:
  US08/765,051
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 83/37, 83/404.1, 83/409.1, 83/409.2, 83/415, 83/934, 83/23, 83/39, 83/154, 83/343, 83/404, 83/418
• US Class Current: 83/37
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/09 with a plurality of cutting members
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0675 specially adapted for piles of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/003 by grippers B65H29/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/934 Book, being made, e.g. trimming a signature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0515 During movement of work past flying cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0524 Plural cutting steps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/219 Rotating or oscillating product handler
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/483 With cooperating rotary cutter or backup
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6478 Tool stations angularly related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6542 Plural means to constrain plural work pieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6572 With additional mans to engage work and orient it relative to tool station

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and an arrangement for handling printed products by making an edge cut with the aid of a cutter. The printed products in this case are supplied to the cutter by grippers that circulate along a first conveying loop, and the edge area to be cut on the printed products positioned in the grippers is stabilized by clamping braces that can be placed against the printed products in the range of the cutter. After the edge cut is made, the printed products with the grippers are disengaged from the clamping braces and discharged.

Claims

1. A method for handling printed products to make edge cuts thereto with a cutter, comprising:

providing a first conveying loop which circulates and which includes a plurality of grippers which are spaced apart by a preselected spacing to maintain a mutual distance there between;

providing a second conveying loop which circulates and is synchronized with the first conveying loop along a common movement path, and which includes a plurality of clamping braces which are spaced apart by a preselected spacing to maintain a mutual distance there between, the preselected spacing between respective clamping braces of the plurality of clamping braces being the same as that between respective grippers of the plurality of grippers;

providing a cutter arranged fixedly at the common movement path and in alignment with a free edge area of the respective printed products to be cut;

feeding the printed products to respective grippers of the plurality of grippers which pick up the respective printed products by one edge thereof;

carrying the printed products by the respective grippers along the common movement path with the first conveying loop;

feeding the printed products into respective clamping braces so that the respective clamping braces, during the course of movement along the common movement path, are brought into stabilizing contact with respective free edge areas of the printed products to be cut, which respective free edge areas are positioned in the respective grippers of the first conveying loop and have a portion which projects over the respective clamping braces toward the cutter; and

cutting the respective free edge areas of the printed products with the cutter to provide at least one edge cut for each printed product and to provide respective cut printed products.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the cutting, releasing respective grippers, during the course of movement along the common movement path, from the respective printed products positioned therein and placing the respective grippers back on the respective printed products only after respective edge cuts are made.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, following the releasing the respective printed products from the respective grippers, the method further comprises displacing the printed products in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction for aligning the respective printed products in a position for edge cutting.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein each clamping brace of the plurality of clamping braces has a pair of clamping jaws, and wherein the displacing is accomplished by

positioning one respective printed product on one jaw of each respective pair of clamping jaws;

aligning the respective printed product after positioning; and

stabilizing the respective printed product following alignment by clamping another jaw of each respective pair of clamping jaws in place thereon.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the displacing of respective printed products along the common movement path is accomplished by providing an alignment device placed against the edge area of the respective printed product that is opposite the free edge area to be cut.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second conveying loop has two straight segments that are connected by semicircular loop segments and run parallel to each other, wherein the common movement path runs at least in part along a portion of the two straight segments, and wherein the cutting includes making at least one edge cut to respective printed products during the course of movement thereof along the portion of the two straight segments of the second conveying loop.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the two straight segments of the second conveying loop are arranged one above the other so that an upper straight segment and a lower straight segment are provided.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the printed products conveyed along the lower straight segment are conveyed in a position below the respective grippers, and wherein the cutting includes making at least one edge cut to respective printed products during movement along the lower straight segment.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, after inserting the respective printed product into the respective clamping brace and prior to making the respective edge cut therein, the respective printed product passes through one of the semicircular loop segments.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising aligning the respective printed products during the course of movement through said one of the semicircular loop segments.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cutter includes a blade and a counterblade which cooperate with one another, wherein the respective free edge areas of the printed products project beyond the respective clamping braces and have front and rear projecting surfaces with respect to the direction of the common movement path, wherein the counterblade is placed against the respective rear projecting surfaces of the printed products for making the edge cut, and wherein the blade that cooperates with the counterblade acts upon the respective front projecting surfaces of the printed products in order to make the edge cut.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the blade is moved in a direction counter to that of the common movement path.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the counterblade circulates around an axis that is perpendicular to the direction of the common movement path.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the blade circulates around the axis in a circulating direction that is counter to that of the counterblade.

15. The method according to claims 11, wherein a plurality of cutters is provided, and wherein a plurality of edge cuts are made in each respective free edge area of the printed products that projects over the respective clamping brace toward the respective cutters.

16. An arrangement for handling printed products for making edge cuts therein, comprising:

a first conveyor having a plurality of grippers which circulate around a first conveying loop, which are spaced apart at a mutual distance, and which grip respective ones of the printed products, respectively, by one edge thereof and move the respective printed products along the first conveying loop;

a second conveyor which moves along a common movement path and in synchronisity with the first conveying loop, and which has a plurality of clamping braces which circulate on a second conveying loop, which are spaced apart at a mutual distance from one another and have the same mutual distance as that of the plurality of grippers, and into which the respective printed products are inserted during movement along the common movement path by the plurality of grippers, and which stabilize respective free edge areas of the respective printed products to be cut;

a cutter for cutting at least one edge cut at the respective free edge areas of respective printed products that project over the respective clamping braces toward the cutter, and which is arranged fixedly at the common movement path; and

an alignment device for perpendicular displacement of the respective printed products,

wherein the plurality of clamping braces are adjustable between an opened position and a clamping position, and

wherein each clamping brace has a pair of clamping jaws including one clamping jaw onto which one respective printed product is placed in the opened position during movement along the common movement path so that the respective printed products are displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the common movement path by means of the alignment device, and another clamping jaw clampable onto the respective printed product after alignment by the alignment device for clamping and for stabilizing the respective printed product.

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the pair of clamping jaws has at least two clamping jaw parts that are displaced against each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the common movement path.

18. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the alignment device moves with the respective printed products in the direction of the common movement path and is placed against and in contact with the respective free edge areas of the respective printed products.

19. The arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising a traction member circulating along the second conveying loop onto which the plurality of clamping braces are fixed in place.

20. The arrangement according to claim 19, further comprising a driving roller for driving the traction member and a deflection roller arranged at a distance from the driving roller, and wherein the traction member is guided over the driving roller and the deflection roller.

21. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the driving roller and the deflection roller have respective roller axes that are both positioned in a joint horizontal plane.

22. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the respective printed products are aligned proximate to at least one of the driving and the deflection roller.

23. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the cutter comprises at least one blade and at least one counterblade which cooperate with one another to make respective edge cuts, wherein the respective free edge areas of the printed products project beyond the respective clamping braces toward the cutter and have front and rear projecting surfaces with respect to the direction of the common movement path, wherein the counterblade is placed against rear projecting surfaces of the printed products for making the respective edge cuts, and wherein the blade that cooperates with the counterblade acts upon the respective front projecting surfaces of the printed products in order to make the respective edge cuts.

24. The arrangement according to claim 23, further comprising driving means to circulate the counterblade around a circulating axis that runs in a circulation direction that is perpendicular to the movement along the common movement path.

25. The arrangement according to claim 24, further comprising driving means to circulate the blade around the circulating axis in a direction that is counter to that of the the counterblade.

26. The arrangement according to claim 24, wherein the cutter has a rotating axis and comprises a plurality of counterblades and blades that each circulate around the rotating axis at a spacing which is the same spacing as that of the plurality of grippers.

27. The arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of cutters arranged along the common movement path, and wherein several edge areas of respective printed products which project over the respective clamping braces are cut by a corresponding number of cutters.