Method of folding demand-printed webs into signatures for gathering in rotary gathering/binding machines and signatures produced thereby
First Claim
1. A method of producing a signature, comprising the steps of:
- printing pages onto a moving web, the web moving along a longitudinal axis;
creating multiple fan folds across the web, each fan fold being made across a transverse axis of the web, the transverse axis being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created, the cutting step resulting in a log having a zig-zag configuration in cross-section; and
creating at least one chop fold in the log, each chop fold being made along the longitudinal axis of the web.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for folding demand printed webs into signatures for gathering by rotary gathering and binding machines, as well as the signatures produced thereby, are disclosed. The method involves the steps of digitally printing pages onto a moving web of material, creating a series of fan folds across the transverse axis of the web, severing the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created to form a separate log, and chop folding the resulting log zero one or more times to form a signature. The resulting signature includes a plurality of layers each having pages printed thereon in proper orientation and sequence and includes a sturdy closed backbone which enables the signature to be easily handled by conventional high-speed rotary gathering machines.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of producing a signature, comprising the steps of:
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printing pages onto a moving web, the web moving along a longitudinal axis;
creating multiple fan folds across the web, each fan fold being made across a transverse axis of the web, the transverse axis being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created, the cutting step resulting in a log having a zig-zag configuration in cross-section; and
creating at least one chop fold in the log, each chop fold being made along the longitudinal axis of the web. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of producing a bound publication, comprising the steps of:
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traversing a web of printable material along a longitudinal axis;
printing pages onto the moving web;
fan folding the web transverse to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web transverse to the longitudinal axis, resulting in a separated log;
chop folding the log along the longitudinal axis to form a signature;
shearing edges of the signature to create individual pages; and
binding the individual pages together. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A signature formed from a moving web of material, the web having pages printed thereon by a print-on-demand device, the signature being adapted to be gathered and bound by a rotary gathering and binding machine, the signature comprising:
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a continuous sheet of printable material cut from the web, the sheet having multiple layers, each layer having pages printed thereon, the sheet having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis;
at least one fold in the continuous sheet along the transverse axis;
at least one fold in the continuous sheet along the longitudinal axis, the fold along the longitudinal axis creating a fold in the fold made along the transverse axis; and
a closed backbone along a first edge, the closed backbone being formed by the fold along the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of producing a signature, comprising the steps of:
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printing pages onto a moving web, the web moving along a longitudinal axis;
creating multiple fan folds across the web, each fan fold being made across a transverse axis of the web, the transverse axis being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created, the cutting step resulting in a log having a zig-zag configuration in cross-section;
creating at least one chop fold in the log, each chop fold being made along the longitudinal axis of the web; and
the resulting signature including a closed backbone.
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25. A method of producing a signature, comprising the steps of:
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printing pages onto a moving web, the web moving along a longitudinal axis;
creating multiple fan folds across the web, each fan fold being made across a transverse axis of the web, the transverse axis being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created, the cutting step resulting in a log having a zig-zag configuration in cross-section;
creating at least one chop fold in the log, each chop fold being made along the longitudinal axis of the web; and
separating the log into smaller bundles prior to the step of creating at least one chop fold.
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26. A method of producing a bound publication, comprising the steps of:
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traversing a web of printable material along a longitudinal axis;
printing pages onto the moving web;
fan folding the web transverse to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web transverse to the longitudinal axis, resulting in a separated log;
chop folding the log along the longitudinal axis to form a signature;
shearing edges of the signature to create individual pages;
binding the individual pages together; and
performing the chop folding step multiple times resulting in a signature having a closed backbone.
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27. A method of producing a bound publication, comprising the steps of:
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traversing a web of printable material along a longitudinal axis;
printing pages onto the moving web;
fan folding the web transverse to the longitudinal axis;
cutting the web transverse to the longitudinal axis, resulting in a separated log;
chop folding the log along the longitudinal axis to form a signature;
shearing edges of the signature to create individual pages;
binding the individual pages together; and
separating the log into smaller bundles prior to the chop folding step.
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Specification