EP2030924A1 - Device for processing printed products - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus (1) has a conveying device (13) to transport printed products (6), and a sensor (2) e.g. line sensor, directed towards a leading edge of the products. A computer-supported control (4) is provided to receive an output signal of the sensor. The sensor is arranged such that the effective range extends partially into the flow of conveyed products. The sensor is arranged to be effective in a direction of the conveyed flow perpendicular to a conveying direction (21) of the conveyed flow. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for controlling a position/dimension of printed products conveyed, while positioned flat in a conveyed flow (2) a combination comprising an apparatus for controlling a position/dimension of printed product.

Description

The invention relates to a device for controlling the position and / or at least one dimension of printed products transported flat in a flow with a conveying device for transporting the printed products and a sensor connected to a computer-aided control and directed to the printed products.

When processing printed products, it is often necessary to detect the position of the printed products to be processed. For example, this may be the case in a cutting device. Deviations from a predefined position can lead to the printed products having unacceptable deviations in a measure and / or an angle. Furthermore, the length, width or thickness of printed products can be checked without affecting the production speed.

By the JP 2002-62127A a device has become known in which printed sheets are applied to a transport device on an angle-shaped measuring frame. With multiple Sensors are checked in each case whether the pressure applied to the measuring frame printed product falls below or exceeds a predetermined width or length. It can also be checked whether the printed product is rectangular. Printed products which do not have the predetermined mass can thus be discharged. However, this device is not suitable for high performance, since the printed products must each be stopped at the measuring frame and subsequently accelerated again. The device is therefore not suitable for larger series.

By the DE 1002 47 455 A a device for controlling the position of the side edges of an endless web has become known. For detecting the desired position of the side edges sensors are provided. However, this device is not suitable for processing isolated printed products, as is the case for example in a saddle stitcher.

The invention is based on the object to provide a device of the type mentioned, which ensures a high quality of the processed printed products and which is also suitable for higher series.

The object is achieved in a generic device in that the at least one sensor is an at least one-dimensional acting sensor. In the device according to the invention, the printed products are not only detected at one point, as hitherto, but over an area. In particular, a line-shaped area is detected transversely to a side edge of the printed products. This makes it possible not only to recognize the position of the corresponding edge, but to measure their position. Such measurements allow in particular a control of a drive, such as a position control.

The sensor is according to a development of a line sensor. Suitable line sensors are already known and allow in particular an analog detection of the position of a product edge. Instead of a line sensor and a two-dimensional sensor, for example, a surface sensor is conceivable. Surface sensor are also known per se.

Preferably, the printed products are detected with the sensor when they are transported by a transport device in a horizontal plane. However, the printed products can in principle also be detected in a different position, for example in a plane inclined transversely to the conveying direction, or in a suspended position by the sensor.

Instead of a single sensor, a printed product can also be detected simultaneously with two or more than two sensors. For example, opposite edges of a printed product can be detected with two sensors. This makes it possible, for example, to check the course of these two edges, in particular their parallelism. In addition, the distance between these two edges can be determined in each case, which corresponds to the length or the width of a printed product. If the sensors are arranged to be displaceable, printed products with a large format range can be detected or measured with the device.

The sensor is preferably an optical sensor. Also conceivable are non-optical sensors, such as electronic Sensors.

According to a development of the invention, the leading edge of a printed product is detected with the sensor. This makes it possible, for example, to regulate the position of the printed products, for example, for the trimming of the trailing edge in a cutting device. In particular, the position of the printed product is detected with the sensor and, due to the direct measurement on the printed product, the drive of the transport device is regulated. In this way, a particularly accurate positioning of the printed products for a processing step such as e.g. Cutting, punching, addressing, gluing etc. possible.

The device is particularly suitable for a saddle stitcher, a inserter or a collator. Conceivable, however, are other applications in facilities for processing printed products with which, for example, newspapers, magazines, books, brochures and the like can be produced.

Fig. 1a

schematisch eine Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung zum Beschneiden von Druckprodukten,

Fig. 1b

schematisch eine Draufsicht auf die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 1a,

Fig. 2a

schematisch eine Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung einer Fördervorrichtung,

Fig. 2b

schematisch eine Draufsicht auf die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 2a,

Fig. 2c

schematisch eine weitere Draufsicht einer Variante der Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 2a und 2b,

Fig. 3a

schematisch eine Ansicht in Förderrichtung auf eine erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung gemäss einer Variante,

Fig. 3b

schematisch eine Draufsicht auf die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 3a,

Fig. 4a

schematisch eine Ansicht in Förderrichtung auf eine erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung zum Messen der Dicke eines Druckproduktes,

Fig. 4b

schematisch eine Draufsicht auf die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 4a,

Fig. 5a

schematisch eine Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung gemäss einer Variante,

Fig. 5b

schematisch eine Ansicht in Förderrichtung auf die Vorrichtung gemäss Figur 5a.

Embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1a

1 is a schematic side view of a device according to the invention for trimming printed products;

Fig. 1b

schematically a plan view of the device according to FIG. 1a .

Fig. 2a

1 is a schematic side view of a device according to the invention of a conveying device,

Fig. 2b

schematically a plan view of the device according to FIG. 2a .

Fig. 2c

schematically another plan view of a variant of the device according to FIGS. 2a and 2b .

Fig. 3a

1 is a schematic view in the conveying direction of a device according to the invention according to a variant,

Fig. 3b

schematically a plan view of the device according to FIG. 3a .

Fig. 4a

1 is a schematic view in the conveying direction of an apparatus according to the invention for measuring the thickness of a printed product;

Fig. 4b

schematically a plan view of the device according to FIG. 4a .

Fig. 5a

1 is a schematic side view of a device according to the invention according to a variant,

Fig. 5b

schematically a view in the conveying direction to the device according to FIG. 5a ,

The in the FIGS. 1a and 1b shown device 1 has a Transport device 13, are transported with the printed products 6 in a cutting machine in the direction of arrows 22. The transport device 13 is driven by a drive 5 and has at least one endless conveyor belt or a toothed belt for transporting the printed products 6. Instead of the endless conveyor belt, the transport device 13 may also have other suitable transport organs, for example, with grippers that grip the printed products 6 and promote in a horizontal position. The printed products 6 are for example printed sheets or single sheets, which can be connected to each other, for example, by stitching or gluing. The printed products 6 are as in the FIGS. 1a and 1b shown by a feeder 19 preferably at a distance from each other of the transport device 13 pass. The feeder 19 is driven by a drive, not shown, which can drive 19 next devices in addition to the feeder. The printed products are stopped in the device 1 at least once to perform a processing, for example, the cutting of at least one side edge 9, 10. In this case, a section 17 is separated from the stationary printed product 6 between a moving up and down upper blade 15 and a stationary lower blade 16 in order to obtain a desired width 30 of the printed products 6. In order to avoid a displacement of the printed products 6 during deceleration or acceleration, the transport device can be designed such that the printed products are at least partially clamped, for example, between a lower and an upper transport belt. Another processing step that can be performed on the stationary printed products 6, for example, is the punching of holes. Leading edges 8 of flat printed products 6 must always have exactly the same position during processing so that the width 30 of the following printed products 6 is within a tolerance range of ± 0.02 to ± 1 mm.

About the transport device 13 two sensors 2 are arranged at a distance from each other, which may be the same. These sensors 2 are at least one-dimensionally acting sensors. In particular, these sensors are 2 so-called line sensors. They are preferably photosensitive sensors which extend over a predetermined length. In this case, they extend parallel to the transport direction according to the arrow 22. The two sensors are arranged so that with each of these the leading edge 8 can be detected simultaneously. Since the sensors 2 extend to a certain length in the transport direction, all positions can be detected by a leading edge 8 within this route.

An in FIG. 1b shown printing product 6 ', 6 "with leading edges 8', 8" and with side edges 9 ', 9 "has a different position during processing compared to the printed product 6. The two sensors 2 each form a light curtain 2b, the area on the Top of the printed product 6, 6 ', 6 "and partially falls on a reflector 2a. The light rays incident on the reflector 2a are reflected back to the sensor 2. In this way it can be determined at any time which region of the printed product 6, 6 ', 6 "is located in the regions of the two sensors 2. Over the lengths of the two sensors 2, any position and thus position of the leading edge 8, 8', 8 "or the printed product 6, 6 ', 6" are detected.

The corresponding measured values are fed to a controller 3 via corresponding signals. This controller 3 is connected to a control device 4 and the drive 5. The transport device 13, the two sensors 2, the controller 3 and the drive 5 form a control loop which makes it possible to precisely regulate the transport of the printed product 6, 6 ', 6 " the printed product 6 "is transported until the position of the leading edge 8" coincides with the edge 8 of the correctly positioned printed product 6.

If a deviating position of a printed product 6 ', 6 "can not or only insufficiently be corrected by the transport device 13, the printed products 6', 6" can have different dimensions from the nominal value. For example, width 30 may be too small or too large, and / or the leading edge 8 and the trailing edge 10 may not be parallel to each other. In this case, these can be removed, for example, by means of a connected to the controller 4, the transport device 13 downstream switch 18 the flow. This ensures that only printed products 6, which have a position within a selectable tolerance range during processing, are transferred to a downstream transport device 20.
Alternatively, the trailing edge 10 can be detected with the sensors 2. In addition, it is also possible to detect both the leading edge 8 and the trailing edge 10.

The Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show a device 1 ', which also has a transport device 13 mentioned above, the transported spaced printed products 6 of a flow in a row in the direction of arrow 11.

The transport device 13 has its own, not shown, drive or is drivingly connected to a forward or downstream device. The drive can also be via a regulated drive 5 described above, which is connected via the controller 3 to the controller 4, take place. At least two sensors 2 are according to FIG. 1a arranged parallel to the transport direction, so that one of the leading edge 8 and a second track the trailing edge 10 at the same time. Particularly advantageous is the arrangement of four sensors 2, wherein each two of which spaced apart the leading or the other two sensors detect the trailing edge 8, 10. The controller 4 can determine the position and / or the dimensions of the printed products 6 in the passage or at a standstill from the signals of the sensors 2. For carrying out a comparison measurement in which the printed products are compared with a previously read or entered value, the signals of the sensors 2 are sufficient. If the width 30 is to be determined for each individual printed product, in addition to the signals from the sensors 2, the distance 31 between the two sensors of the controller following in the conveying direction must be known.

The device 1 'makes it possible to determine the width 30 of printed products 6, 6', irrespective of whether the products are correctly aligned, laterally offset or inclined. It can also be checked whether the leading edge 8, 8 'and the trailing edge 10, 10' parallel to each other are. About one of the device 1 'following, connected to the controller means for discharging printed products 6, such as a switch 18, printed products, outside a selected tolerance range concerning the position and / or the width 30 and / or parallelism of the edges 8, 8 ', 10, 10' are discharged.

The sensors 2 can be arranged to be displaceable, so that by changing the distance 31, the leading or trailing edges 8, 10 of printed products with very different widths 30 can be detected.

In the Figure 2c two alternative sensors 2 'are shown, which have an extension in the longitudinal direction, which is greater than the width 30 of the printed products to be processed. The arrangement of the sensors 2 'according to Figure 2c makes it possible to use the quality features described above with only two sensors 2 'instead of the four in FIG. 2b 2 sensors to be checked.

The in the FIGS. 3a and 3b The device 1 "shown also has an abovementioned transport device 13, with which the printed products 6, 6 'are transported in succession in the direction of the arrow 12. Two sensors 2", which can be of the same design as the sensors 2, 2' mentioned above, are now arranged so that they extend transversely to the transport direction and thus transversely to the direction of the arrow 12. With the sensors 2 ", the side edges 9 of the printed products 6 are thus detected here, and corresponding areas of the two sensors 2" are reflected at the reflectors 2a "3. These areas are dependent on the position of the side edges 9 Overlaps or reflections, the positions of the two side edges 9 and thus the distance between these two side edges 9 and finally the length 32 of the printed products 6, detected or measured.

The FIG. 3b shows the detection of the printed product 6 by the two sensors 2 ". With the sensors 2", the side edges 9 can be detected over their entire length. Thus, it is also possible to detect deviations from the parallelism of the side edges 9, an offset in or transverse to the conveying direction and an inclined position of the printed product 6. If, for example, side edges 9 'of a printed product 6' run obliquely to the transport direction or to the direction of the arrow 12, this deviation or the course of the side edges 9 'can be detected or measured with the sensors 2 " goes beyond a predetermined tolerance range, the printed product 6 'are aligned or ejected by a positioning device 34.

The rejection of faulty printed products, for example, via a in the FIGS. 1a and 2a Shunt 18, which is controlled by a control device 4 which is connected to the sensors 2 ", is also conceivable an embodiment in which only one of the side edges 9 with a sensor 2" is detected. Also conceivable is an embodiment in which more than two, for example, 4 sensors are provided. For example, more than two edges can be detected simultaneously with a plurality of such sensors 2, 2 ', 2 ", for example, a leading edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 10 can be detected in addition to the side edges 9.

Also conceivable is a device 1 '''according to FIGS. 4a and 4b in which at least one sensor 2 '"is arranged laterally next to the delivery flow of the printed products 6 and perpendicular to the plane of the printed products 6. Thus, the thickness 14 of the printed products 6 can be detected or measured in the passage or at a standstill. In order to ensure that the printed products 6 lie flat on the conveyor 13 when passing the sensor 2 ''', hold-down devices 33 can be mounted above the printed product 6, for example brushes or rollers. The hold-down devices 33 have recesses for the light curtain 2b '''in the region of the sensor 2''' and the associated reflector 2a '''. If the measured thickness 14 of the printed products 6 does not correspond to the specification stored in the control or the permissible tolerance range, these can be taken from the delivery flow, for example, by means of a downstream switch. The measured value of the thickness 14 can also be used for further processing steps of the printed products.

In the in the FIGS. 5a and 5b shown device 1 '''' the printed products 6 at a distance from each other by carriers 29 of a transport device 28 along a support 27 in the direction of the arrow 24 promoted. A side edge 9 of the flat printed products follows the support 27 and positions it transversely to the conveying direction. For example, the printed products transported in an inclined channel 26 of a plug-in or gathering machine rest on the support 27. With at least one sensor 2 '', the transversely to the transport direction on the side edge 9, which is opposite to the voltage applied to the support 27 edge 9 of the printed product. 6 is directed, the course of the side edge 9 is detected. The printed products therefore cover at least part of the reflector 2a "mounted below the transport plane. The sensor 2 '' forms a signal which is evaluated in the controller 4 from the light beams of the light curtain 2 b '' reflected back to the sensor 2 '' in the exposed region of the reflector 2 a. If the format range of the printed products 6 is large in relation to the length of the sensor 2 ", the sensor 2" can be designed to be displaceable transversely to the conveying direction in order to ensure that the side edge to be measured comes to lie within the light curtain 2b ".
The reflector 2a '' is either displaced together with the sensor 2 '', or it is designed so that by its expansion in the adjustment direction of the sensor 2 '' the entire adjustment range of the sensor 2 '' is covered.

The invention thus has the particular advantage that the printed products with respect to their position and position can be accurately detected and in particular their dimensions can be determined. Accordingly, controls and regulations regarding the position and position are possible. For example, in a saddle stitcher, this makes it possible to perform essential processing steps, for example cutting operations or stapling operations, more accurately and reliably. In addition, control operations on continuous or stationary printing products 6 are more reliable and possible with higher performance, so that defective printed products 6 can be discharged. Thus, it is finally possible to produce products, such as brochures, books and the like with higher quality, the performance of existing systems and facilities is not diminished.

Claims (15)

Device for controlling the position and / or at least one dimension of printed products (6, 6 ', 6 ") lying flat in a flow, with a conveying device (13, 28) for transporting the printed products (6, 6', 6 '') ) and one on the printed products (6, 6 ', 6'') directed, with a computer-aided control (4) connected sensor (2, 2 ", 2'''), characterized in that against a freestanding flat side and / or a side edge (8, 9, 10) of the printed products (6, 6 ', 6'') directed sensor (2, 2'',2''') is designed as a line or area sensor. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the effective range of a sensor (2, 2 '', 2 ''') in each case at least partially in the flow of the printed products (6, 6', 6 '') is arranged to extend. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, with at least one sensor (2, 2 '', 2 '''), characterized in that the sensor (2, 2 ", 2''') is arranged approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, with at least one sensor (2, 2 ", 2 '''), characterized in that the sensor (2, 2", 2''') is arranged to act along the conveying direction. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the at least one sensor (2, 2 ', 2'') in each case the position of an edge (8, 9, 10) of a printed product (6, 6', 6 '') is measurable. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one measured value of a sensor (2, 2 ', 2'') is compared with a stored value. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that with the at least one sensor (2, 2 ', 2'') in each case a leading edge (8) of a printed product (6, 6', 6 '') can be detected. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that with the at least one sensor (2, 2 ', 2'') via the controller (4) by means of regulator (3) a position of an edge of the printed product (6, 6' , 6 '') can be corrected in the flow. Device according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that with the at least one sensor (2, 2 ', 2'') the printed products (6, 6', 6 '') are positionable for a cut in a cutting device. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that with the at least one sensor (2, 2 ', 2 ") has a width and / or a length (32) and / or a thickness (14) each of a printed product (6, 6 ', 6'') is measurable or are. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that at least two sensors (2, 2 ', 2'') at a distance to each other, are arranged cooperatively. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that in each case two opposite edges (8, 9, 10) are detectable. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that with the two sensors (2, 2 ', 2''), the parallelism and / or the inclination of opposing edges (8, 8', 9, 10) can be detected. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the sensors (2, 2 '', 2 ''') are arranged transversely to the edge to be measured displaceable. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it is intended for a saddle stitcher, a inserter or a collator.

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