Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a printed product formed from a plurality of printed sheets which are printed sequentially for processing, wherein the printed products each comprise at least one printed sheet and an additional sheet which are stacked together in a stacking apparatus. The method includes feeding the additional sheet to the at least one printed sheet on a conveying path of a first conveying apparatus to the stacking apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No. 04405062.3-2304, filed on Feb. 2, 2004, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a method for manufacturing printed products which are formed from a plurality of printed sheets (S) which are printed sequentially for processing, such as books, brochures, magazines or the like, comprising at least one printed sheet and an additional sheet which are stacked together in a stacking apparatus. The invention additionally relates to a device for carrying out the method.  
         [0003]     The manufacture of books from printed sheets and additional sheets is known. The additional sheet is, for example, a sheet having a flap or a pocket. Sheets of this type have to be processed separately and therefore cannot be printed in a conventional printing press like the printed sheets and subsequently folded in a folding apparatus. The additional sheet can also be a colour-printed sheet which has been printed in a further printing press. Additional sheets having embossing, a perforation, an inserted chip or the like are also conceivable. It has previously been customary to add additional sheets of this type by hand to a book block which has not yet been bound. This is comparatively complicated, as it must be ensured, in particular, that the additional sheet is introduced at the correct location in the book block.  
         [0004]     A method is known in which an insert, for example a card, is introduced into a book. This is manufactured using a collating machine comprising a plurality of feeders. At least one of the feeders has the card which is to be introduced in a cassette, which card is then pulled out of the cassette using the feeder drum and added to the book block which is being formed. When the book block has been formed, it is bound and subsequently trimmed. This method makes it possible to insert cards automatically into a book, for example into a magazine. It is also known to provide cards of this type with an adhesive during the drawing-off operation. This method requires a collating machine and appropriate feeders. However, it is not suitable for a method in which printing is carried out sequentially using a digital printing press. The sequential printing of printed sheets using a digital printing press has the particular advantage that it is also possible to manufacture small runs inexpensively.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention is based on the object of providing a method of the type mentioned in the introduction, which method makes it possible, even in the case of sequential printing using a digital printing press, to insert at least one additional sheet inexpensively and with low outlay on personnel.  
         [0006]     In a method according to the generic type, the object is achieved in that the additional sheet is fed to the printed sheet on the conveying path of a first conveying apparatus to the stacking apparatus. In the method according to the invention, the additional sheet is therefore added to a single printed sheet and thus not introduced at the provided location into the book block which is already formed, as was previously the case. The product comprising the single printed sheet and the additional sheet is then stacked to form the book block like the customary other printed sheets. The book block with the inserted additional sheet can then be processed in the conventional manner, in particular bound, for example adhesively bound and trimmed. The book can be a conventional book, a magazine, brochure or the like. It is also readily possible to insert a plurality of additional sheets. For example, one additional sheet can have a flap and another additional sheet can be colour-printed or, for example, have embossing or a hologram. The method is not restricted to sequential printing, but is preferably used in such a method.  
         [0007]     One substantial advantage of the method according to the invention is the great flexibility in manufacturing books or book blocks. The additional sheets and the printed sheets can be changed without great conversion work, with the result that it is possible to manufacture high-quality books inexpensively, even in relatively small runs.  
         [0008]     According to one development of the invention, there is provision for the additional sheet to be pulled from a stack by a feeder and subsequently added to the single printed sheet. This method makes particularly great automation and performance possible.  
         [0009]     According to one development of the invention, there is provision for the additional sheet to be fed to a second conveying apparatus and added by the latter to a single printed sheet which is conveyed sequentially by a first conveying apparatus. Here, the second conveying apparatus is preferably loaded with a feeder. It is possible here to use a plurality of feeders of this type which each transfer an additional sheet to the second conveying apparatus. It is thus possible to form a book block with a plurality of different additional sheets and to provide them at various locations in a book block. Here, the additional sheet is preferably fed to the printed sheet which is transported by the first conveying apparatus, for example after a folding apparatus but before the stacking apparatus.  
         [0010]     According to one development of the invention, there is provision for a joining means to be applied to the additional sheet, for example a sheet of smaller dimensions, before it is added to the printed sheet. The joining means is, for example, a glue, an adhesive or a staple. It can thus be ensured that the additional sheet is positioned reliably on the printed sheet and its position with regard to the printed sheet can no longer change. A product is thus made from a printed sheet and an additional sheet, which product does not change even during subsequent conveying. This also makes it possible for the additional sheet to be exactly positioned in the book block or in the completed book. This method is particularly efficient when the additional sheet has a smaller format or is to be arranged at a special location on the printed sheet. The additional sheet is therefore positioned accurately before the book block is formed. The joining between the printed sheet and the additional sheet can also be temporary.  
         [0011]     According to one development of the invention, glue or an adhesive is applied to the additional sheet, for example using a spray can. The additional sheet is placed onto the single printed sheet directly afterwards and joined to the printed sheet by the glue or adhesive.  
         [0012]     In addition, the invention relates to a device for carrying out the method. The device has a first conveying apparatus for the printed sheets and a stacking apparatus for forming a book block. In a device of this type, there is provision according to the invention to have a second conveying apparatus, by which it is possible to add an additional sheet to a single printed sheet which has been transported by the first conveying apparatus.  
         [0013]     According to one development of the invention, a digital printing press by the printed sheets are printed sequentially can be joined upstream of the first conveying apparatus. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing illustrating the method and apparatus according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     In the following text, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained using the single FIGURE. This FIGURE diagrammatically shows a three-dimensional view of a device according to the invention.  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a device  1  which has a printing press  2 , preferably a digital printing press, by which it is possible to print sequentially. A folding apparatus  21  is arranged behind printing press  2 , in which printed sheets S are folded with a transverse fold in a manner known per se. These printed sheets S are transferred sequentially to a first conveying apparatus  3 .  FIG. 1  shows printed sheets S 1  to S 7  which are printed differently and which produce, for example, a magazine.  
         [0017]     Device  1  has a second conveying apparatus  4 . Additional sheets A and B are conveyed by the second conveying apparatus  4  and, as can be seen, fed to the first conveying apparatus  3 . The additional sheets A and B may also have been printed by a digital printing press and are each pulled off from a stack  7  or  8  by a feeder  18  or  19  and deposited onto the second conveying apparatus  4 . The feeders  18  and  19  can be drum feeders which are known per se and each have a drum  9  which is driven about an axis  11 . The drums  9  have grippers  10 , by which in each case one additional sheet A or B is pulled off from the stack  7  or  8  and deposited downwards onto the second conveying apparatus  4 . The stacks  7  and  8  are stored in a cassette  5  and  6 , respectively. The cassettes  5  and  6  can be loaded by hand or machine.  
         [0018]     An adhesive, in particular a glue, is applied to the additional sheets A and B using an apparatus  12 . Apparatus  12  has a pot  13 , from which glue is fed via a line  14  to a nozzle  15  or another application means. When required, the glue is sprayed by nozzle  15  onto the underside of an additional sheet A or B. The glue is preferably a hot glue. Application can be punctiform or as desired. It goes without saying that the glue is applied only to additional sheets A and B which make it possible and, in particular, are not printed at the appropriate locations. The region of the applied adhesive can be removed later, for example during adhesive binding. The apparatus is controlled by a control apparatus (not shown here).  
         [0019]     Another control apparatus (not shown) is connected to a sensor  16  which determines the position of the additional sheet A or B by signals and controls the conveying apparatus so that it is ensured that the additional sheets A or B meet a printed sheet S at the desired location.  
         [0020]     The first conveying apparatus  3  is loaded with the additional sheets A or B by the second conveying apparatus  4 . Here, a single printed sheet S 1  or S 2  is guided onto an additional sheet A or B from below or from above. As can be seen, the printed sheets S 1  and S 2  are moved from below in an arc into the plane of the second conveying apparatus  4 . The additional sheet A or B forms a product SA or SB with the appropriate printed sheet S 1  or S 2 , which product SA or SB is conveyed further sequentially with the remaining printed sheets S. In this product SA or SB, the additional sheet A or B is immovably joined to the appropriate printed sheet S 1  or S 2  in the event of glue application. During the further processing, the additional sheet A or B can no longer be displaced with respect to the printed sheet S 1  or S 2 . A refinement is also conceivable in which the printed sheets S 1  or S 2  are mechanically joined to the appropriate additional sheet A or B, for example by thread stitching.  
         [0021]     The printed sheets S and the products SA and SB are stacked in a stacking apparatus  20  to form a book block  17 . The book block  17  therefore contains the printed sheets S 1  to S 7  and the additional sheets A and B in the desired order. The book block  17  is then bound in a manner known per se and subsequently trimmed. Here, the book block  17  can be provided with a cover (not shown here). All types of binding are possible, for example adhesive binding, thread stitching and the like.  
         [0022]     As shown, two or more than two stacking apparatuses  20  and  20 ′ are also possible, different book blocks  17  and  17 ′ being formed in the stacking apparatuses  20  and  20 ′, respectively. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a book block  17  having three additional sheets B is formed in the stacking apparatus  20  and a book block  17 ′ having one additional sheet A is formed in the stacking apparatus  20 ′. It is readily possible here without complicated conversion work to form a book block which has both an additional sheet A and an additional sheet B. The printed sheets S can likewise be changed in a simple manner.  
         [0023]     The invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art, that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and the invention, therefore, as defined in the appended claims, is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.