Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for the manufacture of an article made up of a number of elements, including a resilient element, that are bonded together during the manufacturing process. The apparatus incudes a guide track which defines a path along which the elements travel during the manufacturing process and a compression frame provided along at least part of the length of the track for compressing the resilient element as the resilient member travels along the path defined by the guide track. The process includes moving a combination of article precursor elements together along the guide track rails such that the compression frame acts to press the elements together during bonding. The method and apparatus minimize misalignment of the elements and thereby improve quality of the finished article as well increasing production rates compared to conventional methods and apparatus.

Description:
[0001]    The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for production of an article. In particular, it relates to the apparatus for the manufacture of an article, and the method of operation of the apparatus. 
         [0002]    Folded documents comprising an inner section with a front card and a back card are known in the art, for example inserts in magazines. In the production of such, outer stiff portions are attached to a folded sheet. However, the problem with the manufacture of such articles is that the folded sheet is resilient and thus is unstable as it is worked upon. Each folded sheet will extend to relieve the natural resilience of the material, which makes it difficult to align the combination of elements making up the article. 
         [0003]    One method of resolving this problem is to press the resilient folded sheet for a significant amount of time, for example hours, prior to it being introduced to the apparatus. The problem with this technique, apart from introducing a lengthy period of time into the manufacturing process, is the folded sheet may still have a certain amount of resilience, and hence the problem is not completely removed. The uncertainty and instability introduced by any resilience of the folded sheet can cause the components of the article to become misaligned and either produce an article which has not been assembled correctly, or get jammed in any machine being used in their manufacture, hence slowing down manufacture of the articles. 
         [0004]    Hence an apparatus and method which can manufacture such articles and overcome the issues associated with the resilience of the folded sheet, is highly desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Accordingly there is provided apparatus for the manufacture of an article, the article to comprise a number of elements to be bonded together including at least one resilient element, the apparatus comprising: a guide track which defines a path along which the elements travel during manufacture; and a compression frame provided along at least part of the length of the track for compressing the resilient element as it travels along the path defined by the guide track. 
         [0006]    The compression frame may comprise at least one bearing surface for, in use, exerting a compression force on the elements moving along the track. 
         [0007]    The guide track may comprise a first rail section which is substantially flat and defines a first plane of travel, a second rail section which is substantially flat and defines a second plane of travel offset from the first plane of travel, and an intermediate rail section which provides a transition between the first rail section and second rail section. 
         [0008]    The first plane may be above the second plane. The intermediate rail section may be concave or flat. 
         [0009]    The apparatus may further comprise a flight for urging the elements along the guide track. 
         [0010]    The compression frame may comprise at least a first section and a second section, the first section and second section aligned with one another along at least part of the length of the track and independently mounted such that their position relative to one another may be adjusted. 
         [0011]    The bearing surface may be arranged relative to the track rails such the distance between the bearing surface and the track rails decreases in the direction of travel along the bearing surface. 
         [0012]    The bearing surface may be configured such that the distance between the bearing surface and the track reduces at a first rate to first value part way along the length bearing surface, and then reduces at a second rate along the rest of the length of the surface, where the second rate is less than the first rate. 
         [0013]    Accordingly there is also provided a method of manufacturing an article using the apparatus of the present disclosure, the method comprising the steps of urging a resilient element along guide track rails; and compressing the resilient element as it travels along the guide track rails. 
         [0014]    The method may further comprise the steps of: introducing a base element to the track; bringing the base element and resilient element together to form a first combination; moving the first combination along the guide track rails such that the compression frame acts to compress the resilient element and press the resilient element and base element together to thereby bond the resilient element and base element together. 
         [0015]    The method may further comprise the steps of : introducing a top element to the track; bringing the top element and first combination together to form a second combination; moving the second combination along the guide track such that the compression frame acts to compress the resilient element and press the first combination and top element together to thereby bond the first combination and top element together. 
         [0016]    The method may further comprise the step of introducing a bonding agent to one or both of the surfaces of the resilient element, base element or top element prior to pressing the elements together. 
         [0017]    Accordingly there is further provided a folded document manufactured by the apparatus of the present disclosure using the method of the present disclosure, wherein the top element and base element comprise flat card and a resilient element comprises a folded sheet of paper. 
         [0018]    Thus a folded document may be produced using the method and apparatus of the present disclosure, which overcomes the issues surrounding the natural resilience of resilient element making up the folded document. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of the apparatus of the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  shows a part of the track which is provided as part of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of one half of the track shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  shows an end of view of the track; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of a part of a track of the apparatus as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of an example apparatus  10  according to the present disclosure. The apparatus  10  comprises a guide track  12  and a compression frame  14  provided along at least part of the length of the guide track  12 . The apparatus  10  further comprises a first feeder  16 , a second feeder  18  and a third feeder  20  aligned along the length of the track  12 . The apparatus  10  is also provided with a first glue gun  22  and a second glue gun  24  also aligned along the length of the track  12 . The first glue gun  22  is located between the first feeder  16  and the second feeder  18 , and the second glue gun  24  is located between the second feeder  18  and the third feeder  20 . There is also provided a flight  26  which is moveable along the track  12  on a powered conveyor belt type arrangement. The flight comprises a waist  60  extending upwards away from the conveyor belt towards a lip  62  at its top end. For the avoidance of doubt, in operation the direction of travel of articles through the apparatus  10  is from right to left as shown by arrow A in the Figures. The flight  26  extends above the upper surface of the track  12 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged view of the compression frame  14  and track  12 , with other details of the apparatus  10  removed. The compression frame  14  comprises at least a first section  30  and a second section  32 . In the example shown also comprises a third section  34 . Each section of the compression frame comprises two parallel rods, side by side, with a gap between them, such that the flight  26  may extend into the gap between the rods. The first, second third sections  30 , 32 , 34  are aligned with one another along at least part of the length of track  12  in the direction A. The compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34  are independently mounted such that their position relative to one another may be adjusted. Each of the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34  comprise a bearing surface  36 . 
         [0027]    A perspective view of one half of the guide track  12  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The other half of the guide track is identical except that it is a mirror image of the half shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  shows an end on view of track  12 , with the two halves facing one another. The two halves of the track  12  are mounted independently of one another such that they are adjustable relative to one another so the gap between them may be altered. Each half of the guide track  12  (hereafter referred to as “the track”) comprises a first rail section  40 , in this example provided as a recessed edge, which has an upper edge which is substantially flat and defines a first plane of travel. The guide track  12  further comprises a second rail section  44 , also provided as a recess, which also has a substantially flat upper surface and defines a second plane of travel. The first plane of travel  40  is offset from the second plane of travel  44 . An intermediate rail section  42 , also provided as a recess, provides a transition between the first rail section  40  and second rail section  44 . In the example shown the first plane is above the second plane. That is to say the first rail section  40  is above second rail section  44 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the intermediate section  42  may be substantially flat. An alternative example of the track  12  is shown in  FIG. 5 , which will be referred to in more detail later. However, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the intermediate rail section  42  may be curved. 
         [0028]    The bearing surface  36  is arranged relative to the track rails  40 , 42 , 44  such that the distance between the bearing surface  36  and the track rails  40 , 42 , 44  decreases in the direction of travel along the track  12  and the bearing surface  36 . Hence at entry to the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34 , the bearing surface is a first distance “x” from the guide track rails  40 , 42 , 44  and at exit from the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34 , the bearing surface  36  is a second distance “y” from the track rails  40 , 42 , 44 . In  FIG. 3 , “x” and “y” are shown for third compression frame section  34 , although the same applies for the other sections. The first distance “x” is greater than the second distance “y”. 
         [0029]    In the example shown, the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34  are configured such that the distance between the bearing surface  36  and the track rails reduces at one rate to a point part way along the length of the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 24 , and then further reduces at a lower rate along the rest of the length of the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34 , coming to a minimum height towards the exit point from each of the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34 . 
         [0030]    In an alternative example, the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 34  are configured such that the distance between the bearing surface  36  and the track rails reduces to a minimum part way along the length of the compression frame sections  30 , 32 , 24 , and then remains at a substantially constant distance from the guide track rails  12  along the rest of the length of the compression frame section  30 , 32 , 34 . 
         [0031]    In operation a base element  50  (for example a piece of card or flat cover) is introduced to the rails of the guide track  12  from the first feeder  16 . One of the flights  26  moves the base element  50  along the rail  40 . The first glue gun  22  deposits glue on the base element  50  as it passes underneath the glue gun  22 . The flight  26  moves the base element  50  to a position where a resilient element  52  (for example a folded sheet of paper), ejected from the second feeder  18 , is located on top of the base element  50  to form a first combination  54 . The lip  62  of the flight  26  rests against the resilient element  52 , and the waist  60  rests against the base element  50 , thus locating the resilient element  52  offset from the edge of the base element  50 . 
         [0032]    The first combination  54  is then moved along the rail  40  in the direction of arrow A by the flight  26  such that it slides underneath the first compression frame section  30  such that the bearing surface  36  acts to compress the resilient element  52  and press the resilient element  52  and the base element  50  together. Hence, when the first combination  54  is moved along the rails of the guide track  14  and compressed by the compression frame  14  the base element  50  and resilient element  52  are pressed together while the glue forms a bond. In the example shown the first combination  54  passes through an exit from the first compression frame section  30 , and enters an entry point to the second compression frame section  32  to continue the compression. 
         [0033]    The first combination  54  is moved to a position beneath the second glue gun  24  where further glue is provided on a top surface of the first combination  54 . 
         [0034]    The first combination  54  is then urged along the intermediate rail section  42  by the flight  26 . A top element  56  (for example a piece of card or flat cover) is then introduced from the third feeder  20 , and sits on the upper surface of the second frame section  32  until caught by the flight  26  as the flight  26  passes between the rods of the compression frame. The flight  26  thus urges the first combination  54  along the intermediate rail  42 , and the top element  56  along the second frame section together. When the top element drops off the end of the second compression frame section  32 , the first combination  54  has reached the second (lower) rail section  44 , and is thus further down the flight  26 , away from the lip  62  of the flight  26 , resting instead against flight waist  60 . Hence the ends of the base element  50  and top element  56  are aligned, as shown in  FIG. 5 , as the top element  56  and first combination  54  are brought together to form a second combination  58 . The second combination  58  is then moved along the guide track  12  such that the third compression frame section  34  acts to compress the resilient element  52  and press the first combination  54  and top element  56  together to thereby bond the first combination  54  and top element  56  together. 
         [0035]    Upon completion, the second combination (a folded document) exits the compression frame  14 . 
         [0036]    There is thus provided a binder apparatus and method for the production of folded documents, where the folded sheet (the resilient element) is compressed by the compression frame as it passes through the apparatus, thereby preventing its resilience resulting in misalignment of the base and top elements relative to the resilient element. Running speeds of 14,000 article per hour are possible with apparatus and method of the present invention. 
         [0037]    Although preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.