Multi-sheet folded printed product and method of producing the same

To readily open up a multi-sheet folded printed product comprising at least two folded printed sheets or signatures which are placed one inside the other, there is provided an innermost printed sheet which is of greater length at the center in the direction of the fold line than the remaining printed sheets. The innermost printed sheet thus protrudes past the remaining printed sheets by a marginal section or lap at one lateral edge. An opening device now can engage the protruding marginal section and can open up the printed product at the center without difficulties. When the printed product has been completed, i.e. after insertion of an enclosure or inserts into the opened printed product, the marginal section or lap is cut away. Since such marginal section or lap must be cut away only at one printed sheet the loss in material associated with the cutting operation is exceedingly small.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
This application is related to the commonly assigned, copending U.S. 
application Ser. No. 06/390,505, filed June 21, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 
4,523,775, entitled "Folded Sheet or Printed Sheet Intended to Be Folded 
and Method and Apparatus for Fabrication Thereof" now U.S. Pat. No. 
4,523,775, granted June 18, 1986. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a new and improved multi-sheet folded 
printed product and a method of producing the same. 
While the description to follow, as a matter of convenience, generally 
refers to printed products and methods of producing the same, obviously 
other types of products can be conveniently handled, and therefore, the 
use of this term is not to be construed in a limiting sense in any way 
whatsoever, but merely is to be viewed as an exemplary and desirable field 
of application for the inventive measures. 
In its more particular aspects, the present invention relates specifically 
to a new and improved multi-sheet folded printed product comprising at 
least two folded printed sheets which are tucked or placed one inside the 
other, as well as to a method of producing the same. 
Very frequently it is required to open up multi-sheet printed products such 
as, for example, newspapers, journals, magazines and the like composed of 
folded printed sheets or signatures placed one inside the other, at the 
center in order to introduce enclosures. For this purpose it is known to 
fold the printed sheets outside or eccentric to their center line so that 
a protruding section, a so-called pre-fold, is formed at a side edge 
extending parallel to the center fold or spine fold line and which has a 
constant width over the entire length of the side or lateral edge of the 
printed product. By engaging the protruding sections the printed product 
comprising such printed sheets or signatures can be readily or easily 
opened up at the center. After the insertion of the inserts into the 
printed product in the opened-up state thereof these protruding sections 
are then cut away as waste. Even if such a protruding section which is to 
be cut away is not very wide and measures only about 8 mm, a nevertheless 
quite considerable loss in paper material results, considering the very 
large number of processed printed sheets or signatures. Such loss will be 
reflected in corresponding costs of the processing operation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind it is a primary object of the present 
invention to provide a new and improved printed product and a method of 
producing the same which can be reliably opened up at the center or 
central region thereof in a simple manner without significant additional 
costs resulting from the measures required therefor. 
Another important object of the present invention is directed to the 
provision of a new and improved printed product and a method for producing 
the same which can be reliably opened up at the center or central region 
thereof in a simple manner without significant additional costs, for 
example, due to large losses in paper material. 
Still a further significant object of the present invention is directed to 
the provision of a new and improved printed product and method of 
producing the same which can be reliably opened up at the center or 
central region thereof in a simple manner without any impairment in the 
appearance of the final printed product resulting from the measures 
required therefor. 
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, 
which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the 
printed product of the present development is manifested by the features 
that, the innermost printed sheet protrudes past or beyond the remaining 
printed sheets at one side or lateral edge thereof. 
The innermost printed sheet thus defines a marginal section or lap which 
protrudes past or beyond the remaining printed sheets and permits the 
product to be opened at the center without any great difficulties. The 
protruding marginal section or lap can be obtained, for example, by 
designing the innermost printed sheet so as to possess a greater dimension 
than the remaining printed sheets either in a direction in which the 
center fold or spine fold line extends or in a direction extending 
transversely thereto. The protruding marginal section is cut away or 
trimmed off at the end or termination of the processing operation. The 
loss in paper material associated with this cutting operation is 
significantly less than in the case of the aforementioned conventional 
product and processing technique in which a marginal section or lap has to 
be cut away not only from one printed sheet but from half of the total 
number of printed sheets forming the printed product. 
However, it is also possible according to the invention to use printed 
sheets which all have the same or essentially the same dimensions and to 
ensure that upon assembling or collating the printed sheets the innermost 
printed sheet laterally protrudes past or beyond the remaining printed 
sheets. At the end of the operation the innermost printed sheet can be 
again pushed back or displaced such that the side or lateral edges thereof 
are aligned with the side edges of the remaining printed sheets. There 
will not arise any loss in paper material with such an embodiment of the 
invention. 
As alluded to above, the invention is not only concerned with the 
aforementioned product aspects, but also relates to a novel method of 
producing the same. Generally speaking, the inventive method comprises the 
steps of producing a printed product which comprises at least two folded 
printed sheets or signatures tucked or placed one inside the other, 
wherein the innermost printed sheet protrudes past or beyond the remaining 
printed sheets at one side or lateral edge thereof. 
To achieve the aforementioned measures the inventive method of producing a 
multi-sheet folded printed product, in its more specific aspects, 
comprises: 
forming at least two printed strands or webs or continuous preliminary 
product lines such that each one of said printed strands or webs defines a 
predetermined longitudinal edge thereof; 
superposing said at least two printed strands or webs such that one printed 
strand or web provided with information intended for an innermost printed 
sheet in the final printed product is positioned such that the 
longitudinal edge thereof laterally protrudes past or beyond the remaining 
strand; 
cutting or severing said superposed at least two printed strands or webs in 
a direction extending transversely, preferably at right angles, relative 
to said longitudinal edges thereof in order to form individual printed 
sheets; and 
conjointly folding said superposed printed sheets such that said printed 
sheet formed from said one printed strand or web forms, said innermost 
printed sheet. 
The method of producing the aforementioned multi-sheet folded printed 
products as described hereinbefore enables the inventive printed products 
to be produced by means of rotary printing presses which require only 
insubstantial modifications as compared to presently used printing presses 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning attention now specifically to FIGS. 1 to 3 there has been 
illustrated a prior art or conventional multi-sheet printed product 1 in 
its folded state in different views in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in an opened-up 
state in FIG. 3. In the structure as shown in such FIGS. 1 to 3, the 
printed product 1 comprises three printed sheets 2 which have been folded 
along an off-center or eccentric line 3 and tucked or placed one inside 
another. The fold line 3 separates the two pages or sheet portions 4 and 
5. The right-hand page or sheet portion 5 of each printed sheet or 
signature 2 comprises a lateral margin which extends substantially 
parallel to the fold line 3 and defines a rectangularly-shaped marginal 
section or prefold 6 which protrudes beyond and extends with a constant 
width over the entire height of the right-hand page or sheet portion 5. 
Suitable opening devices for opening up the printed product 1 along the 
center line or fold 3 can engage with this protruding section or prefold 6 
in conventional manner. 
After the insertion of inserts or enclosures into the opened-up printed 
product 1, i.e., after completing the production of such printed product, 
the protruding sections or prefolds 6 are cut away or trimmed off and form 
waste material. Since a strip of material having the size of the 
protruding section or prefold 6 is trimmed off or cut away from all of the 
right-hand pages or sheet portions 5 in the printed product 1, the loss in 
paper material is quite considerable, especially in plants or business 
establishments producing a large volume of printed products 1. 
A first embodiment of the printed product constructed according to the 
present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 and has been designated 
by reference numeral 7. This printed product 7 can be opened up along the 
center line or fold 9, i.e. its spine, without any difficulties, but with 
such inventive printed product 7 the loss in paper material is 
significantly less than when using the conventional or prior art printed 
product 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. 
Such printed product 7 is formed, for instance, by three printed sheets 8, 
8' and 8" which are tucked or placed one inside another and all of which 
printed sheets 8, 8' and 8" are folded along a center fold line or spine 
fold 9 at the center. The fold line 9 divides each printed sheet 8, 8' and 
8" so as to form two pages or sheet portions 10 and 11. The innermost 
printed sheet 8" is dimensioned so as to be longer, i.e. taller, by a 
marginal section or lap 12 as measured in the direction of the fold line 9 
and in comparison to the two remaining printed sheets 8 and 8'. The height 
of the printed sheets 8, 8' and 8" has been conventionally designated by 
reference characters H and H', respectively, in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4 
the printed sheets 8 and 8' are shown in superposed position, while in 
FIG. 5 only the innermost printed sheet 8" is shown. In the completed 
printed product 7 as depicted in FIG. 6 the innermost printed sheet 8" is 
superposed on the two other printed sheets 8, 8' in such a manner that the 
top edges 13a of the three printed sheets 8, 8' and 8" are aligned. At the 
other bottom edge 13b which is located opposite to the top or upper edge 
13a in the printed product 7 the innermost printed sheet 8" now protrudes 
past or beyond the two outer printed sheets 8 and 8' by the marginal 
section or lap 12 as will be particularly evident from FIGS. 6 and 7. 
To open up the thus formed folded printed product 7 it is now possible, and 
without any difficulty, to engage the protruding marginal section or lap 
12 by using any suitable product opening device such as, for example, 
suction devices or equivalent opening facilities. Since the marginal 
section or lap 12, as already mentioned, belongs to the innermost printed 
sheet 8", the printed product 7 is opened up precisely along the center 
thereof. 
After completing the printed product 7, i.e. after the insertion of inserts 
or enclosures or the like, the protruding marginal section or lap 12 is 
trimmed off or cut away. The paper material loss which results from 
trimming off or cutting away such marginal section 12 is considerably less 
as compared to the conventional printed product illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 
3, particularly in the case of printed products which contain many pages 
or sheets. 
A possible method of producing the inventive printed product 7 illustrated 
in FIGS. 6 and 7 will now be explained hereinafter with reference to FIG. 
8. 
Three printed strands or webs or printed sheet lines 14, 15 and 16 
originating from a printing station of a conventional rotary printing 
press, which is not shown in any particular detail, are fed in 
juxtaposition to turning or deflecting means 17 which also are of 
conventional construction. The information intended for the outermost 
printed sheet 8 is printed on the printed strand 14, the information 
intended for the central or intermediate printed sheet 8' is printed on 
the printed strand 15, and the information intended for the innermost 
printed sheet 8" is printed on the printed strand 16. The printed strands 
14 and 15 have the same width and which has been designated by reference 
character B, while the printed strand 16 has a width designated by the 
reference character B' and which is greater than the width B of the 
printed strands 14 and 15 by the width of a marginal strip 18. The 
marginal strip 18 ultimately forms the marginal section or lap 12 of the 
innermost printed sheet 8" as will still be explained in greater detail 
hereinafter. 
Each of the printed strands or webs or printed sheet lines 14, 15, 16 is 
guided over a respective turning or deflecting bar 19, 20, 21 of the 
turning or deflecting means 17. The printed strands 14, 15, 16 which are 
directed towards the turning or deflecting means 17 while in a juxtaposed 
relationship are now superposed in such a manner that the side or 
longitudinally extending edges 14a, 15a and 16a of the printed strands 14, 
15, 16 are aligned or flush with one another. As will be recognized from 
FIG. 8, the printed strand 14 assumes the lowermost position, while the 
printed strand 16 is placed on top, so that one side 16' thereof is 
exposed. The topmost printed strand or web or printed sheet line 16 
protrudes past the printed strands 14 and 15 which are positioned 
therebelow by means of the marginal strip 18 located at the side or 
longitudinally extending edge 16b. 
The printed strands 14, 15 and 16 which have been superposed in such a 
manner now pass through a suitable cutting or trimming device 22 which is 
only schematically illustrated and may be of any known design. The printed 
strands 14, 15, 16 are then cut or severed by the cutting device or cutter 
unit 22 in a direction which extends at right angles or transversely to 
their side or longitudinally extending edges 14a, 15a, 16a and 14b, 15b, 
16b. In FIG. 8 the cutting or trim line has been designated by reference 
numeral 23. The printed strands 14, 15, 16 are thus subdivided into 
individual packs or stacks of superposed printed sheets 8, 8' and 8" by 
means of the cutting or trimming device 22. Subsequently these packs or 
stacks are delivered to a suitable product folding apparatus 24 likewise 
of known construction and which has only been schematically indicated by 
phantom or dash-dotted lines. In the folding apparatus 24 the superposed 
printed sheets 8, 8' and 8" are conjointly folded along the fold line or 
fold 9 which also extends at right angles or at least transversely with 
respect to the direction of the longitudinally extending edges 14a, 15a, 
16a and 14b, 15b and 16b of the printed strands 14, 15, 16. The folded 
printed products 7 departing from the folding apparatus 24 are then laid 
out or delivered in the usual manner. 
It will be recognized from the foregoing explanations that the printed 
products 7 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be produced by means of a 
conventional rotary printing press without any extensive modifications. It 
is only necessary to take care that the one printed strand or web or 
printed sheet line 16 has a somewhat greater width than the remaining 
printed strands or webs or printed sheets lines 14 and 15. 
It also should be understood that printed products can be produced in the 
same manner which contain only two or more than three folded printed 
sheets or signatures. 
A second embodiment of the printed product according to the invention, 
designated by reference character 25, will now be described with reference 
to FIGS. 9 to 12. 
The printed product 25 here also comprises three printed sheets or 
signatures 26, 26' and 26" which are tucked or placed one inside another 
and which are folded along a centrally arranged fold line or fold 27. Each 
of the printed sheets 26, 26' and 26" are subdivided by the fold line 27 
so as to form two pages or sheet portions 28 and 29. 
In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7, 
here the printed sheets or signatures 26, 26' and 26" all have the same 
dimensions. In particular this means that all of the three printed sheets 
or signatures 26, 26' and 26" have the same height H. The innermost 
printed sheet or signature 26", however, is here offset with respect to 
both of the other mutually overlying or covering printed sheets or 
signatures 26 and 26' by the amount a or a', respectively, in the 
direction of the fold line 9. As a consequence, the innermost printed 
sheet 26" now protrudes by means of a marginal section or lap 31 past or 
beyond a bottom edge 30 which extends transversely from the fold line 27. 
The innermost printed sheet or signature 26" is therefore set back or 
retracted from the opposite top edge 32 by the amount a'. 
The printed product 25 is opened substantially in the same manner as the 
printed product 7 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The opening of the printed 
product 25 is effected by the action of any suitable opening device which 
acts upon the protruding marginal section or lap 31 of the innermost 
printed sheet or signature 26'. Since the protruding marginal section 31 
forms a portion or integral part of the innermost printed sheet 26" it is 
thus ensured that the printed product 25 is positively opened at the 
center of the printed product 25. 
After completing the printed product 25 by stuffing inserts or enclosures 
the protruding printed sheet or signature 26" is now again pushed back in 
the direction of the fold line 27 to such an extent that the edges thereof 
are flush with those of the other printed sheets or signatures 26 and 26'. 
Since no protruding marginal section or lap is now present in the finished 
product and since no such protruding marginal section or lap has to be 
trimmed off or cut away, a loss of paper material is here totally avoided 
by using a printed product 25 as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12. 
One possibility for producing a printed product 25 as depicted in FIGS. 11 
and 12 will now be explained with reference to FIG. 13 and which 
illustration extensively corresponds to FIG. 8. 
Three printed strands or webs or printed sheet lines 33, 34 and 35 are fed 
in juxtaposed relationship from a not-illustrated printing station of a 
rotary printing press to turning or deflecting means 36 which comprise 
turning or deflecting bars 37, 38 and 39, each of which is operatively, 
associated with a respective one of these printed strands 33, 34 and 35. 
All of the three printed strands 33, 34 and 35 have the same width B. The 
information intended for the outermost printed sheet 26 of the printed 
product 25 is printed on the printed strand 33, while the information 
intended for the here central or intermediate printed sheet 26' and the 
information intended for the innermost printed sheet 26" are printed on 
the printed strands 34 and 35, respectively. These printed strands 33, 34 
and 35 run over the respective turning or deflecting bars 37, 38 and 39 
and are thereby arranged in such a relative position to one another that 
they are no longer disposed in a juxtaposed relationship but in a 
superposed relationship. As will be evident from FIG. 13, the printed 
strand or web or printed sheet line 33 forms the lowermost printed strand 
and the printed strand or web or printed sheet line 35 forms the uppermost 
printed strand defining an exposed side or face 35'. The turning or 
deflecting bar 39 is offset relative to the two other turning or 
deflecting bars 37 and 38 by an amount a" in the direction of the arrow A 
of FIG. 13 and, therefore, the uppermost printed strand 35 is shifted or 
laterally offset with respect to the two other printed strands 33 and 34 
by a corresponding amount a. While the longitudinal edges 33a and 34a and 
the longitudinal edges 33b and 34b of the printed strands 33 and 34, 
respectively, are in ,mutual, alignment, the longitudinal edges 35a and 
35b of the printed strand 35 are offset from the corresponding 
longitudinal edges of the printed strands 33 and 34 by the amount a and 
a', respectively. The printed strand 35 thus now protrudes past the other 
two printed strands 33 and 34 by means of a marginal strip 40. 
The printed strands 33, 34 and 35 which are superposed in the manner just 
described are now delivered to a suitable cutting or trimming device 41 of 
conventional construction which is therefore here only schematically 
illustrated. At the cutting device 41 the strands 33, 34 and 35 are 
conjointly cut along a cutting or trim line 42 which is indicated by 
dashed lines and which extends at right angles or transversely relative to 
the longitudinal edges 33a, 34a, 35a and 33b, 34b, 35b of the respective 
printed strands or webs or printed sheet lines 33, 34 and 35. By 
transversely cutting or severing the endless or continuous printed strands 
33, 34 and 35 in this manner, packs or stacks of superposed printed sheets 
26, 26' and 26" are formed. The packs or stacks of the printed sheets 26, 
26' and 26" are subsequently delivered to a suitable folding apparatus 43 
which likewise is of known construction and which is indicated by phantom 
or dash-dotted lines. In the folding apparatus 43 the superposed printed 
sheets 26, 26', 26" are folded along the fold line 27 which also extends 
at right angles or transversely relative to the direction of the 
longitudinal edges 33a, 34a, 35a and 33b, 34b, 35b of the respective 
printed strands 33, 34, 35. The printed products 25 then leave the folding 
apparatus 43 and are laid out or delivered in known manner and now 
correspond to the printed product 25 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. 
It will be understood that printed products 25 containing only two printed 
sheets or more than three printed sheets also can be produced in the 
manner described with reference to FIG. 13. 
It is also conceivable to join or collate the strands or sheet lines after 
or subsequent to the turning or deflecting means 17 or 36, respectively, 
in such a manner as to be arranged one after the other or in a tandem 
fashion in a direction which extends at right angles relative to a plane 
defined by the printed strands instead of being positioned in superposed 
fashion as shown in FIGS. 8 and 13. However, care will have to be taken in 
each case to ensure that the printed strand 16 or 35 carrying the 
information of the innermost printed sheet or signature 8" or 26", 
respectively, assumes the lowermost or uppermost and foremost or rearmost 
position, respectively, so that a respective edge or marginal section 16' 
or 35' of such printed strand is exposed. 
In the herein disclosed two embodiments of the inventive printed product 
designated by reference numerals 7 and 25, the respective innermost 
printed sheet or signature 8" and 26" protrudes past as beyond the other 
printed sheets or signatures at respective edges 13b and 30 which extend 
transversely from the respective fold edge 9 and 27. However, it is also 
possible to have the innermost printed sheet or signature protrude beyond 
the edge which extends opposite and parallel to the related fold edge 9 
and 27. 
In such a design of the printed product analogous to the one illustrated by 
FIGS. 4 to 7, the if innermost printed sheet is structured to be wider 
than the remaining printed sheets by the amount of a protruding marginal 
strip in a direction which extends transversely relative to the spine as 
fold line, then such a printed product can be produced in substantially 
the manner as described with reference to FIG. 8. However, the printed 
sheets will not be folded transversely relative to the protruding marginal 
section as shown in FIG. 8, but parallel thereto. In this regard, 
attention is invited to FIGS. 14 to 17. 
The innermost printed sheet or signature also can be made to protrude on 
the edge which is opposite to the fold edge in a manner similar to the 
printed product illustrated by FIGS. 11 and 12 by offsetting the innermost 
printed sheet relative to the remaining printed sheets in a direction 
which extends transversely relative to the fold line. In such a design and 
arrangement, the fold line of the innermost printed sheet or signature 
extends from the fold lines of the remaining printed sheets or signature 
at a distance which corresponds to the amount of the offset. In this 
connection, attention is directed to FIGS. 18 to 20. Such design of the 
printed product has the advantage that innermost printed sheet can be 
positively pushed back again into the correct position when the insert or 
enclosure is inserted or stuffed therein. 
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not 
limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced 
within the scope of the following claims. ACCORDINGLY,