Abstract:
An apparatus for processing printed products conveyed along a conveying path includes an adjustable positioning device presenting an adjustable guide curve arranged to adjust a position of the printed products along the conveying path.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No: 06405246.7-1262, filed on Jun. 1, 2006, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference, together with each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application mentioned below. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to processing of printer products, and more particularly to a device for positioning the printed products along a conveying path. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    European Patent Application A-1 563 968, owned by the assignee of the present application, discloses a conventional apparatus used for the trimming and processing printed products. In this apparatus, the printed products are transferred via a conveying device to a conveying rotor, which then supplies the printed products to a trimming device. The device for positioning the printed products, which is incorporated into a rotary trimmer and is herein referred to as a positioning device, has a fixed curved element placed at the bottom of the pockets into which the printed products are inserted. During the transfer, the printed products are deposited on the driven belt of the positioning device. The belt is fitted over several sequentially arranged rollers and forms a curved guide element for positioning the printed products so that they can be gripped by respectively one clamp while in a predetermined position. In order to adapt the guide element to the various formats of the printed product, the sequentially arranged rollers along the curved section can be pivoted manually at the front end of the positioning device, relative to the conveying direction of the printed products, around an axis that extends parallel to the axis of rotation for the conveying rotor. 
         [0006]    European Patent Document EP-A-0 753 386 discloses another apparatus for trimming printed products, which also includes a conveying rotor with pockets. In order to position the printed products for the frontal trimming, the pockets containing the respectively deposited printed products must be installed to extend radially, which is a comparatively expensive operation. 
         [0007]    What is needed is an apparatus for trimming printed products that allows the position of the printed products to be adjusted for frontal trimming, without a need to rearrange the position of the pockets. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus having an adjustable curved guide element that can adapt to the various formats of the printed products. The curved guide element for the apparatus according to the invention is not fixed, but adjustable, meaning the course and/or the shape of the guide element can be adjusted. As a result, the format adaptation and the trimming adaptation can be simplified and made more flexible. The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention, wherein in one embodiment there is provided an apparatus for processing printed products conveyed along a conveying path, the apparatus comprising: an adjustable positioning device presenting an adjustable guide curve arranged to adjust a position of the printed products along the conveying path. 
         [0009]    According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning device comprises a guide band that forms the adjustable guide curve. In addition, the positioning device includes at least one drive element arranged to act upon the guide band to adjust the guide curve. One advantage of this embodiment is that the form of the curve can be adjusted automatically by using a suitable control device. 
         [0010]    According to a further embodiment of the invention, the drive element is provided with a linear drive that executes a lifting movement. A control device may be used to connect the drive elements to the positioning device, so that a precise course of the guide curve can be adjusted. 
         [0011]    Yet a further embodiment of the invention provides that a plurality of drive elements are arranged between and attached to two guide plates, thereby resulting in a particularly stable, yet simple and cost-effective design. The drive elements are arranged essentially in the manner of a fan. 
         [0012]    Yet another embodiment of the invention provides for the guide band to extend between two deflection rollers, which are arranged at a distance to each other. The deflection rollers can also be adjusted with the aid of a drive element, thus permitting an especially high flexibility for adjusting and changing the guide curve. The guide band is flexible and can be realized extremely cost-effectively in the form of a steel band, for example, consisting of spring steel. It is possible to implement very precise and complicated shapes of the guide curve in this manner. These curves can be adapted one-dimensional or even multi-dimensional, wherein an embodiment is conceivable, for which the band is twisted in a longitudinal direction and three-dimensional curve surfaces are consequently obtained. 
         [0013]    Another embodiment of the invention provides for the guide band to extend between two deflection rollers. An endless, driven belt or a chain is fitted over these deflection rollers and the guide band, which makes possible a particularly secure and careful transport of the printed products along the curved band. 
         [0014]    The apparatus is especially suitable for trimming printed products, such as magazines, brochures, folded sheets and signatures, and similar products. However, other types of apparatuses are also conceivable for which the printed products must be conveyed and/or transported along a curved course. 
         [0015]    Further advantageous features follow from the dependent patent claims, the following description, as well as the drawing. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    These and other features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  depicts a schematic side view of the apparatus according to the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  depicts a three-dimensional view of the device for positioning the printed products. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  depicts a schematic partial end view of the apparatus according to  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The apparatus  10 , shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , is used in particular for trimming printed products  36 , such as newspapers, books, magazines, brochures or parts thereof. 
         [0021]    The apparatus  10  functions as a rotary trimmer and is provided with a fan wheel  55 , which is positioned to rotate on a shaft  40  and comprises a plurality of pockets  54  along the circumference. These pockets are respectively provided with two flaps  56  which can pivot toward each other.  FIG. 1  only shows a few upper pockets  54 . The printed products  36  are supplied to the fan wheel  55  with the aid of a conveying device  50  that comprises a plurality of clamps  51  for gripping the printed products  36 , wherein these clamps are controlled by clamp-opening curves  52 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a clamp  51  is provided with a bogie truck  60 , equipped with rollers  61 , which are guided inside a guide rail  59 . 
         [0022]    By suitably controlling the clamps  51 , the individual printed products  36  are deposited from the top into an opened pocket  54  and are positioned with a lower edge, in this case a fold  36   a , on a positioning device  1  for positioning the printed products  36 . The details of the device  1  will be described later with reference in  FIG. 2 . Using device  1 , the position of printed products  36  can be radially adjusted within the pockets  54  before the closing of the pockets  54  such that their relative position in the pockets  54  is adapted to their format and trimming needs. Consequently, there is no need for the pockets  54  to be moved in radial direction and they need only be opened and closed. 
         [0023]    After the fan pocket  54  is closed, the printed products  36  are initially supplied to a first trimming device  57  for trimming the top and bottom edges and subsequently, following a rotation at an angle of approximately 90°, to a second trimming device  58  for trimming the frontal edge. In one embodiment, the second trimming device  58  is a cutting drum, e.g., the cutting drum disclosed in European Patent Document EP 1 563 968 A. Reference D in  FIG. 1  denotes the diameter for trimming the printed products  36  along the front edge  36   b.    
         [0024]    Referring again to  FIG. 3 , two devices  1  are arranged at a distance from each other for depositing the printed products  36  into an open pocket  54 . Operating mechanisms  62 , which are known in the related art, are arranged between these devices for closing the pockets  54  to clamp in the printed products  36  for the trimming operation. The positioning of the printed products  36  is matched precisely with the closing time of the pockets  54  such that the printed products  36  are clamped by the packets  54 . Thus, the positioning of the printed products in the conveying device  50  is similarly adjusted. 
         [0025]    The printed products  36  are positioned along guide curves K of the two devices  1  ( FIG. 1 ). The course and thus the shape of the guide curves K can be adjusted independently based on the format of the printed products  36 , so that the printed products  36  can be positioned precisely in a radial direction along the guide curves K. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each device  1  is provided with an endless belt  2 , which can be embodied either as a flat belt or a chain with plate-type elements. This endless circulating belt  2  forms an adjustable curve K between a first deflection roller  5  and a second deflection roller  4 . In the area for the guide curve K, the belt  2  is guided on a longitudinal, band-type guide element (i.e., guide band)  3 . This guide band  3  is flexible and can be, for example, a spring-steel band, allowing the shape of the guide curve K to be adjusted, as will be explained further in the following text. 
         [0027]    The belt  2  is driven in the direction of arrow  23  and is fitted around a drive wheel  7 , which is driven by an electric motor  12 . The belt  2  is further fitted around rollers  20  and  41 , which are positioned on an arm  9  of a tensioning device  8 . 
         [0028]    Tensioning devices  8  of this type are generally known in the related art and will not be explained further herein. A controllable drive motor  12  can regulate the speed of the belt  2  in accordance with the radius, so that the belt  2  essentially moves at the same speed as the circulating fan pockets  54 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a plurality of drive elements  15  to  19  for changing the guide curve K, where these drive elements are arranged between two plates  21 ,  22  as shown in  FIG. 3  and together form a drive device. The drive elements  15  to  19  are connected with respectively one end via a joint  43  to the guide band  3 , such that they can be pivoted. With respectively one spindle that is not shown herein and can be moved in a linear direction, the separate drive elements  15 ,  16 ,  18  and  19  are joined at the positions  26  to the plates  21  and  22 . Each of the drive elements  15 ,  16 ,  18 , and  19  can be embodied as an optional, controllable drive. The drive elements  15 ,  16 ,  18 , and  19  are preferably electric drives, but can also be principally pneumatic or hydraulic drives. The joints  43  can be screwed onto or otherwise connected to the guide band  3 . 
         [0030]    The automatic adjustment of the two deflection rollers  4  and  5  occurs with the aid of the levers  27  and  28 , which are hinged to the two drive elements  15  and  16  and/or  18  and  19 . The levers  27  and  28  are respectively connected by a revolute joint  29  and/or  30  to the drive elements  15  and  19 . The individual joints  31  and  32  permit a linear displacement of the levers  27  and  28 , within the area of an elongated hole  33  and/or  34 . 
         [0031]    The advantage of this arrangement is that it allows the deflection rollers  4  and  5  to automatically adapt to a change in the guide band  3  and/or to a change in the guide curve K. 
         [0032]    The distance bolts  24  and  25  are used to connect the two plates  21  and  22  parallel and at a distance to each other. These two plates  21  and  22  are additionally secured non-rotating on the shaft  40 , via a flange  38  with an opening  39 . Thus the two plates  21  and  22  are secured in place. The fan wheel  55  rotates around the shaft  40 . Similarly, a bearing plate  11  with the motor  12  mounted thereon is secured in place. 
         [0033]    The drive elements  15  to  19  are respectively connected via a signal line  48  to a control device  47 , which independently controls the positioning of the drive elements  15  to  19 . 
         [0034]    The drive elements  15  to  19  can be activated individually with the aid of the control device  47 , thereby forming a guide curve K that is adapted to the format of the printed products  36 . The drive elements  15 ,  16 ,  18  and  19  are joined to the respective position  26  such that they can pivot around the position  26  as their position changes. The drive element  17 , on the other hand, is fixed in place to prevent such pivoting movement. Consequently, the drive element  17  is oriented in each position toward the center Z and, as a result, the guide band  3  is secured in longitudinal direction. 
         [0035]    By controlling the drive elements  15  to  19 , it is essentially possible to adjust any optional course for the guide curve K. At each of the five joints  43 , the individual guide band  3  can be independently adjusted in the radial direction toward the inside and outside. For example, the guide band  3  can be moved radially toward the outside with the linear drive  15  and radially toward the inside with the linear drive  19 . In a further embodiment of the invention, the drive elements  15  to  19  may be designed such that the guide bands  3  are twisted in the longitudinal extension and the guide curve K therefore follows a spatial course. 
         [0036]    According to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the guide curve K is bow-shaped. However, the guide bands can be designed to take other forms such as, e.g., an S-shaped curve. It is further possible, for example, to adjust only one section of the curve K by using only one of the drive elements  15  to  19 , such that one section of the curve would include a convex-shaped section. In yet another embodiment, the drive elements  15  to  19  can be arranged and attached to the guide band  3  so that the top  35  of the belt  2 , shown in  FIG. 2 , is pivoted in longitudinal direction of the guide band  3 . Thus, in this embodiment, the guide band  3  may also be twisted in longitudinal direction. 
         [0037]    As previously mentioned, the two drive elements  15  and  19  operate the first deflection roller  4  and/or the second deflection roller  5 , respectively. In an embodiment, it is conceivable in principle that one or the other of the deflection rollers  4  and/or  5  is immobilized. 
         [0038]    The embodiment shown herein comprises five drive elements  15  to  19 . However, more or fewer drive elements can in principle also be provided. In one embodiment, it is conceivable to have a device including only one drive element. 
         [0039]    In a manner known in the related art, the drive elements  15  to  19  each comprise a distance measuring device not shown herein, so that the control device  47  can respectively determine and control the position of each drive element  15  to  19 . Planned guide curves K can thus be controlled and implemented comparatively quickly by using a suitable program. 
         [0040]    The guide device  1  can be used, for example, in an apparatus as disclosed in the aforementioned European Patent Application EP-A-1 563 968 for positioning printed products. However, the guide device  1  may also be used in other different conveying devices for which the printed products are guided along a conveying path. The form and/or the course of the guide curve K can be adjusted at any time via the control device  47 , without causing an interruption in the operation. A manual readjustment is not necessary, thus making it possible to sequentially process printed products  36  with different formats, without causing any interruption in the operation. 
         [0041]    It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claim.