Abstract:
A streamfeeder for the untrimmed, folded cover signatures includes an uphill streamfeeder with the cover signatures disposed between a pair of conveyor belts with a jogger being on the side of the folded signatures opposite the long tail. The preferred cutter for the long tail, cover signatures comprises a rotating, slitting wheel and an opposing, rotating anvil. The slitting wheel is preferably a rotating disc with a beveled, cutting edge that cooperates with a resilient insert on the anvil. Herein, the cutting wheel is mounted on a rotary shaft and rotated by a variable speed drive.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/120,719, filed Feb. 16, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing long tails from folded signatures and collating the trimmed signatures with the other folded signatures in a bindery line. 
     The so-called “long tail” folded signatures have a longer length than the other folded signatures being collated on the bindery line. Usually, the longer length is due to printing of the signatures on an offset printing press, where the length is limited to defined increments which do not exactly match the length of the other signatures being printed on a Gravure printing press, where the length of the signature can be set to the desired length. Often, the long tail, folded signatures are cover signatures which are the outer cover pages for the book of folded signatures after they are stitched or otherwise bound to one another. In some instances, the long tall, folded signatures are inserts that are dropped onto the saddle upstream of other signature feeding stations which thereafter drop the remaining signatures over the now-trimmed, former long tail signatures. Heretofore, the long tail, folded signatures were cut in an off-line process manually using a bracket trimmer or a flat bed cutter. An operator would take 50 or 100 long tail signatures and manually operate the bracket trimmer or flat bed cutter to cut these signatures to size. Typically, a cut of about 1 to 1⅛ inches was trimmed and was waste. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,037, a cover signature is transferred and collated with the other signatures; and at a next station, the signatures are jogged and registered and then center stitched with the head and tail being trimmed at the next station prior to folding the signatures. This United States Patent is directed to a web conveyor line where the signatures are flat and unfolded when the cover signature is added, rather than being folded signatures being carried on a saddle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, long tails of folded cover signatures are trimmed while being fed to a pocket feeder from which the trimmed, folded signatures are dropped onto collated, folded signatures being carried along by a bindery line conveyor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the already-folded, long tailed signatures are fed in an overlapped or shingled condition by a jogger type of stream feeder through an on-line trimming station where a jogger/pusher pushes against the long signatures to force them laterally against a stationary, registering surface such as a side guide. The registered, untrimmed cover signatures then travel into the trimming station where the edge opposite the long tail is trimmed. The trimmed waste goes into a collecting chute or box, and a vacuum hose conveys the trimmed waste to a main recovery system. The trimmed, folded, cover signatures are fed into a pocket feeder board that jogs and places the trimmed cover signatures for automatic griping, rotating and dropping in timed sequence onto a collated stack of signatures on the saddle. 
     In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the preferred stream feeder for the untrimmed, folded cover signatures includes an uphill streamfeeder with the cover signatures disposed between a pair of conveyor belts with the jogging means being on the side of the folded signatures opposite the long tail. The preferred cutting means for the long tail, cover signatures comprises a rotating, slitting wheel and an opposing, rotating anvil. The slitting wheel is preferably a rotating disc with a beveled, cutting edge that cooperates with a resilient insert on the anvil. Herein, the cutting wheel is mounted on a rotary shaft and rotated by a variable speed drive. 
     After being dropped into the signature feed boxes, the trimmed cover signatures are then fed by a rotary gripper mechanism to drop onto a stack of collated signatures to complete the covered book. After stitching, the final book including the previously-trimmed cover is trimmed to the final book size. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a bindery line apparatus having an in-line slitter for removing long tails from signatures and feeding them from a pocket feeder to a saddle; 
     FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic view of a jogging and slitting apparatus on a streamfeeder and embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 1B illustrates diagrammatically a switch control mechanism to match the feed rate of the streamfeeder to that of the pocket feeder; 
     FIG. 2 is a view of a long tail signature; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a bindery line apparatus and pocket feeders; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a streamfeeder with a long tail slitter mounted thereon; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a streamfeeder with the long tail slitter mounted thereon; 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B are elevational views of a scrap collector and attached hose; 
     FIGS. 5C and 5D are plan and elevational views of a scrap deflector; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a slitter assembly; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the slitter assembly of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of the jogger assembly; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged, side view of the jogger motor and its adjustable mounting bracket; 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the slidable guide of the jogger assembly; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of a stationary signature guide; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a lock handle assembly for a stationary guide assembly; 
     FIG. 13 is a view of the main drive of the streamfeeder with additional sprockets thereon to drive the slitter assembly; and 
     FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the main drive shaft and the added jack shaft driven by the main drive shaft. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in the drawings, for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a bindery apparatus  10 , which comprises a plurality of pocket feeders or pocket machines  12 ,  12   a ,  12   b  . . .  12   x , each of which has a rotating gripping mechanism  14  (FIG. 3) which removes a folded signature  16  from a pocket hopper  12  and opens and drops the opened V-shaped signature onto the V-shaped saddle  20 . Typically, each of the pocket feeders feeds and drops a signature in timed relationship onto a gathering conveyor  22  having lugs  22   a  to abut the trailing edges of the signatures being collated to make a book form  17 . Often the book forms have included therein a long tail signature  16   x  which is usually an outer or cover signature, which may have one or more sheets; and it is dropped over the interior signatures to cover them. When the cover sheet signature  16   x  is printed on an offset press, it typically has a long tail  25  that must be trimmed, heretofore this has been done manually, as explained above. The cover signatures are provided in a large log or cylindrical reel  33 A, and a person would remove 50 or 100 signatures from the log and trim off the long tail along a trim line  28  to make the long tail signatures  16   x  to the same length or size as the remaining signatures of the booklet form. A log usually has 250-350 signatures therein. The now-trimmed, formerly long-tailed signatures  16   x  are then assembled into a log by the person doing the trimming. This log would then be transported on a pallet from the remote off-line, trimming location to the bindery apparatus  10  and placed into a signature feed hopper  12  of a signature feeder. Usually, the trimmed signature  16   x  is a cover signature, and hence, will be termed a “cover” signature herein; but the trimmed signature  16   x  may be an insert covered by other signatures such as a gravure printing signature disposed in the middle of offset printed newspaper signatures. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a new and improved bindery apparatus having a cover signature trimming device  30  for cutting the cover signatures  16   x  to the correct length “in-line” instead of “off-line”. This is achieved by use of a streamfeeder  32  for feeding cover signatures  16   x  in shingled form to and through a trimming station  34 , at which a trimming knife or cutter  36  cuts the long tail  25  from the cover signatures as the signatures are conveyed by a conveyor  38  through the trimming station. The streamfeeder  32  is connected to the drive for the bindery apparatus and is under a switch control mechanism (FIG. 1B) to keep the desired amount of cover signatures in the hopper. The preferred streamfeeder feeds the cover signatures in shingled form with their folded edges  27  leading in the direction of travel. A jogger or alignment device pushes on one edge  18  of the shingled signatures to register their opposite edge  19  against a side guide  72 . Thus, it will be seen that considerable economies are achieved by dropping a log of cover signatures  16   x  into a streamfeeder hopper  33  (FIG. 1A) which strips the bottom signatures  16   x  from the log one at a time and shingles them onto the streamfeeder conveyor  38 . The conveyor  38  conveys and jogs into side registry the shingled cover signatures before they pass through the trimming station  30  and conveys the trimmed cover signatures into the signature feeder  12   x  at a feed rate determined by the feed rate of the bindery line conveyor. For purposes of illustration only and, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1B, a limit switch  39   a  is shown in FIG. 1B to detect a length or pile of signatures  39  in the signature feeder hopper  14  of the signature feeder machine  12   x . When the number of signatures in the hopper is reduced, the limit switch senses this and operates a circuit to cause the streamfeeder to jog more signatures  16   x  into the hopper  14 . When the hopper has a predetermined number of signatures  16   x , the limit switch opens the drive circuit for the streamfeeder motor to stop further feeding of signatures  16   x  into the hopper  14 . Thus, the streamfeeder is operated intermittently in this instance to time the feed rates of signatures into and from the pocket feeder  12   x.    
     In accordance with the present invention, the cutter  36  is driven in timed relationship to the conveyor  38  of the streamfeeder  32 , and the latter is driven in timed relationship to the rate at which the pocket feeder  12   x  is feeding the cover signatures  16   x  onto the gathering conveyor  22 . Preferably, the jogger is also driven in timed relationship to the conveyor  38  of the streamfeeder. Herein, the preferred driving of the cutter  36  is achieved by directly connecting a cutter drive socket  126  to the main drive shaft  102  of the streamfeeder. 
     Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated embodiment of the invention (FIG.  4 ), the streamfeeder illustrated herein is a McCain streamfeeder  32  having side plates  43  and  43 a that extend at an upwardly incline to raise the shingled signatures  16   x  as they are carried forwardly between an upper conveyor belt  44  and a lower conveyor belt  45  (FIG. 5) from the log  33 A of signatures in the streamfeeder hopper  33 . A vacuum device, which is standard on the streamfeeder, removes the lowest folded cover signature  16   x  from the log and inserts it between the upper and lower conveyor belts, which convey it upwardly over the top of the McCain streamfeeder and then deposit it in the pocket machine hopper  14 . As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the belts extend upwardly from a lower, rotatable roller  47  mounted on a shaft  48  between a pair of lower frame side frame plates  43  and  43   a  (FIG.  5 ). At the top of the streamfeeder  32  is a belt mounting roller  49  on a shaft  50  extending horizontally and spanning the side plates  43  and  43   a.    
     For the purpose of cutting the long tails  25  from the long tail signatures  16   x  while in-line with the pocket machine  12   x , the streamfeeder has been provided with the slitter  36  at the trimming station  30  adjacent the top the streamfeeder, as best seen in FIG.  4 . The preferred slitter  36  is best seen in FIGS. 6,  7  and  8  and comprises a slitter assembly having a beveled, circular slitting blade  52  carried by a pair of bracket plates  53  and  54  to turn about a central axle and axis  56  mounted on the lower end of the vertically-extending bracket plate  54 . The illustrated slitter assembly is commercially available from Charles Koegel and Son&#39;s and comprises a 4.5 inch slitter blade. The elongated, vertical bracket  54  supporting the slitter has an elongated vertical slot  54   a  therein to receive the fastener  54   b  (FIG. 6) to secure the slitter blade at an adjusted depth of cut for the particular thickness of the folded, signature  16   x . The bracket  53  has a slotted end  53   a ( FIG. 7) to receive a bolt (not shown) to clamp the bracket on the horizontal support shaft  54   b  to adjust the size of the trimmed tail—e.g., about 1⅛ inches in this instance. Manifestly, other slitter assemblies could be used other than that described above. 
     Disposed beneath the slitter blade and aligned therewith is a rotatable anvil  60  (FIG. 5) which is mounted on a horizontal shaft  50   b  parallel to and below the slitter shaft  50   a . The illustrated anvil  60  comprises a pair of rotatable discs  61  and  62  (See FIG. 5) with a resilient insert therebetween to hold the lower side of the signature as it is being slit by the upper, rotating slitter blade  52 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 5, the waste trimmed from the long tail signature  16   x  drops from the anvil into a slitter waste collector  64 , which is connected to a vacuum hose  65  which conveys the waste away. As best seen in FIG. 5, a slitter waste deflector  66  is mounted on a shaft  66   b  to deflect the waste as it curls after being cut into the waste collector  64 . Thus, the waste is removed while the slitting is taking place in an automatic manner. The waste collector  64  has an open mouth  64   a  (FIG. 5A) with a hollow interior  64   b  through which the waste drops into a smaller hollow portion  64   c  to which is secured the upper end of the vacuum hose  65 . The deflector  66  has a flat strip  66   a  (FIGS. 5C and 5D) to deflect a ribbon-like waste of the tails into the opening  64   a  of the waste collector  64 . 
     For the purpose of aligning the edges  18  and  19  of the long tail signatures  16   x , as they are conveyed toward the trimming station  34 , the illustrated jogger (FIG. 1 a ) comprises reciprocating guide plates  70  on one side of the streamfeeder to abut the opposite edge of the signatures  16   x  against a stationary guide assembly  72 . The guide assembly  72  could also be driven to reciprocate if so desired. The reciprocating guide plate is slidably mounted and guided by a pair of parallel, horizontal slide shafts  74  (FIG. 8) mounted in slide bushings  75  carried by stationary brackets  76  and fixed to the side frame plates  43  of the streamfeeder  32 . The reciprocating of the guide plate is accomplished by a motor drive  78  (FIGS. 8 and 9) including an electric motor  79  having a gear drive  80  having an output shaft  81  for turning an eccentric crank  71 , which has an output shaft  71   a  rotatably mounted in a bushing in an end of a push/pull link  83 . A bushing  84  on the opposite end of the push-pull link receives a shaft  85   a  of turnbuckle block  85 , which is affixed to the reciprocable guide plate  70 . The preferred guide plate has an upstanding flange  70   a  to abut edges  18  of the signatures  16   x  and a horizontal flange  70   b  to support these edges resting thereon. 
     For the purpose of adjusting the position of the jogger assembly for different sizes of signatures  16   x  or to reposition the jogger guide plate  70 , the jogger motor is quickly shifted by sliding its upper bracket support plate  82  (FIGS. 8 and 9) along the supporting surface of underlying bracket support plate  84   a , which is fastened to the stationary feeder side plate  43 . Aligned holes  85  and  86  in the respective brackets support plates receive bolt fasteners (not shown) to secure the upper bracket support plate in its adjusted position. The link is an adjustable turnbuckle, so it also may be adjusted when desired. The slide shafts  74  merely slide in their supporting bushing  75  when the jogger motor and guide plate  70  is shifted to adjust its upstanding, jogging surface  70   a . As best seen in FIG. 10, oilers  87  are mounted on the top of each of the bronze bushings to lubricate the sliding shafts  74  as they reciprocate in the bushings. 
     As the upstanding edge abuts and delivers several strokes to the edge  18  of the signature  16   x , it is pushed laterally to slide between the upper and lower conveyor belts  44  and  45  of the streamfeeder  32  to abut an upstanding flange  90  of a stationary guide  91  (FIGS.  11  and  12 ). The stationary guide  91  adjustably supported to slide laterally to position to precisely locate the edges  19  of the signatures  16   x  to position the trim line  28  of the signatures precisely for the cutter  36  by a pair of parallel, horizontal shafts  92  slidably mounted in bores of stationary guide mounting blocks  94 , which are affixed to a stationary, frame side plate  96  of the streamfeeder  32 . Threaded adjustment locks  98  (FIG. 12) have threaded shafts  98   a  which are threaded into a threaded bore  99  to engage the top of the shafts  92 . To lock the upstanding flange  90  of the guide plate  91  at the desired position, a handle  98   b  on the lock  98  is turned to thread the shaft  98   a  deeper into the block  94 . The preferred guides  91  have a horizontal leg  90   a  at right angles to the upstanding flange to receive and support the edges of the signatures  16   x  resting thereon. Also, a stationary short side guide of identical construction may be placed after the jogger  70 , as shown in FIG.  4 . The long stationary guide has been described in detail so the short guide need not be described in detail herein. 
     The timing of the jogger motor reciprocation is electrically controlled to deliver several reciprocating strokes to the shingled, long tail signatures  16   x  to abut their edges  18  and to slide them laterally through the upper and lower conveyor belts  44  and  45  to abut opposite signature edges  19  against upstanding flanges  91  of the long stationary guides  90 . Thus, the jogger/pusher aligns the long tails  25  of the signatures  16   x  for slitting along the trim line  28  by the slitter  36 . It is to be understood that the positions of the stationary guide  91  and the jogger/pusher guide  70  may be reversed with the movable guide  70  abutting the signature edges  18  and the stationary guide  91  aligning the signature edges  19 . Likewise, the tail  25  may be on the left side of the signatures  16   x  rather than the right side of the signatures, as illustrated in FIG.  1 A. 
     The drive for the slitter  36  and cooperating anvil  60  is from a main drive shaft  102  driven by a main motor drive  104  (FIG. 13) driving a gear reducer  106  having an output shaft  107  and attached sprocket  108  to drive a chain  109 . The chain  109  is entrained about a sprocket  110  on the main drive shaft  102  to rotate the shaft. The drive for the rotating slitter is from a sprocket  112 , which is added to and attached to the main shaft and the drive for the anvil is from a sprocket  114 , which is added to and attached to the main drive shaft  102 . Thus, the slitter  36  operates only when the streamfeeder  36  is driven by the main streamfeeder motor  104 , which also supplies the power to rotate the slitter assembly  51  and the cooperating rotating anvil  60 . As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 14, a jack shaft  115  has been added to streamfeeder and spans its side plates and is journaled to rotate in bearings  116 . The jack shaft  115  carries a sprocket  118  (FIG. 14) driven by a chain  120  which extends to the sprocket  110  on the main drive shaft  102  to rotate the jack shaft  115  with the main shaft  102  of the streamfeeder  32 . A separate anvil drive for the rotatable anvil is from a sprocket  122  fixed to the jack shaft, an anvil drive sprocket  124  (FIG. 14) is affixed to the jacket shaft and drives a chain, aligned sprockets, and a belt drive for the anvil. Likewise, a sprocket  126  (FIG. 4) and aligned sprockets and a belt drive to rotate the slitter assembly. Thus, the slitter and anvil are driven by the drive motor. The drive for the trimmer may take various forms and fall within the claims of this invention.