Abstract:
A longitudinal folding device includes formers for longitudinally forming and folding paper webs having different widths. Each former, together with its folding rollers, hopper roller and longitudinal cutting device is supported in a frame such that the former can be displaced in the axial directions of both the folding rollers and the hopper roller.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a folding apparatus having at least one longitudinal folding device . The longitudinal folding device is displaceable axially with respect to both hopper and folding rollers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tabloid longitudinal cutting devices have become known from DE-PS 668 877. These tabloid cutting devices must be separately adjusted. 
     DE 198 21 603 A1 describes a longitudinal folding device. The folding hopper and associated folding rollers can be displaced in the axial direction of the folding rollers. 
     DE 92 17 956 U1 discloses a folding hopper. This folding hopper, together with folding rollers, can be moved transversely to the running direction of the paper web. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is directed to producing a folding apparatus. 
     In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by providing a folding apparatus with at least one longitudinal folding device. The longitudinal folding device has a folding hopper, a hopper roller, folding rollers and a longitudinal cutting device. The longitudinal folding device, including its components, is displaceable in the axial direction of the hopper roller as well as in the axial direction of the folding rollers . 
     The advantages which can be obtained by the present invention consist, in particular, in that, in the course of a tabloid production with changeable paper web widths, it is not necessary to adjust the individual processing devices for the paper web, or for the paper web strand consisting of several paper webs each time the paper web width changes. 
     Each folding hopper can be, at least, moved back and forth transversely to the running direction of the paper web. Each folding hopper, together with the folding rollers, the hopper inlet roller, as well as a longitudinal cutting device, together constitute a displaceable longitudinal folding device, so that following the lateral or other displacement of the displaceable longitudinal folding device or devices, an alignment of the individual processing device for the paper web, or for the paper web strand consisting of several paper webs, can be omitted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows. Shown are in: 
     FIG. 1, a front elevation view of an adjustable longitudinal folding device with two folding hoppers, and in 
     FIG. 2, a side elevation view in accordance with FIG. 1, but without the lateral frame and with a complete representation of the lateral walls of the folding unit. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A hopper inlet roller  08 , also with traction rollers, not specifically represented, is rotatably arranged between lateral frames  01 ,  02  of a web-fed rotary printing press in the paper running direction A of a paper web  03  or  04 , each of 1/1 width “b” or of a width “c”, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     A first frame  11  and a second frame  12  cooperate to receive each of respective left and right longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14 . This is shown most clearly in FIG.  1 . The longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14  are arranged laterally reversed, or mirror images of each other, in relation to a center line  16  of the inner distance between the lateral frames  01 ,  02 . The two longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14  are situated between the lateral frames  01 ,  02 . They are identically equipped. For reasons of simplicity, the same reference symbols are used for the components of the left and right longitudinal folding device,  13 , 14 . 
     Guide rails  17 ,  18  are arranged extending between the two lateral frames  01 ,  02 . Each guide rail  17 ,  18  extends parallel with a lateral wall  66 ,  67  of the folding unit, as seen most clearly in FIG.  2 . The guide rails  17 ,  18  each have a cross support  19 . This cross support  19  has a displaceable lower carriage  21 , which is guided on the guide rails  17 ,  18 . The displaceable lower carriage  21  is arranged to be displaceable in an axial direction D of the hopper inlet roller  08  and thus transversely to the paper web running direction A, by operation of, for example, an arm  22  and by utilization of a threaded spindle  23  joined to the lateral frame  01 , or  02 , and a drive mechanism  24 . In this case, the drive mechanism  24  can consist of a handwheel  24  or of a motor, not specifically represented, which is arranged, fixed in place, on the lateral frame  01 ,  02 . 
     An upper carriage  26 , on which the folding rollers  27 ,  28  are seated, is arranged on the lower carriage  21  of the cross support  19 . The upper carriage  26  is arranged to be movable back and forth in the axial direction E of the folding rollers  27 ,  28  as seen in FIG.  2 . The first and second frames  11 , or  12 , each with a folding hopper  29  of a respective right or left longitudinal folding device, are fastened on the upper carriage  26 . A hopper roller  31  is supported at the upper end of each frame  11 ,  12 , wherein bearings  32  for each hopper roller  31  are each arranged at a distance “f” of, for example 50 mm, away from the end of the hopper roller  31 . Each bearing  32  is located on a continuous shaft  33  supporting the hopper roller  31 . 
     Each hopper roller  31  is driven via an end of its respective shaft  33  which is connected with a driveshaft  36  that is seated, fixed in place, on the lateral frames, via a universal joint  34  which is provided with a length compensation device. 
     The driveshaft  36  can be connected with a separate drive mechanism  37 , for example an electric motor, or, as represented, driving of driveshaft  36  can also be accomplished using toothed belts, which connect the shafts  33 ,  38  of the hopper roller  31  and the hopper inlet roller  08  via toothed pulleys. In this case a separate drive of the hopper inlet roller shaft  38  is provided via drive means, for example a gear wheel  40 . 
     A holder  39 , which is provided in an approximate U-shape and which is fastened on the frame  11  or  12 , as seen in FIGS. 1 or  2 , has, at its end remote from the frame  11  or  12 , a shaft  41  extending in the axial direction of the hopper roller  31 . A first lever  42  is arranged, fixed in place on the shaft  41 , at a first end of the shaft  41 , as seen most clearly in FIG. 2, and on whose end remote from the shaft  41  the piston rod of a work cylinder  43 , seated on the holder, is hinged. A second lever  44 , which is fixed in place on the shaft  41  and which is arranged offset by approximately 180° in respect to the first lever  42 , supports an upper blade  47  of a longitudinal cutting device in a fork-shaped upper blade holder  46 . 
     The upper blade  47  is located above the hopper roller  31  and in the alignment line  48  of the funnel nose  49  of each of the left and the right longitudinal folding devices  13 , 14 . The upper blade  47  can be placed against a cutting-ring-shaped lower blade  51  of the longitudinal cutting device which lower blade  51  is located on the hopper roller  31 . 
     The upper carriage  26  can be moved back and forth in relation to the lower carriage  21  by the operation of a threaded spindle  54 , joined fixed to the frame  11 , and a drive mechanism  56 . Each upper carriage  26  can move in the axial direction E of the folding rollers  27 ,  28 . The threaded spindle  54  operates between a tongue  53  located on the frame  11 ,  12  and a guide lever  52  arranged on the lower carriage  21 . The drive mechanism  56  can be embodied as an electric motor, not specifically represented, which is fixed in place on the frame  11 , or as a handwheel  56 . 
     The lower carriage  21  also has a paper run-out roller  57  on its underside. 
     Both lower carriage  21  and upper carriage  26  can be guided in dovetailed grooves. As represented in the drawings, it is, for example, also possible for the lower carriage  21  to extend laterally around the upper carriage  26 , or the guide rails  17 ,  18 . 
     If a paper web  03  of a width “b”, or a paper web strand, is inserted into the left and right longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14 , which are provided with the two folding hoppers  29 , it will be understood that the paper web  03  of width “b” has already been halved, or cut into two longitudinal web segments, at a longitudinal center line  16  by the use of a longitudinal cutting device, not specifically represented. 
     The two longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14  are in the position represented in FIG.  1 . The longitudinally halved paper web  03  is now able to be cut into partial paper webs  61  to  64 , for example for tabloid products, by the longitudinal cutting device  47 ,  51  which are arranged above each of the folding hoppers  29  of their respective left and right longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14 . 
     If it is intended to produce tabloid products of a narrower width, for example from a paper web  04  of a width “c”, the left and right longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14  will be displaced toward each other in the axial direction D of the hopper inlet roller  08  by operation of the displaceable lower carriages  21 . In the process, the longitudinal cutting device  47 ,  51  assigned to each folding hopper  29  moves together with the folding hopper  29  in the desired direction D, and also in the axial direction E of the folding rollers  27 ,  28  if the displaceable upper carriages  26  are operated to move the lower ends of the longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14  in the axial direction E. 
     If it is necessary to assign signatures, resulting from the operation of a device for forming a second longitudinal fold, in subsequent work steps to an outgoing paper web strand made of partial paper webs  61 ,  62 , or  63 ,  64 , it is advantageous, as a function of the format of the signatures to be assigned, if the longitudinal folding device  13 ,  14  is embodied so it can also be adjusted in the axial direction E of the folding rollers  27 ,  28 , as represented in FIG.  2 . As discussed above, this movement in the axial direction E is accomplished by operation of the upper carriage  26  for the lower end of each of the left and right longitudinal folding devices  13 ,  14 . 
     While a preferred embodiment of a folding apparatus in accordance with the present invention has been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes, in, for example the specific type of printing press used to print the paper web or webs, the drive for the press, and the like can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the following claims. 
     List of Reference Symbols 
       1  Lateral frame 
       2  Lateral frame 
       3  Paper web, strand 
       4  Paper web,strand 
       5 — 
       6 — 
       7 — 
       8  Hopper inlet roller 
       9  Traction roller 
       10 — 
       11  Frame, first ( 13 ,  14 ) 
       12  Frame, second ( 13 ,  14 ) 
       13  Longitudinal folding device, left 
       14  Longitudinal folding device, right 
       15 —] 
     [ 16  Center line ( 03 ,  04 ) 
       17  Guide rail ( 13 ,  14 ) 
       18  Guide rail ( 13 ,  14 ) 
       19  Cross supports ( 16 , 17 ) 
       20 — 
       21  Carriage, lower ( 19 ) 
       22  Arm 
       23  Threaded spindle ( 21 ) 
       24  Drive mechanism ( 23 ) 
       25 — 
       26  Carriage, upper 
       27  Folding roller ( 26 ) 
       28  Folding roller ( 26 ) 
       29  Folding hopper ( 11 ,  12 ) 
       30 — 
       31  Hopper roller ( 11 ,  12 )] 
     [ 32  Bearing ( 31 ) 
       33  Shaft ( 31 ) 
       34  Universal joint ( 33 ) 
       35 — 
       36  Driveshaft 
       37  Drive mechanism ( 36 ) 
       38  Shaft ( 08 ) 
       39  Holder ( 11 ,  12 ) 
       40  Gear wheel ( 37 ) 
       41  Shaft ( 39 ) 
       42  Lever, first ( 41 ) 
       43  Work cylinder ( 42 ,  39 ) 
       44  Lever, second ( 41 ) 
       45 — 
       46  Holder, fork-shaped 
       47  Upper blade] 
     [ 48  Alignment line ( 49 ) 
       49  Hopper nose 
       50 — 
       51  Lower blade ( 31 ) 
       52  Guide lever ( 21 ) 
       53  Tongue( 11 , 12 ) 
       54  Threaded spindle 
       55 — 
       56  Drive mechanism ( 54 ) 
       57  Paper run-out roller 
       58 — 
       59 — 
       60 — 
       61 —Partial paper web ( 03 ) 
       62 —Partial paper web ( 03 ) 
       63 —Partial paper web ( 03 )] 
     [—Partial paper web ( 03 ) 
       65 — 
       66  Lateral wall, folding unit 
       67  lateral wall, folding unit 
     A Paper web running direction ( 03 ,  04 ) 
     D Direction, axial 
     E Axial direction ( 27 ,  28 ) 
     b Width ( 03 ) 
     c Width ( 04 ) 
     f Distance]