Abstract:
A method for producing multi-part print products includes supplying a folded main print product fold first to respectively one pouch of successively following pouches on a conveying device for a production line that includes a plurality of feeders. The folded main print product has front and rear legs extending from the fold. The rear leg has a frontal edge region that is penetrable by a movable clamping part. The method further includes moving the front and rear legs apart by penetrating the frontal edge region of the rear leg with the movable clamping part to clamp the front leg against a pouch wall. At least one partial print product is inserted into the main print product when the front and rear legs are moved apart to accommodate partial print products side-by-side.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No: 05405294.9-2314, filed on Apr. 14, 2005, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference together with each and every U.S. and foreign patent and patent application mentioned herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method for producing multi-part print products by inserting at least one partial product into at least one folded main product which accommodates the partial products side-by-side and is respectively supplied to one of the pouches which are successively arranged on a conveying device for a production line, formed with the aid of feeders, and is opened by moving apart the main product legs for inserting the partial products. 
     A method of this type is known from European Patent document EP 0 911 289 A, which discloses a method for producing print products by inserting partial products into a main product, previously fed into the pouch of an inserting machine. The main products and the partial products are produced, for example, with the aid of a system comprising a sliding rail, as well as a gathering and stitching machine equipped with several feeders, wherein the products are supplied in the form of an overlapping flow to the pouches. These partial products are also referred to as initial products and are normally available for processing even before the main product is produced, wherein the partial products can also be supplements, inserts, or the like. The main product can comprise, for example, the current politics section and/or the sports section. For the opening, the main product is gripped along a protruding gripping edge. However, the insertion of partial products into a main product without having a protruding gripping edge of this type is not possible with this method. 
     German patent document DE 24 47 336 A discloses an apparatus for processing print products, wherein at least one initial product can be inserted into a main printing product. The main products are respectively supplied to separate pouches of a cell wheel. This cell wheel is provided with a plurality of expanding wedges against which the main products are moved with a forward movement in axial direction of the cell wheel for opening the main products. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of the aforementioned type that allows the production of print products that are even more reader-friendly. The method is intended to combine a high capacity with a secure operation, in particular for producing reader-friendly tabloids. 
     The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention wherein there is provided an exemplary embodiment of a method for producing multi-part print products, comprising: supplying a folded main print product fold first to respectively one pouch of successively following pouches on a conveying device for a production line including a plurality of feeders, the folded main print product having front and rear legs extending from the fold, the rear leg having a frontal edge region that is penetrable by a movable clamping part; moving the front and rear legs apart by penetrating the frontal edge region of the rear leg with the movable clamping part to clamp the front leg against a pouch wall; and inserting at least one partial print product into the main print product when the front and rear legs are moved apart to accommodate partial print products side-by-side. 
     This method according to the invention solves the above object in that for the insertion of partial products into the main product, a movable clamping part extends in a frontal edge region through a leg of the main product, intended for the opening, wherein this movable clamping part also hold the other leg of the main product and/or the partial product against a pouch wall. With the method according to the invention, main products as well as partial products can thus be arranged essentially at optional locations in the end product, thus arriving at a more reader-friendly composition of the end product. Since the clamping part extends in a frontal edge region through the spread-out leg, a protruding gripping edge is not needed. The method is therefore particularly suitable for tabloids, which are not provided with a gripping edge. By allowing the clamping part to extend through the leg in this way, the partial products can be inserted at optional locations into the main product. In addition, partial products can also be inserted into other partial products. For example, a specific insert or supplement can be inserted into a sports section and a different one into a section about politics. 
     According to one modification, it is particularly easy for the clamping part to extend through and/or penetrate the frontal edge region, having at least one clamping region, if the edge region has at least one recess. This recess can be produced very easily by punching, wherein the respective signatures are punched prior to inserting them into a pouch. The production capacity is not critically affected by this. 
     According to a different modification of the invention, a clamping part extends in a frontal edge region through at least one partial product that is inserted into the main product. Even partial products can thus be structured, for example by adding a different partial product, e.g. a supplement, to the aforementioned partial product. In principle, the supplement can be inserted at any location into the aforementioned partial product. 
     According to another modification of the invention, recesses are provided which can also form a register. On the one hand, respectively one gripping clamp extends through these recesses for the structuring while, on the other hand, these recesses are used to form a register and in particular a gripping register for the end product. The recesses have corresponding depths, which make it easier, for example, to find a respective insert or partial product. The recesses are preferably punched-out areas, which are open toward the front. Such punched out areas can be produced easily and quickly and preferably have rounded edges. 
     According to a different modification of the invention, the main product consists of at least two sections which preferably do not have gripping folds and were printed during a single printing operation. At least one partial product is inserted into this main product. 
     The method is particularly suitable for producing so-called tabloids, but can in principle also be used for producing so-called broad sheets. Above all, the method according to the invention can be used to structure extremely thick tabloids to considerably improve the readability. The use of such a recess, for example, makes it possible to find the sports section or the political section immediately, which has not been possible so far with extremely thick tabloids. It is furthermore also possible to remove a section, such as the sports section, easily from the tabloid. 
     Additional advantageous features follow from the dependent claims, the following description, as well as the drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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 in which: 
         FIG. 1  Shows a schematic view of an opened pouch with inserted main product; 
         FIG. 2  Shows a three-dimensional view of different phases during the process of inserting two partial products into a main product; 
         FIG. 3  Shows a variant of the method, wherein individual phases are again shown during the inserting operation; and 
         FIG. 4  Shows a different variant of the method according to the invention, wherein individual phases are illustrated. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a pouch  4  of a conveying device, which is known per se and is used in the print-processing industry. The pouch comprises a front pouch wall  5  and a rear pouch wall  7 , which are connected pivoting by means of a hinge  6 . The pouch  4  shown in  FIG. 1  is in the open position. The pouch  4  can be closed with the aid of a control device, which is known per se but is not shown herein, for example by pivoting the rear pouch wall  7  around the hinge  6 . The pouch  4  can be a single pouch, for example, on a pouch wheel used for displacing the print products parallel to the rotational axis. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the pouch  4  on the conveying device is open on the side and on the top. A main product  12  is inserted from the top into the pouch. The main product  12  has a fold  13  and a frontal edge region  15  which is parallel to the fold. One leg S 1  of the main product  12  is held with the aid of clamps  8  and  10  against the front pouch wall  5 . A different leg S 2  rests on the inside against the rear pouch wall  7 . The main product  12  can be composed of two sections  29  and  30 , with the outer section  29  forming the current news section and the inner section  30  the sports section of a newspaper or magazine. The two sections  29  and  30  can be stitched or unstitched. 
     The two clamps  8  and  10  are respectively positioned pivoting on a support  31  on the front pouch wall  5 . The pivoting movement is controlled, for example by means of a control device with suitable control curve which is not shown herein. The clamps  8  and  10  respectively include a clamping part  9  which forms an arm and is tensioned against the inside  11  of the front pouch wall  5 . As can be seen, the first clamp  8  with its clamping part  9  extends through a recess  18  provided in a frontal edge region  15  of a leg part  32  on the inside section  30  and fits flush against front leg parts  33  of the leg S 1  for the product. The leg S 2  is provided with a corresponding recess  16  in a frontal edge region  14 . This edge region  14  extends parallel to the fold  13  and is provided with an additional recess  17  at a distance to the recess  16  through which the second clamp  10  extends. The clamping part  9  of the clamp  8  extends through the recess  16 . The two recesses  16  and  17  are open toward one frontal edge  19 , which also extends parallel to the fold  13 . According to  FIG. 2 , the recess  16  has two, preferably rounded corners  16   a  to prevent tearing, wherein the same also applies to the other recesses. The leg part  32  forms a part of the inside section  30  and is held against the front pouch wall  5  since a corresponding recess for the second clamp  10  is missing. The leg S 2  is opened because it comprises two recesses  16  and  17  through which the clamping parts  9  of clamps  8  and  10  extend, so that the leg S 2  is not gripped by the clamping parts  9  of clamps  8  and  10 . If the pouch  4  with the inserted main product  12  is closed, the clamps  8  and  10  correspondingly extend through the leg S 2 . If the pouch  4  is opened, the leg S 2  falls against the rear pouch wall  7  because it is not gripped by the clamps  8  and  10 , as previously mentioned. Alternatively, the leg S 2  could also be held with the aid of clamps (not shown herein) against the rear pouch wall before the pouch is opened. The opening of the main product  12  can be determined based on the different embodiments of the aforementioned recesses  16 ,  17 , and  18 . Correspondingly, it is also possible to select the location for inserting a partial product into the opened product. The main product  12  can also consist of only one section or more than two sections, which are inserted into each other, wherein this is explained in further detail in the following with the aid of  FIGS. 2 to 4 . 
     A main product  20  consisting of a single section with two legs S 1  and S 2 , which are connected by a fold  13 , is shown on the far left in  FIG. 2 . The leg S 2  has a frontal edge region  14  and a recess  16 , which is open toward the top and could also be arranged at the top and/or bottom. According to  FIG. 1 , the two legs S 1  and S 2  are fitted against each other and are inserted in this way into the pouch  4 , not shown herein. Following the insertion, the first clamp  8  is pivoted in while the pouch  4  is closed, as shown in the exemplary embodiment. The clamp  8  extends with the clamping part  9  through the recess  16  and thus fits flush against the leg S 1 . If the pouch  4  is opened, then the leg S 1  is secured against the front pouch wall  5  and the leg S 2  drops against the rear pouch wall  7 . The main product  20  is thus opened and a first partial product  21  is initially inserted, which is then followed by a second partial product  22 . The print product  1 , or the final product created in this way, is therefore composed of the main product  20  and two partial products  21  and  22 , inserted therein. The main product  20  in this case forms an outer section, for example of a newspaper. By pivoting the first clamp  8  upward, the print product  1  can be released and can then be removed from the pouch  4 . As can be seen, the first partial product  21  is in part visible through the recess  16  and can thus be gripped easily by the reader and removed from the print product  1 . 
     With the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , a main product  23  is provided with two recesses  24  and  25 , arranged at a distance to each other. The main product  23  consists, for example, of two sections as shown in  FIG. 1 . The recess  24  is visibly deeper than the recess  25 . If the main product  23  is gripped by correspondingly pivoting in the two clamps  8  and  10 , then the first clamp  8  grips not only the leg S 1 , but also at least a section of the leg S 2 . If both clamps  8  and  10  are closed, only a section of the leg S 2  is opened. A first partial product  21  is then inserted between these leg parts. The second clamp  10  is subsequently pivoted upward, thereby exposing at least a part of the leg S 2  as well as a part  34  of the leg S 1 , which then fall against the inserted first partial product  21  and against the rear pouch wall  7  which is not shown herein. A second partial product  22  is then inserted and comes to rest between the leg part  34  and the remaining section of the leg S 1 . Finally, the first clamp  8  is also pivoted upward and the print product  2 , or the final product, can be removed from the pouch  4 . The print product  2  contains two partial products  21  and  22  that are inserted or fitted in at predetermined locations. These locations or positions can be determined by the matching depths of the recesses  24  and  25 . Of course, the main product  23  can also contain several leg parts and correspondingly different depths of the recesses  24  and  25 , as explained in the following with the aid of  FIG. 4 . 
     For the method according to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a main product  26  for which the legs S 1  and S 2  respectively comprise several leg parts  35  which are provided with recesses  27  and  28 . The leg parts  35  are, for example, parts of sections that are fitted into each other, wherein a section of this type can also be an initial product. If the main product  26  is gripped by the two clamps  8  and  10 , the clamping parts  9  of these clamps extend through the leg parts  35  of the leg S 2 . As a result, the leg parts  35  of the leg S 1  can be separated from the parts of the leg S 2 . A first partial product  21  is then inserted and positioned between the leg parts  35  of the leg S 2 . If the second clamp  10  is opened, then the remaining leg parts  35  of the leg S 2 , as well as the leg parts  36  of the leg S 1 , drop against the inserted first partial product  21 . A second partial product  22  can then be inserted between the leg parts of the leg S 1 , the parts  36 . Following the opening of the first clamp  8 , the print product  3  can be removed from the pouch  4 . The corresponding recesses on the print product  3  can thus form a type of register by means of which the corresponding sections and/or parts of the print product  3  can be found easily and quickly. In place of only two partial products  21  and  22 , it is also possible to insert more than two partial and/or initial products or supplements of this type. Also, more than two recesses can be provided in place of the two spaced apart recesses  27  and  28 . Correspondingly, the pouch  4  can be provided with a corresponding number of clamps. 
     The method consequently can be used to produce finished print products with easily accessible sections and a clear layout, for example comprising a main product with several sections and initial products as well as inserts and supplements. The main product and the initial products can be stitched individually or remain unstitched, wherein the individual sections can be removed easily from the print product. For example, if a reader of a tabloid is interested in the sports section only, the reader can easily remove only this section from the correspondingly structured tabloid. The sports section, in turn, can be provided with an insert addressed to those interested in a particular sport. This method makes possible a high output of print products which are structured in this way. 
     The above-described method can be realized with an arrangement, comprising a conveying device with several successively circulating pouches  4 , which can be supplied with a main product  12 ,  20 ,  23 ,  26  and partial products  21 ,  22  to form the finished print products  1 - 3 . Each pouch  4  is provided in the opening region with at least one controllable clamp  8 ,  10 , comprising a moving clamping part  9  for holding specific print products. 
     The pouches  4  can be arranged in a conveying drum in order to form a cell wheel, for example an arrangement as disclosed in German patent document 24 47 336 A, in which the print products are offset along the axis of rotation for the conveying drum and are supplied with a main product as well as partial products. Even with an arrangement embodied in this way, the pouches  4  and/or the cells can be provided with several clamps, provided with movable clamping parts  9  which can be controlled independently. 
     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 claims.