Abstract:
A cylinder, having a cylindrical body which is rotatable about a cylinder axis of rotation, is usable to process flat material. At least one group of a plurality of tools are distributed around the periphery of the cylinder body in a homogeneous manner. These tools are able to perform a working movement with respect to the cylindrical body and are coupled to a control device which effects that working movement. A first cam plate is traced by the control device of each tool group. A rotatable cover disk is also traced by the control device of each tool group. The cover plate is rotatable and is coupled, for its rotation, to the rotation of the cylinder. The cam plate has a peripheral section that controls the tool working movement, in cooperation with the control device. The control section covers a maximum of 1/n of the periphery of the cam plate, where n is a whole number integer equal to, or larger than 2, in addition to a section that does not control the working movement of the tool group and which constitutes the rest of the cam plate periphery. The cover disk includes a first group of sections of different radii, which are traced by the control device, and which control device also traces the sections of the cam disk during the rotations of the cylinder body. At least one of those cover disk sections has a first radius which enables cooperation between the control device and the cover disk section. At least one other of the sections has a second radius which blocks such cooperation. At least one second group of sectors is also provided on the cover disk and is arranged between two sections of the first group of sectors. The radii of the first sectors and the second sectors are not the same.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is the U.S. national phase, under 35 USC 371, of PCT/EP2005/051635, filed Apr. 13, 2005; published as WO 2005/102890 A2 and A3 on Nov. 3, 2005 and claiming priority to DE 10 2004 020 304.0, filed Apr. 26, 2004, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed to cylinders for processing flat material and to a cylinder in a folding apparatus of a printing press The cylinder has a cylinder body which is rotatable about a cylinder axis and which has at least one group of tools which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylinder body. These tools are able to perform a work movement with respect to the cylinder body.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is known from DE 38 28 372 A1 to provide cams on a cover disk, which cams are displaceable in the radial direction. It is possible, by the use of these cams, to form sections on the cover disk which, when being scanned, or traced by the control lever, block a work movement of a tool. It is possible to match the cover disk to the respective production process by a suitable distribution of the sections on the cover disk. Moreover, cover disks are generally known and which are comprised of several partial cover disks. The several partial cover disks are displaced, relative to each other, by motors in order to make a change between modes of production. However, in both of the above-described cases, the construction of the cover disk and of the cylinder is very complex and includes many individual parts. The result is that a switch between modes of production is very complicated and time consuming.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,499 discloses a cylinder for processing flat material, and having a cylinder body which is rotatable around a cylinder axis, and on which cylinder body controllable tools are arranged. These tools are controlled by a cam disk and by a cover disk. These disks have sectors of different radii.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,993 discloses a cylinder for processing flat material, and having a cylinder body which is rotatable around a cylinder axis. At least one group of several tools is uniformly arranged over the circumference of the cylinder body, which tools are arranged for performing a work movement with respect to the cylinder body. The tools are couples to a control arrangement for driving the work movement, to a stationary cam disk, which is scanned by a control arrangement of each tool, and to a rotatable cover disk that is coupled to the rotation of the cylinder body, and which is scanned by the control arrangement of each tool. The cylinder has an operating mode triple collating operation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The object of the present invention is directed to providing cylinders for processing flat material with a simple production change.  
         [0007]     In accordance with the present invention, the object is attained by the provision of a cylinder having a cylinder body which is rotatable around a cylinder axis and which has at least one group of several tools that are evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylinder body. These tools are arranged to perform a work movement with respect to the cylinder body and are coupled to a control arrangement for driving the work movement. A stationary cam disk is traced by the control arrangement of each tool. A rotatable cover disk is coupled to the rotation of the cylinder body and is also traced by the control arrangement. The cam disk includes at least one circumferential section which controls the work movement and a section which does not control the work movement of the tools.  
         [0008]     The advantages which can be obtained by the present invention lie, in particular, in that the same cover disk can be used without retrofitting steps, or without other structural modifications, for different modes of production of the cylinder. For example, those different production modes could be ones in which the cylinder collimates either one work piece or several work pieces, but at most collimates n−1 work pieces, out of the flat material, which work pieces are preferably signatures made of paper. A sector group of the cover disk is assigned to each mode of production. A sequence of these sectors, which may be, for example, circular sectors, and having a first or a second radius, is specific for the associated production mode within the group. Each sequence of sectors permits or blocks the work movement of the tools in accordance with the associated production mode. If the cylinder is operated in a specific production mode, the control arrangement, together with the section controlling the work movement, only passes sectors of the cover disk of a single selected sector group. If, for example, in one of the sector groups all of the sectors have the same radius, the same work movement of the tools takes place during each revolution of the cylinder in the course of the operation of the cylinder in the production mode of the cylinder which is determined by this sector group.  
         [0009]     Since the cover disk is rotatably coupled to the rotation of the cylinder body, it is easy to switch between two production modes by appropriately setting a phase between the cover disk and the cylinder body. Sectors of the group of sectors which is a part of the desired production mode either permit, or block, cooperation of the control arrangement and the section for controlling the work movement.  
         [0010]     Wear of the control arrangement of the cylinder is reduced, because a relative speed between the rotating cylinder body and the cover disk is reduced. The cover disk comprises several sector groups, so that a number of the sectors of the cover disk is increased, in comparison with generally known, constructions. The difference of the rotatory speeds of the cylinder body and of the cover disk, which is required for controlling the tool movement at the desired periodicity, is clearly reduced. The acceleration which is experienced by a roller of the control arrangement, which roller traces the cover disk every time it comes into contact with the cover disk, is reduced by this. Since the frictional wear of the roller of the cover disk is disproportionally increased as acceleration increases, the service life of the roller is considerably increased by this reduction in speed differential.  
         [0011]     The roller which is used for scanning or tracing the cover disk can be simply mounted on a common control lever together with a roller which is intended for scanning or tracing the cam disk. In such an arrangement, the roller of the cam curve will always lose contact with the cam disk when the cover disk blocks the work movement of the control arrangement. When the roller loses contact, it is slowed down and must be accelerated again. To prevent this loss of contact, it is also possible to provide two control levers, one for each roller, which provision of two control levers permits the roller of the cam disk to remain in contact with the cam disk even if the cover disk blocks the work movement.  
         [0012]     The cover disk can be coupled with the cylinder body through a compensation drive, such as, for example, a planetary gear or a harmonic drive gear. When a compensating shaft of this compensation drive is locked, this gear can be used as the drive mechanism for the cover disk. A rotation of the compensating shaft of this same gear can make possible a switching of the production modes of the cylinder. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.  
         [0014]     Shown are in:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1 , a partial perspective view of a cylinder with folding blades in accordance with the present invention, in  
         [0016]      FIG. 2 , an exploded detailed perspective view of the control arrangement with two control levers of a folding blade of the cylinder depicted in  FIG. 1 , in  
         [0017]      FIG. 3 , a detailed perspective view of a simplified control arrangement with one control lever and with two rollers mounted thereon, in  
         [0018]      FIG. 4 , an end view of a first embodiment of a cover disk for a cylinder with folding blades, in  
         [0019]      FIG. 5 , an end view of a further embodiment of a cover disk for a cylinder with folding blades, in  
         [0020]      FIGS. 6   a )- 6   f ), the depiction of modes of functioning of the cover disk for three production modes of the cylinder, in  
         [0021]      FIG. 7 , an end cover disk for use with a cylinder having grippers, in  
         [0022]      FIG. 8 , a schematic depiction of a gear drive arrangement of a collating cylinder, and in  
         [0023]      FIG. 9 , a schematic depiction of a second gear drive arrangement of a collating cylinder. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of an end section of a cylinder body  01  with three folding blades, two of which folding blades are visible in  FIG. 1 . For the sake of simplicity, the cylinder body  01  has been represented in  FIG. 1  in the narrow, geometric sense. However, it is to be understood that it is possible, in actuality, to depart from the depicted geometric cylinder shape, provided that signatures on the shell face of the cylinder  01  are conveyed on a path which is shaped as a circle or as a sector of a circle. It is possible, in particular, for the shell surface of the cylinder  01  to be constructed of a plurality of segments, which segments can be shifted with respect to each other. The tools  02 , such as, for example, the folding blades, can be extended out of slits which are arranged at a spacing of 120° with respect to each other on the shell surface of the cylinder body  01 . Such an extension is done in order to transversely fold conveyed signatures at a transfer gap, which is not specifically represented and, in the process, to transfer the now transversely folded signatures to an also not represented folding jaw cylinder. To be able to load a subsequent or following signature onto the cylinder body  01 , the folding blades  02  must previously be retracted into the interior of the cylinder  01 . To accomplish this task, the folding blades  02  are each fixedly connected with a respective shaft  03 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , by the use of arms, which arms are hidden by the shell of the cylinder body  01  in  FIG. 1 . Each of these arms is pivotably seated in two oppositely located front or end plates  04  of the cylinder body  01 . Journals  06  of the cylinder  01 , which journals  06  are connected with the front or end plates  04 , are rotatably seated in a lateral frame, which is not specifically represented. A cam disk  07  and a cover disk  08  are provided coaxially with respect to the journal  06 , as represented in  FIG. 1 . The cam disk  07  has substantially the shape of a circular disk and is arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the cylinder body  01 . A section  09  of the cam disk  07  such as, for example, the circumferential face  09  of the cam disk  07  has been formed with a circumferential section  11 , such as, for example, an indentation  11 . The cover disk  08  can be understood, and can be seen in  FIG. 1 , as having been constructed of sectors  12 ,  13 , such as, for example, a plurality of circular sectors  12 .  13 .  
         [0025]     Each one of the three shafts  03  of the cylinder body  01  supports two control levers  16 ,  17 , each of which control levers  16 ,  17  forms a control arrangement for controlling the movement of a respective one of the folding blades  02 . For the sake of clarity, the control levers  16 ,  17  are represented in  FIG. 1  on only one of the three shafts  03 . The first control lever  16  has a roller  18  on its free end, which roller  18  rolls off on the circumferential surface of the cam disk  07 . In an analogous manner, the second control lever  17  has a roller  19  on its free end, which roller  19  rolls off on the circumferential surface of the cover disk  08 . The second control lever  17  is fixedly connected with the shaft  03 , while the first control lever  16  can be rotated around the shaft  03 .  
         [0026]     The two control levers  16 ,  17  have protrusions  21  or  22 , respectively on their lateral flanks, with each such protrusion  21 ,  22  facing the other control lever  16 ,  17 , as can be seen in the expanded detailed representation of the control arrangement, which is shown in  FIG. 2 . A pressure spring  23 , which drives the two protrusions  21 ,  22  apart from each other, lies between the two protrusions  21 ,  22 , as may also be seen in  FIG. 2 . The torque of a spring, which is not specifically represented, and which may be housed, for example, in the cylinder body  01 , acts through the shaft  03  on the second control lever  17  and drives the roller  19  of the second control lever  17  against the circumferential surface of the cover disk  08 . In the position which is represented in  FIG. 1 , the first roller  18  rolls off in the indentation  11  on the circumferential face  09  of the cam disk  07 , and the roller  19  rolls off on a first sector  12  of the cover disk  08 . When the first roller  18  rolls off on the circumferential face  09  while the second roller  19  lies opposite a first sector  12 , the second roller  19  does not touch the cover disk  08 , since a contact between the protrusions  21 ,  22  of the two control levers  16 ,  17 , and the support of the first roller  18  of the first control lever  16 , which simultaneously rolls off on the circumferential face  09 , prevent this contact of roller  19  with cover disk  08 . In the course of a complete revolution of the cylinder body  01 , the roller  18  is in contact with the cam disk  07  and because of this contact, this roller  18  is being uniformly rotatorily driven. When the first roller  18  enters the indentation  11 , this leads to a movement of the folding blades  02  only if, at the same time that the first roller  18  enters the indentation  11 , the second roller  19  is located opposite a section  13  of the cover disk  08  with a small radius, as represented in  FIG. 1 . If this is not the case, the second roller  19  loses contact with the cover disk  08  and is slowed until it again comes into contact with a section  12  of a large radius.  
         [0027]     In a perspective plan view, which is analogous to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  shows a simplified control arrangement, in which a single control lever  17 ′, which is fastened on the shaft  03 , supports two rollers  18 ′,  19 ′ for rolling off on the cam disk  07  or on the cover disk  08 , respectively. The control lever  17 ′ pivots radially inward only in the case where both rollers  18 ′,  19 ′ simultaneously pass the indentation  11  of the cam disk  07  or a section  12  of the cover disk  08  of a small radius.  
         [0028]     In place of the three folding blades  02 , or spur needle strips with spur needles, or grippers or folding jaws, the cylinder  01  can also have five or seven sections, and can thus have five or seven groups of tools  02 , in particular five or seven groups of folding blades  02 , or spur needle strips with spur needles, or grippers or folding jaws.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a front plan view of the cover disk  08 . Although cover disk  08  is, in actuality, made of one piece, with respect to its functions, it can be divided, as will be discussed subsequently in connection with  FIG. 6 , into first circular sectors  12  of a small radius and second circular sectors  13  of a large radius, which large radius sector  13  have been drawn in heavier lines in the various drawings for the purpose of making matters more clear. Each sector group of the cover disk  08  is comprised of twelve individual sectors  12 ,  13 .  
         [0030]     Each individual sector  12 ,  13  is a part of one of three sector groups. The group affiliation for each sector  12 ,  13  is shown by a symbol “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;” or “&lt;&lt;&lt;”, with which each such sector  12 ,  13  has been provided, as is shown in  FIG. 4 . The sectors  12 ,  13  of the individual sector groups “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” cyclically alternate in the circumferential direction of the cover disk  08 . Between each of two sectors  12 ,  13  of the same sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” a sector  12 ,  13  of each of the respectively other sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” is arranged.  
         [0031]     All twelve sectors of the first group of sectors “&lt;” are sectors  12  of small radius. This first group “&lt;” is used for control during non-collating operations. When, in the course of each passage over the indentation  11 , the control arrangement  16 ,  17  or  17 ′ meets a sector  12  of this group “&lt;”, the control arrangement follows the contour of the indentation  11  on the cam disk  07  and the folding blades perform the appropriate work movement. They are extended during each passage of the transfer gap, which is not specifically represented, and are subsequently retracted into the cylinder body  01 .  
         [0032]     The cam disk  07  includes a circumferential section  11  which controls the work movement in cooperation with the control arrangement  16 ,  17 ,  17 ′, and which, when “n” is a whole number equal to or greater than 2, amounts to at most 1/n of the total circumference of the cam disk  07 . Cam disk  07  also includes a section which is not controlling the work movement of the tool groups and which second section amounts to the remainder of the total circumference of the cam disk  07 .  
         [0033]      FIGS. 6    a ) and  b ) are intended to illustrate the mode of functioning of the cover disk  08  during a non-collating production mode of the cylinder  01 . The rollers  18 ,  19  circle the cam and cover disks  07 ,  08 , respectively, in a counterclockwise direction. While the cam disk  07  is stationary, the cover disk  08  is coupled with the cylinder body  01  and rotates in the same direction as it does but, in a manner corresponding to the number  12  of sectors of each group, slower by 1/12. In the situation which is represented in  FIG. 6   a ), the cam disk roller  18  is almost ready to pass the indentation  11 . The phase relationship between the cover disk  08  and the cam disk  07  have been selected such that the cover disk roller  19  has, at this time, entered the angular range of a first sector  12 ′ of the sector group “&lt;”. The cam disk roller  18  enters the indentation  11  in the cam disk  07  in the continued course of the rotation of the cylinder  01 , and the associated folding blade  02  is extended. During the time in which the cam disk roller  18  crosses the indentation  11  in the cam disk  07 , the roller  19  rolls off exclusively on the first sector  12 ′ of the cover disk  08 . After the cam disk roller  18  has reached the end of the indentation  11 , the folding blade  02  is again retracted. Immediately following the crossing of the cam disk roller  18  through the indentation  11 , the cover disk roller  19  has left the first sector  12 ′ behind, which can be seen in  FIG. 6   b ). In the course of the continued rotation of the cylinder body  01 , during which the cam disk roller  18  rolls off on the circumferential face  09  of the cam disk  07 , the folding blade  02  remains retracted. When, after a complete rotation of the cylinder  01 , the cam disk roller  18  again reaches the start of the indentation  11 , the cover disk  08  has now turned or rotated sufficiently far so that the cover disk roller  19  is in the angular range of the next sector  12 ″ of the same sector group “&lt;”. In the course of the subsequent crossing of the indentation  11  by the cam disk roller  18 , the cover disk roller  19  therefore rolls off on the first sector  12 ″, and the folding blade  02  is extended when the cam disk roller  18  dips into the indentation  11  and is retracted again when the cam disk roller  18  again comes out of the indentation  11 . One revolution later, it is the sector  12 ′″ of the cover disk  08  which follows the first sector  12 ″ within the group “&lt;”, on which the roller  19  rolls off when the cam disk roller  18  crosses the indentation  11 . During each following revolution, it is always one of the sectors marked by “&lt;” in whose angular range the roller  19  is located when the roller  18  crosses the indentation  11 . Since the sectors marked by “&lt;” are exclusively the first sector  12  of the cover disk of small radius, the folding blade  02  is extended during each revolution of the cylinder body  01 . The cylinder  01  now operates in the non-collating production mode.  
         [0034]     In comparison to this non-collating production mode shown in  FIGS. 6   a ) and  b ),  FIGS. 6    c ) and  d ) represent the mode of functioning of the cylinder  01  in the single collating production mode. To reach the single collating production mode from the non-collating production mode, the phase of the rotation of the cover disk  08 , with respect to the cam disk, has been set in such a way that the situation shown in  FIG. 6    c ) results, in which the cam disk roller  18  is located at the start of the indentation  11 . Now the cover disk roller  19  is at the height of a second sector  13 ′ of a large radius, which second sector belongs to the second sector group “&lt;&lt;” of the single collating production mode. The cover disk roller  19  rolls off on this second sector  13 ′ until the situation depicted in  FIG. 6 d ) results. During the time in which the cover disk roller  19  rolls off on the second sector  13 ′, the cam disk roller  18  passes the indentation  11 . However, because of the large radius of the second sector  13 ′, the cam disk roller  18  cannot enter the indentation  11 . The cam disk roller  18  does not touch the cam disk  07  during the time the cover disk roller  19  rolls off on the second sector  13 ′. Therefore, the control lever for the folding blade  02  is not actuated and the latter is not extended. One revolution of the cylinder body  01  later, the cover disk roller  19  rolls off, as described above, on the sector  12 ″ which follows the second sector  13 ′ within the sector group “&lt;&lt;”. However, since this is a first sector  12 ″ of a small radius, this time the folding blade  02  is extended, as described above, when the cam disk roller  18  crosses through the indentation  11  of the cam disk  07 . Because the sector  13 ′″, which follows the first sector  12 ″ in the second sector group “&lt;&lt;” has a large radius, the folding blade  02  is again not extended one revolution later. By the alternating arrangement of first sectors  12  and second sectors  13  in the second sector group “&lt;&lt;” belonging to the single collating production mode, it can be seen that during each revolution of the cylinder body  01  the folding blade is alternatingly extended one time and is not extended the next time.  
         [0035]     From the above explanations, the mode of functioning of the cover disk  08  during the dual collating production mode, as represented in  FIGS. 6    e ) and  f ), can be easily seen. The situation shortly prior to the cam disk roller  18  passing through the indentation  11 , analogously to the above descriptions, is represented in  FIG. 6    e ), and the situation directly after the passage of the cam disk roller  18  is depicted in  FIG. 6    f ). Between these two times, the cover disk roller  19  rolls off on a second sector  13  so that, the folding blade is not extended. Within the third sector group “&lt;&lt;&lt;”, which corresponds to the dual collating production mode, respectively two second large radius sectors  13  follow each first small radius sector  12 . Therefore, after the extension of the folding blade  02 , two revolutions of the cylinder body follow, in which the folding blade  02  is not extended. The cylinder  01  now operates in the dual collating production mode.  
         [0036]     The cover disk  08  could, of course, also have still further sector groups beyond the first, second and third sector groups “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;”, such as, for example, a fourth sector group “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”, which has one small radius sector  12  for respectively three large radius sectors  13  in order to provide a triple collating production mode.  FIG. 5  shows such a four sector group cover disk  14  with four different sector groups “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” and “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”. With the cover disk  14  the number of sectors of every sector group is  12 .  
         [0037]     In the above-described preferred embodiments, only folding blades  02  were discussed and depicted as examples of tools which are attached to the cylinder body  01  and which are periodically driven. It is, of course, understood that the present invention can also be used in the same manner, as has been described above, in connection with other periodically moved tools, such as folding blades, spur needle strips with spur needles, grippers, folding jaws and the like.  
         [0038]     As an example of a cover disk  53  which is suitable for controlling the work movements of tools that are different from folding blades  02 ,  FIG. 7  shows a cover disk  53  which is suitable for controlling grippers of a gripper cylinder. The cover disk has four different sector groups, each with sectors  12 ,  13 . As explained above, sectors  12 ,  13  belonging to the same sector group are marked by “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” or “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”. The symbols simultaneously stand for the production modes which can be realized by the use of the respective sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” or “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”. The sheet end grippers move once during every revolution of the cylinder  01  to pick up a freshly fed-in signature, and, depending on the selected production mode, they move a second time during each one or several revolutions of the cylinder in order to release the signatures. In the course of a release movement, the cover disk roller  19  moves over one of the respective sectors  12  or  13  of the group corresponding to the respectively selected production mode. The pick-up movement is controlled in that the cover disk roller  19  rolls off on one of the small radius areas  24  which are located between four respective sectors  12 ,  13 , which small radius areas  24  are not counted among the four sector groups and which have a small radius like the sectors  12 . Therefore a cam disk, which is working together with the cover disk  53 , customarily has, in addition to the indentation  11 , by the use of which the release of the signatures is controlled as a function of the production type, a further indentation which, together with the small radius areas  24 , controls the pick-up of the signatures.  
         [0039]     A gear arrangement for accomplishing the rotation of a cylinder  01  of a folding apparatus, such as is, as a rule, arranged downstream of a web-fed rotary printing press, can be seen in  FIG. 8 . For tools  02 , the cylinder  01  has several folding blades  02  which are distributed evenly over the circumference of its cylinder body  01 . Cylinder  01  also has groups of several grippers which are also distributed evenly over the circumference of the cylinder body  01 . As described in the previously mentioned DE 38 28 372 A1, the cylinder  01  consists of two segments, which are each star-shaped in cross section, which can be uniformly driven and which can be shifted in respect to each other. One segment is in the form of a laterally seated folding blade element with the folding blades. The other segment is a gripper element with the grippers. The folding blade element has a journal  26  and the gripper element a journal  27 . The gripper element journal  27  is embodied to be hollow and the folding blade journal  26  extends through it, so that both journals  26 ,  27  are coaxially seated in a frame  28 . A drive gear wheel  29 , for use in driving the folding blade element, is fastened on the journal  26 , and a drive gear wheel  31  for driving the gripper element is fastened on the journal  27 . The drive wheels  29 ,  31  are arranged coaxially next to each other and have the same diameter.  
         [0040]     A cover disk  32 , which is intended for use in controlling the folding blades, is fastened on a hollow cylinder  37 , which is seated coaxially with the journals  26 ,  27  and which rotatable around them in the frame  28  and is therefore also arranged coaxially with the journals  26 ,  27  and is rotatable around them. A cam disk  34 , which is situated adjacent to the cover disk  32 , is fixedly connected with the frame  28 . The folding blades are controlled, as described above, by the operation of the cover disk  32  and the cam disk  34 , as well as by the use of non-represented control levers. The folding blade cover disk hollow cylinder  37  has a folding blade crown gear  38  at an end of cylinder  37  which is opposite the cover disk  32 . The folding blade cover disk crown gear  38  is in engagement with a gear wheel  39  of a folding blade compensating gear  41 , such as, for example, a planetary gear or a harmonic drive gear  41 , which folding blade compensating gear  41  is in engagement with the drive wheel  29  of the folding blade element via a further gear wheel  42 . Any arbitrary phase relationship between the folding blade crown gear  38 , and therefore between the folding blade cover disk  32  and folding blade element, can be set by the use of a folding blade compensating shaft  43  of the harmonic drive gear  41 .  
         [0041]     A gripper cover disk  33 , for use in controlling the grippers, is fastened in the same way as the folding blade cover disk  32  at an end of the gripper cover disk hollow cylinder  44  which surrounds the folding blade cover disk hollow cylinder  37  and is rotatably seated around the latter. Therefore, the gripper cover disk  33  is also seated coaxially with the journals  26 ,  27  and can be rotated around them. A gripper cam disk  36 , adjoining the gripper cover disk  33 , is also fixedly connected with the frame  28  and, in the same manner, as was described above, and together with the cover disk  33 , is used for controlling the grippers. A representation of the associated control levers has been omitted. The hollow gripper cover disk cylinder  44  also has a gripper crown gear  46  at its end opposite the cover disk  33 . The gripper crown gear  46  is in engagement with a gear wheel  47  of a gripper compensating gear  48 , such as, for example, a planetary gear or a harmonic drive gear  48 , which is in engagement with the folding blade drive wheel  28  via a gear wheel  49 . Any arbitrary phase relationship between the cover disk  33  and the gripper element can be set via a compensating shaft  51  of the harmonic drive gear  48 .  
         [0042]     The gear arrangement, which is represented in  FIG. 8 , sees to a coupling of the cover disks  32 ,  33  to a rotation of the folding blade element and the gripper element. These cover disks  32 ,  33  are driven via the respective drive wheels  29 ,  31 . Since the two separate harmonic drive gears  41 ,  48  are both in engagement with the drive wheel  29  of the folding blade element, as well as with their respective, appropriate crown gears  38 ,  46 , the drive wheel  29  also drives the cover disks  32 ,  33 . Provided the harmonic drive gears  41 ,  48  provide a gear ratio of  
       1   ⁢     :     ⁢       1   -   s     s     ⁢           ⁢   or   ⁢           ⁢   1   ⁢     :     ⁢       1   +   s     s         
 
 wherein s is the number of sectors for each sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;” “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;” the cover disks  32 ,  33  rotate in such a way that, as described above, only sectors  12 ,  13  of the same sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”, together with the rollers  18 ,  19 ,  18 ′,  19 ′ of the control levers  16 ,  17 ,  17 ′ pass the indentations of the cam disks  34 ,  36 . 
 
         [0043]     It is possible to switch between the several individual production types discussed above by operation of the compensating shafts  43 ,  51 . By shifting the cover disks  32 ,  33 , with respect to the folding blade element and to the gripper element, by use of the compensating shafts  43 ,  51  and the harmonic drive gears  41 ,  48 , it is possible to adjust a phase between the cover disks  32 ,  33  and the respective folding blade element or the gripper element. The result is that only sectors of such a sector group “&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;”, “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;”, together with rollers  18 ,  19 ,  18 ′,  19 ′ of the control levers  16 ,  17 ,  17 ′, pass the indentations of the cam disks  34 ,  36  which are part of the desired production type.  
         [0044]      FIG. 9  shows an alternative embodiment of the gear arrangement shown and discussed in connection with  FIG. 8 . In contrast to the gear arrangement which is represented in  FIG. 8 , in this alternative embodiment an additional drive gear wheel  52  has been fastened to the folding blade element journal  26 . The harmonic drive gears  41 ,  48  are in engagement with this additional drive gear wheel  52 , so that the cover disks  32 ,  33  are operated indirectly, so to speak, via the drive wheel  52  instead of, as depicted in  FIG. 8 , directly via the drive wheel  29  through which a force flow into the gear takes place.  
         [0045]     The cylinder body  01 , as well as the cover disk  08 , may rotate, for example, in a counterclockwise direction. The control arrangement  16 ,  17 ,  17 ′ is embodied to precess, for example.  
         [0046]     Driving of the cover disk  08 ,  14 ,  53  takes place from the folding blade cylinder, the folding gripper cylinder, the spur needle cylinder or the folding jaw cylinder.  
         [0047]     The cylinder  01  is in a folding apparatus of a printing press and supports movable tools, which movable tools can be controlled by the use of a cover disk  08 ,  14 ,  53 . The cover disk  08 ,  14 ,  53  can be driven by its own positionally-regulated electric motor.  
         [0048]     The first sector group “&lt;” determines the operating mode “non-collating operation”.  
         [0049]     The second sector group “&lt;&lt;” determines the operating mode “single collating operation”.  
         [0050]     The third sector group “&lt;&lt;&lt;” determines the operating mode “dual collating operation”.  
         [0051]     The fourth sector group “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;” determines the operating mode “triple collating operation”.  
         [0052]     The fifth sector group “&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;” determines the operating mode “quadruple collating operation” which quadruple collating mode of operation is not specifically represented.  
         [0053]     The cylinder  01  has five tools  02 .  
         [0054]     While preferred embodiments of a cylinder for processing flat material, in accordance with the present invention, have 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 overall structure of the printing press in which the cylinder can be used, the specific structure of the groups of tools and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the appended claims.