Patent Abstract:
A collecting cylinder for a folder unit is provided with at least one disk cam that has peripheral switching depressions. These switching depressions can be covered by using an auxiliary curved trajectory which is created by a pivoting drive. Switching levers are selectively blocked or unblocked by motor-driven rotatable switching parts.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a cylinder for a folding apparatus. The cylinder uses rollers which run on at least one base cam disk. The cam disk is fixed in place and has troughs. The rollers are supported by levers and are used to switch cylinder fittings. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A collecting cylinder is disclosed in EP 0 436 102 A1. This cylinder has a basic cam, fixed in place on the lateral frame, for use in the control of the cylinder fittings. In place of pivotable cover disks, the cylinder has electro-magnetically actuable blocking bolts. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of the present invention is directed to providing a cylinder for a folding apparatus. 
   In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by the provision of a cylinder that uses rollers which run on at least one base cam disk, which is fixed in place. The cam disk has troughs which the rollers, that are carried on levers, follow to switch cylinder fittings. An auxiliary cam path for the rollers, and which covers the troughs in the base cam disk, can be formed by the use of a switching element. This switching element selectively blocks or unblocks each roller lever. The switching element is arranged on the rotating cylinder. The roller lever can be blocked or unblocked by a rotary movement of the switching element. The switching element can be driven by a drive motor. 
   The advantages to be gained by the present invention rest, in particular, in that the switching element now employed in accordance with the present invention, allows short switching times, for example of approximately {fraction (1/300)} seconds. Because of this, the exact and accurate switching of the cylinder fittings can take place, even at large circumferential speeds of the cylinder. The arrangement of a step motor in particular, together with very short switching paths generated by rotation, and the movement of small masses, is advantageous. Limitations of the switching times, of switching delays, which are difficult to calculate, as well as of inexact switching paths, which can occur, for example, because of hysteresis properties of magnetic switching devices, or the compressibility of pressure media, are prevented. 
   For example, it is possible, by the use of a collecting cylinder which is equipped with the switching element of the present invention, to accomplish single or up to triple collections, and to set, or change, these different collecting rhythms very rapidly and without elaborate technical outlay. 
   The cylinder for a folder unit, in accordance with the present invention, can be applied in connection with all fittings switchable on cylinders, such as grippers, point spurs, as well as with folding jaws. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is represented in the drawings and will be explained in greater detail in what follows. Shown are in: 
       FIG. 1 , a longitudinal cross-sectional through a cylinder in accordance with the present invention and taken along section line I—I in  FIG. 2 , in 
       FIG. 2 , a cross section through the cylinder of FIG.  1  and taken along section line II—II in  FIG. 1 , in 
       FIG. 3 , a schematic representation of a drive motor with a switching element and a switching lever, and in 
       FIG. 4 , a schematic representation of a variation of a drive motor with a switching element and a switching lever. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there may be seen generally at  01  a cylinder for a folder unit in accordance with the present invention. Cylinder  01 , which may be, for example, a five-part collecting cylinder  01  of a web-fed rotary printing press consists, for example, of two, or possibly more, spaced lateral disks  02 ,  03  arranged on a shaft  04  and separated from each other by cross pieces  06 , if required. The cylinder  01  has a plurality of diverse cylinder fittings  07 ,  08 ,  09 ,  10 ,  11 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  on its circumference. These can include, for example, five gripper systems  07 ,  08 ,  09 ,  10 ,  11 , which are spaced apart from each other and between each of which is located a folding blade system  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17 , respectively. These cylinder fittings are only suggested or symbolically represented, and are arranged as depicted in FIG.  2 . 
   Each one of the gripper systems  07  to  11  has a support spindle  19 , which is rotatably seated between the lateral disks  02 ,  03 , with grippers  21  arranged, and fixed against relative rotation, on the support spindle  19  and spaced apart over the cylinder width, which grippers  21  can be moved against a gripper rest, which is not specifically represented in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   On one end, the support spindle  19  has secured thereto a first end of a roller lever  22 . The roller lever  22  receives a roller  23  on its second end, as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   The collecting cylinder  01  is seated in lateral frames  28 ,  29  of a folder unit, which is not specifically shown by use of shaft journals  24 ,  26  of shaft  04  and by the provision of various bearings  27 , for example rolling bearings  27 . The left shaft journal  24 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , is connected with a gear wheel  31 , for example a drive gear wheel  31 . 
   A bushing  32 , which is fixed in place in the lateral frame  28 , and which receives the left rolling bearing  27 , as well as the shaft journal  24  located within the left rolling bearing  27 , is arranged on the driven side of the cylinder  01 , i.e. in the left lateral frame  28 . This bushing  22  supports at least one base cam disk  33 , which is arranged parallel with respect to the lateral frame and between the lateral frame  28  and the lateral disk  02 , and on whose cam disk periphery  34  the cam rollers  23  of the gripper systems  07  to  11  roll off. 
   On its periphery  34 , the base cam disk  33  has various troughs  36 ,  37 , for example a receiving trough  36 , as well as a delivery trough  37 . These troughs  36 ,  37  are seen most clearly in FIG.  2 . 
   Adjacent the end of its respective support spindle  19 , and inboard of the left lateral disk  02 , each one of the cylinder fittings  07  to  11 , i.e. each one of the gripper systems  07  to  11 , has a switching lever  38 , which is fixed on the support spindle and which extends approximately in the radial direction with respect to the shaft  04 . The switching lever  38  is located in, and can extend in the interior of the cylinder in the vicinity of the lateral disk  02 , as seen in  FIG. 1. A  free end of the switching lever  38  can enter into a connection with a cam-like or propeller-shaped switching element  39 , which is rotatable around an axis of rotation A by operation of a drive motor  41  which is fixed in place on the left disk  02 , all as seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . In an advantageous embodiment, the switching element  39  is connected, fixed against relative rotation, with a motor shaft of the drive motor  41 . The drive motor  41  is preferably configured as a step motor  41 . The switching element  39  is configured as either a one-armed lever or as a double-armed lever  39 , for example, wherein a free end of the lever  39  can be used as a stop for the free end of the switching lever  38  and can block it as depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
   Each one of the drive motors  41  assigned to the individual gripper systems  07  to  11  is connected by lines  42 ,  43  with an electrical control unit  44  which is located, for example, on the exterior of the right lateral disk  03 , as seen in FIG.  1 . This control unit  44  is connected by a line  46  extending over, or through the right shaft journal  26 , with a collector ring body  47 , which is located on the shaft journal  47  and which is enclosed in a housing  30 . The output lines  48  of the collector rings lead to a central control device, which is not specifically represented. 
   It is, of course, also possible to arrange a rotatable transmitter unit, that is also not represented, in place of the collector ring body  47 , and to transmit the control signals in a contactless manner via a stator, also not represented, to the central control device, and to receive fresh control signals from the latter. 
   It is furthermore possible to arrange a second base cam disk  49 , for use with the folding blade systems  13  to  17  on the bushing  32 , and thus fixed in place on the lateral frame. Parts of these folding blade systems  13  to  17  are rollers and roller levers, which are similar to the ones discussed in connection with the gripper systems  07  to  11 , and which are not represented. As in connection with the gripper systems  07  to  11 , switching levers, switching elements, as well as step motors, not specifically represented, are also provided for the folding blade systems  13  to  17 . The embodiment of the lateral disks  02 ,  03  as multi-piece lateral disks  02 ,  03  is advantageous, wherein the folding blade systems  13  to  17  and the gripper systems  07  to  11  are each supported by separate pairs of lateral disks and thus can be rotated in respect to each other. 
   In this multiple disk pair embodiment, which is not specifically shown, the shaft journal  24  is advantageously embodied as a hollow shaft and is connected, for example, with the lateral disk  02  for the support spindle  19  of the gripper systems  07  to  11 . For example, a second shaft journal, which is not represented, of the lateral disk, also not represented, of the folding blade systems  13  to  17  is arranged inside the shaft journal  24  which is embodied as a hollow shaft. 
   The systems of the cylinder  01  for a folder unit in accordance with the present invention operate as follows: 
   In response to the control signals received via the control unit  44 , the drive motors  41  are each actuated by the rotation of their motor shafts in such a way that the free end of the propeller-shaped switching element  39  is brought into a tangential position with respect to the cylinder cross section, as depicted with the gripper system  07 , or into a radial position with respect to the cylinder cross section, as depicted with the gripper system  09 . The gripper system  08  shows the switching element  39  within a switching angle α of rotation of the cylinder  01 , while the gripper system  09  shows the switching element  39  in a resting phase within an angle β of rotation of the cylinder  01 . At high numbers of revolutions of the collecting cylinder  01 , along with high circumferential speeds, the switching element  39  must arrive in its new position within the switching angle α of rotation of the cylinder  01  very quickly, in particular within a time of less than {fraction (1/300)} second, and dependably. 
   In the tangential position of the switching element  39 , the switching lever  38  of the support spindle  19  is blocked. In this configuration the rollers  23  cannot dip into the trough  36 . An auxiliary cam track  51  is thereby created, which auxiliary cam track  51  prevents the opening of the gripper systems  07  to  11  when the rollers  23  pass through. 
   In the radial position of the switching element  39 , as seen in the gripper system  09 , the roller  23  passes through the delivery trough  37  and the grippers  21  will now open. In the tangential position of this switching element  39 , an auxiliary cam track  52  would be created for the rollers  23 , and the delivery of imprinted products would be prevented. The axis of rotation A of the switching element  39  which, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , is congruent with the motor shaft of the drive motor  41 , extends axis-parallel with respect to the support spindle  19 . 
   The same operating sequence is also applicable in connection with the folding blade systems  13  to  17 , which are not represented in detail. 
   In accordance with a second preferred embodiment, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , it is also possible for a free end of the rotatable lever  39  of the switching element to have a cam  53 , which cam extends almost at right angles to the switching element  39  and axis-parallel with the axis of rotation A of the switching element  39 , or the motor shaft, and which cam  53 , in a blocking position, is rotated underneath the free end of the switching lever  38  and blocks it, so that the support spindle  19  is also not rotatable. 
   In this second embodiment, the motor shaft of the drive motor  41  extends in a secant-like direction with respect to the cylinder cross section in accordance with FIG.  2 . 
   It is moreover also possible to employ lifting magnets, which are not specifically represented, for switching the systems, for example for opening and closing the gripper systems  07  to  11 , in place of the previously mentioned drive motors  41 . 
   The switching lever  38  can also be brought into two different positions by the different placement of the lifting drive. 
   The generation of the auxiliary cam tracks  51 ,  52  can be employed in the same or in a similar manner use with cylinders intended for cutting or folding. 
   While preferred embodiments of a cylinder for a folder unit, 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 size of the cylinder, the number of cylinder fittings on the cylinder, 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 following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1