Ferag Ag

Alex Keller

Roberto Fenile

Hans-Ulrich Stauber

A postpress system () and method for producing and processing product units (P), in particular printed end products (P) with printed product collections comprising a plurality of products, selected from the group of wrapping products, and a plurality of part products and/or inserts, to make route adapted stacks or packs, at least some of the printed end products (P) being product units which have been customized for specific addressees are proposed. By using feed devices () which each comprise a supply conveyor (), a preparation circuit () with a plurality of transport units () and an output conveyor (), printed products (D) are fed in a controlled fashion to the holding units () with reliability. A sorting device () with at least one directing group with at least one gate (), a transit section () and at least one supply section is used to correct faults, or deviations in the product sequence from the production sequence.

Method and device for creating packs of printed products

The invention relates to a method for producing collections () from a plurality of N (N=2, 3, 4, . . . ) different printed products (-), which collections () each comprise a stack () of printed products (-), which stack is packed in a packaging element () wrapped around the stack (). A solution that does not require additional material use includes the following steps: providing the N printed products (-): forming an intermediate stack () from N&#x2212;x (x=1, 2, 3, . . . ) of the N printed products (-); providing the x remaining printed products as a packaging element (); and wrapping the intermediate stack () in the packaging element ().

Method for producing collections from a plurality of different printed products and device for performing the method

An apparatus for separating individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects. The apparatus includes a stacking area having a support region, a roller arrangement produced from a plurality of rollers, the roller arrangement supporting the stack from below in the support region, as well as a separating and holding device for separating the objects from the underside of the stack. The rollers of the roller arrangement are guided along a circular path so as to be movable past under the stack in the support region. The apparatus further includes a supporting and stopping device for positioning the supporting and stopping device in a holding position between the stack and the rollers of the roller arrangement.

Apparatus for separating individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects

A device and method for transferring flexible flat objects, in particular printed products, between two conveyors. The device includes a first gripper conveyor with first grippers moved along a first gripper conveyor path for hanging transport of the objects in a conveyor direction by gripping a first object edge, a second gripper conveyor with second grippers moved along a second gripper conveyor path, for receiving the objects by gripping a second object edge which lies opposite the first object edge, and at least one actuation device for opening and closing the first and second grippers such that, in a transfer region, the objects may be transferred from the first grippers to the second grippers. The distances of the first and the second grippers are different to one another in front of the transfer region, wherein the distances of the first grippers are smaller than that of the second grippers.

Device and method for the transfer of flexible, elongate objects

A device and method for the transfer flexible flat articles between two conveyors. The device includes a first gripper conveyor with first grippers moved along a first gripper conveyor track for suspended transportation of the articles in a conveying direction, and a second gripper conveyor with second grippers moved along a second gripper conveyor track. Opening and closing of the grippers is controlled so that a transfer of the articles from the first to the second grippers is able to take place. In doing so, a spacing between the first grippers differs from the spacing between the second grippers such that, in a transfer zone, one gripper conveyor track, the grippers of which include the greater spacing between one another, defines a concave course, and the other gripper conveyor track, the grippers of which have the smaller spacing between one another, defines a correspondingly convex course.

Device and method for the transfer of flexible flat articles

By means of a feed conveyor (), planar objects () accruing in an overlapping formation (S), in particular printed products, are fed to a deflecting device having at least one deflection member pair (). This deflection member pair () has a deflection member () and a further deflection member (') disposed below it. These form, synchronously with the cycle of the supplied objects () and starting from a passage gap, a transport gap (), and then, again, the passage gap. Downstream of the passage gap and transport gap (), viewed in the feed direction (Z), a stop () is present, against which the respective object () is brought to bear with its leading edge () through the passage gap. The transport gap () acts in the evacuation direction of an evacuating conveyor, to which the deflection member pair () feeds the objects () in a timed manner.

Apparatus for the timed deflection of planar objects

A method and device for transporting flat, flexible products away from a stack of the products. The leading edge of each individual product is bent away downward from the underside of the stack of products by means of a suction element. The individual product is then transported away by means of a gripper that grips the leading edge region. The direction of movement of the gripper in the region of the underside of the stack of products runs substantially from the leading edge region to the trailing edge region of the products in the stack of products.

Method and device for transporting flat products away

An apparatus for transporting flexible, sheet-like products, in particular printed products , away and/or for further processing, and having a plurality of grippers which can be moved along a gripper conveying route and follow one after the other in the transporting direction, and having a plurality of suction elements which can be moved along a suction element conveying route and are intended for receiving in each case one product and for transferring the received product to a gripper , the above operations taking place in a receiving and transfer region wherein the suction element conveying route runs along or parallel to the gripper conveying route.

Apparatus for transporting flexible, sheet-like products

The apparatus has an intermediate conveyor (,) with conveying elements (,) distributed in the circumferential direction on bearing plates (,). Each conveying element (,) has a roller segment (,), which is driven counter to the direction of circulation (U), and a belt conveyor (,) which is assigned to said roller segment. A control device (,) keeps the conveying elements (,) in a mutually parallel position during circulation in the direction of circulation (U). During movement past the receiving location (,), a rear section (,) of the roller segment (,) and the belt conveyor (,) form an introduction gap (,) for a product (,) fed by a feed conveyor (,) in each case. During further rotation, said product (,) is moved through the conveying element (,), in the conveying gap (,) now formed by the roller segment (,) and belt conveyor (,), and is deflected by means of the guide element (,). At the transfer location (,), the product (,) is thus introduced into a gripper (,) of a removal conveyor (,), whereupon the conveying gap (,) is eliminated. The apparatus, while maintaining the sequence of the products (,), changes the position of the latter such that the sides (,&prime;) of the products (,), said sides facing one another in the fed imbricated stream (S), are changed round.

Apparatus for processing flexible, sheet-like products

The apparatus for processing flexible, sheet-like products (,) has a feed conveyor (,) which is intended for feeding the products (,) to an intermediate conveyor (,). The latter has pivotably controlled grippers (,) arranged one behind the other and moved along a continuous circulatory path (,) in the direction of circulation (U). The intermediate conveyor (,) is intended for altering the position of the fed products (,), while the sequence of the products remains unaltered, such that the previously mutually facing sides of adjacent products (,) are reversed, and then for transferring the products to a removal conveyor (,). For this purpose, each gripper (,) is controlled such that the product (,) retained by it is drawn around the following gripper (,) as seen in the direction of circulation (U), from one side of the gripper to the other side.

The holding elements (28), designed as hook-gripper elements (26), are driven in a circulating manner by means of a drive arrangement (44) in a plane at right angles to a stack (16) of printed products that have back margins (20). In the takeover section (46), the cantilever arm (36) of a hook-gripper element (26) comes to bear against the back margin (20) of the topmost printed product (14) of the stack (16). The hook-gripper element is then guided in a sliding manner on the printed product (14) in the direction of a stop, until the hook mouth (38) of the hook-gripper element (26) has seized the back margin (20). From the takeover section up to the transfer of the printed product (14) separated in this way from the stack (16), the direction of movement of the hook-gripper element (26) has a component toward the stop and a component away from the stack (16).

Apparatus for individually separating stacked printed products

Folded printed products are conveyed in a first imbricated formation up to a stop by a first conveying device. In the first imbricated formation each printed product rests on the following printed product with its leading bottom edge formed by its folded edge. At the stacking location formed by the stop, the printed products are stacked up in layers to form an intermediate stack. The uppermost printed product is moved by a lifting member into the conveying region of a removal conveyor and then to a further-processing station. The removal conveyor has a conveying wheel that is driven synchronously with the lifting member, and a pressing-on member that, as a strand of a belt conveyor, is assigned to a part of the circumferential surface of the conveying wheel. The conveying wheel and the pressing-on member together form a guidance gap for the printed products. The conveying wheel is provided with a plurality of cutouts that are distributed uniformly on the circumferential surface. The folded edges of the printed products are introduced individually into the cutouts by the lifting member. The printed products are then directed into the guidance gap by virtue of the rotation of the conveying wheel. A second imbricated formation is formed, in which, once again, each printed product rests on the following printed product and the leading folded edge is located at the bottom.

Apparatus for delivering printed products to a further-processing

Flat products, such as printed sheets, resting in the form of a horizontal stack on two circulatingly driven transport chains are conveyed towards a retention plate serving as a stop of a feeder or feeder attachment. Two circulatingly driven toothed belts are laterally arranged above the transport chains and these two toothed belts define the sides of a conveying channel. The toothed belts hold the printed sheets in their mutually related positions inside the loose stack during their forward displacement. The distance between the mutually facing runs of the toothed belts is less than the width of the printed sheets or the stack of printed sheets. The toothed belts and therefore also the conveying channel terminate at a distance from the retention plate. The printed sheets are held in a curved or bowed configuration in the conveying channel. As soon as the printed sheets leave the conveying channel, the rearwardly bent lateral edges of the printed sheets return into their original position due to their inherent elasticity. In this manner each of the printed sheets is separated from the next following sheet. The printed sheets are conveyed towards the retention plate in a loosened formation. Consequently, a reliable withdrawal of individual printed sheets from the stack is ensured.

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Rapperswil, Switzerland

Alex Keller