Kolbus Gmbh & Co. Kg

Andreas Walther

Jürgen Garlichs

Dirk Rygol

Klaus P Post

Yahya Tas

Uwe Trox

Kai Winkelmann

Christian Heiner Müller

In a cover feeding device () for feeding covers () separated from a magazine (') to book blocks () that are transported while being clamped in book block grippers (), it is proposed that the magazine (&#x2032;) features at least a first lateral stop () that is arranged such that it can be fixed transverse to the withdrawal direction () and against which different covers () intended, in particular, for book blocks () of different thickness can be jointly placed, and that at least the magazine (&#x2032;) can be adjusted transverse to the withdrawal direction () such that an edge () of the spine region of the respective cover to be separated is withdrawn essentially in alignment with the rigid gripping jaw ().

Cover feeding device

In a machine () for manufacturing perfect-bound brochures () that includes a book block conveying device () with an endless conveying means (), a plurality of clamps () that are arranged on the conveying means at a fixed pitch spacing (T) and serve for clamping book blocks (), and of at least one processing station () that can be adjusted in a motor-driven fashion, the cycle time (t) referred to the conveyance of the clamps () by the pitch spacing (T) defined in the at least one processing station is divided into an adjusting segment (t, t) for resetting and/or adjusting the at least one processing station () in accordance with changing printed product characteristics and a processing segment (t, t) for processing the book blocks () and/or covers (). The resetting of the at least one processing station to another printed product can take place within one work cycle (t) of the respective processing station while the conveyance of the book blocks () continues.

Device for manufacturing perfect-bound products

A book binding machine for processing book blocks () features a transport system () with a plurality of book block clamps () for receiving the book blocks () that can be continuously moved along a closed circulation path and are coupled to a traction mechanism (), wherein the traction mechanism () revolves around a driving wheel () and a deflection wheel and is tensioned by means of a tensioning device. Processing stations () are arranged in the region of straight sections of the circulation path. The driving wheel () is driven by a gearless, rotative electric direct drive (), wherein a first rotating component () of the rotative direct drive () is mounted or realized directly on the driving wheel ().

Book binding machine

During the gathering process, an individual signature is respectively withdrawn from several collections of identical signatures, wherein the various decollated signatures are delivered to a collecting conveyor in order to form stacks. In this case, the sheets need to be reliably and carefully decollated. The invention proposes that the sheets () of a collection are made available in the form of a stack (), wherein the stack () is essentially supported by an air cushion (LP), that the bottom sheet () is at least regionally lifted off the stack () with the aid of a separating tool (), that the air cushion (LP) is produced between the bottom sheet () and the residual stack (), and that the sheet () is delivered to the collecting conveyor (). The lifted-off sheet is completely separated from the stack by the air cushion such that the sheet can be transported out of the magazine with absolutely no friction relative to the stack () situated above the separated sheet.

Method and device for gathering sheets with continuous air cushion support

During the gathering process, an individual signature is respectively withdrawn from several collections of identical signatures, wherein the various decollated signatures are delivered to a collecting conveyor in order to form stacks. The invention proposes that the sheets () of a collection () are transported in a direction that is essentially oriented transverse to the transport direction (F) of the collecting container () in the form of continuous stream feed () of sheets () that lie on top of one another in a shingled fashion, that the respective front sheet () is taken hold of by a conveyor () on its leading section such that it is prevented from turning and displaced such that it is deflected in the transport direction (F) of the collecting conveyor (), and that the displaced sheet () is received by a withdrawal conveyor system () and additionally transported in said transport direction (F) in order to synchronously deliver the sheets () to the collecting conveyor () in the corresponding cycle. This makes it possible to reliably and carefully process sheets supplied in the form of stream feeds without intermediately storing the sheets in magazines and decollating the sheets anew from the stacks.

Method and device for gathering sheets

The invention pertains to a device for gathering sheets () with feeder stations () that are arranged in a row and consist of a magazine () for respectively accommodating a stack () of identical sheets, a separating device () that tilts an exposed edge region () of the respective bottom sheet away from the stack () and a transport device () that withdraws the sheet from the stack parallel to the longitudinal direction of the edge region, and with a collecting conveyor () that features pushers () for the gathered stacks (). In order to achieve a high processing speed, the invention proposes that the separating device () features at least one suction element () for tilting away at least one corner of the sheet (), and that the transport device for withdrawing the sheet () is formed by a traction means conveyor () with individually actuated grippers () that are anchored on revolving traction means () within certain distances from one another and at least two of which take hold of the exposed edge region (), wherein the traction means conveyor () is inclined toward the collecting conveyor () in order to deposit the withdrawn sheet () on the stack () being formed directly in front of the pusher () of the collecting conveyor (). The invention makes it possible to reliably decollate head-folded signatures if the suction element () is arranged on the upstream corner of the stack ().

Device for gathering sheets

In a device for loading a feeder rack ( ) in further-processing machines such as gather-stitcher machines or gathering machines ( ) for folded sheets ( ), sheets, booklets or similar printed products, which has a first conveyor arrangement ( ) extending in planar manner for the purpose of feeding printed products ( ) standing on their edges in the form of a horizontal stack ( ), a second, initially upwardly sloping conveyor arrangement ( ) for drawing the printed products ( ) off the stack ( ) in an overlapping formation and for transferring the overlapping stream ( ) to the feeder rack ( ), infinitely variable drives ( ) associated with the two conveyor arrangements ( ), and a light barrier ( ) arranged in the feeder rack ( ), a control means ( ) is provided by means of which the drives ( ) can be controlled in dependence on the degree of coverage (BG) of the light barrier ( ), as a result of which the fill level of the feeder rack ( ) remains at an at least substantially constant height determined by the position of the light barrier ( ). This improves the transfer of the printed products ( ) to the feeder rack ( ).

Device for loading a feeder rack

In a device for loading further-processing machines with printed products, in particular a feeder rack ( ) in gather-stitcher machines or gathering machines ( ) for folded sheets ( ), sheets, booklets or the like, which has a first conveyor arrangement ( ) extending in planar manner for the purpose of feeding printed products ( ) standing on their edges in the form of a horizontal stack ( ), a second, initially upwardly sloping conveyor arrangement ( ) for drawing the printed products ( ) off the stack ( ) in an overlapping formation and for transferring the overlapping stream ( ) to the feeder rack ( ), and infinitely variable drives ( ) associated with the two conveyor arrangements ( ), a control means ( ) is provided which controls the two drives ( ) at a speed ratio to one another which is dependent on the thickness (D) of the printed products ( ) to be processed. The overlapping formation is therefore effected in functionally reliable manner and it is substantially easier to set an optimum degree of overlap.

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Stadthagen, Germany

Andreas Walther