Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Goss International Americas, Inc.

Roll Systems, Inc.

Barry Mark Jackson

H W Crowley

Joseph Adrian St Ours

William F Bolza

David Clarke Pollock

Dieter Theodor Ebert

David Elliott Whitten

James P Zamanakos

Brian Joseph Gentle

Lothar John Schroeder

David Elliot Whitten

Jatinder Singh Sappal

Eugene John Bergeron

Dave C Gibson

Dave John Gagnon

Bryan Joseph Gentle

A printing press is provided. The printing press includes a print unit printing a stream of printed products having a first pitch, a pitch changing device and a controller. The pitch changing device includes an upper roller mounted on an upper axle, a lower roller mounted on a lower axle, the upper and lower rollers forming a roller nip and at least one motor driving the upper and lower rollers in opposite directions. The roller nip receives the stream of printed products. The controller is connected to the at least one motor and is configured to decrease an initial velocity of the roller nip to a final velocity using an electronic cam velocity profile and to increase the final velocity of the nip to the initial velocity after releasing the printed products over a longer period of a cycle of the electronic cam velocity profile than decreasing the initial velocity to the final velocity. A method is also provided.

Conveyor and method for changing the pitch of printed products

A ribbon transport apparatus for a printing press is provided. The ribbon transport apparatus includes a vacuum conveyor belt transporting a ribbon and a manifold supporting the vacuum conveyor belt. The vacuum conveyor belt and the manifold are arranged to draw the ribbon towards the vacuum conveyor belt via a suction. A method of transporting a ribbon in a printing press is also provided.

Ribbon transport apparatus and method

A variable format signature collection apparatus is provided. The variable format signature collection apparatus includes a sprocket and a timing belt traveling about the sprocket. The timing belt includes a plurality of gripper mounts. The gripper mounts include a first set of gripper mounts arranged on the timing belt to support grippers for receiving first signatures of a first cutoff length and a second set of gripper mounts positioned to support grippers for receiving second signatures of a second cutoff length.

Infinitely variable format signature collection apparatus and method of collecting signatures

A folder includes a first cylinder having at least one first gripper for holding signatures and at least one tucker for tucking the signatures to define a first fold, a second cylinder having at least one first jaw for holding the signatures at the first fold, a first motor driving the at least one first gripper, and a second motor separate from the first motor, the second motor driving the at least one tucker of the first cylinder and the at least one first jaw of the second cylinder.

Folder with multiple-motor drive

A folding cylinder includes a plurality of gripping devices supported on a first rotatable support with a first gripping device for holding a signature on the cylinder. A plurality of tucking devices are supported on a second rotatable support, the tucking devices including a first tucking device and a second tucking device. The first gripping device is located circumferentially between the first tucking device and second tucking device and a cover fixed to the second rotatable support extends circumferentially over the first gripping device between the first tucking device and the second tucking device. The cover has at least one aperture, with the first gripping device capable of extending through the at least one aperture. With the folding cylinder of the invention gaps between the tucking and gripping spiders can be eliminated.

Folder cylinder with support plate

An apparatus and method for advancing and/or slowing signatures in a printing press. The apparatus and method includes a series of two or more belt drives, where each belt drive includes at least a pair of opposed belts. The belts are preferably timing or toothed belts driven by sprockets. The sprockets are formed with a semi-elliptical outer surface. As a result, the belts have two directions of motion. The first direction&mdash;horizontal&mdash;advances the signatures and may be used to slow the signatures. The second direction&mdash;vertical&mdash;withdraws the belts away from contact with the signatures to prevent buckling or wrinkling during a speed transition or during a transfer between belts. In one embodiment of the present invention, both opposed belts are retracting belts; in another embodiment, one belt is a fixed conveyor belt, while the other opposed belt is a retracting belt. The apparatus can be formed of a series of sequential belts running at different speeds, or a slower set of belts could be located inside the faster set of belts. In another embodiment, the upper and lower belts can be offset relative to one another to create an S-wrap along the signature, thereby compensating for different thicknesses of the folded signature.

Method for advancing signatures using a retracting drive

The present invention is related to a device for seizing flat material ( ). The device includes a transfer cylinder ( ) rotating about an axis and having an outer surface ( ). A cutting cylinder ( ) cooperates with said transfer cylinder ( ) and has at least one knife assembly ( ) mounted thereon. A set of product seizing elements ( ) is arranged in the outer periphery of said cutting cylinder ( ), actuable about a common center point ( ). Tips ( ) of said product seizing elements ( ) cooperate with counterparts ( ) on the surface ( ) of said transfer cylinder ( ).

Device for retention of products on a transporting surface in a folder

A system and method for utilizing web that is free of tractor pin feed holes comprises the driving of the web along a predetermined path within the utilization device. A web guide is provided in an upstream location from a utilization device element. The guide engages width-wise edges of the web and forms the web into a trough to stiffen the web. A drive roller and a follower roller impinge upon opposing sides of the web and rotate to drive the web through the guide. The drive roller is located adjacent to the guide according to a preferred embodiment. A registration controller is utilized to synchronize the movement of the web with the operation of the utilization device element. The controller includes a drive controller that controls the speed of either the drive roller or the utilization device element to maintain the web and the utilization device element in appropriate synchronization.

Method and apparatus for pinless feeding of web to a utilization device

The present invention is related to a device for continuous folding of flat material ( ) such as signatures ( ) being printed upon on a rotary printing press on one or both sides thereof. Said device according to the present invention includes a driven rotating body ( ) such as a cylinder, arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction ( ) of flat material ( ), such as signatures. Said cylinder ( ) rotates about its respective rotation axis ( ), having surface sections ( ), respectively, assigned to its respective circumference, tapering towards each other upon revolution of the respective cylinder ( ).

Device for continuous folding of flat material

A signature slow down device is provided which includes an entrance nip mechanism for receiving a signature from an upstream device at a first signature transport velocity and reducing the transport velocity of the signature to a first reduced transport velocity; and an exit nip mechanism for receiving the signature from the entrance nip mechanism, and further reducing the transport velocity of the signature to a second reduced transport velocity. In accordance with the present invention, the respective signature contacting surfaces of the entrance and exit nip mechanisms are each defined by a pair of opposing non-circular rotating components. Each non-circular rotating component has a first surface portion for forming a nip with its opposing non-circular rotating component and a second surface portion for forming a gap with its opposing non-circular rotating component. In each of the entrance and exit nip mechanisms, the opposing non-circular rotating components rotate at a variable velocity profile in which the non-circular rotating components decelerate when the nip is formed, and accelerate with the gap is formed.

Growing community of inventors

York, ME, United States of America

Barry Mark Jackson