Ferag Ag

Egon Hansch

Werner Honegger

Willy Leu

Walter Reist

Erwin Muller

Reinhard Gosslinghoff

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for affixing a supplementary product () to a printed product (). According to the invention, in order to pick up the supplementary product (), holding elements () driven along a circulation path () have at least one suction element (). In order to bend the initially flat supplementary product () in such a way that it can be placed around an edge () of the printed product (), there is at least one bending element (). This is capable of acting on the supplementary product () held on one side by the suction element () in such a way that the said supplementary product () is bent at least approximately in a V shape. Holding element () and bending element () interact with a supporting element () in such a way that the supplementary product (), reaching over an edge () of the printed product (), is pressed onto two opposite sides () of the printed product ().

Apparatus and method for affixing a supplementary product to a printed product

The invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for, stabilizing and positioning sheet like articles (), in particular printed products. In order to prevent the products from buckling and fanning out, the position of an edge () of the product () counter to and/or in the conveying direction (F) is delimited by a respective trailing and/or leading delimiting element (), a receiving means () for the edge () being formed between a respective leading delimiting element () and a delimiting element () which follows the latter in the conveying direction (F). By virtue of at least one further delimiting element () being moved into the conveying stream () upstream of, or in, the starting region (S) of a stabilizing portion (S) of the conveying section (), the position of the edge () in and/or counter to the conveying direction (F) is localized such that the edge () passes only into the receiving means () and not into the intermediate region () between two receiving means ().

Method of, and apparatus for, stabilizing and positioning sheet-like articles

A number of circulatory elements arranged one behind the other are driven in a direction of circulation and have a suction element and a supporting element in each case on the first side and on the second side. The circulatory elements receive a supplementary product at the pick-up location and transfer the same, in a first mode of operation, to the respectively preceding circulatory element. In a second mode of operation, no transfer takes place. This results in it being possible for the supplementary products received in the same manner to be brought into abutment optionally against the leading side or trailing side of the printed products and pressed on there.

Apparatus for applying supplementary products to printed products

The apparatus, which serves to join flat supplementary products provided with an adhesive to printed products, has n holding elements which are driven on a circulating path about a first axis, by means of which supplementary products are gripped individually at at least one pick-up point and, after an appropriate rotation about the first axis, can be joined to a printed product at a discharge point. As they are transported from the pick-up point to the discharge point, the holding elements, which are mounted such that they can rotate about a second axis running at least approximately parallel to the first axis, are rotated about the second axis and guided into the area of the printed products, which are conveyed in a suspended manner and on a second path at least approximately tangentially to the circulating path, after which, at the discharge point, a printed product, opened if appropriate, is supported laterally by means of a leading or trailing holding element and, by means of the leading or trailing holding element, is joined to a supplementary product at an envisaged point.

Method and apparatus for joining supplementary products to printed products

The apparatus has a conveying arrangement ( ) with clamps ( ) which are arranged one behind the other and are driven along the circulatory path ( ) in the direction of circulation (U). In the receiving section ( ), the mouth ( ) of the clamps ( ) is directed in the direction of circulation (U) and intended for gripping at the trailing edge ( &prime;), as seen in the direction of circulation (U), a sheet-like article ( ) arranged on the bearing element ( ). The bearing element ( ) has two bearing rails ( ), the upstream bearing rail ( ), as seen in the direction of circulation (U), being designed such that it can be pushed away by the clamps ( ).

Apparatus for feeding sheet-like articles to a processing arrangement

The apparatus serves for transporting flexible, sheet-like products, in particular printed products, from a stack, which is positioned at a receiving location, to a discharge location. The apparatus has a separating element as well as a supporting element and a retaining element, which, driven by a shaft, are respectively guided in a first and in a second path about the shaft such that products, which are retained by means of a force-fitting connection at the remote ends, as seen in the direction of rotation of the shaft, are gripped individually by the separating element at the end, located opposite said ends, and, with the top side oriented toward the shaft, can be raised into the region of the first path, where it is possible for them to have the supporting element running beneath them, to be aligned longitudinally in relation to the second path, with the underside oriented toward the shaft, and to be gripped there on the underside by the retaining element, to be released from the force-fitting connection, conveyed to the discharge location and transferred there to a further conveying apparatus.

Apparatus for transporting flexible, sheet-like products

A suction device for handling light, flat and bendable articles has a suction line and a sucker at an end of the suction line. The sucker has a suction lip made of an elastically deformable material for individually contacting and lifting articles. A lip-deforming bending template having a deforming edge defining a concave shape is displaceable relative to the suction lip so that the suction lip is deformed by contact with the deforming edge to conform to the concave shape. A second bending template can be laterally spaced from the suction lip and have a bending edge for contacting an article lifted by the suction lip, the lip being displaceable relative to the bending edge.

Suction device with bending template

A device for opening printed products having a carrying body rotatable about an axis and a flow duct subjected to negative pressure. An adapter such as a suction head or a pneumatically controllable gripper is mounted in the carrying body and connected to the flow duct.

Device for opening printed products and apparatus for processing printed

A connecting conveyor (32) is arranged between a first conveyor (10) and a second conveyor (24) and comprises a carrier (30) which can be moved freely along the conveyors (10, 24). Arranged on the carrier (30) is a conveying member (35) which is intended to receive, at a transfer location (42) of the first conveyor (10), the articles fed by said first conveyor and to transport said articles to a receiving location (44) of the second conveyor (24). Mounted on the carrier (30) are two drive wheels (38, 38') which interact with respective ones of the conveyors (10, 24). In normal operation, the drive wheels (38, 38') are connected to one another so as to rotate together. In order to close or to form a gap between successive articles, one of the drive wheels (38, 38') is rotationally fixed by means of a blocking element (80), and the other drive wheel (38, 38') is free to rotate by virtue of the relevant coupling (82, 82') being disengaged.

Apparatus for conveying articles

A suction device for gripping an article has a sucker (1) with a suction lip (12). The sucker is movable between inner and outer positions in the inlet end (2) of a suction line and can be moved angularly. A reset element (3) moves the sucker to its outer position. In the inner position, the sucker forms a sealing connection with the inlet end. In its outer position, leakage air flow can pass around the outside of the sucker and into the suction line. When the sucker is in its outer position and the suction lip is closed by an article to be gripped, a pre-depression of pressure less than the maximum suction is caused because of the leakage flow. As the result of that pre-depression, the sucker is moved to its inner position, causing a sealing connection between the sucker and the inlet end of the suction line. The depression is then increased, increasing the suction grip on the article.

Suction device

A conveying device for feeding sheet-like products to a processing machine for printed products having carrying elements that rotate in the direction of rotation (U) along a self-contained rotational path. A carrying arm and a link member are pivoted on each carrying element. The clamping jaws, which form a clamp and are prestressed in the closed direction, and are pivotally mounted on the carrying arm. The first clamping jaw being connected to the link member in order to pivot the clamp. The second clamping jaw is connected to an opening roller with which an opening guide interacts to open the clamp. The pivot position of the carrying arms and the position of the link member can be controlled independently of one another by the control device, with the result that the clamp may also be pivoted about its pivot on the carrying arm independently of a movement of the carrying arm. The conveying device is suitable for depositing folded printed sheets in a straddling manner on the rest of the processing machine.

Conveying device for feeding sheet-like products to a processing machine

The conveying device exhibits a plurality of clamps which are each articulated, via a carrying arm and a linking member, on rotational elements. The pivot position of the carrying arm is controlled by a first slotted-guide path and, separately from this, the position of the linking member is controlled by a second slotted-guide path. This permits pivoting of the clamps even independently of the movement of the carrying arms. The clamps can thus be controlled in an optimum manner for the respective purpose. In particular, it is possible, with constant speed of the rotational elements, to change the speed of the clamps and, at the same time, to control the direction of the clamps independently.

Apparatus for feeding sheet-like products to a processing device for

Folded printed products are deposited in a straddling manner by feeding stations onto the rests circulating in a circulating direction along a continuous circulatory path. After being deposited, a second and third printed products project with a border portion beyond the trailing and leading edge, respectively, of a first printed product. When the printed products are being advanced in the conveying direction by means of drivers, which move back and forth, the printed products deposited one upon the other are aligned, interacting with a stop element in the process.

Process and apparatus for collecting printed products

An apparatus for feeding products, such as cards and product samples to a further processing point is disclosed. The apparatus has a magazine device which has at least two magazine compartments and a conveying device having successive grippers which travel over the magazine device. During a certain time period, a transporting member corresponding to one of the magazine compartments is activated so that it feeds products contained in the compartment one after another to the grippers as the grippers travel over the compartment. At a desired point in time, the active transporting member is deactivated and a transporting member corresponding to another magazine compartment is activated in order that uninterrupted operation is provided. While the subsequent magazine compartment is in operation, the previously active compartment can be moved from its working position and resupplied with products.

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Wetzikon, Switzerland

Egon Hansch