Ferag Ag

Sft Ag Spontanfordertechnik

Jacques Meier

Werner Honegger

In a method for removing printed products (,) from a conveying stream and for forming stacks of the removed printed products (,), the conveying stream is a stream of printed products (,) held by a gripper in a hanging position and conveyed in a direction substantially perpendicular to their main surfaces. For removing the printed products (,) from the conveying stream and for stacking them, the printed products held by the gripper (,) are conveyed over a stacking surface (,) which protrudes into the conveying stream such that a lower region of each printed product (,) conveyed in the conveying stream is laid against the stacking surface (,) or against a printed product already lying against the stacking surface (,), respectively. Printed products (,) to be removed from the stream are released by the gripper (,) in the region of the stacking surface (,) and fall, guided by the stacking surface (,) or by printed products already lying against the stacking surface (,) respectively, against a support base (,) which is arranged at the bottom of the stacking surface so that the products are stacked on the stacking surface and supported by the support base.

Method and device for removing printed products from a conveying stream and for stacking the removed printed products

The invention relates to a clamp (,) for holding sheet-like objects, having a support (,) on which a clamp tongue (,) is fixed. A clamping jaw (,) is stored in a guide slot (,) in the support (,) in such a way that it can move both in and against the direction of closing (S). When the clamping jaw (,) moves from open position (,) in closing direction (S), the clamp end (,) is displaced along the path of movement (,), until it rests against the clamp tongue (,) or an adjacent object. As the clamping jaw (,) continues to move in closing direction (S), the clamp end is driven back from the path of movement (,), and a clamping force for holding the object is formed as a result of the elasticity of the clamping jaw (,).

Clamp for holding sheet-like objects

An apparatus has a main conveyor and feed conveyors. The main conveyor is provided with elongate receiving elements that are arranged transversely with respect to their movement path. At feed locations, the circulatory paths of the feed conveyors run over the main conveyor. The feed conveyors have clamps that are spaced apart one behind the other and are driven in circulation in a feed direction. The clamps are adapted to feed the products to the receiving elements and to discharge them to these receiving elements at the feed locations. The clamps are arranged obliquely with respect to their circulatory path. As a result, a straight line running parallel to a clamp-mouth plane and a receiving-element plane, and perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the clamp mouth, forms an acute angle with the circulatory path.

Apparatus for processing sheet-like products

An apparatus for trimming printed products which includes a drum with a plurality of radially displaced receiving compartments. The printed products which are to be trimmed rest, along their folded edges, against stops which form the base of the radial receiving compartments. The products are gripped by a displacement device and displaced radially outwards into a cutting position. In the cutting position, the printed products are clamped in the region of their side border located opposite the fold edge. When the clamped printed products run past a stationary cutter element, the printed products are trimmed on the side border. After completion of the cutting operation, the clamping of the printed products is released and the displacement device is moved by a further distance radially outwards. Consequently, the trimmed printed products are advanced into a removal position, in which they are gripped by grippers of a removal conveyor. The controlled advancement of the printed products both into the cutting position and into the removal position ensures that the printed products can be trimmed and received by the grippers of the removal conveyor in precisely defined positions along the printed products.

Apparatus for trimming folded printed products, such as newspapers,

The apparatus has a plurality of carrying elements (20) which are arranged at a distance one behind the other on a drawing member (14), driven in the circulating direction (U). The longitudinal direction (L) of the carrying elements (20) extends at an acute angle (.alpha.) with respect to the circulating direction. At the discharge locations (36), feed devices (12) discharge a sheet-like product to each carrying element (20) which is moved past said discharge locations. While having a considerable processing capacity and a relatively low circulating speed, the apparatus requires only a modest amount of space.

Apparatus for combining sheet-like products

A predetermined output sequence of miscellaneous printed products is produced by supplying a compilation or gathering station (80) with at least one continuous flow of individual, miscellaneous printed product parts in a supply (81 to 86), the individual, miscellaneous printed product parts in the flow being arranged in a preliminary sequence determined by the predetermined output sequence and the arrangement of the compilation station. At the compilation station (80) the printed product parts are compiled and then optionally joined together. The preliminary sequence of the at least one continuous supply flow is produced by timed, controlled take-overs of individual printed product parts from specific storage units (50) in a row of storage units, which are served by a group of successively arranged driving pins (60).

Process for the continuous production of different types of printed

A process for storing sheet-like products occurring continuously, in particular in an imbricated formation, in particular printed products such as newspapers, periodicals and the like, in the case of which process the sheet-like products are wound up on, and/or unwound from, a main roll, a first number of the products being wound up on, and/or unwound from, a first main roll (4) and a second number of the products being wound up on, and/or unwound from, a second main roll which is assigned to the first main roll.

Process for storing sheet-like products

A method of producing printed products comprising a plurality of individual component products such as newspapers or periodicals or the like. In the method the products are brought together at processing stations, following one after the other along a processing section, by depositing said products on successive rests and are then raised up from the rests and conveyed away. Prescribed rests are excluded from the charging at certain processing stations in order to permit the simultaneous production of products of different types.

Process for processing printed products

Process for operating a piece-goods transporting apparatus such as printed products wherein the products which are fed individually one after the other are received at a receiving position by transporting members circulating in a continuously guide of the transporting apparatus. They are then conveyed via a buffer section to a discharge position. In this arrangement, the transporting members are each retained at the receiving position until a product has been received, thereby ensuring that each transporting member leaves the receiving position with a received product. The transporting members run through the discharge position periodically in cycles and discharge a product to the processing section in each cycle.

Flexible conveying system

An apparatus for producing printed products comprising a plurality of part-products, for example newspapers, periodicals and the like, includes a processing drum which is divided into portions and is driven in rotation. The processing drum is provided with saddle-like rests which are distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction. A transporting device transports the products along the saddle-like rests from a product-feeding station which is arranged in the axial drum end region to a product-removal station which is spaced apart in the axial direction from said product-feeding station and is arranged in the opposite drum end region. Provided between the product-feeding station and the product-removal station are at least two product-processing stations. Provided between two product-processing stations and thus also between the product-feeding station and the product-removal station is at least one further product-removal station which can be optionally activated or deactivated. This makes it possible for the drum portions, which are separated from one another by this further product-removal station, to be operated in parallel with respect to one another or in series.

Apparatus for producing multiple-part printed products

An apparatus for producing printed products comprising one or more individual sub-products, e.g. newspapers, periodicals and the like. The apparatus comprises a rotating drum or drawing member having a plurality of successive receiving positions. The drum or drawing member is arranged between at least one sub-product feeding station and at least one sub-product removal station. The individual receiving positions each comprise at least one folding device and each folding device comprises a pair of folding rollers and a folding tongue which moves between the folding rollers to fold the sub-product.

Apparatus for producing printed products

Folded printed products are transported while held in suspended position at their fold and supported in their end region remote from the fold. The end section of the first product part, projecting with respect to the second product part, is seized and temporarily held by a gripper which is driven in a circulating manner. A stabbing element, driven at a different speed with respect to the gripper, then stabs into the printed product and lifts the second product part off the held first product part while the gripper moves away from the stabbing element. With the printed product open, the gripper releases the first product part.

Process and apparatus for opening folded printed products

Tubular packs, which contain a wound scale formation of flat products, particularly printed products, are conveyed over predeterminable conveying paths from at least one pack-producing apparatus (W.multidot.1, W.multidot.2) to at least one forwarding or intermediate storage station (A). For this purpose the packs are conveyed away from the pack-producing apparatus (W.multidot.1, W.multidot.2) with axes oriented in the conveying direction in a longitudinal conveying direction (FP.sub.1). Then in a distributing station (VU) or a deflecting station (U) for distributing the packs to different despatch units and/or for combining the packs into identical despatch units the conveying direction of at least part of the packs, for a constant axial position, is modified by substantially 90.degree. into a transverse conveying direction (FP.sub.q). Combined packs can be compressed in a combining station (ZU) and bound together to form double or multiple packs (PP) using a wrapping means. Single, double or multiple packs are so tilted in the forwarding or intermediate storage station (A), that they come to rest on one of their end faces.

Method and apparatus for conveying tubular printed product packs and

The stitching or stapling heads, which act together in a stitching zone (C) with the supports that carry printed products to be wire-stitched, have a circular orbit. The stitching heads are guided so as to maintain their more or less vertical position during their orbit. Within the stitching zone (C), each stitching head is thus approximately aligned with its respective support and is therefore in the preferred position for driving the staples into the printed products. When the stitching heads encounter the supports, they are pushed back radially inward against the resistance of compression springs. This causes a slight flattening in the orbit of the stitching heads in the stitching zone (C) and slightly prolongs the time available for the stitching heads to act together with the supports in the stitching process.

Apparatus for wire-stapling multi-component printed products

The inventive method and apparatus serve to combine into groups different printed products supplied as continuous flows (1, 2, 3 etc.), on at least one grouping section (10.1, 10.2, 10.3), in which each group can have a composition of in each case one product from different supply flows corresponding to a predetermined group sequence. The production of faulty groups is prevented, in that in the supplies errors are detected at an early stage, so that groups affected by an error, are not formed in the predetermined cycle and are instead displaced by one cycle. The group flow leaving the method consequently contains only gaps and not faulty groups. For performing the method between the supplies (63.4, 63.5) of products and the grouping (10.1, 10.2) are introduced a supply control, a supply buffer storage and a controlled delivery. The means (64.2, 64.3, 64.4 etc.) for performing these three method stages are constituted by conveyors with cams or drivers, which are interconnected with a drag connection and which are moved by two substantially independently controlled drives on a continuous guide. The drivers are controlled following an acceptance point at which they have accepted a product from the supply unit (63.4, 63.5) and faulty products are recorded. They then pass into a buffer storage space and leave the latter through a controlled delivery point, where they deliver the product into the grouping.

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Baretswil, Switzerland

Jacques Meier