Folding machine with at least two folding units and a delivery unit

Abstract

Folding machine with at least two folding units (2, 3, 4) and a delivery unit (5), wherein the delivery unit (5) is movable to a first sheet transfer position (6) of the folding machine (1) and wherein the delivery unit (5) is movable to a second sheet transfer position (8) of the folding machine (1) that is different from the first, characterized in that a sheet deflection unit (9) is arranged at the second sheet transfer position (8) which rotates the folded sheets by 90°.

Description

The present invention relates to a folding machine according to the preamble of claim 1. Technical field of the invention The invention lies in the technical field of folding preferably printed sheets into so-called signatures and laying out and, if necessary, further processing the signatures. State of the art Pocket folding machines and sword folding machines are known from the prior art. The combination of pocket folding stations with sword folding stations is commonly known as a combination folding machine. In this type of machine, parallel folds are produced in the pocket folding units, and cross folds are produced in the subsequent sword folding units. The sheet passes through at least the following stations in the transport direction of the combination folding machine: feeder, transfer table, pocket folding unit, sword folding unit, and delivery. The design of a pocket folding machine with a multitude of pocket folding units is described in DE 10 2004 041 471 A1. Each pocket folding unit consists of a folding pocket and three folding rollers, which are arranged in two pairs of folding rollers. From DE 29 40 360 A1 a single-blade folding machine for folding printed and pre-folded sheets is known. Combination folding machines combine pocket folding units and sword folding units. In a first folding station, parallel folds are made using pocket folding units, and in a subsequent folding station, cross folds are made using sword folding units. DE 31 47 064 A1 and DE 10 2006 055 301 A1 show combination folding machines with a plurality of pocket folding units and secondary sword folding units. EP 2 944 593 B1 describes a folding machine configuration with a sheet deflection unit. Furthermore, delivery units (delivery units) for folding machines are known, whereby the delivery units further process the folded signatures into signature stacks. DE1436596A1 discloses a sheet folding machine and describes movable folding units and corner conveyor tables rigidly connected to them. Unused folding units of a sheet folding machine can be removed from the sheet folding machine, i.e., they can be operated elsewhere as a separate sheet folding machine; thus, a pair of machines consisting of two separate folding machines is operated. DD45952A1 discloses a knife folding machine and a mobile frame with a parallel folding unit. The frame can be moved to and operated in two different positions, either at a third folding unit of the machine or at a fourth folding unit of the machine. In current technology, a problem can arise where the folding machine needs to be operated in different configurations, thus requiring changeovers. The changeover times required can cause long and therefore undesirable downtimes, reducing the machine's productivity. Furthermore, changeovers can involve ergonomically unfavorable and strenuous work for the operator, and repositioning components can increase the space required. Task The object of the invention is to create a folding machine in which short changeover times can be achieved using simple means. This object is achieved by a folding machine with the features of claim 1. Inventive technical solution A folding machine according to the invention, comprising at least two folding units and a delivery unit, wherein the delivery unit is movable to a first sheet transfer position of the folding machine and wherein the delivery unit is movable to a second sheet transfer position of the folding machine that differs from the first, is characterized in that a sheet deflection unit is arranged at the second sheet transfer position, which rotates the folded sheets by 90°. The invention allows for a reduction in changeover times. A folding machine according to the invention is used for folding arched elements, in particular sheets of paper and cardboard, into so-called signatures. The translation of the delivery unit is preferably performed along a straight line. It is particularly preferred that the delivery unit is not rotated (no rotation before, during, or after the translation) but maintains its orientation (angular position) relative to the folding units of the folding machine. Thus, the delivery unit is preferably moved in a straight line from a first position (X1, Y1 in the horizontal plane) and angular position (α) to a second position (X2, Y2 in the horizontal plane) at the same angular position (α) (where X1 ≠ X2 and / or Y1 ≠ Y2). The translation is preferably performed parallel to the folding machine, e.g., parallel to the direction of the sheet feed (e.g., X-direction) to the first folding unit, and / or preferably perpendicular to the direction of the output of the fully folded sheets or signatures (e.g., Y-direction). The movement of the display can be performed manually or by motor by an operator. The first sheet transfer position of the folding machine can be downstream of a first sword folding unit. A preferred embodiment of the invention may be characterized by the fact that a sheet transfer table is arranged at the first sheet transfer position. The second sheet transfer position of the folding machine can be subordinate to a second sword folding unit. A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the folding machine has a stationary stack transfer position, preferably to a unit downstream of the folding machine, e.g., an automatic palletizing or destacking system for signature packets. The folding machine and the downstream unit / system can form a single system, e.g., with a common control device. A preferred embodiment of the invention can be characterized by the fact that a transport table of variable length is provided between the movable display and the stationary stack transfer position. A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by the provision of one or more rails for the movable display. The rails may have stoppers so that the movement of the display stops in the desired positions. A preferred embodiment of the invention may be characterized by the provision of a control device which activates or deactivates the arc deflection unit based on at least one piece of information about the product to be manufactured. A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that the arc transfer table has a switch, preferably on the input side. The switch can serve to direct the flow of signatures. The invention also relates to a so-called combination folding machine according to one of the aforementioned further developments with a pocket folding unit, a downstream first sword folding unit and a downstream second sword folding unit, which can be activated and deactivated. The features of the invention, its embodiments, and its exemplary embodiments also constitute advantageous further developments of the invention in any combination with one another. Further developments of the invention may also include the individual features or combinations of features disclosed in the section "Technical Field of the Invention" above. Regarding further advantages and structurally and functionally advantageous embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the dependent claims and the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Example of implementation The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the attached figures. Corresponding elements and components are identified in the figures by the same reference numerals. All figures are shown in plan view. Figures 1 and 2 show a schematic representation of a folding machine (prior art); Figures 3 to 5B show a folding machine according to the invention; Figures 6 and 7 show a folding machine (prior art); and Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 to 12 show a folding machine according to the invention. Combination and pocket folding machines can each produce different numbers of fold sequences. A fold sequence is defined as the execution of one or more folds parallel to each other in a folding unit without a change of direction. After a right-angle change of direction, another folding unit creates a further fold sequence. In a pocket folding machine, each folding unit consists of one or more pocket folding units. In a combination folding machine, the first folding unit also consists of one or more pocket folding units, while the subsequent folding units each consist of a blade folding unit. The following description considers – without limiting generality – the machine configurations typically used in signature production with two and three folding units for generating two or three folding sequences, respectively. However, the invention could also be applied analogously to machine configurations with a different number of folding units. Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7 show folding machines according to the state of the art. Fig. 1 shows a combination folding machine 1, which produces signatures with two folding sequences using two (active) folding units 2 and 3. The delivery unit 5 is located at the output of the second folding unit 3 to receive the signatures. Fig. 2 shows the same combination folding machine 1, but with the third folding unit 4 also activated. Thus, signatures with three folding sequences are produced by three active folding units 2, 3, and 4. The delivery unit 5 is located at the output of the third folding unit 4 to receive the signatures. As can be seen from a comparison of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, when changing production from two to three folding sequences or vice versa, the delivery unit 5 must be repositioned and additionally rotated by 90 degrees. This process requires considerable physical effort from the operating personnel and increases the changeover time of the folding machine. Furthermore, a significant amount of space must be reserved for repositioning the delivery unit. Repositioning the display unit moves the dispensing point for signatures or signature packets to a significantly more distant position at the end of the display, and it is also rotated by 90 degrees. If the signatures or signature packets are transferred from the display unit to another processing system, this system must also be repositioned. This further processing system could be, for example, an automatic palletizing or stacking system for the signature packets. Repositioning also has the disadvantages described above for the display unit, but the space requirement is even more significant. Fig. 6 shows a pocket folding machine 1, which produces signatures with two folding sequences by means of two folding units 2 and 3. The delivery unit 5 is located at the output of the second folding unit 3 to receive the signatures. Fig. 7 shows the same pocket folding machine 1, but with the addition of a third folding unit 4. The third folding unit 4 can be moved between the working position shown and a park position (not shown). Thus, signatures with three fold sequences are produced by three folding units 2, 3, and 4. The delivery unit 5 is positioned at the output of the third folding unit 4 to receive the signatures. The situation described in Fig. 2 for the combination folding machine applies identically to the pocket folding machine. Figures 3, 4, 5A and 5B show a preferred embodiment of a combination folding machine according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows a combination folding machine 1, which produces signatures with two folding sequences using two (active) folding units 2 and 3. The delivery unit 5 is located at the output of the second folding unit 3 to receive the signatures. For geometric reasons, a transfer table 7 is required between the output of the folding unit and the input to the delivery unit 5 at a first sheet transfer position 6. This transfer table is attached to the folding machine 1 and can remain there. Fig. 4 shows the same combination folding machine 1, but with the third folding unit 4 also activated. Thus, signatures with three fold sequences are produced by three folding units 2, 3, and 4. To redirect the signatures, a deflection unit 9 is located at a second sheet transfer position 8 at the folding unit output, which deflects the individual signatures by 90 degrees. The deflection unit 9 guides the signatures to the delivery input 5. Figures 5A and 5B together show the situations from Figures 3 and 4 in a comparable representation. It can be seen that the display 5 only needs to be moved in a straight line in the direction of the arrow 14 shown for repositioning. This eliminates the time-consuming repositioning of the display 5 by 90 degrees with the disadvantages described above. The straight-line movement of the display 5 can be significantly facilitated and made more precise by a carriage (not shown) for the display 5. The display 5 is equipped with directionally fixed transport rollers that roll on guide rails 12 attached to the building arch. The central control unit 13 of the folding machine units recognizes the production type selected by the operator based on the set parameters. When producing with two folding units 2 and 3, the control unit deactivates the drive of the deflection unit 9, causing it to stand still. When producing with three folding units 2, 3, and 4, the control unit activates the drive of the deflection unit 9, causing it to run at a speed synchronized with the folding machine speed. At the stationary transfer point 10 shown, the signatures or signature packets are transferred from the output of the delivery unit 5 to the further processing system described above but not shown. To ensure that this point remains identical for both production types according to the invention, the transport table 11 at the output of the delivery unit is designed to be variable in length. This can be implemented technically in a known manner using a scissor-type grid table, a variable-length belt table, a telescopic roller table, or similar devices. Figures 8, 9, 10A and 10B show another preferred embodiment of a pocket folding machine according to the invention. Fig. 8 shows a pocket folding machine 1, which produces signatures with two folding sequences using two folding units 2 and 3. The delivery unit 5 is located at the output of the second folding unit 3 to receive the signatures. For geometric reasons, a transfer table 7 is required between the output of the folding unit and the input to the delivery unit 5. It is only included in this type of production. Fig. 9 shows the same pocket folding machine 1, but with the addition of a third folding unit 4. The third folding unit 4 can be moved between the working position shown and a park position (not shown). Thus, signatures with three fold sequences are produced by three folding units 2, 3, and 4. A deflecting unit 9 is located at the folding unit output to redirect the signatures by 90 degrees. The deflecting unit 9 guides the signatures to the delivery input 5. Figures 10A and 10B together show the situations from Figures 8 and 9 in a comparable representation. It can be seen that the display 5 only needs to be moved in a straight line in the direction of the arrow 14 shown for repositioning. This eliminates the time-consuming repositioning of the display 5 by 90 degrees with the disadvantages described above. The straight-line movement of the display 5 can be significantly facilitated and made more precise by a carriage (not shown) for the display 5. The display 5 is equipped with directionally fixed transport rollers that roll on guide rails 12 attached to the building arch. The central control unit 13 of the folding machine units recognizes the production type selected by the operator based on the set parameters. When producing with two folding units 2 and 3, the control unit 13 activates the drive of the transfer table 7. The deflection unit 9 is not used in this case. When producing with three folding units 2, 3, and 4, the control unit 13 activates the drive of the deflection unit 9, so that it runs at a speed synchronized with the speed of the folding machine. At the stationary transfer point 10 shown, the signatures or signature packets are transferred from the output of the delivery unit 5 to the further processing system described above but not shown. To ensure that this point remains identical for both production types according to the invention, the transport table 11 at the output of the delivery unit is designed to be variable in length. This can be implemented technically in a known manner using a scissor-type grid table, a variable-length belt table, a telescopic roller table, or similar devices. Fig. 11 shows a pocket folding machine 1 corresponding to the configuration of Fig. 9, in which a stationary transfer table 7 is additionally arranged above (alternatively: below) the feed of the signatures to the third folding unit 4. This transfer table 7 is not used (or is inactive) in the configuration of Fig. 9; however, it is used (or is active) when switching to the configuration of Fig. 8, i.e., when the delivery 5 assumes the position in Fig. 8 instead of Fig. 9. The transfer table 7 may preferably have a diverter 15 on its input side, so that the flow of signatures can be directed by means of this diverter according to the selected configuration (to the transfer table or not). Fig. 12 shows a pocket folding machine 1 corresponding to the configuration of Fig. 10b, in which a stationary transfer table 7 is additionally arranged above (alternatively: below) the feed of the signatures to the third folding unit 4. This transfer table 7 is not used (or is inactive) in the configuration of Fig. 10b; however, it is used (or is active) when switching to the configuration of Fig. 10a, i.e., when the delivery 5 assumes the position in Fig. 10a instead of Fig. 10b. The transfer table 7 may preferably have a diverter 15 on its input side, so that the flow of signatures can be directed by means of this diverter according to the selected configuration (to the transfer table or not). Further invention The invention also relates to automated signature separation in a folding machine. This invention is preferably combined with the above-described invention of the movable delivery unit, but it can also be used separately. With the trend towards increasingly smaller print runs, setup times for job changes on the folding machine are becoming ever more significant. One solution to this problem is to feed multiple print jobs directly to the folding machine one after the other. Ideally, the print jobs are combined in such a way that no retooling of the folding machine is necessary between jobs. Such seamless feeding can be achieved, for example, using a pallet where the individual print jobs are stacked directly on top of each other. When a pallet is folded in this way, the problem arises that the individual folded sheets must be separated again precisely at the delivery point. In principle, it is possible to do this separation manually, but this is prone to errors and time-consuming. The separation of individual print jobs can be carried out much more effectively by the automation device described below, or by the method that can be performed with it. Device / Method for separating print jobs on a folding machine: In order to be able to separate the produced print jobs sheet by sheet, the folding machine needs a sensor that is able to distinguish the individual print jobs from each other. One way to differentiate them is to print a identifier on the printed sheet that is recognized by the sensor and used to assign the printed sheet to the corresponding order. This identifier could be, for example, a QR code or a barcode. Another possibility is to capture the printed image itself with the sensor and assign it to the corresponding order based on the print image template. When the sensor detects a job change, the sheet feed at the feeder is automatically interrupted, so that all folded sheets still on the machine can be assigned to the previous job. These folded sheets are then finished and laid out, allowing the operator to easily assign them to the last job. After this folded sheet has been processed, the next print job is started either by confirmation from the operator or automatically after the machine has run empty. If desired, the first folded sheet of the new print job can be diverted using a diverter and used as a test sheet for fold control. Reference symbol list 1 Folding machine 2 First folding unit 3 Second folding unit 4 Third folding unit 5 Delivery 6 First sheet transfer position 7 Sheet transfer table 8 Second sheet transfer position 9 Sheet deflection unit 10 Fixed stack transfer position 11 Length-variable transport table 12 Rails 13 Control unit 14 Shift direction 15 Switch X X direction Y Y direction

Claims

Folding machine with at least two folding units (2, 3, 4) and a delivery unit (5), wherein the delivery unit (5) is movable to a first sheet transfer position (6) of the folding machine (1) and wherein the delivery unit (5) is movable to a second sheet transfer position (8) of the folding machine (1) that is different from the first, characterized in that a sheet deflection unit (9) is arranged at the second sheet transfer position (8) which rotates the folded sheets by 90°. Folding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a sheet transfer table (7) is arranged at the first sheet transfer position (6). Folding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folding machine (1) has a stationary stack transfer position (10). Folding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that a length-variable transport table (11) is provided between the movable delivery (5) and the stationary stack transfer position (10). Folding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more rails (12) are provided for the movable delivery (5). Folding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control device (13) is provided which activates or deactivates the sheet deflection unit (9) on the basis of at least one piece of information about the product to be manufactured. Folding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the sheet transfer table (7) has a diverter (15). Folding machine according to one of the preceding claims comprising a pocket folding unit (2), a downstream first sword folding unit (3) and a downstream second sword folding unit (4), which is activatable and deactivatable.

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