Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
Device for separating a web into parts and for stacking
said parts, possibly after folding.
The invention concerns a.device for separating a webw into
parts and for stacking said parts, possibly after folding,
said device comprising a workstation with a supporting
structure and with a web-transporting device, a separating
device and a folding device, mounted on the supporting
structure and further comprising a collecting device for ..
collecting the web parts into stacks, said collecting
device being situated under the workstation and comprising
a portion which is at least horizontally movable with
regard to the workstation ar..d means for moving this portion.
Such devices are often put up after a printing device, in
particular for continuous forms. The folding device used
hereby contains known means for laying down web parts in a
zigzag manner on a platform or on web parts already present
on this platform and elements for flattening the folds.
Also, these flattening elements must be situated
practically at the height of the platform or the stack
already placed-upon itSince the stack becomes ever higher
as more of a web part or more web parts are put on the
platform.~.i~ should be possible to move the workstation and v
the platform with regard to one another.
A device of this kind is known from EP-A-0 18? 344. In this
known device, the workstation is stationary while the
WO 93/0103y PCT/BE92/00028
platform is movable up and down. Before a stack is formed
on the platform, it is raised against the workstation. As
the stack becomes higher; the platform is lowered. When the
stack is sufficiently high, the platform is lowered to the
height of a horizontally movable portion of the collecting
device. Hy means of a mechanism, the stack is finally
pushed from the platform on two said movable portion.
To permit forming relatively high stacks, the distance
between the platform and the, workstation is relatively
large, and larger thaw the. height.: of the highest stack which
should be collected by- the collecting device. If however
only a small stack is required, after formation of the
stack, the platform has still be lowered over a relatively
large distance to the level of the horizontally movable
portion, which implies a loss of time. The mechanism to '
push the stack from the platform makes the construction of
the, device more complicated and also this pushing off
requires extra time.
Moreover in the known device, the separating device is a
device for tearing apart the web. This tearing device
comprises a mechanism for retaining the web and drive means
situated upstreams for moving the web in the backward
direction. To permit tearing apart, the web has to be
pre-perforated in the crosswise direction. In fact, this w
known device can only treat a pre-folded web
provided with
perforations along the folding lines. As for each tearing
the web movement has to be reversed, the formation of
stacks of separate forms from a web is very time-consuming,
as the web..~has to be teared on each folding line.
The invention aims to provide a remedy to the above-
mentioned disadvantages and to provide a device for
separating a web into parts and for stacking said parts,
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/44028
E;,
possibly after folding, according to the invention which
has a relatively simple construction but which is
fast-working, also when stacks of separate forms are
desired, and which does not require a pre-folding or
pre-perforating in the crosswise direction of the web.
To this aim the separating device is a cross-Butting device
and the workstation is movably up and down above the
horizontally movable portion of the collecting device, such
that a stack-His formed directly on this portion and the
device comprises.means for-moving the workstation up and
down as a function of the height of the stack formed-on the
movable portion.
A device for folding and stacking a web wherein the
folding device alone is movable up and down in function of
the height of a stack formed on a stationary platform is
known as such from US-A-4 504 051. This device does not
comprise any means for separating the web and it can only
be used to form stacks from a prefolded web. Difficulties
appear when the memory of the folds is lost. Moreover the
folding device does only comprise guiding means but no
flattening elements.
Also DE-A-3 346 841 discloses a device for refolding a
prefolded web and stacking it on a stationary support. It
does not comprise any means for separating the web. The
folding device is comprised of an upper part and a lower
part which are movable with respect to each other in the
vertical direction. When a stack is formed on the
stationary.'platform, the lower part is moved upwards with
respect to the upper part as a function of the increasing
height of the stack.
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WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
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4
In a particular form of embodiment of the invention, the
folding device can be put in and out operation.
Especially in this form of embodiment, the device can also
.. ,5.; ;..
easily stack loose sheets, which of course must not be
folded.
Efficiently, the device then also contains a rotating
element to collect a sheet from the folding device put out
of operation and to lay.down on the .collecting device or
_the. stack which ,has .already, been :formed :thereon,w. said
rotating element being mounted on the supporting structure
in a movable manner and being situated in one position at
or under the lower end of the folding device put out of
operation.
According to an advantageous form of embodiment of the
invention, the folding device comprises a guide for the web
parts which is suspended to the supporting structure in a
pivotable manner around the horizontal axis, means to
pivote this guide to and fro, two movable flattening
elements which are mounted under the pivotable guide, on
both sides of a vertical plane through the pivotating axis
of the guide, and means to drive the flattening elements.
According to a preferred form of embodiment of the
invention, the device comprises a control device for
controlling at least the cross-cutting device whereas the
workstation contains a detector to detect marks applied on
the web, which detector is connected to the control deviee.
On the basis of the information of the detector, the
control device can precisely determine the moment to cut
the web.
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
F'd p~~
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will
become clear from the following description of a device for
separating a web into parts and for stacking said parts.
possibly after folding. This description is given by way of
example only and without being limitative in any way. The
figures refer to the accompaying drawings wherein .
figure 1 shows a schematic front view of a device
according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a cross section:according=to linevII-II
in figure 1 to~a larger scale;
figure ~ shows a side view of the workstation from the
device in figure 1 whereby a side wall of the
supporting structure has been left out, represented to
a larger scale;
figure 4 shows a side view analogous to that in figure
3, but in relation to another embodiment of the
invention. -
The device represented in the figures mainly contains a
vertical guide 1, a workstation 2 which can be moved up and
down over it and a collecting device 3 mounted under this
workstation which comprises an endless belt-conveyer 5
mounted on a frame 4.
A web 6 of paper provided with perforations along the edges
,and which has been printed in a printing device, is
supplied-tcf the workstation 2 via a buffer 7 and over guide
rolls 8 on the topmost end of the guide 1.
This workstation 2 contains, as shown in detail in figures
2 and 3, a supporting structure 9 with two standing side
WO 93/01031 PC'f/BE92/00028
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walls 10 in between which, successively from top to bottom,
a transport device 11, a longitudinal-cutting device 12, a
cross-cutting device l3 and a folding device 14 have been
mo~.Znted .
'The supporting structure 9 contains a carriage 15 upon
which the standing side walls 10 have been mounted, which
can be noved with wheels l6 over a guide 1. This carriage
15 carries a gear 17 which is driven by a motor 18 which
can rotate in two directions and which cooperates with a
gear rack 19 which is part of the guide .1. The motor 18 is
controlled by a control device 20 with which it is
connected via a line 21.
The transport device 11 contains two pin tractors put up
opposite a guide plate 22 which each contains an endless
belt 23 provided with pins. The two endless belts 23 run
over two rolls 24 mounted on top of each other between the
side walls 10. The lower roll 24 for each belt 23 is
intermittently driven by a stepping motor ?5.
The longitudinal-cutting device 12 contains two disc-shaped
knives 26 which have been fixed on a horizontal shaft 27
opposite supports 28. The shaft 27 which is borne in the
side walls 10 is driven by a motor 29.
The cross-cutting device 13 contains two horizontal knives
directed crosswise to the side walls 10, namely a fixed
knife 30 and a knife 31 which can move with regard to the
latter. The knife 31 works in conjuction with a cam disc 32
which can --push this knife against the action of a spring 33
against the fixed knife 30 to cut the web 6. The cam disc
32 is fixed on a shaft 34 which is driven by a stepping
motor 35.
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
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The folding device 14 contains a guide 36 pivotating to and
fro which two parallel, downward directed plates which are
connected to one another at the top by means of taps 38
with which they are suspended in a pivotable manner around
a horizontal axis between the side walls 10. The top of the
slot 39 between the plates 37 is situated just under the
slit between the knives 30 and 31. On their lower edge the
plates 37 are provided with guide rolls 40. One of the taps
38 is driven by a stepping motor 41 which can rotate in
both directions.
The folding. device 14 also contains two flattening elements
42 which have been mounted under the guide 36 on both sides
of the theoretically vertical plane through the pivoting
axis of the guide 36. at the same height, in a rotatable
manner between the lower ends of the side walls 10. These
elements 42 extend parallel to the pivoting axis of the
guide 36. Perpendicular to their rotating axis, these
flattening elements 42 have a practically half circle
shaped section whereby one element 42 has been turned 180
degrees with regard to the other. The two rotatable
flattening elements 42 are driven by stepping motors 43.
The belt-conveyer 5 of the collecting device 3 consists of
an actual endless belt which runs over two rolls 45 borne
in the frame 4, with the topmost belt portion 44
horizontally. One of the rolls 45 is driven by a motor 46.
Not only the motor 18 but also the motors 25. 29, 35. 41,
43 and 46 are connected to the control device 20 by means
of lines -?~2' and are controlled by this device . .
This control device is also connected to a photo detector
47 which is mounted right above the cross-cutting device 13
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
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and which can detects marks which have been applied on the
web 6 by the printing device.
The web 6 is inserted between the guide plate 22 and the
endless belts 23 with the pins through the perforations
along the edges of the web 6. As the device is switched on,
the control device orders the starting of the stepping
motor 25 as a result of which the web is moved downwards by
the belts 23. At the same time also the motors 29, 41 and
43 are started. The edges with perforations are cut off
from the strip 6 by the longitudinal-cutting device 12.
When the photo detector 47 has detected a mark or a random
predetermined number of marks and the control device 20 has
received corresponding signals, the latter orders the
starting of the motor 35. As a result, the cam disc 32 is
rotated one turn which results in the moveable knife 31
being pushed against the fixed knife 30 and the web 6 being
cut. During this cut operation the control device 20 orders
the motors 25 and 29 to stop such that the web 6 comes to a
standstill.
The cut-off web part drops in the slot 39. The control
device 20 controls the stepping motor 41 such that the
guide 36 pivots to and fro as a result of which this web
part is laid in a zigzag manner on the belt-conveyer 5
which is hold stationary or on a stack which has already
been placed upon it. Successively, the folds are pressed on
either side by the flattening elements 42 which are rotated
by the motors 43 at the same speed.
As the st-ack on the upper belt portion 44 of the endless
belt-conveyer 5 becomes higher, the control device 20
orders the workstation 2 to rise by activating the stepping
motor 18, such that the flattening elements 42 are always
at the required height so as to be able to press the folds
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
of the web parts which have been laid down in a zigzag
manner. One or more web parts with a predetermined length
can be laid down on one and the same stack.
When the stack has reached the required height, which can
for example be detected by means of photo cells or such
like or by counting the number of web parts, folds or
sheets, the control device 20 orders the belt-conveyer 5 to
move over a restricted distance by temporarily activating
the stepping motor 46. Immediately; thereafter, the device
20. moves the.~workstation 2 -in its~.lowest position; just
above the belt-conveyer 5, by activating the stepping motor
18 in the required revolving direction.
When the reciprocating pivoting movement of the guide 36 of
the folding device 14 starts. the guide 36 hangs
vertically. The control device 20 not only controls the
starting of the motor 41 but determines also the direction
of the pivoting movement when starting according to the
choice of the user. Referring to figure 3, the guide 36 can
thus be moved first to the right or first to the left.
Taking into account that the web 6 fed to the device may be
pre-folded or not, the following possibilities are open.
when a pre-folded web 6 is refolded, it may be refolded in
the same way and with the same folds as in memory or the
folds in memory may be inversed so that the folded web is
stacked up the belt-conveyer 5 upside down with respect to
the original stack upstreams the device. When a not folded
continuous web 6 is treated, the web may be folded with the
upside of the sheets of forms upside after folding or
downside after folding. So, if e.g. the web is printed on
one side, the device can fold the web so that the printed
side of the first form of the folded web is downside or is
upside.
WO 93/01031 PGTIBE92/00028
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The form of embodiment of the workstation 2 represented in
figure 4 mainly differs from the form of embodiment in the
previous figures in that the folding device 14, which can
be-switched off by the way, has a different construction.
In particular the two flattening elements 42 can be
adjusted in the height with regard to the guide 36 as they
are mounted between the lower parts of the side walls 10
which are not fixed to the rest and which can be adjusted
in the heigth with regard to the rest by means of cylinder
piston mechanisms .48 ~:- Moreover; ~: one of . the two flattening
elements 42 can be horizontally moved ~as far as the
vertical plane through the pivoting axis of the guide 36.
In fact, this removable flattening element 42 in the
last-mentioned position no longer forms a flattening
element but a rotating element to collect a sheet from the
stationary guide 36 and to rotate this sheet down on the
belt-conveyer 5 or on the sheets which have already been
laid down upon it. To this end the removable element 42 has
been provided with a slot 49 in the longitudinal direction
which opens on its outer surface, as represented in figure
4.
The device provided with the workstation 2 according to the
embodiment in figure 4 can supply stacks with one or more
folded web parts as well as stackes with loose sheets.
For supplying folded web parts, the removable lower ends of
the side walls 10 are pushed upward towards the rest of the
side walls and the movable flattening element 42 is placed
symmetrically with regard to the other flattening element
42' with regard to the vertical plane through the pivoting
axis of the guide 36. The device works entirely as
described above whereby the folding device 14 is activated
WO 93/01031 PGT/BE92/00028
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or in other words the guide 36 pivots to and fro and the
two elements 42 are flattening.
For supplying loose unfolded sheets. the folding device 14
must be switched off, which implies that it must be no
longer possible to fold anything. To this end the guide 36
stands still in the vertical position. The movable
flattening element 42 must be further rotated however, and
the other flattening element 42 may be further rotated. but
these: elements 42 do no longer flatten. Moreover, the
movable; flattening element 42 must. be: placed under the
guide 36 as represented in figure 4. Naturally, the control
device 20 controls the cross-cutting device 13 such that
the sheets are cut from the web 6 at the required length.
These sheets frog through the slot 39 and are collected in
the slot of the removable element 42 which does not
function as a flattening element but as a rotating element
and lays down the collected sheets on a stack.
The devices described above have a relatively simple
construction. As the workstation 2 can be moved up and down
and are stacking directly onto the belt-conveyer 5.
successive stacks can be formed very fast one after the
other such that the device can work very quickly. The web 6
to be fed to the device may but must not be pre-folded or
crosswise pre-perforated.
The succesive stacks have not necessarily to be separated,
or in other words the top sheet of a first sheet may be
connected by web material to the lowermost sheet of the
next stacl~-. ' The control device 20 has of course to control
the stepping motor 35 of the cross-cutting device 13
accordingly so that the web 6 is not cut between the stacks
which should be connected to each other.
WO 93/01031 PCT/BE92/00028
The present invention is in no way limited to the forms of
embodiment described above; on the contrary, many
modifications can be made to the described forms of
embodiment, amongst others as far as form, composition,
arrangement and the number of parts used for the
realization of the invention are concerned, while still
remaining within the scope of the invention.
In particular the collecting device must not necessarily
have . a belt-conveyer. Other transport devices with
horizontally ;removable part,:. such as for ' examphe a_
removable table, can be used.'
The transport device of the workstation must not
necessarily have pin tractors either. The transport can
also take place by means of pressure rolls, in which case
the web must not be provided with perforations along its
edges and the longitudinal-cutting device is of course '
redundant.
