Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
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' 1
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MERGING OF
DIFFERENT PAPER WEBS
The invention relates to a method and a device
suitable for carrying out the method and for finishing
and merging a plurality of different paper webs
controlled in the longitudinal register, according to
the precharacterizing clause of Claims 1 and 11,
respectively.
In the context of the invention, the "paper
web" is understood as meaning any material which is
present in web form. A web may consist, for example, of
paper or of a film material, for example a plastic
material. The paper web may already have been
preprocessed. Examples of preprocessing are the
printing and coating of individual paper webs or the
association of a plurality of individual paper webs to
form a new, multilayer paper web.
In the context of the invention, the
"finishing" of a paper web is understood as meaning any
form of processing of a paper web, printing, coating or
embossing of patterns, folding, perforating or
punching, numbering and/or personalization of
longitudinal sections of the paper web, creation of
address windows and optionally the covering thereof,
for example with transparent films, and application of
labels, paper or plastic cards or sample packs being
mentioned as examples of finishing processes.
In the context of the invention, the "merging"
of individual paper webs is understood as meaning the
arrangement, one under the other, of the individual
paper webs which have been finished separately and
independently of one another. The term "arrangement one
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under the other" is usually understood here as meaning
that the paper webs are brought into direct contact
with one another. In particular applications, however,
the paper webs may also remain a certain distance
apart, but without moving relative to one another.
After the merging, the paper webs may pass through a
further, common processing region.
During the finishing of an individual, endless
paper web, the web speed must in general be correctly
maintained for a synchronization of sequences and for
error-free further processing.
The correct maintenance of the.web speed can be
achieved by providing, on both sides at the edges of
the paper web, register perforations which are engaged
b,y spike belts arranged along the processing or
finishing zone and which thus ensure a controllable,
synchronous speed. However, the longitudinal
registration using register perforations has the
disadvantage that the edge provided with the register
perforations generally has to be removed in a further,
additional processing step. Moreover, the removal of
the perforated edge represents the loss of material
which is of high quality per se. Finally, the method
involving the register perforations on both sides
cannot be used if the paper web is to be folded in one
of the finishing steps.
In an alternative method of longitudinal
registration, the paper web is provided with markings
which are applied to the paper web at regular intervals
in the longitudinal direction, advantageously with the
exact register of the longitudinal register. These
markings are recognized by a web sensor, and further
processing of the paper web with exact register is
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permitted by means of the signals generated by the web
sensor, via a corresponding web feed control. The web
feed control acts, for example, on the drive of draw
rollers which are arranged behind the processing
region, viewed in the running direction of the paper
web, or has a braking effect on unwinding rollers which
are arranged between the rolled or folded stock of the
paper web to be finished and the processing region. The
disadvantages of register perforations are avoided by
the method of longitudinal registration.
If not just one but a plurality of paper webs
are to be finished and then further processed together,
a completely different state of affairs is encountered.
Such a requirement arises, for example, in newspaper
printing.
In an approach known per se for achieving these
objects (VJO 95/28345), a method and a device for
finishing paper webs independently of one another,
merging them accurately in the longitudinal register
and optionally processing them together are proposed.
According to this method, the various paper webs are
passed from a storage drum via a pair of take-off
rollers which serves as a first tension-adjusting unit
in web-specific finishing regions, finished there
individually and independently of one another,
optionally merged via deflection rollers and fed to a
common processing region. A draw unit, by means of
which a tension substantially identical for all paper
webs is established in all paper webs between the take-
off rollers and the draw unit in the longitudinal
direction of the paper web is arranged in the common
processing region, preferably after the web-specific
finishing regions and immediately before the common
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
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processing region. Preferably, the propellers are
formed so that in each case a substantially constant
tension prevails over the whole width of the respective
paper webs. The draw unit is preferably also in the
form of a pair of rubber draw rollers. The common feed
velocity of the paper webs and hence the processing
speeds are determined by means of the rotational
velocity of the draw rollers. Markings which are
recognized by web sensors are applied to the paper webs
at equal intervals. The take-aff rollers are controlled
by means of a control unit controlled by the signals of
the web sensor. The take-off rollers are substantially
braked and thus the web tension prevailing on the web
specific finishing region between the take-off rollers
and the tension unit is regulated.
The difficulties encountered during finishing
increase further if paper webs of different quality are
to be finished or if individual paper webs are to
undergo very different finishing steps. Possible paper
webs having substantially differing quality are tissue
paper and so-called chemical papers. These are, for
example, copying papers which are provided with
microscopic capsules which release the ink contained in
them when pressure is exerted. Examples of different
finishing steps are the punching out of address
windows, sticking in of publicity packs or the folding
together of essentially broader paper webs in the
longitudinal direction to give narrower, unfoldable
paper webs. Such different finishing steps may be
required, for example, when tying together publicity
material for stitching.
When the proposed solution is used in practice,
however, disadvantages are encountered. Particularly
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when the web tensions of the individual paper webs
which prevail in the web-specific finishing region have
to be set very differently for an optimal course of the
finishing processes, it is observed that individual
5 paper webs "coincide" and/or that they wrinkle in an
undesired manner in the common processing region.
Consequently, the implementation of the finishing
processes is disturbed and/or more waste is produced.
It is the object of the present invention to
eliminate the described disadvantages of this known
solution for finishing and merging a plurality of paper
webs. In particular, the present invention should make
it possible to finish paper webs of very different
quality independently of one another, but with exact
register, and simultaneously to carry out very
different types of finishing processes correctly and
reliably, it also being intended to keep the quantity
of waste as low as possible. The object is achieved by
using a method in which all features of Claim 1 are
realized or with the use of a device having all
features of Claims 11 and 12. Advantageous or
alternative embodiments are described in the dependent
Claims.
The substantial feature of the achievement
according to the invention is that, in the device for
merging and finishing with control in the longitudinal
register, at least two tension-adjusting units are
present in addition to the tension unit mounted after
the common finishing region, in at least one web-
specific processing region, of which tension-adjusting
units a first tension-adjusting unit is arranged before
the web-specific processing zone and a second tension-
adjusting unit between the first tension-adjusting unit
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and the merging unit. The web tension prevailing in the
paper web between the first and the second tension-
adjusting unit - usually along the web-specific
processing region - can thus be adjusted substantially
independently of the web tension prevailing between the
second tension-adjusting unit and the draw unit, in
particular in the common finishing region. By
decoupling the web tensions in the two partial regions,
it is possible on the one hand to adapt the web tension
in the web-specific processing region optimally to the
requirements of the web-specific finishing process. On
the other hand, the web tension in the common
processing region can be adjusted to a value
substantially agreeing with the web 'tensions of the
other webs, independently of the web-specific finishing
step. Thus, for example, undesired wrinkling is
avoided.
Depending on the requirements of the finishing
process, further tension-adjusting units may also be
2Q included in addition to the first and the second
tension-adjusting units and to the draw unit. Thus,
more than two partial regions having defined web
tensions can be set up. This is advantageous in
particular when a paper web has to pass through a
plurality of different finishing processes in
succession.
In the partial regions, the web tension is
substantially constant, viewed in the running direction
of the paper web. The tension-adjusting units are
preferably controlled in such a way that the web
tension in the running direction of the paper web
decreases in a cascade-like manner from partial region
to partial region.
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In the common processing region, the web
tensions are preferably adjusted to a common,
substantially equal value. Behind the draw unit, in
particular in the collecting device, the merged paper
webs are substantially tension-free.
In order to achieve the cascade-like, stepwise
decrease in the web tension in the running direction,
the draw unit must draw the most strongly. The upstream
tension-adjusting units are controlled in such a way
that they each draw less strongly than the downstream
tension-adjusting unit. Alternatively, they may also be
controlled in such a way that they have a braking
effect, with in each case a greater braking effect
compared with the downstream tension-adjusting unit.
Frequently, the web quality or the web-specific
finishing step differs from the substantially equal web
qualities or the finishing step of the remaining paper
webs only in the case of one paper web. One example
each may be mentioned for the two above-mentioned
cases: i) the introduction of a particularly thin web
of copying paper sensitive to tearing into a stack of
paper webs of normal web quality; ii) the merging of
paper webs, which in principle are only to be printed
on, to give a personalized advertising brochure in
which the title page is to have an opening for the
address window, the opening being punched out of the
paper web. In these cases, it is generally sufficient
separately to adjust the web tension only on the paper
web differing with respect to web quality or a web
specific finishing step.
Depending on the type of finishing process, the
paper webs are firmly joined together in common
processing steps, so that they can no longer be moved
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
relative to one another in the longitudinal direction.
For example, they are held together there with staples
or in some cases are glued together.
In yet other finishing processes, it may only be
necessary for the paper webs merely to rest against one
another, optionally with friction, in the common
processing region. It is then tolerable within specific
limits to adjust the web tension in each paper web in
the common processing region slightly differently but
substantially to a value common to all webs. If,
however, the paper webs are to be firmly joined
together in the common processing region, it is then
necessary to adjust the web tensions very accurately to
the same value.
The means for establishing and adjusting the
web tension, in particular the first, the second and
possible further tension-adjusting units, and the draw
unit are advantageously designed in such a way that the
web tension remains substantially constant over the
total width of the paper web. This is achieved
approximately by virtue of the fact that tension-
adjusting units and the draw unit are in the form of
draw roller pairs, in particular in the form of rubber
rollers. In the case of rubber rollers, the pressure is
distributed in general more uniformly over the paper
web running through the pair of rollers than in the
case of known (hard) draw rollers, so that the web
tension is adjusted uniformly over the width.
It is precisely for finished paper webs that
the requirement for as good a uniformity as possible of
the web tension over the width of the paper web is of
substantial importance, in particular so that tearing
of the paper web or the occurrence of undesired creases
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and hence the loss of the finished material is as far
as possible avoided. Advantageously, draw rollers, in
particular rubber rollers, can therefore also be
provided on their circumference with a specific profile
adapted to the shape of the surface of the paper web
running through. For example, finishing products
applied to the paper webs when the paper webs pass
through the corresponding pairs of draw rollers can be
taken up via suitable passages in the profile so that,
in this case too, the pressure is distributed
approximately uniformly over the width of the paper
web.
In general, the draw rollers used are
cylindrical rollers having a standard circumference of
24" (60.96 cm). Both cylindrical rollers of the draw
roller pair are usually synchronously driven so that
the circumferential velocity is the same. The axes of
the two cylindrical rollers are exactly aligned with
one another and are perpendicular to the paper
transport direction. Consequently, the contact pressure
exerted by the draw roller pair on the paper webs in
between is the same and the paper webs are transported
linearly without the slightest angle of wrap. It is
evident that, depending on the material or the
resilience of the covering of the draw rollers or on
the smoothness of the surface of the paper web, the
circumferential velocity of the draw roller pairs has
to be adapted to the respective thickness of the paper
webs transported in between. In particular
applications, it may also be advantageous to drive the
two draw rollers separately and independently of one
another.
The adjustment of the longitudinal register of
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v
a paper web can be effected in principle in two ways.
Firstly by virtue of the fact that the travel of the
paper web within the web-specific processing region is
directly adjustable by means of a longitudinal register
adjusting unit. Secondly, by virtue of the fact that
the stretching of the paper webs, which is associated
with the elasticity of the paper webs and dependent on
the web tension, is utilized for moving the markings on
the different paper webs relative to one another so
that they coincide accurately in the longitudinal
register in the common processing region.
The direct adjustment of the travel has the
advantage that the longitudinal register of a paper web
can be adjusted directly and independently of the web
tension. It is then necessary to ensure that,
simultaneously with the change of travel of the paper
web, its feed is adapted synchronously with the change
in the travel in the partial region located before the
longitudinal register adjusting unit.
In the second possibility for adjusting the
longitudinal register with utilization of the elastic
stretching of the webs, problems may be encountered if
in fact paper webs are printed in a stretched state
differing from that in which they are present in the
finished product. Unacceptable distortions of the
printed image may then result. A remedy for this
problem is provided by the digital printing technique.
In digital printing, the subsequent distortion of the
printed image can be compensated as early as during
printing, by deliberately applying the printed image
distorted in the opposite direction so that the
subsequent distortion due to the changing stretching of
the paper web is compensated. Printing is one of the
~
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most frequent types of preliminary processing of paper
webs to be finished. The combination of the digital
printing technique with the technique of stretch-based
longitudinal register adjustment, which combination is
described here, offers here particular potential for
simplification and cost reduction of finishing
processes, because preliminary processing of the paper
webs can be dispensed with and more economical base
paper can be used if all finishing processes required
for the finished product can be carried out through
integration in one device.
Preferably, tension-adjusting units are formed
by draw roller pairs. The arrangement of further such
tension-adjusting units is advantageous particularly
when the processing region is particularly long or when
a plurality of finishing steps have to be implemented
in succession in the processing region in order to
adapt the web tension in each partial region for the
appropriate processing steps and to reliably maintain
the web tension in each partial region.
Depending on the quality of the paper web, in
particular in the case of paper webs having a
particularly smooth surface, it is also possible to
combine a plurality of draw roller pairs adjusted to
the same transport velocity to give a tension-adjusting
unit. The purpose of this is to ensure a sufficient
frictional connection between the individual paper webs
and to press out any existing air bubbles between the
paper webs, a problem frequently encountered
particularly in the case of multilayer paper webs.
With a device according to the invention, it is
also possible, depending on requirements, for at least
one finishing process to consist in the merging of at
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
12
least two paper webs, even before the merging of all
paper webs.
The invention is now described purely by way of
example below with reference to the drawing.
Fig. 1 shows a partial schematic side view of a first
embodiment of a complete device;
Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal register adjusting unit
for the direct adjustment of the longitudinal
register;
Fig. 3 shows a realistic side view of a second
embodiment of a complete device;
Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the second embodiment of a
complete device;
Fig. 5 shows a schematic side view of the first
embodiment, with a direction of view
perpendicular to that in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 6 shows a schematic side view of a third
embodiment, particularly clearly showing the
elements of the control unit.
The figures are described in relation to one
another below.
Figure 1 shows a simplified, partially
schematic diagram of an embodiment of a device
according to the invention, which diagram is not true
to scale in all parts. Four paper webs 1, 2, 3 and 4
are unwound, in the direction of view of the observer,
in each case from feed units (not shown) and are
deflected by means of deflection units (in the drawing,
a deflection unit for the third paper web is denoted by
12c) through a right angle to the right in the drawing.
In the example shown, the deflection units are
designed as so-called angle bars 59a, 59b, 59c and 59d.
An angle bar is a deflection unit consisting of at
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
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least one cylindrical deflection roller, the deflection
roller being arranged with its axis of rotation
parallel to the plane defined by the paper surface and
at an angle of 45° to the running direction of the
paper fed in. After passing through the angle bar, the
normal to the plane defined by the paper surface has
remained unchanged or has inverted (i.e. the paper web
was turned "from top to bottom") but the running
direction of the paper web has been deflected through a
right angle ( 90 ° ) . A side view of such angle bars 59a,
59b, 59c, 59d, 59e and 59f is shown in Figure 3 and a
plan view in Figure 4.
The exact mode of operation of an angle bar is
unimportant for the invention. Advantageously, however,
such angle bars permit a spatially compact and space
saving design of the entire device, as shown clearly in
Figures 2 and 3. All paper webs 1 to 6 to be finished
are fed from unwinding units 40a to 40f arranged
parallel side by side and substantially of the same
design (Fig. 4) into digital printing systems 71a to
71f likewise arranged parallel side by side and through
[sic] substantially of the same design (Fig. 4) and are
printed there and then deflected via angle bars 59a to
59f into the same running direction.
The angle bar is followed, for each paper web,
by a first tension-adjusting unit 19 as a first means
for regulating the web tension. By way of example, the
first tension-adjusting unit for paper web 4 is denoted
by 19d and surrounded by a dashed line by way of
example in Figure 1.
This preferred embodiment of a tension-
adjusting device 19d will now be described with
reference to the diagram in Figure 1. The tension-
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
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adjusting device 19d consists of a first deflection
roller 81, a variator 82, a pressure roller 83, a
tension-measuring roller 84 and an optional second
deflection roller 85. The axes of all rollers are
aligned parallel to one another. The variator 82 is
arranged in the plane of symmetry which belongs to the
first deflection roller 81 and to the tension-measuring
roller 84. The position of the variator 82 can be
changed in the plane of symmetry relative to the first
deflection roller 81 and the tension-measuring roller
84 (i.e. upwards or downwards in the diagram of
Figure 1) in the case of a substantially constant angle
of wrap of the paper web around the variator 82.
Together with the variator 82, the pressure roller 83
forms a pair of rollers; said pressure roller is
arranged so as to lock under pressure against the
variator 82. The paper web is wrapped around, the
tension-measuring roller 84 so that the web tension can
be measured on the basis of the force exerted by the
tensioned paper web on the tension-measuring roller 84
(in Figure 1, a force pulling the tension-measuring
roller 84 upwards). Expediently, the bearings (not
shown) of the axle of the tension-measuring roller 84
are mounted in a force transducer (not shown). The
second deflection roller 85 deflects the paper web at
the exit of the tension-adjusting device 19d into a
desired delivery direction. This function of the second
deflection roller 85 is not important for the operation
of the arrangement shown as a tension-adjusting unit.
As shown in Figures 1 (and 3), all 4 (and 6,
respectively) paper webs run above or below one another
when viewed in three dimensions, after passing through
the angle bars 59a to 59d (or 59f) . However, they have
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
" v " ~ 15
not yet been merged but first pass through web-specific
processing regions 10a to 10d still independently of
one another.
The web-specific processing regions 10a to lOd
initially include the first tension-adjusting units 19a
to 19d already described above and of substantially the
same design. These are followed by different web
specific finishing regions 13a to 13d, a second
tension-adjusting unit 20a to 20d and means for
congruent regulation of the longitudinal registers 14a
to 14d. Thereafter, paper webs 1 to 4 are merged in the
merging unit 21 and fed to a common processing region
22.
In the example shown in Figure 1, the paper web
1 no longer passes through any web-specific finishing
process. The paper web 2 is folded along its
longitudinal direction in a folding plough 77. The
paper web 3 passes through a gluing unit 72. The paper
web 4 initially passes through a punching device 73
having a punch waste remover 74, to which a collecting
container for punch waste 75 is fastened and then
through a dispensing assembly 76 for applying objects,
such as, for example, reply cards, sample packs or the
like, which are attached by means of the glue nozzle
78.
In Figure 1, the common processing region 22
consists of a folding plough 79 which folds the four
merged paper webs together in the longitudinal
direction, the web sensor 24 and the draw unit 25,
which is in the form of a pair of two identical draw
rollers pressed against one another and driven so as to
rotate against one another.
The common processing region 22 is followed by
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a collecting direction [sic] 26 for the finished and
merged paper webs. A size cutter 27 is also shown in
Figure 1, as the first element of the collecting device
26. In the plan view of Figure 4, possible further
downstream elements of a collecting device 26, in
particular a first rotary size cutte r 28, a 90°
deflection station 29, a second rotary size cutter 30
and compensating stacking device 31 for the finished
products cut to size, are evident in an exemplary
embodiment.
In Figure 1, for each paper web 1 to 4, the
second tension-adjusting unit 20a to 20d substantially
comprises a pair of different, cylindrical rollers
pressed against one another so as to lock under
pressure, namely comprises the thicker, stationary
second roller 92 and the thinner pressure roller 93
pressed against the stationary second roller 92.
In the case of firm pressure locking, i.e. when
the paper web cannot slide through the rollers pressed
against one another, the velocity of forward travel of
the paper web and hence a preferably braking effect
defined relative to the draw unit 25 can be achieved
via the rotational velocity of the pressure roller 93,
and a defined web tension identical for all paper webs
can thus be adjusted to the paper web section between
and hence in the common processing region 22.
Accordingly, a pulling effect and hence likewise a
defined web tension can be established relative to the
first tension-adjusting unit 19, in particular the
pressure roller pair formed from the contact pressure
roller 83 and the variator 82.
The means shown in the example in Figure 1 for
the congruent regulation of the longitudinal register
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' - . 17
14 comprise the longitudinal register adjusting unit
15, longitudinal register sensor 16 and the
longitudinal register regulating device Lnot shown).
The longitudinal register adjusting unit 15 is
advantageously arranged between the end of the web-
specific finishing region 13 and immediately before the
merging unit 21 and permits a direct adjustment of the
travel of the paper web in the web-specific finishing
region 13.
In general, a direct adjustment of the travel
of the paper web can be effected, for example, by
pressing a deflection roller, which is arranged with
its axis perpendicular to ,the running direction of the
paper web, substantially perpendicular to the surface
of the paper web, against the paper,web so that the
angle of wrap of the paper web around the deflection
roller changes. If the angle of wrap becomes larger,
the travel of the paper web also increases and, viewed
in the running direction, its register is set back
relative to the register of other paper webs.
The longitudinal register adjusting unit 15
shown in Figure 1 includes the movable first roller 91
and the stationary second roller 92. By changing the
position of the first roller 91 substantially in the
azimuthal direction around the second roller 92, the
angle of wrap of the paper web on the second roller 92
and hence the travel of the paper web are changed.
As shown in Figure 1, a longitudinal register
adjusting unit can particularly advantageously be
combined with a tension-adjusting unit to give an
arrangement consisting of only three rollers. Figure 1
shows the combination of the longitudinal register
adjusting unit 15 with the second tension-adjusting
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
' . 18
unit 20 to give an arrangement consisting of only three
rollers, namely the movable first roller 91, the
stationary second roller 92 and the pressure roller 93.
As an alternative to the first embodiment of a
longitudinal register adjusting unit 15,. consisting of
the rollers 91 and 92, the longitudinal register can,
for example, also be adjusted directly, with a second
embodiment shown in Figure 2 and consisting of three
rollers. A stationary entry roller 97 deflects the
direction of the paper web 1 running into the
arrangement into a specific first running direction
denoted by adjusting direction 102. A deflection roller
98 arranged displaceably in the adjusting direction 102
deflects the running direction of the paper web out of
the adjusting direction 102 into the exactly opposite
direction 103. Finally, the likewise stationary exit
roller 99 deflects the paper web 1 in a freely
selectable, wide range 101 of delivery angles. The
infeed angle of the paper web 1 is also freely
selectable in a wide range. What is important is that
the angle of wrap of the paper web around the
deflection roller 98 is exactly 180°. This condition
can be easily fulfilled by a suitable choice of the
relative arrangement of the entry roller 97 and of the
exit roller 99 relative to the deflection roller 98.
The position of the deflection roller 98 can be moved
along the adjusting direction 102. If the deflection
roller 98 is moved by a certain distance ~x towards the
entry roller 97 or exit roller 99 (o.r away from it),
the travel of the paper web is shortened (lengthened)
by exactly twice the distance 2~x. This makes it
particularly easy to calibrate the adjustment of the
longitudinal register accurately for each region.
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
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Figure 3 shows a side view of a complete device
according to the invention for finishing and merging
six paper webs 1 to 6, which side view is true to scale
and is technically detailed in particular in the region
of the deflection units realized by angle bars 59a to
59f and in the region of the merging unit. The paper
webs are dispensed, as in Figure 1, in the direction of
view of the observer, from feed units (not shown),
printed in digital printing systems (not shown) and
introduced into the device shown via the angle bars 59a
to 59f after deflection to the right. After passing
through the angle bars, the paper webs, viewed ira three
dimensions, run above or below one another but have not
yet been merged in the context of the invention. On the
right in Figure 3, adjacent to each of the angle bars
59a to 59f of identical design, a web-specific
processing region comprising the following finishing
stations begins for each paper web 1 to 6 with the
first tension-adjusting units 19a to 19f likewise of
identical design: the paper webs 1 and 2 run without a
further finishing step directly into the combination,
already described further above with reference to
Figure 1, of longitudinal register adjusting units 15a
and 15b, and second tension-adjusting units 20a and
20b, before they travel past the longitudinal register
sensors 16a and 16b into the merging unit 21. The paper
web 3 first passes through a folding plough 77, the
paper web 4 passes through a gluing unit 72 and the
paper web 5 passes through a punching device 73. The
paper web 6 passes through a dispensing assembly 76, is
then coated with glue by the glue nozzle 78 and is
glued to the paper web 5 to become paper web 5'. The
paper webs 3, 4 and 5' then run, in each case still
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
' . 20
separately, into a combination of longitudinal register
adjusting unit 15c to 15e and second tension-adjusting
unit 20c to 20e. The paper webs 3 and 4 then also run
past the longitudinal register sensors 16c and 16d
before they too, together with paper web 5, reach the
merging unit 21 and are merged.
The longitudinal register sensors 16a to 16d
detect the markings applied at regular intervals to
each of the paper webs 1 to 4 running past and in each
case transmit a signal to the control unit (not shown)
of the device. On the basis of the time sequence of the
arrival of the signals, the control unit checks whether
the longitudinal registers of the individual paper webs
1 to 4 are congruent with one another and detects a
possible deviation for each paper web 1 to 4. If a
deviation is detected for one of the paper webs 1 to 4,
a control signal is transmitted to the corresponding
longitudinal register adjusting unit 15a to 15d for
each paper web running with deviating register, via a
coordinated longitudinal register regulating device
(not shown), in order to correct the deviation.
The web sensor 24 mounted immediately before
the draw unit 25 detects the markings which are applied
to the paper web 5' lying above the other paper webs in
the region of the merging unit 21 and the downstream
common processing region; and transmits appropriate
signals to the control unit. With the aid of the
signals generated by the web sensor 24, the control
unit recognizes the common running velocity of the
merged paper web and can adjust the absolute running
velocity by means of a regulating device controlling
the draw unit. Moreover, a possible deviation of the
longitudinal register of the paper web 5' from the
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
" 21
longitudinal registers of the paper webs 1 to 4 can be
determined from a comparison of the time sequence of
the arrival of the signals from the web sensor 24 with
the sequence of the signals generated by the
longitudinal register sensors 16a to 16d and can be
corrected by controlling the longitudinal register
adjusting unit 15e coordinated with the paper web 5'.
As shown in Figure 3, the merging unit 21
advantageously has, at least for each of the infed
paper webs 1 to 5' , a deflection roller 94a to 94e and
a guide roller 95a to 95e. The axis of rotation of all
deflection rollers 94a to 94e are arranged in a plane,
with the result that, after running around the
deflection rollers 94a to 94e, the paper webs 1 to 5'
are adjacent to one another. Each of the deflection
rollers is supported by a force transducer with which
the web tension of the relevant paper web is measured.
In Figure 3, in the common processing region,
the merged paper webs pass through a final folding
plough 79, the draw unit 25, a size cutter and further
assemblies (not shown in Figure 3 but shown in plan
view in Figure 4 ) , in particular a first rotary cutter
28, a 90° deflection station 29 and a second size
cutter 30. The individual finished products of the
finishing process which have been cut to size from the
merged, endless paper web are finally stacked one on
top of the other in a compensating stacking device 31.
An overall view of the arrangement and mounting
of the functional elements of the device shows a
modular design of the device. It is therefore possible
with relatively little effort to expand the device for
the simultaneous finishing of further paper webs by
adding the appropriate additionally required elements,
CA 02409270 2002-11-19
22
or to adapt or convert the device for other
applications by replacement of individual elements, in
particular of finishing assemblies.
Figure 4 shows a plan view of the same device
which is shown in side view in Figure 3. This view once
again clearly illustrates the modular design of the
entire device.
The parallel arrangement of the six feed units
for the six paper webs 1 to 6 is clearly evident.
Specifically, each of the feed units 10a to lOf
comprises an unwinding unit 40a to 40f, to which in
particular the unwinding devices 41a to 41f in Figure 4
with storage drums 42a to 42f, and the web guiding
device 49a to 49f, belong. Each paper web 1 to 6 passes
through a digital printing system 71a to 71f as a first
finishing step. The paper webs 1 to 6 then pass through
the angle bars 59a to 59f clearly recognizable from
above and, viewed in three dimensions, run above or
below one another in the following regions so that, in
this view, those elements of the web-specific finishing
regions which are shown in Figure 3 are not
recognizable. However, the processing assemblies of the
common processing region are once again clearly evident
from above. In the sequence of passage of the merged
paper web, these include specifically: the final
folding plough 79, the draw unit 25, the size cutter
27, the first rotary cutter 28, the 90° deflection
station 29, the second size cutter 30 and the
compensating stacking device 31 which stacks the cut
finished products one on top of the other.
Figure 5 shows a detailed side view of an
individual feed unit as provided for each paper web in
the device shown in Figures 3 and 4. In particular, the
. CA 02409270 2002-11-19
'. ' 23
unwinding device 41 having, inter alia, the storage
drum 42 and the web guiding device 49 is clearly
detectable in the unwinding unit 40, and, in the
further course of the paper web, the digital printing
system 71 is clearly evident.
The diagram showing the arrangement of the
elements of the feed unit serves merely to complete the
description of a preferred embodiment of the device
according to the invention. However, the details are
not important for the present invention; no further
description will therefore be given here.
Usually, a stock of a paper web to be finished
is present wound up into a roll. However, in another
embodiment of a feed unit which is not shown, it is
also conceivable for a paper web to be present folded
into longitudinal sections. In this case, the folds on
the paper web are advantageously made synchronous with
a possible side register and arranged in such a way
that they adversely affect the appearance of the paper
web as little as possible.
The invention was described above by way of
example with reference to specific, preferred
embodiments. Various changes and modifications are
obvious to a person skilled in the art on reading the
description. It is intended that all these changes and
modifications be regarded as being covered by the
invention and thus belonging to the scope of the
following Patent Claims.
