Dynamic change of gang run

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12552193-B2
Application number	US-202318461524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2023
Priority date	Sep 21, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A method operates a facility, which serves for the continuous production of multiple gang runs for forming individual signatures or signature packs from which type-specific print products are made in a downstream print further processing machine. An endless web is the basis for the formation of these multiple gang runs. The endless web, in the non-folded state, is imparted complementary handling by facility-internal means according to the following criteria: i) in a 2-gang run, the individual signatures or the folded signature packs are only deflected in a second longitudinal air folding station disposed downstream of the first longitudinal air folding station; and ii) in a 3 or 4-gang run, the individual signatures or the folded signature packs are additionally folded in a second longitudinal air folding station disposed downstream of the first longitudinal air folding station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a printing system for continuously producing multiple gang runs from an endless web for forming individual signatures or signature packs from an endless web, the individual signatures or signature packs being for producing type-specific print products in a downstream print process, the method comprising:
receiving the endless web in a non-folded state, and before cutting the endless web, executing a complementary handling operation to prepare the endless web for a subsequent operation; cutting the endless web transversely to a running direction to a specified or variable cutting length forming an individual sheet; transporting the individual sheet to a transfer section while maintaining a specified or continuously re-established mutual spacing from a previous individual sheet or a subsequent individual sheet cut from the endless web; braking the individual sheet; performing a first longitudinal fold of the individual sheet or of the individual sheet with at least one of the previous individual sheet or the subsequent individual sheet to form one of the individual signatures or one of the signature packs; and feeding at least one of the individual signatures or the signature packs to an alignment section capable of implementing each the following operations according to a respective configuration of the system:
a) aligning the individual signatures or the signature packs in a 2-gang run for implementing auxiliary gluing in a downstream collation process;
b) aligning the individual signatures or the signature packs in a 3 or 4-gang run for a second longitudinal folding and auxiliary gluing in the downstream collation process;
c) in the 2-gang run, the individual signatures or the signature packs are only deflected in a second longitudinal folding station disposed downstream of a first longitudinal folding station at which the first longitudinal fold was performed; and
d) in the 3 or 4-gang run, the individual signatures or the signature packs are additionally folded in a second longitudinal fold at the second longitudinal folding station disposed downstream of the first longitudinal folding station.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least in the 2, 3, or 4-gang run, the method further comprises transversely folding or combining the individual signatures of the signature packs, and/or subsequently longitudinally and transversely folding the individual signatures or the signature packs.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein executing the complementary handling operation comprises performing at least one longitudinal perforation, applying a fold softening agent with at least one fold-softening nozzle, scoring with at least one scoring wheel on the endless web to establish a formation of at least one of 2, 3, or 4-gang run individual signatures or signature packs.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the complementary handling is carried out by an arrangement of three longitudinal perforators, three fold-softening nozzles, and/or by three scoring wheels, the three fold-softening nozzles comprising the at least one fold-softening nozzle, and the three scoring wheels comprising the at least one scoring wheel.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cutting is performed by a dynamic cross cutter, which operates according to a specified or variable cycle and is operatively connected to a specified or variable transport flow and delivers in each case the size of the individual signatures.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the printing system comprises at least two longitudinal folding devices configured in coordinating combination with at least three longitudinal perforators, the at last two longitudinal folding devices and the at least three longitudinal perforators are coordinated by way of a superordinate control unit based on a chosen folding diagram specified by a data management system or a barcode, wherein a first longitudinal folding device of the at least two longitudinal folding devices performs the first longitudinal fold, and a second longitudinal folding device of the at least two longitudinal folding devices performs the second longitudinal fold, wherein the at least three longitudinal perforators execute the complementary handling which comprises perforating the endless web.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein in accordance with the chosen folding diagram, one or two or three longitudinal perforations are implemented in such a manner that:
in the case of one longitudinal perforation the center applies to a 2-gang run,
in the case of two longitudinal perforations, the center, or the left web, or the right web, applies to a 3-gang run, and
three longitudinal perforations are assigned to the 4-gang run.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein cutting the endless web comprises successively cutting a plurality of individual sheets from the endless web, the individual sheets comprising the individual sheet, the previous individual sheet, and the subsequent individual sheet, wherein the method further comprises a braking operating comprising passing the individual sheets or a sheet pack of the individual sheets upstream of the first longitudinal folding station through a braking apparatus by way of which the individual sheets or the sheet pack are stopped at an exact point on a detent, the braking operation comprising the braking of the individual sheet; wherein performing the first longitudinal fold is controlled by way of a superordinate control unit based on a folding diagram designated by a data management system or a barcode and comprises folding the individual sheets or sheet pack individually or collectively to form the individual signatures or the signature packs before feeding the individual signatures of the signature packs to the alignment section, wherein the method further comprises, in the alignment section, aligning the individual signatures or the signature packs to a fixed edge disposed transversely to the transport direction in such a manner that in accordance with the folding diagram the individual signatures or the signature packs in the second longitudinal folding station are deflected by folding rollers according to the 2-gang run, or folded once again according to the 3-gang run and 4-gang run.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the individual signatures or the signature packs during the folding process in the second longitudinal folding station impact on a sheet, which is disposed parallel to a second longitudinal folding device, and wherein the individual signatures or the signature packs for forming the second longitudinal fold are directed by a folding air pulse in the direction of folding rollers of the second longitudinal folding device.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein preconditions for carrying out a change of signatures for a subsequent finishing of the type-specific print products, comprising those from adhesive binding to sewn binding or to saddle stitching, at full machine speed are achieved by switching in a precise signature-specific manner from longitudinal perforation to fold-softening nozzle or scoring wheel.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a full machine speed for maximizing a delivery performance is guaranteed by pre-gathering the signatures in the first longitudinal folding station.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a cycle-dependent folding of individual signatures so as to form signature packs is directed by a recipe-based main control unit which controls in particular a variable-thickness adjustment of the foldin

Assignees

• Mueller Martini Holding Ag

Inventors

• Troxler Christian
• Oberholzer Heinz

Classifications

• B42C19/08

  Conveying between operating stations in machines (conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title

• B42C19/04 Primary

  starting with signatures · CPC title

• B42C1/12

  Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures · CPC title

• B42C19/06

  starting with webs not provided for elsewhere · CPC title

• B65H2301/4461

  by blowing air towards handled material · CPC title