Device and method for producing packages from flexible, flat objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016236897-A1
Application number	US-201615042891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for operating a postpress processing installation ( 1 ) for producing and processing product units, in particular completed final printed products (D) such as periodicals and newspapers, which are preferably compiled from a jacket product (A) and a plurality of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d), and a corresponding postpress processing installation ( 1 ). The final printed products (D) are produced according to a predetermined production plan in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel and are processed by means of at least one stacking device ( 70, 70.1 ) to form a sequence of standard packages (N) and part packages.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A method for operating a postpress processing installation ( 1 ) for producing and processing product units, in particular completed final printed products (D) such as periodicals and newspapers, which are preferably compiled from a jacket product (A) and a plurality of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d), the method comprising:
producing the product units according to a predetermined production plan in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel and are processed by means of at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) to form a sequence of packages (N, S), the product units being personalized, and preferably addressed, only immediately before or only inside the at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ), and in that all the product units that have not been processed in the at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) are personalized and are made available for packaging by means of a discharge station ( 80 ), which is available for personalization, and preferably for addressing.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the event of defects arising in the course of the production of the product units (P) for a route (R), with the result that product units (P) that have been rectified and/or produced in additional quantities in the production sequence lie outside their route (R), said product units that have been rectified or produced in additional quantities being discharged via a discharge station ( 80 ) and being gathered together into an end package (E), which is then added to the other packages (N, S) on the route, which are then processed by means of at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) so as to form a sequence of packages.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a whole number x/n of standard packages (N) is produced from the product units (P) for the product sequence of a route, without the product units that have been rectified or produced in additional quantities, with the at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ), x being the total number of product units for a route minus the product units that have been rectified or produced in additional quantities, and n being the number of product units in the standard package, and the remainder that is required in order to achieve the complete number x of product units being processed into a part package (S) in the stacking unit ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) or in the discharge station ( 80 ).

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the packages (N, S) are produced on a single stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) or distributed on more than one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ), the packages (N, S), when more than one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) is used, being compiled alternately or by sections of the route into the correct package sequence consisting of the standard packages (N).

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the packages (N, S) produced in the stacking devices ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) are provided with readable information in respect of their content and preferably with a package identification, said information being printed on a cover sheet or directly onto an external surface of an externally situated final printed product in the package (N).

6 . A postpress processing installation ( 1 ) for the production and processing of product units (P), in particular final printed products (D) such as periodicals and newspapers, which are compiled from a jacket product (A) and a plurality of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d) in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel, comprising:
a device for the production of the product units ( 10 ) according to a predetermined production plan in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel and a transport device for transporting the product units (P) to at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) and/or to a discharge station ( 80 ), a personalization unit being arranged in the direction of transport immediately before or inside the at least one stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) and the discharge station ( 80 ).

7 . The postpress processing installation ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the personalization unit is an addressing unit in the form of a printer ( 51 , 52 , 53 ) or a labelling unit.

8 . The postpress processing installation ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the device for production of the product units ( 10 ) in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel comprises a collecting zone ( 30 ) having a first conveyor device and a plurality of feed devices ( 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ) for preferably part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d) for producing collections (K) of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d).

9 . The postpress processing installation ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the device for production of the product units ( 10 ) in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel comprises an inserting device, preferably an inserting drum ( 40 ), or a driving device, in which the collections (K) of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d) are inserted or driven into a jacket product (A).

10 . The postpress processing installation ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the transport device comprises a gripper conveyor ( 21 ), which transports the jacket products from a feed device, preferably a feeder ( 60 ), to the inserting device ( 40 ) and, after insertion of the collection (K) of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d), transports the product units (P) to the stacking device ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) and/or to the discharge device ( 80 ).

11 . The postpress processing installation ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the stacking devices ( 70 , 70 . 1 ) are provided with a device for the addition of a package identification, said device comprising a feeder for a cover sheet printed with the package identification information and preferably a cover sheet printer or a printer, which prints the package identification information directly onto an external surface of an externally situated final printed product in the package (N).

Assignees

• Gallati Rudolf
• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Gallati Rudolf

Classifications

• B65H39/065

  by collecting in rotary carriers · CPC title

• B65H29/003

  by grippers (B65H29/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• B65H2301/44712

  carried by chains or bands · CPC title

• B65H2301/437

  Repairing a faulty collection due to, e.g. misfeed, multiplefeed · CPC title