Method for assembling a stack or a collection consisting of single or multilayered pre-products that lie freely one on top of the other, compositions of such pre-products, and applicator for producing such compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782954-B2
Application number	US-201615260541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Dec 20, 2010
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assembling a stack ( 10 ) consisting of single or multilayered pre-products ( 1115 ) of equal or different sizes, said pre-products lying freely one on top of the other, wherein the stack ( 10 ) has two outer pre-products ( 11, 15 ). According to the method, the stack ( 10 ) is given a cohesion that facilitates later handling. The cohesion is achieved in a very simple and flexibly applicable manner by providing the slack ( 10 ) to be assembled in a first step, said stack consisting of pre-products ( 11 - 15 ) that lie freely one on top of the other, and by attaching at least one connecting element ( 17 ) to an edge ( 16 ) of the stack ( 10 ) in a second step such that said element overlaps the two outer pre-products ( 11, 15 ) of the stack ( 10 ) in a clamping manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An applicator ( 46 ) for producing a composition in the form of a stack or a collection including single-layered or multi-layered pre-products ( 11 - 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″), in a stack, that lie freely one on top of an other or a collection consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products ( 11 - 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) that lie freely side by side of a same or a different size, the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or the collection having two pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) each lying on an outside, wherein the applicator ( 46 ) comprises:
two parallel conveying belts defining a conveying path there between for the composition, each of the belts acting on one of opposing outside side faces of the composition;
at least two pressing flanks ( 55 ) each acting on one of the outside side faces of the composition ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) in a non-positive manner; and
a free region between the pressing flanks ( 55 );
wherein the applicator ( 46 ) is adapted to apply at least one adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ) as the composition is moved with a relative speed by the belts between the pressing flanks, the free region during the application corresponds at least approximately to a height of the composition ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ), and the pressing flanks include lateral pressing faces ( 55 ) or rolling faces to apply at least one connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) on the composition to achieve a cohesion of the pre-products to facilitate a subsequent handling, wherein the at least one connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) overlaps the outside two pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the composition in an adhesive manner.

2. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pre-products comprise printed products.

3. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein several connecting elements are mounted on several selected stack edges on the stack or the collection overlapping the two outside pre-products of the stack or of the collection.

4. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) overlaps the two outside pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or of the collection in an adhesive manner in each case on the inside.

5. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the pre-products ( 11 - 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or of the collection has at least one preferred edge, the pre-products ( 11 - 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or of the collection are arranged and aligned in the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or in the collection with preferred edges of the pre-products ( 11 - 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) together forming a stack edge ( 16 ), and in that the at least one connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) is mounted on the stack edge ( 16 ).

6. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein several connecting elements ( 17 a , 17 b ; 49 a , 49 b ) are mounted longitudinally of the stack edge ( 16 ) on the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or on the collection overlapping the two outside pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or of the collection.

7. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is an adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 49 a , 49 b ).

8. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 49 a , 49 b ) comprises an elongated adhesive strip.

9. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ) has a constant width.

10. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 49 a , 49 b ) includes a narrowing ( 50 ) in a central region and/or rounded edge regions on an outside to reduce risk of unintentional tearing.

11. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ″; 19 ; 49 a , 49 b ) comprises an adhesive layer continuing in a longitudinal direction.

12. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 17 ′) includes an adhesive layer comprising an interruption in a central portion ( 22 ) and/or adhesive-free or non-adhesive end portions ( 22 a, b ).

13. The applicator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the adhesive strip ( 17 ″) has a perforation ( 23 ) in a center when viewed in a longitudinal direction.

14. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein to facilitate detaching the connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) a separating layer ( 48 ) is arranged in overlapping regions between the connecting element ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ; 17 ′; 17 ″; 19 ; 21 ; 49 a , 49 b ) and the outside pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″) of the stack ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) or of the collection.

15. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressing flanks comprise circulating belts or actively conveying rollers which convey the composition ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) there between.

16. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pressing faces ( 55 ) or rolling faces is spatially moveable in relation to the composition in a direction of a face of the composition ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″; 32 ) and is pushed in over one edge of the composition such that the at least one adhesive strip ( 17 ; 17 a , 17 b ) is applied on the one edge or on the outside pre-products ( 11 , 15 ; 11 ′, 15 ′; 11 ″, 15 ″).

17. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least two pressing flanks ( 55 ) are arranged in a stationary manner relative to the conveying path.

18. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition is transferred by and through the conveying belts to a stack outlet belt.

19. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein lateral pressing faces are stationary and the composition is moved or conveyed in relation thereto through the applicator.

20. The applicator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein inside ends of the pressing flanks are curved to form the lateral pressing faces.

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Honegger Werner

Classifications

• B42C9/0056 Primary

  applying tape or covers precoated with adhesive to a stack of sheets (covers therefor B42D3/002) · CPC title

• B32B37/1292

  selectively, e.g. in stripes, in patterns (B32B37/0076 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B3/04

  characterised by {at least one} layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer {; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material} · CPC title

• B32B2317/12

  Paper, e.g. cardboard · CPC title

• B32B7/12 Primary

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title