A method for forming books by transferring signatures, and a machine for implementing this method

Abstract

 A method for forming books (2) by transferring signatures from a line of stacks (20, 21, 22) to a linear conveyor (26) which enables books with a greater number of signatures to be produced on a conveyor of a given length or enables the length of the conveyor to be reduced for a given number of signatures in the book to be formed, including the steps of arranging stacks (20, 21, 22) of sequential groups (23, 24, 25) of signatures, supplied by folding machines of the parallel type, and of transferring one by one the signatures of each sequential group (23, 24, 25) of signatures from each compartment (20, 21, 22) to the conveyor (26) during pauses thereof.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for forming books according to the preamble of Claim 1 and to a collating table for forming books according to the preamble of Claim 2.

[0002] It is known that books are formed by putting together a predetermined number of signatures, these being supplied by folding machines which start with appropriately printed sheets of large dimensions.

[0003] Currently, each book is formed by transferring individual signatures from respective stacks to a continuous conveyor which advances in front of the stacks.

[0004] Prior art collating tables are able to produce books composed of only a limited number of signatures. The production of books with a high number of signatures thus requires very long machines.

[0005] The problem at the basis of the present invention is to devise a method and a machine able to overcome these disadvantages.

[0006] This problem is solved by a method according to the characterising clause of Claim 1 and by a collating table according to the characterising clause of Claim 2.

[0007] Additional characteristics and advantages of the method of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows of one embodiment of a collating table for implementing it, given purely by way of non limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collating table according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the table of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a detail of the collating table of Figure 1, during one operating step, and

Figure 4 is a schematic view of a collated book.

[0008] With reference to the appended drawings, a collating table is generally indicated 1 for collating signatures intended to form a book 2.

[0009] In the example, the book 2 is composed of twelve signatures, indicated by the reference numerals 3 to 14.

[0010] The collating table 1 includes a line 16 of compartments in a framework 15, of which a first compartment is indicated 17, a second compartment 18 and a third compartment 19.

[0011] The compartments 17, 18 and 19 are intended to house respective stacks 20, 21 and 22 of signatures.

[0012] It should be noted that each of the stacks 20, 21 and 22 is constituted by a plurality of groups of signatures, indicated 23, 24 and 25 respectively.

[0013] Each of the groups 23, 24 and 25 comprises four signatures and is supplied by a respective folding machine of the parallel type, not shown as its entirely conventional.

[0014] In particular, each group 23 comprises the signatures 3 to 6, each group 24 comprises the signatures 7 to 10 and finally each group 25 comprises the signatures 11 to 14.

[0015] Within the framework 15, the machine 1 includes a linear conveyor, of the chain type which extends along the line 16 of compartments.

[0016] A plurality 27 of grippers, equal in number to that of the compartments in the line, is arranged in the framework 15, with a first gripper 28 operating at the compartment 17, a second gripper 29 operating at the compartment 18 and a third gripper 30 operating at the compartment 19.

[0017] These grippers are mounted in the framework 15 for reciprocating movement between the compartments and the conveyor under the action of drive means generally indicated 31 to transfer the signatures one at a time from the compartments to the conveyor.

[0018] In the table 1 of the invention, the conveyor 26 has drive means, generally indicated 32, which are independent of the drive means 31 for the grippers.

[0019] The drive means 32 for the conveyor are of the so-called intermittent type and advance the conveyor stepwise, with intermittent pauses, these pauses being sufficiently long to enable the grippers operating in each compartment to transfer four signatures to the conveyor, one at a time, from each group of signatures in each stack.

[0020] In operation, each gripper 28, 29, 30 reciprocates four times along the direction of the double arrow 33, under the action of the drive means 31, so as to transfer all four signatures of its associated group 23, 24 and 25, that is, to be precise, all four signatures 3 to 6, 7 to 10 and 11 to 14, their respective compartments to the conveyor.

[0021] The conveyor is held still for the time required for the grippers to transfer the four signatures from the groups.

[0022] When each gripper has transferred a respective group as required, the conveyor is advanced one step by the drive means 32 and then stopped, ready for the grippers to carry out a new operating cycle.

[0023] The stepwise advance of the conveyor is indicated by the broken arrow 34.

[0024] The collating of a desired book 2 of twelve signatures is completed at the end of the conveyor's third stop, facing the third compartment since, during the three stops, all three groups of four signatures will have been transferred successively to the conveyor.

[0025] The main advantage of the invention consists in the possibility of forming books with a large number of signatures with collating tables of standard length, or of forming books having a standard number of signatures with unusually compact machines.

[0026] A further advantage of the invention is that it makes groups of signatures supplied by so-called parallel folding machines immediately available for collating into books.

[0027] In order to satisfy specific contingencies and requirements, a specialist in the art will naturally be able to make numerous modifications and variations to the method and the machine described above, without departing thereby from the protective scope of the invention, as defined in the following Claims.

Claims

1. A method for forming of books (2) by the transfer of signatures (3-14) from a line of stacks (20, 21, 22) to a linear conveyor (26) extending along the line, characterised in that it includes the steps of pre-arranging stacks (20, 21, 22) formed by sequential groups (23, 24, 25) of signatures, and transferring the signatures (3-14) in each sequential group (23, 24, 25) of signatures one by one from each stack (20, 21, 22) to the conveyor (26) while this is stopped.

2. A collating table (1) for collating signatures (3-14) intended to form a book (2), of the type including a line (16) of compartments (17, 18, 19) for housing stacks (20, 21, 22) of signatures, a linear conveyor (26) for the signatures extending along the line (16) of compartments (17, 18, 19), grippers (28, 29, 30) which are movable by drive means (31) between the compartments (17, 18, 19) and a conveyor (26) for transferring one signature at a time from the compartments to the conveyor, characterised in that the conveyor (26) has drive means (32) independent of the drive means (31) for the grippers (28, 29, 30) for advancing it stepwise with sufficiently long pauses for the signatures in one sequential group of signatures to be transferred one at a time from the compartments (17, 18, 19) to the conveyor (26).

Drawing