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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-section folding apparatus for use
in a rotary press, particularly a web press for printing newspapers, which
is so designed that it is possible to increase the number of sections
(volumes) of a newspaper issued at a time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Newspapers of ordinary size are generally issued in the form that two to
eight sheets each having four pages are overlaid one upon another and
folded in two to form a volume which is known as a section. In Japan,
newspapers are sometimes issued in parts. More specifically, feature
articles or the like are printed in an additional independent section of
several pages which is separate from the above-described section, and the
pages of the whole of the newspaper are numbered consecutively. Most of
these newspapers are issued in two sections, and, for example, newspapers
issued on New Year's Day may have three sections. It is more popular in
America than Japan to issue newspapers in two or more sections.
These days, however, it is necessary to handle information over a
considerably wide range of fields and in tremendous amounts. For this
reason, the number of pages of newspapers is increasing more and more.
There are some newspapers which are considered that it is preferable to
issue them in sections from the viewpoint of transfer of information. It
is also preferable from the reader's side that feature articles and the
like are issued in another section, because it is easy to keep feature
articles in such form as materials. In addition, a newspaper issued in a
plurality of sections has the merit that a plurality of persons can read
them at the same time. In the course of distribution also, a newspaper of
one section with a multiplicity of pages, when folded twice for
transportation, become bulky and cannot be handled easily, which means
that there is fear of the newspaper being damaged. Therefore, it may be
advantageous to make up a newspaper of a plurality of sections.
It may be possible to effect a multi-section folding operation using a
conventional vertical two-stage folding machine consisting of two pairs of
lower and upper formers A, B and C, D, such as that shown in FIG. 15.
However, this type of conventional folding machine has a limited capacity,
so that it cannot satisfactorily serve for a system for issuing a
multi-section type newspaper. The reasons for this are as follows.
(a) The above-described conventional folding machine can effect 1- to
4-section folding operations and deliver these sections by means of
straight folding (capable of producing two copies per full turn of the
printing cylinder).
(b) However, the conventional folding machine cannot fold odd-number
sections, that is, five and seven sections, among the multiple sections
more than four because of a mechanism characteristic of it.
(c) It is possible to fold even-number sections, that is, six and eight
sections, by conducting collecting (also known as gathering, that is,
folidng one copy per full turn of the printing cylinder) at a folding
cylinder. However, in such case the production capacity is reduced to 1/2
of the above-described straight folding.
(d) In the case of, for example, an eight-section folding operation, the
above-described collect folding does not permit the number of pages of
each of the sections constituting a newspaper to be set as desired. More
specifically, the number of pages is restricted to the same between each
pair of corresponding sections, that is: 1 and 5; 2 and 6; 3 and 7; and 4
and 8. It is impossible to make them differ from each other due to the
mechanism of the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described circumstances, it is a first object of the
present invention to provide a multi-section folding apparatus which is
capable of speedily and reliably coping with changes in the form of
issuing newspapers, from one-section multiple-page type newspapers to
multiple-section type newspapers, which are expected to take place in the
near future as the need for information increases over a wider range of
fields and the amount of information to be provided increases.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a multi-section
folding apparatus which is so designed that it is possible to speedily,
reliably and inexpensively cope with the above-described changes simply by
extending and fully utilizing a conventional former folding machine which
has already been installed
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a multi-section
folding apparatus which is so designed that any desired multi-section
folding operation can be effected by means of straight folding, and it is
possible to effect a high-speed multi-section folding operation without
impairing the production capacity.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a multi-section
folding apparatus which is capable of realizing any multi-section folding
operation whether the number of sections is odd or even.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a multi-section
folding apparatus which enables the number of pages of each of the
sections constituting a newspaper to be set as desired.
To these ends, the present invention provides a multi-section folding
apparatus wherein two outer formers are respectively provided on both
sides of a pair of inner formers which are defined by a pair of upper
and/or lower formers of a vertical two-stage former folding machine in
such a manner that the outer formers are positioned at the same level as
that of the inner formers and with a slight spacing provided therebetween,
thereby forming a quadruple former assembly, and two groups of turn bar
mechanisms are disposed in such a manner that the course of each of the
halved traveling sheets which are obtained by halving a traveling sheet
and which are fed toward the two inner formers along their respective ones
of the four travel lanes is changed to any one of the other three travel
lanes.
The present invention can, of course, be carried out using new parts, but
it is also possible, by virtue of the above-described arrangement, to
fully utilize a conventional vertical two-stage former folding machine
which has already been installed. In such case, formers are additionally
provided on both sides of and adjacent to a pair of upper and/or lower
formers, respectively, of the folding machine, thereby forming a folding
apparatus consisting of six to eight formers in any one of the following
combinations: four upper formers and two lower formers; two upper formers
and four lower formers; and four upper formers and four lower formers. It
is therefore possible to issue a newspaper made up of six to eight
sections by means of straight folding without lowering the production
speed.
In addition, turn bar mechanism are disposed in such a manner that the
course of each of the halved traveling sheets which are to be introduced
to two inner formers, respectively, among the four formers adjacent to
each other along their respective ones of the four lanes can be changed to
any one of the other three lanes. It is therefore possible to issue a
newspaper made up of odd-number sections in addition to even-number
sections, and also to set as desired the number of pages of each of the
sections constituting a newspaper. Thus, it becomes possible to edit a
newspaper as desired with substantially no restriction on the number of
sections and the number of pages.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become clear from the following description of the
preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken along the line 3--3 in FIGS. 1 and 2,
which shows the embodiment as viewed from the right-hand side thereof;
FIGS. 4(A), 4(B) to 11(A), 11(B) show various practical examples of
changing the course of a traveling sheet of paper, in which: Figures with
the suffix (A) are sectional plan views similar to FIG. 2, which show only
an essential part of the embodiment; and Figures with the suffix (B) are
sectional side views similar to FIG. 3, which show only an essential part
of the embodiment, and of which:
FIG. 4 shows an example in which both the right- and left-hand halved
sheets travel straight forward, and the their courses are not changed;
FIG. 5 shows an example in which the course of the halved sheet traveling
on the lane a is changed to the lane g, and the course of the halved sheet
traveling on the lane b is changed to the lane g;
FIG. 6 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane a is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet taveling
on the lane b is changed to the lane h;
FIG. 7 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane b is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet traveling
on the lane a is changed to the lane g;
FIG. 8 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane a is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet traveling
on the lane b is changed to the lane a;
FIG. 9 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane b is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet traveling
on the lane a is changed to the lane b;
FIG. 10 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane b is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet traveling
on the lane a is changed to the lane h;
FIG. 11 shows an example in which the halved sheet on the lane a is allowed
to travel straight forward, while the course of the halved sheet taveling
on the lane b is changed to the lane g;
FIG. 12 is a front view of a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a front view of a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14 is a view employed to explain an eight-section straight folding
operation in accordance with the third embodiment; and
FIG. 15 is a view employed to explain an eight-section collect folding
operation by a conventional vertical two-stage former folding machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be described hereinunder in details by way of
embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A first embodiment (shown in FIGS. 1 to 11) exemplifies a multi-section
folding apparatus capable of folding six sections at maximum arranged by
additionally providing formers G and H on both sides, respectively, of the
pair of lower fomers A and B in a conventional vertical two-stage former
folding machine which has already been installed and which consists of two
pairs of lower and upper formers A, B and C, D. A second embodiment (shown
in FIG. 12) exemplifies a multi-section folding apparatus capable of
folding six sections at maximum arranged by additionally providing formers
I and J on both sides, respectively, of the pair of upper formers C and D
in the above-described conventional former folding machine. In addition, a
third embodiment (shown in FIGS. 13 and 14) exemplifies a multi-section
folding apparatus capable of folding eight sections at maximum arranged by
additionally providing formers G and H on both sides, respectively, of the
pair of lower formers A and B and further providing formers I and J on
both sides, respectively, of the pair of upper formers C and D of the
above-described conventional folding machine.
The pair of outer formers G, H or I, J are respectively disposed on both
sides of the pair of inner formers A, B or C, D in such a manner that they
are positioned at the same level as that of the inner formers, so as to
form in combination a quadruple former assembly. It is, however, necessary
to provide a slight spacing l between the opposing inner and outer
formers. This is because, if sheet travel lanes g, h which respectively
extend toward the outer formers are disposed too close to sheet travel
lanes a, b which respectively extend toward the inner formers, traveling
sheets may interfere with each other to cause a trouble. In addition, in
order to prevent bending of a drag roll 20, guide rolls 21 and an
adjusting roll 22 which are elongated in proportion to the full width of
the quadruple former assembly, it is preferable from the veiwpoint of
strength that they are also supported by two side frames 25 and 26 which
have already been installed, in addition to two side frames 23 and 24
which are additionally provided for supporting the above-described rolls.
For example, when a longest roll is used, the effective length of each of
the drag roll 20, the guide rolls 21 and the adjusting roll 22 needs to be
equal, at least, to a value obtained by adding together double the maximum
width of a full-width traveling sheet W and double the spacing l. The drag
roll 20 having a relatively large width may be divided into three
portions, that is, a central portion for a full-width sheet and two right
and left portions for halved sheets, as illustrated.
A web consisting of plurality of full-width traveling sheets W which have
already been printed and delivered from a plurality of printers,
respectively, is passed over a first drag roll DR having a slitter knife
SK on the center thereof, whereby each sheet W is divided longitudinally
into two halved sheets W/2. If they are allowed to travel straight forward
thereafter, they travel along the travel lanes a and b which respectively
extend toward the pair of inner formers A and B in the quadruple former
assembly.
When the traveling sheet is allowed to travel straight forward as shown in
FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the full-width sheet is preferably halved on the drag
roll 20 directly above the quadruple former assembly rather than on the
first drag roll DR in order to prevent any interference of the sheet. When
the full-width traveling sheets W are cut on the drag roll 20, they are
halved by a slitter knife 20a provided on the drag roll 20, whereas, when
the sheets W are cut on the drag roll DR, they are halved by the slitter
knife SK provided thereon.
It should be noted that, as is well known, a drag roll 27 exclusively used
for the pair of upper formers C and D is provided directly above them.
Travel lanes for halved sheets W/2 which extend from the first drag roll DR
to the drag roll 20 above the quadruple former assembly total to four,
including two inner lanes a, b and two newly provided outer lanes g, h.
According to the present invention, turn bars are respectively disposed
above the travel lanes to enable the course of a part or the whole of the
halved sheets W/2 traveling on one lane a to be changed to any of the
other lanes b, g and h and also enable the course of a part or the whole
of the halved sheets W/2 traveling on the other lane b to be changed to
any of the other three lanes a, g and h, thereby allowing an increase in
the number of sections, and further permitting the number of pages of each
of the sections constituting a newspaper to be changed as desired.
As shown in FIG. 2, two pairs of crossing turn bars 1, 5 and 2, 4 are
respectively disposed above the two inner lanes a and b. In addition, turn
bars 3 and 6 exclusively employed for loading are respectively disposed
above the two outer lanes g and h. These six turn bars are positioned in
such a manner that turn bars which extend parallel with each other, e.g.,
three turn bars 1, 2 and 3 which extend parallel with each other in one
direction, are installed above the other three turn bars 4, 5 and 6 which
extend parallel with each other in the other direction.
Among each of the upper and lower turn bar groups, a turn bar exclusively
used for unloading which is provided above a lane for the sheet whose
course has not yet been changed (the turn bar 1 in the upper turn bar
group; the turn bar 4 in the lower turn bar group) is disposed at a
position which is lower than the position of a turn bar exclusively used
for loading which is provided above a lane for s sheet whose course has
already been changed (the turn bar 3 in the upper turn bar group; the turn
bar 6 in the lower turn bar group) by a distance corresponding to the
diameter of the bar concerned.
Thus, the central turned bar among each of the upper and lower turn bar
groups (the turn bar 2 in the upper turn bar group; the turn bar 5 in the
lower turn bar group) may be installed at different levels according to
the cases. More specifically, in one case, e.g., in the arrangements shown
in FIGS. 5 to 7, the central turn bar may be installed at the same level
as that of the turn bar 1 or 4 exclusively used for unloading so as to
serve as a turn bar 2a or 5a for unloading which is provided above a lane
for the sheet whose course has not yet been changed. In another case,
e.g., in the arrangements shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the central turn bar may
be installed at the same level as that of the turn bar 3 or 6 exclusively
used for loading so as to serve as a turn bar 2 or 5 for loading which is
provided above a lane for a sheet whose course has already been changed.
In still another case, e.g., in the arrangements shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
the central turn bar may be removed so as not to obstruct the travel of
the sheet which is changing its course.
The way in which the number of sections of a newspaper issued is increased
and the way in which the number of pages of each section is varied will be
explained below by way of practical examples shown in FIGS. 4 to 11.
In the arrangement shown in FIGS.. 4(A) and 4(B), the full-width sheet W is
halved by the slitter knife 20a, and the halved sheets are simply
introduced into the pair of inner formers A and B (or C and D),
respectively. There is therefore no change in the number of sections and
in the number of pages.
In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), the full-width sheet W is
halved by the slitter knife SK. The left-hand (as viewed in FIG. 5(A))
halved sheet W/2 is passed over the turn bars 2a and 3 so that the cource
thereof is changed to the outer lane, and the halved sheet W/2 is
introduced into the outer former H (J). On the other hand, the right-hand
halved sheet W/2 is passed over the turn bars 5a and 6 so that the cource
thereof is changed to the outer lane, and the halved sheet W/2 is
introduced to the outer former G (I).
FIGS. 6(A), 6(B), FIGS. 7(A), 7(B), FIGS. 10(A), 10(B) and FIGS. 11(A),
11(B) respectively show practical examples of changing the course of the
sheet traveling on any one of the inner lanes to any one of the outer
lanes.
FIGS. 8(A), 8(B) and FIGS. 9(A), 9(B) respectively show practical examples
of changing the course of the sheet traveling on either one of the inner
lanes to the other so that it is overlaid on the sheet traveling on the
second lane.
The performance of the conventional vertical two-stage former folding
machine (shown in FIG. 15) and that of a folding apparatus (shown in FIG.
14) according to the present invention which is capable of folding eight
sections will be explained below by way of comparison.
The conventional folding machine enables issuing of newspaper made up of
one to four sections by means of a straight folding operation. However,
this conventional machine cannot fold any odd-number sections more than
four, that is, five and seven sections. In addition, although even-number
sections more than four, that is, six and eight sections can be folded by
effecting collecting folding using a folding cylinder 28, such operation
disadvantageously halves the production capacity and further limits the
number of pages of sections to the same between each pair of corresponding
sections.
In contrast to the above, the folding apparatus according to the present
invention enables issuing of a newspaper made up of any of one to eight
sections, whether the number of sections is odd or even, at high speed by
means of a straight folding operation. Further, the number of pages of
each section can be varied as desired by virtue of the sheet course
changing means which is constituted by the turn bar mechanisms 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 and 6.
In addition, the present invention enables a multi-section folding
apparatus to be realized readily and inexpensively by extending and fully
utilizing a conventional former folding machine which has already been
installed according to need.
Although the present invention has been described through specific terms,
it should be noted here that the present invention is not necessarily
limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and
modifications may be imparted thereto without departing from the scope of
the invention which is limited solely by the appended claims.
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