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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to a paper web guide assembly.
More particularly, the present invention is directed to a paper web-guide
assembly for a web-fed rotary printing press. Most specifically, the
present invention is directed to a paper web guide assembly having six
longitudinal formers arranged in three levels. Each of the six
longitudinal formers receives a paper web that it forms into a paper
ribbon. Three longitudinal formers are situated in an upper level and the
remaining three longitudinal formers are divided between an intermediate
level and a lower level. Two web-fed rotary printing presses, each with a
six plate width are used to print the webs. The web from a first press
goes to the three formers on the upper level while the web from a second
press is divided into web segments which go to the formers on the
intermediate and lower levels.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Paper web guide assemblies, which are utilized with web-fed rotary printing
presses are generally known in the art. A web is printed by a rotary
press, it then slit into a plurality of webs and each web is then
longitudinally formed into a ribbon. The formed ribbons may then be placed
atop one another in a folder and are then cut and folded to form a printed
product. A significant limitation of the various prior art paper web guide
assemblies is the limit on the various arrangements in which the formed
ribbons can be layered on each other prior to being cross cut and folded.
Since each former accomplishes only one longitudinal fold, there must be
at least half as many formers as there are printing plate widths of
printing cylinders in the web-fed press. The prior arrangement of these
formers has not provided as large a degree of flexibility as is desired.
In one prior art device, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,782 there is shown
an arrangement of longitudinal formers as depicted in FIG. 4 of the
accompanying drawings. In this prior art device three longitudinal formers
are arranged adjacent each other to form the paper ribbons A, B, and C.
Three additional longitudinal formers are arranged adjacent each other to
form ribbons D, E, and F. The formers in the upper level are arranged
generally directly above the formers in the lower level. This is the
typical arrangement when the printed web supplied to the formers A, B, and
C and the printed web supplied to the formers D, E, and F are produced by
web-fed rotary printing presses that have six plate width configurations.
Because of the inherent lack of flexibility afforded by such a prior art
paper web guide arrangement, as depicted in FIG. 4, it is not possible to
produce a product in which, for example, the ribbons from formers A and F
can be adjacent each other. Such a desired arrangement might well be
necessary for different reasons, such as a different number of pages,
differently colored papers, or a different number of inks. In this
depicted prior art arrangement, if, for example, it is desired to bring
the ribbon E between the ribbons A and B, a significant amount of turning
of the ribbon E must be accomplished. Each time the ribbon is turned, it
is apt to be disturbed or displaced with respect to the ribbons that it is
to be placed between. Such displacements cause errors in the assembled
product. In this prior art device depicted in FIG. 4, the ribbons A, B,
and C are not capable of being varied in their direction of movement.
Various commercially available web-fed rotary presses, such as those
designed by the United States company Goss and the Japanese company
Toshiba utilize impression cylinders that have a four plate width
configuration. In these prior art devices, which are depicted generally in
FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings, the longitudinal formers are arranged
in a three level configuration. This three level configuration provides a
greater flexibility in the various arrangements in which ribbons A-F can
be positioned. However in devices of this type since the impression
cylinders have only a four plate wide configuration, there are required a
greater number of printing units and associated devices to print a product
as compared to the numbers of printing units and associated devices which
are required of a six plate width assembly.
It will thus be seen that a need exists to improve the flexibility of these
paper web guide assemblies. The paper web guide assembly of the present
invention provides such a device and is an improvement over the prior art
devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper web guide
assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper web guide
assembly for a web-fed rotary printing press.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a paper web guide
assembly having six longitudinal formers.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a paper web guide
assembly having six longitudinal formers arranged in three levels.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a paper web
guide assembly having a plurality of six plate width presses.
Even yet another object of the present invention is to provide a paper web
guide assembly in which the longitudinal formers in the intermediate and
lower levels receive the printed webs from a six plate width press.
As will be discussed in greater detail in the description of the preferred
embodiment which is presented subsequently, the paper web guide assembly
in accordance with the present invention utilizes six longitudinal formers
arranged in three levels. Three of the formers are situated in an upper
level while the other three formers are divided between intermediate and
lower levels. The three longitudinal formers in the upper level receive
printed webs from a first six plate wide press. The web from a second six
plate wide press are divided into web segments which are directed to the
intermediate and lower level formers.
The primary advantage of the paper web guide assembly of the present
invention is its increased flexibility in arranging formed ribbons from
the three levels of the formers prior to their being cross folded and cut
into printed products. Since the two rotary presses are each six plate
width devices there are fewer printing units and their associated devices.
The use of fewer printing units reduces the expenditures required to
operate the printing press. At the same time, the use of the three level
longitudinal former configuration of the present invention affords a
greater degree of flexibility than was possible with the prior art
devices.
Further, since the presses are six plate width units, there is a reduction
in the overall length of the rotary press since the number f devices, such
as reel changes, guide rollers and the like, is reduced.
The paper web guide assembly of the present device increases the
flexibility of paper ribbon arranging. It is a substantial advance in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the novel features of the paper web guide assembly in accordance with
the present invention are set forth with particularity in the appended
claims, a full and complete understanding of the invention may be had by
referring to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which
is presented subsequently, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevation view of a web-fed rotary printing
press utilizing the paper web guide assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a first preferred arrangement of the
longitudinal formers of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of a second preferred embodiment of the
longitudinal formers of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a schematic depiction of a prior art arrangement of longitudinal
formers such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,782; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic depiction of a prior art arrangement of longitudinal
formers which are commercially available from Goss and Toshiba.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring initially to FIG. 1, there may be seen a schematic depiction of a
web-fed rotary printing press utilizing the paper web guide assembly of
the present invention. In this web fed rotary press the printing
cylinders, which print the web that is to be longitudinal slit and formed
into ribbons which are then cross cut and folded into product, are
provided as six plate width cylinders. While the specific six plate width
printing cylinders are not shown in the drawings, it will be understood
that they are of generally conventional construction.
A pair of spaced side frames 1 and 2 of the machine frame of the web-fed
rotary printing press support a plurality of longitudinal formers 4 on
three levels I, II and III. Each of these longitudinal formers is
generally conventional and receives a printed web section which it cuts
and longitudinally forms into a ribbon in which the web has been formed or
laid onto itself so that its width is one half of the web section which
entered the longitudinal former 4.
In the first or upper level I longitudinal formers 4, a paper web 3 is
received from a six plate width web-fed rotary press which is not shown in
the drawings. This paper web 3 is cut and formed by the three adjacent
longitudinal formers in upper level I into three similar ribbons D, E, and
F.
A second paper web 6 which has also been printed on a six plate width
impression cylinder of a second web-fed rotary press that is not
specifically shown in the drawings, is divided into three paper web
segments 6', 6", and 6'" by a paper guide system not specifically shown.
These three web segments 6', 6", and 6'" are each directed to separate
longitudinal formers 4 that are arranged in intermediate or second level
II and lower or third level III. In the paper web guide assembly depicted
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the intermediate level II includes two longitudinal
formers 4 that form web segments 6' and 6" into ribbons B and C while the
lower level III includes a single longitudinal former 4 that forms web
segment 6'" into ribbon A.
Each of the longitudinal formers 4 of levels I, II, and III is provided
with suitable nip rollers 7 which receive the formed ribbons from the
longitudinal formers. These formed ribbons A, B, C, D, E and F also pass
through suitable drag roller pairs 8 that are positioned immediately
after, in the direction of web travel, the nip rollers 7. The ribbons A to
F are led through the web-fed rotary press by means of paper guide systems
which include suitable lead rollers 9. As may also be seen in FIG. 1, the
assembled ribbons A to F are then run over further drag roller pairs 8 in
the direction indicated by the arrows on the webs and are received by one
or more folding cylinders 11. Each such folding cylinder 11 cooperates
with a cutting cylinder 12 and fold rollers 13 together with a delivery
fan wheel 14 to deliver a folded and cut product 18 by way of delivery
conveyors 16 or 17.
Referring now primarily to FIG. 2 there is shown in a schematic manner the
various formed ribbon paths available utilizing the paper web guide
assembly of the present invention in which the upper level I has three
longitudinal formers 4, the intermediate level II has two longitudinal
formers 4 and the lower level III has one longitudinal former 4. The solid
lines emanating from each of the formers show one possible arrangement of
paths of travel for the formed ribbons A to F. The dashed lines for the
formed ribbons B, C, D, E and F denote alternate paths of travel. As can
be appreciated by reviewing FIG. 2 a number of possible paths of travel of
the formed ribbons may be provided by using the three levels of
longitudinal formers 4.
Turning now to FIG. 3 there may be seen a second arrangement of a paper web
guide assembly in accordance with the present invention. In this second
arrangement the upper level I again has three adjacent longitudinal
formers 4. However, the intermediate level II has only one longitudinal
former 4 which forms ribbon A. The lower level III has two longitudinal
formers 4 which form ribbons B and C. As was the situation with the paper
web guide assembly of FIG. 2, the paper web guide assembly of FIG. 3 also
provides a plurality of possible travel paths for the formed ribbons D, E
and F.
By way of example and referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper web guide
assembly of the present invention, through the use of the three levels of
longitudinal formers and the division of the paper web 6 into the paper
web segments 6', 6" and 6'" makes it possible to bring the ribbons E and F
at the same time between the ribbons A and C or to bring the ribbons D and
E at the same time between the ribbons A and B. These two variations in
ribbon travel paths are exemplary of the plurality of travel paths that
are possible using the paper web guide assembly of the present invention.
These various travel paths can be accomplished with a minimum number of
ribbon turns and hence with a minimal disturbance or displacement of each
of the ribbons A to F.
While a preferred embodiment of a paper web guide assembly in accordance
with the present invention has been set forth fully and completely
hereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various
changes in, for example the type of rotary web-fed press, the supports for
the longitudinal formers, the supports for the rollers and the like can be
made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present
invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the following claims.
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