EP1312570A2

EP1312570A2 - Apparatus and method for affixing cards to a web

Info

Publication number: EP1312570A2
Application number: EP02079710A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cornelius De Veer
Original assignee: CommCard BV
Current assignee: CommCard BV
Priority date: 2001-11-08
Filing date: 2002-11-08
Publication date: 2003-05-21
Also published as: EP1312570A3

Abstract

Cards affixing device to automatically affix cards, separated by said device from a cards string, successively onto an advancing repeating web length with identical image, wherein said cards with a margine (13) and an area (12) at a distance therefrom are attached to said web length such that said cards reliably remain flat lying onto said web length.

Description

The invention relates to a preferably preprinted card affixed in an easily removable manner to a page of a printed matter, in particular with multiple pages, e.g. for response advertising. Relevant state of the art are provided by, a.o., US-A-4.351.517 and EP-A-0.948.178, the contents of which is incorporated in here by reference.
In particular the invention concerns automatic affixing of identical cards to the upper or lower face of an advancing web of paper or other sheet like material, wherein the affixing takes place in an synchronised manner, such that each of the cards is affixed to the advancing web at a predetermined location in a repeating web length. This repeating web length is e.g. determined by the page dimensions of the printed matter, such that each repeating web length contains the same print. The web exits a printing device wherein it is printed with e.g. text, images, etc. and after the card is affixed, the repeating web length is separated from the web and joined with other separate repeating web length (printed with different text, images, etc.) into the desired multiple leaves printed matter. Thus the cards are affixed prior to the web is being cut.
Particular for this art is that the cards are affixed with merely a small area part onto the printed matter, usually less than 50%, even less than 25% or less than 10% of their surface area. Usually a hot melt is used for affixing to the web.
In the past these cards are affixed by adhesive at one side edge, such that they can be easily removed from the printed matter. It has come out that without further measurements the card remains not under all circumstances flat lying against the advancing web, which complicates or even makes impossible subsequent processing (such as cutting) of the web. This problem is particularly with cards provided with a parallel to the adhesive edge extending line of weakness, such as a tear perforation, with which the card can easily be torn loose from its side edge permanently affixed to the printed matter. To be able to keep the cards reliably flat lying against the web, the card is presently guided along a retaining or bearing surface (e.g. a PMMA (Teflon) foil). This solution is satisfying for the class of printed matter for which the automatic affixing cards onto the web is applied nowadays, i.e. the class containing magazines.
The inventors realized that the above way of automatic affixing cards can also be interesting for the class of printed objects to which newspapers belong. This class of printed objects substantially differs from that of magazines, e.g. due to the edition, but also due to the applied ink and paper dimensions/quality. In the past cards were adhered in newspapers during completion, i.e. after the web has been cut into sheets. That is a substantially more elaborate and costly procedure. The fact that the in the above manner automatic affixing of cards, already known for more than 20 years in the field of magazines with the accompanying advantages, is not earlier introduced in the field of newspapers, is probably due to a technical prejudice. Perhaps this prejudice is exaggerated by the situation that at the moment the cards have to be adhered onto a web, to be applied for a newspaper, the ink is still wet. This is an important difference with the field of magazines, caused by the application of a different printing technique with consequent different drying time for the ink.
Thus the invention in a first aspect relates to automatic affixing of cards onto a web to be applied for a printed object of the newspaper-type.
While developing this invention, the inventors have found out that guiding of the web and card adhered thereto along a retaining or bearing surface to avoid erection of said cards, causes problems with the printing quality, since the not yet dry ink is smeared by the retaining or bearing surface. The inventors have solved this problem by ensuring that the cards are affixed to the web such that the card can not erect therefrom during the further course of the web through the printing apparatus. Therefor the card is e.g. at at least one further location, different from the general location of affixing, affixed to the web. In connection with the technique known as such, wherein through a dispensing nozzle adhesive is applied onto the card just before it is glued onto said web, usually an additional dispensing nozzle is therefor used in the apparatus. According to an alternative solution cards could be used which in advance have been provided with glue at a location at a distance to the usual glue strip. As a rule, a relatively small adhesive power is required to avoid erection of the affixed cards, such that there is no risk that the thus pre-glued cards web can not be taken from the stock in the usual manner.
Thus the invention relates in a second aspect to keeping the card flat lying onto the advancing web, particularly in the area wherein the printing ink at the web is not dry yet, or is wet such that there is a risk for smearing by said retaining or bearing surface, different than with the retaining or bearing surface known as such, such that the latter can be eliminated.
Another aspect that is improved by the inventors is the manner in which the adhesive is applied onto the card. With the known technique a continuous stream of adhesive exits the dispensing nozzle. Since the cards are supplied as a continuous web and are separated just before application of adhesive and affixing at the web (typically along a line of weakness, such as tear perforation), thin threads glue are released, depositing in the neighbourhood and causing contamination and malfunctioning. To solve this problem, the inventors have designed to frequently interrupt the lime strip, preferably such that the glue does not extend over the separation line between two cards.
Still a further aspect which the inventors have improved is the manner in which a card is transported towards the advancing web. With the known cards affixing apparatus use is therefor made of a vacuum drum against which the card is kept by suction and is pressed onto the web. A disadvantage of a vacuum drum is that it is rapidly contaminated. The inventors propose to make use of a cards transport system without the application of suction. According to a preferred embodiment the card is therefor sandwiched between two elements, e.g. a rotating drum and a transport belt moving there along and in that manner transported towards the advancing web.
The invention also relates to automatic affixing cards onto a web wherein the cards contain an adherend strip which allows temporary fixation to a surface, i.e. of the "repositional adhesive" type, such as used for "Post-It" notes. As a rule, this "repositional adhesive" features, that it adheres better to the substrate (here: the card) than to the surface on which the substrate is easily removable adhered, particularly such that no or hardly any adhesive remains remain at said surface if the substrate is removed therefrom, while the adhesive also has the property that the substrate can be adhered a plurality of times to a surface, such as an abject of metal, plastic, glass or ceramics, without any or only slightl loss of adherence. In this connection a continuous web of such cards is proposed, preferably mutually connected through a line of weakness, preferably packed in a container as a plurality of adjacent "fan folded" stacks, which container package can be designed as disclosed in EP-A-0.441.136 or EP-A-0.763.491, both incorporated in here by reference. Preferably the adhering strip of "repositional adhesive" at the card is covered by a release strip, with which the card is affixed onto the web, preferably by an adhesive which is preferably applied just before the card is applied. It has come out that with this releasing strip a reliable automatic affixing cards is possible at the typical processing speed of 80,000 of more cards per hour. The invention also relates to a card with an adhering strip and release strip thereon, wherein said adhering strip is of an adhesive different from "repositional adhesive", such as the typical hot melt glue with which the card is glued to the web, and also a web comprising a plurality of such cards.
The invention is further exemplified by way of a presently prefered embodiment as shown in the drawing, which is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. In the drawing shows:
fig. 1 a side view of the most important components of a cards affixing apparatus.
Fig. 2 a part of a string of cards in top view.
Fig. 3 a part of a string of cards in side view.
The illustrated cards affixing apparatus 1 is part of a rotation printing installation (not shown; e.g. for deep print, offset or cold set) for printing newspapers, magazines, etc, at a location such that the paper web 2, coming from a supply roll and printed by printing rolls, passes through the apparatus 1 according to the indicated dashed line and in the direction of the arrow, on its way to the downstream cut, bind and completion stations, etc. At arrival at the apparatus 1 the web 2 contains printing repeating over a predetermined length, wherein said repeating length corresponds to a page or whole multiple thereof. Pre-printed cards 3 are also supplied to the cards affixing apparatus 1 as a single array of cards 3 (see fig. 2), formed into a continuous string 4, advancing in the direction of the arrow. Within said string 4, the cards 3 are mutually connected by a tear perforation 10. The cards contain also a tear perforation 20 (possibly eliminated) parallel to and a a small distance from the longitudinal edge 21. Within the apparatur 1 the front card 3 of the string 4 is each time pulled loose along the tear perforation, after adhesive is applied onto said card 3, whereafter said card 3 is adhered onto the web 2. Said adhering is carried out such that at each repeating length of the web 2 a card 3 is adhered at substantially the same location (viz. e.g. fig. 2 of EP-A-0.949.178).
The cards 3 of the string 4 can be provided with an array of registration holes 9 (viz. fig. 2) parallel to the longitudinal edge 21, but they can also be eliminated.
The string 4, supplied from a supply roll (not shown) passess over free rotating guiding rolls 5, 6 and then arrives into the gap between the driven rotating driving drum 7 and a backing roll 8, such that the string is friction fed by the driving drum 7 and thus is pulled from the supply roll. Two dispensing nozzles 11 subsequently apply adhesive onto the string 4 advanced by the driving drum 7. The one dispensing nozzle 11 dispenses only for a short period for each card 3, such that a small spot glue 12 arrives near a corner at the card 3 (viz. fig. 2). With the other dispensing nozzle 11 a glue strip 13 (either continuous or discontinuous) is applied onto the area between the longitudinal edge 21 and the tear perforation 20 (thus at a distance from spot 12; viz. fig. 2). The glue strip 13 is always discontinued at the location of the tear perforation 10, such that when the cards 3 are pulled loose from each other, no glue threads are released. It will be appreciated that according to the illustration of fig. 1 the nozzles 11 are behind each other, such that only one is visible. Also it will be appreciated that they mutually keep a spacing which at least substantially equals the spacing a of fig. 2. Also other locations for the dispensing nozzles 11 are feasible, indeed or not aligned crosswise of the string 4.
Subsequently the string 4 moves through the gap between superdjacent guiding plates 14, 15 and then arrives in the gap between a rotating driven application drum 16 and a transporting belt 22 advancing with the drum 16 and pressing the string 4 against the drum 16 over a radial circumference part thereof (e.g. at least 10/), such that the string 4 is friction fed by the drum 16. The speed of the periferal surface of the application drum 16 is higher adapted than that of the peripheral surface of the driving drum 7, while measurements are taken that between string 4 and driving drum 7 or application drum 16, respectively, there is no or virtually no slip (0.1 mm at the most, preferably 0.02 mm at the most, most preferably 0.01 mm at the most for one or both drums 7, 16), such that in the part between the drums 7, 16 a high pulling forces acts on the string, such that it breaks along a tear perforation, such that the front card 3 is separated from the string 4 in the area betwene the drums 7, 16. It will be appreciated that the free length of the string 4 between the drums 7, 16 equals a double card length at the most.
According to this embodiment the drum 7 has no registration pins, or else, projecting from its circumferential surface, which are designed to positively engage the cards 3, e.g. by penetrating the registration holes 9. According to an alternative embodiment the drum can indeed be provided with such registering means. In such case said registration means at string 4 and drum 7 ensure slip avoidance between drum 7 and string 4, and the friction feed between string 4 and drum 7 has no meaning to avoid said slip, such that said roll 8 can be eliminated in such embodiment. The backing roll 8 can possibly be replaced by a different (pressing) means to provide at least substantial slip free friction feed between drum 7 and string 4, such as with a backing belt comparable to belt 22, keeping a constant gap width with the drum over e.g. at least 10° thereof. The belt 22 can also possibly be replaced by a different (pressing) means to provide at least substantial slip free friction feed between drum 16 and card 3, such as a roll comparable to backing roll 8.
For synchronising the advancement of the card 3 and the web 2, to be able to affix the card 3 always at the right location onto a repeating web length, the apparatus 1 contains between de drums 7, 16 a detector 17 provided by a light sensor 17a and a light beam generator 17b, wherein said light beam from generator 17b is interrupted by a passing card 3, which is detected by the sensor 17a. Thus the location of the front edge of the first card 3 of the string 4 between the drums 7, 16 can reliably be determined. The detector 17 also counts the number of cards, and also controls the dose of the nozzles 11.
While the separated card 3 at the outer circumference of the drum 16 is advanced by the latter, the card 3 arrives with its glued side against the web 2, advancing through the gap between de drum 16 and the free rotating backing roll 24, adheres thereto and leaves together with the repeating web part the apparatus 1. Since the card 3 with the spot 12 en the glue strip 13 is adhered onto the web 2, the card 3 will reliably remain lying flat onto the web 2 and not erect therefrom.
The controlling of the apparatus 1 is such that the peripheral surface of the drum 16 moves as fast as the web 2. Therefor the control receives information about the speed of the web 2 from the printing press, and adapts the speed control of the drum 16 accordingly. The speed of the peripheral surface of the drum 7 is controlled by the control in dependence from the location of the card 3 as detected by the detector 17, to ensure that the card 3 arrives at the right location onto the web 2. It will be appreciated that the speed variation of the drum 7 for this synchronisation is relatively small compared to the mean speed of this drum 7, and is e.g. 20% of said speed at the most.
The string 4 of fig. 3 has a strip 18 of "repositional adhesive" covered by a releasing strip 19. The strip 18 will typically extend along a longitudinal edge, such as the glue strip 13 of fig. 2, and different therefrom could continue over the tear line 10 (the location of which is indicated with arrows). the tear line 10 preferably also continues through the releasing strip 19. According to an alternative the strip 19 is interrupted at the location of the tear line, possibly with inner spacing. The string 4 is fed through the apparatus such that a dispensing nozzle 11 applies glue onto the side of the releasing strip 19 faced away from the string 4, with which glue the card 3 separated from the string 4 is affixed onto the web 2. As such the card 3 can easily be removed after being affixed onto the web 2, wherein the releasing strip 19 remains at the printed matter, while the released card can immediately be adhered to a support by using the "repositional adhesive". The tear line 20 can be eliminated. It will be appreciated that the material thicknessess, particularly of the adhesive 10, are shown exaggerated.
Possibly the strip 19 is elminiated at each second card 3, such that a card 3 without strip 19 is immediately affixed onto the web 2 by the adhesive 18. According to another alternative the strip 19 is removed as soon as the string 4 is taken from the supply, such that each card 3 is immediately affixed onto the web 2 by the adhesive 18, such that in such case the nozzles 11 remain out of use. It is even possible that the string 4 is packed into a supply without the strip 19.
It is also possible to feed towards the apparatus 1 a cards string 4, already containing the glue dots 12, e.g. as "repositional adhesive". Within the apparatus, only the lime strip 13 has to be applied, either immediately onto the card (fig. 2) or onto the strip 19 (fig. 3). This is applicable with cards with or without adhesive 18.
It will be clear how the several parts of the apparatus 1, coming into contact with the cards 3 and web 2, must be designed to provide sufficient friction feed, e.g. by ensuring a rough surface or a proper (longitudinal) guidance without e.g. smearing of printing ink or glue takes place. This is also evident from US-A-4.351.517 and EP-A-0.948.178.
It must be clear, that starting from this disclosure or obvious developments therefrom, further variants based on this knowledge also belong to this invention, e.g. arrived at by eliminating and/or replacing by an equivalent aspect of one or more aspects of the above described or therefrom derived embodiment, or combination of one or more aspects of a one such embodiment with one or more aspects of one or more other such embodiments.
Also an embodiment belongs to the invention, wherein the cards after affixing are kept flat lying by guiding the web with the cards affixed thereon along a retaining surface with preferably an own driving means and advancing with said web, e.g. a part of the endless loop 23 of fig. 1, at the web side facing the cards, wherein said retaining surface preferably advances with a speed adapted to the speed of the web such that smearing or different quality loss of the printing onto the web due to contact with said retaining surface is reliably avoided. E.g. those speed are equal or the mutually differ not more than 10%.
The invention can be applied with deep press, heat-offset or cold-offset, particularly of the rotary press type. For newspapers cold-offset is applied, wherein solvent free ink is used, and the printed web passess no drying chamber.

Claims

Cards affixing device with a preferably rotating applying means (16), preferably applying surface, to automatically affixing cards with identical image, such as printing, sequentially onto an advancing web (2), particularly each onto a repeating web length with identical image, such as printing, and means to subdivide a cards string (4) into individual cards (3) and to supply the to said means (16) and preferably with means to make the cards adhesive for affixing onto the web, such as an adhesive dispensing means (11) to apply adhesive (13) onto the cards (3) with which they are adhered onto the web (2).
Device according to claim 1, with adhesive means (11) to make the cards (3) adhesive such that the cards reliably remain in a single position by the adhesion, preferably remain lying flat, after affixing onto the web (2), preferably wherein the card (3) is made sticky in two different areas, possibly at a mutual distance, by said means (11), such as by applying adhesive with at least two adhesive dispensing gates (11) at a mutual distance (11), and/or wherein adhesive is applied as a discontinued strip (13) onto the cards string (4) in such a manner that during subdividing into individual cards (3) unintended release of adhesive from said cards is avoided.
Device according to claim 1 or 2, with means such that the cards string (4) is at least substantially slip free dragged along by said applying means (16), particularly since it is therefor pressed against it by a pressing element, and/or with pressing means (22) to hold individual cards over a radial peripheral area against said applying means (16), and/or with supplying means (7) to supply the cards string (4) towards the applying means (16), preferably with means such that the cards string (4) is at least substantially slip free dragged along by said supplying means (7), particularly by a pressing element which is therefor pressed against it.
Device according to any of the preceeding claims, designed such that a pulling force is generated onto the cards string within the device, particularly in the track between the supplying (7) and applying means (16), such as because the applying means move faster than the supplying means, such that the cards string is subdivided along a break line (10) and/or with a detector (17a, 17b) with which the location of a card (3) is determined, by way of which a control device ensures synchronisation of the device with the preferably faster moving web (2), such that the cards are applied onto the repeating web length at least substantially at the same location.
Printing press, particularly of the rotary press type, with a device according to any of the preceeding claims, wherein said press particularly is designed to produce printing products of the class of newspapers and/or wherein preferably the device is located such that the cards are affixed onto the web when the printing ink thereon is still insufficiently dried such that smearing of the printing ink or other quality loss of the print if sweeping along a stationary object takes place.
Device according to any of claims 1-4 or printing press according to claim 7, with a retaining element (23) moving with the web (2) with at least substantially the same speed to hold the card fixed thereon flat lying against the web.
Cards string comprising the cards determining repeating string length with identical image and possibly with a adhesive strip (18) of preferably "repositional adhesive", possibly covered by a releasing strip (19), wherein said repeating string length can be mutually connected by a tear line (19), and wherein this cards string is possibly packed into one or more stacks next ar behind each other, wherein within such a stack the cards string is folded ("fan folded") such that a zig-zag pattern is formed, and wherein adhesive (12) can be applied onto each repeating string length at a location different from the typical location (13) for affixing onto a web with repeating web length with identical image, wherein said adhesive (12) preferably takes a comparatively small area and/or offers a comparatively small adhesion.
Method for automatically affixing cards with preferably identical image, such as printing, by a cards affixing device onto a web with repeating web length with preferably identical image, such as printing, wherein the card (3) is affixed onto the web with two different areas, possibly at a mutual distance, preferably by convenient means of the device such that the adhesion in said areas reliably retains the cards in a position onto the web, wherein preferably a cards string is supplied to the device and is therein subdivided into individual cards.
Method for automatically affixing cards with preferably identical image, such as printing, by a cards affixing device onto a web with repeating web length with preferably identical image, such as printing, wherein the web is possibly processed into a printed object of the class of newspapers, wherein preferably a cards string is supplied to the device and is therein subdivided into individual cards and wherein preferably the cards are affixed onto the web when the printing ink thereon is still insufficiently dried such that smearing of the printing ink or other quality loss of the print if sweeping along a stationary object takes place.
Printed matter with an affixed card, particularly wherein it has an adhesive area, preferably determined by "repositional adhesive", covered by a releasing layer adhered to the printed matter, such as by adhesive.