Folder

Abstract

A folder includes a cutter for cutting a web of material into signatures, a folding device for producing at least one fold in a signature cut from the web of material, at least one delivery device and one conveyor path for directly feeding the cut signatures to the delivery device while avoiding the folding device. The signatures can be guided either by the conveyor path or through the folding device. A signature switch of the conveyor path distributes the signatures to two flies or paddle wheels that deliver to conveyor belt devices that are arranged in parallel to the rotational axes of the paddle wheels.

1 . A folding apparatus comprising: 
 at least one paddle wheel, said at least one paddle wheel having an axis of rotation;    at least one conveying track usable for feeding signatures to said at least one paddle wheel in a feeding direction;    at least one delivery device including at least one conveyor belt device usable to remove signatures from said at least one paddle wheel, said at least one conveyor belt device having a removal direction arranged parallel to said paddle wheel axis of rotation, said feeding direction of said at least one conveying track being arranged transversely to said paddle wheel axis of rotation; and    signature edge cutters associated with said at least one conveyor belt device.    
   
   
       2 . The folding apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said conveying track and said at least one delivery device assigned to it form a modular component.  
   
   
       3 . The folding apparatus of  claim 1  further including at least first and second inlets usable to introduce partial webs into said folding apparatus, and means for associating said partial webs of material to form a web of material.  
   
   
       4 . The folding apparatus of  claim 3  wherein at least one of said at least first and second inlets is equipped with a former.  
   
   
       5 . A method for using a folding apparatus including: 
 providing a web folding device;    positioning at least first and second longitudinal formers before, in a direction of web travel, said folding apparatus;    providing at least one conveying track in said folding apparatus;    locating at least one delivery device after in said direction of web travel, said at least one conveying track;    providing a first web path from said first longitudinal former to said folding device;    providing a second web path from said second longitudinal former to said conveying track;    providing a web cutting device before in said direction of web travel, said at least first and second longitudinal formers;    using said web cutting device and cutting a web into first, second and third partial webs;    placing said first and second partial webs on top of each other and conveying said first and second partial webs to said folding apparatus along said second web path;    forming a longitudinal fold in said first and second partial webs in said first longitudinal former;    conveying said third partial web along said first web path to said folding device;    cutting said third partial web into signatures and transversely and longitudinally folding said signatures in said folding device; and    conveying said first and second longitudinally folded partial webs to said conveying track; and    cutting said first and said second longitudinally folded partial webs into half length signatures.