Apparatus and method for processing printed products

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling at least one of a position or at least one dimension of printed products conveyed while positioned flat in a conveyed flow. A conveying device transports the printed products and at least one sensor is directed toward an edge of the printed products and comprises a line sensor or area sensor. A computer-supported control is coupled to receive an output signal of the at least one sensor.

1 . An apparatus for controlling at least one of a position or at least one dimension of printed products conveyed while positioned flat in a conveyed flow, the apparatus comprising:
 a conveying device to transport the printed products;   at least one sensor directed toward an edge of the printed products and comprising one of a line sensor or area sensor; and   a computer-supported control coupled to receive an output signal of the at least one sensor.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is arranged such that its effective range extends at least partially into the flow of conveyed printed products. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is arranged to be effective in a direction of the conveyed flow approximately perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveyed flow. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is arranged to be effective along a conveying direction of the conveyed flow. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the computer-supported control comprises a controller coupled to the conveying device and a control arranged to receive an output from the at least one sensor and having an output coupled to the controller to control the conveying device to correct a position of an edge of the printed product in the conveyed flow. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least two jointly operated sensors arranged at a distance to each other. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is arranged to be displaced transverse to an edge to be measured. 
   
   
       8 . A method for controlling at least one of a position or at least one dimension of printed products conveyed while positioned flat in a conveyed flow, the method comprising:
 transporting the printed products with a conveying device;   directing at least one line sensor or area sensor toward the printed products to sense an edge of a respective one of the printed products to produce an output signal corresponding to said edge; and   outputting the output signal to a computer-supported control.   
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , including arranging the least one sensor so that its effective range extends at least partially into the flow of conveyed printed products. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , including arranging the at least one sensor to be effective in a direction of the conveyed flow approximately perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveyed flow. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 8 , including arranging the at least one sensor to be effective along a conveying direction of the conveyed flow. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the computer-supported control includes a controller coupled to control the conveying device and a control coupled between the at least one sensor and the controller to produce a control signal that is output to the controller, the method further including correcting a position of an edge of a respective one of the printed products with the use of the controller and the control in response to the output signal. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least two sensors arranged at a distance to each other, and the method further comprises jointly operating the at least two sensors. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 8 , including displacing the at least one sensor transverse to an edge to be measured. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 8 , including measuring a position of at least one edge of a respective one of the printed products with the at least one sensor. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 8 , including comparing at least one measured value of a sensor to a stored value. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 8 , including detecting respectively one leading edge of a printed product with the at least one sensor. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 8 , including using the at least one sensor to position the printed products for a cut to be made in a cutting apparatus. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 8 , including measuring at least one of a width or a length of respectively one printed product with the at least one sensor. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 8 , including detecting respectively two opposite-arranged edges of respectively one printed product. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least two sensors and the method further includes detecting at least one of a parallel position or a slanted position of opposite-arranged edges with the two sensors. 
   
   
       22 . A combination comprising the apparatus according to  claim 1  and one of a gathering and wire-stitching machine, an inserting machine, a perfect binder or a collating machine.