Forming and folding sheet portions

Abstract

An example device is provided in accordance with the present disclosure, which may be used for example for producing printed articles from printed sheets on which are imposed multiple pages of a printed article to be produced. The example device comprises a sheet feeder, a sheet path for the advance of a plurality of printed sheets fed by the sheet feeder, a cutter on the sheet path to cut the printed sheets in a direction perpendicular to the sheet advance direction, to form at least two sheet portions, and a folder on the sheet path downstream of the cutter, to fold the sheet portions.

1 . A device comprising:
 a sheet feeder,   a sheet path for the advance of a plurality of sheets fed by the sheet feeder,   a cutter on the sheet path to cut the sheets in a direction perpendicular to the sheet advance direction, to form at least two sheet portions, and   a folder on the sheet path downstream of the cutter, to fold the sheet portions.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cutter is a rotary cutter. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cutter is a guillotine cutter. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising a diverter downstream of the cutter, to divert preselected cut sheet portions away from the sheet path. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeder is a pile feeder. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the folder is a plow folder to fold and gather cut sheet portions. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising a joining unit that comprises the folder. 
     
     
         8 . A device for producing printed articles from printed sheets on which are imposed multiple pages of a printed article to be produced, the device comprising:
 a sheet feeder,   a handling system to transport printed sheets fed by the sheet feeder, or portions thereof, in a sheet advance direction,   a cutter to cut the printed sheets in a direction perpendicular to the sheet advance direction, to form at least two sheet portions, and   a joining unit comprising a saddle folder, downstream of the cutter, to fold and join together the sheet portions.   
     
     
         9 . A large-format digital sheet printer comprising an in-line device as claimed in  claim 1  or in  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing printed articles from printed sheets, comprising:
 obtaining printed sheets on which are imposed multiple pages of a printed article to be produced,   cutting each printed sheet in a direction perpendicular to a sheet advance direction to form at least two sheet portions, and   folding at least some of the cut sheet portions as each is output from the cutting operation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cut sheet portions are folded along a line in the sheet advance direction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each printed sheet is cut to form between two and four sheet portions, depending on the number of pages of the printed article that are imposed on each sheet, wherein each cut sheet portion comprises on each side two pages of the printed article, one adjacent to another in the direction of the cut. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising diverting preselected cut sheet portions to a waste unit. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising gathering folded sheet portions and stitching or sewing the gathered sheet portions.