METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FORMING HORIZONTAL STACKS OF PRINTED PRODUCTS AND SECURING SAID STACKS WITH STRAPS

摘要

The invention relates to horizontal stacks of printed products, which are formed and secured with straps. According to said method, the printed products are fed from above onto a conveyer bed (2) to form a stack (6) of vertically aligned adjacent printed products that continuously grows in the stacking direction (S). Discrete stacks (7) are isolated from said stack, stabilised using end plates (4) and conveyed in the stacking direction into a securing position (12), in which a loop of a securing strap material is stretched around the separated stack (7). The isolated stack (7) is held between two press jaws (10, 11), the latter being inserted into the stack area (16) from a first side of said area. A securing device (30) is located in the securing position (12) on the opposite side of the stacking area (16) to the first side, said device comprising a loop channel (31) with a sealing area (31'). To secure the straps, at least the loop channel (31) with said sealing area (31') is displaced horizontally in relation to the stack and transversally to the stacking direction (S), so that the loop channel lies around said stack. The securing strap is then sealed around the stack and the press jaws (10, 11) and the secured stack is separated from the press jaws, by the relative displacement of the stack (7) and the press jaws, (10, 11), horizontally and transversally to the stack direction. Two lowerable support elements (14, 15) are used to isolate the discrete stack from the growing stack, said elements being configured in such a way that one can be inserted at a point in the stack, at which the other element is already positioned. The end plates (4) are positioned by their introduction from above between two of the support elements (14, 15), or between a support element (15) and a press jaw (11). The formation of the horizontal stack and the securing of straps on the latter are characterised by their simplicity and the short cycle time required for the securing process.