Folding device with a folding drum

1. A folding device for producing a second longitudinal fold in products of a rotary press, comprising:

a folding drum comprising two opposing side walls and a carrier connected to the folding drum at a location between said side walls, wherein said carrier has a small material thickness in a longitudinal direction of said folding device and a large area extending approximately over an entire cross section of an interior of said folding drum in a transverse direction of said folding device;

a folding-blade shaft having two ends, each of said two ends of said folding-blade shaft being rotatably mounted in a respective one of said sides walls in said folding drum, said folding-blade shaft having at least two folding-blade carriers for holding folding blades which are spaced apart from one another in a region proximate said carrier by a distance smaller than 10 millimeters;

a pair of bearings arranged in said side walls of said folding drum, said ends of said folding-blade shaft being mounted respectively in said side walls by said pair of bearings;

at least one further bearing arranged in said carrier, wherein said folding-blade shaft is further rotatably supported in said carrier by said at least one further bearing between said ends of said folding-blade shaft,

wherein said pair of bearings and said at least one further bearing comprise self-aligning roller bearings.

2. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one further bearing is arranged between adjacent ones of said at least two folding-blade carriers.

3. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein said pair of bearings and said at least one further bearing are operatively arranged for receiving lubricating medium from a central lubricating-medium supply.

4. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein said carrier is connected to said folding drum by threaded connectors.

5. The folding device of claim 1 , further comprising a drive pinion arranged on said folding-blade shaft, said drive pinion being connected to said folding-blade shaft with a form-fitting connection by serrated toothing.

6. The folding device of claim 5 , further comprising a clamping element providing a force-transmitting connection between said drive pinion and said folding-blade shaft.

7. The folding device of claim 5 , further comprising a screw connection securing said drive pinion to said folding-blade shaft.

8. The folding device of claim 5 , further comprising a screw connection securing said drive pinion to said folding-blade shaft from a first side, and a clamping element providing a force-transmitting connection between said drive pinion and said folding-blade shaft from a second side, thereby preventing a translational movement of said drive pinion along a longitudinal direction of said folding-blade shaft.

9. A folding device for producing a second longitudinal fold in products of a rotary press, comprising:

a folding drum having a longitudinal axis and comprising two opposing side walls and a drum wall extending longitudinally between said side walls, said drum wall having a C-shaped cross section defining a circumferential gap between circumferential ends along a longitudinal length thereof;

a folding-blade shaft having two ends, each of said two ends of said folding-blade shaft being rotatably mounted in a respective one of said sides walls in said folding drum, said folding-blade shaft having at least two folding-blade carriers for holding folding blades; and

a carrier connected to said drum wall, said carrier extending transverse to said longitudinal axis and rotatably supporting said folding-blade shaft at a location between said side walls, wherein said carrier has a small material thickness in a longitudinal direction of said folding device and a large area extending approximately over the entire cross section of an interior of said folding drum, and said folding blades being spaced apart from one another in a region proximate said carrier by a distance smaller than 10 millimeters.

10. The folding device of claim 9 , wherein said drum wall has a projection extending radially inward and said carrier is connected to said projection on said drum wall.

11. The folding device of claim 10 , wherein said carrier is connected to said projection using threaded connectors.

12. The folding device of claim 9 , further comprising a pair of bearings arranged in said side walls of said folding drum, said ends of said folding-blade shaft being mounted respectively in said side walls by said pair of bearings; and

at least one further bearing arranged in said carrier, wherein said folding-blade shaft is further rotatably supported in said folding drum by said at least one further bearing between said ends of said folding-blade shaft.

13. The folding device of claim 12 , wherein said pair of bearings and said at least one further pair of bearings comprise self-aligning roller bearings.

14. The folding device of claim 9 , wherein said carrier comprises a sheet-metal blank.