Apparatus and method for operating a folding machine for a web-fed printing press

1. A folding machine for a web-fed printing press, having a cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), a folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and a folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), wherein exemplars ( 34 ) are cut off from a web of a substrate ( 14 ) by the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), the cut exemplars ( 34 ) held by the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and conveyed further in a direction of the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), and in a collecting mode of the folding machine, several exemplars ( 34 ) are collectable on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that at least two exemplars ( 34 ) of different sheet lengths cut off by the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) are superimposed one above the other on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and sent to the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) as collected exemplars ( 34 ), wherein the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) has at least one cutting blade ( 18 ), and wherein:

a) a separate drive ( 19 ) is assigned to the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ); and

b) a control unit assigned to the drive ( 19 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) controls the drive ( 19 ) at a non-uniform or a uniform setpoint angular velocity as a function of whether the folding machine is being operated in the collecting mode or a non-collecting mode, such that:

b1) the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is operated with uniform angular velocity in the non-collecting mode of the folding machine; and

b2) an angular velocity (ω K ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is increased in the collecting mode before executing a cut for cutting off an exemplar having a shortened sheet length, and wherein for cutting off an exemplar with a longer sheet length an angular velocity (ω L ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is reduced before execution of a cut, and wherein for executing a particular cut, an angular velocity (ω S ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is constant and a circumferential angular velocity is equal to a web velocity.

2. The folding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive ( 19 ) is a pulsating a.c. drive.

3. The folding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade ( 18 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is mounted in a stationary mount on the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ).

4. The folding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) has several folding blades ( 15 ) and several puncture devices, wherein the folding blades are mounted in an equal distribution in a circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring folding blades and wherein the puncture devices are mounted in an equal distribution over the circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring puncture devices.

5. The folding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) has several cutting strips ( 16 ) which cooperate with the cutting blade ( 18 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) during cutting, wherein the cutting strips are mounted in an equal distribution in a circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring cutting strips.

6. The folding machine according to claim 5 , wherein the cutting strips ( 16 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) are stationary.

7. The folding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive ( 19 ) assigned to the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) drives a shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), and wherein the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) have a common drive ( 20 ) wherein gear wheels ( 24 , 26 ) which are driven by the common drive ( 20 ) and engage with one another are mounted on a shaft ( 23 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and on a shaft ( 25 ) of the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ).

8. The folding machine according to claim 7 , wherein another gear wheel ( 30 ) is mounted on the shaft ( 23 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) coaxially with the gear wheel ( 24 ) mounted thereon, the another gear wheel engaging with the gear wheel ( 26 ) mounted on the shaft ( 25 ) of the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), wherein the another gear wheel ( 30 ) engages with a gear wheel ( 31 ) mounted on the shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) such that there is a tooth play (ZS) between the same.

9. The folding machine according to claim 8 , wherein when there is a failure of the drive ( 19 ) assigned to the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) the drive is uncoupleable via a clutch ( 27 ) from the shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), and wherein, when the tooth play (ZS) is eliminated, the drive ( 20 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) drives the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ).

10. The folding machine according to claim 8 , wherein when there is a failure of the drive ( 20 ) assigned to the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and to the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) the drive is uncoupleable via a clutch ( 28 ), and wherein, when the tooth play (ZS) is eliminated, the drive ( 19 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) drives the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ).

11. A folding machine for a web-fed printing press, having a cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), a folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and a folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), wherein exemplars ( 34 ) are cut off from a web of a substrate ( 14 ) by the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), the cut exemplars ( 34 ) held by the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and conveyed further in a direction of the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), and in a collecting mode of the folding machine, several exemplars ( 34 ) are collectable on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that at least two exemplars ( 34 ) of different sheet lengths cut off by the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) are superimposed one above the other on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and sent to the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) as collected exemplars ( 34 ), wherein the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) has at least one cutting blade ( 18 ), and wherein:

a) a separate drive ( 19 ) is assigned to the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), which drives a shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 );

b) a control unit assigned to the drive ( 19 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) controls the drive ( 19 ) at a non-uniform or a uniform setpoint angular velocity as a function of whether the folding machine is being operated in the collecting mode or a non-collecting mode, such that:

b1) the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is operated with uniform angular velocity in the non-collecting mode of the folding machine; and

b2) an angular velocity ( 107 K ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is increased in the collecting mode before executing a cut for cutting off an exemplar having a shortened sheet length, and wherein for cutting off an exemplar with a longer sheet length an angular velocity ( 107 L ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is reduced before execution of a cut, and wherein for executing a particular cut, an angular velocity ( 107 S ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is constant and a circumferential angular velocity is equal to a web velocity;

whereby a path deviation (S) of the respective cutting blade ( 18 ) is realized;

c) the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) have a common drive ( 20 ), wherein gear wheels ( 24 , 26 ) which are driven by the common drive ( 20 ) and engage with one another are mounted on a shaft ( 23 ) of the folding blade cylinder and on a shaft ( 25 ) of the folding jaw cylinder; and

d) another gear wheel ( 30 ) is mounted on the shaft ( 23 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) coaxially with the gear wheel ( 24 ) mounted thereon, the another gear wheel engaging with the gear wheel ( 26 ) mounted on the shaft ( 25 ) of the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ), wherein the another gear wheel ( 30 ) engages with a gear wheel ( 31 ) mounted on the shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) such that there is a tooth play (ZS) between the same, and wherein the tooth play (ZS) is dimensioned such that, despite the path deviation (S) in the collecting mode with both active drives ( 19 , 20 ), tooth profiles of the gear wheels ( 30 , 31 ) do not touch.

12. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein when there is a failure of the drive ( 19 ) assigned to the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) the drive is uncoupleable via a clutch ( 27 ) from the shaft ( 21 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ), and wherein, when the tooth play (ZS) is eliminated, the drive ( 20 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) drives the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ).

13. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein when there is a failure of the drive ( 20 ) assigned to the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and to the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ) the drive is uncoupleable via a clutch ( 28 ), and wherein, when the tooth play (ZS) is eliminated, the drive ( 19 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) drives the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) and the folding jaw cylinder ( 13 ).

14. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein the drive ( 19 ) is embodied as a pulsating a.c. drive.

15. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein the cutting blade ( 18 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) is mounted in a stationary mount on the cutting blade cylinder.

16. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) has several folding blades ( 15 ) and several puncture devices, wherein the folding blades are mounted in an equal distribution in a circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring folding blades and wherein the puncture devices are mounted in an equal distribution over the circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring puncture devices.

17. The folding machine according to claim 11 , wherein the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) has several cutting strips ( 16 ) which cooperate with the cutting blade ( 18 ) of the cutting blade cylinder ( 11 ) during cutting, wherein the cutting strips are mounted in an equal distribution in a circumferential direction on the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) such that a defined angular distance is maintained between neighboring cutting strips.

18. The folding machine according to claim 17 , wherein the cutting strips ( 16 ) of the folding blade cylinder ( 12 ) are stationary.