Method for Producing a Bonded Multiweb Product

The invention relates to a method for producing a folded, perforated, printed product having an unfolded width exceeding that normally available when using a web printing process. More particularly, the invention relates to a multiweb, gutterless, perforated, folded product having an unfolded width greater than the width of a single web forming a part thereof and the method for producing that product.

Advertisers frequently seek to gain the attention of the public by distributing novel, attention-getting printed media. One such media often employed by advertisers is a folded, multipanel printed display or magazine insert having an image area exceeding the nominal width of a magazine page. In many cases, advertisers desire inserts or displays having unfolded widths exceeding forty inches or more. When these inserts or displays are perforated, they may be removably bound into magazines or otherwise made to have separable portions.

Until now, such displays and inserts wider than forty inches have been expensive and difficult to produce. For example, wide inserts have been produced by feeding sheets of paper of up to 77 inches in width through a sheetfed printing press. This method is cumbersome and labor intensive as sheetfed presses typically can print only one side of a sheet at a time, thereby requiring multiple printing passes if both sides of the insert are to contain printed matter. Additionally, the sheetfed process typically requires a paper of at least 60 pound weight to provide the sheet rigidity required to successfully produce the insert. The required 60 pound weight is almost twice that required by the commonly used web printing process which also prints faster than sheetfed presses. Use of the sheetfed press therefore greatly increases production, paper and shipping costs compared to the web press.

For the reasons discussed above, the faster and cheaper web printing process would be preferred if it could be used to produce inserts of adequate width. Unfortunately, commercially available web presses produce printed webs having a maximum width of 36 to 38 inches. This limit results from both mechanical and economic factors.

In web presses presently known in the art, mechanical stability limits web width. For example, if printing cylinders begin to exceed the maximum standard 38-inch width, the mechanical stability of such printing cylinders would degrade to the point where commercially acceptable printed webs could not be produced. Furthermore, even if the cylinder stability problem could be solved, similar stability problems would have to be solved in auxiliary equipment such as splicers, perforators, folding towers and cutters. Finally, if all mechanical problems could be solved, conversion to more expensive wider web presses and auxiliary equipment would be economically infeasible for most applications.

Inherent properties of the paper used in web presses also limits web width. As water and ink is applied to the web, the paper fibers exhibit moisture-induced expansion. This expansion causes subsequently applied colors to be out of register with earlier applied colors if not corrected. For paper widths up to 38 inches, "buzzle wheels" are used to narrow the paper width, thereby bringing the edges of the paper back within an acceptable range of side register deviation. Unfortunately, applying buzzle wheel correction to wider paper widths is impractical, as the greater paper width would require the application of greater wheel forces frequently exceeding the breaking strength of the paper.

Accordingly, a need exists for a method to produce a web press-printed perforated, folded insert or display having a width exceeding the maximum web width available on the press.

In accordance with the present invention, a method for producing a multiweb perforated folded product or magazine insert is provided. The method involves folding and joining two or more printed webs to produce an unusually wide advertising brochure or insert, which can be perforated to readily allow removal of a portion from the magazine or other bound pages when desired.

More specifically, in one embodiment of the invention, a method is disclosed comprising simultaneously conveying first and second printed webs, longitudinally folding a first web to form an attaching panel, bringing the two webs into vertical registry, perforating at least one of the webs and thereafter joining the webs to form a longitudinal gutterless joint between the webs. In some embodiments, the first and second webs are conveyed in generally parallel paths. The joined webs can be transversely cut to form the multiweb folded product of desired length or page height.

In another embodiment, a method for producing a removable folded product or insert having an unfolded width greater than the width of any single web forming a part thereof is provided. The method includes the steps of simultaneously conveying first and second printed webs (such as from a web printing press), longitudinally folding the first web to form a plurality of viewing panels, continuously perforating at least one of the webs, longitudinally folding the first web to form a first web longitudinal web attaching panel, applying an adhesive to a portion of the attaching panel, thereafter abutting or contacting the second web to the first web attaching panel where it overlaps with the attaching panel to form a gutterless joint, and longitudinally folding the second web to form a plurality of second web viewing panels. In some embodiments, the first and second webs are folded into an equal number of viewing panels. In other embodiments, the product can be roll folded, Z-folded or folded in a combination of roll and Z-folds. In still other embodiments, the first web has a width greater than the second web by an amount equal to the width of the first web attaching panel. In still another embodiment, additional webs can be serially attached to previously attached webs to form a product with any desired number of joined webs.

In still another embodiment, a method is disclosed for producing a perforated roll folded product having a width greater than the width of any single web forming a part thereof. The method includes the steps of simultaneously conveying first and second webs along separate paths of travel, continuously perforating at least one of the webs, roll folding the first web to form a plurality of generally parallel first web viewing panels, roll folding the first web to form a longitudinal attaching panel, applying an adhesive to a portion of the attaching panel, and thereafter abutting or contacting the second web to the attaching panel to form a gutterless joint between the webs, and roll folding the second web to form a plurality of second web viewing panels. Additional embodiments are disclosed in which all panels are folded into substantially parallel planes and in which the first and second webs are folded into an equal number of viewing panels.

In yet another embodiment, a method is disclosed for producing a removable folded magazine insert having a width greater than that of any single web forming a part thereof. The method includes the steps of longitudinally folding a first web to form a plurality of viewing panels, longitudinally folding a second web to form a plurality of viewing panels, a binding panel and an attaching panel, attaching the two webs, perforating the binding panel, and folding the binding panel so that the folded webs overlap. In some embodiments, the binding panel includes two perforated lines, thereby forming an insert having a pair of removable displays. In still other embodiments, the removable inserts are bound into magazines.

Finally, the products produced by several of the abovedescribed methods are also claimed.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method for producing a perforated multiweb folded product is disclosed in which two or more webs can be joined to form a wide active image area.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, two or more printed webs can be joined to form a perforated web printed display having a width greater than the commercially available web width of about 38 inches.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a perforated, wide multiweb folded printed display is provided which lays flat when unfolded.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, a web printing process is used to produce removable advertising brochures or magazine inserts which are less costly than similar width inserts prepared on sheetfed presses.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiweb product in accordance with the invention in a folded configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multiweb product of FIG. 1 in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the two individual webs used to form the product shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the stepwise folding of the upper web of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the product of FIG. 6 illustrating the application of glue beads to the attaching panel of the upper web;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view illustrating the attaching of the lower web to the upper web attaching panel;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the multiweb paper product just prior to cutting the product to its finished height;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the finished multiweb product in its unfolded state;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a perforated multiweb folded magazine insert;

FIG. 12 is a partial front elevational view of the insert of FIG. 12 illustrating dimensional details useful for binding the insert into a perfect-bound magazine;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a perfect-bound magazine incorporating the insert of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 14 is a partial front elevational view of the insert of FIG. 11 illustrating how the insert may be incorporated in a saddle-bound magazine .

FIGS. 1-14 illustrate one embodiment of a multiweb folded product having an active image area wider than the width of any web forming a part thereof. Throughout the FIGURES, like numbers refer to like parts or steps. While the described embodiment is a roll folded product formed from two printed webs, the method is useful for producing a product having as many folds, fold types and webs as can be accomplished by available printing and folding machinery.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 10 illustrate perspective views of a roll folded six-panel display 20 formed from two printed webs in accordance with the invention. Display 20 includes six individual viewing panels 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 for displaying a printed image or images. Display 20 also includes an attaching panel 34 used for joining the two printed webs forming display 20 as described later in conjunction with FIGS. 3-9. Panels 22, 24, 26, and 34 are formed from a first upper web 36 shown in FIG. 3, while panels 28, 30 and 32 are formed from a second lower web 38, also shown in FIG. 3.

Display 20 can be used either as a stand-alone product such as an advertising brochure or as a foldout insert for a magazine or book. If display 20 is to be used as a magazine insert, panel 32 can include a suitable margin M (see FIG. 2) to allow display 20 to be bound into the magazine. In either case, the available active image width W (see FIG. 10) can exceed 70 inches when two standard webs of 36 to 38 inches are joined. The enhanced image width made possible by the invention permits commercially feasible production web press-printed displays having a width heretofore unavailable through the web press printing process.

Panels 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 are delineated from one another by fold lines A, B, C, D and E as shown in FIG. 2. Folds A-E are made by conventional plowfolding apparatus well known in the art. While a wide variety of finishing equipment can be used to produce displays 20, the minimum equipment required consists of an appropriate number of plowfolding stations, a glue application system, a rotary cutter and a delivery system. Although the illustrated embodiment is a roll folded product, other embodiments could include "Z" or fan-style folds for all or some of the folds if suitable folding equipment is available. In either case, it is preferred that display 20 include a gutterless style joint 40 in which a bottom surface of panel 34 preferably along a longitudinal edge of panel 34 overlays a top surface of panel 28, preferably along a longitudinal edge of panel 28. This type of joint permits the display to lay flat and does not hide printed matter as would a "gutter" type fold in which top surfaces of adjacent panels are joined together behind the active image area.

The described embodiment is intended for the production of a 51-inch unfolded width paper display. Each step in the production of the insert is first described generically, and then production dimensions for the 51-inch display are provided.

Web printing presses are well known in the art and therefore are not described herein. Multiweb printing presses are especially suitable for use in accordance with the invention. Such multiweb presses can have two or more printed webs that exit the press in parallel and in registry with each other, such as illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 illustrates webs 36 and 38 as they emerge from a web style press system (not shown) in the direction of arrows WW and WW'. At the beginning of the display 20 assembly process, each web has already been printed, usually on both sides, with a consecutive series of identical impressions (not illustrated) running in the direction of arrows WW and WW'. While webs 36 and 38 can be paper, they can also be a plastic, film or other suitable substrate. In many applications, webs 36 and 38 will be printed with complementary portions of a large image so that the assembled display 20 contains a single image of width W as shown in FIG. 10. As will be discussed in the following paragraphs, webs 36 and 38 will be folded and joined into a wider multiweb product which can be transversely cut on a rotary cutter between each product, of which there may be one or several identical or different products per impression to yield individual displays 20.

Webs 36 and 38 preferably are conveyed through the folding apparatus in substantial vertical registry with one another as shown in FIG. 3. As used herein, vertical registry refers to the alignment of images on the first and second webs which produces a properly vertically aligned image across the joined webs. Upper and lower webs 36 and 38 include upper surfaces 36a and 38a and lower surfaces 36b and 38b respectively. In FIG. 3, in order for panels 22-32 to each have the same width, upper web 36 can have a web width Y up to the maximum width available on the web press used to print web 36. Lower web 38 has a width of about Y-X, where X is the width of attaching panel 34. Lower web 38 is narrower because it need not include the width of an attaching panel. For a six-panel 51-inch display having a folded width of 81/2 inches, upper web 36 should be about 27 inches wide while lower web 38 should be about 251/2 inches wide. Both upper web 36 and lower web 38 could be of the same width, but the resulting panels would not be of the same width because of the width of the attaching panel.

If display 20 were to include additional webs, each web except the last joined web should be of width Y as all but the last web would require an attaching panel to attach the next web. The width relationships just described are preferred where each web contributes an identical number of same width viewing panels to the display. Panels of unequal width can also be joined using the invention as long as appropriate attaching panel material width is included on the appropriate webs.

FIGS. 3-9 illustrate the stepwise folding and joining operations required to produce display 20. Throughout these steps, webs 36 and 38 are continually conveyed through the appropriate folding and joining equipment. While webs 36 and 38 are illustrated as travelling in the same horizontal plane for ease of explanation, in actual practice, adjacent webs frequently change direction, most frequently in 90.degree. increments, during their travel to the folding and joining equipment. This does not affect the assembly of displays 20 as long as proper vertical registry is established prior to the joining of the webs as discussed in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 4 illustrates the first folding of upper web 36. Upper web 36 is folded in the direction of arrow AA to form fold A, which defines the inner edge of viewing panel 22. Both this and subsequent folds can be made on conventional plowfolding equipment. For a 51-inch wide display, this involves setting the plowfold shoe to make a fold 81/2 inches from the gearside edge G of web 36. The shoe should be below a straight line between tangent points of the guiderollers making last contact with the web before folding and the first roller making contact with the web after folding. Within any specific plow station, the three-dimensional location of the shoe must be accurately established to ensure proper placement for folding.

FIG. 5 illustrates the second folding of upper web 36. Again, web 36 is folded counterclockwise in the direction of arrow BB, thereby forming fold line B which, in conjunction with fold A, defines viewing panel 24. Folded upper web 36 is now located over about the left-hand third of lower web 38. For the 51-inch embodiment, the shoe must be located to form a fold 17 inches from the original gearside edge of upper web 36 with the plow shoe edge again placed below the straight line between roller tangent points as described in conjunction with FIG. 4.

Attaching panel 34 is formed as shown in FIG. 6. The left-hand width X of upper web 36 is folded counterclockwise as indicated by arrow CC to form fold C, thereby defining attaching panel 34 having width X as well as viewing panel 26. Attaching panel 34 includes an exposed lower surface 34b formed from the lower surface 36b of upper web 36. For the 51-inch embodiment, this step requires that fold C be made 11/2 inches toward gearside edge G of upper web 36 with the shoe positioned on the line between roller tangent points as previously described.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a pair of glue beads 42 are applied to exposed lower surface 34b, thereby readying upper web 36 for the adhesive attaching of lower web 38. The use of two glue beads is preferred where, as here, attaching panel 34 is about 11/2 inches wide. Preferably, glue beads 42 are located close to the outer edges of panel 34. If an attaching panel wider than about 2 inches is used, three or more glue beads may be needed to form an acceptable joint. Any suitable number of glue beads can be utilized. In addition, any suitable method of joining the webs together, whether adhesively or otherwise can be utilized.

Lower web 38 is attached to attaching panel 34 as shown in FIG. 8. The right-hand portion of lower web 38 is folded over folded upper web 36 in the direction of arrows DD to form fold D and to define viewing panel 28. Upper surface 38a of web 38 is then abutted or contacted against lower surface 34b of attaching panel 34 and glue beads 42 in the area of their overlap, thereby forming an adhesive gutterless joint 40 which attaches webs 36 and 38 to form a multiweb structure 44. For the 51-inch embodiment, this requires plowfolding lower web 38 81/2 inches from gearside edge G as previously described.

FIG. 9 shows the final folding step required to produce displays 20. The left-hand third of lower web 38 is folded in the direction of arrow EE, forming fold E and defining the last two viewing panels 30 and 32. For the 51-inch embodiment, this requires plowfolding lower web 38 81/2 inches toward gearside edge G.

After this final folding step EE, individual displays 20 10 are formed by passing joined multiweb structure 44 through a rotary cutter, which cuts the display at a desired longitudinal web length, for example, such as individual page height displays from the joined webs. For most magazines, this requires cutting the joined webs into 111/8 inch high products. Finished displays 20 can then be unfolded flat for viewing as shown in FIG. 10.

Application of glue beads 42 preferably is accomplished by using individual closed pressure systems. The preferred glue viscosity is equivalent to 20 seconds in a #5 Zahn cup. Glue nozzle size preferably is between 0.02 to 0.035 inches in diameter and the nozzle should be in direct and continuous contact with the travelling web at an angle of about 30 degrees relative to the web.

FIG. 11 illustrates a double four-panel insert 46 particularly suited for use in a magazine or other group of bound pages, such as a book, pamphlet or brochure, for example. Insert 46 includes a first roll folded display 48 and a second roll folded display 50. Displays 48 and 50 each include four viewing panels 48a-d and 50a-d, respectively. Insert 46 is produced from two individual printed web portions 52 and 54 in accordance with the methods already discussed in connection with FIGS. 1-10.

Insert 46 also includes an attaching panel 56 useful for gluing web portion 54 to web 52. Glue beads 57 are used to permanently join webs 52 and 54. Web portion 52 also includes a binding panel 58 which is used to bind insert 46 into a magazine or book. As shown, binding panel 58 is formed by folding first web portion 52 at fold line AAA as shown in FIG. 11. In this instance, first web portion 52 should have a width greater than second web portion 54 by the combined widths of attaching panel 56 and binding panel 58. When bound into a magazine by panel 56, displays 48 and 50 can open outwardly from the bind-in location to form an eight-panel continuous image, if desired, or two separate adjacently located displays.

Frequently, it is preferred that displays 48 and 50 are removable from the magazine or book they are bound into initially. Continuous perforated lines 60 and 62 are included for this purpose. Lines 60 and 62 run continuously from the top to the bottom of web portion 52. Lines 60 and 62 permit displays 48 and 50 to be removed by tearing the display along lines 60 and 62, respectively. Although perforated lines 60 and 62 are shown near the bound edge of each display, one or more perforation lines can be provided at any display location accessible to perforation equipment prior to the binding of insert 46. Perforated lines 60 and 62 can be produced by a cylinder perforator, a perforation wheel or any other perforation device or method known in the art.

FIG. 12 illustrates how insert 46 may be bound into a magazine produced using the "perfect-bound" binding process. In the perfect-bound process, adjacent pages are first glued together to form a glued spine. The spine is then ground to form a flat spine edge. Insert 46 may be bound into a perfect-bound magazine by gluing binding panel 58 into the magazine spine as the magazine is assembled. To accomplish this, binding panel 58 preferably includes first and second binding panel members 64 and 66, each of which have a width XX of about 5/8". When gluing is complete, a ground spine portion 68 having a width XX' of about 1/8" is removed from the glued edge of members 64 and 66 by grinding magazine spine 70. This leaves displays 48 and 50 perfect bound within the magazine as shown in FIG. 13 with perforation lines 60 and 62 about 1/2 " from the finished edge 72 of spine 70. If a single display is to be bound into a magazine, binding panel 58 would consist of a single member of width XX located on one longitudinal edge of the single display (not shown).

Insert 46 can also be "saddle-bound" into a magazine as shown in FIG. 14. In this case, insert 46' is stapled or stitched within the magazine by stapling or stitching through adjacent page (or pages) 74 and binding member 58' at location ZZ with a staple 76. Binding insert 46' in this manner permits perforation lines 60' and 62' to be located closer to the centerfold 84 of the magazine and permits insert 46' to bear a continuous printed image across the centerfold 84 of insert 46' if desired.

While the method and product inventions have been discussed in conjunction with four- and six-panel roll folded displays, it should be remember that displays having different number of panels, webs and types of folds can be produced by the described method and that the invention is to be limited only by the claims as recited below.