A method for assembling a stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) that lie freely one on top of the other or a collection consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products (11, 15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) that lie freely side by side, of the same or a different size, which stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) or which collection has two pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) lying on the outside, during which method the stack (10, 10′, 10″) or the collection is given a cohesion that facilitates the subsequent handling, comprising the steps of:
- preparing in a first step the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) associated with the stack or with the collection, and
- mounting in a second step at least one connecting element (17;
- 17a, 17b;
- 17′;
- 17″;
- 19;
- 21;
- 49a, 49b) in such a manner that it overlaps the two outside pre-products (11, 15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) or of the collection in an adhesive manner, and
- the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) or of the collection each have at least one preferred edge, in that the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) or of the collection are arranged and aligned in the stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) or in the collection in such a manner that the preferred edges of the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) together form at least one stack edge (16), and in that said stack edge (16) is used for mounting the at least one connecting element (17;
- 17a, 17b;
- 17′;
- 17″;
- 19;
- 21;
- 49a, 49b), and
- wherein such edges at which the pre-products are folded and/or stitched and/or glued are taken as the preferred edges of the two pre-products laying on the outside (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″), and
- wherein in the first step the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) associated with the stack or with the collection are prepared in the form of the stack (10, 10′, 10″) or of the collection, and
- wherein placing the pre-products (11-15;
- 11′, 15′;
- 11″, 15″) one on top of the other or side by side in a predetermined sequence one after the other in a collating apparatus (40, 56), for preparing the stack (10, 10′, 10″;
- 32) to be assembled or the collection to be assembled, and
- wherein in the application apparatus (46) an adhesive tape (20) is unrolled from an adhesive tape roll (51), an adhesive strip (17) is cut off the unrolled adhesive tape (20) and the cut adhesive strip (17) is mounted on the stack (10, 10′) guided past or on the collection guided past, and
- wherein the stack (10, 10′) or the collection is conveyed through the application apparatus (46) with the selected stack edge (16) in front, and in that the cut adhesive strip (17) is held in readiness at right angles with respect to the conveying direction of the stack (10, 10′) or of the collection with one adhesive side oriented against the conveying direction of the stack (10, 10′) or the collection in such a manner that the stack (10, 10′) or the collection, during its conveying through the application apparatus (46), contacts the adhesive strip (17) held in readiness by way of the selected stack edge in the center and entrains it.