Abstract: The output of a high speed press or bindery is formed into stacks which are then combined into four stack "cubes". The cubes are handled as units and formed into tiers which can be loaded onto pellets. A pickup head for manipulating the cubes is carried by a transport device such as a gantry or robot arm. It has a top plate which is connected to the transport device. The top plate carries horizontal guide members from which depend four side panels. The side panels may be retracted to grasp the sides of the cube or extended to release the cube. Fingers mounted along the bottom edges of the side panels are designed to extend between the bottom sheets of the cube and the surface on which it sits. They can be locked into this position, permitting the cube to be lifted and transported by the pickup head. Also disclosed is a gantry-type transport device with a telescoping extender to which the pickup head is connected.

Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for stacking the output ("documents" or "printed products") of a high speed printing press or bindery line. The documents are shingled on a linear infeed conveyor where they are also aligned, positioned, and counted, all at high speed. When the amount of documents desired for a stack have been counted or weighed or determined by stack size or height, further document flow is temporarily interrupted. The documents are speeded up in an accelerator to reduce the amount of shingling. They are ejected from the accelerator to glide through the air onto a stack starter surface which slowly descends as the stack is formed. The partially completed stack is transferred to a de-elevator and the stack starter returns to begin building a new stack. The de-elevator lowers the completed stack onto a receiving surface and rises to receive the next partially completed stack from the stack starter surface. A pusher then removes the stack from the receiving surface.

Abstract: The output of a high speed press or bindery is formed into stacks which are then combined into four stack "cubes". The cubes are handled as units and formed into tiers which can be loaded onto pallets. A pickup head for manipulating the cubes is carried by a transport device such as a gantry or robot arm. It has a top plate which is connected to the transport device. The top plate carries horizontal guide members from which depend four side panels. The side panels may be retracted to grasp the sides of the cube or extended to release the cube. Fingers mounted along the bottom edges of the side panels are designed to extend between the bottom sheets of the cube and the surface on which it sits. They can be locked into this position, permitting the cube to be lifted and transported by the pickup head. Also disclosed is a gantry-type transport device with a telescoping extender to which the pickup head is connected.