Abstract: The caliper system in a booklet collating system automatically measures a new zero position before measuring the thickness of a following booklet or booklets to eliminate a zero-offset error otherwise occuring from build-up of ink contaminants on the caliper rollers. The caliper rollers are preferably cylindrical and completely round. A reference roller projects into a window in a skirt of the conveyor. A measuring roller engages the reference roller through the window and is carried on one end of a pivoted, lightweight arm that reduces the inertia required to be moved to effect the measurement. The free end of the arm is coupled by a string-pulley arrangement to a shaft encoder producing electrical position signals corresponding to the movement of the measuring roller caused by the thickness of a booklet between the caliper rollers. The position signals are received by a caliper controller that subtracts the zero position signal from each thickness signal received, usually ten for each book.

Abstract: During silk-screen printing, the stencil (3) is stretched as a result of the pressure exerted by the squeeges (6) This results in a distorted pattern on the material (4) to be printed. To eliminate this error, the design (7') in the stencil (3) is predistorted in such a way that a distortion-free printed pattern (8') is obtained.

Abstract: A snow plow blocking unit for fastening and removing a snow plow from a truck or other vehicle, the snow plow of the type having a connecting bracket that attaches to the truck or other vehicle. The snow plow blocking unit includes a platform, a raising and lowering apparatus for raising and lowering the platform, a sideward moving apparatus for moving the platform in a lateral direction, and a stop positioned forwardly and at a predetermined distance of the platform. The stop cooperates with the truck or other vehicle whereby the truck or other vehicle is positioned a distance from the platform so that when the snow plow is detached from the truck or other vehicle the connecting bracket of the snow plow is received on the platform by adjusting the raising and lowering apparatus and the sideward moving apparatus.

Abstract: The backs of a stack of square folded sheets in a gathering apparatus rest on the upper side of the upper reach of an endless belt, and successive sheets of the stack are withdrawn by the gripper of a rotating drum which delivers a succession of discrete sheets into the nip of two rotary opening conveyors serving to deposit opened sheets on the straight upper reach of a chain conveyor. The folded edges of the folded sheets are located ahead of the unfolded edges, as considered in the direction of travel of the upper reach of the chain conveyor, when the sheets are in the process of descending onto the chain conveyor, and the axes of the drum and opening conveyors make acute angles with and slope toward the upper reach of the chain conveyor counter to the direction of travel of the upper reach. The upper side of the belt is parallel to the axes of the drum and opening conveyors and also slopes toward the upper reach of the chain conveyor counter to the direction of travel of the upper reach.

Abstract: A multicolor half-tone image of an original object is formed on preformed plastic containers or other recipient surface by printing such image while wet from an offset blanket cylinder on which the image is formed by overlying a plurality of one-color half-tone images.

Abstract: A sheet material transferring apparatus of the type including a transferring roller about which the sheet material is wound, a sheet guiding member and a sheet retainer. The sheet guiding member is formed with a plurality of openings through which pinch rollers are projected inwardly. When it is turned in the one direction by actuating a lever, it assumes an operative position where the pinch rollers and the sheet retainer are brought in pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the sheet guiding member while the spaced relation between the sheet guiding member and the transferring member is maintained whereby the sheet material is transferred along the circumferential surface of the transferring roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking signatures or the like includes a guide plate having a predetermined angle of inclination and a conveyor for successively loading signatures onto the upper end of the guide plate from the upper side of the latter. The foremost end of a stack of signatures which are being stacked on the guide plate is supported by a first support member which gradually lowers through a section from the signature loading position to an intermediary position, and is then supported by a second support member through a section from the intermediary position to an unloading position. The rearmost end of the stack of signatures is supported by a third support member through the entire section from the loading position to the unloading position. For this purpose, the first, second and third support members are repeatedly moved along the guide plate in relation to each other.

Abstract: A system and method for assembling and binding books and for printing an address or a personalized message in accordance with coded information. The system includes a main control with a data processor and a memory for coded address and message information. One or more bindery lines each has means for gathering and assembling sections to form a book and for imaging the book with a personalized image. A line control has a data processor connected with the bindery line to control selection and assembly of signatures and imaging in accordance with the control information. Operator terminals at the main and line controls have visual display with touch screen operation input. A communication network connects the main control with each of the line controls. Address and control information from a magnetic tape is transferred to disk memory at the main control. This information is later transmitted over the communication network to the line controls.

Abstract: The winding core mounted to be rotatable and removable in a mobile storage unit, is placed into rotation by means of a drive roll which engages at the outer surface or circumference of the widing core or, as the case may be, the wound product package forming thereupon. In the mobile storage unit there is likewise removably arranged a winding band spool or reel which is also driven at its outer surface or circumference. For this purpose there is likewise provided a driven drive roll. By virtue of such circumferential drives for the winding core and, as the case may be, the wound product package, and equally the winding band spool or reel the mobile storage units can be of simple construction. This also enables the mounting or support arrangement for the winding core and the mounting or support arrangement for the winding band spool or reel to be structured such that the winding core and the winding band spool can be easily removed from the related mobile storage unit.

Abstract: A safety guard device for a power tool discharge chute which includes a shaft attached to the chute and extending across the opening of the chute. There are a plurality of elongate spaced-apart blade elements mounted to the shaft for pivoting within the chute and one or more springs or other resilient elements are provided for biasing the blade elements into a closed condition within the chute to prevent operator access through the opening of the chute and permitting the blades to pivot into an open condition so that bulky material may be discharged through the chute.

Abstract: An improved snowthrower (2) includes a housing (4) having a pair of traction wheels (20) carried thereon. Pivot arms (24) pivotably journal traction wheels (20) to the housing (4) for movement between a first position approximately beneath the center of gravity of the snowthrower to a rearward position. A control system (60) selectively swings the wheels between these two positions to obtain more downward force on the front of the snowthrower housing when hard packed or deep snow is encountered. The control system (60) includes a single control handle (62) for both manipulating the traction wheels (20) and for operating the transmission (46).

Abstract: To provide, selectively, different outputs from a cutting and folding apparatus (FIGS.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus capable of printing both normal sheets of paper and composites such as envelopes. In accordance with a mode in which normal sheets are printed and with the other mode in which envelopes are printed, transfer current applied to a transfer charger, fixing pressure applied to between a pair of fixing rollers, and heat generation of the heat source(s) in the fixing roller(s) can be changed respectively to those suitable for the sort of a transfer member. This change can be performed manually, or controlled automatically based on a signal issued from a member sorting sensor disposed in a paper supply portion.

Abstract: A collating station is disclosed for a machine intended to insert first and second documents into an envelope. Prior to the insertion operation, the first and second documents are advanced serially in a common plane. At a predetermined location, each first document is intercepted and lifted above the common plane and moved to a holding platform spaced above the common plane. The holding platform has a transverse terminal edge downstream from where the first document comes to rest. Thereupon, the first document resting on the holding platform and a following second document which continues to advance along the common plane as the first document travels toward the holding platform are advanced together in a parallel spaced relationship, toward a downstream station. As the documents are advanced, the first document drops off the terminal edge of the holding platform and onto the second document thereby completing the collating operation.

Abstract: A printer comprises a plurality of type belts each having a variety of types thereon, turning means for driving the type belts, coloring means for applying inks of different colors to the type belts, hammer means for pressing the types against a sheet of print paper, and a shift mechanism for moving the hammer means into positions confronting the type belts, respectively, and for keeping the hammer means in one of the positions at a time.

Abstract: Printed products having a center fold are provided with appropriate product break structure for facilitating opening of the printed products. Such product break structure comprises a crimp structure which may be in the form of impressions or embossments. This crimp structure is provided in the region of one end of the center fold of the printed products to be opened. These crimp structures mutually converge in relation to one another and extend to a common point located on the center fold of the printed products. Each of the printed products can be opened at the center fold by applying or exerting pressure on the folded edge or spine of the printed products at the end of the center fold which is provided with the crimp structure. An opening element can enter the opening thus formed for separating the two halves of each of the printed products.

Abstract: A backstand threading device to be mounted on a paper sheeter to permit an operator to move the device and himself along the length of the paper sheeter to thread each of the plurality of webs moving through the paper sheeter.

Abstract: Apparatus for the frontal introduction of marking strips (24), which are automatically formed, into a sheet stack (26) comprises a strip feeding device (18, 74-90) for supplying the marking strips (24) from a supply roll (20); a tongue (36) which is moved frontally into the sheet stack profile, lowered onto the stack (26), raised again and then retracted from the stack under the next deposited sheet (100); a guide channel (90) for the strip (22) supplied by the strip feeding device which opens into a gap under the lowered tongue (36); and a severing device (92) for severing the introduced marking strip (24) from the strip supply. The tongue (36) has downwardly bent flanks (40) that form a flat wedge, the guide channel (90) thereby opening into the channel (42) inside the tongue. The tongue is retracted in a loop-like movement while it is being slightly raised. It is then lifted upward before being moved in again while, for the most part, remaining outside the stack profile.

Abstract: To simplify a transverse stretching apparatus and provide rollers which do not require a change in the respective axes of rotation, two rollers are located adjacent, parallel, and spaced from each other, in which each of the rollers have outer cylindrical sections of respectively different diameters, with an intermediate essentially conical section, merging smoothly with the outer cylindrical section. The rollers are so located that the smaller diameter circumferential section of one of the rollers (4) is opposite the larger circumferential section of the other roller (5), and, when in essentially axial alignment, define a neutral position in which the sums of the diameters of the rollers at any axial plane passing transversely through the axes of rotation, will be the same. Upon relatively axially shifting the rollers with respect to each other (compare FIGS.

Abstract: A collating and binding system for producing customized versions of books includes means for detecting a defective book, means responsive to the detecting means for rejecting the defective book and means for reordering the rejected book at a point in an original production sequence determined in accordance with a comparison of the postal information of the rejected book with the postal information of a book currently being produced. An indication of the postage required to mail the produced books is derived from an amount calculated before the books are produced and from indications of postage increases for those books which were reordered at subsequent portions in the original production sequence.