Abstract: A device for operation of a sliding door member, the device being movable between an open position in which the door member is open and a closed position in which the door member is closed. The device includes a pneumatic cylinder having an actuating piston and a rod assembly. A slidable cage sealingly sleeved between the cylinder and the piston reduces the force applied to the piston rod when approaching the open position. When moving towards the first position force is provided initially by conjoined movement of the piston and said cage, and finally by the piston only. A latch for locking the device in the closed position is provided by a spear secured to the piston and rod assembly and a pin to lock the spear disposed in the cylinder. A manual delatching can be achieved by a cable operated spool which moves the pin to unlock the spear.

Abstract: Cyclically operable signature machine having a one-way drive to incrementally advance a signature infeeding conveyor synchronously to the action of an oscillating suction finger for withdrawing a signature from a stack in a hopper; in a cycle where a signature is not to be fed, the suction finger is latched and simultaneously the one-way drive is disabled to prevent the stack from being compacted.

Abstract: A saddle binding system is provided with a reject device which removes misformed books from the gathering chain and transports them to a tray for recycling. The reject device includes an arm pivotally mounted adjacent the chain on a frame. The arm is normally located in a rest position out of engagement with passing books. An actuator is connected to the arm and is operable to pivot the arm to a raised, book-engaging position. In the raised position the arm elevates the leading edge portion of a misformed book off of the gathering chain, thereby rotating the book. This rotation advances the trailing edge of the book out of engagement with the pusher pin of the gathering chain. A tape-and-roller take-away mechanism is positioned above the chain to engage an elevated edge portion of a book. The take-away mechanism is angled such that it moves the book longitudinally and vertically of the gathering chain, as well as laterally. The book is discharged to a reject tray.

Abstract: Signature gathering machine in which signatures are extracted by an extracting cylinder successively from a hopper, released at a register gauge, opened by grippers on opposed opening cylinders and then those grippers are opened to drop the signature onto a saddle conveyor; wipers rotate with the extracting cylinder and are actuated in timed relation to arrival of the signature at the register gauge so as to force the free edges of the signature into the space between the opening cylinders.

Abstract: Stacking and strapping machines for magazines in which the turning axes for the conveyors which move a stack to be strapped are positioned to enable the stack to be boxed in while being strapped, the conveyors having pushers which in part enable this to be done in cooperation with fixed stops at the strapping station.

Abstract: A signature machine for assembling books has a binding machine which can accommodate variable book thicknesses without adjustment during operation. The binding machine has multiple binding stations each of which is pre-set to bind a book of a particular thickness. Each book is bound at the station set up to operate on the corresponding book thickness. The stations are disabled when presented with books of thickness different from that assigned to the particular station.

Abstract: In a system for collating, binding and stacking magazines or books, a machine comprising a portion of a conveyor line used in the system. The machine turns some of the books relative to their direction of travel prior to entering the stacking device so that an even stack can be obtained. The books are turned slowly, that is, for a time interval of several book cycles.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with the elimination of vibration in signature gathering machine delivery chains. Reciprocal motion in some components of a signature gathering system creates periodic forces which may be at or near the natural frequency of the delivery chain. This causes undesired vibration in the chain. The present invention damps this vibration by continuously constraining the lower run of the chain and by placing a positive drive at the tail end sprocket of the chain to take up some of the slack in the return run. The vibration is also substantially reduced at its source by placing a flywheel on the mainline drive shaft near the point where the reciprocal motion is derived.