Abstract: A gripper for grasping and conveying objects while retaining the objects, and to a corresponding conveyor system and an operating method. The gripper has a gripper body and first and second gripper jaws. The gripper jaws each include at least one respective clamping region, can assume an open state and a closed state relative to each other, and can exert a clamping force on each other or on the object to be grasped. At least one of the gripper jaws includes a jaw body that is elastically deformable and is supported on the gripper body such that the body assumes a defined spatial position (resting position) when force is not applied to a control element and deforms and is deflected from the resting position when force is applied to the control element.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects. The apparatus includes a stacking area having a support region, a roller arrangement produced from a plurality of rollers, the roller arrangement supporting the stack from below in the support region, as well as a separating and holding device for separating the objects from the underside of the stack. The rollers of the roller arrangement are guided along a circular path so as to be movable past under the stack in the support region. The apparatus further includes a supporting and stopping device for positioning the supporting and stopping device in a holding position between the stack and the rollers of the roller arrangement.

Abstract: The apparatus for conveying printed products has a feeding device which conveys the printed products to a discharge end. The gripper circulatory path of the gripper conveyor moves with the receiving section past the latter. During movement through the receiving section, the grippers use their gripper mouth to grasp the printed products and convey said products further. If the receiving section is located in the central position with respect to the feeding device, the printed products are grasped centrally and conveyed further. If, by contrast, the receiving section is displaced by means of the adjustment device into a side position, the printed products are grasped eccentrically and guided further.

Abstract: A conveying chain for a conveying means of a conveying device, comprising a plurality of chain links connected to each other. The chain links are connected to each other by means of articulated connections so as to each be pivotable about a first axis and about a second axis oriented perpendicular to the first axis in order to form the conveying chain. The conveying chain is constructed of identical chain links. The chain links each comprise a receptacle on a first end section and a coupling body on a second end section that engages in the receptacle of an adjacent chain link, wherein the receptacle and the coupling body are shaped in such a way that the receptacle and the coupling body can be connected to each other by means of an insertion-rotation motion in order to form the articulated connection.

Abstract: A chain link of a conveying chain, containing a base body with a first end region which comprises a first coupling section for the articulated connection to a coupling section of a first adjacent chain link, and with a second end region which comprises a second coupling section for the articulated connection to a coupling section of a second adjacent chain link. The body comprises an intermediate region lying between the two end regions and includes a body section with bending-elastic characteristics, which is designed such that the first end region is elastically bendable relative to the second end region out of the longitudinal direction of the base body.

Abstract: A plate element of a conveyor and a conveyor which comprises a plurality of these plate elements. The plate element comprises a fastening device to fasten the plate element on a conveying element. A first overlapping region with prongs is formed on the element at a first end section. A second overlapping region with a guide base and projections arranged thereon is formed at a second end section which lies opposite the first end section of the plate element. The first overlapping region is complementary to the second overlapping region. The first overlapping region and the second overlapping region form at least a part of the plate conveying surface The projections of the guide base and the prongs are curved. Optionally, the prongs have a trapezoidal cross section. The guide base comprises at least one opening passing through the guide base between the projections.

Abstract: The conveyor system for planar products (60), in particular print shop products, features a feeder device (50) as well as a gripper conveyor (10) with a plurality of grippers (12) that move along an orbital track (U), wherein the grippers (12) each include two gripper parts (14, 16) that can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The relative position of the gripper parts (14, 16) to one another and/or the orientation of the whole gripper (12) in space is a function of its position along the orbital track and is set by at least one control guide (28, 30, 40, 80, 80?) that interacts with the grippers such that the gripper parts (14, 16) can be moved from an open position to a closed position while moving through a transfer area (A) of the orbital track (U) for the transfer of products (60) from the feeder device (50).

Abstract: A method for operating a processing system, in which product units of different formats are processed. The processing system contains a plurality of processing devices that are arranged one after the other in a processing line. In the event of a format changeover, certain component arrangements arranged in the processing system must be adapted to the new product format. In the event of an upcoming format change, a gap in the conveyed goods is generated while the conveying operation is maintained, wherein the gap in the conveyed goods runs through the processing system along the processing devices. As soon as the gap in the conveyed goods runs through a component arrangement to be adapted to the new format, the format is changed over at the component arrangement while the gap in the conveyed goods runs through the component arrangement.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method and an installation for monitoring and/or controlling at least one handling apparatus for handling a multiplicity of preferably sheet-like products, in particular printed products, each product being assigned a reference (4). The installation comprises a transporting apparatus for transporting the multiplicity of products at a distance apart from one another along a transporting direction to at least one handling apparatus, or past the same, at least one detecting apparatus (1, 1?) at least for picking up references of the products and for communicating messages belonging to the references, and at least one processing unit (3) for processing the messages. In at least one delay device (5), a number of messages relating to references (4) from a plurality of products are combined to form a message group (6) and are communicated to the processing unit (3) via a communications medium (2) once a delay period (9) has elapsed.

Abstract: Printed products (10) are conveyed to a transfer portion (22) by means of the grippers (14) of the gripper conveyor (12). The vacuum belt conveyor (26) suctions with its active strand (28) the respective end region (32) of the printed products (10), after which, close to the end of the (34) of the transfer portion (22), the grippers (14) respectively release the printed products (10). The motional path (38) of the gripper jaws (16) runs in the transfer portion (22) in the shape of an arc. The active strand (28) of the vacuum belt conveyor (26) runs in the transfer portion (22) at an approximately constant distance to the motional path (38). In the case of large processing capacities and correspondingly high velocities, a reliably secure, positionally stable transfer of the printed products (10) from the gripper conveyor (12) to the vacuum belt conveyor (26) is thereby ensured.

Abstract: A conveying system includes rolling bodies each with a rolling element cage and rolling elements. The rolling elements are arranged in recesses of the rolling element cage and for the rolling in a guide channel. In each case two or three or more rolling elements form a roller set, and the rolling elements of a roller set roll on one another as well as on the guide channel, and at least one roller set is present per rolling body. The conveying system includes at least two guide channels which run at an essentially constant distance to one another and together form a guide path; and at least two rolling bodies are connected to one other by way of a connection element, into a conveying element, and the conveying element with its at least two rolling bodies is movable in at least two guide channels along the guide path.

Abstract: An optical control method for use in print finishing, comprising the following steps: First, guiding a planar printed product (12, 13) along a conveying path past at least one optical sensor (14). Secondly, detecting an electronic image by the optical sensor (14), wherein the electronic image comprises at least one region of the printed product (12, 13). Thirdly, transferring the electronic image into a corrected image on the basis of corrective information, which converts a recording perspective of the at least one optical sensor (14) into a target perspective. Fourth, comparing the corrected image to a reference value or a reference image, and generating at least one signal (27) on the basis of a result of the comparison.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for manufacturing stacks (11) of product units (9), in particular of printed products. The device (1) comprises a stacking device (2) with a plurality of support units (7) which in each case form a support surface (19) for the stacks (10) to be formed, furthermore a circulatory arrangement (31), in which the support units (7), arranged one after the other along a closed circulatory path (U), can be moved into and out of a stacking region (S). The support units (7) moreover in each case comprise at least two support elements (8a, 8b) which are arranged next to one another. The stacking device (2) comprises means (20a, 20b, 21) for setting the distance (D2) between the lateral outer edges (56a, 56b) of the support units (7) with a continued conveying operation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for collating printed products. The apparatus includes a collating drum rotatably driven about a horizontal axis of rotation and at least functionally subdivided into axial sections, provided with separate compartments or saddle-shaped supports that are externally open in a radial direction. A first feeding device delivers printed products to the processing drum, and a conveyor conveys the printed products away from the processing drum. Conveying elements are associated with the compartments or the supports, and are used for conveying the printed products in the axial direction when the processing drum rotates. A secondary conveying section is arranged between the first feeding device and the conveyor, and a processing station or at least one additional feeding station is located between the first feeding device and the secondary conveying section in order to process the printed products or feed additional printed products.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for compiling flat objects, wherein a gripper conveyor is used, the grippers of which either act directly as support elements or contact surfaces for the products to be compiled, thereby constituting a receiving unit, or interact with a separate support element to form a receiving unit. The use of a gripper conveyor having a controllable opening state and a controllable orientation of the gripper jaws of the individual grippers, and/or a controllable orientation of the separate support elements, has the advantage that the orientation of the contact surfaces and the clamping function within a receiving unit can be set independently of the adjoining receiving units. In this way, greater flexibility is attained.

Abstract: A device for processing objects which are conveyed one after another in a continuous manner, or a quasi endless material web, includes tools revolving on a revolving path. In one variant of the device, the tools are controllably pivotable relative to the revolving path in a manner such that their pivot position is adapted in a controlled manner to the objects to be processed or the material web, independently of an orientation of the revolving path. In a further variant of the device, the device includes at least one drive, which are controllable in a manner such that the tools in groups or individually, may be driven simultaneously at different speeds on the revolving path. This, for example, is realized by way of two drives, wherein each second tool is coupled to the first drive, and the other tools to the second drive.

Abstract: A device and a method for inserting flat objects into a folded printed product, wherein the products are held by grippers of a gripper conveyor which opens only briefly for inserting the flat object. In order to also stabilize the product in the open state of the gripper, a support element is provided, which moves between the two product parts before the gripper opens and rests on one of the product parts. If the orientations of the support elements and the grippers are selected in a suitable fashion, this will suffice in order to position the product and keep it open such that the flat object can be inserted and the gripper can then be closed again, while clamping the product with the flat object into position. Optionally, further support elements are present, which additionally support the product from the outside, such as the folded edge.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to propose a computerized control device and a computer-implemented method for speed regulation during delivery of printed products to stacking devices which do not have at least some of the disadvantages of the known systems. It is in particular an object of the present invention to propose a computerized control device and a computer-implemented method for regulating the speed of a conveyor for delivering printed products to stacking devices which enable flexible production of stacks of different sizes.

Abstract: A method and a device for processing sheets of paper or another flexible, flat material. The device includes a feed device for conveying the sheets in a conveying direction (F) at a distance to one another or in an imbricate formation, and a folding assembly which is arranged downstream of the feed device. The folding assembly is a buckle folding assembly for creating at least one fold which runs transversely to the conveying direction (F). A scoring device is present which is capable of scoring the sheets at the location of the envisaged fold transversely to the conveying direction (F), before the folding and during the conveying, for improving the quality of the fold. The sheets can be folded with a good quality even at high processing rates by way of this, and can be subsequently processed further.

Abstract: A device and method for transferring flexible flat objects, in particular printed products, between two conveyors. The device includes a first gripper conveyor with first grippers moved along a first gripper conveyor path for hanging transport of the objects in a conveyor direction by gripping a first object edge, a second gripper conveyor with second grippers moved along a second gripper conveyor path, for receiving the objects by gripping a second object edge which lies opposite the first object edge, and at least one actuation device for opening and closing the first and second grippers such that, in a transfer region, the objects may be transferred from the first grippers to the second grippers. The distances of the first and the second grippers are different to one another in front of the transfer region, wherein the distances of the first grippers are smaller than that of the second grippers.