Abstract: The thickness of successive sheets which are delivered by the feeders of a gathering machine to a collating conveyor are monitored and a computer which is associated with each feeder calculates the extent of deviation of the monitored thickness from an acceptable value. Signals which are generated by the computers in the event of excessive deviation are used to arrest the motor of the gathering machine and/or to expel the respective groups of sheets from the collating conveyor. Each computer is caused to calculate a reference value on the basis of monitored thicknesses of n successively delivered sheets whose thicknesses are within the acceptable range.

Abstract: Two parallel cylindrical rolls in a punching, stamping, printing, smoothing or like machine for running webs of paper or the like carry pairs of hardened bearing rings which have complementary conical surfaces with the conical surfaces of rings for one of the rolls tapering in one direction and with the conical surfaces of rings for the other roll tapering in the opposite direction but at the same angle. This ensures that the rings for one of the rolls are in linear contact with the rings for the other roll. One of the rolls is movable radially of the other roll to change the pressure upon the web which is running through the nip of the rolls, and one of the rolls is movable axially of the other roll to compensate for wear upon the conical surfaces of the bearing rings. All such adjustments can be carried out while the machine employing the rolls is in use.

Abstract: Partially overlapping sheets of a scalloped stream of sheets are delivered to spaced apart intermediate portions of two elastic bands. One end portion of each band is connected to a second core on which the bands are convoluted over each other so that their convolutions alternate, and the other end portions of the bands are connected to axially spaced apart portions of a first core which gathers a roll of sheets when it is driven in a direction to collect the bands while the sheets of the stream are delivered to the bands between the two cores. The cores are coaxial with each other and are mounted in a frame which further supports several sets of pulleys serving to move the two bands apart in the axial direction of the first core between the first and second cores so that the convolutions of the two bands on the first core overlie axially-spaced apart portions of convoluted paper sheets.

Abstract: Successive sheets are drawn from a magazine by a gripper which is movably mounted on a drum-shaped rotary conveyor and serves to transfer successive sheets into a gathering machine. The position of the gripper with reference to the conveyor is indicative of the thickness of the sheet or sheets which are transported from the magazine, and such position is ascertained by a monitoring device in cooperation with an input element which is movable with the gripper. The input element can constitute a soft iron core which extends into a coil of an oscillatory circuit constituting the monitoring device, a plate which extends between the plates of a capacitor forming part of the monitoring device, or an arm for a disc bearing encoded information which is monitored by a photoelectronic transducer. The monitoring device transmits signals to a circuit which is adjacent the path of movement of the gripper and includes the transducer or a winding cooperating with a winding of the oscillatory circuit.

Abstract: A web transporting apparatus wherein the web is trained over the external surface of a radially expandible elastic shell which is connected with two end walls to form a roll and to define an internal compartment which is filled with a pressurized hydraulic fluid. The pressure of hydraulic fluid is regulated in dependency upon the thickness of the web which is being transported so that the neutral zone of the web is invariably located at the same distance from the axis of the roll. The pressure of fluid in the compartmnt is regulatable by a hydropneumatic transducer wherein a hydraulic cylinder and piston unit admits pressurized hydraulic fluid into the compartment and the pressure of fluid in the hydraulic cylinder and piston unit is regulated by a pneumatic cylinder and piston unit which receives pressurized gaseous fluid by way of an adjusting valve. Regulation of the outer diameter of the shell compensates for variations in the thickness of the transported web.

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: Apparatus for transporting folded sheets has one or two pairs of chain conveyors whose horizontal upper reaches define two spaced-apart portions of a first path for the transport of successive folded sheets of a series of sheets in such a way that the sheets ride on the pairs of conveyors in inverted positions (with the backs on top). An additional chain conveyor has a horizontal upper run defining a second horizontal path between the first and second portions of the first path to transfer the sheets from the first to the second portion of the first pair. The additional chain conveyor advances successive sheets along a stationary ramp which pivots the panels of the sheets apart so that the thus exposed inner sides of the panels are accessible for the application of printed information, labels or the like. The speed of the additional conveyor can slightly exceed the speed of the other chain conveyor or conveyors.

Abstract: Large rolls of partially overlapping paper sheets which are convoluted onto the cores of reels are stored in one or more rows of compartments in a newspaper printing or bookbinding plant. Two adjoining rows are separated from each other by a track for one or more vehicles which are used to transport empty reels to one or more compartments wherein the sheets are convoluted onto the respective cores as well as to transport loaded reels to unoccupied compartments or to compartments which are adjacent to unwinding units. Conveyors in the form of cranes and/or chain or belt conveyors are used to transfer empty and loaded reels between the compartments of the rows and pairs of similar compartments on the vehicles. A vehicle which transports a loaded reel from the convoluting station to an empty compartment is used to transport an empty reel from such compartment to the compartment at the convoluting station so that the vehicle is put to use during each stage of its movement.

Abstract: A machine for accumulating folded sheets into brochures wherein the sheets are stapled to each other along fold lines has a rotary transporting device with several axially parallel saddle-like carriers for opened sheets and pushers which advance the sheets along their carriers into the range of a stapling device. The sheets are fed to the carriers at two or more stations which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the transporting device and open the sheets shortly before the sheets reach the respective carriers so that each sheet which is deposited at the first station directly straddles its carrier and each sheet which is deposited at a next station directly straddles the previously deposited sheet. the stapling device has several stapling units which perform a pendulum movement about the axis of the transporting device and are operated to simultaneously apply staples to two or more brochures.

Abstract: Successive stacks of signatures which are accumulated on a turntable are transferred onto a first or onto a second removing conveyor by a pusher which is reciprocable by a carriage along a straight guide rail and is pivotable relative to the carriage so that its ejector bypasses the turntable during movement in a first direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the first removing conveyor or in a seond direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the second removing conveyor. The pusher is pivotable relative to its carriage by a follower which is mounted thereon and extends into a composite groove defined in part by a stationary cam and in part by a pivotable cam.

Abstract: A perfect binder wherein a horizontal table defines an endless oval track for a series of articulately connected tongs each of which has a fixed jaw and a pivotable jaw. The pivotable jaws are articulately connected to discrete levers each of which is pivotable between a first end position in which the work-engaging portions of the jaws cooperate to clamp a stack of sheets between them, and a second end position in which the work-engaging portion of the pivotable jaw is remote from the work-engaging portion of the fixed jaw. Coil springs are provided to urge the levers to either of their end positions. A first fixed cam is provided along the track to pivot the levers to their operative positions before the freshly inserted stacks reach the first treating station, and a second cam is provided adjacent a further portion of the track to pivot the levers to the other end positions in which the treated stacks of sheets can be released or withdrawn.

Abstract: Signatures, newspaper sections or like printed products are temporarily stored between two successive processing machines of a production line by convoluting them onto a rotor with a flexible band so that the products are stored between neighboring convolutions of the band. The products are stored when the output of the preceding machine exceeds the requirements of the next-following machine, and the rotor is caused to pay out stored products when the requirements of the next-following machine exceed the output of the preceding machine. The rotor can store printed products in the form of a stream of spaced-apart products or in the form of a scalloped stream wherein the trailing portion of each preceding product overlaps the leader of the next-following product. A stream of spaced-apart products can be converted into a scalloped stream on its way to the reservoir from a conveyor which connects the preceding machine with the next-following machine.

Abstract: Partially overlapping printed sheets which are transported from an inserting or other producing or processing machine are delivered into a stacking unit which accumulates groups of overlapping sheets and dumps such groups into an intermittently operated wrapping unit wherein the groups are confined in plastic foils. The sheets which are intercepted during evacuation of a freshly formed group from the stacking unit are diverted into an accumulating unit which gathers the diverted sheets into piles and dumps the piles into a magazine for packing or for admission into one or more additional wrapping units.

Abstract: A perforating apparatus wherein two rolls define a nip for a running web of paper which is provided with rows of transverse perforations by tools at the periphery of one of the rolls. The rolls are driven in opposite directions by a timing shaft through the medium of a system of gears including an intermediate gear which indirectly drives the one roll and is directly or indirectly mounted on an eccentric. The eccentric is driven by a power train including a differential one output shaft of which carries the eccentric and another output shaft of which is normally held against rotation but can be turned by a worm to thereby change the phase of the one output shaft relative to the input shaft of the differential to thus compensate for eventual inaccuracies in the distribution of perforating tools at the periphery of the one roll.

Abstract: Apparatus for accumulating rows of paper sheets which are disposed in vertical planes has two pairs of endless chain conveyors whose upper reaches advance at a relatively low speed below two sheet feeding conveyors which deposit successive sheets between the front and rear sheet confining plates of one pair of chain conveyors while the chain conveyors of the other pair advance a fully grown row at a relatively high speed below a pair of claws which lift the fully grown row and transfer it sidewise to the next processing station. The chain conveyors of the other pair then advance their sheet confining plates at the high speed to a waiting position in which their leading confining plate is located immediately behind the trailing confining plate of the chain conveyors of the one pair. The cycle is thereupon repeated except that the growing row of sheets is being accumulated between the plates of the chain conveyors of the other pair.

Abstract: A stream of partially overlapping paper sheets is advanced below one or more wheels which are driven by the sheets and transmit torque to one or more rotary disc cams which cooperate with a roller follower provided on an intercepting device having a pallet which can be moved into and retracted from the path of movement of oncoming leaders of successive sheets. The periods of dwell of the pallet in the path of movement of the leader of each sheet are selected in such a way that the spacing between successive leaders is equalized to match the sum of spacings of successive leaders divided by the number of such leaders. A leaf spring biases the roller follower against the periphery of peripheries of the cam or cams.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously accumulating two stacks of paper sheets has a first conveyor which advances a series of sheets into the range of a first transfer member so that successive sheets are respectively adjacent the front and rear surfaces of the transfer member. The transfer member is reciprocable transversely of the path of movement of oncoming sheets, and each of its forward strokes is utilized to expel a sheet into a first stack forming station. Each return stroke of the transfer member is utilized to advance a sheet into the range of a second conveyor which transports sheets forwardly beyond the first stack forming station and into the range of a second transfer member. When the first transfer member performs a forward stroke, the second transfer member expels the foremost sheet from the second conveyor into a second stack forming station.

Abstract: Apparatus for temporary storage of a stream of partly overlapping paper sheets has a first core which is driven by a first motor in a direction to collect an elastically extensible band while the band receives a succession of sheets which are thereby confined between successive convolutions of the band on the first core. The band is drawn from a second core which is braked with a gradually decreasing force so that the product of such force and the radius of the growing roll of sheets and convolutions of the band on the first core is at least nearly constant. The elongation of the band during winding onto the first core is not less than 0.1 percent.

Abstract: A machine for trimming the edges of stacked paper sheets at a trimming station has a conveyor which delivers successive stacks to the trimming station, several knives which are movable from raised positions to lower end positions to thereby trim the respective edges of a stack at the trimming station, anvil blocks which are penetrated into by the cutting edges of the knives when the knives complete their working strokes subsequent to trimming of a stack, and a control unit which prevents the knives from contacting the respective blocks if the knives perform working strokes in the absence of a stack at the trimming station. The control unit can shift the working strokes of the knives and/or lower the blocks to thus ensure that the cutting edges of the knives are arrested short of the respective blocks when a photocell detects the absence of a stack at the trimming station while the knives perform their working strokes.

Abstract: A saddle stitching machine wherein the pitch of the chain conveyor which transports successive signatures through the stapling station can be changed by changing the ratio of a transmission which receives torque from the timing shaft of the machine. The conveyor transports the signatures along a straight path and the machine has a reciprocable carriage which is moved back and forth along such path by an adjustable crank drive so that the stroke of the carriage can conform to the selected pitch of the conveyor. The tools which are carried by the carriage are actuated by cams which are movable independently of each other at right angles to the straight path. The cams extend in parallelism with the path of signatures at the stapling station.