Abstract: The backing of a previously rounded book block is accomplished, while the book block is clamped between oppositely disposed gripping jaws, by subjecting the spine region of the book block to composite forces resulting from imparting a swinging motion along an arcuate path to a pressing beam carrier, to cause the pressing beam to bend the book block sheets outwardly away from the center line of the block, and superimposing tangential sliding motion on the pressing beam as it acts on the book block in the region adjacent the edges of the spine to thereby controllably form creases in the opposite sides of the block.

Abstract: The front limit stop of the stack receiving magazine of a sheet separator is provided, in the region contacted by the lowermost sheets of the stack, with a retractable wall portion. The movements of this retractable wall portion are synchronized with the operation of a device which causes downward deflection of the edge region of a sheet located adjacent the magazine front limit stop. Accordingly, simultaneously with the application of the deflecting force, the frictional retaining force is removed from the edge region of the sheet to be separated.

Abstract: The application of protective jackets comprised of paper to a book is facilitated by minimizing bending stresses in the jacket paper in the fold areas where the jacket is wrapped around the opposed longitudinal edges of the book cover in the course of defining jacket retention flaps. The stresses are relieved by the metered, uniform moistening of the fold areas of the jacket to thereby diminish the flexual strength of the paper fibers in these areas.

Abstract: Printing works products, book blocks having a spine for example, are transferred from a feed conveyor to a receiver with selected products being rotated through an angle of 180.degree. during the transfer. The products to be rotated are frictionally engaged, slowed to a standstill during a first phase of rotation and thereafter accelerated and discharged when rotation is completed. The synchronized first phase of rotation and arresting of product motion is controlled such that the center of gravity of the product will be located approximately in alignment with the axis of rotation when rotation through an angle of approximately 90.degree. is completed.

Abstract: A delivery system for receiving book blocks discharged from a book-sewing machine on a transverse stack conveyor, the book blocks on the transverse stack being supported on their front edges and thus being vertically oriented, and rearranging the book blocks so as to be horizontally oriented. The delivery system subsequently reorients the horizontally arranged book blocks and collects the reoriented book blocks into stable stacks.

Abstract: In a book binding operation, opened covers are brought into alignment with moving book blocks by a feed system which applies a pneumatic hold-down force to the moving covers. This hold-down force provides for a braking effect which varies as a function of the characteristics of the cover, the braking effect minimizing the chances of overshoot. The hold-down force also provides a stiffening effect, in the direction of cover movement, which varies as a function of cover thickness and minimizes the possibility of crushing.

Abstract: A book cover formation machine has feeder stations for the cover cloth and cover boards, a glue-application station for the cover cloth, and an assembly station for mating the cover cloth and cover boards. The machine also has a turn-in station with turn-in elements for folding the head and foot flaps over the cover-board edges in a first plane, and for folding the lateral flaps over the cover-board edges in a vertically displaced second plane. The turn-in station is a separate mechanism juxtapositioned to the assembly station. The functions of assembling the cover cloth and boards, of executing the head and foot flap turn-ins, and of executing the lateral flap turn-ins, are coordinated such that all functions within a cycle are performed on different book covers simultaneously.

Abstract: Spine strip stock material, being withdrawn from a supply reel, is cut into pieces of the desired length and the pieces are subsequently fed into positionally accurate contact with cover boards which are moving on a conveying system. High cutting and feeding accuracy are achieved by a servomotor control system which, in response to sensing the motion of the cover boards, stops the infeed of the stock material, clamps and cuts the stationary stock material, feeds the cut spine strip pieces to a waiting position and then moves the pieces from the waiting position into contact with the cover boards.

Abstract: A book cover assembly apparatus includes a cover table and a transport arm. The transport arm has a vertically moveable suction head which carries cover boards to the cover table which is initially in an inclined acquiring position. The transport arm establishes an initial line of contact between an adhesively coated cover cloth disposed on the cover table and the cover boards. The cover table is pivoted to a horizontal position in synchronization with movement of the transport arm thereby progressively diminishing the angle included by the cover cloth and cover boards. Such combined movement causes the contact line to move across the cover cloth, rolling the cover cloth into contact with the cover boards.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking cards, printed sheets or similar products has feeder stations situated in a row and a conveyor with pushers. The feeder stations include spaced inner and outer tables. Individual products are deposited on the tables at the feeder stations. The inner tables are provided with lateral stops and a plurality of nozzles which emerge from the upper surface at a shallow angle towards the stop. Compressed air emitted from these nozzles creates a suction force which stabilizes the products on the tables. The pushers extend between the tables and push the product through a cut-out in the outer table onto a stack of products moving in synchronization on the conveyor below the tables.

Abstract: A transfer device for books, inner books, newspapers, stacks or papers or similar products that are fed to a distribution point in a product stream on a high speed conveyor which includes a rotationally driven accelerator/decelerator. The speed of the accelerator/decelerator is controlled in such a manner that the product to be distributed is first accelerated to separate it from the next succeeding product in the product stream and the product is then controllably slowed so that it may be stopped at the distribution point without damage.

Abstract: The palletizing and retrieval from palletized storage of stacks of printing works products, folded sheets of paper for example, is facilitated by associating an upper and a lower interleaf sheet with each layer of stacks of the products. This provides a pair of interleaf sheets between adjacent layers of the stacks and the uppermost stack layer may be caused to slide relative to the adjacent lower stack layer by imparting a pulling force to the lower interleaf sheet associated with the stack layer to be moved while applying a restraining force to the upper interleaf sheet associated with the adjacent lower stack layer. Apparatus for use in the practice of the invention provides for withdrawing the interleaf sheets from magazines and feeding them into position as the stack layers are formed and the invention also encompasses apparatus for separating the interleaf sheets from a stack layer being retrieved from storage and directing the separated interleaf sheets to storage magazines.

Abstract: A conveyor for use with a machine which applies covers to books of the type where the individual pages are loosely bound by means of mechanical binder elements having rounded teeth. The conveyor includes multiple saddle plates, coupled to endless chains, which are caused to move into engagement with the bound batches of pages. The saddle plates are provided with serrated leading edge portions which fit between the teeth of the binding elements to accurately position the bound pages relative to the saddle plates.

Abstract: The corners of stacked sheet material, for example overlay material being employed in the formation of book covers, are simultaneously removed by a cutting appliance having plural knives. Stacks of the sheets of overlay material are delivered to the cutting appliance by carriers which move along a continuous path and, after the cutting operation, the carriers deliver the sheet material to the feed station of a downstream processing machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for reorienting books or like objects, for example from a vertical to a horizontal orientation, while the products are continuing to move along a conveying system. The apparatus comprises a transfer device which defines a clamping space into which the moving object is delivered, the transfer device being rotatable between the first and second orientations while object movement continues, the clamping action being releasable when the second orientation is reached so that the object can be fed onto a downstream conveyor.

Abstract: A book shaping and pressing machine comprises a plurality of uniformly spaced pressing appliances which are propelled along an endless path, each of these pressing appliances possessing a pair of pressing plates which face each other across a gap that can be varied, their function being in exert pressure on the pages of a book, this pressure being generated through the agency of spring elements, the machine further comprising heated joint-forming appliances which are installed on the pressing appliances, each of these joint-forming appliances possessing a pair of joint-forming rails which face together across a gap that can be varied, their function being to form the book cover joints by impression.

Abstract: A method of palletizing and depalletizing stacks of products in continuous, layer-by-layer succession, the products being substantially flat and thin, such as folded sheets of paper, in which a fully automatic mode of operation is achieved by depositing the stacks of a stack layer on an intercarrier in order to load a pallet. Transport elements, which are associated with a loading and unloading station, may be positioned beneath the stacks and caused to move through or into the intercarrier in order to effect the deposition on and lifting from an intercarrier of stacks which partly defines a stack layer, the stack layers and the associated intercarriers being stacked on a pallet, as a unit, and being destaked from the pallet in like manner.

Abstract: The rounding of the backs of book blocks in a bookbinding machine is accomplished through the use of rotatable rounding rollers which acquire the book blocks from continuously moving clamping devices of a block transport system, the rounding rollers moving in synchronism with the clamping devices along a portion of the path of book block motion defined by the transport system during the rounding operation. The rotational motion of the rounding rollers against the book block sides is superimposed on movement of the rounding rollers along the book block sides in a direction transverse to the path of motion thereof. Subsequent to completion of the rounding operation, the rounding rollers are returned to their initial position along return paths which are displaced from the book block motion path and the rounding operation is performed on a book block subsequently arriving via the transport system.

Abstract: In the application of a cover to a book block, a woven cloth strip is adhesively bonded to a flyleaf and an end-paper along generally parallel, displaced lines which extend from the top to the bottom of the book. The flyleaf may be stapled to the book block along with the cloth strip and the end-paper is glued to both the cover and the cloth strip.

Abstract: In a method of backing book blocks, simultaneous backing operations are performed on the two halves of the block back by two backing elements which simultaneously execute a rolling movement on the block back in opposite directions starting from its center, so as to compress the printed sheets in its central region, and also execute a tangential sliding, rubbing movement on the book block back, so as to bend the printed sheets over in its side regions.