Abstract: A conveyer device for bookbinding machines having a number of processing stations and having plate or cleated chains or the like which take over book blocks and convey them intermittently to the processing stations. The plate or cleated chains are driven in a circulating manner and have chain beams that act in opposite directions to one another. The chain beams include longitudinal bearers and longitudinal guides on which strands of the plate or cleated chains are supported. In order to shorten the set-up time, the distance of the chain beams of the plate or cleated chains from one another is varied by a setting drive via setting members for the purpose of adapting to different thicknesses of book blocks. The thickness of a particular book block is automatically determined in the setting-up operation via a measuring arrangement in the intake.

Abstract: A cover-feeder for isolating the uppermost cover, in each case, of a flat stack which is continuously advanced, with lateral alignment and as far as a front-edge stop, in an imbricated formation on a transport belt belonging to a feed table, the cover-feeder having a series of separating suction devices belonging to a suction head, which suction head can be pivoted to and fro, for lifting the cover off the stack, and having a drawing-off arrangement for taking over the cover and transferring it to a forwarding conveyor.

Abstract: A conveying device for book binding machines having continous plate or cleated chains or similar conveying machanism. The conveying device includes oppositely disposed logitudinal guides which support the plate or pleated chains for clamping inner books or books therebetween. In a defined subsection of the conveying device, apparatus are provided for opening and closing the subsection for releasing and capturing the book or inner book. Such apparatus includes working cylinders which act on sections of the longitudinal guides, and thereby the plate or cleated chain, to increase or decrease the distance between the longitudinal guides in the subsection.

Abstract: A book production line which has a plurality of processing stations and a transportation device for receiving the book blocks from an intake and conveying the book blocks to the processing stations is presented. The book production line includes individual modules with processing stations including functions such as straightening and pre-shaping, rounding and pressing, gluing and fumigating, gluing, backing and heading and suspending of book blocks. Optionally, a processing station may be provided for pressing and shaping the books and the individual modules can be separately operated via independent operating panels.

Abstract: A device for continuous separation of blanks for book cover material, envelopes for brochures or similar bendable sheets of a stack of sheets from a magazine with a conveyor belt with a non-skid surface and openings acted upon by air suction, bearing the stack of sheets, feeding the lowest sheet in each case in timed fashion from the magazine, which has a suction element grasping the lowest sheet and removing it from the stack of sheets, with an air blower for creating an air cushion between the raised sheet and the following sheet and with a removal conveyor system receiving and further transporting the sheet fed with respect to a functionally reliable separation of large-format flexible sheets is characterized by supports (17, 18) on both sides of an open space supporting a stack of sheets (1) in the edge area and by a suction element (14) capable of being driven under the stack of sheets (1), grasping a sheet (1a) in the open space in the edge area, and pulling down from the stack of sheets (1) in order to

Abstract: A device for the mechanical pressing of rounded book blocks held clamped in the region near the back is presented. The device includes a molding tool, which acts upon the book block back with a pressing force. A carriage is provided which receives the molding tool and is pivotable onto alternate sides of the book block back via a drive disposed on curved tracks in oppositely arranged, vertically displaceable bearings. The traveled radius of the active surface of the molding tool is smaller than the radius of the book block back and a tangential tensile/thrust component acting upon the lateral regions of the book block back in order to bend the printed sheets over is imparted thereon. A drive for lowering the molding tool onto the book block back and for raising the molding tool for the return stroke into the central position is provided in order to optimize the pressing process and to reduce the structural outlay and to reduce the setup time.

Abstract: A device for rounding and pressing book blocks with a conveying device for the book blocks. The device includes rounding rollers, pressing jaws or similar clamping elements, which are displaceable relative to one another, which act to receive the book block and act with a predefined force upon the book block. The device automatically adjusts the clamping elements to different formats of the book block and, in the event of deviations in the book block thickness, the clamping elements are displaceable relative to one another via articulately connected levers. The levers function to clamp the book block via an operating cylinder acting upon the free ends of the levers and automatically aligning the book block. The point of rotation of the levers being displaceably mounted in a guide aligned with the center of the conveying device of the book block.

Abstract: A device for the back rounding of book blocks in a book binding machine cooperating with a conveyor device. The device includes a driving arrangement and rounding elements driven in rotation by the driving arrangement. The rounding elements taking up the book block following release of the book block by the conveyor device. The rounding elements acting on both sides of the book block through pressurized rotational movement thereof. When the book blocks are gripped by the rounding elements, the rounding elements may selectively travel in a lifting movement which is separate from the rotational movement into preselectable, defined vertical positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying end papers to the front and rear sides of inner books which are continuously moving along a transport path includes end paper channels extending along the transport path and feeders for isolating individual end papers from stacks and delivering the end papers into the channels for simultaneous conveyance with the inner book. The feeders position the end papers such that they are oriented substantially parallel with the sides of the inner book while delivering the end papers into the channels in the direction of inner book movement. The moving end papers are overtaken by the mechanisms which impart movement to the books and the simultaneous moving end papers and inner books are subsequently pressed together to bond the end papers to the inner book.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for use in a book assembling machine comprises a magazine having a movable base which defines a support plane for a stack of folded sheets. The feeder also includes a pneumatic separator, which creates a gap between a corner of the lowermost sheet of a stack in the magazine and the next adjacent sheet, and a device for injecting air into the thus formed gap to produce an air cushion. The movable magazine base functions as a conveyor to move, with the assistance of the air cushion, the leading edge of the lowermost sheet in the stack in a planar manner to a withdrawal conveying system where the sheet is engaged and subsequently pulled from the magazine. The withdrawn sheet moves, under the influence of a transfer mechanism in one embodiment, into registration with an assembly conveyor.

Abstract: In a process for the manufacture of a book, wherein an adhesive is applied to the side faces of an inner book, the inner book is subsequently cased into a book cover and the book cover folds are shaped by the application of heat and pressure, adhesive is additionally applied to the book cover in the regions which are to be formed into the folds before the joining together of the cover and inner book and, optionally, the fold regions of the book cover and/or inner book are heated before the application of adhesive.

Abstract: An adhesive film which reliably completely covers the spine side of a book block, prior to mating with a cover, is applied by an applicator roller which is controlled to rotate at speeds which are a function of the book block linear velocity and the location of the book block relative to the roller. The applicator rotational speed is determined from stored information and, depending on book block location, will either be greater or less than book block velocity.

Abstract: The order in which printing work products, such as finished books, book blocks and other similar objects, are transported is rearranged intermediate serially arranged entry and discharge conveyors. In a destacking mode of operation, stacks of products are positioned at an intermediate destacking station and the product which is uppermost in the stack is separated from the stack and delivered onto the receiving end of the discharge conveyor, the receiving end of the discharge conveyor being caused to move vertically in steps so as to remain in position to receive individual products as the stack height is reduced.

Abstract: A device for conveying product stacks of widely differing thicknesses includes counteracting belt conveyors which are each defined by supported operating strands. At least one of the belt conveyors is adjustable relative to the other such that the stack receiving space therebetween is adjustable as a function of the thickness of the stacks to be transported. The spacing adjustment permits variation of the gap in which the stacks are clamped at either of the receiving or discharge end regions of the apparatus. In a preferred device, the upper belt conveyor includes a swivel frame from which a plurality of resiliently biased pressure rollers are supported. Actuators, responsive to sensed stack thickness, produce tilting of the swivel frame about an axis which is itself movable in a plane oriented transverse to the direction of stack movement.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a book, the book consisting of a cover and an inner book, the book cover is permanently shaped by the formation of folds in the articulation region thereof prior to being joined to the inner book. In the course of forming the folds in the cover, the covering material thereof is caused to undergo plastic flow and to be shaped so that beneficial stresses are created in the fold defining regions. The back of the cover may also be permanently shaped substantially simultaneously with the formation of the folds.

Abstract: Hinge joints are impressed in a book cover through the use of a heated tool, having the profile of the desired joint, and the joint is thereafter immediately stabilized. Joint stabilization is accomplished by rapid reduction of the temperature of the joint areas while maintaining the application of compressive force.

Abstract: The set-up procedure for a bookbinding machine is accomplished through the use of a portable computer with an integral data transceiver. Adjustable machine element position information is entered into the portable computer and transmitted to the machine control via a wireless data link and an operator/machine interface. Actual machine element position is sensed and transmitted to the portable computer where it is displayed. Using the portable computer and data link, the operator may serially proceed from one functional machine station to the next to perform the set-up.

Abstract: Continuously accumulating printing works products are transported, over a comparatively long distance in a manner which consumes minimum manufacturing facility floor space, by being serially fed to clock-pulse controlled grippers of a continuously driven conveyor. The grippers grasp the products in the area of their leading edges and subsequently transport the products in tile-formation over a defined distance to delivery apparatus.

Abstract: An improved computer-automated control system for a book-binding machine which provides for emergency manual control of the binding machine in the event of failure of the computer-controlled portion of the control system. The improvement includes a manually operated control instrument and a plurality of switchable coupling components associated with the adjusting devices of a book-binding machine. Each of the switchable coupling components is electrically coupled to an associated adjusting device and the computer-automated portion of the control system and is capable of being electrically coupled to the control instrument. Upon coupling of the control instrument to the switchable coupling component, control of the associated adjusting device is switched from the computer-controlled portion of the control system to the control instrument.

Abstract: Apparatus for rounding the spines of book blocks comprises rounding elements that act on the sides of the book block, the action of these rounding elements being due to a defined rotation and pressure, the rounding elements consisting of rounding segments which are drive-rotated by actuating mechanisms and can be moved vertically to thereby execute rolling movements on the sides of the book block. The vertical movement of said rounding segments are superimposed on their rotation in a manner such as to compensate for the vertical movement of the book block generated as a consequence of the rotation.