Abstract: An apparatus for opening a book having a plurality of pages held in assembled relation with adjacent foredges substantially in contact with one another. The apparatus includes a rotatable pin for initiating separation of pages of the book by contacting and entering the book at one end of the adjacent foredges to thereby cause one of the pages to be separated from a next adjacent of the pages at a selected location in the book. Additionally, at a ribbon inserting station, a ribbon inserter can be provided to insert a ribbon into the selected location in the book between the one of the pages and the next adjacent of the pages. The apparatus may also include a knife assembly downstream of the rotatable pin which is adapted to maintain separation of the pages upon entering the book at the selected location for any purpose such as accommodating insertion of a ribbon by the ribbon inserter. With this arrangement, the book opening apparatus is well suited for opening a book without damage to the pages thereof.

Abstract: A blanket for offset lithographic printing is bonded to a carrier plate for use in a press with magnetic cylinders.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming thin paper sheets or signatures into an upright stack first arranges said sheets on a generally horizontal endless belt conveyor in a shingled stream with the leading edge of each sheet beneath the immediately preceding sheet and the trailing edge portion of each sheet projecting behind the trailing edge of said preceding sheet, and moves said conveyor continuously forwardly to bring the sheets successively into abutment with a stop so the driving force of the conveyor causes a stack to form from the bottom. The endless belt conveyor has a perforate bet, and a vacuum system below the perforate belt draws the sheets constantly and firmly downwardly against said perforate belt in a part of the path which ends at the stop, so that each sheet is conveyed positively forwardly against the stop.