Abstract: A device for opening printed products having a carrying body rotatable about an axis and a flow duct subjected to negative pressure. An adapter such as a suction head or a pneumatically controllable gripper is mounted in the carrying body and connected to the flow duct.

Abstract: A connecting conveyor (32) is arranged between a first conveyor (10) and a second conveyor (24) and comprises a carrier (30) which can be moved freely along the conveyors (10, 24). Arranged on the carrier (30) is a conveying member (35) which is intended to receive, at a transfer location (42) of the first conveyor (10), the articles fed by said first conveyor and to transport said articles to a receiving location (44) of the second conveyor (24). Mounted on the carrier (30) are two drive wheels (38, 38') which interact with respective ones of the conveyors (10, 24). In normal operation, the drive wheels (38, 38') are connected to one another so as to rotate together. In order to close or to form a gap between successive articles, one of the drive wheels (38, 38') is rotationally fixed by means of a blocking element (80), and the other drive wheel (38, 38') is free to rotate by virtue of the relevant coupling (82, 82') being disengaged.

Abstract: A suction device for gripping an article has a sucker (1) with a suction lip (12). The sucker is movable between inner and outer positions in the inlet end (2) of a suction line and can be moved angularly. A reset element (3) moves the sucker to its outer position. In the inner position, the sucker forms a sealing connection with the inlet end. In its outer position, leakage air flow can pass around the outside of the sucker and into the suction line. When the sucker is in its outer position and the suction lip is closed by an article to be gripped, a pre-depression of pressure less than the maximum suction is caused because of the leakage flow. As the result of that pre-depression, the sucker is moved to its inner position, causing a sealing connection between the sucker and the inlet end of the suction line. The depression is then increased, increasing the suction grip on the article.

Abstract: A conveying device for feeding sheet-like products to a processing machine for printed products having carrying elements that rotate in the direction of rotation (U) along a self-contained rotational path. A carrying arm and a link member are pivoted on each carrying element. The clamping jaws, which form a clamp and are prestressed in the closed direction, and are pivotally mounted on the carrying arm. The first clamping jaw being connected to the link member in order to pivot the clamp. The second clamping jaw is connected to an opening roller with which an opening guide interacts to open the clamp. The pivot position of the carrying arms and the position of the link member can be controlled independently of one another by the control device, with the result that the clamp may also be pivoted about its pivot on the carrying arm independently of a movement of the carrying arm. The conveying device is suitable for depositing folded printed sheets in a straddling manner on the rest of the processing machine.

Abstract: The conveying device exhibits a plurality of clamps which are each articulated, via a carrying arm and a linking member, on rotational elements. The pivot position of the carrying arm is controlled by a first slotted-guide path and, separately from this, the position of the linking member is controlled by a second slotted-guide path. This permits pivoting of the clamps even independently of the movement of the carrying arms. The clamps can thus be controlled in an optimum manner for the respective purpose. In particular, it is possible, with constant speed of the rotational elements, to change the speed of the clamps and, at the same time, to control the direction of the clamps independently.

Abstract: Folded printed products are deposited in a straddling manner by feeding stations onto the rests circulating in a circulating direction along a continuous circulatory path. After being deposited, a second and third printed products project with a border portion beyond the trailing and leading edge, respectively, of a first printed product. When the printed products are being advanced in the conveying direction by means of drivers, which move back and forth, the printed products deposited one upon the other are aligned, interacting with a stop element in the process.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding products, such as cards and product samples to a further processing point is disclosed. The apparatus has a magazine device which has at least two magazine compartments and a conveying device having successive grippers which travel over the magazine device. During a certain time period, a transporting member corresponding to one of the magazine compartments is activated so that it feeds products contained in the compartment one after another to the grippers as the grippers travel over the compartment. At a desired point in time, the active transporting member is deactivated and a transporting member corresponding to another magazine compartment is activated in order that uninterrupted operation is provided. While the subsequent magazine compartment is in operation, the previously active compartment can be moved from its working position and resupplied with products.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding products, such as cards and product samples to a further processing point is disclosed. The apparatus has a magazine device which has at least two magazine compartments and a conveying device having successive grippers which travel over the magazine device. During a certain time period, a transporting member corresponding to one of the magazine compartments is activated so that it feeds products contained in the compartment one after another to the grippers as the grippers travel over the compartment. At a desired point in time, the active transporting member is deactivated and a transporting member corresponding to another magazine compartment is activated in order that uninterrupted operation is provided. While the subsequent magazine compartment is in operation, the previously active compartment can be moved from its working position and resupplied with products.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering sheet-like products to a device for processing printed products comprising a conveying device for transporting the products, a rotating transfer conveyor for receiving the products from the conveying device, at least one controllable clamp located on the transfer conveyer and capable of swiveling during rotation of the transfer conveyor and a processing device for receiving the products from the transfer conveyor and printing.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for collecting and stapling printed products is provided. A self-enclosed track of travel for stapling heads extends around a collector drum having a plurality of supports. A stapling head is assigned to each support. The stapling heads rotate mutually synchronously about the axis of rotation of the drum. While running past a wire section dispenser, each stapling head accepts a wire section from which a staple is formed in a predetermined first region. In a second region, the staple is brought onto the side of the stapling heads facing the supports. In a third region, the stapling heads are lowered onto the printed sheets, which are deposited onto the supports, and stapled together.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting sheet-like products includes a belt conveyor with a flexible conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is driven in a conveying direction at a conveying speed. A takeover conveyor has individually controllable clamps which are arranged one behind the other on a carrying member. The clamps are driven in a rotating direction, and the clamp mouths are directed in the takeover region forward in rotating direction. The products fed to the takeover region are in each case pressed against the conveyor belt by a pressing roller at the free end of the first clamping jaw of the clamp. Since the clamp speed of the clamps is greater than the conveying speed, the following clamp thus catches up with the held product and seizes it at the trailing edge.

Abstract: The processing drum, rotatable about the axis for processing printing products, has advancing means for the step-by-step advancing of the printing products deposited in a straddling manner on the rests. In the upper region of the circulating path, these advancing means perform a working stroke about the axis and in the lower region a return stroke. The processing drum has a drawing member reaching around it from below, on which drawing member holding members are arranged at the spacing (A) of the rests, in order to prevent the printing products from falling down when they pass through the lower part of the circulating path and at the same time to support the elongate processing drum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for processing printed products such as newspapers, magazines or parts thereof in which the printed products are transported by controllable grippers of a conveying device wherein the printed product is held at a first edge which runs transversely to the conveying direction. The printed products are conveyed at a set conveying speed. The grippers are at least partially opened to displace the printed products in the mouth of the grippers. The printed products are then displaced in the mouth of the grippers until the second edge (which is opposite the first edge) is brought to rest on a straightening mechanism. The straightening mechanism is driven substantially in the conveying direction. The grippers are then closed to continue transporting the printed products. If the second edge of the printed products leads relative to the first edge, the straightening mechanism is driven at a lower speed than the conveying speed.

Abstract: A conveying device having individually controllable grippers conveys the printed products in the conveying direction to a straightening station where the printed products are aligned. Subsequently, for opening, the folded printed products are fed to an opening device with their open edge leading and are then conveyed further to a transfer region, which is spaced apart from the opening device, for depositing on the rests. The separation of the different functions, i.e. the alignment, the opening and the depositing of the printed products allows simple setting to different formats of the printed products to be processed. Between the opening device and the transfer region, the open printed products are held open by a holding-open device.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for collecting and stapling printed products is provided. A self-enclosed track of travel for stapling heads extends around a collector drum having a plurality of supports. A stapling head is assigned to each support. The stapling heads rotate mutually synchronously about the axis of rotation of the drum. While running past a wire section dispenser, each stapling head accepts a wire section from which a staple is formed in a predetermined first region. In a second region, the staple is brought onto the side of the stapling heads facing the supports. In a third region, the stapling heads are lowered onto the printed sheets, which are deposited onto the supports, and stapled together.

Abstract: In a scale flow, particularly in a dense scale flow (S4) of flat articles such as printed products, the thickness of each individual element between a deflectable measurement part and a reference part is measured. The reference part in a timed movement for each measurement engages below that part of the scale which forms the surface of the scale flow. The reference part is constructed as an impeller (22), which is positioned laterally of the scale flow (S4) in such a way that its vanes 22.1-22.4, if the impeller (22) is rotated about its spindle (23), are moved between the scale located on the surface and the remainder of the scale flow. The deflectable measurement part is constructed as a sensing roll (21), which is pressed into an adjustable neutral position by spring tension. The deflection of the sensing roll (21) is measured and interrogated in timing manner.

Abstract: A wire piece forming device includes a wire piece dispenser with a cutting mechanism, a receiver member which receives wire pieces from the dispenser and a take-over member. The wire piece dispenser includes a feed device for the stepwise feeding of the wire. The device includes feed wheels which are driven intermittently by a four-bar linkage and a freewheel. A wire guide member is provided to ensure that the beginning of the wire is reliably inserted into a groove-like recess in a receiver member. The groove-like recess is open at its bottom. Before a wire piece is cut off by a cutter, the groove-like recess is closed by a take-over member moving past the opening of the recess. The take-over member then takes the separated wire piece and carries it away.

Abstract: A stapling apparatus is provided. The stapling apparatus includes a shaft which is swivelably mounted on a supporting part of a stapling head. The stamp is seated rotationally firmly on the shaft. For the purpose of accepting a wire section from a wire section dispenser, the shaft can be swiveled clockwise by 180.degree. from its staple placing position. The wire section accepted by the stamp is formed into a staple on a slotted link. The lateral arms of the staple are guided in grooves of the stamp arms. In the staple placing position, the staple is ejected from the stamp by means of a ram.

Abstract: Each compartment of a drum for collation, insertion or collection of printed sheets (34) is allocated carriages (50), which in the course of a revolution in a direction of rotation (U) carry out a conveyance and a return stroke in or opposite to an arrow direction (F). Each carriage is provided with swiveling clamping tongues (54) which can be controlled by means of rail sections (56) running parallel to the direction of movement (F) of the carriages (50) and movable in a direction (H). In this way the clamping tongues (54) can be closed or opened irrespective of the position and speed of the carriages (50) in or opposite to the arrow direction (F).

Abstract: Each support (14) of a collection drum for printed sheets (24) has attached to it carriages (36) which in the course of a revolution in the direction of rotation (U) carry out a conveyance stroke in and a return stroke opposite to arrow direction (F). Each carriage (36) is provided with swivelable clamping tongues (38) which are controllable by means of rail sections (86) which run parallel to the direction of movement (F) of the carriages (36) and can be moved in the direction (H). This means that the clamping tongues (38) can be closed or opened independently of the position and speed of the carriages (36). Each clamping tongue (38) clamps printed sheet halves (76, 76') of printed sheets (24) placed on the support (14) and on the support (14) following it, viewed in the direction of rotation (U) of this support (14).