Abstract: To readily open up a multi-sheet folded printed product comprising at least two folded printed sheets or signatures which are placed one inside the other, there is provided an innermost printed sheet which is of greater length at the center in the direction of the fold line than the remaining printed sheets. The innermost printed sheet thus protrudes past the remaining printed sheets by a marginal section or lap at one lateral edge. An opening device now can engage the protruding marginal section and can open up the printed product at the center without difficulties. When the printed product has been completed, i.e. after insertion of an enclosure or inserts into the opened printed product, the marginal section or lap is cut away. Since such marginal section or lap must be cut away only at one printed sheet the loss in material associated with the cutting operation is exceedingly small.

Abstract: A star feeder type of drum (12) has pocket-shaped compartments (14) and saddle-type supports (46) disposed alternately about a common axis of rotation. Each compartment (14) contains a carriage which is guided in a rail (44) and has a bottom (86) and at least one clamp (54). The clamp (54) is controlled independently of the movement of the carriage by shifting a rail section (56). For collation and insertion, printed sheets (34) are fed into the compartments (14) at a first feed point. These printed sheets (34) are seized by the appropriate clamps (86) during the rotation of the drum (12) in the direction of the arrow (U) and are conveyed to the next feed point, where further printed sheets (34) are fed into the compartments (14). In the course of further revolutions the printed sheets (34) thus collated or inserted are conveyed to a removal point.

Abstract: The imbricated product formation is unwound from a first product package and infed to a deflection device in which the imbricated product formation is inverted by turning the same over through an angle of approximately 180.degree. about the rotational axis of a deflecting drum. The inverted imbricated product formation leaving the deflection device is inputted from below to a winding core to be wound-up thereon to form a second product package. By inverting the imbricated product formation due to its passage through the deflection device there is achieved the result that in the imbricated product formation supplied to the winding core the leading edges of the printed products are positioned on top so as to face the second product package. Consequently, a compact second product package is formed in which the printed products are not able to become displaced by slipping.

Abstract: To readily open up a multi-sheet folded printed product comprising at least two folded printed sheets or signatures which are placed one insdie the other, there is provided an innermost printed sheet which is, for instance, of greater length at the center in the direction of the fold line than the remaining printed sheets. The innermost printed sheet thus protrudes past the remaining printed sheets by a marginal section or lap at one lateral edge. An opening device now can engage the protruding marginal section and can open up the printed product at the center without difficulties. When the printed product has been completed, i.e. after insertion of an enclosure or inserts into the opened printed product, the marginal section or lap is cut away. Since such marginal section or lap must be cut away only at one printed sheet the loss in material associated with the cutting operation is exceedingly small.

Abstract: Infeed devices serve to individually place in straddling formation printed signatures or sheets upon collating conveyors equipped with pusher entrainment members. There are provided a plurality of mutually parallelly extending collating conveyors arranged at a substantially uniform circumferential spacing from one another about an axis of revolution. These collating conveyors revolve about such axis of revolution. In order to obtain an essentially coincident or congruent alignment of the edges of the printed signatures or sheets during collation thereof there is provided at the region of the transfer location of each of the infeed devices an associated impact element in order to force the printed signatures or sheets against the associated pusher entrainment member.

Abstract: Collation of folded printed signatures or sheets is accomplished by a rotating collating cylinder or rotary collator which is rotatably driven about its longitudinal axis of revolution. The rotary collator comprises a plurality of collating conveyors arranged substantially parallel to this longitudinal axis. These collating conveyors are substantially annularly positioned about this longitudinal axis and extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotary collator. The folded printed signatures or sheets are fed or conveyed by three feeding conveyors or infeed devices and are deposited to straddle the collating conveyors or the respective folded printed signatures or sheets already straddling the collating conveyors. The folded printed signatures or sheets are displaced in the direction of conveyance of the rotary collator while revolving about the longitudinal axis of the rotary collator.

Abstract: Printed products to be opened are held at their folded or spine edge and, with their open or fan edge located opposite to this folded edge, are fed forward with their fan edge leading into an opening or spreading device or apparatus. A lower portion of the printed products possesses a leading edge section or marginal lap section due to an off-center fold. Circulatingly driven grippers or clamps grip this lower portion of the printed products in the region of the leading edge section and guide it along a downwardly and backwardly curved path. The printed products are simultaneously further transported or conveyed by means of feeders or feeding devices. Both portions of each printed product (i.e. the upper and the lower portions) are thus separated from one another. A collating conveyor of a collating drum or cylinder can be inserted into the opening thus formed between both product portions. Such a collating drum or cylinder may possess a plurality of circulatingly driven collating conveyors.

Abstract: The printed products are slid upon the rearmost printed product in order to form a stack in a lying configuration. For this purpose there is provided a conveyor having at least one circulating chain at which entraining cams are mounted in a regularly spaced relationship. The entraining cams act upon the trailing edges of the printed products. A multiple number of pressing rollers press the stack, and these pressing rollers are mounted at a support disc. The support disc is driven for rotation synchronously with the conveyor chain. Each pressing roller in succession presses upon the rearmost product of the stack. The pressing roller which acts upon the stack is always located just in front of the leading edge of the product which is slid onto the stack and the pressing roller moves upwardly conjointly with the product in the product slide-on direction thereof. While the stack is thus always under compression, the next following product can be slid onto the stack without experiencing a pressing action.

Abstract: An entrainment cam, which is attached to an arm displaceable in its lengthwise direction, is moved toward an open side of a printed product which is to be opened. At the region of one corner of the product the entrainment cam engages a part of the printed product and entrains the seized sheets during further movement thereof. This results in a bowing-out or bulging of the entrained product sheets, so that the part of the printed product which is not engaged by the entrainment cam can be raised. In the thus formed gap there is inserted a holder element which supports the part of the printed product not engaged by the entrainment cam and in this way retains the gap open. Now the entrainment cam is moved back into its rest position where it does not have any effect upon the printed product. The latter then is forwardly advanced, in a direction essentially parallel to the product fold, towards a separation element which engages into the gap and completely opens the printed product.

Abstract: Each of both clamping jaws of a product gripper are formed by a holder portion and an extension portion formed of one-piece with the related holder portion. Both of the holder portions are held in their closed position by means of a closure spring. The clamping jaws are conjointly pivotable about a shaft which simultaneously serves as the pivot shaft for the hinge connection between both of the clamping jaws. If the product gripper is rocked into a product receiving position, then the extension portion of one clamping jaw is located at one side of a stop in contact therewith. For opening the gripper there is exerted an opening force upon the extension portion of the other clamping jaw, so that the related holder portion is raised from the other holder portion against the force of the closure spring. For releasing the seized product the clamping jaws are rocked in clockwise direction into their product release position where the extension portion of the other clamping jaw bears against the stop.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing printed products wherein the product copies are introduced at an infeed location into individual compartments of a revolving cell wheel, processed during the time they are present in the compartments and removed from the compartments at a removal location. The infeed location and removal location are arranged in offset relationship in the direction of the lengthwise axis of the cell wheel. Each compartment has arranged therein, in an axial direction, entrainment means movable between a work stroke and a return stroke, the entrainment means of each compartment being operatively coupled with one another. The entrainment means are driven by a drive embodying a common stationarily arranged guide track describing a closed curve and follower elements rotating with the cell wheel.