Abstract: A pallet loaded with a plurality of adjacently arranged wound product packages is tilted through an angle of approximately 90.degree. about a horizontal axis by means of a tilt or pivot device. Consequently, the wound product packages which are of substantially the same size and arranged such that the lengthwise axes thereof, which extend in horizontal direction and are in aligment with one another, are brought into a position in which the wound product packages bear upon one another and form a package tower or stack. As a result, the lengthwise axes of these wound product packages, now in tower or stack configuration, extend in substantially vertical direction. The wound product packages which bear upon one another, during the course of the tilting motion, are again placed upon a pallet which, prior to the tilting operation, is arranged laterally adjacent the wound product packages which are located adjacent one another.

Abstract: Conveying system with one or more driving members, conveying chains in operative connection therewith and mechanism arranged on said chains and receiving the conveying loads, the conveying chains being guided in chain channels, one or more tracks connecting satellites with one or more central stations. A track comprises a driving station with an associated track and a conveying chain (drag chain) without a return strand running parallel to the track and on whose one end is arranged a conveyed product-receiving mechanism whilst the other end is freely movable. The track connects the driving station (satellite) with a central station or another driving station (satellite).

Abstract: The method for ordering a coherent packaging line is characterized in that prior to cutting the coherent packaging line into product portions, the latter are arranged in loop form, so that the loop apexes formed can be used for manipulation purposes. It is used for storage in transportable large units or for intermediate buffer storage during the packaging process. The apparatus is characterized by a conveying means with receptacles for positioning the loop apexes and at least one collecting device cooperating with the conveying means and having at least one gripper receiving the packaging line from the packaging machine and used for the formation of loop apexes, the collecting device being able to perform a collecting stroke enabling the packaging line received from the gripper to be transferred to a receptacle on the conveying means.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to a method for ordering a coherent packaging line for storing in storage units or for intermediate buffering during a packaging process, wherein prior to the cutting into product portions, the packaging line discharged at the full process speed is wound onto winding plates and the winding formed is intermediately stored, so that then further process stages can be performed thereon, e.g. a singling or cutting at a random time and at a random process speed. The apparatus performing the method has a winding plate drive and winding plates drivable by it for winding a coherent packaging line, together with a supply mechanism for supplying empty winding plates to the winding plate drive and a conveying means for supplying a packaging line to the winding plates. Several supply means can be associated with one winding plate drive.

Abstract: An imbricated product subformation is formed from one half of the printed products delivered in an imbricated product formation by a conveyor or transporter. This subformation is guided through a deflection or turning device. The printed products are accelerated and separated or singled as they run through this deflection or turning device and are simultaneously inverted. After leaving the deflection or turning device, the printed products are conveyed against a fixed stop member and are then deposited upon a belt conveyor to form a new imbricated product subformation. A second subformation is formed from the other half of the arriving printed products and is deposited upon the first altered subformation and is then conjointly wound up with this first altered subformation to form a coil or wound product package.

Abstract: Firstly, a leading first portion of the continuously arriving stream of printed products is stored in the form of an intermediate package present on a winding core journaled for rotation. Subsequently the printed products are again unwound from the intermediate package and joined with a successive second portion of the stream of printed products. In so doing the products in the second portion come to lie in superimposed fashion upon the printed products withdrawn from the intermediate package. Both of the superimposed imbricated product streams are conjointly wound-up upon a rotationally driven winding core to form a primary product package. During exchange of the completed primary product package against a further winding core, the printed products arriving within the period of time needed for this exchange operation are again fed to the intermediate winding core which has now been emptied. These printed products are then wound-up to form an intermediate product package.

Abstract: Printed products arriving in an imbricated product formation are fed to spaced gripper units of a transport device by a belt conveyor. The conveying direction of the belt conveyor forms an acute angle with the transport direction of the transport device. The transporting rate or velocity of the belt conveyor is greater than the transporting rate or velocity by the transport device. Each gripper unit comprises a stationary clamping jaw, a pivotable clamping jaw, and a plate-shaped stop. The pivotable clamping jaw is pivoted against the action of a closing spring by a cam structure or the like. The printed products are first accelerated and then pushed into the open gripper mouth until abutting the stop in order to thereby align the printed products at the region of their leading edges. At the region of their trailing edges, the printed products remain under the conveying action of the belt conveyor at least until the gripper units are closed.

Abstract: Internally of a winding core or body there is arranged a supply spool for a winding band and which supply spool is rotatably mounted upon a shaft of the winding core. The supply spool can be driven by means of a drive unit possessing a drive roll attached to a pivotable arm. Externally of the winding core or body there is arranged a spool member which serves as a intermediate storage for the winding band. Prior to winding-up the continuously arriving products upon the jacket or outer surface of the winding core or body there is wound-up upon the spool member the length of the winding band needed for forming the product package. For this purpose the supply spool is driven by the drive unit. Consequently, the winding band is forwardly advanced by a guide means provided at a rocker member and thereafter guided by a further rocker member towards the spool member. For winding-up the winding band upon the spool member the latter is driven by a drive motor.

Abstract: The precursive or leading portion of printed products or other processed articles arriving in an imbricated formation is first wound up on an auxiliary winding drum or core to form an intermediate coil or package defining a first subformation. The subsequent, second portion of the imbricated formation defining a second subformation is then deposited on this first subformation as the latter is wound off the intermediate coil or package. Both superposed subformations are now jointly fed to a rotatable and driven main winding drum or core and wound up thereupon to form a main storage coil or product package. In order to obtain a compact main storage coil, the two superposed subformations are fed to the main winding drum such that the leading edges of both subformations lie on the upper sides thereof, i.e. the sides oriented towards the main winding drum.

Abstract: Two superimposed product formations wound upon a winding core in the form of a primary product package are conjointly unwound therefrom. The product formations are separated from each other at a branching or branch location. The first product formation is immediately removed by means of a conveyor belt arrangement. The second product formation is supplied to an intermediate winding core to be wound-up thereon so as to form an intermediate product package. After emptying the primary product package the second product formation is unwound from the intermediate winding core and supplied to the conveyor belt arrangement via a deflecting roller. By means of the conveyor belt arrangement the second product formation is also consecutively removed following the previously removed first product formation.

Abstract: Along a collecting conveyor serving to take-up the folded printed sheets in a straddling fashion there is arranged a number of infeed members serving to feed the printed sheets. The infeed members have a delivery region which merges with the collecting conveyor. To increase the efficiency or output of the apparatus without increasing the conveying velocity of the collecting conveyor and to additionally spare the printed sheets from undergoing a sudden change in their direction of movement during the transition from the infeed members to the collecting conveyor, each of the infeed members contain controlled gripper units attached to an endless revolving traction element and serve to grip the fold of the printed sheets.

Abstract: In each case two printed products conjointly travel through a processing path which starts at an input or infeed section and terminates at a removal or withdrawal section. At the infeed section an opening is produced in one of these printed products by the action of a pressure element which exerts a pressure or force transversely with respect to the plane of the printed products. During the forward advance of the printed products in a subsequently arranged feed section the opened printed product travels onto a separation element, such as a separation wedge, by means of which such printed product is opened. There is stuffed an insert into the opened printed product. At this first feed section the other printed product, which up to this time merely travelled along, is opened by means of a further pressure element.

Abstract: Multi-sheet printed products are formed in that a multiplicity of zig-zag configured folded webs aligned with respect to one another are deposited upon one another. Each web is formed by individual sheets which are interconnected with one another at fold locations extending transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the web. For supporting the webs which are to be placed upon one another there is provided a drum containing radially protruding support ribs at its circumference. Initially, the first web is placed upon the support ribs such that each second fold location comes to bear upon a support rib. The first web guided in a spiral-shaped formation upon the drum arrives at an infeed portion or section of the next following web where the second web, in the same manner as the first web, is placed thereover onto the support ribs.

Abstract: A number of substantially zig-zag folded webs, each of which are formed by sheets connected at fold locations or lines, are successively placed upon a revolvingly driven drum member. The webs come into contact with each second fold location upon a support rib or web, these support ribs extending radially away from the surface of the drum member and in the axial direction thereof. A separator or cutter device is arranged opposite each web at the drum member and serves to sever the web at the fold locations or lines bearing upon the support ribs. The separated sheets drop into the compartments formed between each two neighboring support ribs or webs and are retained therein by pressure fingers. During the revolving motion of the drum member the sheets are shifted in axial direction of the drum member into a position where they are aligned with the next following web. Upon the sheets separated from each web there come to bear the sheets previously separated from the other webs.

Abstract: An apparatus for dividing an imbricated stream of printed products into individual mutually separated sections, comprising a separator device which, in the conveying direction of a conveyor device, can be moved with a speed which is smaller than the conveying speed of such conveyor device. The separator device is equipped with a clamping device which selectively retains, for a certain time, a printed product and which can be forwardly moved at the speed of motion of the separator device. Owing to the lower speed of movement of the fixedly-retained printed product, in relation to the conveying speed of the conveyor device, there is formed a gap with respect to the leading printed product of the preceding section and which printed product moves forwardly at the full conveying speed. By means of this gap the successive sections can be separated from one another.

Abstract: An apparatus for individually conveying printed products arriving in an imbricated product stream, comprising a number of driven controlled grippers revolving and guided in a closed path of travel for engaging the leading edge of the printed products. The gripper drive contains means for temporarily restraining the grippers. The gripper drive has at least one continuously driven sluice for the cycled recall of the restrained or stopped grippers. Operatively associated with the sluice is an endless revolving conveyor element equipped with entrainment members engaging the trailing edge of the products, the entrainment members being provided at a uniform spacing at the conveyor element. The conveyor element, as concerns the entrainment members, is driven in cycle with the sluice and opposite in sense to the sense of rotation or revolution of the grippers. There is also provided an infeed device having a drive operatively coupled with the drive of the sluice by a synchronous control.

Abstract: An apparatus for compressing or squeezing a stack of folded, essentially flat products, especially printed products, comprising a stack receiver compartment closed at its lowr end by a support element and a counter pressure device arranged above the support element. The support element and the counter pressure device are movable relative to one another, in order to press together the stack arranged between the counter pressure device and the support element. The counter pressure device comprises at least one pressing element pivotable about an essentially horizontal pivot axis. The pressing element spans over the stack receiver compartment in the direction of the pivot axis. This pressing element can be rocked upwardly by a product stack, out of a lower pivotal position inclined in the direction of the support element, against the action of at least one pressure element acting upon the pressing element.