Abstract: Sheet material handling apparatus comprising a transfer vehicle movable along a guide track between a stack pickup position and a stack discharge position. The transfer vehicle has a clamping mechanism for clamping a stack of signatures at the stack pickup position and for removing the stack of signatures from the stack pickup position. The clamping mechanism is adapted to maintain clamping engagement with the stack of signatures as the transfer vehicle is moved along the guide track away from the stack pickup position and to the stack delivery position, and the clamping mechanism is releasable from the stack of signatures at the stack delivery position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling newspapers which have a jacket and a plurality of inserts within the jacket are disclosed. The apparatus includes a circular array of stations and a rotor carrying a plurality of pockets which move below the stations. A two-speed transmission is provided so that the rotor can be driven at either of two speeds. At each station there is a hopper for feeding a jacket or insert into the pockets as they move below. The jacket feeding stations are grouped into a group of two or more adjacent stations. The insert feeding stations are likewise grouped into groups of adjacent stations having two or more in each group. All groups have the same number of stations and the stations in each group all feed an identical jacket or insert. In addition there is a single opener station for opening jackets before inserts are fed into the jackets and a single delivery station for each group of jacket feeding stations. In one embodiment each group includes two stations.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivering sheet material, such as signatures, to a gatherer feed mechanism from a vertically stacked on-edge array. A hopper loader delivers signatures to a hopper feed conveyor which moves the signatures in a generally vertically stacked array to a discharge area. Side guides extend above the conveyor to the discharge area. The side guides are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the signatures so that each signature is bowed in the direction of movement of the conveyor. Solenoid-operated pins are provided at the ends of the side guides to alternately hold and release opposite vertical edges of each signature at a predetermined hold-release frequency. The pins maintain the bow and hold the signatures and then release each one to the discharge area in an unbowed condition. Photodetectors maintain the respective pins in the hold position in the event that the delivery area of the hopper becomes full or only one edge of a signature is released.

Abstract: An improved system for producing different magazines composed of different predetermined combinations of signatures for different subscribers in accordance with predetermined criteria from known subscriber information includes a main gatherer for forming main combinations of signatures. A secondary gatherer provides special combinations of signatures in accordance with the known subscriber criteria. Each special combination of signatures is combined with a main combination of signatures to form a complete magazine. In one form of the invention, if for some reason the secondary gatherer should malfunction, a resulting imperfect special combination of signatures is rejected. A supplemental feed is then activated to replace the rejected special combination of signatures with a standard combination of signatures which is combined with a main combination of signatures to form a magazine.