Abstract: A variable-circumference folder includes a gathering cylinder fitted with pin systems for reliably holding products of different thickness fed to the gathering cylinder by an accelerating device without any adjustment effort.

Abstract: In order to provide a variable folder which allows smearing-free operation, the cutting blade of an upstream cross-cutting arrangement is provided with recesses, which leave behind residual crosspieces in the strand which is to be cut, and arranged in the product-directing region, between the cross-cutting arrangement and a collecting cylinder, are accelerating and tearing-off cams which grip the incoming product and tear it off from the strand at the residual crosspieces.

Abstract: A variable-circumference folder includes a gathering cylinder fitted with pin systems for reliably holding products of different thickness fed to the gathering cylinder by an accelerating device without any adjustment effort.

Abstract: In order to provide a variable folder which allows smearing-free operation, the cutting blade of an upstream cross-cutting arrangement is provided with recesses, which leave behind residual crosspieces in the strand which is to be cut, and arranged in the product-directing region, between the cross-cutting arrangement and a collecting cylinder, are accelerating and tearing-off cams which grip the incoming product and tear it off from the strand at the residual crosspieces.

Abstract: A gripper cylinder for a folding apparatus, the gripper cylinder having a cylinder shaft on which a cylinder body is mounted and at least two gripper stations mounted to the cylinder body. The gripper stations include grippers and corresponding gripper bases. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the distance between each gripper and its corresponding gripper base to correspond to the thickness of a product to be gripped. The gripper mechanism is operative to simultaneously adjust all of the gripper stations.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and a dependable deceleration of folded products, e.g. before being fed to a second longitudinal fold, including two groups of belts, each of which contains upper and lower belts, supplemented by a further belt group containing only upper belts. These belts of the further belt group are guided parallel to the lower belts of the first belt group at a distance which is greater than the product thickness.

Abstract: To cross-fold a moving web into one-third lengths, a cutter blade cylinder (1, 26) is at a cutting position with a counter cylinder (4, 28), which carries needles and may also carry cutting knives. The cutting knives are arranged to cut the web into a format of one-third/two-third length, respectively. The needles (5, 6) on the cylinder transfer the one-third cut element to a second needling cylinder (9, 32) which re-transfers the cut elements to a group of needles (6) on the first needling cylinder (4, 28) so that the one-third length portion is superimposed on the two-third length portion. These two superimposed portions are then transferred to a combination needling-folding blade cylinder (10, 33) which folds the two-third portion in half and transfers the fold to a folding jaw cylinder (14, 38) so that the one-third portion is interlaced into the two-thirds portion.

Abstract: To move folding jaws (4, 5) in a scissor-like or pincer-like movement symmetrical with respect to a center line (CL) and to permit adjustment of the gap or opening of the jaws, for acceptance of folded substrates of different thicknesses, the jaws are coupled together by a rotation reversal arrangement (14, 114, 112, 314) so that rotation of one of the carrier bodies (6) will be transferred as an equal and opposite movement to the other (7) of the carrier bodies. An axial position adjustment spindle (25, 125, 325), controllable by a hand wheel (29) or servo motor (30), changes the axial position of gears rotating or rotating with a shaft (2, 202, 402) of a folding jaw cylinder (1, 201, 401), at least some of the gears or gear pairs having inclined teeth, to thereby transfer a positioning movement into a relative rotary shift of the respectively rotating gear with respect to the gear driving the shaft, thereby causing rocking or tilting of the folding jaw carriers (6, 7).

Abstract: To provide for gentle braking by braking fingers (12) located in axial slots between paddle wheel vanes or blades (9, 10) of paddle wheels (8), the fingers have an outer contour which is shaped and dimensioned, at least in the inlet region of gaps (11) for the printed product forming an intersection angle (.alpha.) defined by the axial projection between the contour of the braking fingers and the adjacent inner surface (91) of a vane or blade to continuously increase during rotation of the paddle wheel vanes or disks, to thereby define effective gaps of continuously decreasing width during rotation of the paddle wheel vanes. Preferably, the position of the fingers is adjustable along a predetermined direction (X) by an electrical closed loop positioning system (13 -20, 43), receiving input signals (44, 45) representative of thickness of products and machine speed and, preferably, also emergency control signals (48) to control the position of the fingers with respect to the vanes or blades.

Abstract: To permit central control of shifting of folding blades and puncture needles on a combination collection or assembly and folding cylinder (9), the cams (23, 25l) have associated therewith rotatable cam cover disks (62, 61) which are driven from the main machine drive, for example via a drive gear (20) coupled to the cylinder (9). An additional rotary motion is superimposed to permit shifting of the cover disks and thus selectively different modes of operation, for collection or assembly, or non-collection of sequential sheet products placed on the cylinder. The superimposed motion arrangement comprises a hollow coupling gear (29) which is coupled to a worm (28) coupled therewith, the worm being engaged by axially shiftable roller bolts (36, 37), the axial position of which is controllable by an electrical positioning motor (57) via a shifting plate (47) upon rotation of a positioning spindle (52).