Abstract: A device for placing printed sheets on a guide includes a mechanism for accelerating a printed sheet in an off-transport direction to a transverse velocity before the printed sheet is placed on the guide. The mechanism includes a gripping device for grasping the printed sheet by the front end thereof as seen in the off-transport direction and for accelerating the printed sheet in the off-transport direction by pulling the printed sheet.

Abstract: A device for transporting printed sheets includes a first traction element and a support attached to the first traction element for movement therewith in a transport direction. The printed sheets are deposited in adjacent stacks on the support. Windshield elements are arranged respectively between adjacent stacks of sheets deposited on the support for holding down the deposited printed sheets with a use of environmental air.

Abstract: A gathering and wire-stitching machine for printed sheets has a gathering section and includes at least one run of an endlessly circulating pulling apparatus and supporting elements fastened to the pulling apparatus and forming at least a part of a saddle-shaped support for the printed sheets which are successively deposited thereon in a straddled position. The gathering section leads into an adjoining downstream stitching section for stitching the printed sheets which are deposited one on top of the other. The saddle-shaped support extends over the gathering section as well as the stitching section and includes, at least in a partial section, supporting elements arranged side by side above the pulling apparatus, with each supporting element having one side with a sloping support surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling printed products. The method and apparatus involve the selective delivery of the printed products to receiving devices situated in succession along a production line formed by a plurality of controlled sheet feeder stations. Printed products are selectively supplied to a receiving device at a discharge end of the production line, and transferred to a helical circulation track guiding a plurality of further receiving devices driven in synchronism with the production line through a feed path disposed between the discharge end of the production line and the circulation track. Any incomplete printed products are removed from the printed products, and replaced with replacement complete printed products by delivery of the replacement complete printed products to respective receiving devices of the circulation track corresponding to removed incomplete printed products at a feed point in the circulation track through the feed path.

Abstract: Tongs for releasably clamping newspapers or other sheet-like commodities for movement with a conveyor have a housing connectable to the conveyor, a first jaw provided on the housing, a second jaw which is pivotable in or on the housing between open and closed positions adjacent and remote from the first jaw, respectively, and a mechanism for pivoting the second jaw. The mechanism employs a lever which is pivotable relative to the housing with and with respect to the second jaw between first and second end positions which respectively correspond to the open and closed positions of the second jaw, one or more springs which oppose pivotal movements of the lever relative to the second jaw during pivoting of the lever to its second end position, and a motion transmitting unit which operates between the lever and the spring or springs and is caused to move through a dead-center position during each movement of the lever between its first and second end positions.

Abstract: A conveyor assembly with uniformly spaced-apart grippers for sheet-like printed products wherein the grippers are pulled along a plastic guide by one or more endless flexible bands which replace conventional chains. Each gripper has one, two or more roller followers which are movable along one, two or more tracks defined by the guide. The guide has one or more plastic rails which are affixed to a strip-shaped metallic carrier. The grippers have pairs of jaws one of which supports the follower or followers and the other of which is pivotably mounted on the one jaw and is permanently biased to an operative positioned or to an inoperative position by a prestressed leaf spring which is integral with the second jaw.

Abstract: Partially overlapping sheets of a scalloped stream of sheets are delivered to spaced apart intermediate portions of two elastic bands. One end portion of each band is connected to a second core on which the bands are convoluted over each other so that their convolutions alternate, and the other end portions of the bands are connected to axially spaced apart portions of a first core which gathers a roll of sheets when it is driven in a direction to collect the bands while the sheets of the stream are delivered to the bands between the two cores. The cores are coaxial with each other and are mounted in a frame which further supports several sets of pulleys serving to move the two bands apart in the axial direction of the first core between the first and second cores so that the convolutions of the two bands on the first core overlie axially-spaced apart portions of convoluted paper sheets.

Abstract: Successive stacks of signatures which are accumulated on a turntable are transferred onto a first or onto a second removing conveyor by a pusher which is reciprocable by a carriage along a straight guide rail and is pivotable relative to the carriage so that its ejector bypasses the turntable during movement in a first direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the first removing conveyor or in a seond direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the second removing conveyor. The pusher is pivotable relative to its carriage by a follower which is mounted thereon and extends into a composite groove defined in part by a stationary cam and in part by a pivotable cam.

Abstract: Partly overlapping sheets of a scalloped stream of sheets are transported against one side of a flexible band which is being convoluted onto a first core so that the sheets form convolutions which alternate with the convolutions of the band. The latter is drawn off a second core which is coaxial with the first core, and such band is trained over a set of pulleys which cause it to advance substantially tangentially of and between the axial ends of the first core. The two cores can be driven and braked independently of one another and are mounted in a common frame. The second core is driven by a shaft which rotatably mounts the first core.