Abstract: Sheet transport device including: first tray having receiving area receiving sheets ejected in first direction; second tray in second direction intersecting first direction with respect to first tray; transporter causing pushing member to move between first and second positions at respective sides of receiving area along second direction, second position closer to second tray than first position, transporter transporting first sheet set to second tray by putting pushing member in contact with end of first sheet set facing first position and causing pushing member to move from first to second position when first sheet set is ejected onto first tray; and direction changer causing guide member to guide, in subsequent second sheet set, at least sheet ejected while pushing member moves across receiving area and to change sheet traveling direction to upward direction over pushing member by putting guide member in predetermined angle with respect to horizontal direction.

Abstract: An inserter including a pocket for holding an unevenly folded printed product having a fold edge, a first section on a first side of the fold edge and a second section on a second side of the fold edge that is at least 20 percent shorter than the first section is provided. The pocket includes a lower support surface for supporting the fold edge, a first wall for supporting the first section and a second wall for supporting the second section. The first and second walls each have at least one cutout defined therein. The at least one cutout of the second wall includes a lower cutout edge that is less than a length of the second section away from the lower support surface. The inserter also includes a gripper for securely gripping unevenly folded printed product and removing the unevenly folded printed product from the pocket by passing through the at least one cutouts in the first and second walls. A method of inserting an insert into an unevenly folded printed product is also provided.

Abstract: Receiver units (10, 90) for taking over objects (100, 101, 102) are moved past a take-over location (S1, S2) and include an abutment (95) which limits the position of the object (100, 101, 102) which is fed in the feed direction (F). At least one holding element and/or braking element (45) acts in a direct or indirect manner on the objects to be taken over, for realising a defined product position, in particular so that the object (100, 101, 102) does not bend up or rebound from the abutment (95). In one variant, the holding element and/or braking element (45) brakes the object (100, 101, 102) by way of direct friction. In another variant, the object (100, 101, 102) to be taken over transmits its momentum onto an object (100, 101, 102) which is already held in the receiver unit (10, 90) by way of the holding element and/or braking element, and is braked by way of this.

Abstract: An apparatus for, and a method of, inserting flat articles, e.g. printed pre-products or additional products, parts of newspapers, goods samples, leaflets, fliers and other inserts, into folded printed products. Use is made of a rotary system with compartments which run along a closed circular rotary path and are oriented as a tangent or secant to the rotary path (U). This makes it possible for the printed products and the articles to be fed in the direction of rotation, as a result of which the forces acting on the products can be reduced. There are also advantages relating to format adaptation, since the opening angle of the product upon adjustment of the compartment base does not change to such a pronounced extent as is the case with radially oriented compartments.

Abstract: A device and a method for taking over flexible, two-dimensional objects (100), in particular printed products, at a take-over location (S1). The objects (100) are received by receiver units (10, 12). Controllable narrowing elements (20) are present, in order to prevent a squashing and rebounding of the objects (100) on or from an abutment of the receiver unit (10, 12), with which narrowing elements, in an active condition, the opening width (W2) of the receiver unit (10, 12) in a middle region between an entry opening (16) of the receiver unit (10, 12) and the abutment (15), may be reduced compared to an inactive condition. These are controlled with a control device (30). A more reliable positioning of the objects (100) in the receiver unit (10, 12), in particular at high feed speeds and with thin, elastically deformable objects (100), may be achieved.

Abstract: A system uses a plurality of sensors to detect and manage conditions within a moving pocket, such as a pocket carrying a flat product from one location to another. The system is particularly useful in connection with a newspaper insert machine. One sensor detects whether the product has been opened properly at a particular time; another sensor detects whether the product has been properly gripped by a gripper at a particular time; another sensor detects whether the pocket is empty at a particular time and another sensor detects whether the pocket is open or closed at a particular time. In the event an error condition is detected, the error condition is corrected by a control system.

Abstract: An apparatus for sealing paper with paste includes a paper-feeding unit, a pasting main body which seals open ends of a sheet of paper by an adhesive, and a paper-receiving unit on which the sealed sheets of paper are loaded. The pasting main body includes an opening mechanism which opens a closed sheet of paper, an adhesive applying mechanism which applies a peelable temporary adhesive in a streaky form to a lower folded piece of the opened sheet of paper, a sealing mechanism which superposes an upper folded piece on the lower folded piece, and which temporarily adheres the open ends of the upper and lower folded pieces, and a conveying mechanism.

Abstract: The device has successively disposed receiving elements (14). These are formed by a channel-like base (42) and a wall (44) trailing as viewed in circumferential direction (U). The circumferential path (24) extends in the working section (38) at an incline such that the printed products (18) fed by means of the first conveyor (10) come to rest in the system at the base (42) and plane against the wall (44). A sliding body (60) is associated with each receiving element (14), the sliding body displacing the fed printed products (18) along the wall (44) of the receiving section (46) in the insertion section (48) by abutting the same. The printed products (18) are opened, wherein the second product part (18?) is placed behind the hold-open element (50), which is disposed on the forward receiving element (14). Inserts (20) are added to the printed products (18) by means of a second conveyor (12).

Abstract: A device for opening folded or bound printed products, comprises a feeder device (2, 13) for feeding-in individual folded or bound sub-products (4) and an opening device (6) for opening the sub-products (4), as well as furthermore an opening verifying installation (11, 14, 15, 16), in order to with optical means (14) identify deficiently opened sub-products (4) before the sub-products (4) are further processed. In case of sub-products (4) identified as being deficiently opened, the further processing is not carried out, but rather a deficiently opened sub-product (4) is conducted back to the opening device once more.

Abstract: A signature hopper is provided comprising a first drum having a first gripper for a lead edge of a folded signature, a second drum having a second gripper for an open edge of the folded signature, the second gripper having a gripper finger with an end curled in a direction of rotation of the second drum, a dipper blade for pushing the open edge from the first drum toward the second drum so as to contact the gripper finger and a stationary signature guide spaced with respect to the first drum, the signature contacting the signature guide as the first drum rotates the signature past the signature guide.

Abstract: A storage vessel for holding between shaves a wet razor with its head and cutting blade submerged in a liquid and its handle held out of the liquid and dry. The vessel liquid is comprised of a mixture of hydrophobic and hygroscopic materials and of anti-viral and anti-bacterial materials, effective to reduce cutting blade oxidation due to exposure to water and air during nonuse storage and to maintain the blade sharp and sanitary for shaving comfort. These materials specifically might be mineral oil and calcium chloride (CaCl2), and nano-gold or nano-silver.

Abstract: Folded printed products (6) are supplied with trailing fold-edges (6.3) from above towards a clamping gap (1) and are pushed out of the clamping gap (1), in order to be deposited on, for example, saddle-like supports (7). As soon as the leading edge of each printed product (6) exits from the clamping gap (1), the printed product (6) is opened by two printed product parts (6.1 and 6.2) being separated from each other, and the opened printed products are positioned above the support (7). Gripper elements (11) are provided for gripping the trailing fold-edge (6.3) of each printed product (6), before it exits the clamping gap (1), thus preventing a free fall of the printed products (6) onto the support (7) when the trailing fold-edge (6.3) exits the clamping gap (1). The gripper elements (11) grip and guide the printed products towards the support (7). If a plurality of supports (7) is provided, and these are conveyed continuously and in succession past, below the stationary clamping gap (1), the fold-edges (6.

Abstract: Flat articles are inserted into printed products (3) continuously conveyed by grippers (11) of a gripper conveyor (1), wherein the printed products are held by the grippers at their fold or spine edges and wherein the grippers (11) are conveyed through a deflection region from below round an essentially horizontal deflection axis (2). Pegging elements (4) rotating around the deflection axis (2) are arranged along both sides of the deflection region and synchronized with the grippers, and form axially aligned and inter-spaced pairs and are radially distanced from the grippers. The printed products (3) are conveyed in a hanging manner into the deflection region and they are opened immediately upstream of the deflection region.

Abstract: An apparatus for opening and depositing a signature onto a transporting device includes a continuously rotating gripper cylinder having a first shaft and carrying at least one signature. First and second opening cylinders are arranged below the gripper cylinder to open the signature and deposit the opened signature onto the transporting device. The first and second opening cylinders each have a second and third shafts, respectively, extending substantially parallel to the first shaft. The first and second opening cylinders each have a peripheral section, the peripheral section of the first opening cylinder engaging in a region of rotation of the gripper cylinder to grip a signature such that the signature can be released again. The first opening cylinder includes a guide element to aid in conveying the signature.

Abstract: A method for producing multi-part print products includes supplying a folded main print product fold first to respectively one pouch of successively following pouches on a conveying device for a production line that includes a plurality of feeders. The folded main print product has front and rear legs extending from the fold. The rear leg has a frontal edge region that is penetrable by a movable clamping part. The method further includes moving the front and rear legs apart by penetrating the frontal edge region of the rear leg with the movable clamping part to clamp the front leg against a pouch wall. At least one partial print product is inserted into the main print product when the front and rear legs are moved apart to accommodate partial print products side-by-side.

Abstract: The invention relates to a book block clamp (1) for clamping and transporting book blocks (2) in book block processing machines, comprising an inner clamping jaw (5) and comprising an outer clamping jaw (6) which is arranged parallel to, and movable in relation to, said inner clamping jaw (5). A support element (20) is associated with the outer clamping jaw (6), which support element (20) can be moved into a position that is spaced apart in parallel in relation to the outer clamping jaw (6), as a result of which the opening width of the book block clamp (1) is reduced, while the distance between the inner and the outer clamping jaw (5, 6) remains unchanged.

Abstract: In order to produce final printed products (14) in the same compartment (12), a first product for insertion (22) is inserted into a first folded printed product (10), and a second product for insertion (28) is inserted into a second folded printed product (24). The printed products (10, 24) are displaced in the direction of the folds (16), and as a result each of the printed products (10, 24) has an edge section (26) projecting beyond the other printed product. This permits fault-free, simple access to each of the printed products (10, 24) by grippers (44, 46) respectively positioned adjacent the end regions of each of the compartments and which are configured to open the products for insertion (22, 28).

Abstract: A positioning device for a positioning element, which is rotationally displaceable about a first axis, including a positioning member engaged with the positioning element. The positioning member is rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to and spaced from the first axis. The positioning device further includes a slotted link disposed on the positioning element and arranged radially about the first axis, a threaded spindle rotatable about a fixed point, and a link block inserted into the slotted link it cannot be turned. The link block is defined by a spindle nut engaged with the threaded spindle. The thread pitch of the threaded spindle corresponds to a predefined range of the positioning angle of the positioning element such that the positioning element is displaceable within the range of the positioning angle by two rotations of the threaded spindle or less.

Abstract: A gatherer-stitcher has a folded-sheet feeder and an apparatus for transferring folded sheets from the feeder to a transporting configuration of the gatherer-stitcher. The apparatus has a plurality of shafts or drums with grippers for gripping the folded sheets. The apparatus opens the folded sheets and places them astride the transporting configuration. The apparatus also has a blowing configuration which, as a folded sheet is transferred from one shaft or drum to another, subjects the folded sheet to a surge of air in time with a folded-sheet transportation.

Abstract: A device for holding printed products fed in variations of at least collecting and collating feed modes. The device includes a holding element for holding products fed in different feed modes. The holding element, in turn, includes a deflection element which, in a printed product transfer region, is effective to deflect printed products being fed away from those already fed to the holding element.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet accumulation processing device having a shielding mechanism of a sheet discharge opening which is simple in mechanism, low in cost and requires no complicated control. In the device, after an end of a sheet bunch sent via one end of a slit opening formed in a housing front face of the device is received by a sheet holding means disposed in the slit opening in a predetermined receiving position, the sheet holding means with the sheet bunch held therein is moved along the opening and, in a predetermined discharge position in the slit opening, discharges the sheet bunch onto a sheet accumulating tray in front of the housing. In the discharge position, a sheet holding section of the holding means is rotated forward and downward from its sheet-bunch holding condition and protruded forward from the housing front face, then releases the sheet bunch to place the sheet bunch onto the sheet accumulating tray.

Abstract: A method of producing a newspaper having at least one section which is formed from at least one centrally folded printed sheet.

Abstract: The apparatus has a feed conveyor (12) which is assigned an opening apparatus (18). Located at the downstream end of the feed conveyor (12) is the transfer region (16), through which the movement path (26) of clamps (24) runs. The clamp (24) has two clamp elements (30), which can be moved from an open position into a closed position (60?) for gripping and retaining an article (10). The clamp (24) is assigned a holding-open element (28) which, when the article (10) is gripped by means of the clamp (24), ends up between the two parts (22, 22?) of the article (10) lifted off from one another by means of the opening apparatus (18), and which is intended for holding the article (10) open when the clamp (24) is closed.

Abstract: The clamp has two interacting clamp elements (14) which can be moved relative to one another. These are intended for retaining a sheet-like article (70). The clamp (12) also has a holding-open element (20) which is intended for engaging between two parts (78, 78′) of the article and, when the clamp elements (14) are located in the closed position (18′), for keeping these parts (78, 78′) separate from one another and thus holding the article (70) open.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in forming sheet material assemblages includes a pocket assembly having upper and lower grippers. The upper gripper is spaced a first distance from a sheet material support portion of the pocket assembly to engage an upper edge portion of a large cover section having a relatively large distance between a fold and an upper edge portion. The lower gripper is spaced a distance which is smaller than the first distance from the sheet material support portion of the pocket assembly to engage an upper edge portion of a small cover section having a relatively small distance between a fold and an upper edge portion of the cover section. Pressers are mounted on a movable side wall of the pocket assembly and are engagable with a side of a small cover section to press small the cover section toward the lower gripper.

Abstract: An insertion and gathering device having two deflection wheels, a conveying apparatus circulating around the deflection wheels, receiving containers coupled to and moved along successively by the conveying apparatus with each receiving container having a pocket with an open upper end constituting an insertion opening and extending crosswise to the conveying direction, a feed station for feeding folded products into the insertion openings, a removal station for removing folded products from the receiving devices, and a stationary opening device for opening the folded products arranged between the feed station and the removal station downstream of the first deflection wheel.

Abstract: An adjustable gripper system for releasably holding at least one sheet against a surface includes an adjustment body, a gripper connected thereto for holding the sheet against the surface, and a cam follower to be actuated by a cam. The cam follower is connected to the adjustment body and displaces the adjustment body dependent upon a cam position, which correspondingly displaces the gripper along the surface. The system can be part of a sheet-collating pocket having a top portion, forward and rearward walls pivotally connected to one another and defining a sheet-receiving opening, which pocket can be part of a sheet-collating machine having the cam, a conveyor, a sheet feeding device, and other pockets. A method for adjusting the grippers positions the cam in the pocket path to contact each and selectively displace the gripper holding portion with dependent upon the cam position while the cam and pocket contact.

Abstract: A sheet material conveying apparatus has at least one pocket running along a track, the pocket including a base section for receiving sheet material and an upper section including at least one upper gripper for holding an edge of the sheet material. The at least one upper gripper is movable between a gripping position and a non-gripping position, and the upper section is movable with respect to the base section to alter a distance of the at least one upper gripper with respect to the base section.

Abstract: A lap separator system opens a sheet in a pocket traveling in a direction at a given speed, the pocket having forward and rearward walls pivotally connected to one another and, together, defining a sheet-receiving opening, and includes a moveable separator carrier, a separator connected to the carrier, the separator carrier conveying the separator in the transport direction along the pocket at a speed greater than the given speed, and the separator sequentially contacting the rearward wall, the sheet in the pocket, and then the forward wall and sequentially releasing the rearward wall, at least a portion of the sheet in the pocket, and then the forward wall. The system can be part of a sheet-collating machine having a conveyor, a sheet feeding device, and many pockets. A method for opening a sheet includes displacing the separator to sequentially contact and release the walls and sheet.

Abstract: A method and device for producing printed products wherein first primary products are supplied, respectively, fold first to successive, uniformly-spaced pockets disposed transversely to a conveying direction at a beginning of a first segment of a production path formed by feeders. Subsequently, the first primary product in each pocket is grasped at a protruding gripping edge and opened for insertion of a partial product or enclosure. A further primary product is supplied, respectively, to the successive pockets on a further segment adjoining the first segment of the production path for producing a further printed product, including partial products or enclosures, in the successive pockets.

Abstract: A method of combining a number of individually printed products into a finished product, for example a weekend newspaper containing numerous sections. The individually printed products are of the type that are folded at their mid portion so that they can be opened along the fold allowing them to receive other printed product or closed which facilitates their insertion into an opened printed product. The process starts by inserting a folded printed product into the main product. The first inserted product could have been open when inserted or opened after it was inserted. Then another printed product is inserted into the main product such that it lies adjacent to the first product that was inserted. The first product that was inserted into the main product can then be opened to permit additional printed products to be inserted into it.